BACKGROUND Although axillary hyperhidrosis is readily treated with botulinum toxin, the time course of benefits is not well established. OBJECTIVE To quantify the long-term effectiveness of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) for the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis. METHODS This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Eighteen patients received intradermal injections of either 100 U BTX-A (50 U/ml/axilla) or placebo. Sweating per surface area was quantified monthly for 5 months. RESULTS The BTX-A group had an average reduction in sweat production of 91.6% at 2 weeks (from 5.03 ml/min/m2 to 0.42 ml/min/m2, P < .05). The average reduction over 5 months was 88.2%. At the end of the study, only 1 of 12 BTX-A-treated patients had returned to baseline sweat production. CONCLUSION These quantitative results demonstrate that BTX-A is a safe and effective treatment for axillary hyperhidrosis and that the benefits last for at least 5 months.


The aim of the study was to analyze the relation between specific aesthetic motor skills and the performance of rhythmic composition, separately by gender. Three groups of variables were used in a sample of 88 Physical Education University female (N=32) and male (N= 56) students: 4 specific basic aesthetic variables (leap, balance, pirouette and flexibility) performed on both body sides as the first and second battery of predictors, and the calculation of the coefficients of asymmetry for specific aesthetic motor skills as the third battery of predictors, were defined for their predictability for a rhythmic composition performance. Three independent judges evaluated the performances of basic aesthetic elements and rhythmic composition by watching the videotaped material. Coefficients of asymmetry were calculated on the basis of the differences of performance on the dominant and non dominant support leg. Regression analysis indicated the battery of variables for assessing the specific basic aesthetic elements performed on the dominant and non-dominant side of body were a good predictor of rhythmic composition performance in both subject groups. The Cossack leap performed on the dominant leg with the female group of subjects (Beta = 0.49; p<0.05) and the pirouette with front leg horizontal (Beta = 0.36; p<0.05) and flexibility with body and leg horizontal (Beta = 0.31; p<0.05) performed on the non-dominant leg with the male group of subjects were significant predictors of their successful performance. The capability to use both sides of the body with equal skill effects the rhythmic composition performance only with the male group of subjects. Because of a lack of an expressive aesthetic component of performance, the male students' performances were defined with the second most important aesthetic movements characteristic – ambidexterity.


Phonetic and phonemic changes are important aspects of the discussion of absorption of Arabic words (KSBA) in Malay and in particular the jawi text. The objective of this study is to identify the characteristics and frequency of phonemic phonetic changes in absorption of Arabic words in Primary School Islamic Education textbooks. The absorption of Arabic words is analyzed according to Crowley's phonetic and phonemic change theory (1987) which divides it into several types, namely lenition, apocope, sincope, ephentesis, paragog, rephonemicization, metathesis and assimilation. The data in the form of the absorption of Arabic words is obtained from Islamic Education School Textbooks Year 1 to Year 6 (KSSR). In analyzing data, references were made to the Malay-Jawi-Rumi Glossary (DKBM) 2008, as a basic reference and guidance in the spelling and pronunciation of Arabic absorption words. For purposes of comparison to the original spelling of Arabic Loanwords, we refer to Kamus Besar Arab-Melayu Dewan (DBP, 2015) which lists words of Arabic origin. The words obtained from textbooks are then analyzed based on the instruments being constructed, namely BAKSBA (1) and (2). This instrument has been tested on its validity and reliability through the approval of experts and inter / intra rater techniques. The study found that the Arabic Loanwords found in Islamic primary school textbooks are made up of almost all categories of the phonemic changes, in particular categories of lenition, apocope, sincope, ephentesis, and paragog. The highest number is in the syncope category, which is 46%, and was followed by Lenition, which was a 19.4%. The findings of this study have implications in assisting teachers in teaching and facilitating (pdpc) in terms of changes to the KSBA and their impact in terms of spelling in Jawi script; further knowledge of comparisons of his spelling in Arabic which enhances understanding of pupils in Jawi learning in addition to the learned Arabic language, thereby increasing the performance of the Jawi, Islamic Education and Arabic language lessons in schools.


The purpose of this study was to find out the visitor's perception of the convenience of activities related to the presence of street vendors on Merdeka Square in Medan. The researcher collected data through the distribution of questionnaires consisting of three parts, namely in the first section containing Respondent Data, the second part contained eight Closed Questions, and in the third section contained four Open questions. This questionnaire was given to visitors to Merdeka Square as many as 45 respondents. The results of the Respondent's Answer are then tabulated, where each answer has an assessment weight. The first stage of processing the results of this assessment is to find the average analyzed based on Quartile on eight indicator variables, and test the validity of the questionnaire variables. Validity test is used to compare the correlation index r product moment Pearson with a significance level of 5%. which tells the assessment of all visitors to the presence of Street Vendors at Merdeka Square in Medan. The results of respondents' evaluations based on quartile analysis showed that the assessment score was at 958, which means that it was known that visitor perceptions of the presence of street vendors in Merdeka Square were quite negative. This is related to the convenience of Visitors in carrying out activities at Merdeka Square.


Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown etiology that primarily affects the lungs. Our previous work indicates that activation of p38 plays a pivotal role in sarcoidosis inflammatory response. Therefore, we investigated the upstream kinase responsible for activation of p38 in sarcoidosis alveolar macrophages (AMs) and PBMCs. We identified that sustained p38 phosphorylation in sarcoidosis AMs and PBMCs is associated with active MAPK kinase 4 but not with MAPK kinase 3/6. Additionally, we found that sarcoidosis AMs exhibit a higher expression of IRAK1, IRAK-M, and receptor interacting protein 2 (Rip2). Surprisingly, ex vivo treatment of sarcoidosis AMs or PBMCs with IRAK1/4 inhibitor led to a significant increase in IL-1β mRNA expression both spontaneously and in response to TLR2 ligand. However, a combination of Rip2 and IRAK-1/4 inhibitors significantly decreased both IL-1β and IL-6 production in sarcoidosis PBMCs and moderately in AMs. Importantly, a combination of Rip2 and IRAK-1/4 inhibitors led to decreased IFN-γ and IL-6 and decreased percentage of activated CD4+CD25+ cells in PBMCs. These data suggest that in sarcoidosis, both pathways, namely IRAK and Rip2, are deregulated. Targeted modulation of Rip2 and IRAK pathways may prove to be a novel treatment for sarcoidosis.


Mutants defective in the synthesis of antitumor angucycline antibiotic landomycin E were obtained from the asporogenic and initial sporulating strains of Streptomyces globisporus 1912 by means of nitrosoguanidine treatment and UV-irradiation of the mycelium fragments and protoplasts. The frequency of induction of LanE mutants in the protoplasts of strain 3-1 was 3 times higher (0.55%) as compared to mycelium fragments (0.17%). After mutagenic treatment of spores the yield of such mutants was lower (0.044-0.071%). It was shown, that izoflavon daidzein was an effective and necessary regulator of the landomycin E synthesis. The collection of 53 landomycin defective mutants was divided into three groups on the basis of their ability to produce antibiotic and regulator: 1) mutants LanE-Dai+ (45 strains), which did not synthesize landomycin E, but produced daidzein; 2) mutants LanE+Dai- (4 strains), which could restore landomycin E synthesis after adding exogenic daidzein to the medium and 3) mutants LanE- Dai- which did not synthesize landomycin E in the presence of daidzein.


A localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) refractometer based on Au nanoparticles (NPs) was demonstrated in this paper. By immobilizing Au NPs onto the inner wall of micro-capillary, a LSPR-based refractometer was obtained. This sensor was highly sensitive to refractive index (RI) and offers a wide dynamic detection range, and it was sensitivitie-tunable caused by the extinction efficiency of the Au NPs in the evanescent field of micro-capillary inner surface. Then the micro-capillary can be used as both a sensing element and a flow cell, so that micro-measurement can be achieved. The response of LSPR to RI was verified experimentally and the results demonstrated that the absorbance of Au NPs increases between 1.328-1.451, and decreases between 1.451-1.470 with the increasing RI. The sensitivities were 109.6%/RIU in the RI of 1.328-1.394RIU, 395.7%/RIU in the RI of 1.394-1.397RIU and 1035.7%/RIU in the RI range of 1.451-1.470RIU. This refractometer was cost-effective, small-size and highly sensitive to be used for refractometer and can be extended for other physical or chemical parameter measurement for further investigations.


Oncoplastic surgical techniques are seeing widespread use for excision of large volume breast lesions. Batwing technique is one of the volume displacement techniques that can be used to manage lesions in central quadrant of the breast. Such techniques are still underused in Nepal. Here we present three cases with large volume benign breast lesions managed with simple, easy-to-learn technique of Batwing oncoplasty.


To the Editor.— Caffeine has diuretic properties, but no reported observations indicate that it may cause fluid retention. This letter discusses a patient who had fluid retention of ten years' duration which was evidently produced by caffeine. Report of a Case.— A 52-year-old housewife had suffered from edema of hands, feet, and ankles for approximately ten years. At times hydrochlorothiazide gave some benefit, but she had not taken this diuretic for about two years, after moving to Florida from New York. In the morning, the swelling in her hands was more prominent, with difficulty in removing finger rings. In the evening she usually had trouble getting her shoes on and off. Her only other complaint was that she had been a "nervous wreck" for years, although she had not been subjected to an unusual emotional stress. She denied shortness of breath on excretion, palpitation, or pain in the chest. She


Etiological models for alcohol use disorders have traditionally proposed trait and cognitive explanations for initiation, maintenance, and dependence. Numerous studies have shown that heavy drinkers and subjects suffering from alcohol dependence have reduced performance on neurocognitive tests compared with controls. Alcohol dependence is an important risk factor for suicidal behavior. The large population of individuals with alcohol dependence, the relative frequency of suicides and suicide-related behaviors in this population, and the devastating effects of attempted and completed suicides on individuals, families, and society make this an important area for research. Data suggest that neuropsychological dysfunction may play a role in determining risk for suicidal acts. Suicide attempters have been characterized as "cognitively rigid" based on self-ratings and performance on mental flexibility tasks. Depressed subjects with a history of high-lethality suicide attempts exhibited deficits in executive functioning that were independent of deficits associated with depression alone. Alcohol use disorders are associated with both cognitive impairment and suicidal behavior. It is possible that cognitive abnormalities contribute to increased suicidality in individuals with alcohol use disorders. Future studies of the role of cognitive abnormalities in the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior are merited.


Abstract:The Los Angeles Plaza Community Center (PCC), an early twentieth-century Los Angeles community center and clinic, published El Mexicano, a quarterly newsletter, from 1913 to 1925. The newsletter's reports reveal how the PCC combined walk-in medical visits with broader efforts to address the overall wellness of its attendees. Available records, some with occasional clinical details, reveal the general spectrum of illnesses treated over a twelve-year span. Placed in today's context, the medical care given at this center was simple and minimal. The social support it provided, however, was multifaceted. The center's caring extended beyond providing medical attention to helping with education, nutrition, employment, transportation, and moral support. Thus, the social determinants of health (SDH), a prominent concern of present-day public health, was a concept already realized and practiced by these early twentieth-century Los Angeles Plaza community leaders. Such practices, although not yet nominally identified as SDH, had their beginnings in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century social activism movement aiming to mitigate the social ills and inequities of emerging industrial nations. The PCC was one of the pioneers in this effort. Its concerns and successes in this area were sophisticated enough to be comparable to our current intentions and aspirations.


Cassiterite (SnO2) is the most common ore phase of Sn. Typically containing 1–100 μgg−1 of uranium and relatively low concentrations of common Pb, cassiterite has been increasingly targeted for U–Pb geochronology, principally via microbeam methods, to understand the timing and durations of granite-related magmatic–hydrothermal systems throughout geological time. However, due to the extreme resistance of cassiterite to most forms of acid digestion, there has been no published method permitting the complete, closed-system decomposition of cassiterite under conditions in which the basic necessities of measurement by isotope dilution can be met, leading to a paucity of reference and validation materials. To address this a new low blank (< 1 pg Pb) method for the complete acid decomposition of cassiterite utilising HBr in the presence of a mixed U–Pb tracer, U and Pb purification, and thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) analyses has been developed. Decomposition rates have been experimentally evaluated under a range of conditions. A careful balance of time and temperature is required due to competing effects (e.g. HBr oxidation), yet the decomposition of 500 μm diameter fragments of cassiterite is readily achievable over periods comparable to zircon decomposition. Its acid-resistant nature can be turned into an advantage by leaching common Pb-bearing phases (e.g. sulfides, silicates) without disturbing the U–Pb systematics of the cassiterite lattice. The archetypal Sn–W greisen deposit of Cligga Head, SW England, is used to define accuracy relative to chemical abrasion–isotope dilution–thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (CA-ID-TIMS) zircon U–Pb ages and demonstrates the potential of this new method for resolving highresolution timescales (< 0.1 %) of magmatic–hydrothermal systems. However, data also indicate that the isotopic composition of initial common Pb varies significantly, both between crystals and within a single crystal. This is attributed to significant fluid–rock interactions and the highly F-rich acidic nature of the hydrothermal system. At microbeam precision levels, this issue is largely unresolvable and can result in significant inaccuracy in interpreted ages. The ID-TIMS U–Pb method described herein can, for the first time, be used to properly characterise suitable reference materials for microbeam cassiterite U–Pb analyses, thus improving the accuracy of the U–Pb cassiterite chronometer as a whole.


The amount of cooling air assigned to seal high pressure turbine rim cavities is critical for performance as well as component life. Insufficient air leads to excessive hot annulus gas ingestion and its penetration deep into the cavity compromising disc or cover plate life. Excessive purge air, on the other hand, adversely affects performance. Experiments on a rotating turbine stage rig which included a rotor-stator forward disc cavity were performed at Arizona State University. The turbine rig has 22 vanes and 28 blades, while the cavity is composed of a single-tooth lab seal and a rim platform overlap seal. Time-averaged static pressures were measured in the gas path and the cavity, while mainstream gas ingestion into the cavity was determined by measuring the concentration distribution of tracer gas (carbon dioxide) under a range of purge flows from 0.435% (Cw = 1540) to 1.74% (Cw = 6161). Additionally, particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to measure fluid velocity inside the cavity between the lab seal and the rim seal. The data from the experiments were compared to time-dependent CFD simulations using FLUENT CFD software. The CFD simulations brought to light the unsteadiness present in the flow during the experiment which the slower response data did not fully capture. An unsteady RANS, 360-degree CFD model of the complete turbine stage was employed in order to increase the understanding of the swirl physics which dominate cavity flows and better predict rim seal ingestion. Although the rotor-stator cavity is geometrically axisymmetric, it was found that the interaction between swirling flows in the cavity and swirling flows in the gas path create non-periodic/time-dependent unstable flow patterns which at the present are not accurately modeled by a 360 degree full stage unsteady analysis. At low purge flow conditions, the vortices that form inside the cavities are greatly influenced by mainstream ingestion. Conversely at high purge flow conditions the vortices are influenced by the purge flow, therefore ingestion is minimized. The paper also discusses details of meshing, convergence of time-dependent CFD simulations, and recommendations for future simulations in a rotor-stator disc cavity such as assessing the observed unsteadiness in the frequency domain in order to identify any critical frequencies driving the system.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are a large family of man-made chemical compounds functionally or biologically similar to natural cannabinoids. They produce marijuana-like effects from binding to cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system (CNS) and have sometimes been referred to as "fake pot," "legal weed," "new marijuana" and "legal high." These substances are marketed to teens and young adults and have become the second most-abused illicit substance in the United States after marijuana. They appeal to young people because they're relatively inexpensive, easily available and aren't detectable on routine drug screens. There's also a major misconception that these drugs are natural, legal, safe and produce less adverse effects than marijuana.


This article reviews research on the gaze behavior of penalty takers in football. It focuses on how artificial versus representative experimental conditions affect gaze behavior in this far-aiming task. Findings reveal that—irrespective of the representativeness of the experimental conditions—different instructions regarding the aiming strategy and different threat conditions lead to different gaze patterns. Results also reveal that the goal size and the distance to the goal did not affect the gaze behavior. Moreover, it is particularly run-up conditions that lead to differences. These can be either artificial or more natural. During a natural run-up, penalty takers direct their gaze mainly toward the ball. When there is no run-up, they do not direct their gaze toward the ball. Hence, in order to deliver generalizable results with which to interpret gaze strategies, it seems important to use a run-up with a minimum length that is comparable to that in a real-life situation.


We present optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of WISEA J061543.91−124726.8, which we rediscovered as a high motion object in the AllWISE survey. The spectra of this object are unusual; while the red optical (λ > 7000 Å) and near-infrared spectra exhibit characteristic TiO, VO, and H2O bands of a late-M dwarf, the blue portion of its optical spectrum shows a significant excess of emission relative to late-M-type templates. The excess emission is relatively featureless, with the exception of a prominent and very broad Na i D doublet. We find that no single, ordinary star can reproduce these spectral characteristics. The most likely explanation is an unresolved binary system of an M7 dwarf and a cool white dwarf. The flux of a cool white dwarf drops in the optical red and near-infrared, due to collision-induced absorption, thus allowing the flux of a late-M dwarf to show through. This scenario, however, does not explain the Na D feature, which is unlike that of any known white dwarf, but which could perhaps be explained via unusual abundance or pressure conditions.


The study of eco-labeled product purchasing behavior usually starts from a multidisciplinary set of fundamental theories and models depending on the approach towards the ecological behavior of the consumer. The proposed conceptual model is based on quantitative research on the intention of consumers to continue to buy eco-labeled goods for personal use. The model is analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, based on variance analysis, on a sample of 587 respondents. The analysis process consisted of two distinct stages, evaluating the accuracy of measurements, and testing the hypotheses. The conformity of the model was validated by studying its specific indicators. The 17 study hypotheses were tested by path coefficient analysis within the structural model, as well as the postulated moderating effect. Based on the conformity indices obtained, the model has good predictive and explanatory capacity. The only hypothesis refuted is the relationship between consumers' perception of personal effectiveness and their intention to continue buying eco-labeled products. This relationship was not verified at the chosen significance threshold of .01. By analyzing the indirect and total effects, we demonstrated the existence of certain beliefs that directly influence consumers' intention to continue buying eco-labeled products. The influence is also indirect through other variables such as perceived trust and perceived usefulness. The existence of a statistically significant effect from variables on an indirect path (expectations confirmation, ease of use of the ecolabel in purchasing eco-products) was also demonstrated. The explanatory and predictive capacity of the intention to continue buying eco-labeled products was increased by validating the proposed model.


Many pharmacological effects have been ascribed to extracts of Psidium guajava L. (guava) leaves. However, in spite of its widespread use in Brazilian folk medicine and a reasonable number of scientific reports about it, we could not find any study dealing with its action on the mammalian myocardium. In the present study, by measuring isometric force, we observed that the crude extract of P. guajava (water-alcohol extract obtained by macerating dry leaves) depresses the guinea pig atrial contractility in a concentration-dependent fashion (N = 8 hearts, 15 trials). The compound with cardiac activity was concentrated by extraction in a Soxhlet apparatus using 17 M glacial acetic acid after removing the less polar fractions (hexane, chloroform, acetone, ethanol and methanol), suggesting that this compound is a highly polar substance. In the isolated guinea pig left atrium the acetic acid fraction (10-800 mg/l) of P. guajava 1) reversibly decreased myocardial force in a concentration-dependent fashion (EC50 = 0.07g/l, N = 5 hearts, 9 trials, P<0.05), 2) increased the atrial relaxation time measured at 20% of the force amplitude up to 35% (91 +/- 15 to 123 +/- 30 ms, N = 3 hearts, 6 trials, P<0.05), 3) abolished the positive staircase effect (Bowditch phenomenon) in a concentration-dependent fashion suggesting a decrease of the cellular inward calcium current (N = 4 hearts, 8 trials, P<0.05), and 4) its inotropic effect was abolished by cholinergic receptor blockade with 1.5 mM atropine sulfate, indicating a cholinergic involvement in the mechanism of action of the extract (N = 7 hearts, 15 trials, P<0.05). The acetic acid extract was 20 times more potent than crude extract (EC50 = 1.4 g/l). The results showed that extracts from P. guajava leaves depress myocardial inotropism.


The economic policy carried out in post-war France is usually qualified as Keynesian. However, recent work draws attention to the ambivalences and contradictions of this particular historical configuration. By building on such hypothesis, the article focuses on the pricing policy of Electricite de France, a public monopoly that covered a whole area of the economy : the production, transportation and distribution of electricity for all citizens of the nation, without exception. The inquiry proposes to suspend the rhetoric used by the actors, who considered the issue as a technical problem of economic efficiency, in order to demonstrate that pricing deployed a very specific ordering of the French economy. Conducted by Marcel Boiteux and Pierre Masse, the operation relied on the Corps de l'Etat and the economic theory developed by one of their tutelary figure, Maurice Allais. It established EDF's Economic Studies Service as a central aggregator that directed the flows of materials in order to fully use the production capacities, as in time of war. But – and this is a characteristic of the studied configuration – the long-term planning created a market within the state monopoly and prices became a mean to discipline the consumers-citizens. The article thus shows that in the 1950s other economic agencements existed alongside Keynesianism and argues for a plural vision of the French economy of that time.


Obesity is a chronic multifactorial disease representing a major health problem. Among its consequences, diverse facets of the cutaneous physiology are altered. Some dermatoses are also more prevalent. The most typical ones are acanthosis nigricans, skin tags, signs of hyperandrogeny, striae distensae, stasis acroangiodermatitis, leg ulcers, lymphoedema and intertrigo.


An effective vaccine against Toxoplasma gondii is an ideal strategy for controlling acute or chronic toxoplasmosis. In order to boost immune reactions to various antigens, liposomes may be utilized as immunoadjuvants. We encapsulated soluble Toxoplasma antigen (SA) and imiquimod adjuvant in 1, 2-Dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium Propane (DOTAP) liposomes to evaluate the immune response induced by this vaccine. Three times with 2-week intervals, BALB/C mice were immunized subcutaneously with different formulations. The type of generated immune reaction, as well as the protection extent, was assessed through the percent survival survey of BALB/c mice after challenge with Toxoplasma gondii, the evaluation immune reaction with the generation of cytokine (IFN-γ, IL-4), and titration of IgG isotypes. Less mortality was observed in the immunized mice by liposome DOTAP + imiquimod + SA that was meaningfully different (P<0.01) in comparison to other groups. The IgG2a and IFN-γ secretion highest levels were seen with liposome DOTAP + imiquimod + SA more than the control group (P<0.001) and (P<0.0001), respectively. The results of this research reveal that a cellular immune reaction is produced by the formulation of liposome DOTAP + imiquimod + SA, which is protective facing T. gondii challenge


MANETs are experiencing unstoppable growth due to their decentralized topology and their easy and low-cost deployment. The dynamic nature of MANETs entails the use of appropriate routing protocols to obtain good performance in the services supported by the network; even more if these services present tough temporal requirements, such as multimedia or VoIP services. One routing protocol to which notable research effort has been devoted is the BATMAN protocol, which proposes an interesting paradigm avoiding the explicit interchange of routing information among nodes. In this paper, we focus on evaluating the performance of BATMAN supporting VoIP traffic on low power-consumption nodes, from a Quality of Experience (QoE) point of view. Specifically, we evaluate the impact on BATMAN performance of 1) the PHY layer, by employing a fading characterization of the transmission channel; 2) the number and density of ad-hoc nodes; and 3) node mobility. All the results obtained for BATMAN are compared with those attained by using the widely used OLSR routing protocol. From the results, we conclude that neither BATMAN nor OLSR in their respective current implementations are suitable enough for VoIP traffic support in MANETs composed of energy-saving nodes.


The correlation between allergen-induced specific and non-specific (histamine) nasal reactions was studied, especially as regards topical glucocorticosteroid effects on the non-specific reactions. Thirteen patients with strictly seasonal allergic rhinitis participated. A nasal challenge with histamine and three increasing doses of allergen was performed on the first day. The patients were rechallenged 24 h later with the same histamine dose and the lowest allergen dose from the previous day. The same 2-day challenge was also performed after pretreatment for one week with budesonide in 8 of these patients. Symptom scores were recorded. The N-alpha-tosyl-L-arginine-methyl-esterase (TAME esterase) activity in nasal lavages was determined. The nasal symptoms and the TAME-esterase activity increased at rechallenge for both histamine and allergen, compared with the initial challenge. The mean ( +/- SE) composite nasal symptom score after histamine increased from 3.5 +/- 0.49 to 4.9 +/- 0.35 (p less than 0.01) and after allergen from 1.62 +/- 0.3 to 3.2 +/- 0.5 (p less than 0.01) at rechallenge. Similar increases were recorded for the TAME-esterase activity. A close correlation between the allergen-induced increase in specific (allergen) and non-specific (histamine) reactivity was found (r = 0.7, p less than 0.01, composite nasal symptom score). Treatment with topical glucocorticosteroids abolished the allergen-induced increase in both specific (p less than 0.001) and non-specific (histamine) (p less than 0.01) nasal reactivity.


The disturbed terrain adjacent to the airstrip at Sachs Harbour is an example of man-induced thermokarst processes operating within the High Arctic environment. An irregular topography of mounds and linear depressions has appeared and evidence indicates preferential subsidence along ice wedges. The underlying sands and gravels are ice-rich with approximately 20–35% excess ice and natural water (ice) contents of between 50 and 150%. Examination of air photographs indicates that the terrain developed within three years of the initial disturbances. Detailed levelling in 1972 and 1973 suggests that subsidence and permafrost degradation is still active, over 10 years later. Gullying of the airstrip is a problem partly associated with the thermokarst activity. A comparison is made with man-induced thermokarst terrain in Siberia.


The fuzzy system used for short-term load forecasting is put forward. Based on relationship,the available historical load data are divided into some groups. Fuzzy system is used to map these sample data. The amending of rules parameters by descent method makes the output of FS coinciding with the data of loads,and FS can forecast future loads.


Edited by Moyra Smith.: Oxford University Press, 2005, £29.99 (US$55 (approx.); €45 (approx.)), pp 300, hardback. ISBN 0195174321

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This book is a little gem but it is not for the faint hearted. It is not directed specifically at the clinical expert (whether clinical geneticist or paediatrician with a neurodisability interest) but is perfect for those who wish to understand the genetic mechanisms active in embryonic life and beyond, which lead to structural and functional brain abnormalities. For the uninitiated it is a journey of enlightenment.

The reader has a gentle initiation through the social, environmental, and scientific progress in understanding of the causes of mental retardation (MR) in over a century of investigation. The subsequent chapters form a classification in themselves, being usefully separated into abnormalities of brain structure …

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Abstract The impact of human‐induced stressors, such as invasive species, is often measured at the organismal level, but is much less commonly scaled up to the population level. Interactions with invasive species represent an increasingly common source of stressor in many habitats. However, due to the increasing abundance of invasive species around the globe, invasive species now commonly cause stresses not only for native species in invaded areas, but also for other invasive species. I examine the European green crab Carcinus maenas, an invasive species along the northeast coast of North America, which is known to be negatively impacted in this invaded region by interactions with the invasive Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus. Asian shore crabs are known to negatively impact green crabs via two mechanisms: by directly preying on green crab juveniles and by indirectly reducing green crab fecundity via interference (and potentially exploitative) competition that alters green crab diets. I used life‐table analyses to scale these two mechanistic stressors up to the population level in order to examine their relative impacts on green crab populations. I demonstrate that lost fecundity has larger impacts on per capita population growth rates, but that both predation and lost fecundity are capable of reducing population growth sufficiently to produce the declines in green crab populations that have been observed in areas where these two species overlap. By scaling up the impacts of one invader on a second invader, I have demonstrated that multiple documented interactions between these species are capable of having population‐level impacts and that both may be contributing to the decline of European green crabs in their invaded range on the east coast of North America.


With large amounts of simultaneous data, like inverted seismic data in reservoir modeling, negative effects of Monte Carlo errors in straightforward ensemble-based data assimilation (DA) are enhanced, typically resulting in underestimation of parameter uncertainties. Utilization of lower fidelity reservoir simulations reduces the computational cost per ensemble member, thereby rendering the possibility of increasing the ensemble size without increasing the total computational cost. Increasing the ensemble size will reduce Monte Carlo errors and therefore benefit DA results. The use of lower fidelity reservoir models will however introduce modeling errors in addition to those already present in conventional fidelity simulation results. Multilevel simulations utilize a selection of models for the same entity that constitute hierarchies both in fidelities and computational costs. In this work, we estimate and approximately account for the multilevel modeling error (MLME), that is, the part of the total modeling error that is caused by using a multilevel model hierarchy, instead of a single conventional model to calculate model forecasts. To this end, four computationally inexpensive approximate MLME correction schemes are considered, and their abilities to correct the multilevel model forecasts for reservoir models with different types of MLME are assessed. The numerical results show a consistent ranking of the MLME correction schemes. Additionally, we assess the performances of the different MLME-corrected model forecasts in assimilation of inverted seismic data. The posterior parameter estimates from multilevel DA with and without MLME correction are compared to results obtained from conventional single-level DA with localization. It is found that multilevel DA (MLDA) with and without MLME correction outperforms conventional DA with localization. The use of all four MLME correction schemes results in posterior parameter estimates with similar quality. Results obtained with MLDA without any MLME correction were also of similar quality, indicating some robustness of MLDA toward MLME.


Although near‐infrared (NIR)‐light‐mediated photothermal thrombolysis has been investigated to overcome the bleeding risk of clinical clot‐busting agents, the secondary embolism of post‐phototherapy fragments (>10 µm) for small vessels should not be ignored in this process. In this study, dual‐modality photothermal/photodynamic thrombolysis is explored using targeting nanoagents with an emphasis on improving biosafety as well as ameliorating the thrombolytic effect. The nanoagents can actively target glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptors on thrombus to initiate site‐specific thrombolysis by hyperthermia and reactive oxygen species under NIR laser irradiation. In comparison to single photothermal thrombolysis, an 87.9% higher re‐establishment rate of dual‐modality photothermal/photodynamic thrombolysis by one‐time treatment is achieved in a lower limb thrombosis model. The dual‐modality thrombolysis can also avoid re‐embolization after breaking fibrin into tiny fragments. All the results show that this strategy is a safe and validated protocol for thrombolysis, which fits the clinical translational trend of nanomedicine.


The objective of this work was to evaluate lettuce growth in greenhouse under different types of substrates. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, under randomized block design, with six treatments and three replicates. The compositions of the substrates were: T1= 100% organic compound; T2= 75% organic compound plus 25% substrate Plantmax®; T3= 50% organic compound plus 50% substrate Plantmax®; T4= 25% organic compound plus 75% substrate Plantmax®; T5= 100% substrate Plantmax®; T6= vermiculite. The number of leaves, dry mass, leaf area index, culture growth rate, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate, specific foliar area, foliar area ratio and foliar weight ratio were evaluated. Higher growth of lettuce plants are produced by mixture of organic compound and substrate Plantmax®. The isolated use of vermiculite does not give good results for the growth of lettuce plants, but is an alternative for mixing with other substrates.


BACKGROUND
Falling is a common cause of injuries and reduced quality of life. Persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at increased risk for falls and related injuries. As the number of elderly persons with ID is growing rapidly, it is imperative to gain insight into the quantity of the problem of falling, the circumstances that precipitate falls and to better understand their aetiology in persons with ID. This is the first study to prospectively investigate fall rate, circumstances and fall consequences in older adults with mild to moderate ID.

METHOD
Eighty-two individuals with mild to moderate ID, 50 years and over [mean age 62.3 (SD = 7.6), 34 male], participated in this study, which was conducted at three service providers for persons with ID in the Netherlands. Falls were registered for 1 year with monthly fall registration calendars to determine the fall rate (mean number of falls per person per year). Information on fall circumstances and consequences was obtained from questionnaires completed by caregivers and study participants after each fall.

RESULTS
We determined that the fall rate in this sample was 1.00 fall per person per year. Thirty-seven participants reported at least one fall (range 1-6). Sex and age were not related to falls. Most falls occurred while walking (63.3%), outside (61.7%) and in familiar environments (88.9%). Importantly, 11.5% of falls resulted in severe injuries, approximately half of which were fractures.

CONCLUSION
The circumstances and consequences of falls in persons with ID are comparable to those of the general elderly population, but the rate is substantially higher. As such, appropriate fall prevention strategies must be developed for individuals with ID.


Atmospheric density models are currently the limiting factor in the accuracy of the dynamic orbit determination and prediction of satellites in a low Earth orbit. Any improvement in these models would greatly aid in applications such as re-entry prediction, ground-track maintenance of Earth observation satellites and forecast of possible collisions with space debris objects. Because of their use in scientific studies, improving these models will also bene?t our understanding of the physical processes that occur in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Accelerometer instruments onboard of low Earth orbiting satellites are near perfect instruments for studying atmospheric density. They provide accurate observations of the non-gravitational accelerations acting on a satellite and for low flying satellites atmospheric drag is the dominant non-gravitational force. Unfortunately, the number of satellites equipped with an accelerometer is limited. Therefore, in this thesis a strategy is developed and implemented to optimally derive non-gravitational accelerations from precise GPS satellite tracking observations of low flying satellites. This estimation of non-gravitational accelerations using a precise GPS-based orbit determination scheme is referred to as GPS-based accelerometry. The developed GPS-based accelerometry processing strategy is applied to GPS data from the CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE satellites. These satellites carry electrostatic accelerometer instruments, which allows a validation of the GPS-based accelerometry performance. This validation shows that best results are generally obtained for lower flying satellites, due to the increased effect of drag at lower altitudes. In general, best performance is obtained in flight direction, due to the strong effect of accelerations in this direction on orbital dynamics. A comparison with state-of-the-art non-gravitational models shows that for all selected satellites, GPS-based accelerometry outperforms the non-gravitational models in the flight direction. These results indicate that with GPS-based accelerometry, satellites equipped with accurate GPS tracking instrumentation can contribute significantly to atmospheric density modeling. With the growing number of satellites equipped with accurate GPS receivers, this strategy could be applied to a large range of satellites, which offers great potential for the improvement of atmospheric density models.


Egypt has a long history of providing subsidized food for its people. The policy has been criticized for its high cost to the government and for the way in which sustained provision of food by the government can be disempowering for the people (Ecker, Tan, and Al-Riffai 2014; Ecker et al. 2016); IFPRI 2013). This editorial will examine one distinct component of that program: the provision of subsidized infant formula. As shown in the historical review, the subsidy program was in turmoil in mid-2016, resulting in major changes in the program's management. The critical analysis that follows argues that for the long term, simply improving the delivery of subsidized formula is not enough. It should be recognized that feeding infants with formula can displace breastfeeding, resulting in worse health outcomes for infants and mothers. The use of infant formula should not be encouraged. There are few conditions under which it is medically necessary. Instead of spending so much money on subsidizing formula, Egypt should provide better support for breastfeeding.


Preterm infants are at risk for poor growth while in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and after discharge from the NICU. The main objective is to reach the body composition and rate of growth of a normal fetus/infant of the same post-menstrual age during the first entire year of life. In case of human milk, the limited data do not provide convincing evidence that feeding preterm infants after discharge with multi-nutrient fortified human milk, compared with unfortified, affects important outcomes including growth rates during infancy. Conversely, if formula-fed, post discharge formulas produce short term advantages in growth rate but no long term advantages are demonstrated. It is very important to establish a feeding plan and a follow up for all preterm babies who are discharged from NICU in order to recognize as soon as possible any growth deficit.


Cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis is rare but can lead to severe clinical problems that often require aggressive surgical treatment for neurological deterioration and life-threatening conditions. Although combined surgical procedures are often utilized to treat multilevel cervical regions, there is a clinical debate regarding the appropriate order and timing of surgeries using the anterior and posterior approaches. Here, we report a case of severe multilevel cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis treated using a three-staged surgical strategy consisting of cervical laminectomy, posterior fixation, and anterior corpectomy and fusion with an autologous long bone graft; the outcome was quite favorable. Our report demonstrates the safety and usefulness of three-staged surgery in the multilevel cervical region, especially under urgent situations.


UWB printed disk monopole antenna with embedded reconfigurable multi band function is proposed. Frequency reconfiguration is achieved by using different stubs. Reconfigurability is introduced in a way we can independently switch ON/OFF stubs of different lengths. These microstrip stubs can be connected to the partial ground or the monopole microstrip feed line. Simulation results of return loss for different switch states and radiation patterns at different frequencies are also presented. Simulation results are verified with measurements.


In-body bioelectronics relies on antennas to interface with external on- or off-body equipment. In this paper, we address the impedance detuning of in-body antennas caused by nondeterministic electromagnetic properties of biological tissues. The impedance robustness can be improved in two ways. First, by using wideband and multiresonance antennas with an added benefit of higher achievable data rates. Second, by applying specific dielectric-loaded narrow-band microstrip designs that additionally show enhanced radiation performance and robustness to inner components. Fully tissue-independent characteristics can be realized using hybrid slot-patch designs.


A generalized dynamics is postulated in a product space R3 × S1 with R3 representing the configuration space of a one particle system to which is attached the U(1) fibre bundle represented by the manifold S1. The manifold S1 is chosen to correspond to the action phase, with the action being the principal function corresponding to the associated classical dynamical system. A Hilbert space representation of the flow equation representing the dynamics in the above product space is then obtained, which is found to yield a probability amplitude formalism in terms of a generalized set of equations of the Schrödinger form which constitutes a covering formalism for both quantum and classical mechanics. Being labelled by an integral index n, the equation corresponding to n = 1 is identified with the Schrödinger equation, while equations corresponding to n → large yield the classical dynamics through the WKB limit. Equations with lower indices n = 2, 3, 4, ... predict the existence of new modes of non-classical behaviour, the observational implications of which are discussed. Some preliminary experimental results are presented which point to the existence of these modes of non-classical behaviour.


5537 Background: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is expressed in nearly all SCCHN and carries a strong prognostic significance, providing the rationale for using EGFR-targeted agents, such as cetuximab, in this indication. This study assesses the efficacy and safety of cetuximab in combination with chemotherapy commonly used in the treatment of R&M SCCHN.

METHODS
Patients (pts) were enrolled into this phase III trial from December 2004 to December 2005 and randomized either to Group A: cetuximab (first dose 400 mg/m2 then 250 mg/m2 weekly) plus a maximum of 6 three-weekly cycles of cisplatin (100 mg/m2 IV on day 1) or carboplatin (AUC 5, day 1) and 5-FU (1000 mg/m2/day continuous infusion for the first 4 days of each cycle) or to Group B: cisplatin or carboplatin with 5-FU as before. Cetuximab was administered until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoint is overall survival time; secondary endpoints are progression-free-survival, response rate, disease control rate, safety, and Quality of Life. It was planned to randomize a total number of 420 pts in order to detect a difference in improvement in overall survival of 2.5 months.

RESULTS
At the end of the recruitment,440 pts have been randomized, to date 320 pts are under treatment, 21 have withdrawn from the study and 99 have completed the study. The Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) has performed an independent preplanned safety analysis from the first 140 pts, 138 pts of whom were treated. Patients were followed for a minimum of 6 weeks: M/F122/16, median age57 years [range, 38-79],median Karnofsky performance status (KPS) 80 [range, 70-100]. In this safety analysis, there were 14 deaths, none of which were treatment related. The most frequent drug related grade 3-4 toxicity was mainly represented by neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia.

CONCLUSIONS
The DSMB evaluated baseline and safety data, found no reason to stop the trial and recommended continuation of the study. [Table: see text].


The characteristics of the potential of alternative energy sources in Ukraine are presented (in the article). The reasons of their slow implementation to the activity of enterprises are identified. The conditions of the application of controlling system during the transition to alternative energy sources are presented.


Numerous approaches to pixel rewriting systems (PRSs) have been investigated since Furnas' Bitpict. VRule is a new rule-based pixel rewriting framework designed to support investigation of new formalisms for end-user modeling with PRSs, and is implemented as a Pattern Directed Inference System (PDIS) with specialized classes of antecedent and consequent Pattern Directed Modules (PDM) components. This overview briefly examines VRule's key elements resulting from exploration of the architectural aspects of rule-based engines to include matching, rule resolution, and execution in a spatial environment, as well as numerous new PDM formalisms. Examples representing classes of modeling domains have been developed to include Turing machines, 1D/2D/3D cellular automata, a game of Fox and Hounds, Langton's Ant (turmites), a climatological gas model originally written in C#, and a virological infection model originally written in Python.


D-Serine is thought to be involved in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptor-mediated neurotoxicity and plays a pathophysiologic role in stroke. D-Serine is synthesized by serine racemase (SR), which directly converts L-serine into D-serine. The deletion of SR has been reported to protect against cerebral ischemia damage. Additionally, SR catalytic activity is physiologically regulated by its binding to stargazin. However, whether the stargazin-SR interaction affects the level of stroke damage remains elusive. We showed that cerebral ischemia increased the interaction of stargazin and SR and decreased the levels of D-serine. Disrupting the stargazin-SR interaction by knocking down stargazin aggravated cerebral ischemic insults. We found that cerebral ischemia decreased the phosphorylation of stargazin at the Thr-321 residue, which was phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA). Treatment with the PKA inhibitor H89 blocked stargazin T321 phosphorylation, augmented the stargazin-SR interaction, decreased D-serine levels, and alleviated focal cerebral ischemic damage in rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R). Thus, the stargazin-SR interaction is a promising strategy in the treatment of stroke.


The aim of this thesis has been to study power relations between suburb youth and institutions. Data have been assembled during one year of field work, through participant observation, field notes, interviews, informal conversations, and the study of official reports, investigations and documentation.In chapter 1, the youth groups are introduced. I describe in what way the informal group gains a basis of experience. Tbrough "territoriality" and "doing nothing", the social group marks its sense of kinship with its own generation and its own social class.The youth groups of Wemmenborg do not have a free choice of action. The group members are intent on keeping what they have. In this way, they become dependent of institutions and grown-up persons in authority.In chapter 2, I give an account of how the strategies of the informal group work, as they mark a distinction between "us" and "them". Still, at the same time, these strategies form the process which ties the group even tighter to the authorities rejected. I describe in what way social workers and police officers are used as "negative models", in oder to remove the feeling of being Seduced or tricked into something. Through this strategy, authority becomes invisibly but efficiently legitimated.Chapter 3 describes the environment which brings forth specific technologies and practices of power. These have their own historical conditions as disciplinary foundations through which the subject is made into an object of knowledge. Due to the proceeding form of "prophylacticrationality", knowledge is accumulated in order to anticipate the genesis of conditions producing social conflict, and in order to balance these conflicts.In chapter 4, I show how this knowledge and power combine into a practice which is applied to young people. I try to see how the social technologies work and what they bring about.In chapter 5, I tie together the principal lines in an discussion about power and the situation of young people who are under influence of modernization processes in the post-modem era.There is a tendency to regard young people as one universal group without making any social distinctions. This tendency generates and legitimates techniques and practises for normalization.The concept of "resistance" is discussed interpreted both as a "possibility" and as an involuntary submission of power.


Selfsimilar processes such as fractional Brownian motion are stochastic processes that are invariant in distribution under suitable scaling of time and space. These processes can typically be used to model random phenomena with long-range dependence. Naturally, these processes are closely related to the notion of renormalization in statistical and high energy physics. They are also increasingly important in many other elds of application, as there are economics and nance. This paper starts with some basic aspects on selfsimilar processes and discusses several topics from the point of view of probability theory.


The ability of metastatic colon cancer cells to interact with a new tissue microenvironment is crucial for their growth and invasion into the liver. As a result of this interaction, two major and very distinct metastatic growth patterns can be distinguished at the histological level: desmoplastic growth pattern (DGP) and pushing growth pattern (PGP). The proteolytic activity generated by the urokinase plasminogen activator system and matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) family is needed for the degradation of the extracellular matrix components during cancer invasion. In primary tumours from various human cancers, including colon cancer, urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor uPAR are highly up-regulated and located at the invasive front. In liver metastases uPA and uPAR are found at the invasive front only in those with DGP, indicating that liver metastases with PGP use an alternative invasion mechanism.

uPAR is a strong prognostic marker in colorectal cancer and this is also the case for tissue inhibitor of MMPs-1 (TIMP-1). In this study we therefore analysed the expression of TIMP-1 in 28 primary colorectal cancers and their matching liver metastases (14 with DGP and 14 with PGP) using histology. TIMP-1-mRNA was only seen in stromal fibroblast-like cells in all samples. By combining immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation, we have identified the TIMP-1-mRNA-positive cells to be α-SMA-positive. In all primary tumours and liver metastases with DPG, TIMP-1 was primarily expressed by myofibroblasts located at the invasive front. Some TIMP-1-positive and α-SMA-positive cells were in all samples also seen adjacent to CD34-positive endothelial cells, indicating that TIMP-1 is also expressed by pericytes. In contrast, in the liver metastases with PGP, TIMP-1 was primarily expressed by α-SMA-positive cells located within the sinusoid at the metastasis/liver parenchyma interface. As liver sinusoids do not contain pericytes, we presume that these TIMP-1-positive cells are hepatic stellate cells, which are known to be α-SMA-positive when activated. By performing in situ hybridisation for MMP-2-mRNA, we showed that MMP-2-mRNA is expressed by fibroblast-like cells adjacent to the cancer in primary colorectal cancer and liver metastases with DGP. No MMP-2-mRNA was found in liver metastases with PGP, supporting our hypothesis that PGP and DGP use different mechanisms of invasion. In conclusion, TIMP-1 is expressed by different cell populations in primary colorectal cancer and liver metastases with DGP as compared to metastases with PGP. We therefore speculate that TIMP-1 is primarily involved in the inhibition of proteolysis in the former two cases, whereas it could play a role in angiogenesis in the latter.

Citation Format: Martin Illemann, Rikke L. Eefsen, Nigel Bird, Ali Majeed, Ole D. Laerum, W Alpizar-Alpizar, Lund K. Ida, Gunilla Hoyer-Hansen. TIMP-1 expression in colorectal cancer liver metastases is associated with vascular structures. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Invasion and Metastasis; Jan 20-23, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B76.


Background: Current laboratory methods for detection of monoclonal gammopathies include a panel of serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP), immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) and serum free light chain quantitation (FLC). Our group has recently described a new assay based on matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) which is capable of detecting, isotyping and quantitating M-proteins in a single assay. The basic principle of the method involves leveraging the unique mass resulting from light chain (LC) Ig gene rearrangement in B-cells. In a similar fashion to SPEP, the mass distribution of LCs after dissociation from their heavy chains can be examined for the presence of an over expressed light chain. In this study we retrospectively compared the MALDI-TOF MS method to SPEP, IFE and Hevylite ratios for monitoring patients with monoclonal gammopathies. Methods: Serum from patients who had at least 1 diagnostic and 4 serial follow-up samples was enriched for IgG, IgA, IgM, kappa and lambda using nanobodies. After disassociating the heavy and light chains by reduction, the five purified samples were spotted onto a Bruker Microflex MALDI plate. Automated acquisition (~10 seconds/sample) was performed and the five LC mass spectra from each enrichment were overlaid. M-proteins were detected, quantitated and isotyped by the presence of distinct peaks (m-spike) within LC mass to charge regions. The serial patient samples were then measured by MALDI-TOF and a comparison of results was made to previous aquired data. The results were then analyze in light of clinical and lab data in order to evaluate the ability of the MALDI-TOF MS method to monitor patients with monoclonal gammopathies. Results: In M-protein positive patient samples, serial dilution revealed MALDI-TOF MS to have ~10-times lower limit of detection than IFE. M-protein isotype in the cohort by MALDI-TOF MS was 100 percent concordant with the isotype from IFE. The MALDI TOF M-protein quantitation was linear over a clinically acceptable range (0.1 to 6 g/dL) and had improved linearity over SPEP at lower M-protein levels. M-proteins quantitation by MALDI-TOF MS compared well with SPEP with a slope of 1.16 (R2 -0.93). Hevylite Ig ratios for each isotype were statistically similar to those from MALDI-TOF MS demonstrating the ability of the MALDI to measure isotype suppression. For some patients, the MALDI method was able to detect M-proteins in patients with normal Hevylite ratios. Finally, the results for each patient were then compared over the course of monitoring. The time evolution change in M-protein concentration was similar among the three methods with the exception of a few samples in which the MALDI-TOF detected residual M-proteins in treated patients not detected by the other methods. Conclusion: This preliminary study demonstrates that MALDI-TOF MS method can provide detection, quantitation and isotyping data suitable for monitoring patients. This is a significant finding since the MALDI-TOF method is amendable to automation, is rapid and in its current format is cost-competitive with current clinical assays. Disclosures Murray:Mayo Clinic: Patents & Royalties: Patent Application Filed. Mills:Mayo Clinci: Patents & Royalties: Patent Application Filed. Barnidge:Mayo Clinic: Patents & Royalties: Patent Application Filed.


Resorcinarene-based deep cavitands alanine methyl resorcinarene acid (AMA), alanine undecyl resorcinarene acid (AUA) and glycine undecyl resorcinarene acid (GUA), which contain chiral amino acids, have been synthesized. The upper rim of the resorcinarene host is elongated with four identical substituents topped with alanine and glycine groups. The structures of the new resorcinarenes were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) and the sustained off-resonance irradiation collision induced dissociation (SORI-CID) technique in FTICR-MS. These studies revealed that eight water molecules associate to the cavitand, two for each alanine group. The alanine substituent groups are proposed to form a kite-like structure around the resorcinarene scaffold. The binding of AMA, AUA, and GUA with chiral R- and S-methyl benzyl amines was studied by (1)H NMR titration, and compared to that of a binary L-tartaric acid and the monoacid phthalyl alanine (PA). The results show that these compounds interact with amine guests; however, with four carboxylic acid groups, they bind several amine molecules strongly while the binary L-tartaric acid only binds one amine guest strongly. The simple compound PA, which contains one carboxylic group, shows weak binding to the amines. The (1)H NMR titration of AUA with primary, secondary, and tertiary chiral amines showed that it can discriminate between these three types of amines and showed chiral discrimination for chiral secondary amines.


Land‐surface models use different formulations of stomatal conductance and plant hydraulics, and it is unclear which type of model best matches the observed surface‐atmosphere water flux. We use the North American Carbon Program data set of latent heat flux (LE) measurements from 25 sites and predictions from 9 models to evaluate models' ability to resolve subdaily dynamics of transpiration. Despite overall good forecast at the seasonal scale, the models have difficulty resolving the dynamics of intradaily hysteresis. The majority of models tend to underestimate LE in the prenoon hours and overestimate in the evening. We hypothesize that this is a result of unresolved afternoon stomatal closure due to hydrodynamic stresses. Although no model or stomata parameterization was consistently best or worst in terms of ability to predict LE, errors in model‐simulated LE were consistently largest and most variable when soil moisture was moderate and vapor pressure deficit was moderate to limiting. Nearly all models demonstrate a tendency to underestimate the degree of maximum hysteresis which, across all sites studied, is most pronounced during moisture‐limited conditions. These diurnal error patterns are consistent with models' diminished ability to accurately simulate the natural hysteresis of transpiration. We propose that the lack of representation of plant hydrodynamics is, in part, responsible for these error patterns.


Microsatellites are known to exhibit ubiquitous presence across all kingdoms of life, including viruses. Members of the family Closteroviridae are the largest RNA viruses and severely affect different agricultural crops worldwide, including1397645907citrus, grapevine, and vegetables. Here we identified and systematically analyzed the nature and distribution of both simple and complex microsatellites present in the complete genome of 36 species belonging to Closteroviridae. Our results showed, in all analyzed genomes, that neither genome size nor GC content had any influence on number, relative abundance, or relative density of microsatellites. For each genome, dinucleotide repeats were found to be highly predominant and AT/TA and AG/GA were the two most abundant dinucleotide repeat motifs. Repeats larger than trinucleotide were relatively rare in these viral genomes. Comparative study of occurrence, abundance, and density of microsatellites among available RNA and DNA viral genomes indicated that simple repeats were less abundant in genomes of Closteroviridae. To our knowledge, this is the first analysis of microsatellites occurring in the largest viral genome that infects plants. Characterization of such variations in repeat sequences would be important in deciphering the origin, mutational processes, and role of repeat sequences in viral genomes.


Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be vital participants in tumor progression. Recently, lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 has been uncovered to facilitate pancreatic cancer progression by regulating miR-382-3p/STAT1/PD-L1 network. Nonetheless, the role of PSMB8-AS1 and its underlying mechanism have not been well-explored in colorectal cancer (CRC). The expression of RNAs or proteins was detected via qRT-PCR or western blot assays. Functional assays were involved in evaluating the effects of PSMB8-AS1/miR-1299/ADAMTS5 on the malignant behaviors of CRC cells. The molecular mechanism of PSMB8-AS1 was explored via mechanism analyses in CRC cells. Based on experimental results, PSMB8-AS1 expression was notably higher in CRC cell lines than in normal cells. The downregulation of PSMB8-AS1 repressed cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CRC while promoting cell apoptosis. It was also revealed that PSMB8-AS1 could sponge miR-1299 to upregulate ADAMTS5 in CRC cells. In rescue assays, we further discovered that miR-1299 inhibition or ADAMTS5 overexpression abrogated the suppressive influence of PSMB8-AS1 deficiency on CRC cell growth. In addition, PSMB8-AS1 was validated to induce M2 polarization. In conclusion, PSMB8-AS1 sponges miR-1299 to increase PSMB8-AS1 expression, thus promoting CRC cell growth.


In this paper, a quantum cascade laser has been treated as a three-level system, and the calculation of the spontaneous emission and gain spectra has been given. In the calculation, the conduction band nonparabolicity and the injection and exit of electrons have been considered. Results have shown that with increasing injection current, the spontaneous emission peak blue shifts, and the peak intensity increases near linearly with current. With increasing temperatures, the broadening of the spontaneous emission spectra has been attributed to the electron-optical phonon interactions. The peak gain of the stimulated emission has been shown to be determined mainly by the subband lifespans. We have pointed out that it is essential to obtain a long lifespan for the second excited state and short lifespan for the first excited state in order to obtain efficient population inversion and high peak gain for quantum cascade lasers.


Background Malnutrition is a major cause of child death, and many children suffer from acute and chronic malnutrition. Nigeria has the second-highest burden of stunting globally and a higher-than-average child wasting prevalence. Moreover, there is substantial spatial variation in the prevalence of stunting and wasting in Nigeria. This paper assessed the socioeconomic inequalities and determinants of the change in socioeconomic inequalities in child stunting and wasting in Nigeria between 2013 and 2018. Methods Data came from the 2013 and 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Socioeconomic inequalities in stunting and wasting were measured using the concentration curve and Erreygers' corrected concentration index. A pro-poor concentration index is negative, meaning that the poor bear a disproportionately higher burden of stunting or wasting than the wealthy. A positive or pro-rich index is the opposite. Standard methodologies were applied to decompose the concentration index (C) while the Oaxaca-Blinder approach was used to decompose changes in the concentration indices (ΔC). Findings The socioeconomic inequalities in child stunting and wasting were pro-poor in 2013 and 2018. The concentration indices for stunting reduced from -0.298 (2013) to -0.330 (2018) (ΔC = -0.032). However, the concentration indices for wasting increased from -0.066 to -0.048 (ΔC = 0.018). The changes in the socioeconomic inequalities in stunting and wasting varied by geopolitical zones. Significant determinants of these changes for both stunting and wasting were changes in inequalities in wealth, maternal education and religion. Under-five dependency, access to improved toilet facilities and geopolitical zone significantly explained changes in only stunting inequality, while access to improved water facilities only significantly determined the change in inequality in wasting. Conclusion Addressing the socio-economic, spatial and demographic determinants of the changes in the socioeconomic inequalities in child stunting and wasting, especially wealth, maternal education and access to sanitation is critical for improving child stunting and wasting in Nigeria.


Background: Qualitative research emphasizes men's experiences of trauma increase HIV risk. We seek to understand associations between experience of traumatic events and HIV-risk behaviors among heterosexual men in 2 trials in urban informal settlements in South Africa. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys among men in Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa, enrolled in intervention trials. Adjusted logistic regression and structural equation modeling assessed associations between men's experiences of poverty and traumatic events, and HIV-risk behaviors (inconsistent condom use, transactional sex, and number of sex partners). We explored mediated pathways from trauma to HIV risk through mental health and alcohol, and gender attitudes. Results: Among 2394 men, in adjusted logistic regression, transactional sex and 4 or more sex partners were associated with witnessing the murder of a family member, witnessing a murder of a stranger, experiencing excessive pain, been kidnapped, and witnessing a rape. More consistent condom use was associated with witnessing the murder of a family member, being kidnapped, and witnessing a rape. In 3 separate structural equation modeling pathways were consistent, trauma directly increased transactional sex, and past year sexual partners, and increased consistent condom use. Risk was increased through mental health pathways, and gender inequitable attitudes and practices. Conclusion: Men's HIV-risk behaviors in this population emerge at the confluence of poverty, traumatic experiences, and gender inequalities. Effective HIV-prevention interventions needs to reduce men's experiences of poverty and trauma, transform gender norms, and reduce the mental health impact of trauma.


When inhaled, ozone reacts at the airway luminal surface with unsaturated fatty acids contained in the extracellular fluid and plasma membrane to form an aldehyde and hydroxyhydroperoxide. The resulting hydroxyhydroperoxide degrades in aqueous systems to yield a second aldehyde and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Previously, we demonstrated that ozone can augment eicosanoid metabolism in bovine airway epithelial cells. To examine structure-activity relationships of ozone-fatty acid degradation products on eicosanoid metabolism in human airway epithelial cells, 3-, 6-, and 9-carbon saturated aldehydes and hydroxyhydroperoxides were synthesized and purified. Eicosanoid metabolism was evaluated by determination of total 3H-activity release from confluent cells previously incubated with [3H]arachidonic acid and by identification of specific metabolites with high performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay. The major metabolites detected were prostaglandin E2, prostaglandin F2 alpha, and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid. The 9-carbon aldehyde, nonanal, in contrast to 3- or 6-carbon aldehydes, stimulated release at concentrations > or = 100 microM, suggesting that the stimulatory effect increases with increasing chain length. When tested under identical conditions, the 3-, 6-, and 9-carbon hydroxyhydroperoxides were more potent than the corresponding aldehydes. Again, a greater effect was noted when the chain length was increased. One possible explanation for the increased potency of the hydroxyhydroperoxides over the aldehydes could be due to degradation of the hydroxyhydroperoxide into H2O2 and aldehyde. We consider this an unlikely explanation because responses varied with chain length (although each hydroxyhydroperoxide would produce an equivalent amount of H2O2) and because exposure to H2O2 alone or H2O2 plus hexanal produced a response dissimilar to 1-hydroxy-1-hexanehydroperoxide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The Brazilian population started in 1970 a transition process in their aged structure that induced the increase of the aged population. So, it's frequent the dementia diagnosis and the increase of frailty that directly affect the cognitive and functional autonomy of the elderly. It's known, however, that the physical activity is inversely proportional to cognitive decline. The study's objective was to investigate the possible associations between cognitive and physical training and their effects under different cognitive variables in the elderly with dementia. The adopted methodology was PRISMA model, including eligibility criteria clinical trials, with a sample composed of individuals with age upper than 60 years diagnosed with dementia. Besides, showing as intervention, the physical exercises practice added to cognitive training. Were excluded, the researches evaluated other issues besides dementia that didn't show the association between physical and cognitive stimulus and systematic review studies. The included investigations were selected in electronic databases PubMed, Scielo e BVS in the least ten years. Due to the different made searches were applied specific search equations for each database. From the made searches we had was results 24 occurrences in the Pubmed, six occurrences in the Scielo and 13 occurrences in the BVS, being excluded 38 researches and at the end, was selected five investigations to qualitative synthesis. The filtering of investigations was made from title analysis, followed by abstract analysis, and finally of the whole paper. Two researchers created the evaluation, and if they had discordance between them, it was consulted one more researcher. We concluded that had improved both the participants' physical and cognitive performance in most of the selected research. However, it is not possible to conclude which combination of physical and cognitive training could be better because it hadn't a pattern between the methodologies. Probably, the significant number of combination possibilities between physical and cognitive training can be a limitation to find one perfect combination to promote more gains in the elderly with dementia. However, the combined training is probably more efficient in improving cognitive variables in patients with dementia when it's compared to the isolated practices. We suggest that new combinations be tested using different types and intensity of physical training combined with cognitive tasks training.


The manner in which a series of silcarboranylene–siloxane polymers behave in air at elevated temperatures was investigated by thermogravimetric, isothermogravimetric, and differential thermal analyses techniques. Results indicate that methyl pendant groups on the polymers undergo thermal and oxidative degradations at temperatures under 600°C. Final weight losses of the polymers, however, are significantly lower than that shown by dimethylsiloxanes. The reduced volatility is attributed to the inhibition of thermooxidation by the m-carboranylene group in the polymer molecules. This protective influence decreases apparently as the distance between the carborane nucleus and the methyl groups increases.


The effect of heat treatment on Fe40Ni40B20 glassy ribbons (V0040) has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, TEM and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Mossbauer data were fitted considering the asymmetry of the lines using an appropriate model (that of Brand et al.). Calorimetrically there are two effects, one exothermic and the other endothermic, that can be separated by selective heat treatments of the samples. X-ray diffraction, TEM and Mossbauer spectroscopy do not show any evidence of crystallisation or phase separation. Heat treatments induce changes in long-range order parameters but there is no such evidence on short-range order parameters. The analysis of the set of results provides direct evidence of the existence of two different relaxation mechanisms induced by heat treatment. One of them forces the local magnetisation to be more aligned with the ribbon plane than in the as-quenched glass, while the other randomises it.


SUMMARY About 0·10 of the food supply in China is produced in rice–wheat (RW) cropping systems. In recent decades, nitrogen (N) input associated with intensification has increased much more rapidly than N use in these systems. The resulting nitrogen surplus increases the risk of environmental pollution as well as production costs. Limited information on N dynamics in RW systems in relation to water management hampers development of management practices leading to more efficient use of nitrogen and water. The present work studied the effects of N and water management on yields of rice and wheat, and nitrogen use efficiencies (NUEs) in RW systems. A RW field experiment with nitrogen rates from 0 to 300 kg N/ha with continuously flooded and intermittently irrigated rice crops was carried out at the Jiangpu experimental station of Nanjing Agricultural University of China from 2002 to 2004 to identify improved nitrogen management practices in terms of land productivity and NUE. Nitrogen uptake by rice and wheat increased with increasing N rates, while agronomic NUE (kg grain/kg N applied) declined at rates exceeding 150 kg N/ha. The highest combined grain yields of rice and wheat were obtained at 150 and 300 kg N/ha per season in rice and wheat, respectively. Carry-over of residual N from rice to the subsequent wheat crop was limited, consistent with low soil nitrate after rice harvest. Total soil N hardly changed during the experiment, while soil nitrate was much lower after wheat than after rice harvest. Water management did not affect yield and N uptake by rice, but apparent N recovery was higher under intermittent irrigation (II). In one season, II management in rice resulted in higher yield and N uptake in the subsequent wheat season. Uptake of indigenous soil N was much higher in rice than in wheat, while in rice it was much higher than values reported in the literature, which may have consequences for nitrogen fertilizer recommendations based on indigenous N supply.


We study numerically the effect of axial strain on the band structure of semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the transport characteristics of CNT based band-to-band tunneling field effect transistors (CNT-TFETs). By making use of empirical tight-binding method and the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism, we found that applying the axial tensile strain can dramatically suppresses the off-leakage current in CNT-TFETs, and makes the subthreshold swing steeper. Such improvement of the device performance can be understood qualitatively to be caused by the band gap modulation in the CNT channel region.


The energy recovery linac test facility (ERL-TF), a compact ERL-FEL (free electron laser) two-purpose machine, has been proposed at the Institute of High Energy Physics, Beijing. As one important component of the ERL-TF, the photo-injector was designed and preliminarily optimized. In this paper an evolutionary genetic method, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II, is applied to optimize the injector beam dynamics, especially in the high-charge operation mode. Study shows that using an incident laser with rms transverse size of 1-1.2 mm, the normalized emittance of the electron beam can be kept below 1 mm.mrad at the end of the injector. This work, together with the previous optimization of the low-charge operation mode by using the iterative scan method, provides guidance and confidence for future construction and commissioning of the ERL-TF injector.


[Catastrophic events, both personal and collective, raise the question of divine Providence. How can an infinitely good Creator allow the kind of evil that puts the divine goodness in doubt? The question has been faced since patristic times. Theories of predestination have been proposed. Spirituals have adored God in the mystery of divine Providence. There seems to be no other solution than hope in the midst of despair.]


The purpose of this study was to explore user experiences of three different implementations of digital LSW. Sixteen individuals, including people with dementia (n = 6), family caregivers (n = 6), and care staff (n = 4) working in a dementia care home took part. Participants were interviewed about their experience of learning to use a digital life storybook in one of three contexts: a community group; one-on-one sessions at home; or in a care home. People with dementia and family caregivers took part in weekly workshops for six weeks. Care staff received six weeks of training and were then encouraged to use digital life storybooks with residents. Thematic analyses of each dataset were carried out. Participants enjoyed the intervention, found it useful, and valued the ability to use multimedia stimuli in the digital life storybooks. Limited information and communication technology (ICT) skills was the most frequently cited barrier, and the digital life storybooks were used for some additional unanticipated, but useful purposes. Results of this work provide evidence for the feasibility and positive impact of a supported digital LSW intervention, and the use of digital life storybooks in three contexts. Results also provide useful insight and feedback for the future development and implementation of this approach in research and practice.


We predicted and measured the evolution of smooth muscle cell (SMC) orientation in media-equivalents (MEs) for four fabrication conditions (F-, M-, F+, M+) under Free or Mandrel compaction (F/M) with and without magnetic prealignment of the collagen fibrils in the circumferential direction (+/-). Mandrel compaction refers to SMC-induced compaction of the ME that is constrained by having a nonadhesive mandrel placed in the ME lumen. Predictions were made using our anisotropic biphasic theory (ABT) for tissue-equivalent mechanics. Successful prediction of trends of the SMC orientation data for all four fabrication cases was obtained: maintenance of the initial isotropic state for F-, loss of initial circumferential alignment for F+, development of circumferential alignment for M-, and enhancement of initial circumferential alignment for M+. These results suggest two mechanisms by which the presence of the mandrel leads to much greater mechanical stiffness in the circumferential direction reported for mandrel compacted MEs relative to free compacted MEs: (1) by inducing an increasing circumferential alignment of the SMC and collagen, and (2) by inducing a large stress on the SMC, resulting in secretion and accumulation of stiffening components.


Rapeseed meal is a by-product of oil production with relatively high antinutrient content which limits its application in both feed and food industries. A two-step procedure, including two-level full factorial and central composite designs, was used to assess the influence of five factors, namely pH (6 and 12), temperature (20 and 40°C), NaCl concentration (0 and 7.5%), rapeseed meal concentration (2.5 and 5%), and extraction longevity (15 and 60 min), on protein extraction from industrial rapeseed meal subjected to ethanol-assisted reduction of antinutrients. Data demonstrated that pH and its interaction with NaCl influenced protein extractability the most. While still significant, individual effects of NaCl, extraction longevity, temperature and its interaction with pH had a less significant effect on protein yield. Overall, higher protein yields were obtained in response to combining high pH values with low NaCl concentrations, and high pH values with high temperatures. The highest protein yield (59.56 ± 1.29%) was achieved after extraction of 5% ethanol-treated rapeseed meal at pH 12 with no NaCl addition, at 40°C and extraction longevity of 60 min. A second-order polynomial model for protein yield prediction was generated. The adequacy of the model was verified by coefficient of determination and residual analyses. A high correlation between experimentally obtained and predicted protein yields (R2 = 0.95) was established. Since extraction conditions are strong determinants of protein characteristics, the predictive model generated in the present work is useful for the selection of factor combinations, which allows for the achievement of optimal protein yield of a product with desired techno-functional properties.


Purpose: To outline the development, implementation, and evaluation of a multistrategy intervention to promote active transportation, on a large university campus. Design: Single group pilot study. Setting: A large university in the Northeastern United States. Participants: University students (n = 563), faculty and staff (employees, n = 999) were included in the study. Intervention: The Active Lions campaign aimed to increase active transportation to campus for all students and employees. The campaign targeted active transport participation through the development of a smartphone application and the implementation of supporting social marketing and social media components. Measures: Component-specific measures included app user statistics, social media engagement, and reach of social marketing strategies. Overall evaluation included cross-sectional online surveys preintervention and postintervention of student and employee travel patterns and campaign awareness. Analysis: Number of active trips to campus were summed, and the percentage of trips as active was calculated. T tests compared the differences in outcomes from preintervention to postintervention. Results: Students had a higher percentage of active trips postintervention (64.2%) than preintervention (49.2%; t = 3.32, P = .001), although there were no differences for employees (7.9% and 8.91%). Greater awareness of Active Lions was associated with greater active travel. Conclusion: This multistrategy approach to increase active transportation on a college campus provided insight on the process of developing and implementing a campaign with the potential for impacting health behaviors among campus members.


For a long period in history, translation approach is prescriptive and source-text oriented. Much of the emphasis is put on the nature, criteria and techniques of translation, highlighting the decisive status of the source text and putting the translator in a neglected position. With the uprising of the descriptive translation approach accompanying the "Cultural Turn" in translation studies in the west after the 1970s, the complex role that the translator plays in the whole process of translation has gained increasing attention among translation theorists. The subjectivity of the translator, one branch of the study on the translator, has become a necessary and important research subject. This paper applies the basic notions of Hans-Georg Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics-historical interpretation, prejudice and fusion of horizons-to justify the translator's subjective creativity in the act of translation. It probes into the connotation of the translator's subjectivity, its manifestations and restrictions. Key words: Translator's subjectivity; Philosophical hermeneutics; Interpretation; Fusion of horizons


Built-in self-repair (BISR) techniques have been widely used for enhancing the yield of embedded memories. This paper presents an efficient BISR scheme for multiport RAMs (MPRAMs). The BISR scheme has a defect-location module (DLM) executing a defect-location algorithm to locate inter-port defects. This enhances the fault-location capability of the applied test algorithm with only a few amount of cost of testing time. A built-in redundancy analyzer (BIRA) executing a proposed redundancy analysis algorithm is also proposed to allocate two-dimension redundancy of MPRAMs. Experimental results show that if a faulty MPRAM has 20% inter-port faults, the DLM can boost the increment of repair rate from 8.4% to 14.4% for different redundancy configurations. The area cost of the BIRA and DLM is small, it is only about 1% for a 4096 times 128-bit MPRAM with 1 spare row and 1 spare IO.


To determine the genetic basis of familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) we performed a clinical and genetic analysis of an affected family. A 51-year-old man with behavioral variant FTLD with ALS had a family history of the disease suggestive of autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance. Genetic studies in this patient demonstrated the presence of an amplified hexanucleotide repeat (>30) polymorphism in the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9ORF72) gene which was previously identified as a cause of FTLD. Five others unaffected from the family were negative (all had less than 11 repeats). Because of the clinical and pathological overlap between FTLD and AD we performed a larger genome-wide association study and did not find association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the C9ORF72 gene with Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. Bioinformatic analysis of C9ORF72 using the Gene Expression Omnibus database showed expression differences in patients with muscular dystrophy, neural tube defects, and schizophrenia. We also report analysis of gene expression in brain regions using the Allen Human Brain Atlas. Defects in this recently reported gene are now believed to be the most common cause of inherited ALS and an important cause of inherited FTLD. Our work suggests that the gene may also be important in other neurological and psychiatric conditions.


A novel guidance law utilising variable structure control with finite time sliding sector is proposed. In contrast with the normally used notion of asymptotic stability in conventional sliding sector, a finite time sliding sector is defined as a subset of state space in which the Lyapunov function candidate satisfies the finite time stability condition. For the guidance system, the analytical solution of a state-dependent differential Riccati equation is achieved to determine the finite time sliding sector. Then, based on the finite time sliding sector, a sliding sector guidance law is designed by considering the target acceleration as a bounded uncertainty. Furthermore, the finite time sliding sector guidance law is even extended to the case where missile acceleration saturation constraint is considered. Simulation results show that the new guidance law is highly effective.


I read with interest the recently published article by Chatterjee and colleagues1. I have the following points to make: 1. The authors have calculated sample size and stated that "484 cases would be required to detect an odds ratio of 1.50 with 80 per cent power at five per cent significance level". We observed from the Table that they ended up with only 378 cases. This was a serious deviation from the protocol. 2. Reference 30 cited by the authors in their article2 has already been retracted by the journal. A retracted article should not have been cited.


Recent presidential elections have drawn attention to the role religion plays in shaping how Americans vote and highlighted the political relevance of white evangelical Christians, an important group within the Republicans' base of supporters. Evangelicals see themselves as in tension with a secular society, which affects their political behavior. Drawing on the venerable racial threat literature, I show evidence that evangelicals respond to "religious threat." The more secularists in their community, the more likely white evangelical Christians were to vote for Republican presidential candidates in 2000 and 1996. These results hold for two distinct ways of identifying white evangelicals, using community data at different levels of aggregation. However, secularists do not appear to respond to the presence of evangelicals in their environment.


OBJECTIVE
To compare clinical efficacy of anatomic locking plate and Gamma nail in treating unstable femoral intertrochanteric fractures with external wall fractures.

METHODS
From June 2010 to June 2014,clinical data of 44 patients with intertroehanteric fractures associated with lateral wall fractures (type 31A2.2-3.3) followed more than 12 months,which treated with Gamma nail or anatomic locking plate,were retrospective analyzed. Sixteen patients were treated with anatomic locking plate, including 6 males and 10 females aged from 32 to 83 years old with an average of 56.5 years old. Twenty-eight patients were treated with Gamma nail including 17 males and 11 females aged from 26 to 87 years old with an average of 60.4 years old. Operative time, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, blood loss (intraoperative and hidden blood loss), hospital stays were observed and compared. PPMS and HHS scoring were used to evaluate postoperative clinical effect.

RESULTS
All patients were followed up from 12 to 24 months with an average of 16.2 months. Operative time in Gamma nail was shorter than anatomic locking plate; while blood loss( intraoperative and hidden blood loss) and intraoperative fluoroscopy times in anatomic locking plate were less than that of in Gamma nail. There was no significant meaning in hospital stays between two groups. Postoperative full weight-bearing time in anatomic locking plate was prolonged than Gamma nail. At the final following-up, PPMS in Gamma nail was 7.50 ± 1.78 and 6.82 ± 1.38 in anatomic locking plate, and there was no obvious meaning between two groups (t = 2.341, P = 0.132); there was no significant differences in HHS score between Gamma nail (83.25 ± 11.18) and anatomic locking plate (86.14 ± 12.36) (t = 1.923, P = 0.243). The incidence of complications in Gamma nail was less than anatomic lock-ing plate (P = 0.005).

CONCLUSION
Anatomic locking plate for intertrochanteric fractures with external wall fractures could avoid re-injury of external wall, especially for severe comminuted fractures, difficult for intramedullary nailing, and there was no significant meaning in hip joint function compared with Gamma nail, while postoperative incidence of complications was higher than Gamma nail, so early weight-bearing was not stress.


Purpose: ISO 9001 certification is nowadays considered to be one of the most effective tools that can be adopted for guiding the management of Quality Systems. The stunning growth observed by these standards all over the world confirms a strong polarisation of enterprises' interest in this practice. Owing to the wide incidence of this phenomenon, a deep investigation of ISO 9001 diffusion over time is mandatory and of importance. In line with our previous publications, this paper derives from a research project that we are conducting in Portugal in order to develop the 'ISO 9001 European Scoreboard', aimed at studying and ranking European Union (EU) countries based on the diffusion of quality management systems. Methodology/approach: In order to achieve such a goal, the authors have performed a set of statistical analyses over public data sets. Findings: Based on the model developed and the analyses performed, we were able to identify clusters of countries with different ISO 9001 evolution stages, derived from the ISO 9001 per 1000 inhabitants' scores and countries' growth indexes. Originality: With this scoreboard, we are able to categorise and rank countries based on the quality management systems evolution (growth rates) over the past few years. Ultimately, such an 'ISO 9001 European Scoreboard' will be an instrument to provide a comparative assessment of quality management practices over the EU states, leading to the dynamic evaluation of their 'macroquality' levels achieved, according to such a standard. We believe that such results provide an additional important contribution to the study of management systems diffusion/evolution, aimed at providing more fact-based insights and understandings.