Introduction Although oxygen is essential for the wound healing process, tissue hypoxia is known to stimulate angiogenesis. To explore these inconsistent findings, we estimated the influence of the oxygen environment on wound healing with our original model. Methods Experiment 1 (Establishment of the model): To modify the topical oxygen tension, oxygen impermeable (polyvinylidene chloride) and permeable (polymethylpentene) membranes were applied to symmetrical excisional wounds in ddy mice (n = 6). Oxygen tension under the membrane was quantified with a device using photo-quenching technique. Experiment 2 (Influence of oxygen environment on wound healing): The wound area, granulation thickness and vascular density were analyzed under different oxygen environments (n = 24). Results Experiment 1: The permeable group maintained equivalent oxygen level to atmosphere (114.1±29.8 mmHg on day 7), while the impermeable group showed extremely low oxygen tension (5.72±2.99 mmHg on day 7). Accordingly, each group was defined as the normoxia group and the hypoxia group. Experiment 2: Percent decrease in wound size was significantly enhanced in the normoxia group (11.1±1.66% on day 7) in comparison with the hypoxia group (27.6±3.47% on day 7). The normoxia group showed significantly thicker granulation tissue than the hypoxia group (491.8±243.2 vs. 295.3±180.9 µm). Contrarily, the vascular density of the hypoxia group significantly increased on day 7 (0.046±0.025 vs. 0.011±0.008 mm2/mm2). Conclusions Our original model successfully controlled local oxygen concentration around the wound, and the hypoxic wounds showed increased angiogenesis but with a smaller amount of granulation tissue and delayed wound closure. Enhanced neovascularization in the hypoxic group likely implies compensative response to an insufficient ambient oxygen supply.


Background/Aims: In Denmark, the public healthcare system ensures patients with intestinal failure (IF) the same rights for a life-saving treatment as patients with other organ failures. This study reports the epidemiological data from the largest Danish IF center. As one of the pioneering centers in treating IF with home parenteral nutrition (HPN), this study documents the HPN evolution and describes the demographics and outcome in one of the world's largest single-center cohorts. Methods: We included patients with IF discharged with HPN from 1970–2010. Data were extracted according to European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism classifications from the Copenhagen IF database. Results: Over the decades, we observed an exponential increase in the number of HPN patients. The 508 patients with IF collectively received HPN for 1751 years. While receiving HPN, 211 patients with IF (42%) died. Only 24 deaths were HPN related: sepsis (n = 10), liver disease (n = 12), central venous thrombosis (n = 1), and a complicated catheter placement (n = 1). The HPN-related mortality was as low as 0.014 deaths/HPN year. In the first decade, HPN was mainly provided to younger, intestinally resected adult patients with IF with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but numerically, they were subsequently outnumbered by elderly patients with IF with cancer or complications from non-IBD, noncancer abdominal surgery. Despite these demographic changes, the HPN-related mortality has decreased in the past decade. Conclusion: Evolving from being a rare, experimental treatment in the 1970s, HPN at present is safe with a low treatment-related mortality in the experienced center, despite HPN being more widely used in a more elderly population.


Although cavernous hemangioma is the most common benign tumor of the liver, controversy persists regarding diagnosis and management of these lesions. With the development of multiple noninvasive modalities to visualize the liver, hepatic cavernous hemangiomas are recognized with increased frequency. The authors report the unusual case of a post-menopausal woman on no exogenous estrogen therapy who had a cavernous hemangioma that remained stable for approximately 10 years before dramatically increasing in size. This patient illustrates the vague symptoms associated with cavernous hemangiomas and the unpredictability of growth. Although estrogens have been reported trophic, this patient had no exogenous or endogenous estrogen supply, yet her lesion reached massive proportions. Modalities necessary to assure accurate diagnosis and factors influential in management are discussed.


This article explores the connections between student mobility and identity construction in colonial Asia from the 1880s to the end of the Second World War. It focuses on the international experiences of students from British India and French Indochina, underscoring differences and commonalities  between these two colonial populations and thus, challenging the definition of 'colonial student.' Members of both groups went abroad to complete their educational training. While only a handful of Indians had moved to foreign territories in the last decades of the nineteenth century, international mobility picked up pace from the turn of the twentieth century on. These international students were driven by different motives that reflected individual and collective goals at the same time: getting a degree to secure a professional and social position was as important as being a part of the anticolonial and nationalist movements. Additionally, religious motives could also play a role. Belonging to a specific community—whether colonial, national or religious—influenced student flows, and identities were in turn shaped by the experiences the students made abroad. Student unions, for example, tried on the one hand to gather students of the same origin while they also aimed to create a cosmopolitan community in some instances.


(1) Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a complex condition that can require long-term treatment. Pharmacological therapy for OUD involves treatment with opioid agonists (OMT) tailored to individual profiles. The aim of our study in daily clinical practice was to compare the profiles of patients treated with methadone (MTD) and those using buprenorphine (BHD or BHD-naloxone-NX). (2) Methods: A cross-sectional multicentre study explored the psychological, somatic and social profiles of patients with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) following Opioid Maintenance Treatment (BHD, BHD/NX, or MTD). Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed (3) Results: 257 patients were included, a majority were men using heroin. 68% (178) were on MTD, 32% (79) were on BHD. Patients with MTD were significantly more likely to report socio-affective damage, and more likely to be younger and not to report oral or sublingual use as the main route for heroin or non-medical opioids (4) Conclusions: In daily clinical practice, regarding OUD damage, only socio-affective damage was significantly more prevalent among patients on MTD than among those on BHD in the multivariate model. Age and route of administration also differed, and our results could raise the issue of the type of OMT prescribed in case of non-medical use of prescribed opioids. These hypothesis should be confirmed in larger studies.


Above the sunlit surface of Mercury, the properties and formation of dusty plasmas are investigated. It is demonstrated that the dusty plasmas are formed for subsolar angles exceeding approximately 76° due to photoelectric and electrostatic processes. As a result, the dusty plasmas are present in the polar regions of Mercury, characterized by latitudes of about 70° and above. The formation of dusty plasmas is also possible for lower latitudes, but only where the surface profile allows it. Plasmas above the sunlit surface of Mercury consist, in particular, of photoelectrons, electrons, and ions of the solar wind, and also charged dust particles. The distribution functions of photoelectrons near the surface of Mercury, as well as the altitude dependences of the number densities of dust particles, their charges and sizes, as well as electric fields, are obtained. The calculations are carried out which correspond to the position of Mercury at aphelion and perihelion of its orbit for the situations of dusty plasma location in the vicinity of magnetic poles of Mercury and in other regions. It is shown that there are qualitative differences between the dusty plasma systems of Mercury and the Moon related to the fact that Mercury has a magnetosphere and Mercury's orbit is one of the most eccentric of all planetary orbits in the Solar System. The effects of magnetic fields can slightly influence the dust particle transport and, correspondingly, the expansion of the region of the existence of dusty plasmas above the surface of Mercury due to the effect of dust particle transport is not so significant as at the Moon. Furthermore, due to the presence of Mercury's magnetosphere, the solar wind is important for the formation of dusty plasmas at Mercury only in the vicinity of the regions of the magnetic poles. In other regions of Mercury, in contrast to the situation at the Moon, the solar wind does not influence significantly the dusty plasma properties. The dusty plasma parameters are different in the cases of aphelion and perihelion of the orbit of Mercury.


We study the four channels associated with neutrino-deuteron breakup reactions at next-to-next to leading order in effective field theory. We find that the total cross-section is indeed converging for neutrino energies up to 20 MeV, and thus our calculations can provide constraints on theoretical uncertainties for the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. We stress the importance of a direct experimental measurement to high precision in at least one channel, in order to fix an axial two-body counterterm.


Angiogenesis is the process of generating new capillary of blood vessels from an existing vasculature that plays a vital role in tumor growth and metastasis. Binding of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to tyrosine kinase receptor (VEGFR) is an important step for initiating vasculogenesis via. transphosphorylation of VEGF receptor associated tyrosine kinase. Therefore, blocking VEGFR or associated kinases has become a common strategy for arresting tumor angiogenesis. The newly discovered JFD is a novel anti-angiogenic agent that can limit the angiogenic capacity of endothelial cells and block tumor angiogenesis. The In vitro anti-angiogenesis potential of JFD was examined by ECMatrigel TM assay with Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) using different concentrations of JFD in the range of 0 - 10 µM. Among the different concentrations used, 1µM JFD significantly inhibited the angiogenesis when compared to control and a complete inhibition was observed at 10 µM concentration. Competitive binding of JFD against Fluorokine labeled VEGF for the same VEGFR was studied at 0.001 - 1.0 µM concentrations of JFD. A dose dependent inhibition of Fluorokine conjugated VEGF binding to its specific receptor in HUVEC cells was confirmed in our study. In the competition binding assay 1.0 µM concentration of JFD caused 93.5% inhibition of conjugated VEGF binding. The same 1.0 µM concentration of JFD was able to inhibit VEGF (10 ng/ml) induced phosphorylation of VEGFR2 in HUVEC cells. Furthermore, the potency of JFD as inhibitor of angiogenesis was experimentally proved by treating athymic nude mice that was implanted with GI-101A (human breast adenocarcinoma) xenograft tumor. Intraperitoneal injection of JFD at 12 mg/kg of body weight was able to significantly inhibit the tumor growth compared to the control group at different time periods. At the end of the treatment period 70% inhibition of tumor growth was observed in JFD treated animals along with prolongation of the survival. The plasma concentrations of JFD was also measured in Balb-C mice at different time periods (0 min - 180 min), using HPLC method. The data from both in vitro and in vivo study provide a strong basis for JFD to be used as a potent anti-angiogenic agent. (The financial support from the Royal Dames of Cancer Research Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, Florida is gratefully acknowledged). Citation Format: Sivanesan Dhandayuthapani, Appu Rathinavelu. JFD, a novel small molecule for inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-mediated angiogenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1021. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1021


Obesity and heart failure are two of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. The relationship between obesity and cardiovascular diseases is complex and not fully understood. While the risk of developing heart failure has been shown to be higher in patients who are obese, there is a survival advantage for obese and overweight patients compared with normal weight or low weight patients. This phenomenon was first described by Horwich et al. and was subsequently confirmed in other large trials. The advantage exists irrespective of the type, aetiology, or stage of heart failure. Patients with morbid obesity (body mass index >40 kg/m2), however, do not have the same survival advantage of their obese counterparts. There are several alternative indices of obesity available that may be more accurate than body mass index. The role of weight loss in patients with heart failure is unclear; thus, providing sound clinical advice to patients remains difficult. Future prospective trials designed to evaluate the link between obesity and heart failure will help us understand more fully this complex relationship.


This article originally appeared in the March 2015 Toxic and Hazardous Substances Litigation Committee newsletter. TOXIC tort cases, especially mass toxic tort cases, frequently involve allegations of exposure or contamination from one or more constituents over a period of years, if not decades. Often, plaintiffs are not just minors, but adults that claim exposure to various contaminants at or from a young age (including in utero), and resulting damages and injuries that manifest themselves decades later. Increasingly, plaintiffs' attorneys employ "historical experts" to provide a narrative framework for their clients' claim, painting a picture--ostensibly through citation of objective facts--of how various industries have dealt with contaminants and the history of scientific and medical review. This article provides a brief overview and primer on these types of "experts," and provides some arguments against their use, discussing articles authored by one of the more well-known plaintiffs' experts. I. What is a "Historical Expert"? While historical experts are something of a modern phenomenon, the essential qualifications of historical experts is largely uniform from a plaintiffs' attorney's perspective. Historians identified as testifying experts routinely have a background in public health, have written putatively "objective" articles or books focused on one or more industries that involve contaminants (e.g., tobacco, lead, vinyl chloride), have a great deal of familiarity with core documents applicable to virtually any case involving the contaminant/ substance at issue and frequently hold professorships at well-regarded educational institutions. Plaintiffs' attorneys employ historical experts to provide a narrative on which they can hang their theory of liability, testifying in four general areas: (1) a historical overview of the subject industry and/or contaminant, from its inception through the current day; (2) a review of major scientific and regulatory findings and disputes; (3) enumeration of current identified health risks; and (4) identification of "key" documents or testimony. These four areas of testimony are designed to paint an overwhelmingly negative picture of an industry or contaminant, providing the jury with a detailed background plaintiffs' attorneys hope will serve to augment, if not overwhelm, case specific evidence. Testimony will necessarily be slanted by selective citation to historical facts supportive of plaintiffs' case and unfavorable to industry, allowing the expert (and by extension, the jury) to infer bad motives and actions on the part of industry participants. Frequently, the testimony will serve to undercut defense references to government regulations and industry compliance with regulatory frameworks by intimating that the industry and government were in bed with each other, ostensibly for the benefit of the industry and economy, not victims like the plaintiff(s). Historical experts clothe themselves in academic garb, regularly portraying themselves as reciters of the factual records, objective to the core. They argue that they discuss and present facts as they find them, negative and positive, to provide a "complete picture" for the jury. However, in practice, the plaintiffs' historical expert essentially engages in Monday-morning quarterbacking, reviewing selective facts in hindsight and extrapolating from them a biased narrative. In doing so, the expert has free reign to demonize industry or dismiss otherwise proactive activities by showing that they either did not work or were later deemed ineffective or insufficient based on later scientific discoveries or analysis. The plaintiffs' historical expert further reaps the benefit of current knowledge, allowing him or her to apply modern standards to actions that were frequently taken years if not decades earlier. Historians discussing lead, for example, will frequently discuss modern scientific associations with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder or cognitive impairments, alongside current standards enunciated by the Centers for Disease Control, and apply them to the lead industry of the early 1950s or 1960s, decades before lead was a regulated air pollutant. …


The South Wales Valleys once boasted the richest coalfields and the best anthracite coal in the world. Before the dawn of the twenty-first century all but one of the hundreds of coal pits were closed, destroying jobs and whole communities. Only Tower Colliery at Hirwaun continued to produce coal, thanks to the bid by the miners to keep working. Miners were news at the time of the strikes and disasters but not when they risked life, limb and lung in the bowels of the earth to keep industry turning and the home fires burning. Cardiff, once the biggest coal exporting port in the world, is the magnificent city it is today because of the mine owners who made millions and the miners who worked in damp, dusty and dangerous conditions underground. Cardiff hailed the miners when they gave them the Freedom of the City in 1995. This book also salutes those who Wales - and the world - owes so much.


Objective: To compare the extended anterolateral approach with the Frosch approach in the treatment of Schatzker type II tibial plateau fractures involving the posterolateral column. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted to compare the general information, intraoperative and postoperative situations, HSS score and Rasmussen radiology score, TPA, and PSA immediately after the operation and at one-year follow-up.Results: There was no statistical difference between the two groups in general information, which was comparable. The operation time in the Frosch group was slightly higher than those in the control group, while the HSS score and Rasmussen radiology score were better than those in the control group.Conclusion: In the case with simple posterolateral fragments, the extended anterolateral approach and the Frosch approach can both achieve better outcomes. While in the case of complex posterolateral fragments, the Frosch approach can provide more accurate reduction and better biomechanical stability.


The banking industry is one of the largest sectors dealing with individual customers directly. The success and profitability of a company is based on the number of customer base and their ability to maintain good relationship with their customers and satisfy them efficiently. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the mediating effect of customer satisfaction on relationship marketing and customer loyalty among commercial bank customers in Awka, Anambra state. Specifically, the study examined the effects of relationship marketing concepts (trust, commitment, communication and conflict handling on customer loyalty. Data was collected from 691 respondents and the hypotheses tested using macro process via SPSS version 17. The result showed that relationship marketing dimensions used in this study (trust, commitment, communication and conflict handling) has significant influence on customer loyalty. Furthermore, customers' satisfaction has significant mediating influence on the relationship between the components of relationship marketing (trust, commitment, communication and conflict handling) and customer loyalty. It was therefore recommended that since customer satisfaction is a determinant of customer loyalty, via relationship marketing activities there is need for banks to satisfy their customers so as to encourage them to remain loyal to the bank through continuous patronage.


A heat pump using disposed sewage as a heat source to heat raw sewage is presented to solve the problem that sewage temperature is low in sewage biologic treatment in cold region. According to the status of one medicine factory in Harbin, China, system performances are simulated. Then the impact of fouling on system performance is emulated in detail. The results show that the novel system is feasible to be utilized in sewage treatment for its energy-saving and high efficient characteristics, and that raw sewage temperature can be enhanced to 29.569 , and EER of system can reach 4.177. Fouling impact on system not only depends on the fouling thermal resistance, but also is related to heat transfer coefficient. Increased fouling leads to severely deteriorated performance of the compressor, and a decrease in EER and refrigerant mass flow rate.


from the Table of Contents: Executive Summary; Resume; Zusammenfassung; Introduction; Compendium of (Labour Market) Models; Labour Markets in the EU; Literature Survey; List of Policy Scenarios; Outline of the Model; Appendix;


This work analyzes the dynamic effect of market orientation (MO) on organizational performance, both in the long term and in the short term. The performance was measured by the sales growth and profitability. The methodology used is innovative as it quantifies the MO with a qualitative technique: content analysis. Data from the Spanish banking sector between 2005 and 2007 are the basis of a longitudinal study. The results indicate that the banks that develop an MO approach maintain this approach over time. On the other hand, MO does not seem to have a direct effect on profitability, but does affect the long-term sales growth.


Several viruses are known to utilize cellular integrin molecules to gain entry into cells. Because of the ability of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) to disrupt cellular adhesion, as seen particularly in ocular infections, we examined the ability of several peptides, containing known integrin recognition sequences, to interfere with plaque formation of HSV-1 in epithelial cells. We also examined the possible involvement of tachykinins in virus entry. We did not detect any decrease in plaque formation by HSV-1 in the presence of Arg-Gly-Asp, Asp-Gly-Glu-Ala, or EILDV peptides or in the presence of monoclonal antibodies to the human β1 or β4 integrin subunit. Substance P or inhibitors of the NK1 or NK2 tachykinin receptors also had no inhibitory effects on HSV-1 plaque formation.


For Dying Matters Awareness week in 2015, the hospice held a workshop for employers across the local area. Attended by a range of large and small employers, it was clear that there were significant differences in the way they manage terminal illness and bereavement as it presents in the workplace. Recognising a need to equip managers to handle difficult conversations and offer support, we partnered with an employee benefits company to address the need. Keen to reach out to all UK employers with whom they provide solutions, they agreed to jointly develop an online resource aimed specifically at all UK line managers. The interactive toolkit covers topics including; What is bereavement? Working through bereavement Bereavement in the workplace Supporting a bereaved colleague Support if a colleague dies. The toolkit offers information on the effects of grief and bereavement and the impact this may have on employees' work. It also provides advice on understanding challenges a bereaved colleague will face and dealing with practicalities. With accessible and clear guidance for each topic, the toolkit is designed to help line managers feel in control when managing death and bereavement in their teams. Both organisations have actively championed the use of the tool via television, radio, newspapers and magazines and have had articles printed and online coverage. Social media has been very active and it is clear that the tool has been a great success. With around 20% of our patients being of working age, the importance and impact of the workplace to our work needs to be recognised and we are currently in discussion with the Compassionate Employers Programme about furthering this initiative. Meanwhile, many business leaders have been contacting us via the website, so the potential for this toolkit and the partnership working is exciting.


Increasingly, economic evaluation results are considered by policymakers, although few nurse-led interventions have undergone such an evaluation. Nurse-supported breastfeeding promotion is used as an exemplar to illustrate economic evaluation. Past work is critiqued and lessons learned are described.


August Wilson is without question one of the major source of vitality of Black African American culture in literature. As a member of the Black aesthetic movement of the 1960s and a founder of Black Horizons Theater, his works contribute mainly to Black nationalism through his depiction of the Black characters. He highlights the superior/inferior relation between the blacks and the whites in American society. With a focus on resistance and power relation, this study attempts to investigate the theme of nationalism in the Black characters. The study will utilize the Marxist and Foucauldian viewpoints on the relation between whites and blacks to display examples of August Wilson's and his characters' senses of nationalism. He reveals this nationalistic tendency through his analytical concentration on the blues music as a representative of Black nationalism and its resistance to white domination in the power relation. By choosing the name of his first character, Ma Rainey, delaying her entrance into the play, questioning the Christian God, and drawing attentions to African beliefs and rituals, the author shows that blacks can also project power in their dealings with white people. August Wilson undertakes a burden to breathe life into African American national elements through describing the characters and the sense of power that they exude.


The paper shows a new active designing of microstrip patch antenna intended for improvement of gain performance and radiation pattern of antenna. Here the design and analysis of 2x1 array microstrip patch antenna is initiated with center frequency of 3.5 GHz and dielectric constant of 2.2 mm relating to IEEE 802.11 utilized for wireless communication. With the recommended antenna, the antenna radiation pattern with its gain increases approximately about 1.5 times that of an antenna without reactive loading. This suggested antenna fundamentally enhances the gain, high directional beam and also to counteract the consequences of fading when signal propagates through several corrupted environments. Details of the simulation effects are discussed and accordingly optimized in accordance with array elements so that we can achieve a suitable amount of gain.


This study aimed to explain the views of Ulama Dayah on the plurality of Acehnese society. The Acehnese, especially the Ulama Dayah (Teungku) are community leaders for the people of Aceh. Ulama Dayah welcome the concept of plurality in the sense of tolerance which they consider sunnatullah. However, if plurality causes disturbance to religious practice in society, it will be rejected, especially if it is contrary to the Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah doctrine which is oriented to the Shafi'i school. This research used a qualitative method with a descriptive-analytic approach. The subjects of this research were the ulama who graduated from dayah represented 12 organizations that manage the dayah community. This study did not specify which areas would be studied, because the data were taken based on interviews with 3 Ulama Dayah representing the dayah community organization. The research procedure was carried out in four steps: observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The data were analyzed using an inductive model. The results of the study were as follows; First, the impact of Ulama Dayah's  thought on plurality in Islamic schools of thought was very important. Second, the role of Ulama Dayah as a reference has actually existed since the days of the Aceh Sultanate. Third, the influence of Ulama Dayah thoughts was also strongly influenced by the number of worshipers. Finally, institutionally, the existence of the Dayah Education Office in Aceh was a liaison between the dayahs and the government in equalizing public perceptions.


We investigated the role of surface adhesion molecules on endothelial cells in regulating vascular permeability, in vitro and in vivo. Cultured rat endothelial cells (REC) express Thy-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), CD44 and RT1A. Permeability of albumin across the REC monolayer increased through the interaction of Thy-1 and anti-Thy-1 mAb, but not through ICAM-1 and anti-ICAM-1, CD44 and anti-CD44, and RT1A and anti-RT1A mAb. This anti-Thy-1-effect was completely inhibited when the calmodulin antagonist W-7 and the protein kinase inhibitor H-7 was combined, while the IL-6-mediated increase in REC permeability was blocked by either W-7 or H-7, independently. The anti-Thy-1-mediated permeability increase was additively augmented when IL-6 was admixed. These data suggest that intracellular signaling pathways of anti-Thy-1- and IL-6-mediated permeability regulation may be overlapping to some extent but are largely independent. As anti-Thy-1-treatment generated rearrangement of vimentin filaments within REC, alteration of the cytoskeleton distribution may possibly correlate with the regulation of permeability. Although Thy-1-expression on rat vascular endothelium in vivo was not evident, it was induced at sites of Freund's complete adjuvant-induced dermatitis. The administered anti-Thy-1 mAb exclusively located on vascular endothelial surface at the sites of inflammation. Vascular permeability in inflamed skin tissues was significantly augmented when anti-Thy-1 but not anti-ICAM-1, anti-CD44 or anti-RT1A mAb was administered i.v., without affecting populations of inflammatory cells. The collective evidence suggests that Thy-1 induced on rat endothelium is one important regulatory event in vascular permeability at sites of inflammation.


A Mobile Ad hoc NETwork (MANET) is a group of mobile nodes that rely on wireless network interfaces, without the use of fixed infrastructure or centralized administration. In this respect, these networks are very susceptible to numerous attacks. One of these attacks is the black hole attack and it is considered as one of the most affected kind on MANET. Consequently, the use of an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) has a major importance in the MANET protection. In this paper, a new scheme has been proposed by using an Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for mobile ad hoc networks to detect the black hole attack of the current activities. Evaluations using extracted database from a simulated network using the Network Simulator NS2 demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, in comparison to an optimized IDS based ANFIS-GA.


Cambrian carbonate strata of the Great Basin deposited below fairweather wave base but above mean storm wave base (inner shelf), and below mean storm wave base but above maximum storm wave base (middle shelf) were examined for extent and depth of bioturbation. Data indicate that initial extensive colonization of marine infaunal habitats occurred between Tommotian and Atdabanian time. Throughout the remaining 65 m.y. of Cambrian time bioturbation increased, although depth of bioturbation remained relatively constant at less than 6 cm. During this time, the amount of bioturbation in the inner shelf was greater than that in the middle shelf.


The birth of a young star is accompanied not only by accretion but by the expulsion of matter as well in the form of a collimated outflow. These outflows are seen at various wavelengths from X-rays to the radio band, but ultimately the driving mechanism appears to be a highly collimated supersonic jet that contains not only atomic but molecular components as well. These jets may also play a key role in the star formation process itself since they could be one of the primary mechanism for removing angular momentum from the accretion disk thereby allowing accretion to occur. Whereas much is known about their propagation on large-scales (i.e., hundreds of AU to several parsecs) from both observations and simulations, we must explore the "central engine" in order to understand how they are generated. While this is particularly challenging, high spatial resolution studies are beginning to reveal interesting data from which we can confront the various models. In this review, I will summarise what these studies suggest and note how they already favour certain models over others. I will also describe some of the results from spectro-astrometry and interferometry that are revealing details of outflows on milliarcsecond scales from the source.


Abstract Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory condition associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Psoriasis confers a dose-dependent increase in risk for the metabolic syndrome and its components. The metabolic syndrome and its components have been associated with higher coronary atherosclerosis in psoriasis and cardiovascular events in the general population. In this review, we discuss the role of inflammation and psoriasis in cardiometabolic diseases with a focus on the metabolic syndrome and its components. We highlight the relationship between psoriasis and important cardiovascular risk factors encompassed by obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and hypertension. Furthermore, we briefly highlight literature on anti-inflammatory therapies and their impact on the components of the metabolic syndrome as well as directly quantified coronary atherosclerosis burden.


Cache replacement policies typically use some form of statistics on past access behavior. As a common limitation, however, the extent of the history being recorded is limited to either just the data in cache or, more recently, a larger but still finite-length window of accesses, because the cost of keeping a long history can easily outweigh its benefit. This paper presents a statistical method to keep track of instruction pointer-based access reuse intervals of arbitrary length and uses this information to identify the Least Expected Use (LEU) blocks for replacement. LEU uses dynamic sampling supported by novel hardware that maintains a state to record arbitrarily long reuse intervals. LEU is evaluated using the Cache Replacement Championship simulator, tested on PolyBench and SPEC, and compared with five policies including a recent technique that approximates optimal caching using a fixed-length history. By maintaining statistics for an arbitrary history, LEU outperforms previous techniques for a broad range of scientific kernels, whose data reuses are longer than those in traces traditionally used in computer architecture studies.


South Asia region is one of the most vulnerable to climate induced hazards and risks.  A recent ADB publication predicts that the region is at risk of losing up to 8.8% GDP due to climate change by the end of the century. Climate change directly or indirectly affects all sectors of economy and livelihoods of nations and communities requiring adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction measures so as to reduce and manage increasing risks and stresses.  It is therefore logical that all of the South Asian countries have placed adaptation issues on high priority – many already mainstreaming and integrating climate change risks in their socio-economic development policies, plans and programs. Synergy is also gradually developing among sustainable development, environmental conservation and climate change adaptation including disaster risk reduction. Developing capacity of the closely interwoven socio-agro-ecological systems that prevail in South Asia seem to be the running thread among these three important pillars of human development and nature conservation. Recognizing that climate change is one of the newest drivers of change, this paper describes why the current state of scattered, fragmented and micro scale adaptation work in the region need to scale up and scale-out for building a resilient and prosperous South Asia. Multiple approaches are adopted and practiced to design and implement adaptation programs. Participatory visioning and planning of adaptation goal and action is an accepted practice in South Asia countries that are reflected in most of the community-based and ecosystem based adaptation (CBA and EbA) work being undertaken by governmental, non-governmental and community based agencies. However, these local plans are confined to limited budget, geography, population and scope often aimed at reducing the direct and urgent impacts. Given that climate change impacts are not limited to any administrative, ecological and political boundaries as well as it has slow onset process, there is a need to upscale (vertically to policies and programmes) as well as out-scale (horizontally) to larger areas, population and landscape to make adaptation sustainable and resilient to deal with increasing frequency and severity of climate induced risks and hazards. For a tangible and sustained adaptation impact, emphasis need to be laid on identifying innovative ideas and practices that contribute towards improved ecosystem and social services, help make infrastructures more climate resilient, and human development more sustainable.  This way, we can achieve adaptation at scale which can also help achieve transformative adaptation. In fact, scaled-up and scale-out and transformative adaptation work underpin sustainable development and biodiversity conservation that can help South Asian countries achieve both Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Biodiversity Targets. KEYWORDS: Vulnerable communities, adaptation, disaster risk reduction, transformative adaptation, diverse of change, sustainable development


In the region of mobile wireless sensor network, getting least energy consumption is a very important research problem. A number of energy proficient protocols have been implemented for static wsn, generally built on a layered design approach, i.e. they are motivated on designing ideal strategies for "single" layer by considering the sensor nodes as static. In proposed paper, we consider a cross-layer design. A new MAC protocol termed MACSWITCH is proposed. In this new approach, the communication between MAC and routing layers are fully exploited to achieve energy efficiency for various paradigms of mobile wireless sensor networks. More surely, in the proposed MAC-SWITCH algorithm, routing and data information at the network layer is used by the MAC layer such that it can reduces number of contention for channel and perform protocol switching based upon type of data. The performance of the proposed MACSWITCH is evaluated by quantification and simulation. The quantification is done by using gauss lattice point theorem and simulation by using the NS-2 simulator. It has been evident that the proposed MAC-SWITCH outperforms the existing aloha and SMAC protocols in terms of energy efficiency, number of contention, packet transmission and network lifetime.


Natural antibacterial is now a very interesting food safety trend. The investigation on the food having antibacterial activity itself, as functional food, becomes more dynamic. Salmonella sp. is a food pathogen which has been reported its outbreaks frequently in variety of foods. Thai red curry (Kang-Pa) is a Thai cultural dish and become worldwide well-known menu. The Thai curry paste, Thai red curry main ingredients, compose of seven herbs including Capsicum annuum (Red chili), Cymbopogon citrates (Lemongrass), Alpinia galangal (Galangal), Allium ascalonicum L (Shallot), Allium sativum (Garlic), Citrus hystrix (kaffir lime), Cuminum cyminum (Cumin). This study aimed to investigate the potential of Thai curry paste in Thai red curry-water base (Kang-Pa) model as natural antibacterial agent against  S. enterica  4, 5, 12: i - (human) US clone and  S. enteric  Enteritidis (Human). Thai curry paste in-vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated by standard plate count method on SS media every hour for 6 hrs at room temperature. Thai red curry was prepared according to Thai homemade authentic cooking method as it has been served in Thai cuisine. The result showed that the log CFU/ml of  S. enterica  4, 5, 12: i - (human) US clone in Kang-Pa was significantly lower than in nutrient broth, as positive control, (P < 0.05) since 2nd - 6th hour: 2nd hr; 5.14?0.06 and 5.44?0.17, 3rdhr; 5.86?0.19 and 6.76?0.28, 4th; 5.85?0.16 and 6.97?0.6, 5th hr; 5.92?0.22 and 6.26?0.27 and 6th hr; 6.88?0.04 and 7.51?0.20 log CFU/ml, respectively. While the log CFU/ml of  S. enteric  Enteritidis in Kang-Pa was significant lower than those of positive control (NB) (P<0.05) only at 2nd and 3rd hour: 2nd hr: 5.705?0.199 and 6.370?0.085 log CFU/ml, at 3rd hr: 5.872?0.255 and 6.878?0.177 log CFU/ml, respectively. The t-test has been done by using SAS on log CFU/ml with P < 0.05. Thai curry paste in Kang-Pa model showed promising antibacterial activity against food-borne pathogenic bacteria,  S. enterica  4, 5, 12: i - (human) and  S. enteric Enteritidis (human).


Australasian Marine Pollution Laws analyses the international conventions, the Australian and New Zealand legislation and the regulatory structures in both countries relating to the protection and preservation of the marine environment from ship pollution. It concentrates on the important aspects of the marine environment and its protection and preservation in the light of the huge tonnages of vital trade goods carried by many merchant ships to and from the Australasian region. This second edition sets out: the sources of pollution of the coastal seas; the UN international conventions on the marine environment; the International Maritime Organization conventions; marine salvage; the complexities of the Australian offshore jurisdiction covering the Commonwealth States; the New Zealand offshore jurisdiction; some of the key aspects of regulatory governance and infrastructure; and the status of the IMO conventions on shipping and the marine environment.


According to a prominent line of thought, epistemic possibility claims do not communicate propositions; instead, they are proposals to leave certain possibilities open. This idea is at the heart of recent arguments that, to make sense of the dynamics of epistemic modality, we must reject the contextualist account of conversational dynamics, on which the fundamental role of assertions—including "might"claims—is to communicate information. I argue, on the contrary, that we can capture the dynamics of epistemic modality within the contextualist framework by taking the content of "might"-claims to be determined by the prospective common attitudes of the conversants.


One of the most important responsibilities of statistics educators is the job of effectively communicating statistical concepts to students from outside of our discipline. Many textbooks have been written that tailor presentation to a specific audience. For example, students studying business, economics, psychology, and engineering frequently study introductory statistics using textbooks that use examples and case studies derived from their major field. However, until the publication of this text, students studying communication science did not have this same opportunity. (The author notes that his text is the first that focuses exclusively on statistical methodology in communication research.) Before considering what Statistical Methods for Communication Science is, it is useful to note what it is not. It is not flashy. Increasingly, introductory texts are designed to be visually appealing. They include glossy pictures, multicolor charts, and specially highlighted information. This text does not. It is printed entirely in black and white. A purist might point out that this really does not affect the substance of the book. Certainly that is the case, but the presentation will tend to affect the extent to which students use the book. For this reason, I think the book is best suited to more mature audiences. From the preface, it appears this was the author's intent. He only discusses the book's use for a graduate-level research methods course. One serious limitation of this book as a textbook, at any level, is the complete lack of homework problems. This is, perhaps, less of an issue in a graduate course. Nevertheless, any instructor adopting this textbook should expect to use other sources for crafting homework assignments. The text is written in a clear, straightforward manner. Figures are included where necessary and important formulas and equations are boxed to call attention to them. The selection of topics is excellent. In addition to basic introductory probability and statistics, the book includes substantial discussions of categorical data analysis, regression (simple and multiple), and analysis of variance. I found the sections on analysis of covariance and on interaction particularly useful. Frequently, these important topics are buried within chapters on regression or completely left out. Overall, as a reference text, I like this book a lot. It presents a wide range of important statistical topics in a no-nonsense, easy-to-follow format. Although it is not flashy, it contains a substantial amount of useful information. The book's contextual slant toward communication science is likely to benefit students in that area. Unfortunately, it is also likely to keep students in other areas from considering the book. This is a shame, because the book is an excellent reference text and would serve any applied researcher very well.


Due to the critical role glycation plays in many serious pathological conditions, such as diabetes, it is of great significance to discover protein glycation at an early stage for precaution and prediction of the disease. Here, a method of reductive amination combining dimethylation (RAD) was developed for the quantification of early-stage glycated proteins. The quantitative analysis was first carried out by reducing the samples using NaBH3CN or NaBD3CN, resulting in a 1 Da mass shift and the stabilization of early-stage protein glycation. The two samples were then digested and isotopically dimethylated to achieve the mass shift of 4 m + 3 n ( m represents the number of N-termini and Lys residues, and n represents the number of glycated sites) between light- and heavy-labeled glycated peptides for quantification. Consequently, the false positive result can be removed according to the different mass shifts of glycated peptides and non-glycated peptides. In quantification of glycated myoglobin, RAD showed good linearity ( R2 > 0.99) and reproducibility (CVs ≤ 1.6%) in 2 orders of magnitude (1:10-10:1). RAD was then applied to quantify the endogenous glycated proteins in the serum of diabetic patients, revealing significant differences in the glycation level between the patients with complicated retinal detachment and those without. In conclusion, RAD is an effective method for quantifying endogenous glycated proteins.


The development of structures and their age along the segment of the Altyn Tagh fault system, and the eastward extension of the Tianshan orogenic belt, remain speculative. Recent investigations on the structural framework, granitic intrusions, and metamorphic rocks in the eastern Tianshan and adjacent areas show that the NE-striking Xingxingxia sinistral ductile shear zone, NW China, is subparallel to the Altyn Tagh fault zone and is superposed on the eastern Tianshan orogenic belt. U-Pb zircon, sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) dating, and muscovite, biotite, and K-feldspar 40 Ar/ 39 Ar thermochronology indicate that sinistral shear along the Xingxingxia shear zone initiated at ∼240–235 Ma, broadly at the same time as initial formation of the Altyn Tagh fault zone, but later than initiation of dextral strike-slip motion along ∼EW-trending eastern Tianshan orogenic belt at ∼270–245 Ma. Formation of the Xingxingxia ductile shear zone was associated with Gondwanaland convergence along the southern margin of the Eurasian continent during the Late Permian–Early Triassic.


This experimental study aims to evaluate the impact performance of UHPC exterior panels through high velocity impact tests. The impact performance of UHPC was compared with that of granite in terms of panel thickness, and strain histories were recoded on the rear face of panel specimens. The UHPC turned out to be a good exterior facade material, because the appearance of UHPC is natural enough and impact performance was superior to granite. After colliding, compression pulse reached to the rear face but that pulse was reflected in tension pulse with respect to the free point outside the rear face of the panel. This tension pulse caused the scabbing from the rear side, as the strain histories on the rear face showed three different regions as compression region, steady region and tension region. The shear plug deformation by shear force also was one of the primary reasons for the scabbing based on the observation. Therefore, the scabbing seemed to be affected by both tension and shear forces.


The utilization of a binary solvent, i.e. n-hexane-methanol mixture, for Calophyllum oil extraction and resin separation in a direct stage was optimized in this research. Optimum oil yield and separated resin percentage were determined using response surface method with optimizing of extraction time, temperature and stirring speed. Biogasoline production was conducted using thermal cracking at 475-575 °C of oil obtained from optimum extraction condition. The oil yield was optimized using second order polynomial model. Extraction time affected oil yield more significantly than temperature and stirring speed. Oil yield improved when extraction time, temperature and stirring speed augmented, and the optimum oil yield (59%) was predicted to be reached at 5.3 h, 49 °C and 385 rpm. Besides, the separated resin percentage was predicted to be constant (20%) with increasing extraction time, temperature and stirring speed so there was no optimum separated resin percentage. The oil obtained from optimum extraction condition showed good quality at 0.91 g/cm3 of density, 45.13 mPa.s of viscosity, 26.4 mg KOH/g of acid value, trace water and sediment content, and zero ash content. The thermal cracking of oil produced 5-79 wt.% liquid product (biogasoline). Biogasoline yield improved as temperature increased from 475 to 575 °C, and so the highest biogasoline yield (79 wt.%) was obtained at 575 °C. The GC-MS analysis result of liquid product showed that the biogasoline was composed of C5-C12 fraction (32.2 wt.%), C16-C19 fraction (36.8 wt.%), and non-hydrocarbon fraction (9.4 wt.%).


In modern weak-lensing surveys, the common approach to correct for residual systematic biases in the shear is to calibrate shape measurement algorithms using simulations. These simulations must fully capture the complexity of the observations to avoid introducing any additional bias. In this paper we study the importance of faint galaxies below the observational detection limit of a survey. We simulate simplified Euclid VIS images including and excluding this faint population, and measure the shift in the multiplicative shear bias between the two sets of simulations. We measure the shear with three different algorithms: a moment-based approach, model fitting, and machine learning. We find that for all methods, a spatially uniform random distribution of faint galaxies introduces a shear multiplicative bias of the order of a few times 10−3. This value increases to the order of 10−2 when including the clustering of the faint galaxies, as measured in the Hubble Space Telescope Ultra-Deep Field. The magnification of the faint background galaxies due to the brighter galaxies along the line of sight is found to have a negligible impact on the multiplicative bias. We conclude that the undetected galaxies must be included in the calibration simulations with proper clustering properties down to magnitude 28 in order to reach a residual uncertainty on the multiplicative shear bias calibration of a few times 10−4, in line with the 2 × 10−3 total accuracy budget required by the scientific objectives of the Euclid survey. We propose two complementary methods for including faint galaxy clustering in the calibration simulations.


Recent advances in technology which are advancing the frontiers of transplantation dramatically are now poised to combine with another powerful force-that of free markets-to impel society to confront the mechanism by which providers and users of human organs are brought together. With its new rulemaking in 1999, the Clinton Administration ordered the organ sharing network to come up with better distribution methodology within the current donor-based system, but the Administration ignored the major flaw in the present system. The major problem associated with the current donor-based process is lack of supply. Apart from psychic gains, donors have no possible way of benefitting from this system. All observers agree that a relatively low proportion of the organs potentially available for this purpose are in fact donated. The reason is that our law prohibits economic incentives. There is simply no financial gain in donating organs. Only a free market organization of the transaction can satisfy this motive. We rely upon monetary incentives in many other walks of life to good effect. The laws of economics apply here as well. It is not the wealthy man's "fault" that he is wealthy, or that other men did not use their intelligence to produce great value. Likewise, one can not claim that the organ was bought by the wealthy man at the expense of those who are not wealthy. He did not buy the organ at the expense of anyone; he bought it for his own benefit, and to that of the seller. Present law itself is the cause of the organ shortage and of the ensuing and unnecessary deaths. Individuals are guaranteed property rights in the United States. But what could be characterized as personal property more than one's own body? A person should have the right to decide what will be done with his body, including his organs, upon his death. This opportunity should not be stolen by unwise law. The U.S. operates what basically is a free market. But in this one case, people are dying because the market cannot efficiently use the resources readily available. It is the responsibility of politicians, bureaucrats and judges to get out of the way of citizens who, through private arrangements, can organize markets to save precious lives.


The ownership of, and rights to, coastal waters are exhibited on a cumulative scale ranging from commons-like to private use. As an example of a natural resource with complex and interlinked ecosystems, coastal waters give rise to many kinds of legal norms and policy instruments. As shown by my investigation of China's coastal waters, people are willing to pay for legal rights which guarantee exclusive access, regardless of the relatively high cost. The statistical data further reveals that, when coastal waters are divided, there is a negative correlation between fragmentation of the seas and seabased production. Therefore, based on the empirical evidence, I am reasonably confident that the tragedy of the anticommons is not occurring in China's coastal waters.


The effects of a walking training programme were assesed on 10 healthy, active men aged 63-69 years. Serum lipids, pulse and blood pressure, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) and anthropometric parameters, were measured before and after this programme. There was a significant fall in LDL (p<0.02) and mean diastolic BP (p<0.005). In spite of the subjects's initial good level of fitness there was still an 8% rise in the mean VO2 max of the group. There was also a significant loss of body fat (P<0.01). These positive physiological effects suggest that brisk walking can be considered as a a useful activity for improving the fitness and general health in this age-range.


This study investigated the potential mechanism of action of tea polyphenols (TPs), one of the major active ingredients in tea, to enhance heat resistance in Drosophila and the attenuating effect of heat treatment of TPs on their efficacy. The results showed that TPs were able to prolong the average survival time of Drosophila under high-temperature stress (p < 0.05), but the effect of TPs in prolonging the survival time of Drosophila melanogaster was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) with increasing TP heat-treatment time until it disappeared. The composition of TPs changed after heat treatment. It was also shown that the weakening of the effect of TPs in improving the heat tolerance of Drosophila was related to the decrease in the content of catechins and phenolic acids in their fractions as well as with the increase in the content of laccase. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the effect of TPs on heat tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster was closely related to the longevity regulation pathway, the neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction signaling pathway, and the drug metabolism–cytochrome P450 pathway. Metabolomics analysis showed that the effect of TP intervention in improving the body's heat tolerance was mainly related to amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism. However, thermal processing weakened the relevance of these transcriptomes and metabolomes. The present study reveals the mechanism of action by which heat-treated TPs affect the body's heat tolerance, which is important for the development and utilization of the heat-protection function of tea.


Over the past some years, there has been an impressive globalize increase in the frequency and epidemic of dengue fever. Biologically dengue virus belonging to the genus Flavivirus has four closely related but antigenically distinct serotypes, which are highly adapted and maintained to their Aedes mosquito species responsible for their transmission. Presently, due to the nonexistence of an effectual tetravalent vaccine or drug, the only strategic options available to reduce dengue viral transmission are case management to prevent human death and vector control. Because dengue is a global concern, based on extensive research, the new worldwide strategy for its prevention and control is to reduce the burden of dengue that solely depends on effective vector control measures. The purpose of this article is to provide specific guidelines and standardized procedures for the control of dengue fever virus carrying mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae). This strategy supports an integrated approach to vector management, sustained control measures and coordinated action among multi-sectoral partners at all levels. Present document provides directions at household, small-scale and large-scale field levels to determine the application and operational feasibility for the control of dengue fever vectors.


The first generations of lasers used in clinical and cosmetic dermatology achieved their effects by means of epidermal and dermal ablation. While effective in removing some of the stigmata of photodamage including pigmentary changes and rhytides, vascular abnormalities associated with such conditions as melasma and rosacea, were not sufficiently effective. The new generation of laser and non-laser light devices (eg, intense pulsed light or IPL) offer excellent results in the management of clinical and cosmetic conditions, including significant changes in improvement in vascular conditions such as rosacea and actinic damage and stimulating dermal collagen production, without significant injury to the epidermis. The combination of light therapies and topical agents adds to the efficacy of these procedures, particularly in post-procedural maintenance. Light-based therapies have been an important addition to the anti-acne armamentarium as they are effective and do not add to the increasing bacterial resistance problem.


Syzygium cumini(L.) Skeels (jamun) is a medically important fruit with numerous health protective effects. Seeds of this fruit contain 74.5 % NFE (nitrogen free extracts) and therefore possess a good source of carbohydrates. This fraction consists of high molecular weight carbohydrates (HMWC) like inulin (41.1 %) and resistant starch (3.9 mg/L); and hitherto unquantified low molecular weight carbohydrates (LMWC). This study was performed to extract and quantify LMWC from jamun seeds. To extract LMWC, ethanol concentration, extraction time and solute particle size were evaluated in 21 experimental designs using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on the central composite rotatable design (CCRD). A quadratic polynomial equation was obtained by multiple regression analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tested significance of the factors and their interactions at 95 % confidence interval. High Performance Anion Exchange Chromatography – Pulsed Amperometric Detection (HPAEC-PAD) was used to characterize the prebiotic fraction into individual sugars. Prebiotic potential of LMWC was established by calculating the Prebiotic Activity Score (PAS). A maximum LMWC yield (21 g / 100 g) was obtained when extraction was performed with 50 % ethanol as solvent for 80 to 85 h using the seed powder with 0.6 mm particle size. The predicted yield was in agreement with the experimental value and therefore proved the suitability of the RSM model. This model could be used as a standard for scaling up LMWC extraction from jamun seeds. A positive PAS of 1.532 ± 0.008 ascertained the prebiotic efficacy of the LMWC extracts. This score reflected the ability of probiotics like Lactobacillus acidophilus to gainfully utilize the LMWC in the growth medium in comparison to pathogenic strains like Escherichia coli.


This paper introduces the use of tailored variational forms for variational quantum eigensolver that have properties of representing certain constraints on the search domain of a linear constrained quadratic binary optimization problem solution. Four constraints that usually appear in several optimization problems are modeled. The main advantage of the proposed methodology is that the number of parameters on the variational form remain constant and depend on the number of variables that appear on the constraints. Moreover, this variational form always produces feasible solutions for the represented constraints differing from penalization techniques commonly used to translate constrained problems into unconstrained one. The methodology is implemented in a real quantum computer for two known optimization problems: the Facility Location Problem and the Set Packing Problem. The results obtained for this two problems with VQE using 2-Local variational form and a general QAOA implementation are compared, and indicate that less quantum gates and parameters were used, leading to a faster convergence.


The presence of hepatitis B virus DNA, delta antigen and anti-delta antibodies was examined in 159 Tunisian chronic HBs Ag carriers: 45 were asymptomatic and 114 suffered from cirrhosis. Serum hepatitis B virus DNA was detected in two (4.5%) asymptomatic HBs Ag carriers and in 11 (10%) HBs Ag positive cirrhosis patients. The prevalence of HDV infection determined by the presence of anti-delta was relatively high in asymptomatic HBs Ag carriers (33%) and in HBs Ag positive cirrhosis patients (21%). Active ongoing HDV infection, detected by serum HD Ag and anti-delta IgM, was shown in five patients with cirrhosis and active hepatitis B virus replication. We conclude that hepatitis delta virus may be endemic in Tunisia and does not always inhibit hepatitis B virus replication.


Conversations provide rich opportunities for interactive, continuous learning. When something goes wrong, a system can ask for clarification, rewording, or otherwise redirect the interaction to achieve its goals. In this paper, we present an approach for using conversational interactions of this type to induce semantic parsers. We demonstrate learning without any explicit annotation of the meanings of user utterances. Instead, we model meaning with latent variables, and introduce a loss function to measure how well potential meanings match the conversation. This loss drives the overall learning approach, which induces a weighted CCG grammar that could be used to automatically bootstrap the semantic analysis component in a complete dialog system. Experiments on DARPA Communicator conversational logs demonstrate effective learning, despite requiring no explicit meaning annotations.


In the second half of 2014, however, the global economy received a considerable boost from a sharp and largely unexpected collapse in world oil prices. By early 2015, Brent Crude prices were over 50% lower than their peak levels of July 2014 at less than US$50 per barrel. This slump can be traced to both demandand supply-side factors, but with a sufficient contribution of the latter to make it an overall positive development for the world economy. With Saudi Arabia now emphasising market share goals, supply is


In a free-flight airspace environment, pilots have more freedom to choose user-preferred trajectories. An onboard pilot support system is needed that exploits travel freedom while maintaining spatial separation with other traffic. Ecological interface design is used to design an interface tool that assists pilots with the tactical planning of efficient conflict-free trajectories toward their destination. Desired pilot actions emerge from the visualization of workspace affordances in terms of a suitable description of aircraft (loco)motion. Traditional models and descriptions for aircraft motion cannot be applied efficiently for this purpose. Through functional modeling, more suitable locomotion models for trajectory planning are analyzed. As a result, a novel interface, the state vector envelope, is presented that is intended to provide the pilot with both low-level information, allowing direct action, and high-level information, allowing conflict understanding and situation awareness.


The present work describes a methodology for estimation of monomer concentration during homopolymerization reactions by Raman spectroscopy. The estimation is done using linear models based on two different approaches: a univariate approach and a multivariate approach (with principal component regression, PCR, or partial least squares regression, PLS). The linear models are fitted with data from spectra collected from synthetic samples, i.e., samples prepared by dispersing a known concentration of monomer in polymer emulsions. Homopolymerizations of butyl acrylate and of vinyl acetate were monitored by collecting samples from the reactor, and results show that the methodology is efficient for the model fitting and that Raman spectroscopy is a promising technique for on-line monitoring of the emulsion polymerization process.


We report on the case of a 49-year-old male patient who presented with embolic occlusion of all left leg arteries. After multiple and unsuccessful revascularization attempts and lumbar sympathectomy, he was referred to us with an indication of amputation at the upper third of the leg. We suggested implanting autogenous bone marrow stem cells in his calf. Excellent immediate results were obtained with suppression of rest pain, hypothermia and paleness, elevation of ankle/ brachial index, peak systolic velocities and scintigraphic and angiographic indices. There was also a considerable enhancement of healing at the amputation site of the fourth and fifth toes.


Aim. To substantiate the agroecological estimation of the performance of a short crop rotation in conditions of intense and organic system of fertilization on the basis of restoring normative parameters of emission and se- questration of С-СО 2 circulation while using by-products as organic fertilizers in conditions of modern climatic system of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. Field, statistical, laboratory. Results of Investigations. The performance of short crop rotations is determined by the capacity of С-СО 2 balance. Strong inverse correla- tion was found between the capacity of N and the ratio between C and N in the agrocenosis, which demon- strated that enhancing the humifi cation processes (ratio constriction) led to the increase in the capacity of С org balance and the decrease in the capacity level of С-СО 2 balance (enhancing mineralization), related to the reduction in the performance of crops in the agrocenosis of a crop rotation compared to the organic system of fertilization. The
capacity of С-СО 2 and С org balance correlates at the medium level of inverse direction, and the yield of the main products, feed units and digestible protein correlates at the level of strong direct correlation. Conclusions. General mineralization of by-products and humus in the agrocenosis and humifi cation processes are antagonists, so extending the ratio between С and N at the intense fertilization system stimulates the in- crease in performance and reducing С to N similar to the organic fertilization system enhances the humifi cation process due to binding of С org into humus and limits mineralization which leads to the reduction in agrocenosis performance at the organic fertilization system.


Szleifer, Wilson, and Loring (SWL)' have recently suggested a dynamic disorder model for polymer dynamics in melts, based on a non-Markovian analog of earlier work of Loring and co-workers.' They suggest a solution to their non-Markovian master equation based on a nonMarkovian generalization of the dynamical effective medium approximation (DEMA) of Harrison and Zwanzig ( HZ).3 In this comment we argue that the result offered by SWL is not a proper solution of the non-Markovian generalization of the HZ model. For clarity we disregard the polymer context and state the model using the HZ notation. We consider a particle hopping on a lattice characterized by dynamical bond disorder. The walker dynamics is described by the set of stochastic master equations for the probability pi(t) to be at site i at time t


Fatigue is the most common symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS). Although MS-related fatigue (MS-F) strongly affects quality of life and social performance of patients, there is currently a lack of knowledge about its pathophysiology, which in turns leads to poor objective diagnosis and management. Recent studies have attempted to explain potential etiologies as well as treatments for MS-F. However, it seems that without a consensus on its nature, these data could not provide a route to a successful approach. In this Article, we review definitions, epidemiology, risk factors and correlated comorbidities, pathophysiology, assessment methods, neuroimaging findings, and pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments of MS-F. Further studies are warranted to define fatigue in MS patients more accurately, which could result in precise diagnosis and management.


Regulation of gene expression is arguably the main mechanism contributing to tissue phenotypic diversity within and between species. Here, we assembled a vast RNA-seq dataset covering twenty bilaterian species and eight tissues, selecting a specular phylogeny that allowed both the combined and parallel investigation of gene expression evolution between vertebrates and insects. We specifically focused on widely conserved ancestral genes, identifying strong cores of pan-bilaterian tissue-differential genes but even larger groups that diverged to define vertebrate and insect tissues. Consistently, systematic inferences of tissue-specificity gains and losses show that nearly half of all ancestral genes have been recruited into tissue-specific transcriptomes. This occurred during both ancient and, especially, recent bilaterian evolution, with numerous gains being associated with the emergence of unique phenotypes. Such pervasive evolution of tissue-specificity was boosted by gene duplication coupled with specialization, including an unappreciated prolonged effect of whole genome duplications during recent vertebrate evolution.


ABSTRACT Labeo mbimbii, n. sp., and Labeo manasseeae, n. sp., two small-bodied Labeo species, are described from the lower and middle reaches of the Lulua River (Kasai ecoregion, Congo basin) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The two new species are members of the L. forskalii species group and are genetically distinct from all other species of that clade. Morphologically they can be distinguished from central African L. forskalii group congeners except L. dhonti, L. lukulae, L. luluae, L. parvus, L. quadribarbis, and L. simpsoni in the possession of 29 or fewer (vs. 30 or more) vertebrae and from those congeners by a wider interpectoral, among other features. The two new species are endemic to the Lulua River and, although overlapping in geographical range and most meristic and morphometric measures, are readily differentiated by differing numbers of fully developed supraneural bones, predorsal vertebrae, snout morphology, and additional osteological features. The description of these two species brings the total of Labeo species endemic to the Lulua basin to three. The third endemic species, L. luluae, was previously known only from the juvenile holotype, but numerous additional specimens have now been identified. The cooccurrence of 14 Labeo species in the Lulua River, three of which are endemic, highlights this system as a hotspot of Labeo diversity in the Congo basin and across the continent.


A method for determining the size of a crack induced by hydraulic fracturing is presented. The procedure is based on the measurement of the crack opening displacement and the fracture mechanics approach. The proposed method has been tested by conducting laboratory small-scale hydraulic fracturing tests on a granite. It is shown from the preliminary tests that the method provides a reasonable prediction of experimentally observed crack sizes.


OBJECTIVES
Although postoperative subglottic secretion drainage prevents ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) after cardiac surgery, its role during the perioperative period is unclear. For the present study, the effect of subglottic secretion drainage during and after cardiac surgery on postoperative VAP was investigated.

DESIGN
Retrospective, single-center, before-and-after study.

SETTING
Perioperative care of cardiac surgical patients in a tertiary university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS
Adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery from January 2013-December 2018.

INTERVENTIONS
Conventional and subglottic suctioning endotracheal tubes were used in the control and intervention groups before and after a change in institutional policy, respectively. In the intervention group, subglottic secretion drainage was performed continuously during surgery and intermittently after surgery.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
The risk of postoperative VAP, identified by the National Healthcare Safety Network surveillance definition algorithm, was compared by weighted logistic regression. Logistic regression analyses, with propensity score matching and inverse probability weighting, also were performed. A total of 2,576 patients were analyzed (control [n = 2108]; intervention [n = 468]). Postoperative VAP occurred less frequently in the intervention group (1/468 [0.2%]) compared with the control group (30/2,108 [1.4%]). In the multivariate weighted logistic regression analysis, the risk of VAP after cardiac surgery was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (odds ratio 0.29; 95% confidence interval 0.14-0.58). Similar results were obtained in multivariate analyses after propensity score matching (odds ratio 0.04; 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.14) and inverse probability weighting (odds ratio 0.16; 95% confidence interval 0.05-0.42).

CONCLUSIONS
Routine perioperative subglottic secretion drainage using subglottic suctioning endotracheal tubes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery was associated with a reduction in the risk of VAP after surgery.


Fiber Image Analysis System (FIAS)2 was developed to provide an automatic method for measuring cotton maturity from fiber snippets or cross-sections. An uncombed cotton bundle is chopped and sprayed on a microscopic slide. The snippets are imaged sequentially on a microscope and measured with customized image analysis software. Cotton maturity is assessed from fiber width variability (convolution) and intensity (translucency) of fiber ribbons. The highly translucent fibers are labeled by the system as 'dead' fiber. Dead fibers are the main source of nep formation, causing dye defects, known as white specks, in finished fabrics. This work compared the fiber longitudinal measurements with white speck data of 16 different cottons, and studied the possibility of establishing a predictive equation for white speck contents from bale fiber samples. The main advantages of using the longitudinal FIAS test are that it can more readily detect dead and immature fibers and takes much less time in preparing sample slid...


The purpose of this paper is to classify and tabulate the extensive clinical reports on the use of phenacemide (phenurone®) in the treatment of epileptic seizures, in order to attain a clearer picture of the uses and limitations of the drug which might otherwise not be available and to acquaint physicians with an anticonvulsant drug which, when used alone or in combination with other anticonvulsants, is capable of relieving certain patients of seizures which are not affected by other antiepileptic drugs known at present. Since this drug is not without toxic potentialities, physicians who use it should be thoroughly acquainted with the undesirable side effects which may occur and the precautions to be observed as well as with its efficacy. This paper is not intended to discourage or interfere with subsequent publications by individual investigators. On the contrary, it is hoped that those who have had experience in the use


The effects of four anti-GM2 monoclonal antibodies (DMAb-1, DMAb-2, DMAb-3, and DMAb-5) were studied on spheroid cultures from a human glioma cell line (D-54 MG) that is known to express high levels of GM2. The spheroids developed central necrosis 48 h after antibody exposures at concentrations greater than 6 micrograms/ml. No necrosis was found with antibodies that had been absorbed with GM2 prior to exposure or with unrelated cytotoxic antibodies. Immunohistochemistry showed that the necrosis started shortly after the antibodies were evenly distributed throughout the spheroids. Light and transmission electron microscopy revealed that a small portion of the cells, mainly in the periphery of the spheroids, was unaffected by antibody exposure. New monolayer cultures established from antibody-treated cells expressed a 50% lower GM2 content as shown by flow cytometry and determination of ganglioside content throughout at least 12 passages. Thus, the GM2-rich D-54 MG cell line has subpopulations of cells with lower GM2 content. Spheroids obtained from this subpopulation developed only minor necrosis after antibody treatment. These results show that GM2 antibodies cause severe necrosis of GM2-containing glioma cells in vitro, but the effect depends on the concentration of antigen, and a threshold number of GM2 molecules is required.


Kavyuha-samadhi was an important meditation practiced in master Xuyun's life, no matter when and where he has been in a state of Kavyuha-samadhi meditation. This paper takes Kavyuha-samadhi as the angle of view, makes a study on Xunyun's concepts of "prajna contemplation," "mindfulness," "seeing self-nature," "examining the key word," etc. The author believes that Xuyun's path of Kavyuha-samadhi takes chanting Buddha as its examining the key word subject, takes suchness as its ontology, takes prajna contemplation as its method. The paper stresses that, according to Xunyun, in the process of meditation, practitioner cannot pursue quiet consciousness level; if one who produces clean thoughts in one's mind, this is a delusion in itself; however, if one does not think about anything and pursue the realm of no ideas, it is bounded by the Dharma. Finally, the paper points out that the fundamental of Xuyun's Kavyuha-samadhi is to see self-nature in Sentient beings' own mind, Sentient beings must see within themself the true nature, this is only the way to achieve sudden-enlightenment.


Word embeddings act as an important component of deep models for providing input features in downstream language tasks, such as sequence labelling and text classification. In the last decade, a substantial number of word embedding methods have been proposed for this purpose, mainly falling into the categories of classic and context-based word embeddings. In this paper, we conduct controlled experiments to systematically examine both classic and contextualised word embeddings for the purposes of text classification. To encode a sequence from word representations, we apply two encoders, namely CNN and BiLSTM, in the downstream network architecture. To study the impact of word embeddings on different datasets, we select four benchmarking classification datasets with varying average sample length, comprising both single-label and multi-label classification tasks. The evaluation results with confidence intervals indicate that CNN as the downstream encoder outperforms BiLSTM in most situations, especially for document context-insensitive datasets. This study recommends choosing CNN over BiLSTM for document classification datasets where the context in sequence is not as indicative of class membership as sentence datasets. For word embeddings, concatenation of multiple classic embeddings or increasing their size does not lead to a statistically significant difference in performance despite a slight improvement in some cases. For context-based embeddings, we studied both ELMo and BERT. The results show that BERT overall outperforms ELMo, especially for long document datasets. Compared with classic embeddings, both achieve an improved performance for short datasets while the improvement is not observed in longer datasets.


Pharmaceuticals and analogs of bisphenol A (BPA) are increasingly threatening environmental pollutants. In this study, mixtures of selected pharmaceuticals (diclofenac sodium salt, chloramphenicol, oxytetracycline hydrochloride, fluoxetine hydrochloride, estrone, ketoprofen, progesterone, gemfibrozil and androstenedione) were prepared with BPA and its two analogs (namely, bisphenols F and S) at such ratios to reflect environmentally detectable levels. Then, the mixture solutions were studied with a XenoScreen YES/YAS assay to determine the variations in the initial hormonal response of each pharmaceutical compound due to the presence of a bisphenol analog. The results obtained were modeled with the concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) approaches, the trueness of which was studied with model deviation ratios (MDR). The estrogenic agonistic activity of the drugs studied was most strongly affected by the presence of BPA in solution (twenty-one cases of synergy observed for CA models versus twelve cases of antagonism in the case of IA predictions). BPS shows a strong agonistic estrogenic impact on most of the drugs studied at medium and high concentration levels; androgenic agonistic activity was also impaired with elevated concentrations of BPS. Increasing the concentration of BPF in a reaction mixture also increased the number of YES+ synergism incidences (for CA modeling). Estrone, progesterone and androstenedione were mostly affected by the highest BPF concentrations studied in the case of androgenic agonistic research performed.


The blood-sucking hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus is one of the main vectors of Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease that affects several million people worldwide. Consuming a blood meal and mating are events with a high epidemiological impact since after each meal, mated females can lay fertile eggs that result in hundreds of offspring. Thus, a better knowledge of the control of R. prolixus reproductive capacity may provide targets for developing novel strategies to control vector populations, thereby reducing vector-host contacts and disease transmission. Here, we have used a combination of gene transcript expression analysis, biochemical assays, hormone measurements and studies of locomotory activity to investigate how mating influences egg development and egg laying rates in R. prolixus females. The results demonstrate that a blood meal increases egg production capacity and leads to earlier egg laying in mated females compared to virgins. Virgin females, however, have increased survival rate over mated females. Circulating juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroid titers are increased in mated females, a process mainly driven through an upregulation of the transcripts for their biosynthetic enzymes in the corpus allatum and ovaries, respectively. Mated females display weaker locomotory activity compared to virgin females, mainly during the photophase. In essence, this study shows how reproductive output and behaviour are profoundly influenced by mating, highlighting molecular, biochemical, endocrine and behavioral features differentially expressed in mated and virgin R. prolixus females.


Tryptophan hydroxylases catalyze the first and rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of serotonin, a well-known neurotransmitter that plays an important role in multiple physiological functions. A reduction of serotonin levels, especially in the brain, can cause dysregulation leading to depression or insomnia. In contrast, overproduction of peripheral serotonin is associated with symptoms like carcinoid syndrome and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Recently, we developed a class of TPH inhibitors based on xanthine-benzimidazoles, characterized by a tripartite-binding mode spanning the binding sites of the cosubstrate pterin and the substrate tryptophan and by chelation of the catalytic iron ion. Herein, we describe the structure-based development of a second generation of xanthine-imidiazopyridines and -imidazothiazoles designed to inhibit TPH1 in the periphery while preventing the interaction with TPH2 in the brain. Lead compound 32 (TPT-004) shows superior pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties as well as efficacy in preclinical models of peripheral serotonin attenuation and colorectal tumor growth.


We describe the activities that are vital to establishing and maintaining a thriving cooperative education and industrial internship program. In addition, we describe the benefits of such a program for not only the students but for the industrial partners and for the university. Student participants work as engineering professionals, gain valuable engineering and business experience, apply engineering concepts to real-world problems, and tend to be more focused on their career choices after participating in a co-op or internship opportunity. There are also multiple benefits to the industrial partner. Employers have the opportunity to train potential long-term employees; capture the attention of motivated, talented biomedical engineers; obtain visibility at the university; and ultimately lower their turnover and training costs. Students can also provide a fresh perspective and can be motivators contributing to the growth of the employers' organization. Finally, the academic department benefits from industrial partnerships through increased student satisfaction, improved student training, novel education programs, job placement for graduates, and research collaborations.


Supplementation with Citrulline (Cit) has been shown to have a positive impact on aerobic exercise performance and related outcomes such as lactate, oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics, and the rate of perceived exertion (RPE), probably due to its relationship to endogenous nitric oxide production. However, current research has shown this to be controversial. The main objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to analyze and assess the effects of Cit supplementation on aerobic exercise performance and related outcomes, as well as to show the most suitable doses and timing of ingestion. A structured literature search was carried out by the PRISMA® (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and PICOS guidelines in the following databases: Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science (WOS). A total of 10 studies were included in the analysis, all of which exclusively compared the effects of Cit supplementation with those of a placebo group on aerobic performance, lactate, VO2, and the RPE. Those articles that used other supplements and measured other outcomes were excluded. The meta-analysis was carried out using Hedges' g random effects model and pooled standardized mean differences (SMD). The results showed no positive effects of Cit supplementation on aerobic performance (pooled SMD = 0.15; 95% CI (−0.02 to 0.32); I2, 0%; p = 0.08), the RPE (pooled SMD = −0.03; 95% CI (−0.43 to 0.38); I2, 49%; p = 0.9), VO2 kinetics (pooled SMD = 0.01; 95% CI (−0.16 to 0.17); I2, 0%; p = 0.94), and lactate (pooled SMD = 0.25; 95% CI (−0.10 to 0.59); I2, 0%; p = 0.16). In conclusion, Cit supplementation did not prove to have any benefits for aerobic exercise performance and related outcomes. Where chronic protocols seemed to show a positive tendency, more studies in the field are needed to better understand the effects.


By applying an underwater hyperspectral imager (UHI) to a selection of archaeological artifacts, we have found spectral signatures that are representative of materials likely to be present at wreck sites. By successfully using the signatures to classify a subset of said artifacts placed on the seabed at 61 m depth, we demonstrate that it is possible to detect archaeological objects of interest in UHI data acquired by a remotely operated vehicle. Correct UHI classification of rust and glass bottles in situ on a historical wreck site further supports the viability of the method for marine archaeological applications.


Was investigated in this paper the use of a search strategy in the problem of finding the best path among multiple origins and multiple destinations. In this kind of problem, it must be decided within a lot of combinations which is the best origin and the best destination, and also the best path between these two regions. One remarkable difficulty to answer this sort of problem is to perform the search in a reduced time. This monography is a extension of previous research in which the problem described here was studied only in a bus network in the city of Fortaleza. This extension consisted of an exploration of the search strategy in graphs that represent public ways in cities like Fortaleza, Mumbai and Tokyo. Using this strategy with a heuristic algorithm, Haversine distance, was noticed that is possible to reduce substantially the time of the search, but introducing an error because of the loss of the admissible characteristic of the heuristic function applied.


Although transcriptome alteration is considered as one of the essential drivers of carcinogenesis, conventional short-read RNAseq technology has limited researchers from directly exploring full-length transcripts, only focusing on individual splice sites. We developed a pipeline for Multi-Sample long-read Transcriptome Assembly, MuSTA, and showed through simulations that it enables construction of transcriptome from the transcripts expressed in target samples and more accurate evaluation of transcript usage. We applied it to 22 breast cancer clinical specimens to successfully acquire cohort-wide full-length transcriptome from long-read RNAseq data. By comparing isoform existence and expression between estrogen receptor positive and triple-negative subtypes, we obtained a comprehensive set of subtype-specific isoforms and differentially used isoforms which consisted of both known and unannotated isoforms. We have also found that exon-intron structure of fusion transcripts tends to depend on their genomic regions, and have found three-piece fusion transcripts that were transcribed from complex structural rearrangements. For example, a three-piece fusion transcript resulted in aberrant expression of an endogenous retroviral gene, ERVFRD-1, which is normally expressed exclusively in placenta and supposed to protect fetus from maternal rejection, and expression of which were increased in several TCGA samples with ERVFRD-1 fusions. Our analyses of real clinical specimens and simulated data provide direct evidence that full-length transcript sequencing in multiple samples can add to our understanding of cancer biology and genomics in general.


The aim of the study was to assess validity and reproducibility of a self-administered quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) designed to assess calcium, protein and phosphorus intakes, and to be used in a semilongitudinal study on bone mineralisation in children and adolescents. Validation study: 23 children aged 13-14 years filled in the questionnaire and kept 3-day weighed food records. Reproducibility study: 293 children aged 5-19 years completed the questionnaire twice with a half year interval. Spearman rank correlations between nutrient intake values from the questionnaire and weighed food records were 0.56-0.62 (mean 0.60). There were no significant differences in intake estimated by FFQ and weighed record for either calcium (p=0.07) or protein (p=0.61), while phosphorus intake estimated by FFQ was 10% higher than phosphorus intake estimated by weighed record (p=0.04). On average regarding calcium, protein, and phosphorus intake, 43% of the subjects were classified in the same quartile in the questionnaire and the record, and 1% in the opposite quartile. Spearman rank correlation between nutrient intake from the two questionnaires was 0.72-0.73, with no significant difference between the measurements. It is concluded that this questionnaire is able to rank children according to their intakes of calcium, protein, and phosphorus and to give a reasonable estimate of the quantity of the nutrients in groups of children.


To examine whether the avian hippocampus-parahippocampus (HF) is necessary for nonspatial, paired-associate learning, as has been suggested for rodents, HF-lesioned and control homing pigeons were tested on a visual paired-associate learning task. Both groups learned equally well to discriminate trials that consisted of a stimulus preceded by its paired associate from trials that consisted of a stimulus preceded by stimuli from other paired associates (mispair trials), even when a mispair was experienced for the first time. The groups also learned equally well not to respond to 2 stimuli that were never rewarded. The results demonstrate that HF lesions do not impair nonspatial paired-associate learning in birds, suggesting that the role of HF in nonspatial cognition differs between birds and mammals.


Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP), or CC10, is an inhibitor of secretory phospholipase A2 which may be produced by phagocytic cells and by a variety of other cells in the airway. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is capable of activating phospholipases and inducing the expression of a variety of genes in the airway epithelium which may modulate the airway inflammatory response. Therefore, it was of interest to determine whether this proinflammatory cytokine could induce the production of a counterregulatory protein such as CCSP which might modulate the production of eicosanoid mediators in the airway. Using a human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B), CCSP messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were detected by ribonuclease protection assay. TNF treatment of these cells increased CCSP mRNA levels in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The CCSP mRNA level increased in response to TNF-alpha (20 ng/ml) stimulation after 8 to 36 h with the peak increase at 18 h. Immunoblotting of CCSP protein released into the culture media demonstrated that TNF-alpha induced the synthesis and secretion of CCSP protein in a time-dependent manner over 8 to 18 h. The results of a CCSP reporter gene activity assay, nuclear run-on assay, and CCSP mRNA half-life assay indicated that the TNF-alpha-induced increases in CCSP gene expression are regulated at the post-transcriptional level. We conclude that TNF-alpha induces airway epithelial cell expression of human CCSP protein and may modulate airway inflammatory responses in this manner.