This study reports the results of a prospectively randomized trial for treatment of carcinoma of the breast comparing standard (Halsted) radical mastectomy to a modified radical mastectomy. Three hundred eleven patients with primary operable carcinoma of the breast were entered in a surgical and ad-junctive chemotherapy trial in Alabama between 1975 and 1978. A total of 91 surgeons participated (all Diplomats of the American Board of Surgery and Members of the American College of Surgeons). All operative reports, pathology and therapy were reviewed by referees. Histologically node positive patients were randomized after operation to receive melphalan or C.M.F. (cytoxan, methotrexate, and 5-FU) for 1 year. After a median follow-up of 5.S years, there was no significant difference in disease-free survival or in overall survival between the two groups. There was a trend toward improved 5-year survival rates in the radical mastectomy group compared to the modified radical mastectomy group (84% vs. 76%, p = 0.14). There was also an increased incidence of local wound recurrence in those patients receiving modified radical mastectomy, but the differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.09). Longer follow-up will be necessary to evaluate these results more fully.


While a substantial literature demonstrates the effect of differential experience on development of mammalian sensory cortices and plasticity of adult motor cortex, characterization of differential experience on the functional development of motor cortex is meager. We first determined when forelimb movement representations (motor maps) could be detected in rats during postnatal development and then whether their motor map expression could be altered with rearing in an enriched environment consisting of group housing and novel toys or skilled learning by training on the single pellet reaching task. All offspring had high-resolution intracortical microstimulation (ICMS)-derived motor maps using methodologies previously optimized for the adult rat. First, cortical GABA-mediated inhibition was depressed by bicuculline infusion directly into layer V of motor cortex and ICMS-responsive points were first reliably detected on postnatal day (PND) 13. Without relying on bicuculline disinhibition of cortex, motor maps emerged on PND 35 and then increased in size until PND 60 and had progressively lower movement thresholds. Second, environmental enrichment did not affect initial detection of responsive points and motor maps in non-bicuculline-treated pups on PND 35. However, motor maps were larger on PND 45 in enriched rat pups relative to pups in the standard housing condition. Rats in both conditions had similar map sizes on PNDs 60, 75, and 90. Third, reach training in rat pups resulted in an internal reorganization of the map in the hemisphere contralateral, but not ipsilateral, to the trained forelimb. The map reorganization was expressed as proportionately more distal (digit and wrist) representations on PND 45. Our data indicate that both environmental enrichment and skilled reach training experience can differentially modify expression of motor maps during development.


A full three-dimensional (3D) thermo-mechanical finite element (FE) model has been developed to simulate the step-by-step multipass welding process. Non-linearities associated with welding, such as a moving heat source, material deposition, temperature-dependent material properties, latent heat, and large deformations, were taken into account. The model was applied to multipass butt-welded mild steel plate and girth butt-welded stainless steel pipe for validation. The simulation results were compared with independently obtained experimental data and numerical predictions from two-dimensional (2D) generalized plane strain and axisymmetric models. Good agreements between the 3D predictions and experimental data have been obtained. The computational model has the potential to be applied to multipass welded complex geometries for residual stress prediction.


The arboviruses that cause dengue, chikungunya, and Zika illnesses have rapidly expanded across the globe in recent years, with large-scale outbreaks occurring in Western Hemisphere territories in close proximity to the United States (U.S.). In March 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) expanded its vector surveillance maps for A. aegypti and A. albopictus, the mosquito vectors for these arboviruses. They have now been shown to inhabit a larger portion of the U.S., including the heavily populated northeast corridor. Emergency physicians need to further familiarize themselves with these diseases, which have classically been considered only in returning travelers but may soon be encountered in the U.S. even in the absence of travel. In this paper, we discuss the presentation and treatment of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, as well as special challenges presented to the emergency physician in evaluating a patient with a suspected arbovirus infection.


The futA1 (slr1295) and futA2 (slr0513) genes encode periplasmic binding proteins of an ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-type iron transporter in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. FutA1 was expressed in Escherichia coli as a GST-tagged recombinant protein (rFutA1). Solution containing purified rFutA1 and ferric chloride showed an absorption spectrum with a peak at 453 nm. The absorbance at this wavelength rose linearly as the amount of iron bound to rFutA1 increased to reach a plateau when the molar ratio of iron to rFutA1 became unity. The association constant of rFutA1 for iron in vitro was about 1 x 10(19). These results demonstrate that the FutA1 binds the ferric ion with high affinity. The activity of iron uptake in the Delta futA1 and Delta futA2 mutants was 37 and 84%, respectively, of that in the wild-type and the activity was less than 5% in the Delta futA1/Delta futA2 double mutant, suggesting their redundant role for binding iron. High concentrations of citrate inhibited ferric iron uptake. These results suggest that the natural iron source transported by the Fut system is not ferric citrate.


We report the morphological evolution of ZnAl-based hybrid nanostructures from ZnAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) to ZnO nanorods (NRs) grown by a hydrothermal method depending on the thickness of the Al2O3/ZnO double seed layer. The thickness of the Al2O3/ZnO double seed layer was controlled by an atomic layer deposition system. We found that the ZnAl-LDH growth can mainly be attributed to the hydroxide reactions between the base solution and Al2O3 as a sacrificial layer. As the ZnO seed layer covered the Al2O3 film, the concentration of Al hydroxide was significantly reduced, but that of the Zn hydroxide increased enough to make ZnO NRs. Our results show that hybridizing these ZnAl-LDH and ZnO NRs by controlling the amount of Al cations is possible, and thus we can design a new material system by taking advantage of the unique properties of ZnAl-LDH and ZnO NRs for future applications.


Electrocardiographic changes resulting from apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may mimic an acute coronary syndrome. A 67-year-old Sudanese male without cardiac risk factors presented to hospital with chest pain and electrocardiographic findings of septal ST-segment elevation, ST-segment depression in V4-V6, and diffuse T-wave inversion. He was treated as an acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction with thrombolytics. There was no cardiac biomarker rise and coronary angiography did not reveal evidence of significant coronary arterial disease. Ventriculography, transthoracic echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging were consistent with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The patient was discharged three days later with outpatient cardiology follow-up. We highlight the clinical and electrocardiographic findings of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, with an emphasis on distinguishing this from acute myocardial infarction.


Study Design. Systematic literature review. Objective. To determine the options, indications, and outcomes for conventional radiotherapy and radiosurgery for metastatic spine disease. Methods. Three research questions were determined through a consensus among a multidisciplinary panel of spine oncology experts. A systematic review of the literature was conducted regarding radiotherapy and radiosurgery for metastatic spine disease using PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Evidence Based Medicine Database, and a review of bibliographies of reviewed articles. Research questions:What are the clinical outcomes of the current indications for conventional radiotherapy alone and stereotactic radiosurgery for metastatic spine disease?What are the current dose recommendations and fractionation schedules for conventional spine radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery for metastatic spine disease?What are the current known patterns of failure and complications after conventional spine radiation and stereotactic radiosurgery for metastatic spine disease? Results. For conventional radiotherapy, the initial literature search yielded a total of 531 potentially relevant abstracts. Each of these abstracts was reviewed for relevance, and 62 were selected for in-depth review. Forty-nine studies met all the inclusion criteria. References from the articles included in the analysis and review articles were also examined for potential inclusion in the study. For conventional radiotherapy, 3 randomized trials (high-quality evidence), 4 prospective studies (moderate-quality evidence), and over 40 nonprospective data sets (low- or very-low-quality evidence) that included over 5000 patients in the literature were included in this review. Drawing from the same databases, a systematic search for radiosurgery yielded 195 abstracts, of which 29 met all inclusion criteria. They all represented single-institution reports (low- or very-low-quality data). No randomized data are available for spine radiosurgery. Conclusion. A systematic review of the available evidence suggests that conventional radiotherapy is safe and effective with good symptomatic response and local control, particularly for radiosensitive histologies. A strong recommendation can be made with moderate quality evidence that conventional fractionated radiotherapy is an appropriate initial therapy option for patients with spine metastases in cases in which no relative contraindication exists. A systematic review of the available evidence suggests that radiosurgery is safe and provides an incremental benefit over conventional radiotherapy with more durable symptomatic response and local control independent of histology, even in the setting of prior fractionated radiotherapy. A strong recommendation can be made with low-quality evidence that radiosurgery should be considered over conventional fractionated radiotherapy for the treatment of solid tumor spine metastases in the setting of oligometastatic disease and/or radioresistant histology.


PURPOSE
The modulation transfer function (MTF) is widely used as an objective metric of spatial resolution of medical imaging systems. Despite advances in capability for 3D isotropic spatial resolution in CT and cone-beam CT (CBCT), MTF evaluation for such systems is typically reported only in the axial plane, and practical methodology for assessment of fully 3D spatial resolution characteristics is lacking. This work reviews fundamental theoretical relationships of 2D and 3D spread functions and reports practical methods and test tools for analysis of 3D MTF in CBCT.

METHODS
Fundamental aspects of 2D and 3D MTF measurement are reviewed within a common notational framework, and three MTF test tools with analysis code are reported and made available online (https://istar.jhu.edu/downloads/): (i) a multi-wire tool for measurement of the axial plane MTF [denoted MTF(fr ;φ=0°), where φ is the measurement angle out of the axial plane] as a function of position in the axial plane; (ii) a wedge tool for measurement of the MTF in any direction in the 3D Fourier domain [e.g., φ = 45°, denoted MTF(fr ;φ=45°)]; and (iii) a sphere tool for measurement of the MTF in any or all directions in the 3D Fourier domain. Experiments were performed on a mobile C-arm with CBCT capability, showing that MTF(fr ;φ=45°) yields an informative 1D representation of the overall 3D spatial resolution characteristics, capturing important characteristics of the 3D MTF that might be missed in conventional analysis. The effects of anisotropic filters and detector readout mode were investigated, and the extent to which a system can be said to provide "isotropic" resolution was evaluated by quantitative comparison of MTF at various φ.

RESULTS
All three test tools provided consistent measurement of MTF(fr ;φ=0°), and the wedge and sphere tools demonstrated how measurement of the MTF in directions outside the axial plane (|φ|>0°) can reveal spatial resolution characteristics to which conventional axial MTF measurement is blind. The wedge tool was shown to reduce statistical measurement error compared to the sphere tool due to improved sampling, and the sphere tool was shown to provide a basis for measurement of the MTF in any or all directions (outside the null cone) from a single scan. The C-arm system exhibited non-isotropic spatial resolution with conventional non-isotropic 1D apodization filters (i.e., frequency cutoff filters) - which is common in CBCT - and implementation of isotropic 2D apodization yielded quantifiably isotropic MTF. Asymmetric pixel binning modes were similarly shown to impart non-isotropic effects on the 3D MTF, and the overall 3D MTF characteristics were evident in each case with a single, 1D measurement of the 1D MTF(fr ;φ=45°).

CONCLUSION
Three test tools and corresponding MTF analysis methods were presented within a consistent framework for analysis of 3D spatial resolution characteristics in a manner amenable to routine, practical measurements. Experiments on a CBCT C-arm validated many intuitive aspects of 3D spatial resolution and quantified the extent to which a CBCT system may be considered to have isotropic resolution. Measurement of MTF(fr ;φ=45°) provided a practical 1D measure of the underlying 3D MTF characteristics and is extensible to other CT or CBCT systems offering high, isotropic spatial resolution.


This research is focused on evaluating the efficiency and failure mechanism of joints using a komisen (Japanese traditional square key) of compressed sugi (Japanese ceder ;Cryptomeria japonica D. Don), and to evaluate to what extend hozo-komisen (Japanese traditional mortise and tenon) joint strength is being influenced by the recovery of compressed sugi komisen when exposed to long term humidity cycling. Compressed sugi komisen showed a change of yield and rupture mode compared to shirakashi (Quercus myrsinaefolia Blume) komisen, as did the komisen inserting direction into the joint because it has characteristic and anisotropic properties. The compressed sugi komisen joint (C1R), when inserted according to the R-type, yielded by shear of the komisen and reached its maximum strength (Pmax :12.5 kN) just before rupture at 10 mm displacement at the tenon. The failure mode showed a different pattern, compared to the shirakashi komisen joint (S1R) where the central komisen yielded in bending. The strength of the compressed sugi komisen joint (C1RH) exposed to cyclic changes of humidity (40-80%RH) during two years increased in maximum strength, yield strength, and energy absorption. This is in contrast to the shirakashi komisen joint (C1RH) that showed a dramatic and remarkable strength decrease when exposed to the climatic environment.


A special chaotic firing pattern lying between period-1 and period-2 firing pattern simulated in theoretical neuronal firing model, Hindmarsh-Rose (HR) model, has not been adequately understood for a long time. The non-periodic neural firing patterns lying between period-1 and period-2 firing pattern discovered in the biological experiments on neural pacemakers of rats are identified to be chaotic bursting and divided into three styles in appearance, according to the deterministic structures of the first return map and the short-term predictability of nonlinear predication. One style of the experimental chaos exhibits characteristics similar to the numerical simulations of the theoretical model, verifying the theoretical participation of HR model, while other styles display different characteristics. The characteristics of the three styles and the relationship and distinction among 3 styles of the chaotic rhythms are identified, and compared with those lying between period-2 and period-3 firing pattern, and between period-3 and period-4 firing pattern. In addition, the distinction between the transition procedure from period-1 to chaos and then to period-2 and other bifurcation scenarios from period-1 to period-2 firing pattern is also identified. The results confirm the novel chaos lying between period-1 and period-2 and the corresponding novel bifurcation scenario, enriching the kinds of the chaotic rhythms and bifurcation scenarios of neural firing. Finally simulations of the diversity and non-smooth characteristics of the chaotic rhythms discovered in the experiment and identification of the routine to chaos are also discussed.


This study integrates the RUSLE, remote sensing and GIS to assess soil loss and identify sensitive areas to soil erosion in the Nilufer creek watershed in Bursa province, Turkey. The annual average soil loss was generated separately for years 1984 and 2011, in order to expose possible soil loss differences occurred in 27 years. In addition, sediment accumulation and sediment yield of the studied watershed was also predicted and discussed. The results indicated that very severe erosion risk areas in 1984 was 13.4% of the area, but it was increased to 15.3% by the year 2011, which needs immediate attention from soil conservation point of view. Furthermore, the estimated annual sediment yield of the Nilufer creek watershed was increased from 903 to 979 Mg km−2 y−1 in 27 years period. The study also provides useful information for decision-makers and planners to take appropriate land management practices in the area.


Raw materials are essential for the sustainable functioning of modern societies. Access to and affordability of mineral raw materials are crucial for the sound functioning of the EU's economy. The increasing demand in raw materials raises now growing concern regarding the mineral resources and especially metals availability. Furthermore many metals, metalloids or rare earth elements which didn't have any application in the past are now used for the manufacture of high added value products especially in the domain of new and green technologies. Many of them are by‐products of base metals production and their reserves are very limited. Thereby, a list of strategic and critical materials was established by the European Commission in 2010. Following the rich mining history of France, there are currently some 300 mineral deposits mined or significantly explored. These are the source of large quantities of "tailings" (gangue, processing waste resulting from concentration or hydrometallurgical treatment, slag, heap). The European Directive 2006/21/EC of 15 March 2006 on the management of waste from extractive industries oversees the permit conditions, storage, monitoring and control of the mining waste to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. The Member States have in particular to carry out and periodically update an inventory of closed waste facilities which cause or have the potential to cause a serious threat to human health or the environment. Moreover, the directive encourages the recovery of extractive waste by means of recycling, reusing or reclaiming such waste. Following this, an inventory was finalized in France in 2012. 2,100 metallic and 1,300 coal tailings were identified and prioritized according to their potential impacts on ground waters, surface waters, soils and human health. Among these, 53 sites with major environmental issues were listed. These sites are and will be the subject of specific actions (environmental and sanitary studies, works of rehabilitation) in order to reduce their long‐term impact both on human health and environment. Metallic elements present in the tailings being by nature nondegradable, these actions require long‐term approaches. The paper focus on one of these sites, former Pb‐Ag mines, which operation have led to the production of 200,000 m3 of mining wastes. A French Geological Survey (BRGM) rehabilitation program, based on environmental studies, was designed to stop additional tailings erosion toward the river and the surrounding areas and to avoid any contacts between the contaminated materials and the population. Metals recovery could be envisaged to mitigate the remediation cost. Indeed, old waste deposits related to past mining and metallurgical activities can be considered as significant reserves of valuable metals because these latter were not exploited or because economically recoverable metals may remain. In France, a recently started project handled by BRGM is aimed at identifying interesting old mining wastes deposits at the national level and assessing the metal recovery potential of these dumps. In a first step, it focuses on previous sites to be rehabilitated. The objective is to develop a methodology combining mining wastes environmental management and economic valorisation in a long term perspective.


The high-frequency analysis of foreign exchange dynamics is helpful in order to better identify the impact of central bank interventions. Evidence robustly shows that interventions do indeed move the exchange rate level in the desired direction. Interventions increase volatility in the short run as they are regarded as information; but they can reduce volatility overall. Ways of transmission may reach beyond the signaling channel and also include the portfolio balance and a damping channel. Finally, interventions are more successful if they obey certain conditions, such as being coordinated among central banks and going with the market and fundamentals.


A method for on-line voltage stability monitoring of a power system based on Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) neural network is proposed in this paper. Considering that the power system is operating under quasistatic conditions, by using power flow model and singular value decomposition of the reduced Jacobian matrix, a suitable index to quantify the proximity of power system voltage instability is defined. Then, a neuronal network is trained to learn the correlation between the key factors of the voltage stability phenomena and this index. Once trained, the neural network provides the above mentioned voltage stability index as output for a predefined set of input variables that are known as directly influencing the stability conditions of the power system. Since the input variables for the neural network may be obtained from the steady state estimator, the proposed method can be implemented as a function of the Energy Management System (EMS) for on-line voltage stability monitoring. Tests are carried out using the IEEE 30-bus system, where different operating scenarios are considered.


Land degradation and soil erosion are the major problem in the world. The world loses 24 billion tons of fertile land and dry land degradation reduces National domestic product in developing countries by up to eight percent per year which indicates the vulnerable threat to millions of people in the world. About 87 tonnes of topsoil per hectare per year eroded in Nepal. The fragile geology, farming practices, increasing population etc are the reason which exceeding erosion in Nepal. Soil conservation practices include erosion control and fertility maintenance as well. Agro-forestry system using Pectona grandis, Acacia nilotica, Dalbergia sissoo etc play an important role in soil conservation. Cowpea, Velvet bean, sesbania, blackgram etc as a cover crop intercept the splash effect of raindrops, improve infiltration of soil and also to reduce deleterious effects of global warming. Conservation tillage was found effective against both soil and wind erosion. Mulching, contour farming and terracing are also found effective in the hilly mountaineous region. It was also found effective in Nepalese condition as well. In this paper bird's eye view on soil erosion issue, reason and major conservation practices in Nepal and world as well.


A simple method to compute approximate cross sections for the elastic scattering of electrons by atoms in the intermediate energy range ( approximately=500 eV-50 keV) is proposed. The method starts from the static field approximation, the atomic potential being derived from self-consistent procedures. Calculation results are in good agreement with experimental ones for free atoms. For atoms in solids, the solid structure is taken into account by using Wigner-Seitz boundary conditions in the self-consistent calculation. This method is suitable to be used in Monte Carlo simulation of electron transport.


The lavers (Porphyra tenera Kellm.) are usually attacked by the wasting disease during the culture period in sea. It is rational to discuss the causes from two different categories: One is non-parasitic, and the other is parasitic. Among the former cases, "Shiro-Gu_??_ari-Byo" (white wasting disease) seems to be most harmful. The disease is suggested to be caused by the unfavourable conditions for the alga, such as the lack of uncovered and drying periods in the sea. In the parasitic diseases, "Aka-Gusari-Byo" (red wasting disease) gives the greatest damages. The pathogenetic fungus is though_??_ to be a new species of a new genus allied to the pythium, but whose name is not yet determined. The life-history and the eco-physiological properties of the fungus were studied in details.


BACKGROUND
This research analyzed needlestick injuries sustained by employees working in the home health environment to determine to what extent existing infection control policies and procedures in home health care are effective in reducing the risk of transmission of blood-borne infections.

METHODS
In June and July 1992, a random sample of 600 directors of home health care agencies in the United States were sent questionnaires concerning written blood-borne infection control policies and procedures of home health care agencies. Agency characteristics were also identified.

RESULTS
A 46% response rate (n = 278) was obtained. Of the 226 agencies that reported needlestick injury rates, 102 agencies reported no needlestick injuries to home health care agency employees in the "last year" and 124 agencies reported from one to 134 needlestick injuries, for a cumulative total of 475. Statistical analyses revealed that agencies with "safer" sharps containers, "safer" hypodermics, or "safer" access to intravenous administration lines did not have statistically significantly rates of lower needlestick injury than agencies without these "safer" products.

CONCLUSIONS
This study should be considered exploratory; causal relationships cannot be established. Although written blood-borne infection control policies and procedures do not appear to provide protection to home health care workers from the risk of needlestick injury, limitations in the data exist. Consequently, results should be viewed with caution and additional research is needed.


One of the most exciting methodological advances for brain research field arises in functional brain imaging, which enables us to localize and characterize neural activity and biochemical events in the living human brain. Recently developed event-related functional MRI makes it possible to visualize the brain activity associated with cognitive processes with the temporal resolution of the hemodynamic response. In addition, the high sensitivity and selectivity of positron-emission tomography allow us to probe the neurochemical processes at the molecular level. Positron-emission tomography also has been applied to investigate the effects of therapeutic drugs as well as the effects of drugs of abuse.


All crop models, whether site-specific or global-gridded and regardless of crop, simulate daily crop transpiration and soil evaporation during the crop life cycle, resulting in seasonal crop water use. Modelers use several methods for predicting daily potential evapotranspiration (ET), including FAO-56, Penman-Monteith, Priestley-Taylor, Hargreaves, full energy balance, and transpiration water efficiency. They use extinction equations to partition energy to soil evaporation or transpiration, depending on leaf area index. Most models simulate soil water balance and soil-root water supply for transpiration, and limit transpiration if water uptake is insufficient, and thereafter reduce dry matter production. Comparisons among multiple crop and global gridded models in the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) show surprisingly large differences in simulated ET and crop water use for the same climatic conditions. Model intercomparisons alone are not enough to know which approaches are correct. There is an urgent need to test these models against field-observed data on ET and crop water use. It is important to test various ET modules/equations in a model platform where other aspects such as soil water balance and rooting are held constant, to avoid compensation caused by other parts of models. The CSM-CROPGRO model in DSSAT already has ET equations for Priestley-Taylor, Penman-FAO-24, Penman-Monteith-FAO-56, and an hourly energy balance approach. In this work, we added transpiration-efficiency modules to DSSAT and AgMaize models and tested the various ET equations against available data on ET, soil water balance, and season-long crop water use of soybean, fababean, maize, and other crops where runoff and deep percolation were known or zero. The different ET modules created considerable differences in predicted ET, growth, and yield.


Two patients with obstruction of the pulmonary veins by bronchogenic carcinoma, an unusual cause, are presented. These and other cases reported have had features suggestive of mitral stenosis. The differential diagnosis is discussed.


This study examines the factors that determine the demand .for tourism in Africa. It starts by analysing the trend in tourism across the globe, focusing particularly on Africa. There are several factors that influence the demand for tourism. This study has included both endogenous and exogenous variables in determining the factors that influence tourism demand in Africa. Using a dynamic Generalized Method of Moments panel data analysis, it was discovered that exogenous variables such as political instability, crime rate and endogenous variables such as exchange rate appreciation and consumer price index are significant factors which tourists consider when choosing Africa as their destination. The results of this conform with Naude and Saayman (2004) and Eila and Einav, 2003) who contend that political upheavals, cut an increase in crime rate, among other factors are responsible for the decline in the inflow of tourists to Africa. This paper concludes that the exogenous variables are the vital determinants of tourist choices with respect to African destinations. The author suggest that for Africa to benefit from the potentialities embedded in the tourism sector, African leaders must strive to maintain peace and political stabilities as well as reduce the level of incessant crimes in their various countries.


The degree of body decomposition can be quantified using Total Body Score (TBS), a scale frequently used in taphonomic or entomological studies of decomposition. Here, the inter‐rater reliability of the scale is analyzed. The study was made on 120 laymen, which were trained in the use of the scale. Participants scored decomposition of pig carcasses from photographs. It was found that the scale, when used by different people, gives homogeneous results irrespective of the user qualifications (the Krippendorff's alfa for all participants was 0.818). The study also indicated that carcasses in advanced decomposition receive significantly less accurate scores. Moreover, it was found that scores for cadavers in mosaic decomposition (i.e., representing signs of at least two stages of decomposition) are less accurate. These results demonstrate that the scale may be regarded as inter‐rater reliable. Some propositions for refinement of the scale were also discussed.


" ... Every true science employs a method of which the technical and professional schools make little use. This method is comparison. It is preeminently the scientific method; without the employment of the comparative method, no body of knowledge regarding the facts of social life can take rank as a science." Munroe Smith, A General View of European Legal History and Other Papers (1927) 263. "The method of natural science rests always on the comparison of observed phenomena, and the aim of such comparison is by a careful examination of diversities to discover underlying uniformities. Applied to human societies the comparative method used as an instrument for inductive inference will enable us to discover the universal, essential, characters which belong to all human societies, past, present, and future. The progressive achievement of knowledge of this kind must be the aim of all who believe that a veritable science of human society is possible and desirable." A. R. Radcliffe-Brown in Preface to Fortes and Evans-Pritchard, African Political Systems (1940) xi.


Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL

Metastasis, a recognized multistep biological process, is the main cause of mortality in cancer patients. Although EGFR mutated lung cancers are of better prognosis, a group of patients develop metastasis and died of disease. We previously showed that EGFR mutations were associated with a copy number variation at a locus encompassing the TWIST1 gene on chromosome 7. TWIST1 is a highly conserved developmental gene involved in embryogenesis that turned out to be frequently reactived in cancers promoting both malignant conversion and cancer progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of TWIST1 on progression in EGFR mutated lung cancer. Using 6 human lung cell lines with or without EGFR mutations or TWIST1 reactivation, we demonstrated that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the associated mobility were dependent upon TWIST1 expression in cells with EGFR mutation. Indeed, EGF treatment only induced EMT and mobility in cells with TWIST reactivation. EGF treatment induced a translocation of TWIST1 to the nucleus, up-regulated mesenchymal markers and down-regulated epithelial markers at mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, inhibition of either the oncogenic EGF pathway stimulation or TWIST1 expression by small RNA technology reversed the phenomenon suggesting that both EGF pathway activation and TWIST1 reactivation are necessary for EMT in lung cancer with EGFR mutation. In a second step, we analyzed surgical lung cancer specimens from non-smokers with and without EGFR mutations and looked for TWIST1 and epithelial or mesenchymal markers expression. Hierarchical clustering combining TWIST1, epithelial (CDH1, JUP) and mesenchymal (VIM, CDH2) gene mRNA expression in tumors perfectly individualizes the EGFR mutated group as the group with TWIST1 reactivation. Immunohistochemical analysis of lung cancer samples revealed that TWIST1 protein expression was associated with EGFR mutation and low CDH1 expression supporting our in vitro observations. Collectively, our observations support that TWIST1 collaborates with EGF/EGFR mutated signaling pathway in promoting EMT in lung cancers and thereby drives the metastatic dissemination in this group of patients.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3418. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3418


Both the estimation of the time that small heavy particles remain inside a 3D vortex and the estimation of the average settling velocity of those particles are some important features in many practical situations. Previous works focused on the case of a horizontal 2D vortex. In this paper, we simulate the dynamics of heavy particles initially situated inside a three-dimensional vortex obtaining a formula for their average settling velocity. In a previous paper we obtained the trajectories of the particles and a formula that provides the time that they need to escape, . This work simulates and analyses the escape process, and its main result is the obtaining, from numerical simulation, of a theoretical formulation of the average settling velocity and its relationship with the elapsed time. We prove that the permanence time is of the order of (with particle diameter) and that the average settling velocity is of the order of for sufficiently small particles. Some applications of the settling velocity formula developed in this work would be the design of mixture devices, the design of particle separation devices, and the prediction of the settling of pollutant particles, seeds, and pollen.


The GASCAP model was developed to provide a software tool for analysis of the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the construction and maintenance of transportation projects. This phase of development included techniques for estimating emissions from induced travel when a project involves a capacity expansion; a life-cycle maintenance module based on recommended procedures for maintaining a road surface over 50 years; an automated method for inputting construction equipment activity associated with selected project types; a method based on the Highway Capacity Manual for estimating emissions associated with project staging and the diversion of traffic around a worksite; methods for more easily updating emissions factors in the model; and, a variety of miscellaneous upgrades to account for SF6 emissions, upstream electricity emissions associated with asphalt, and incorporation of additional bid-sheet codes in the materials module. Four case studies to demonstrate the models usage were also conducted. These were: a large project case study (reconstruction of route 35 in Ocean County) that demonstrated the full capabilities of the model; a smaller project (route 47 resurfacing in Gloucester County) that focused on different staging options and the impact on emissions from traffic; an applied case study conducted in collaboration with New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) staff in the South Jersey regional office that focused on maintenance activities; and a demonstration of the relationship between the embodied fuel cost of a project and the GHG emissions. The software and related documentation is available for use on www.gascap.org and users are requested to upload any analysis results to provide information for further development of the software.


Abstract. The lifetime of nitrogen oxides (NOx) affects the concentration and distribution of NOx and the spatial patterns of nitrogen deposition. Despite its importance, the lifetime of NOx is poorly constrained in rural and remote continental regions. We use measurements from a site in central Alabama during the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) in summer 2013 to provide new insights into the chemistry of NOx and NOx reservoirs. We find that the lifetime of NOx during the daytime is controlled primarily by the production and loss of alkyl and multifunctional nitrates (ΣANs). During SOAS, ΣAN production was rapid, averaging 90 ppt h−1 during the day, and occurred predominantly during isoprene oxidation. Analysis of the ΣAN and HNO3 budgets indicate that ΣANs have an average lifetime of under 2 h, and that approximately 45 % of the ΣANs produced at this site are rapidly hydrolyzed to produce nitric acid. We find that ΣAN hydrolysis is the largest source of HNO3 and the primary pathway to permanent removal of NOx from the boundary layer in this location. Using these new constraints on the fate of ΣANs, we find that the NOx lifetime is 11 ± 5 h under typical midday conditions. The lifetime is extended by storage of NOx in temporary reservoirs, including acyl peroxy nitrates and ΣANs.


Group A Streptococcus (GAS) can cause invasive disease but rarely causes meningitis. Here we report a three-year-old girl with a GAS meningitis after Arnold-Chiari type I corrective surgery. Six days after surgery she presented fever, headache, vomiting and surgical wound inflammatory signs. A cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection with a fistulous path to skin was identified and GAS was found in blood and CSF cultures. Despite targeted antibiotherapy, due to lack of improvement and difficult management of the CSF fistula, she needed to be submitted to several surgical corrections and increased antibiotherapy spectrum. Despite the low risk in acquiring bacterial meningitis after neurosurgery, these procedures may be a direct route for infection. Surgery complications like a fistula are a known risk factor for infection and although uncommon, GAS meningitis may be difficult to manage and can cause serious morbidity.


ABSTRACT Paraquat (1,1′-dimethyl-4, 4′-dipyridylium) is a broad-spectrum liquid herbicide associated with both accidental and intentional ingestion leading to severe and often fatal toxicity.1 Paraquat is actively taken up against a concentration gradient into lung tissue leading to pneumonitis and lung fibrosis. Paraquat also causes renal and liver injury.2 There are few case publications of paraquat poisoning and only few of them have reported that renal failure has ensued before acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Our patient presented with above lethal dose intake of paraquat containing substance and we did gastric lavage followed by charcoal hemoperfusion and hemodialysis but patient could not be saved despite optimum efforts suggesting the high fatality of this kind of poisoning. How to cite this article Sharma DS, Prajapati AM, Shah DM. Review of a Case of Paraquat Poisoning in a Tertiary Care Rural-based ICU. Indian J Crit Care Med 2019;23(6):284–286. Key Messages Acute renal injury with hypoperfusion state due to toxicity at cellular level, redox cycling and intracellular reactive oxidative stress generation may also cause death in early stages in paraquat poisoning despite optimal management.


: 2-Substituted 1,4-benzodioxanes bearing one or more substituents at benzene are important templates in the design and synthesis of a large variety of biologically active compounds. One of the most straightforward synthetic strategies to prepare them in racemic form and with a 2-substituent susceptible to further synthetically useful conversions is the condensation of commercially available methyl 2,3-dibromopropionate with already suitably functionalized catechol. Here, we obtain methyl 8- and 5-nitro-1,4-benzodioxane-2-carboxylate by reaction of methyl 2,3-dibromopropionate with 3-nitrocatechol. After separation, the two positional isomers could be unequivocally identified by HMBC NMR analysis.


PURPOSE
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) guide therapeutic decisions. But which RCTs are done; which omitted; and which should be done? This study illustrates a method to explore these questions applied to drugs for post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV).

METHODS
Review articles listed 18 drugs for PONV. All RCTs of these drugs for PONV were sought. The first drug mentioned in an RCT was counted and tabulated against others in all the arms of the RCT (against itself in a dose-ranging RCT). Additional drugs mentioned in these RCTs were added to the study, for a total of 40 drugs.

RESULTS
Drugs involved in the most RCTs were: ondansetron 131 RCTs; propofol 118; droperidol 74; metoclopramide 67; granisetron 52; scopolamine 22; tropisetron 16. Drugs involved in the fewest RCTs: two drugs with 2 RCTs; twelve drugs with one; three with none. Probability that this distribution occurred by chance: P < 0.00001; that the distribution of dose-ranging RCTs occurred by chance: P < 0.001. Regression of RCT numbers on cost: R = 0.86, P < 0.0001; on year of drug introduction: R = 0.14. Of 1600 possible comparisons of drugs for PONV, (including dose-ranging) 97.8% have never been published.

CONCLUSION
Although some antiemetic drugs for PONV have been studied in large numbers of RCTs, many have not been adequately evaluated. Finding relevant RCTs and tabulating their comparison arms is useful for directing future research, and is applicable to any symptom or disorder.


The organization of the three structural nitrogen fixation (nif) genes that encode nitrogenase (nif K and nif D) and nitrogenase reductase (nif H) have been examined in a number of cyanobacteria. Hybridization of Anabaena 7120 nif gene probes to restriction endonuclease-digested genomic DNA has shown (a) that cyanobacteria incapable of N(2) fixation have no regions of DNA with significant homology to the three nif probes, (b) that Pseudanabaena sp., a nonheterocystous cyanobacterium, has a contiguous nif KDH gene cluster, and (c) that in contrast with other heterocystous cyanobacteria, Fischerella sp. has a contiguous nif KDH gene cluster.


Human chronic graft-versus-host disease (CGVHD) shares clinical characteristics with a murine sclerodermatous GVHD (scl GVHD) model that is characterized by skin and lung fibrosis. We used B10.D2 → BALB/c model of scl GVHD, which differ at minor histocompatibility loci, to address the therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the development of CGVHD. MSCs were intravenously treated on days 3, 5 and 7 post-transplantation. The clinical severity of cutaneous scl GVHD was significantly attenuated after the treatment of MSCs. Pathologically, animals treated with MSCs showed less fibrosis and inflammatory cell infiltrations in skin and ear but not in visceral organs including lung and liver. Accordingly, the mRNA expression of collagen type 1 α1, 1 α2 and 3 α1 as well as collagen production were significantly reduced after the MSC treatment only in skin compared to the allogeneic scl GVHD controls. MSCs down-regulated mRNA of proinflammatory cytokines mainly in skin tissues and among them TGF-β expression was consistently reduced 28 days after HSCT. The effects of MSCs on molecular markers implicated in persistent TGF-β signaling and fibrosis, such as phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), p-Smad2/3 and matrix metaloprotease-1 (MMP-1) were observed at the skin tissues. MSCs inhibited infiltration of immune cells into skin through down-regulating CCR4, CCR8 and CCR10 on donor CD4 T cells and CCR1 on CD11b monocytes. Moreover, MSCs diminished the expression of mRNA for chemokines such as CCL1, CCL8, CCL17, CCL22 and CCL3, in skin. In conclusion, treatment of MSCs early after transplant attenuated cutaneous scl GVHD by selectively blocking of immune cell migration and down-regulating the chemokines and chemokine receptors.


Kidney abnormality is one of the major concerns in modern society, and it affects millions of people around the world. To diagnose different abnormalities in human kidneys, a narrow-beam x-ray imaging procedure, computed tomography, is used, which creates cross-sectional slices of the kidneys. Several deep-learning models have been successfully applied to computer tomography images for classification and segmentation purposes. However, it has been difficult for clinicians to interpret the model's specific decisions and, thus, creating a "black box" system. Additionally, it has been difficult to integrate complex deep-learning models for internet-of-medical-things devices due to demanding training parameters and memory-resource cost. To overcome these issues, this study proposed (1) a lightweight customized convolutional neural network to detect kidney cysts, stones, and tumors and (2) understandable AI Shapely values based on the Shapley additive explanation and predictive results based on the local interpretable model-agnostic explanations to illustrate the deep-learning model. The proposed CNN model performed better than other state-of-the-art methods and obtained an accuracy of 99.52 ± 0.84% for K = 10-fold of stratified sampling. With improved results and better interpretive power, the proposed work provides clinicians with conclusive and understandable results.


One of the most important aspects that include intercropping systems with respect of interspecific competitive ability of crops grown, however, while taking into account the integrated weed control. Because of this complexity, the adoption farming systems CropLivestock Integration is small, but with great capacity for expansion. Focusing on the factors that limit adoption of this system seems to be strategic point for further studies. Thus, the aim of this work was to compile a set of information related to weed management and forages concomitantly aiming to identify the main alternative for the proper management of integrate system.


Abstract There are a small number of commercially available sensors to measure rotational motion in the frequency and amplitude ranges appropriate for earthquake motions on the ground and in structures. However, the performance of these rotational seismometers has not been rigorously and independently tested and characterized for earthquake monitoring purposes as is done for translational strong- and weak-motion seismometers. Quantities such as sensitivity, frequency response, resolution, and linearity are needed for the understanding of recorded rotational data. To address this need, we, with assistance from colleagues in the United States and Taiwan, have been developing performance test methodologies and equipment for rotational seismometers. In this article the performance testing methodologies are applied to samples of a commonly used commercial rotational seismometer, the eentec model R-1. Several examples were obtained for various test sequences in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Performance testing of these sensors consisted of measuring: (1) sensitivity and frequency response; (2) clip level; (3) self noise and resolution; and (4) cross-axis sensitivity, both rotational and translational. These sensor-specific results will assist in understanding the performance envelope of the R-1 rotational seismometer, and the test methodologies can be applied to other rotational seismometers.


A primary concern facing the PCAOB's requirement of disclosing critical audit matters (CAMs) is increased auditor litigation risk. Evidence with Key Audit Matters from the U.K. indicates auditors may subsequently remove a CAM or continue to report the same CAM for several years. Therefore, we investigate the effects of CAM removal and duration on jurors' assessments of auditor negligence when there is a subsequent material misstatement due to fraud in the account related to the CAM. Using the Culpable Control Model, we predict jurors will assess higher auditor negligence when a CAM is removed than when a CAM is reported and when a CAM is reported for multiple years than for one year. Results from two experiments support our expectations, although results vary depending on complexity of the misstated account. Overall, our findings highlight a quandary for audit firms, where subsequent removal of a CAM increases auditor liability.


Though writing more than one-hundred years apart, the poetic works of John Milton and William Blake interacted with one another to such an extent that they have become increasingly entwined within the critical imagination of scholars over the past two centuries. Despite the recognition of the influence of Milton upon Blake, and subsequent examinations of Blake's opinions of Milton as an artist, a thorough examination of Blake's opinion of Milton as the narrator of Paradise Lost has heretofore remained unattempted. This essay examines Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience as a lens through which to interpret the narrator of Paradise Lost. Reading Milton in this light reveals a fallen and troubled narrator attempting to represent innocence, yet encountering difficulties due to his fallen condition. Through his poetry Blake examines the nature of Milton's narrator, ultimately demonstrating that the problems of innocence within Paradise Lost, namely the transience of innocence and the vulnerability of those in a state of innocence, stem originally from the fallen narrator's impossible task of representing a condition which has been lost to him.


Requirements that need to be met by multicast authentication schemes are packet authenticity, packet loss robustness, loss model independence, and denial of service (DoS) resistance. We develop an efficient multicast authentication scheme for real-time streaming applications that is resistant to denial-of-service attacks while consuming much less resources (CPU and buffer) at receivers compared to previously proposed schemes. This scheme utilizes prediction hashing (PH) and one-way key chain (OKC) techniques based on erasure codes and distillation codes. PH and OKC techniques enable the receiver to significantly reduce the CPU overhead and buffer requirements compared to other block-based solution approaches. Analysis conducted indicates that this new scheme consumes much less CPU time and buffer space than one of the recently proposed denial-of-service (DoS) resistant multicast authentication schemes, pollution resistant authenticated block streams (PRABS) (Karlof et al., 2004), by a factor of more than 5 for buffer requirement and 3 for CPU requirement.


Immunodominance is defined as the responsiveness of T cells to few selected peptide epitopes from complex antigens. To understand the mechanism of epitope selection from antigenic proteins for helper T cells, we used a cell-free antigen processing system composed of five purified proteins: HLA-DR, cathepsins B, H, S, and HLA-DM. We find that immunodominant epitopes are selected differently if derived from self proteins or from pathogens. Sensitivity to cathepsins and resistance to DM-mediated dissociation are equally contributing factors. Self-derived epitopes appear to be less susceptible to cathepsin digestion, whereas pathogen-derived epitopes are sensitive. Cathepsin sensitivity necessitates capture of epitopes by MHC II prior to processing by cathepsins. Resistance to DM-mediated dissociation increases longer epitope survival. We propose that most peptides generated from proteins do not gain immunodominance because they are sensitive to both DM and enzymatic digestions. Thus, immunodominance is established differently for different antigens incorporating functions of DM, cathepsins and MHC II, altogether help to ascertain higher abundance of the immunodominant epitope. Supported by grants from NIAID, R01AI063764 and R21 AI101987 to SS-N.


Abstract Background The prevalence of opioid use disorder has increased across the United States, but the rural population of Appalachia has been disproportionately impacted. Concurrently, the slow, but steady progress in the legalization of marijuana may be affecting perception of marijuana use in pregnancy. However, marijuana use in pregnancy has been associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. Concomitant use of opioids and marijuana in pregnancy has not been evaluated. Objective The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the association between confirmed marijuana use in late pregnancy and preterm birth in opioid-exposed pregnancies. Methodology A retrospective chart review was conducted that included all births from July 2011 to June 2016 from 6 delivery hospitals in South-Central Appalachia. Out of 18,732 births, 2368 singleton pregnancies indicated opioid use and met remaining inclusion criteria, with 108 of these mothers testing positive for marijuana at delivery. Independent sample t-test and Chi-Square analyses compared marijuana and non-marijuana exposed groups on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Regression analyses controlled for confounding variables in predicting neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), NICU admission, preterm birth, small for gestational age, and low birth weight outcomes as shown in Table 1. Results Neonates born to marijuana-positive women in opioid-exposed pregnancy were more likely to be born preterm, small for gestational age, have low birth weight, and be admitted to NICU. After statistically controlling for parity, marital status, tobacco and benzodiazepine use, preterm birth and low birth weight remained statistically significant with aOR of 2.35 (1.30–4.24) and 2.01 (1.18–3.44), respectively. Conclusions Maternal use of marijuana in any opioid-exposed pregnancy may increase risk of preterm birth and low-birth weight infants. Prospective studies need to examine the dose and timing of marijuana and opioid use in pregnancy to better delineate perinatal effects. Nonetheless, pregnant women using opioids, including recommended medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, should be educated about the risks of concurrent marijuana use during pregnancy and may need to be counseled to abstain from marijuana use during pregnancy for an optimal outcome.


Unbalanced bidding describes the process of contractors deliberately applying different mark-ups to individual items of work within a project. This practice has been shown to have the potential of yielding significant benefits to the contractor, including improved cashflow, higher compensation for escalation, and higher valuations for anticipated variations. A previous study on a hypothetical project indicated an improvement in profit in the order of 150% compared to balanced item prices. Research has indicated that unbalanced bidding is a widespread practice and yet many researchers have argued that it is unethical. This paper investigates the merits of these claims.


ABSTRACT The literature on the risk perceptions, knowledge levels, and attitudes of operators, workers, and residents in relation to non-dietary exposure to agricultural pesticides is reviewed. No literature was identified in relation to bystander exposure. Research has primarily been conducted on participants in developing countries and migrant workers in the United States. For operators and workers, illiteracy, poverty, and a perception that exposure to pesticides is an inevitable part of their work results in limited adoption of safety precautions while using and storing pesticides. As a result, risk communication activities aimed at operator and workers need to take account of the wider socioeconomic and cultural conditions in which workers and operators are working and living. There is less research focused on residents' and bystanders' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. The lack of European data in general, and residents' and bystanders' data in particular, represents a knowledge gap that is pertinent to emerging EU legislation requiring residents' and bystanders' inclusion in pesticide risk assessment. This review provides a comprehensive overview that can assist policy-makers, and risk communicators in the development of targeted training and awareness-raising material for operators, workers, bystanders, and residents. Areas for future research are suggested.


In addition to taking steps to ensure their own safety, clinicians also have a role in predicting violence. In the past the clinician's ability to accurately assess the risk for violence has been seriously questioned. This chapter provides guidance for making acceptable predictions.


Salmonella Weltevreden is a pathogen associated with human diarrheal diseases found across the globe. However, knowledge of the genomics and epidemiology of this pathogen is still limited. ABSTRACT Salmonella Weltevreden is an emerging pathogen associated with human diarrhea, and knowledge of the genomics and epidemiology of this serovar is still limited. In this study, we performed whole-genome sequencing of 96 S. Weltevreden isolates recovered from diarrheal patients and 62 isolates from food animals in China between 2006 and 2017. Together, with an additional 199 genome sequences of S. Weltevreden published in NCBI, we performed an analysis on all 357 S. Weltevreden genome sequences. Our results demonstrated that the majority of S. Weltevreden from diarrheal patients from China (97.92%, 94/96) and the other regions in the world (94.97%, 189/199) identified in this study were sequence type (ST) 365. The remaining types were ST3771 (n = 3), ST22 (n = 1), ST155 (n = 1), and ST684 (n = 1). In addition, ST365 was also widely recovered from animals, food, and environmental samples in different regions of the world. Phylogenetic analysis and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed that S. Weltevreden from diarrheal patients was closely related to those recovered from food and environmental specimens. We also showed that S. Weltevreden did not exhibit severe antimicrobial resistance profiles, suggesting administering antibiotics is still effective for controlling the agent. Interestingly, we found that S. Weltevreden strains carried a number of virulence factor genes, and a 100.03-kb IncFII(S) type plasmid was widely distributed in S. Weltevreden strains. Elimination of this plasmid decreased the bacterial capacity to infect both Caco-2 cells and C57BL/6 mice, suggesting the importance of this plasmid for bacterial virulence. Our results contribute to the understanding of the epidemiology and virulence of S. Weltevreden. IMPORTANCE Salmonella Weltevreden is a pathogen associated with human diarrheal diseases found across the globe. However, knowledge of the genomics and epidemiology of this pathogen is still limited. In this study, we found S. Weltevreden sequence type (ST) 365 is commonly recovered from diarrheal patients in China and many other regions of the world, and there is no major difference between the Chinese isolates and the global isolates at the phylogenetic level. We also demonstrated that ST365 was widely recovered from animal, food, and environmental samples collected in different, global regions. Importantly, we discovered an IncFII(S) type plasmid commonly carried by S. Weltevreden strains of human, animal, and food origins, and this plasmid is likely to contribute to the bacterial pathogenesis. These findings enhance our understanding of the emergence of S. Weltevreden involved in diarrheal outbreaks and the global spread of S. Weltevreden strains.


In mobile networks, devices have frequent change of point of connection to the Internet. Thus, there is a need to provide seamless connectivity to the Internet. This paper examines a fast handoff mechanism, called triple truncated packets (TTP), for mobile Internet. In this scheme, the base station BS (or access point) assists in detecting and responding to handoffs in a graceful and efficient manner. A simple analytical model motivates and supports the need for such mechanism. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can manage handoffs quickly and while lowering packet losses


In 2010, Ambulance Victoria (the primary employer of Victoria University Bachelor of Health Science graduates) introduced a math examination as part of their recruitment. The exam aimed to improve the process of clinical drug administration by deselecting graduates who were unable to demonstrate predetermined mathematical skills. Anecdotally, it has been noted that many applicants do poorly in math assessments within the course and during recruitment. Anxiety appears also to be raised when undertaking a math assessment compared to other components of university assessment and employment recruitment. In order to improve student chances of pursuing this career, whilst maintaining a minimum standard, a more structured approach to mathematical education in this health science degree is required.

Our aims are to engage students in mathematical learning, improve their math skills, alleviate math related anxiety and identify the relevance of math in their future health science career.


Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most prevalent form of cancer worldwide. Despite advancements made in treatment strategies, the fatality rate of HNSCC is very high. An accumulating body of evidence suggests that epigenetic modification of histones plays an influential role in the development and progression of the disease. In this review we discuss the role of epigenetic modifications in HNSCC and the inter-relationships of human papillomavirus oncoproteins and histone-modifying agents. Further, we explore the possibility of identifying these modifications as biomarkers for their use as drugs in treatment strategies.


Computer-based voice-recognition software has many potential advantages in producing reports of radiology procedures. Using voice-recognition systems, however, necessitates increased involvement of the radiologist in the process of producing the report. The radiologist, previously responsible only for recording a report onto tape and ensuring the integrity of the final report now becomes obligated to interact with the computer and to ensure the integrity of the transcription process as well as the accuracy of the final report. Two attending radiologists and one first-year radiology resident at an academic medical center timed the production of reports using both the voice recognition system and tape transcription of reports of plain films (n = 27), mammograms (n = 25), and GI/GU exams (n = 17). In addition, the taped dictations were transcribed and then corrected by the physicians. The additional correction time (determined as an average) was added to the tape times to produce a "corrected" tape time. Paired T-Test procedures were used to determine if pairs of readings (voice recognition vs. corrected tape transcription) differed in length of time. In addition, the data was stratified into three groupings--plain film, mammography, and GI/GU--in order to assess for differences between modalities. The length of time required to produce a radiology report using the commercial radiology voice recognition system employed at our center is significantly longer than that required by the traditional corrected tape transcription system. One motivation to use a voice recognition system is the cost savings achieved by eliminating transcriptionists and replacing them with the radiologist using the voice recognition system. In our institution this cost savings is estimated to be $100,000 annually. This apparent cost savings is reduced by the cost of the lost productivity of the radiologist. Compared to tape transcription, our data demonstrate a significant increase in the amount of time necessary for radiologists to produce a radiology report when using the voice recognition system currently employed in our hospital. While it is likely that future systems will require less extra time, this factor needs to be accounted for when departments consider using such systems to replace transcriptionists with radiologists.


Background Children with hemophilia frequently require long-term central venous access devices (CVADs) for regular infusion of factor products. Hemophilia patients are not immunocompromised, but the presence and use of CVADs are associated with infections including bacteremia. Currently, the utility of blood cultures in evaluation of the febrile hemophilia patient with an indwelling CVAD is unknown, nor is optimal empiric antibiotic use. Methods We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of febrile immunocompetent hemophilia patients with CVADs presenting to a large academic urban pediatric emergency department from 1995 to 2017. We used a natural language processing electronic search, followed by manual chart review to construct the cohort. We analyzed rate of pathogen recovery from cultures of blood in subgroups of hemophilia patients, the pathogen profile, and the reported pathogen susceptibilities to ceftriaxone. Results Natural language processing electronic search identified 181 visits for fever among hemophilia patients with indwelling CVADs of which 147 cases from 44 unique patients met study criteria. Cultures of blood were positive in 56 (38%) of 147 patients (95% confidence interval, 30%–47%). Seventeen different organisms were isolated (10 pathogens and 7 possible pathogens) with Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species as the most common. Thirty-four percent of isolates were reported as susceptible to ceftriaxone. Positive blood cultures were more common in cases involving patients with inhibitors (n = 71) versus those without (n = 76), odds ratio, 7.4 (95% confidence interval, 3.5–15.9). This was observed irrespective of hemophilia type. Conclusions Febrile immunocompetent hemophilia patients with indwelling CVADs have high rates of bacteremia. Empiric antimicrobial therapy should be targeted to anticipated pathogens and take into consideration local susceptibility patterns for Staphylococcus aureus.


Soon we shall cross the threshold into a new millennium. It would be no small contribution, for generations yet unborn, to leave behind genocidal weapons as the property of the barbaric 20th century. Indeed, an unprecedented opportunity exists for achieving that seemingly quixotic goal. This spring, signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty will assemble in New York to decide whether to renew, modify, or reject the treaty. Certainly non-renewal would post a singular threat for global security and international peace. Would the treaty's indefinite extension then be a blessing, as is forcefully argued by the nuclear powers?

The Non-Proliferation Treaty was drafted in 1968 and entered in full force two years later. This multinational instrument was intended as a firebreak against the spread of nuclear weapons. Many nations had foregone nuclearism because of the promises and commitments enshrined in this treaty. The treaty represented a bargain: in return for not acquiring nuclear weapons, the non-weapon states would have free access to peaceful uses of nuclear energy under international safeguards, while the nuclear powers would rapidly divest themselves of their nuclear arsenals.

This second objective was clearly spelt out in the treaty and is explicitly stated in article VI. The words are precise, leaving little room for obfuscation—"to achieve at the earliest possible date the cessation of the nuclear arms race" and "to facilitate the cessation of the manufacture of nuclear weapons, the liquidation of their nuclear stockpiles, and the elimination from national arsenals of nuclear weapons and the means of their delivery pursuant to a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control." This article was intended to provide an acceptable balance of compensation to those who forswore possession …


We develop an inverse graphics approach to the problem of scene understanding, obtaining a rich representation that includes descriptions of the objects in the scene and their spatial layout, as well as global latent variables like the camera parameters and lighting. The framework's stages include object detection, the prediction of the camera and lighting variables, and prediction of object-specific variables (shape, appearance and pose). This acts like the encoder of an autoencoder, with graphics rendering as the decoder Importantly the scene representation is interpretable and is of variable dimension to match the detected number of objects plus the global variables. For the prediction of the camera latent variables we introduce a novel architecture termed Probabilistic HoughNets (PHNs), which provides a principled approach to combining information from multiple detections. We demonstrate the quality of the reconstructions obtained quantitatively on synthetic data, and qualitatively on real scenes.


The keratinocyte growth factor receptor (KGFR)/fibroblast growth factor receptor 2b is activated by high‐affinity‐specific interaction with two different ligands, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF)/fibroblast growth factor (FGF)7 and FGF10/KGF2, which are characterized by an opposite requirement of heparan sulfate proteoglycans and heparin for binding to the receptor. We investigated here the possible different endocytic trafficking of KGFR, induced by the two ligands. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy analysis showed that KGFR internalization triggered by either KGF or FGF10 occurs through clathrin‐coated pits. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy using endocytic markers as well as tumor susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101) silencing demonstrated that KGF drives KGFR to the degradative pathway, while FGF10 targets the receptor to the recycling endosomes. Biochemical analysis showed that KGFR is ubiquitinated and degraded after KGF treatment but not after FGF10 treatment, and that the alternative fate of KGFR might depend on the different ability of the receptor to phosphorylate the fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2 (FRS2) substrate and to recruit the ubiquitin ligase c‐Cbl. The recycling endocytic pathway followed by KGFR upon FGF10 stimulation correlates with the higher mitogenic activity exerted by this ligand on epithelial cells compared with KGF, suggesting that the two ligands may play different functional roles through the regulation of the receptor endocytic transport.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation is a serious condition, for which the Bankart procedure is a standard treatment. Having made three modifications to the original procedure, we examined the efficacy of this modified Bankart procedure in the treatment of patients with recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The medical records of 21 patients who received a modified Bankart procedure for recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation during the period from 1989 through 1998 were retrospectively analyzed. The average age at initial dislocation was 22 +/- 5 years. The average postoperative follow-up period was 41 +/- 16 months. Three of the patients complained of mild shoulder pain before their operation.

RESULTS
The postoperative loss of external rotation and abduction compared with the nonoperated side was 9 +/- 4 degrees and 5 +/- 4 degrees, respectively. There were no limitations in daily activities during follow-up. No patient had shoulder pain after surgery. Redislocation occurred in one patient during the follow-up period. Patient satisfaction was rated as excellent by 20 (96%) patients and poor by one.

CONCLUSION
This modified Bankart procedure is a technically easy operation with a low complication rate, a high rate of patient satisfaction, and a low redislocation rate. It is a procedure of choice for the management of traumatic recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation.


SUMMARY Ten neurosecretory cells can be found in each of the first 5 abdominal ganglia of the larva of L. caesar L. These are arranged as two lateral pairs and a single ventral cell in each half of a ganglion. Half the lateral cells go through a cycle of secretory activity before pupation in developing larvae. In diapause larvae while half the lateral cells are in a resting phase the remainder are in various stages of secretory activity. The destination of the product is not known. Chemically this product is, unlike that of brain neurosecretory cells, PAS-positive. It may contain a glyco- or phospholipid or lipoprotein component.


The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of mechanical vibration stimulation on the muscle force and muscle reaction time of lower leg according to perception threshold and vibration frequency. A vibration stimulation with perception threshold intensity was applied on the Achilles tendon and tibialis anterior tendon. EMG measurement and analysis system were used to analyze the change of muscle force and muscle reaction time according to perception threshold and vibration frequency. A root-mean-square (RMS) value was extracted using analysis software and Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) and Premotor Time (PMT) were analyzed. The measurement results showed that perception threshold was different from application sites of vibration frequency. Also, the muscle force and muscle reaction time showed difference according to the presence of vibration, frequency, and intensity. This result means that the vibration stimulation causes the change on the muscle force and muscle reaction time and affects the muscles of lower leg by the characteristics of vibration stimulation.


Introduction/Background Long-term persistent infection from high-risk HPV-subtypes is strongly associated with high-grade lesions and cervical cancer due to two overexpressed viral oncoproteins, E6 and E7. Our aim was to detect and evaluate potential alterations in the post-operative status of E6/E7 HPV mRNA in women treated for Cervical Intraepithelial Lesions (CIN) and if so, to evaluate its potential use as a prognostic tool to identify patients with increased risk of treatment failure or recurrent disease. Methodology Our study retrospectively analyzed 101 women who visited our Colposcopy Clinic with an abnormal Pap smear, or in some cases with histological reports or molecular analysis, suggesting colposcopy. Thin-prep (Hologic) cytological samples were collected before colposcopy and histology (when necessary). After treatment, all women were scheduled for colposcopy and cytology in six months. The cytological material was analyzed with CLART-2 HPV DNA-test (Genomica) and HPV-PROOFER E6/E7 mRNA-test (Pretect). Results No significant correlations were found for smoking, condom use or vaccination status. It seems that the only statistically significant correlation with actual severity comes from mRNA-test after treatment (ρ=0.261, p=0.008). This probably shows that clinical cases with more severe CIN may have higher chances of unsuccessful treatment. At the first post-op follow-up visit, 83.5% of the HPV-mRNA positive women became negative while only 60.4% of the HPV-DNA positive women became negative. There were 12 HPV-mRNA positive patients both before and after treatment, 3 of were HPV-DNA negative pre- and post-operatively, meaning that if based only on HPV-DNA results, they would have been managed wrongly as successfully-treated patients. Our study shows that E6/E7 mRNA detection has particularly high specificity and positive likelihood ratio for the prediction of treatment failure in comparison with HPV DNA-testing. Conclusion E6/E7 mRNA overexpression seems to be a promising candidate as an indicator-biomarker to determine the success of treatment and possibly determine the intensity of post-operative monitoring. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.


The present study focuses on different types of political engagement (citizenship styles) among Greek youth and their perception of apolitical people. International literature provides various concepts of "apolitical" behaviour, leading us to suppose the existence of a controversy-oriented apoliticism. Certain concepts correspond to a positively perceived notion (seemingly apolitical citizens: latent engagement), while others to a negatively perceived notion (genuine passivity). Our sample consists of 83 men and 112 women aged from 19 to 35 who replied to a set of questions regarding their political engagement (interest, participation, alternative participation and political self-definition) and their perception of apoliticism (perceived traits of apolitical people, perception of apolitical behaviour and its consequences). Building on Amna & Ekman's (2014) study, we apply multivariate cluster analysis technique on empirical data derived from our study (standardized scores of political participation and political interest) in order to investigate the extent to which their typology applies among Greek youth. The results of the analysis confirm that we have to consider four distinctive forms of political engagement corresponding to active, standby, unengaged, and disillusioned citizens. Furthermore, we notice differences between those groups and their political self-definition. Combining this analytical framework with the use of social representations theory provides a better understanding of how the concept of apoliticism is reflected among Greek youth. We find that citizenship styles represent apolitical people in a different way: the more politically engaged groups are anchored in a negative perception of apolitical people and consequences of apolitical behavior in Greek society, while the less politically engaged groups have a more positive perception.


A data stream management system (DSMS) for the real-time processing of a large volume of RFID events is proposed herein. It allows the real-time scheduling of groups of operators, the components of a query, to process user queries of various kinds within the time limit. It also creates user-level threads consisting of operators, and the DSMS scheduler schedules the threads of a query, depending on the priority. A prototype of the proposed system was built, and the scheduling of a large volume of RFID events was shown through experiments.


Abstract Objective: to evaluate methods of elderly height estimation attended at the Nutrition ambulatory. Method: a total of 43 elderly individuals of both genders were evaluated during nutrition consultations. Sociodemographic data were collected from charts and height, knee height, arms wingspan and semi-span were measured. Statistical analysis were made through Bland-Altman test to evaluate concordance among statures estimated by predictive formulas and the height measured. Results: the values found were: height measured in meters 1.53 (±0.08), height estimated by the wingspan 1.60 (±0.10), by the semi-span 1.61 (±0.11) and by the knee height 1.56 (±0.10). According to the Bland-Altman graph, the height estimated by knee height showed a better agreement with the measured height. Conclusion: according to this study results, poor predictive formulas concordance in height estimation in elderly, using the measures: arms wingspan and semi-span with real stature measured were observed. Knee height, using Chumlea formula, presented the best concordance with measured stature and seems to be a good way for stature estimation at the studied population.


In this thesis, the physical mechanisms acting during plastic deformation of hardmetals used in metal cutting applications have been investigated. Microstructural and microanalytical studies have been performed on cemented carbides as well as cermet materials. The main experimental techniques used were scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy filtered TEM (EFTEM), electron backscattered dif-fraction (EBSD) and atom probe field ion microscopy (APFIM). Comparisons between some of the experimental results and ab initio calculation have also been made. All materials were produced as triangular cutting inserts and were plastically deformed with a turning operation at varying cutting speeds. SEM was used to get an overview of the microstructure whereas more detailed features were studied by TEM. The microstructures before and after deformation were compared on different scales. It was found that the hard phase skeleton had partly broken up during deformation and binder phase films had formed in the broken up grain boundaries. In order to detect any dissolution of the hard phase during cutting the binder phase composition was measured by APFIM. No signs of dissolution were detected with this technique but instead dissolution of the hard phase along grain boundaries and at triple points could be seen with TEM and EFTEM. Some dislocation glide was observed in the cemented carbides but not in the cermet materials. In one material spinodal decomposition of the binder phase was found and was also confirmed by thermodynamical calculations. Materials with additions of TaC were also studied to investigate the effect of tantalum on the deformation mechanisms. It was found that Ta has a beneficial effect on the plastic de-formation resistance in some cases. In addition, Ta was found to affect the sintering procedure since it lowered the melting point of the binder phase. A model for the plastic deformation was presented where the materials were said to deform mainly by grain boundary sliding, made possible by stress induced dissolution of hard phase grain boundaries. Ab initio calculations showed that ?2 grain boundaries are stronger and more resistant to Co infiltration than general boundaries and EBSD was used to assess the importance of these boundaries for the plastic deformation resistance. They were not believed to constitute any important contribution to the total plastic deformation resistance but if their amount is increased they could improve the deformation resistance. Methods to prepare TEM and APFIM specimens from deformed cutting inserts with focused ion beam (FIB) milling were also developed. Preparation of thin foil TEM specimens was performed with so called in situ lift-out where a thin foil is cut out with high precision from the deformed region and finally thinned by ion polishing. The needle-shaped APFIM specimens were prepared by cutting out a rod from the cutting edge and thin the deformed region with dimple grinding. Final sharpening was obtained by FIB milling.


Summary The complement-fixing activities of antipneumococcal rabbit-sera, types 1-32, with purified homologous type-specific carbohydrate as antigen have been titrated by a preliminary serum-dilution method and by the technic described by Wadsworth, Maltaner, and Maltaner. All of these pneumococcal systems were found to be sensitive to an excess of antigen; a 20-per-cent increase in the amount of antigen over that required for maximal fixation with a given quantity of serum usually resulted in a slight decrease in the amount of complement fixed. An excess of immune serum, on the other hand, was without significant effect. Linear relationships between serum and complement in the presence of the maximally reactive dose of antigen were noted with almost all the sera tested both in tests incubated for one and one-half hours at 37 C and in those held for twenty-four hours at 3–6 C. Linear relationships were also observed between antigen and complement under these conditions. With type-1 unconcentrated sera and a few concentrated sera of other types, however, this direct proportionality between serum and complement and between antigen and complement was not obtained. Linear relationships between serum and the maximally reactive amount of antigen were demonstrated with all sera tested, type-1 sera included. This relationship was uniform in determinations with different pools of guinea-pig complement. In general, a given quantity of immune serum fixed 2 to 3 times as much complement during preliminary incubation for twenty-four hours at 3–6 C as in one and one-half hours at 37 C, and required approximately twice as much antigen for maximal fixation at the lower temperature. This increase in the amount of complement fixed at 3–6 C by a constant quantity of serum was therefore roughly proportional to the increase in the maximally reactive dose of antigen. The relative merits of three different ratios as an expression of serum-titer are discussed.


The Kepler Mission seeks to detect Earth-size planets transiting solar-like stars in its ∼115 deg2 field of view over the course of its 3.5 year primary mission by monitoring the brightness of each of ∼156,000 Long Cadence stellar targets with a time resolution of 29.4 minutes. We discuss the photometric precision achieved on timescales relevant to transit detection for data obtained in the 33.5 day long Quarter 1 (Q1) observations that ended 2009 June 15. The lower envelope of the photometric precision obtained at various timescales is consistent with expected random noise sources, indicating that Kepler has the capability to fulfill its mission. The Kepler light curves exhibit high precision over a large dynamic range, which will surely permit their use for a large variety of investigations in addition to finding and characterizing planets. We discuss the temporal characteristics of both the raw flux time series and the systematic error-corrected flux time series produced by the Kepler Science Pipeline, and give examples illustrating Kepler's large dynamic range and the variety of light curves obtained from the Q1 observations.


We report the experimental manipulation of the group velocities of reflected and transmitted light pulses in a degenerate two-level atomic system driven by a standing wave, which is created by two counter-propagating light beams of equal frequencies but variable amplitudes. It is shown that the light pulse is reflected with superluminal group velocity while the transmitted pulse propagates from subluminal to superluminal velocities via changing the power of the backward coupling field. We find that the simultaneous superluminal light reflection and transmission can be reached when the power of the backward field becomes closer or equal to the forward power, in this case the periodical absorption modulation for photonic structure is established in atoms. The theoretical discussion shows that the anomalous dispersion associated with a resonant absorption dip within the gain peak due to four-wave mixing leads to the superluminal reflection, while the varying dispersion from normal to anomalous at transparency, transparency within absorption, and electromagnetically induced absorption windows leads to the subluminal to superluminal transmission.


Many studies have shown that the auditory brainstem response (ABR) is influenced by the sex of the subject. The explanation offered most often for this sex difference is the smaller head size and brain dimensions in the female. Since breeds of dog have different head sizes, this makes them useful subjects to test the hypothesis that ABR latency covaries with head size. Subjects comprised 20 Dalmatians and 20 Jack Russell terriers. The maximum width of the head was 123 +/- 8 mm in the Dalmatian and 88 +/- 5 mm in the Jack Russell. An auditory brainstem response was carried out using a click stimulus at 75 dB nHL. The latency of wave V and the I-V interval was longer (0.3 and 0.17 ms respectively) in the Dalmatian, although the correlation of these measurements with head size (which ranged from -0.2 to +0.3) was not statistically significant. These findings do not support the theory that differences in ABR latency are due to differences in head size per se. Correlation of latency with body temperature and with age was also weak and not statistically significant.


The epicardium, the outermost layer of the heart, is an important regulator of cardiac regeneration. However, a detailed understanding of the crosstalk between the epicardium and myocardium during development requires further investigation. Here, we generated three models of epicardial impairment in zebrafish by mutating the transcription factor genes tcf21 and wt1a, and by ablating tcf21+ epicardial cells. Notably, all three epicardial-impairment models exhibit smaller ventricles. We identified the initial cause of this phenotype as defective cardiomyocyte growth, resulting in reduced cell surface and volume. This failure of cardiomyocytes to grow is followed by decreased proliferation and increased abluminal extrusion. By temporally manipulating its ablation, we show that the epicardium is required to support ventricular growth during early cardiac morphogenesis. By transcriptomic profiling of sorted epicardial cells, we identified reduced expression of FGF and VEGF ligand genes in tcf21-/- hearts, and pharmacological inhibition of these signaling pathways partially recapitulated the ventricular growth defects. Thus, the analysis of these epicardial-impairment models further elucidates the distinct roles of the epicardium during cardiac morphogenesis and the signaling pathways underlying epicardial-myocardial crosstalk.


Candida is a saprophyte in the human respiratory tract, gastro intestinal tract and also in the debris under the nail. In patients with compromised immunity such as HIV-AIDS, Candida is able to cause infection, in this case oral candidosis or esophagitis. In this study fungi were isolated from the stools of HIV/AIDS patients. Samples consisting of 95 diarrheic stools from HIV/AIDS patients were investigated for the yeast especially Candida spp. The stools were inoculated onto Sabouraud dextrose agar then the fungi were identified using morphological methods and Chromagar medium. Yeast colonies were found in 71 (74,74%) out of 95 samples from which Candida was 42 (44,21%), Geotrichum 24 (25,26%), and mixed of Candida and Geotrichum 3 (3,16%), Rhodotorula and Trichosporon 1(1,05%) each. Species of Candida were identified as C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. guilliermondii, C. glabrata, C. lusitaniae and C. kefyr. Although Candida could be isolated from the diarrheic stools of HIV/AIDS patients but its role on the cause of diarrhea is still questionable.


In the shark rectal gland, basolateral membrane proteins have been suggested as targets for mercury. To examine the membrane polarity of mercury toxicity, we performed experiments in three preparations: isolated perfused rectal glands, primary monolayer cultures of rectal gland epithelial cells, and Xenopus oocytes expressing the shark cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel. In perfused rectal glands we observed: (1) a dose-dependent inhibition by mercury of forskolin/3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX)-stimulated chloride secretion; (2) inhibition was maximal when mercury was added before stimulation with forskolin/IBMX; (3) dithiothrietol (DTT) and glutathione (GSH) completely prevented inhibition of chloride secretion. Short-circuit current (Isc) measurements in monolayers of rectal gland epithelial cells were performed to examine the membrane polarity of this effect. Mercuric chloride inhibited Isc more potently when applied to the solution bathing the apical vs. the basolateral membrane (23 +/- 5% and 68 +/- 5% inhibition at 1 and 10 microM HgCl2 in the apical solution vs. 2 +/- 0.9% and 14 +/- 5% in the basolateral solution). This inhibition was prevented by pre-treatment with apical DTT or GSH; however, only the permeant reducing agent DTT reversed mercury inhibition when added after exposure. When the shark rectal gland CFTR channel was expressed in Xenopus oocytes and chloride conductance was measured by two-electrode voltage clamping, we found that 1 microM HgCl2 inhibited forskolin/IBMX conductance by 69.2 +/- 2.0%. We conclude that in the shark rectal gland, mercury inhibits chloride secretion by interacting with the apical membrane and that CFTR is the likely site of this action.


Clustering is a useful data mining tool to handle information retrieval system can be clustered using any of the clustering algorithm such as K-means, ROCK etc. The IR systems help to retrieve necessary information from massive databases over the internet.In the emerging new wave of applications where people are the ultimate target of text clustering methods, cluster labels are intended to be read and comprehended by humans. The primary objective of a clustering method should be to focus on providing good, descriptive cluster labels in addition to optimizing traditional clustering quality indicators such as document-to-group assignment. In yet other words: in document browsing, text clustering serves the main purpose of describing and summarizing a larger set of documents; the particular document assignment is of lesser importance. Descriptive clustering is a problem of discovering diverse groups of semantically related documents described with meaningful, comprehensible and compact text labels. In this article, to implement a new type of clustering methods for information retrieval which focuses on revealing the structure of document collections, summarizing their content and presenting this content to a human user in a compact way. In our implementation of Description Comes First (DCF) are in two clustering algorithms. First one is applicable to search results clustering and in second one is Descriptive k-Means which is applicable to collections of several thousand short and medium documents. Experimental results show the performance and scalability are more efficient than existing works.


African American spirituality provides a rich lens into the heart and soul of the black church experience, often overlooked in the Christian spiritual formation literature. By addressing this lacuna, this essay focuses on three primary shaping qualities of history: the effects of slavery, the Civil Rights Movement under Dr. Martin Luther King's leadership, and the emergence of the Black Church. Four spiritual practices that influence African American spirituality highlight the historical and cultural context of being "forged in the fiery furnace," including worship, preaching and Scripture, the community of faith and prayer, and community outreach. The essay concludes by recognizing four areas of the lived experiences of African Americans from which the global church can glean: (1) persevering in pain and suffering, (2) turning to God for strength, (3) experiencing a living and passionate faith, and (4) affirming God's intention for freedom and justice to be afforded to every individual.


In this work, a simple methodology is presented that describes the main tunneling conductivity of polymer/CNT nanocomposites (PCNT) assuming the tunneling distance, interphase surrounding the CNT, and CNT waviness. The conductivity related to the tunneling distance is obtained by a simple equation, and its role is considered by using an extended CNT (including CNT and the tunneling space). Additionally, the effects of the interphase and CNT waviness on the percolation threshold, effective filler fraction, and percentages of percolated CNT are expressed by simple equations. The suggested model is evaluated by experimental results and the influences of CNTs and interphase parameters on the conductivity are plotted and justified. The predictions demonstrate good agreement with the experimental results, which allow the estimation of percolation threshold, interphase thickness, and tunneling distance. The conductivity changes from 0 to 350 S m−1 at different parameter ranges, where the best conductivity is obtained by the smallest waviness and the shortest tunneling distance. Generally, the high concentration of thin, long, straight, and super-conductive CNT, thick interphase, dense network, short tunneling distance, and poor percolation threshold present desirable conductivity.