Environmental taxation contributes to the development of relations between the state and taxpayers. Trends in the development of the environment taxation confirm and justify its role in ensuring environmental safety and strategic development of the Russian Federation as one of the economic methods of the state regulation. By methods of comparative analysis, synthesis, grouping of data, problems in the field of effective use of tax instruments to improve the environmental situation have been revealed, as well as priority areas for the development of environmental taxation in Russia have been determined.


Background: Cytological examination of exfoliated cells in various effusion fluids is very challenging and of paramount importance for early diagnosis and management of various pathological processes. It is of utmost significance in identifying malignant cells and hence throws light on the cause, staging and prognosis of cancer.
Aims and Objectives: This study was carried out to know the different trends of various types of effusions for various pathological processes with an emphasis on malignant effusion in a tertiary care centre.
Materials and Methods: Retrospective, analytical, observational study done over a period of one year from January 2019 to December 2019. A total of 418 cases including peritoneal and pleural and cerebrospinal fluid and urine were analyzed. Samples were centrifuged for five minutes at 2000 rpm and smears prepared from deposit were stained by Papanicolaou (PAP) and May-Grunwald- Giemsa (MGG) stains.
Results: Out of 418, 221 were peritoneal effusions, 172 were pleural, 20 cerebrospinal fluids and 5 urine. Out of 221 cases of peritoneal effusions, 144 were non neoplastic and 61 were malignant effusion. Out of total 172 pleural effusions 139 were non neoplastic and 27 neoplastic. Commonest malignancy in peritoneal and pleural fluid was adenocarcinoma from ovary and lung respectively.
Conclusions: Cytological evaluation of various fluids is simple, rapid, inexpensive and less invasive tool with high accuracy and thereby reducing the need for invasive investigations. It is especially helpful in evaluating and staging malignancies thereby guiding the clinician in further management.

Keywords: Malignant effusion, Serous effusion, Pleural fluid, Peritoneal fluid, CSF, Adenocarcinoma.


The seeds of the parasitic weed Striga germinate in response to stimulants exuded by the roots of host plants and some nonhost plants. Literature data are summarized that support the view that strigolactones induce germination of parasitic weed seeds via a receptor-mediated mechanism. The suggestion by Lynn et al. that the strigol D-ring is solely responsible for germinating Striga seeds via a redox reaction was based on hypothesized structural similarities between the natural compound dihydrosorgoleone (SXSg) and the strigol D-ring. Experiments have shown that the mechanistic connection between SXSg and the strigol D-ring is not valid, and therefore the proposed redox mechanism for the induction of Striga seed germination by strigolactones does not hold.


The harmonic balance finite element method proposed solves the nonlinear time-periodic solution expressed as the sum of fundamental and harmonic components. A procedure for calculation which emphasizes the field computation in the harmonic domain is described. As a result, a reduction of the memory and calculation time is achieved. >


We develop a nonparametric test for deciding whether a semimartingale process, modeling an asset price, contains a fixed time of discontinuity, i.e., a positive probability of a jump, at a given point in time, and we further propose a rate-optimal estimator of the jump distribution when this is the case. Itô semimartingales used commonly in applied work have absolutely continuous in time, with respect to Lebesgue measure, jump compensators, and this rules out fixed times of discontinuity in their paths. However, certain phenomena, such as scheduled economic announcements in finance, make the existence of such discontinuities a possibility. The inference in the paper is based on noisy observations of options written on the asset with different strikes and two different expiration dates. The asymptotics is joint in which the times to maturity of the options shrink to zero and the number of observed options increases to infinity. The test is based on estimates of the characteristic function of the increments of the semimartingale, constructed from the option data, and the fact that the asymptotic limit of the increments and their characteristic functions is different with and without fixed time of discontinuity. The limit distribution of the test statistic is derived and feasible inference is developed on the basis of wild bootstrap type techniques. A Monte Carlo and an empirical illustration show the applicability of the developed inference procedures.


Due to the continuous development and application of blockchain technology, more and more industries are exploring its application in project management. In the management of water transportation engineering projects, blockchain technology also has certain application potential. This article will start with the characteristics of blockchain technology, and the current situation and needs of water transportation project management, analyze the application mode of blockchain technology in water transportation project management, and explore its advantages, limitations, and practical applications. The experimental results of this article showed that when blockchain technology was applied to the management of water transportation engineering projects, its information sharing score was 93; its data storage and management score was 96.1; its smart contract score was 97.4; its fund management score was 97.1; its Internet of Things technology score was 96.5, which was far higher than the score of applying traditional technologies. It was shown that using blockchain technology for water transportation engineering project management can improve the efficiency and quality of project management, reduce costs, and extend to a wider range of water transportation lines and project fields in the future.


Design participation is considered an inclusive, democratic and transparent process of urban planning and decision-making, particularly important for environments where complex social and economic realms could easily be misinterpreted in a common topdown design approach. This paper examines actual contributions of this methodology, implemented in ongoing strategies for designing and building public spaces and cultural infrastructure as part of the project Novi Sad European Capital of Culture 2021, which is based on democracy, decentralisation, inclusion and citizens' participation. Now, these strategies were put into action, with several projects prepared, launched and brought closer to actual realisation. This process revealed conclusions inrespect to implementation possibilities, as well as its strengths and weaknesses in actual projects, and ephasized the need to further improve urban practice and undertake change of the slow and unprepared procedures of the City administration.


� Abstract— This paper is concerned with modeling and system identification of wireless channels. The models employed are in state space form, while the identification method uses the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm and Kalman Filtering. The algorithm is tested against measurement data collected by the Canadian Communication Research Center (CRC), and the results are presented. These include state space models and estimates of the inphase and quadrature components of the channel from measured data.


Background/Aims There are approximately 150,000 new hormone-sensitive breast cancer cases in the U.S. each year. Numerous studies have shown that adjuvant hormonal therapy (AHT) dramatically reduces breast cancer recurrence and mortality. Daily treatment for 5 years is the recommended therapy among ER+ women. Yet, reports of under-utilization are alarming, ranging from 30% to more than 50%. Methods We examined under-utilization of AHT among members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC), a nonprofit prepaid managed care organization dedicated to providing evidence-based medicine. KPSC serves 3.3 million socioeconomically diverse members broadly representative of the racial/ethnic groups living in southern California. Subjects were members of the health plan for one or more years and had comprehensive medical and pharmacy benefits. We identified 10,827 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2000 and 2007 from the health plan's SEER-affiliated cancer registry who were eligible for AHT. We used automated pharmacy prescription records to describe uptake and utilization of AHT (primarily tamoxifen (Tam) and aromatase inhibitors (AI)) over the 5 years of recommended therapy. Results In this insured population, we found 14% of eligible breast cancer survivors did not begin AHT (1516/10,827). Of those who started AHT, over 30% had sub-optimal adherence defined as a medication possession ratio <80%. Discontinuation of AHT, defined as greater than 90 days without medication, began in year 1 (7%) and reached 22% and 25% by the end of years 4 and 5, respectively. Discussion Monitoring and intervention for improving adherence to AHT needs to begin by one year after breast cancer diagnosis and continue across the 5 years of recommended therapy in order to ensure women receive optimal benefit from this lifesaving treatment.


Background Lamotrigine inhibits glutamate release through the preferential blockade of voltage-dependent Na+ channels. In contrast, morphine reduces release of excitatory amino acids through the activation of opioid receptors and also inhibits tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ channels on peripheral afferent neurons. The current study was designed to investigate the antinociceptive effects of locally administered morphine and lamotrigine. The interaction between morphine and lamotrigine at the periphery was also examined. Methods Morphine, lamotrigine, or a combination of morphine and lamotrigine was administered locally to female Wistar rats, and the antinociceptive effect was determined in the formalin test. Isobolographic analyses were used to define the nature of the functional interactions between morphine and lamotrigine. Results Peripheral administration of either morphine or lamotrigine produced a dose-related antinociceptive effect. Isobolographic analyses revealed that peripheral morphine and lamotrigine interacted synergistically in the formalin test. Conclusions The study shows a functional interaction between lamotrigine and morphine at the peripheral level.


A new channel-doping technique for high-voltage depletion-mode double-diffused MOSFET (DMOSFET) is demonstrated. The technique that is used is channel doping performed at the surface of the laterally diffused body region in a self-aligned manner. Decrease of the breakdown voltage due to decrease of the threshold voltage is successfully prevented by using the new technique. A 1050-V DMOSFET was experimentally fabricated with a negative threshold voltage of -2 V.


The reliability of delivering packets through multi-hop intermediate nodes is a significant issue in the mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). The distributed mobile nodes establish connections to form the MANET, which may include selfish and misbehaving nodes. Recommendation based trust management has been proposed in the literature as a mechanism to filter out the misbehaving nodes while searching for a packet delivery route. However, building a trust model that relies on the recommendations from other nodes in the network is vulnerable to the possible dishonest behaviour, such as badmouthing, ballot-stuffing, and collusion, of the recommending nodes. This paper investigates the problems of attacks posed by misbehaving nodes while propagating recommendations in the existing trust models. We propose a recommendation-based trust model with a defence scheme that utilises clustering technique to dynamically filter attacks related to dishonest recommendations within certain time based on number of interactions, compatibility of information and node closeness. The model is empirically tested in several mobile and disconnected topologies in which nodes experience changes in their neighbourhoods and consequently face frequent route changes. The empirical analysis demonstrates robustness and accuracy of the trust model in a dynamic MANET environment.


An accurate forecast of the atmospheric refractive index structure constant (C n2) is vital to analyzing the influence of atmospheric turbulence on laser transmission in advance. In this paper, we propose a novel method to forecast the atmospheric refractive index structure constant C n2 profile, which is inspired by the turbulence characteristics (i.e., the altitude-time correlations). A deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) is adopted in the hope that with the stacked convolutional layers to abstract the altitude-time correlations of C n2, it can accurately forecast the C n2 profile in the near future based on the accumulated historical measurement data. While the sliding window algorithm is introduced to segment the measured time series data of the C n2 profiles to generate the input-output pair data for training and testing. Experimental results demonstrate its high forecast accuracy, as the obtained root mean square error and the correlation coefficient are 0.515 and 0.956 in the one-step-ahead C n2 profile forecast case, 0.753 and 0.9046 in the 36-step-ahead forecast case, respectively. Moreover, the forecast accuracy versus altitude and its relationship with the distribution of C n2 against altitude are analyzed. Most importantly, with a series of experiments of various input feature sizes, the appropriate sliding window width for C n2 forecast is explored, and the short-term correlation of C n2 is also verified.


This article explores the potential role of culture in relation to policy-making and planning activities, exemplified through a discussion on how it may influence sustainable transport policy and planning. It is recognised that discourses and institutions play an essential part in framing problems and solutions, however an improved understanding of barriers and potentials in policy and planning deliberation is likely to be reached if underlying layers of values and perceptions are considered and illuminated more explicitly. Culture is also changeable, which means that it becomes relevant for policy-making and planning to search for opportunities to strategically identify and bring into play cultural resources. The article debates political-administrative cultures and broader social or local cultures, as well as the circumstances that might influence them, in order to search for transformative potentials and barriers. In conclusion, a culture focus recognises diversity inside and outside normal policy and planning settings and procedures and attempts to bring different cultures to interact and to learn from each other. A transport policy-making and planning process based in a culture approach may illuminate a so-called 'value-action gap' concerning the possibility of more sustainable transportation. A closer cultural interaction may point out some of the divides between professionals on how to deal with transport-environmental issues. Moreover, a more culturally oriented deliberation would provide room for underlying sets of values and norms to enter the policy process more freely and explicitly. However, do we then have the cultures and moral force to build effective sustainable transport policies and plans? The article therefore also looks into a range of overlapping approaches that may potentially aid in rethinking and rebuilding transport policy-making and planning processes in terms of cultural learning processes. Finally, the role of the planner as a 'cultural entrepreneur' and 'cultural story-teller' is presented as potential tool to push through new agendas or ideas, such as more sustainable transport solutions.


Antimicrobial stewardship (AS) intervention strategy is a critical process in promoting appropriate antibiotic use, thus preventing unnecessarily prolonged therapy and reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Although limiting unnecessary carbapenem use by AS intervention is speculated to reduce AMR, there is a lack of specific data on the efficacy of AS team (AST) intervention regarding carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA). Consequently, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of our AS strategy on carbapenem use and CRPA. The AS intervention strategy was launched in July 2017 and consisted of daily audits and feedback on carbapenem use. We evaluated the 4-year prescription trend, including the rate of switching to other antimicrobials, and the rate of CRPA and the days of therapy required prior to and after the beginning of the AST intervention. The rate of switching to narrow-spectrum antibiotics and the discontinuation of carbapenem treatment were significantly higher in the pre-intervention period compared with the post-intervention period. (7.0% vs. 14.5%; p<0.001; 54.1% vs. 50.9%; p=0.027). However, there were no significant differences in the rate of CRPA prior to and after the beginning of the AST intervention. Furthermore, there was no correlation found between consumption and resistance rate (Pearson's r=0.123). Our results suggest that it is extremely important for AST to promote de-escalation and reduce unnecessary use, while the combination of process and outcome indicators other than antimicrobial consumption and resistance rate are required for the evaluation of the AS programs.


Experts in preventive medicine and public health have long-since recognized that health is more than the absence of disease, and that each person in the 'waiting room' and beyond manifests the social/political/economic ecosystems that are part of their total lived experience. The term planetary health—denoting the interconnections between the health of person and place at all scales—emerged from the environmental and preventive health movements of the 1970–1980s. Roused by the 2015 Lancet Commission on Planetary Health report, the term has more recently penetrated mainstream academic and medical discourse. Here, we discuss the relevance of planetary health in the era of personalized medicine, gross environmental concerns, and a crisis of non-communicable diseases. We frame our discourse around high-level wellness—a concept of vitality defined by Halbert L. Dunn (1896–1975); high-level wellness was defined as an integrated method of functioning which is oriented toward maximizing the potential of individuals within the total lived environment. Dunn maintained that high-level wellness is also applicable to organizations, communities, nations, and humankind as a whole—stating further that global high-level wellness is a product of the vitality and sustainability of the Earth's natural systems. He called for a universal philosophy of living. Researchers and healthcare providers who focus on lifestyle and environmental aspects of health—and understand barriers such as authoritarianism and social dominance orientation—are fundamental to maintaining trans-generational vitality at scales of person, place, and planet.


The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Cultured HUVECs were incubated with various concentrations of AGEs-modified albumin or unmodified albumin for different time periods. Protein and gene expression of MMP-2 and the receptor for AGEs (RAGE) were measured by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The activity of MMP-2 in the conditioned medium was measured by gelatin zymography. The AGE-modified albumin inhibited MMP-2 but increased RAGE protein and gene expression in HUVECs in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. An inhibition of MMP-2 activity was also detected in the conditioned medium of HUVECs incubated with AGEs-modified albumin. In conclusion, AGEs inhibited the expression and activity of MMP-2 in HUVECs; this may be mediated through upregulation of RAGE.


Chronic anteroinferior tibiofibular ligament tears are rarely an isolated pathology. Only a small amount of published, peer-reviewed literature exists describing the isolated repair of the syndesmotic complex in patients who present with chronic ankle pain. We present a technique to restore the anatomic stability of the ligament and syndesmotic complex. The procedure can be easily performed using allogenic semitendinosus tendon graft and stabilized with transyndesmotic screws. The graft can be secured with biotenodesis screws or anchors of the surgeon's preference. The patient described in this report had a successful outcome with no complications.


An investigation of the structural factors which lead to the marked differences between various spectral features of rare-earth-metal ions doped in metal metaphosphate and silicate glasses is reported. The investigation was based on a simulated structural/spectral model of an Eu3+-doped lead metaphosphate glass [Eu3+ : Pb(PO3)2] that was compared to a previously reported Eu3+-doped sodium disilicate glass [Eu3+ : Na2Si2O5]. The models were generated with a computational method that couples molecular dynamics simulation and point-charge crystal-field calculations. It is proposed that the marked differences in several spectroscopic features of Eu3+ ions doped in a lead metaphosphate glass are essentially due to a reduction in the width of the energetic distribution of local fields experienced by the Eu3+ ions. This distribution is shown to be influenced considerably by the presence of medium-range order in the local environment of the Eu3+ ions due to the lack of rigidity of the phosphate backbone.


Every year, the Conference on Computational Natural Language Learning (CoNLL) features a shared task, in which participants train and test their learning systems on the same data sets. In 2018, one of two tasks was devoted to learning dependency parsers for a large number of languages, in a real-world setting without any gold-standard annotation on test input. All test sets followed a unified annotation scheme, namely that of Universal Dependencies. This shared task constitutes a 2nd edition—the first one took place in 2017 (Zeman et al., 2017); the main metric from 2017 has been kept, allowing for easy comparison, also in 2018, and two new main metrics have been used. New datasets added to the Universal Dependencies collection between mid-2017 and the spring of 2018 have contributed to increased difficulty of the task this year. In this overview paper, we define the task and the updated evaluation methodology, describe data preparation, report and analyze the main results, and provide a brief categorization of the different approaches of the participating systems.


An experiment was done at farmer's field in Sherpur district to evaluate the comparative performance of two hybrid rice varieties, Sonarbangla-2 and Sonarbangla-3 with three conventional modern commercial varieties BRRIdhan32, BRRIdhan33 and BR11 in Transplanted aman season of 2003. It is revealed that the hybrids and conventional rice varieties differed significantly among themselves with respect to different parameters under study. The highest grain yield (6.20t/ha) was recorded from the hybrid Sonarbangla-3 followed BRRIdhan-32 (5.70 t/ha) and the lowest in BRRIdhan-33 (4.17t/ha) and these differences were statistically significant. However, BRRIdhan-32 obtained significantly higher yield compared to the hybrid Sonarbangla-2. Further, it produced the maximum amount of straw (8.6 t/ha), which varied significantly with all others. Minimum days to 1 st flowering (92) and maturity (108) were noticed in Sonarbangla-2 followed by Sonarbangla-3 (95 and 115), respectively. Both the hybrid had heavier grain weight (28.33-31.00g) than those of the conventional varieties (22-25g). It is noted that the hybrids maintained distinct statistical edge over the conventional varieties with regard to most of the parameters. Thus, the hybrid Sonarbangla-3 was found superior to conventional varieties for transplanting in the aman season in Bangladesh.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate three-dimensional imaging registration and superimposition techniques in measuring the tip and torque change of upper canine, premolar and first molar after orthodontic treatment.

METHODS
Twenty-eight subjects (14 extraction cases and 14 non-extraction cases) with full records were randomly selected from the Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology. The pre-and post-treatment upper dental casts were digitized with three-dimensional spot laser scanner and superimposed with reverse engineering software. The facial axis of the clinical crown (FACC) was transferred from post-treatment teeth to the pre-treatment teeth using three-dimensional imaging registration. The occlusal plane was constructed on the post-treatment upper digital cast and the tip and torque values were measured.

RESULTS
In the non-extraction group, the tip of the second premolar decreased by 1.5° (P < 0.05). The buccal crown torque of the first and second premolars increased by 5.1° and 4.2° (P < 0.05), respectively. In the extraction group, the lingual crown torque of upper canine increased by 3.8° (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Non-extraction orthodontic treatment tended to tip the upper second premolar distally and increased the buccal crown torque of the upper premolars while extraction treatment increased the lingual crown torque of the upper canine.


The social dimensions and benefits of education are being increasingly appreciated in developed and middle-income countries. Among the many social benefits of education, promoting social cohesion in countries has become extremely important in the modern world, as global mobility of culturally diverse populations has posed challenges to the shared values, ethics and identities of societies. The instantaneous transfer of diverse and varied information through modern communications technologies has further increased the importance of social cohesion. Cohesive societies are more effective in achieving collective economic and social goals, since such societies are better at including and uniting diverse groups and forging synergy (OECD, 2001; Greaney, 2006). Five dimensions of social cohesion, belonging, inclusion, participation, recognition and legitimacy, are especially important for multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious societies such as Sri Lanka. The education system is of central importance in promoting national unity and solidarity among the different social groups in a country. Education is a key instrument in the promotion of social cohesion through the transmission of knowledge and the shaping of attitudes of individuals towards diversity and change. Sri Lanka has initiated measures to promote social cohesion through the school curriculum, textbooks, teacher development, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, the organization of schools, and language policy. This paper discusses these measures, and future policy options for Sri Lanka as a middle-income society.


Abstract The greatest proportion (83%) of renewable energy in the UK is derived from biomass. Despite this there has been little debate over the potential landscape impacts of biomass, and the sector is characterized by considerable levels of uncertainty. This paper explores the ways in which biomass is framed within the carbon debate, interrogating the trade-offs and conflicts surrounding the production of dedicated and subsidized energy crops. Drawing upon a political ecology framework, we seek to explore the difference that a specific energy crop, Miscanthus, makes in current debates over bioenergy. We outline how the ecology of the plant plays a critical role in structuring the political, ecological and economic adoption of biomass energy, focusing on its status as a new species in the UK. Taking a case study of a Yorkshire landscape long dominated by coal, we explore the context of recent developments in biomass energy. Through this case study we examine how the uncertain ecology of Miscanthus undermines claims concerning the economic viability of biomass, and trace how the potential production of an 'alien' landscape creates a series of social and ecological tensions. The paper concludes by reflecting upon the political ecology of carbon, suggesting that the example of this energy crop highlights the way in which carbon tends to be fetishized, or removed from its social, ecological and (thus) place specific context, within current energy debates.


We discuss several algorithms for sampling from unnormalized probability distributions in statistical physics, but using the language of statistics and machine learning. We provide a self-contained introduction to some key ideas and concepts of the field, before discussing three well-known problems: phase transitions in the Ising model, the melting transition on a two-dimensional plane and simulation of an all-atom model for liquid water. We review the classical Metropolis, Glauber and molecular dynamics sampling algorithms before discussing several more recent approaches, including cluster algorithms, novel variations of hybrid Monte Carlo and Langevin dynamics and piece-wise deterministic processes such as event chain Monte Carlo. We highlight cross-over with statistics and machine learning throughout and present some results on event chain Monte Carlo and sampling from the Ising model using tools from the statistics literature. We provide a simulation study on the Ising and XY models, with reproducible code freely available online, and following this we discuss several open areas for interaction between the disciplines that have not yet been explored and suggest avenues for doing so.


Tree species growing along the forest-grassland ecotone are near the moisture limit of their range. Small increases in temperature can increase vapor pressure deficit (VPD) which may increase tree water use and potentially hasten mortality during severe drought. We tested a 40% increase in VPD due to an increase in growing temperature from 30 to 33°C (constant dewpoint 21°C) on seedlings of 10 tree species common to the forest-grassland ecotone in the southern Great Plains, USA. Measurement at 33 vs 30°C during reciprocal leaf gas exchange measurements, that is, measurement of all seedlings at both growing temperatures, increased transpiration for seedlings grown at 30°C by 40% and 20% for seedlings grown at 33°C. Higher initial transpiration of seedlings in the 33°C growing temperature treatment resulted in more negative xylem water potentials and fewer days until transpiration decreased after watering was withheld. The seedlings grown at 33°C died 13% (average 2 d) sooner than seedlings grown at 30°C during terminal drought. If temperature and severity of droughts increase in the future, the forest-grassland ecotone could shift because low seedling survival rate may not sufficiently support forest regeneration and migration.


In this paper, a neurodynamic model is given to solve nonlinear pseudo-monotone projection equation. Under pseudo-monotonicity condition and Lipschitz continuous condition, the projection neurodynamic model is proved to be stable in the sense of Lyapunov, globally convergent, globally asymptotically stable, and globally exponentially stable. Also, we show that, our new neurodynamic model is effective to solve the nonconvex optimization problems. Moreover, since monotonicity is a special case of pseudo-monotonicity and also since a co-coercive mapping is Lipschitz continuous and monotone, and a strongly pseudo-monotone mapping is pseudo-monotone, the neurodynamic model can be applied to solve a broader classes of constrained optimization problems related to variational inequalities, pseudo-convex optimization problem, linear and nonlinear complementarity problems, and linear and convex quadratic programming problems. Finally, several illustrative examples are stated to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our new neurodynamic model.


This paper proposes an observer-based event-triggered algorithm to solve circle formation control problems for both first- and second-order multiagent systems, where the communication topology is modeled by a spanning tree-based directed graph with limited resources. In particular, the observation-based event-triggering mechanism is used to reduce the update frequency of the controller, and the triggering time depends on the norm of the state function and the trigger threshold of measurement errors. The analysis shows that sufficient conditions are established for achieving the desired circle formation, while there exists at least one agent for which the next interevent interval is strictly positive. Numerical simulations of both first- and second-order multiagent systems are also given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control laws.


This document describes the scope, background, scale structure, and definitions of a Stewardship Maturity Matrix (SMM-CD). It serves as a guidance booklet to help facilitate the update and effective use of the SMM-CD.The SMM-CD was developed under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as a tool to enable dataset owners to assess and rate their datasets quantifiably, based on internationally-validated data stewardship best practices. The SMM-CD is intended to provide authoritative guidance in relation to the stewardship maturity of those datasets that are to be submitted for inclusion in the WMO Catalogue for Climate Data.


Study Design Retrospective study. Purpose To investigate the relation between the progression of kyphotic deformity and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in conservatively treated stable thoracolumbar fractures. Overview of Literature When treated conservatively, excessive progression of kyphotic deformity and vertebral compression can emerge during follow-up. We sought to identify predictors of vertebral body deformation using MR images. Methods The presence in MR images of anterior longitudinal ligament (AL) or posterior longitudinal ligament (PL) injury, superior or inferior endplate disruption, superior or inferior disc injury in fractured vertebral bodies, the existence of low signal intensity on T2 weighted images, and bone edema of intravertebral bodies were assessed. Results The presence of superior endplate disruption and a higher level of bone edema were found to cause the progressions of kyphotic angle (KA), wedge angle (WA), and anterior vertebral compression (AVC) rate. When AL or superior disc injury was observed, only KA increased meaningfully. When low signal intensity was present on T2 weighted images WA and AVC increased significantly, but PL injury, inferior endplate disruption, and inferior disc injury showed no notable correlation with kyphotic deformity progression. The risk factors found to be associated with an increase of KA to >5° were AL injury, superior endplate disruption, superior disc injury, and a bone edema level of over 1/3, and their associated risks versus no injury cases were 14.1, 3.7, 6.8, and 10.4-fold, respectively. Conclusions AL injury, superior endplate and disc injury, or a high level of bone edema, were critical factors that determine kyphotic deformity progression.


We present a new approach to parameter estimation problems based on binary measurements, motivated by the need to add integrated low-cost self-test features to microfabricated devices. This approach is based on the use of original weighted least-squares criteria: as opposed to other existing methods, it requires no dithering signal and it does not rely on an approximation of the quantizer. In this technical note, we focus on a simple choice for the weights and establish some asymptotical properties of the corresponding criterion. To achieve this, the assumption that the quantizer's input is Gaussian and centered is made. In this context, we prove that the proposed criterion is locally convex and that it is possible to use a simple gradient descent to find a consistent estimate of the unknown system parameters, regardless of the presence of measurement noise at the quantizer's input.


Echocardiography and 24-hour BP monitoring were carried out in 177 men with stage 1 and 2 essential hypertension aged 25-59 years when they worked the Far North shift (group l) and in 75 patients with essential hypertension living in moderate climatic zone (group 2). Normal left ventricular geometry was found in 10 and 39% of subjects in groups l and 2, respectively. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was 2 times more frequent in group 1 where it was predominantly concentric. Contrary to group 2 significant correlations between parameters of 24-hour BP monitoring and echocardiography were found in group 1. All variants of left ventricular geometry in group 1 were characterized by lower systolic BP, high variability of systolic and diastolic BP, impaired 24-hour BP rhythm because of decreased night-day difference. Group 1 subjects with concentric left ventricular hypertrophy had significantly increased left ventricular mass index. Diastolic nocturnal hypertension was the factor most closely related to the structural state of the myocardium in group 1.


In 106 dogs in which one, two or more of the lesions A: Fragmentation of the coronoid process, B: Fissure of the coronoid process, C: Osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral condyle, or D: Ununited anconeal process, were found at autopsy, comparisons were made between clinical, radiographical and pathoanatomical findings. The 38 dogs which were put to death because of persistent lameness, represented young dogs of larger breeds only, while dogs of which no prehistory regarding foreleg lameness was given, or which had never revealed foreleg lameness, were older and represented dogs of smaller breeds as well. The lesion A was the most predominant finding, and the incidence of lesions A and A + C was slightly higher among lame legs than among legs free from lameness. Routine radiography was a reliable tool in interpreting osteochondritis dissecans, ununited anconeal process and degree of osteophyte formation when compared to the pathoanatomical examination, while lesions of the coronoid process was infrequently diagnosed by routine radiography. When comparing the various observations made clinically, radiographically and patho-anatomically, statistically significant correlations were found between all the parameters exept decreased flexibility/supination, decreased flexibility/pain and pain/arthrosis. The degree of arthrosis was higher in joints descending from lame legs than in joints descending from legs free from lameness, but was relatively high even in the latter group. The reasons why some dogs get lame in contrast to others suffering from the same lesions, are discussed.


In the so-called magnetic Aharonov-Bohm effect, a quantum interference pattern shift is produced when electrons move in a magnetic field-free region, thus in absence of forces. Analogous fringe shifts are observed in interference experiments even when electrons travel through a magnetic field and are thus affected by magnetic forces. Because of the vast dedicated literature covering this subject it could require a non trivial effort to attain a comprehensive overview. Therefore, attention has been addressed: i) to recall the theory, ii) to describe the basic aspects of the main experiments realized up today and, iii) to review the long-standing debate regarding the interpretation of the Aharonov-Bohm phase shift as a new quantum topological effect with no analogue in classical theory, or as an energy-related lag effect based on classical forces.


One of the most important issues affecting host mobility is the location and routing scheme that allows hosts to move seamlessly from one site to another. This paper presents a method that exploits the locality properties of a host's pattern of movement and access history. Two concepts, "local region" and "patron service" are introduced based on the locality features. For each mobile host, the local region is a set of designated subnetworks within which a mobile host often moves, and the patrons are the hosts from which the majority of traffic for the mobile host originated. These are used to confine the effects of a host moving, so location updates are sent only to its local area, and to those source hosts which are most likely to call again. Our scheme has the advantages of limiting location updates, and providing optimal routing, while increasing network and host scalability. >


Objective: To evaluate our experience with laparoscopic total extra-peritoneal (TEP) inguinal herniorrhaphy in terms of full recovery, return to work, complications and recurrence rate.
Duration: From 1st January 2007 to 31st December 2010.
Setting: Surgical Unit III, Department of General Surgery, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad.
Patients and Methods: We retrospectively studied a consecutive series of patients who underwent laparoscopic TEP repair of inguinal hernia at our unit. The study consisted of fifty eight patients and total extra-peritoneal (TEP) approach was used in all patients.
Results: All 58 patients were male with a mean age of 46 years (range 25 to 67 years) at the time of operation. During the study period, 69 laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs were performed in 58 patients. Bilateral hernia repair was done in 11 patients (19%). Of the 69 procedures; seven repairs (12%) were done for recurrent hernias. In 20% of the patients the procedure was completed as a day case surgery. A mean follow up of six months was obtained for 46 patients (79%). Minor complications occurred in 32% of patients, whereas major complication occurred in two patients who developed recurrence in the immediate post operative period. The median time to normal physical activity was 8-11 days for unilateral and 11-16 days for bilateral hernia repair.
Conclusion: Laparoscopic TEP herniorrhaphy is a good alternative to open hernia repair. However further studies are needed to strengthen this conclusion.


Seven years on from the last edition of the International Textbook of Diabetes Mellitus the incidences of obesity, type 2 diabetes and even type 1 diabetes have all increased dramatically. In the year 2000, according to the World Health Organization, 150 million people worldwide were living with diabetes; by 2025 the prevalence is projected to double—probably a conservative estimate since childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes show alarming increases. Fortunately, our knowledge of pathogenesis and management has also improved. The new edition of this world-renowned reference book is therefore well timed. Aimed at an international audience it has separate sections looking at problems peculiar to certain areas of the world. This approach, unique to the International Textbook, is apposite since in parts of the developing world the increases in obesity and type 2 diabetes are exceptionally rapid.

Books such as this run the risk of gathering dust on some far-flung bookshelf. To assess its usability in everyday practice I consulted it after a few diabetic clinics and looked at certain areas relevant to the patients I had just seen. The authorship is impressive, with most of the big players contributing. This can be a recipe for turgidity but the sections I looked at were all very readable. Consulting it, I was not able to enlighten one patient as to the evidence for cinnamon treatment in type 2 diabetes; however, the book did enable me to answer queries (and sometimes to educate myself) on drugs to prevent diabetes, the physiological/pathophysiological role of C-peptide, lipodystrophies, treatments for obesity and islet transplantation—all of which are covered comprehensively. The chapters are clearly subdivided and the generous use of figures and diagrams makes the book reader-friendly; the full colour allows much clearer illustrations, particularly of retinas and microscopy slides, than black and white. A good third of the textbook is given over to references, allowing the reader to pursue points of interest. The number of chapters has increased from 74 in the first edition to 116, reflecting increasing knowledge in areas such as genetics, the pathophysiology of obesity and therapeutic agents. I was a little disappointed to see, in some chapters that have kept the original authors, the content little different from before; in most chapters, however, the material is either completely new or vastly altered.

This book is intended primarily as a work of reference for diabetes/endocrinology departments or libraries. Few consultants or specialist registrars in clinical diabetes will not find it useful and it will be valued also by diabetes researchers. At £295 it will not break a consultant or hospital trust's bank, and is just light enough to carry from car to study without recourse to a trolley or chiropractor. For those who find the two volumes too much, in weight or price, the entire work is available online via www.Wiley.com, with the advantage of regular updating.


A case of a 63-year old man, who developed systemic lupus erythematosus three years after an initial diagnosis of small-cleaved centrofollicular lymphoma is described. The diagnosis of SLE was made on the basis of the accepted "1982 revised criteria for the classification of SLE". The autoimmune disease arose after a cycle of total body irradiation, despite the treatment with combination chemotherapeutic doses such a CVP or COAP or Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, VM-26 and Prednisone. Genetic, immunological and exogenous environmental factors may co-exist and might equally be implicated in the pathogenesis of SLE and malignant lymphoma. However, the onset of SLE after total body irradiation could have been caused by the inactivation of suppressor T lymphocytes, which are known to be sensitive to radiations in vitro.


The challenges presented by students who struggle to connect with curriculum learning in school constitute an issue that confronts education systems worldwide. This article reviews ways in which such students can be encouraged to engage more positively in their own learning, a process that benefits both the child and the whole school community. In this article a range of strategies to do this is proposed, based on a set of theoretical considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


We hypothesized that a modified version of the Frontal Behavioral Inventory (FBI-mod), along with a few cognitive tests, would be clinically useful in distinguishing between clinically defined Alzheimer's disease (AD) and subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD): frontotemporal dementia (dysexecutive type), progressive nonfluent aphasia, and semantic dementia. We studied 80 patients who were diagnosed with AD (n = 30) or FTLD (n = 50), on the basis of a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, imaging, neurological examination, and history. We found significant between-group differences on the FBI-mod, two subtests of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (verbal learning and delayed recall), and the Trail Making Test Part B (one measure of 'executive functioning'). AD was characterized by relatively severe impairment in verbal learning, delayed recall, and executive functioning, with relatively normal scores on the FBI-mod. Frontotemporal dementia was characterized by relatively severe impairment on the FBI-mod and executive functioning in the absence of severe impairment in verbal learning and recall. Progressive nonfluent aphasia was characterized by severe impairment in executive functioning with relatively normal scores on verbal learning and recall and FBI-mod. Finally, semantic dementia was characterized by relatively severe deficits in delayed recall, but relatively normal performance on new learning, executive functioning, and on FBI-mod. Discriminant function analysis confirmed that the FBI-mod, in conjunction with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and the Trail Making Test Part B categorized the majority of patients as subtypes of FTLD or AD in the same way as a full neuropsychological battery, neurological examination, complete history, and imaging. These tests may be useful for efficient clinical diagnosis, although progressive nonfluent aphasia and semantic dementia are likely to be best distinguished by language tests not included in standard neuropsychological test batteries.


Contemporary Software Engineering has inevitably become much more social. Due to the size, complexity, and diversity of today's software systems, there is a need to interact across organizational, geographical, cultural, and socioeconomic boundaries. Large-scale software development now implies active user involvement and requires close cooperation and collaboration between team members and all types of development activities. Members of software projects across all roles must communicate and interact continuously with other project members as well as with a variety of stakeholders, such as users, analysts, suppliers, customers, and business partners. This theme issue aims to inform software engineering practitioners about current trends and recent advances in research and practice of sociotechnical analysis and support for large-scale software development.


Mastic asphalt is a type of pavement material that has good fluidity and is self-levelling at construction temperature for the bridge deck. There are highly accurate methods and indexes for evaluating fluidity and high-temperature deformation resistance for mastic asphalt-design and construction-control systems. The fatigue cracking is one of the main failure forms of bridge deck pavement. Therefore, the method used to evaluate the fatigue properties of pavement materials is also essential. The anti-deformation capability of the mastic asphalt must be increased, that results in poor fatigue performance and consequent failure of the bridge deck pavement to avoid the rutting of bridge deck pavement. In this study, a simple method is put forward for evaluating mastic asphalt fatigue performance.  Impact toughness is defined as the area under the load-displacement curve of a three-point bending beam specimen under impact load to evaluate the fatigue performance of mastic asphalt. The four-point bending beam fatigue test is used to verify the rationality of the impact toughness test method. The results showed that there is a good correlation between the impacts toughness index of mastic asphalt produced under different mixing conditions and the accumulative dissipative energy and fatigue life demonstrated by the four-point bending beam test. Therefore, to evaluate the fatigue performance of mastic asphalt by impact toughness test. Fatigue performance and rut resistance are two ways to evaluate road performance of asphalt mixtures, but they are mutually restrictive. The results show that impact toughness and dynamic stability are inversely correlated. As the impact toughness increases, dynamic stability decreases. Therefore, balancing the fatigue performance and high-temperature rutting resistance of mastic asphalt in the design and quality control is very important.


GluK1 is a kainate receptor subunit in the ionotropic glutamate receptor family and can form functional channels when expressed, for instance, in HEK-293 cells. However, the channel-opening mechanism of GluK1 is poorly understood. One major challenge to studying the GluK1 channel is its apparent low level of surface expression, which results in a low whole-cell current response even to a saturating concentration of agonist. A low level of surface expression is thought to be contributed by an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal sequence. When this sequence motif is present as in the C-terminus of wild-type GluK1-2b, the receptor is significantly retained in the ER. Conversely, when this sequence is either lacking, as in wild-type GluK1-2a (i.e., a different alternatively spliced isoform at the C-terminus), or disrupted, as in a GluK1-2b mutant (i.e., R896A, R897A, R900A, and K901A), there is a higher level of surface expression and a greater whole-cell current response. Here we characterize the channel-opening kinetic mechanism for these three GluK1 receptors expressed in HEK-293 cells by using a laser-pulse photolysis technique. Our results show that wild-type GluK1-2a, wild-type GluK1-2b, and the GluK1-2b mutant have identical channel opening and channel closing rate constants. These results indicate that the amino acid sequence near or within the C-terminal ER retention signal sequence, which affects receptor trafficking and/or expression, does not affect channel gating properties. Furthermore, as compared with the GluK2 kainate receptor, the GluK1 channel is faster to open, close, and desensitize by at least 2-fold, yet the EC(50) value of GluK1 is similar to that of GluK2.


Entangled-photon coincidence imaging is a method to nonlocally image an object by transmitting a pair of entangled photons through the object and a reference optical system, respectively. The image of the object can be extracted from the coincidence rate of these two photons. From a classical perspective, the image is proportional to the fourth-order correlation function of the wave field. Using classical statistical optics, we study a particular aspect of coincidence imaging with incoherent sources. As an application, we give a proposal to realize lensless Fourier-transform imaging, and discuss its applicability in x-ray diffraction.


Many emerging applications on the Internet requiring group communication have varying security requirements. Significant strides have been made in achieving strong semantics and security guarantees within group environments. However, in existing solutions, the scope of available security policies is often limited. This paper presents Antigone, a framework that provides a suite of mechanisms from which flexible application security policies may be implemented. With Antigone, developers may choose a policy that best addresses their security and performance requirements. We describe the Antigone's mechanisms, consisting of a set of micro-protocols, and show how different security policies can be implemented using those mechanisms. We also present a performance study illustrating the security/performance tradeoffs that can be made using Antigone.


It is a book on .form. a study of form; the author holds the theory .that form is creative of ideas. It is a thorough, different, stimulating analysis of structure or the science of playwriting. Although numerous books have appeared on the subject, this one is not a rehash of previous ones and it is not hackneyed; subjects which have been discussed before are here presented with freshness and from new viewpoints. The discussion of characterization includes several new slants; the chapter on dialogue is succinct, clear, comprehensive; the section on pl'Oportioning the play is revealing; interesting sidelights are discovered, such as an analysis of Shakespeare as a clever mechanic of dramatic writing. When the reader has finished the book, he has learned many things, and he feels pretty smart because he knows them. The author states, "I have never been able to recommend to my students a text book." This reviewer is not sure his book can be recommended as a text; it is doubtful whether the beginner can learn to write plays from reading it; but he can study it with profit for its wealth of information and its stimulation; after reading it he should want to try his hand at playwriting. If the book possesses an outstanding fault, it is padding. Twelve plays are selected for analysis. Lengthy. quotations (on the same point) are taken from each play. Surely so much repetition is not necessary. The author devotes three full pages to comment on a certain line in Behrman's Rain From Heaven. The point could have been made more briefly. The 380 pages of the text could have been condensed to advantage. The author sometimes uses space to reduce to smooth formula that which is obvious; and occasionally he is dogmatic and very sure of himself. We would retain our pleasant feeling for him if he were more modest. The present reviewer does not wish, howeve!', to drive a reader from the book. It is readable, informative, challenging-whether or not the reader agrees with the author concerning his theories on the proposition and the climax. As one who has read text after text and has endeavored to teach playwriting for many years, I was never bored, I never skipped (except in some of the quotations) but read with a sustained interest and a respect for the intelligence of the author.


Numerical conformal mapping is exploited as a simple, accurate, and efficient tool for the analysis and design of coaxial waveguides and couplers of complex cross section. An implementation based on the Schwarz-Christoffel Toolbox, a public-domain MATLAB package, is applied to slotted coaxial cables and to symmetrical coaxial couplers, with circular or polygonal inner conductors and external shields. The effect of metallic diaphragms of arbitrary thickness, partially separating the inner conductors, is also easily taken into account. The proposed technique is validated against the results of the finite-element method, showing excellent agreement at a fraction of the computational cost, and is also extended to the case of nonsymmetrical couplers, providing the designer with important additional degrees of freedom.


Despite its use for a long time, the way thalamic ventrobasal (VB) stimulation acts to produce pain relief is still unknown. One of the most accepted hypotheses, sponsored by Tsubokawa among others, proposes that VB stimulation excites raphespinal and reticulospinal neurons of the rostroventral medulla which in turn send respectively inhibitory serotonergic and noradrenergic axons through both dorsolateral funiculi (DLF) to the dorsal horn (DHA) nociceptive neurons; this pathway would be the same as is involved in periventricular-periaqueductal gray (PVG-PAG) stimulation induced inhibition of DH nociceptive neurons. This hypothesis implicates the necessity of DLF intactness; in fact, it was showed that section of bilateral DLF inhibits the response of DH nociceptive neurons to VB stimulation. If the above mentioned hypothesis is correct, one could expect that unilateral VB stimulation would produce bilateral pain relief, VB and PVG stimulation would be useful for treating the same modalities of pain and that in patients with central cord-based pain harboring complete cord transection, VB stimulation would not work at all. In order to check these possibilities, the patients with central cord-based pain admitted to the Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Hospital between June 1978 and July 1991 to undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) were reviewed. Sixteen patients were operated on. Based on clinical criteria, four out of these sixteen patients were thought to present complete cord transection (all four were men, with an average age of 48 years and pain secondary to cord injury).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The process of alkylpyridinium homologous transfer through polyvinylchloride plasticized nanofiltration membranes (molecular sieves) under self-diffusion and direct current conditions. Quantitative characteristics of membrane transport: the coefficients of permeability, diffusion, the distribution coefficient, ion flux, were calculated. The dependences of the volume properties of nanofiltration membranes from the hydrocarbon radical length in the alkylpyridinium homologous in membrane solutions and pore formers were shown.


Analysis of the response to corticosteroid therapy in a personal series of 8 consecutive cases of dermatomyositis in childhood shows that there are advantages in a moderate dosage, short-term treatment schedule, with gradual tapering of the dosage as soon as there is clinical improvement without waiting for full remission, and in trying to stop steroid therapy within six months rather than following the more prolonged regimen currently still in vogue. Clinical response is a more reliable guide to progress than serum enzyme levels. Review of published reports suggests that overtreatment with corticosteroids may be a factor in chronicity of the disease and failure of adequate long-term response.


Resource management is an important aspect to consider regarding applications that might have different non‐functional or operational requirements, when running in distributed and heterogeneous environments. In this context, it is necessary to provide the means to specify the required resource constraints and an infrastructure that can adapt the applications in light of the changes in resource availability. We adopted a contract‐based approach to describe and maintain parallel applications that have non‐functional requirements in a Computing Grid context, called ZeliGrid. To form the supporting infrastructure we have designed a software architecture that integrates some of the Globus services, the LDAP and the NWS monitoring services. Some modules that map the contract approach into software artifacts were also integrated to this architecture. This paper addresses the architecture and integration issues of our approach, as well as how we put the pieces together highlighting deployment and implementation details, which have to consider diverse aspects such as monitoring, security and dynamic reconfiguration. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The formation, relative stability, and possible stoichiometries of two (self-)complementary peptide sequences (B and E) designed to form either a parallel homodimeric (B + B) or an antiparallel heterodimeric (B + E) coiled coil have been investigated. Peptide B shows a characteristic coiled coil pattern in circular dichroism spectra at pH 7.4, whereas peptide E is apparently random coiled under these conditions. The peptides are complementary to each other, with peptide E forming a coiled coil when mixed with peptide B. Molecular dynamics simulations show that combinations of B + B and B + E readily form a dimeric coiled coil, whereas E + E does not fall in line with the experimental data. However, the simulations strongly suggest the preferred orientation of the helices in the homodimeric coiled coil is antiparallel, with interactions at the interface quite different to that of the idealized model. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations suggest equilibrium between dimers, trimers, and tetramers of alpha-helices for peptide B.


The second-order optical nonlinearity of was deduced from the Pockels response of mixed -arachidic acid Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers by using electro-optically modulated attenuated total reflection spectroscopy. We obtained a considerable second-order susceptibility for of (namely ) which is in agreement with that obtained from the measurement of second-harmonic generation and attributed to the electrical quadrupole and/or magnetic dipole contributions of molecules.


Introduction Sequence-based typing of hepatitis A virus (HAV) is important for outbreak detection, investigation and surveillance. In 2013, sequencing was central to resolving a large European Union (EU)-wide outbreak related to frozen berries. However, as the sequenced HAV genome regions were only partly comparable between countries, results were not always conclusive. Aim The objective was to gather information on HAV surveillance and sequencing in EU/European Economic Area (EEA) countries to find ways to harmonise their procedures, for improvement of cross-border outbreak responses. Methods In 2014, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) conducted a survey on HAV surveillance practices in EU/EEA countries. The survey enquired whether a referral system for confirming primary diagnostics of hepatitis A existed as well as a central collection/storage of hepatitis A cases' samples for typing. Questions on HAV sequencing procedures were also asked. Based on the results, an expert consultation proposed harmonised procedures for cross-border outbreak response, in particular regarding sequencing. In 2016, a follow-up survey assessed uptake of suggested methods. Results Of 31 EU/EEA countries, 23 (2014) and 27 (2016) participated. Numbers of countries with central collection and storage of HAV positive samples and of those performing sequencing increased from 12 to 15 and 12 to 14 respectively in 2016, with all countries typing an overlapping fragment of 218 nt. However, variation existed in the sequenced genomic regions and their lengths. Conclusions While HAV sequences in EU/EEA countries are comparable for surveillance, collaboration in sharing and comparing these can be further strengthened.


The effects of pyridoxal deficiency on the genotoxicity and nodule inducing ability of azaserine in rat pancreas were examined. Azaserine at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight which causes substantial DNA damage in normal rat pancreas, failed to induce DNA damage detectable by alkaline elution in the pancreas of pyridoxal-deficient rats. Studies of the distribution of [14C]azaserine in rat tissues revealed that uptake of azaserine in pancreas of pyridoxal deficient rats was not significantly different from that of normal rats. The ability of a structurally unrelated amino acid carcinogen N delta-(N-methyl-N- nitrosocarbamoyl )-L-ornithine to damage rat pancreatic DNA was not affected by pyridoxal deficiency. In another study, the pyridoxal antagonist 4'-deoxypyridoxine was administered i.p. to rats prior to and during azaserine treatment. Four months later, quantitative sterological analysis of atypical acinar cell nodules revealed that there was a significant reduction in the number but not size of nodules in the pancreases of 4'-deoxypyridoxine-treated rats. These results confirm the relationship of the induction of DNA damage by azaserine to its ability to induce pancreatic tumors, and support previous studies of azaserine metabolism, strongly suggesting that the in vivo activation of this carcinogen is pyridoxal dependent.


Background: Hyperglycemia in diabetic patients can affect the success of many dental treatments. Thus, many dental procedures are contraindicated in patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM) due to the consequent delay in wound healing. This study aimed to assess the effect of a long-term control of blood sugar on tissue healing after implant placement. Methods: This cohort study evaluated 20 patients aged 50-60, referring to the School of Dentistry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences for implant placement. All patients underwent blood sugar test and were divided into two groups of diabetic and non-diabetic patients regarding their HbA1c level. Bone loss, bleeding on probing (BOP), and pocket probing depth (PPD) of patients were measured 1 and 6 months after the implant placement. Data were analyzed using independent t test and chi-square test. Results: Blood sugar control had no significant effect on bone loss, BOP and PPD one and six month(s) after implant placement (P>0.05). Although PPD significantly increased in both groups over time (P=0.016 in the healthy group and P=0.007 in the diabetic group), the difference between the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: According to the results from this study, blood sugar control examined in the age range of our study had no significant effect on tissue healing one and six month(s) after the implant placement. However, further studies are required to explore this subject more thoroughly.


We report an analysis of in vitro growth characteristics of leukaemic cells from five patients with t(6;9)(p23;q34). Consistent with other reports of this abnormality, our patients were comparatively young (median age at diagnosis, 29 years), and responded poorly to conventional treatment (median survival from diagnosis, 10 months). During active disease the CFU-GM growth patterns were characterized by an abundance of granulocytic aggregates (mostly 20-100 cells in size) whose leukaemic origin was confirmed by cytogenetic analysis. During remission induction, colonies derived from regenerating normal progenitor cell colonies could be distinguished from those derived from persisting leukaemic cells on the basis of differences in size, morphology, in situ staining characteristics, and karyotype. Remission growth patterns were those of a normal bone marrow. Our findings add to a growing recognition that the t(6;9) identifies a subset of leukaemic patients with distinctive clinical, haematologic, molecular, and in vitro growth characteristics for whom conventional treatment offers little hope of cure or long survival.


Massive stars in binary systems (such as WR 140, WR 147, or η Carinae) have long been regarded as potential sources of high-energy γ-rays. The emission is thought to arise in the region where the stellar winds collide and produce relativistic particles that subsequently might be able to emit γ-rays. Detailed numerical hydrodynamic simulations have already offered insight into the complex dynamics of the wind collision region (WCR), while independent analytical studies, albeit with simplified descriptions of the WCR, have shed light on the spectra of charged particles. In this paper, we describe a combination of these two approaches. We present a three-dimensional hydrodynamical model for colliding stellar winds and compute spectral energy distributions of relativistic particles for the resulting structure of the WCR. The hydrodynamic part of our model incorporates the line-driven acceleration of the winds, gravity, orbital motion, and the radiative cooling of the shocked plasma. In our treatment of charged particles, we consider diffusive shock acceleration in the WCR and the subsequent cooling via inverse Compton losses (including Klein–Nishina effects), bremsstrahlung, collisions, and other energy loss mechanisms.


A short-form intelligence test is commonly validated by determining irs correlation with the full scale from which it is taken, but it has been argued that this measure is less meaningful than the extent to which the short form agrees with the full scale in classifying individuals. A table is presented showing the theoretical agreement between the best duad, triad, tetrad, and pentad short forms of the WAIS and the Full Scale. Data on agreement may be more helpful than correlational data to the clinician who must decide whether to use a short form in place of the Full Scale.


L-DNA, the mirror image of natural D-DNA, can be readily self-assembled into designer discrete or periodic nanostructures. The assembly products are characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism spectrum, atomic force microscope, and fluorescence microscope. We found that the use of enantiomer DNA as building material leads to the formation of DNA supramolecules with opposite chirality. Therefore, the L-DNA self-assembly is a substantial complement to the structural DNA nanotechnology. Moreover, the L-DNA architectures feature superior nuclease resistance thus are appealing for in vivo medical applications.


One of the principal objectives of vibration isolation technology is to isolate sensitive equipment from a vibrating structure or to isolate the structure from an uncertain exogenous disturbance source. In this paper, a dynamic observer-based active isolator is proposed that guarantees closed-loop asymptotic stabil ity and disturbance decoupling between the vibrating structure and isolated structure. The proposed active isolator is applied to a uniaxial vibrational system and compared to an optimal linear-quadratic design.


Light subunit of mushroom tyrosinase (LSMT) is a protein of unknown function from mushroom Agaricus bisporus that has been demonstrated to permeate through rat intestine ex vivo. Thus, it can be absorbed in the intestine, thereby holding a promise as a drug carrier for oral administration, similar to HA‐33 protein from botulinum, one of the closest structural homologs of LSMT. However, the safety of LSMT should be ensured prior to its use. Here, we described biological response of LSMT upon weekly intraperitoneal administration of 50 μg/day to the Balb/c mice for 12 weeks. Motoric and behavior profiles, as well as the index of main organs (liver, spleen, lung, heart, and kidney), and body weight, were not significantly changed as compared with the control group. Also, no IgG was detected in the serum. The results suggest that LSMT is safe for further development.


Power cables are widely used in various fields of power transmission, and cable accessories are the weakest link in power cable systems due to their complex structure and multi-layer insulation coordination issues. This paper investigates the changes in electrical properties of the silicone rubber/cross-linked polyethylene (SiR/XLPE) interface at high temperatures. The physicochemical properties of XLPE material under thermal effects with different times are characterized through FTIR, DSC, and SEM tests. Finally, the mechanism of the effects of the interface state on the electrical properties of the SiR/XLPE interface is analyzed. It is found that with the increase in temperature, the changes in electrical performance of the interface do not show a monotonic downward trend, while interestingly, they can be divided into three stages. Under the thermal effects for 40 d, the internal recrystallization of XLPE in the early stage improves the electrical properties of the interface. In the later stage of thermal effects, the amorphous region inside the material is severely damaged and the molecular chains are severely broken, resulting in a decrease in the electrical properties of the interface. The results above provide a theoretical basis for the interface design of cable accessories at high temperatures.


Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma is a well-defined brain tumor. It most often occurs in children and young adults. It is located in the posterior fossa and has typical imaging features, associating cystic and strongly contrast enhancing mural nodule. After complete surgical removal, its prognosis is excellent. Adult cases are seldom observed. They develop almost exclusively within the cerebral hemispheres and share the same imaging and prognostic characteristics as the pediatric forms. We describe the case of a 42-years-old man presenting with a huge heterogenous posterior fossa lesion. Histopathological analysis of the lesion after surgical resection diagnosed a juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma. These peculiar location and imaging features in an adult patient may be misdiagnosed for infectious lesions and must be recognized.


1. By means of K‐specific double‐barrelled micro‐electrodes the time course of changes in K+ concentration in the extracellular space of the lumbar spinal cord was examined after peripheral tetanic stimulation and after a single volley in a mixed peripheral nerve in non‐anaesthetized, intercollicularly decerebrated and spinalized cats. 2. Tetanic stimulation (100 Hz) which increases the [K]e from 3 to 9 mM is followed by a phase of reduced [K]e during which [K]e decreases by 0.5 mM below resting level, lasting 1–2 minutes before returning to its original resting level. Evidence is presented that this subnormal phase of [K]e reflects active processes redistributing accumulated K+ from extracellular space. 3. The subnormal phase of [K]e can be registered only when the microelectrode is located in very close vicinity of discharging neurones and is not primarily dependent on the absolute level of increased [K]e. This can be considered as evidence that the neurones and not the glial cells are responsible for active reabsorption of K+ from the extracellular space. 4. Increased E1K]e is reflected in focally recorded potentials as a negativity and decreased [K]e as a positivity. The latency of focally recorded positivity is, however, shorter than the latency of reduced [K]e. This makes it likely that the positivity reflects not only passive hyperpolarization of glial elements, but also an active, electrogenic ion transport across neuronal membrane. 5. The shortest latency of increased [K]e induced by a single volley in a mixed peripheral nerve was found to be 9 msec; the peak, representing 0.5 mM, was attained after 40 msec and the total duration was 200 msec. A theoretical consideration is put forward that the time course of transient increase in [K]e is consistent with the suggestion that K+ which accumulates in the spinal cord after neuronal discharge is responsible for primary afferent depolarization. 6. Evidence is presented that increased [K]e, induced by a long lasting peripheral stimulation, is accompanied by decreased efficacy of impulse transmission.


Is there excessive trading volume in financial markets? Recent proposals to tax transactions, limit short selling, or restrict clienteles for particular financial products reflect such a view but beg the fundamental question of how much trading is optimal for an economy. We show that the optimal level of volume done purely for risk-sharing cannot be determined from the real economy alone, dictating that there is no natural bound on trading volume. We analyze how a variety of restrictions on trading influence welfare. Our results provide an economic basis for evaluating the desirability of policy proposals to limit trading activity.


We have synthesized a long-chain hydrocarbon covalently coupled to diethylene-triaminepenta-acetic acid (stearylamine-DTPA) and have incorporated this compound in liposomes during their preparation. The lipophilic hydrocarbon chain anchors the molecule in the lipid bilayer, exposing the DTPA groups on the surface for chelation. Ethanolic solutions of the lipids are evaporated to dryness under nitrogen in multidose vials; the lipids are suspended in the vial by adding a small volume of distilled water followed by sonication. The liposomes are then labeled by transcomplexation in the case of Ga-67 and by conventional stannous reduction in the case of Tc-99m, by adding the activities directly to the vial. These liposomes bind 95 +/- 5% of Ga-67 and Tc-99m activity, as determined by paper chromatograph assay, eliminating the need for a purification step. The labeled liposomes release about 5% of their Ga-67 activity, and about 30% of their Tc-99m activity after 2 hr of incubation in 50% human plasma at 37 degrees C. Activity released from liposomes labeled with Ga-67 or Tc-99m oxine is much greater under the same conditions. In normal mice the labeled liposomes show biodistributions that are comparable with that obtained with liposomes labeled by conventional techniques.


Thirty four patients positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who had lymphadenopathy were investigated using fine needle aspiration. Cytological analysis included immunocytochemical investigation with the alkaline phosphatase-antialkaline phosphatase (APAAP) method. All patients had confirmation of cytological diagnosis by lymph node biopsy. Fifteen aspirates with follicular hyperplasia were evaluated. Eleven patients showed B cell predominance. The B cell population did not show light chain restriction. Ten patients with B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (five with Burkitt's lymphoma and five with B cell immunoblastic lymphoma) were investigated. Nine out of 10 cases were monoclonal with respect to their light chain determinants; only one case with Burkitt's lymphoma with partial lymph node metastasis did not show light chain restriction. The cytological diagnosis included two mycobacterial infections and four cystic lesions. Histological investigation was necessary to diagnose the extent of lymph node disease caused by Kaposi's sarcoma. These findings indicate that the immunocytological investigation of lymph node aspirates is useful for evaluating lymphadenopathy in HIV positive patients.


BACKGROUND
Suramin has shown promising activity against prostate and breast cancer but is severely neurotoxic. Complex adaptive pharmacokinetics have previously been used to adjust doses. We have undertaken a pilot study to assess the feasibility of administering suramin to outpatients with advanced cancer, using simple peak and trough monitoring.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Nine patients with cancer refractory to conventional therapy were studied, eight with breast cancer and one with prostate cancer. Two received continuous infusions of suramin 350 mg/m2/day through an indwelling central venous catheter. Both sustained axillary vein thromboses. Subsequent patients received suramin 500 mg/m2 as a one hour intravenous infusion thrice weekly until a trough serum level of 200 micrograms/ml was achieved. Treatment was repeated at 8 week intervals. Serum suramin levels were checked before and after each dose.

RESULTS
Suramin treatment was well tolerated. Despite peak serum levels of up to 506 micrograms/ml, no serious toxicity was seen. No tumour responses were seen.

CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that suramin can be safely and conveniently administered to outpatients by intermittent infusion without using complex adaptive dosing strategies. Suramin merits further study in less heavily pretreated breast cancer patients.


HVAC&R systems are the most energy consuming building services representing approximately half of the final energy use in the building sector. Despite their significant energy use, there is a lack of a consistent and homogeneous framework to efficiently guide research, mainly due to the complexity and variety of HVAC&R systems but also to insufficient rigour in their energy analysis. This research reviews energy consumption of HVAC&R systems with the aim of establishing a common idea for the analysis of energy efficiency. The paper focuses on energy flow of the HVAC&R which include air-conditioning, transport and heat generation system for low-energy buildings.


Inelastic coherent neutron scattering experiments have been performed to study the low-frequency structural excitations in single crystals of the incommensurate superconducting Bi2Sr2CuO6 + δ (Bi-2201) system. As in the Bi-2212 family, the observation of two well-defined propagating "acoustic-like" branches around the main Bragg reflections reflects its composite nature. The two modes naturally correspond to the separate motions of the two sublattices. Constant-Q scans reveal a rapid evolution of the dynamical structure factor with the wave vector.


Abelian and center gauges are considered in continuum Yang-Mills theory in order to detect the magnetic monopole and center vortex content of gauge field configurations. Specifically we examine the Laplacian Abelian and center gauges, which are free of Gribov copies, as well as the center gauge analog of the (Abelian) Polyakov gauge. In particular, we study meron, instanton and instanton-anti-instanton field configurations in these gauges and determine their monopole and vortex content. While a single instanton does not give rise to a center vortex, we find center vortices for merons. Furthermore we provide evidence, that merons can be interpreted as intersection points of center vortices. For the instanton-anti-instanton pair, we find a center vortex enclosing their centers, which carries two monopole loops.


Abstract Geopolymer concrete (GPC) is an environmentally friendly material in the sense that it uses industrial by-products such as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and fly ash (FA), which are activated by an alkaline solution. This paper presents an experimental investigation concerning the strength of the GPC and its relation to a new parameter called the 'Binder Index (BI)'. The parameters considered in the investigation include GGBS to fly ash ratios (0.25 0.43, 0.67, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.3) and the molarity of the alkaline activator (6, 8, 10, and 12). The binder index combines the effect of the GGBS to the fly ash ratio and the molarity of the alkaline activator. The results have shown that the strength of the GPC is significantly influenced by varying the binder index. The results indicate that a nonlinear relation exists between the binder index and the compressive strength of the GPC and the binder index and the modulus of rupture.


Primary pancreatic lymphoma (PPL), originating from the pancreatic parenchyma, is a rare type of lymphoma. The symptoms and radiographic findings of PPL are quite similar to pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC), and thus it is often misdiagnosed. In this study, we described the clinical features, radiographic findings, histological and immunohistochemical analysis, molecular detection and clinical treatment of two cases of PPL, aiming to distinguish PPL from PAC. The two cases were both low-grade PPL. One was follicular lymphoma and the other was small lymphocytic lymphoma. Imaging examination of the two cases both showed solid mass, thus highly suspecting of PAC. However, after surgery, PPL was diagnosed by the pathologists through histopathological observation, immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay and clonality analysis. Therefore, accurately diagnosing and classifying of PPL is essential for patient management, since PPL is a treatable malignant tumor.


We study the economic situation of disabled women and the role that taxes and transfers play in improving their economic circumstances, using 1968–2015 data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. We begin by documenting the trends in point-in-time disability rates of women as well as estimating the prevalence of disability over a woman's lifetime. We find that women are more likely than men to have experienced a disability through their midforties, but are less likely to have experienced a serious disability prior to retirement. The onset of disability for women is found to be associated with a fall in labor supply, family income, and consumption. The fall varies with the degree of disability but tends to be smaller than that of disabled men, particularly for family income and consumption. Transfers, particularly disability insurance and Supplemental Security Income, play a large role in cushioning the fall in income for disabled women. However, while the relative decline in income is smaller for women than men, a larger share of disabled women have very low absolute levels of income and consumption. Approximately half of the most disabled women receive food stamp/SNAP benefits, pointing to the greater relative importance of means-tested benefits rather than social insurance for this group.


Abstract Nonprofits contribute to communities and society through service delivery, innovation, knowledge-building, and civic engagement. They frequently partner with and push government to better serve its citizens through relationships that have been characterized as supplementary, complementary, and adversarial (Young 2006). In all of these roles and relationships, nonprofits must compete for resources, time, and attention with other nonprofits, government entities, and for-profit organizations within communities, nationally, and internationally. Competition sometimes shapes and sometimes is shaped by public policies that affect the rules of the game. In this conceptual paper, we explore the dimensions of nonprofit competition and the implications for the nonprofit–government supplementary, complementary, and adversarial relationships.


Purpose of review Recent studies demonstrate an important role of the secreted apolipoprotein A-I binding protein (AIBP) in regulation of cholesterol efflux and lipid rafts. The article discusses these findings in the context of angiogenesis and inflammation. Recent findings Lipid rafts are cholesterol-rich and sphingomyelin-rich membrane domains in which many receptor complexes assemble upon activation. AIBP mediates selective cholesterol efflux, in part via binding to toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) in activated macrophages and microglia, and thus reverses lipid raft increases in activated cells. Recent articles report AIBP regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, Notch1 and TLR4 function. In zebrafish and mouse animal models, AIBP deficiency results in accelerated angiogenesis, increased inflammation and exacerbated atherosclerosis. Spinal delivery of recombinant AIBP reduces neuraxial inflammation and reverses persistent pain state in a mouse model of chemotherapy-induced polyneuropathy. Inhalation of recombinant AIBP reduces lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice. These findings are discussed in the perspective of AIBP's proposed other function, as an NAD(P)H hydrate epimerase, evolving into a regulator of cholesterol trafficking and lipid rafts. Summary Novel findings of AIBP regulatory circuitry affecting lipid rafts and related cellular processes may provide new therapeutic avenues for angiogenic and inflammatory diseases.


Background and Objective: The safety of bioactive compounds isolated from plant extracts has become a global concern. The aim of this study was to determine the oral LD50 of total saponins and tannins isolated from Dialium guineense stem bark using Sprague Dawley rats.
Materials and Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats (n=13) weighing 150-180 g (mean weight=165 ± 15 g) were used for this study. The aqueous, ethanol and methanol extracts of the plant stem bark were obtained using cold maceration method. The lorke method was used to determine oral LD50 of isolated total saponins and tannins of D. guineense. Signs of toxicity and possible death of rats were also monitored for twenty-four (24) h.
Results: The major signs of toxicity observed within 24 h were: difficulty in breathing, loss of appetite and general weakness. No deaths were recorded in both phases and all the animals in each phytochemical group survived. The oral LD50 of total saponins and tannins of D. guineense were greater than 5000 mg/kg body weight (bwt).
Conclusion: The findings of this study have shown that saponins and tannins of D. guineense stem bark are not toxic at doses not exceeding 5000 mg/kg bwt.


The authors show that for any free symmetric tensor field model derived from a geometrical action by expansion about flat space, the unavoidable gauge dependence of its stress tensor is confined to a superpotential and so does not affect the Poincare generators. This conclusion is also established for general free higher spin gauge fields by an alternative non-geometric derivation.


Introduction Recent studies suggest that TLR4 inhibition may prevent fibrosis in murine models. Chronic antigenic stimulation due to increased bacterial gut translocation leads to upregulation of hepatic TLR4 and this may lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis and HCC. The aims of this study were to determine whether gut decontamination with Norfloxacin prevents cirrhosis and HCC in rodent model of cirrhosis and HCC. Methods 18 Fisher rats divided into three groups; 1st treated with DEN and NMOR (carcinogens). 2nd was treated with the same carcinogens + Norfloxacin from the beginning to 14 weeks (end of experiment). 3rd group was control. H&E, reticulin and Immunohistochemistry were done also liver function and TNF-α were measured. Results All the rats in 1st and 2nd groups developed HCC, the severity of which was not different between groups. With reticulin stain there was significantly reduced fibrosis in the group treated with Norfloxacin (score: 1 (0–2)) compared with the untreated group (score: 4 (3–5)) (p<0.03). The expression of TLR4 in both carcinogen groups in the background liver was significantly greater than control rats but lower in the Norfloxacin group compared with the untreated group (p<0.0016**). No difference inTLR4 expression was observed in the HCC nodules in both groups. There was a reduction of ALT (p<0.05) and AST (p<0.01) in the Norfloxacin treated comparing to DEN and NMOR group. There was a also reduction of TNF-α level in the Norfloxacin treated group. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that selective decontamination of the gut may be a novel strategy to prevent cirrhosis probably by inhibiting hepatic TLR4 expression. In this model of cirrhosis and HCC, reduction of hepatic TLR4 does not prevent development of HCC suggesting that the mechanisms of its development are unrelated to severity of fibrosis and TLR4 related mechanisms. Competing interests None declared.


High-dimensional depth separation results for neural networks show that certain functions can be efficiently approximated by two-hidden-layer networks but not by one-hidden-layer ones in high-dimensions $d$. Existing results of this type mainly focus on functions with an underlying radial or one-dimensional structure, which are usually not encountered in practice. The first contribution of this paper is to extend such results to a more general class of functions, namely functions with piece-wise oscillatory structure, by building on the proof strategy of (Eldan and Shamir, 2016). We complement these results by showing that, if the domain radius and the rate of oscillation of the objective function are constant, then approximation by one-hidden-layer networks holds at a $\mathrm{poly}(d)$ rate for any fixed error threshold. A common theme in the proofs of depth-separation results is the fact that one-hidden-layer networks fail to approximate high-energy functions whose Fourier representation is spread in the domain. On the other hand, existing approximation results of a function by one-hidden-layer neural networks rely on the function having a sparse Fourier representation. The choice of the domain also represents a source of gaps between upper and lower approximation bounds. Focusing on a fixed approximation domain, namely the sphere $\mathbb{S}^{d-1}$ in dimension $d$, we provide a characterisation of both functions which are efficiently approximable by one-hidden-layer networks and of functions which are provably not, in terms of their Fourier expansion.


This study deals with the development of a sensitive and simple microassay for measuring cytochrome P450IA1 and P450IIB1 activities in intact human and rat hepatocytes. The method is based on the metabolism by cells cultured in microwells of appropriate substrates at noncytotoxic concentrations (8 microM 7-ethoxyresorufin and 15 microM 7-pentoxyresorufin). After incubation of the probes with the cells, the dealkylated resorufin formed and released into culture medium was quantified. To ensure the hydrolysis of the resorufin conjugates eventually formed, culture supernatants were incubated in the microwells with beta-glucuronidase and arylsulfatase. The fluorescence was then read using a microplate fluorescence reader. A high correlation between the monooxygenase activity measured by this procedure and that measured by conventional procedures in the microsomal fraction of the same cells was found. The major advantages of this method are: (1) the small number of cells required; (2) a drastic reduction in assay time; (3) that the assay is performed in intact cells; and (4) the possibility of performing repeated assays with the same cell monolayer over a period of several days since no injury to cells is detectable during the assay. This method proved to be very convenient for studying cytochrome P450 induction by xenobiotics in primary cultures of human hepatocytes.


To effectively detect and recognize multi-component Linear Frequency-Modulated (LFM) emitter signals, a multi-component LFM emitter signal analysis method based on the complex Independent Component Analysis(ICA) which was combined with the Fractional Fourier Transform(FRFT) was proposed. The idea which was adopted to this method was the time-domain separation and then time-frequency analysis, and in the low SNR cases, the problem which is generally plagued by noised of feature extraction of multi-component LFM signal based on FRFT is overcame. Compared to the traditional method of time-frequency analysis, the computer simulation results show that the proposed method for the multi-component LFM signal separation and feature extraction was better.


The Torso (Tor) signaling pathway activates tailless (tll) expression by relieving tll repression. None of the repressors identified so far, such as Capicuo, Groucho and Tramtrack69 (Ttk69), bind to the tor response element (tor-RE) or fully elucidate tll repression. In this study, an expanded tll expression pattern was shown in embryos with reduced heat shock factor (hsf) and Trithorax-like (Trl) activities. The GAGA factor, GAF encoded by Trl, bound weakly to the tor-RE, and this binding was enhanced by both Hsf and Ttk69. A similar extent of expansion of tll expression was observed in embryos with simultaneous knockdown of hsf, Trl and ttk69 activities, and in embryos with constitutively active Tor. Hsf is a substrate of mitogen-activated protein kinase and S378 is the major phosphorylation site. Phosphorylation converts Hsf from a repressor to an activator that works with GAF to activate tll expression. In conclusion, the GAF/Hsf/Ttk69 complex binding to the tor-RE remodels local chromatin structure to repress tll expression and the Tor signaling pathway activate tll expression by modulating a dual transcriptional switch.


In recent years it can be observed that states increasingly introduce explicit limitations to the practice of treaty shopping in their investment agreements. Accordingly, substantive ratione personae requirements, denial of benefits clauses, and anti-circumvention clauses are often included in newly signed investment treaties. In addition to these new drafting trends, arbitral tribunals have developed an implicit limitation in the form of the abuse of process doctrine to sanction the most egregious forms of treaty shopping. While these drafting trends as well as arbitral practice can curb undesired treaty shopping to a certain extent, this article argues that only a multilateral reform effort is able to truly prevent this practice from occurring.
Treaty Shopping, Nationality Planning, Corporate Structuring, ISDS Reform, UNCITRAL, Ratione Personae Requirements, Denial of Benefits Clauses, Abuse of Process


In this paper, we implement a modified SAC [1] algorithm for autonomous driving tasks using the simulator AirSim's [2] environment API which provides various weather, collision, and lighting choices. Given current image state and car velocity as our inputs, the task outputs the throttle, brake, and steering angle data and gives the vehicle action instruction through the AirSim control outputs. As autonomous vehicles are more likely to be accepted if they drive like how human would, we at first train our model by imitation learning to provides the pre-trained human-like policy and weights to SAC. During the reinforcement learning, in order to increase the feasible policy's robustness, we use ResNet-34 [3] as our actor and critic network architecture in the SAC algorithm.