Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) visualizes the distribution of a wide range of biomolecules in cells and tissue sections. IMS can analyze a variety of biomolecules including unexpected metabolites, without labels in a non-targeted way. We developed AP-MALDI (atmospheric pressure matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization) which is equipped with an atmospheric pressure ion-source chamber. It allows us to analyze flesh samples with minimal loss of intrinsic water or volatile compounds.


Elymus nutans L. (StHY, 2n = 6x = 42) is extensively selected from the natural population and domesticated as perennial grass forage in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau in China due to its high tolerance to environmental stresses, such as cold and drought. Karyotyping was conducted in 12 randomly selected plants by sequential fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). GISH discriminated St, H and Y genomes, indicating that E. nutans has retained its ancestral genome, and large chromosomal rearrangements have not occurred. However, FISH using an AGG satellite and Afa-family repetitive sequences, revealed marked variation in the signalling patterns of most of the chromosomes. Many of the plants carried chromosomes with a specific pattern in the homozygous state, indicating that self-pollination or sib-crossing occurs in small populations during selection for domestication. In addition, several intergenomic translocations appeared, possibly caused by homoeologous chromosome recombination. The nature of the polymorphisms seen in the chromosomes of the domesticated Population of E. nutans is discussed.


Advancement in the technology is drawing an positive and prosperous impact on human life. Thus, the development of smart city applications and services enhances the way of life style in the contemporary cities. The citizens are the real stakeholders of smart city and to maintain the life standard of citizens is a key challenge. Citizens-centric and less technology oriented approaches have become proliferating interest in smart cities. Therefore, there is need of an effective approach to explore the standard of individuals in smart cities. Consequestnly this research article investigates the standard of citizens by providing a fuzzy based smart system. The proposed smart system is an efficient tool to analyze the standard of citizens based upon different parameters such as, safety, health, education, quality of houses, and so on. The proposed system analysis the standard of citizens with high accuracy and confirms that the selected parameters have immense impact on standard of life in smart cities.


We examined the effects of 5-(N,N-hexamethylene)amiloride (one of the Na+-H+ exchange blockers, HMA) and amiloride (AM) on action potentials (APs), intracellular Na+ activity, and pH using conventional and double-barreled ion-selective microelectrodes in guinea pig papillary muscle in vitro. Papillary muscle preparations were superfused with HEPES-buffered solution, and intracellular Na+ (aiNa+) and H+ (intracellular pH, pHi) activities were measured in quiescent preparations without stimulation. HMA at a concentration of 1 μM began to induce prolongation of action potential duration (APD) and at concentrations > 10 μM induced a decrease in action potential amplitude (APA), depolarization of resting membrane potential (RMP), prolongation of APD and depression of the maximum upstroke velocity (Vmax). HMA exerted dose-, time-, and rate-dependent reduction in Vmax. AM began to prolong APD at a concentration of 10 μM and at 1 mM induced depolarization of RMP, decreased Vmax and induced significant prolongation of APD. HMA (100 \LM) induced a decrease in aiNa+ by 2–3 mM, but exerted no effects on pH; in normal Tyrode's solution. Under conditions of intracellular acidosis induced by exposure to K +-free solution, HMA produced a further decrease in pHi. Our results provide direct evidence that HMA has a depressant action on cardiac Na + channels and prolongs AP at concentrations that presumably affect Na+-H+ exchange in cardiac muscle.


: In this paper I will argue that critical theory needs to make its socio-ontological commitments explicit, whilst on the other hand I will posit that contemporary social ontology needs to amend its formalistic approach by embodying a critical theory perspective. In the first part of my paper I will discuss how the question was posed in Horkheimer's essays of the 1930s, which leave open two options: (1) a constructive inclusion of social ontology within social philosophy, or else (2) a program of social philosophy that excludes social ontology. Option (2) corresponds to Adorno's position, which I argue is forced to recur to a hidden social ontology. Following option (1), I first develop a meta-critical analysis of Searle, arguing that his social ontology presupposes a notion of 'recognition' which it cannot account for. Furthermore, by means of a critical reading of Honneth, I argue that critical theory could incorporate a socio-ontological approach, giving value to the constitutive socio-ontological role of recognition and to the socio-ontological role of objectification. I will finish with a proposal for a socio-ontological characterization of reification which involves that the basic occurrence of recognition is to be grasped at the level of background practices.


In spite of many promising attempts to apply T cell clones to questions of in vitro and in vivo function of T cells it is still unclear to what extent continuous propagation of T lymphocytes in vitro effects their original properties. This study describes the appearance of malignant cells from long‐term cultured C57BL/6 (B6) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Four out of five T cell lines (CTLL.1,3,4,5) representing distinct stages of development of T effector cells in vitro were repeatedly cloned and all five CTLL were tested for various cellular parameters. It is shown that transformation of H‐Y‐specific CTLL into malignant cells in vitro was accompanied by alterations in growth characteristics, successive loss of specificity and cytolytic function and by quantitative changes in the expression of cell surface markers. Whereas growth of the H‐Y‐specific CTLL (CTLL.l) was dependent on antigen and concanavalin A (Con A) supernatant (Con ASN) the CTLL variants could be either maintained in Con ASN alone (CTLL.3) or in the absence of both antigen and lymphokine sources (CTLL.4,5). CTLL.l was cytolytic for male B6 target cells and lysed P815 tumor targets in the presence but not the absence of lectin. In contrast, CTLL.3 lost its original specificity but lysed P815 cells in the absence or presence of lectin. CTLL.2 representing an intermediary stage showed cytolytic activity on both male B6 and P815 target cells. In contrast, CTLL.4 and CTLL.5 lost the ability to lyse any of the indicated target cells. Although all CTLL expressed the surface markers Thy‐1, Lyt‐2, Kb, Db and interleukin 2 receptor (IL 2R), Thy‐1 and Lyt‐2 markers were drastically reduced and Kb/ Db and IL 2 R structures significantly increased on CTLL.4 and CTLL.5 compared to CTLL.1,2,3. In addition, multiple karyotypic alterations including the appearance of metacentric chromosomes were observed in long‐term cultured CTLL. Investigations on the expression of the α‐, β‐, and γ‐chains of the T cell antigen receptor in CTLL. 1‐5 indicate that all three chains were expressed as mRNA irrespective of whether the lymphocytes expressed their original specificity and/or function. However, distinct β variable chain genes were used by H‐Y‐specific CTLL and its longterm culture variants CTLL.2 and CTLL.3 suggesting that the expression of the new specificity was accompanied by the rearrangement of a new β‐chain gene in T effector cells. The new β‐chain gene was also expressed as mRNA in CTLL.4 and CTLL.5. When injected i.p. into B6 male and female mice CTLL.4 but not CTLL.1,2,3 showed progressive growth in ascites or grew as solid tumor. CTLL‐derived metastases were found in central organs (liver, lung, spleen, uterus) as well as in the central nervous system (brain). The fact that specificity, functional and malignant variants can be isolated from the same H‐Y‐specific CTLL in vitro may allow the study of mechanisms which alter antigen specificity, function and growth control of T effector cells. In addition, this model system may be suitable for studying the parameters responsible for the conversion of normal diploid CTLL to cancer cells.


Abstract Initial field releases of the saltcedar leaf beetle, Diorhabda carinulata Desbrochers, 1870 (Chrysomelidae), against saltcedars, Tamarix Linneaus, 1753 (Tamaricaceae) in North America were unsuccessful at sites where the target taxon was T. parviflora de Condolle, 1828 as opposed to the more widespread T. ramosissima Ledebour, 1829 and related forms. A series of field and greenhouse studies was conducted to determine the basis for these failures. Generally, T. parviflora was a suitable host for larval and adult development. Larval growth was not significantly affected by host species although developmental rate was slightly slower when fed T. parviflora vs. T. ramossisima; nitrogen enrichment had greater influence on growth than did host identity. Insect feeding impact to T. ramossisima outplanted to the field was initially three times greater than to matched T. parviflora plants, apparently as a consequence of adult oviposition preference. Subsequent larval migration from defoliated to green plants resulted in roughly equivalent defoliation of both hosts. Where the two Tamarix species co-occurred in northern Nevada, the 'preference' for T. ramossisima was apparent because it was consistently more heavily colonized, and utilization of T. parviflora declined as insect densities diminished. These results, and the lack of alternative explanations for establishment failures at T. parviflora sites (predation, developmental constraints, climate conditions), lead to the conclusion that such failures are based on host specificity as a consequence of adult behavioral avoidance of T. parviflora. They also suggest that risks to non-target plants both within the genus Tamarix (e.g., T. aphylla (Linneaus) Karsten, 1882) and in a related family (Frankeniaceae: Frankenia spp.) are low and should not delay program implementation.


Using "the method of isolated fibers," a semi-empirical equation for predicting the aerosol collection efficiency of a granular bed filter is presented. The equation is based on describing the theoretical deposition rate of particles on a single sphere (granule) in a flow field and expressing the influence of neighboring spheres in terms of empirical or semi-empirical corrections. The resulting calculation yields a predicted filtration efficiency for a bed of granules. Mechanisms for deposition by diffusion, impaction, gravity, and interception are considered. The influences of size of fitter media, packing density, bed thickness and superficial gas velocity on filter effectiveness are presented.


ABSTRACT We describe the further properties of a protein, designated SOS gp140, wherein the association of the gp120 and gp41 subunits of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein is stabilized by an intersubunit disulfide bond. HIV-1JR-FL SOS gp140, proteolytically uncleaved gp140 (gp140UNC), and gp120 were expressed in stably transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells and analyzed for antigenic and structural properties before and after purification. Compared with gp140UNC, SOS gp140 reacted more strongly in surface plasmon resonance and radioimmunoprecipitation assays with the neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) 2G12 (anti-gp120), 2F5 (anti-gp41), and 17b (to a CD4-induced epitope that overlaps the CCR5-binding site). In contrast, gp140UNC displayed the greater reactivity with nonneutralizing anti-gp120 and anti-gp41 MAbs. Immunoelectron microscopy studies suggested a model for SOS gp140 wherein the gp41 ectodomain (gp41ECTO) occludes the "nonneutralizing" face of gp120, consistent with the antigenic properties of this protein. We also report the application of Blue Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE), a high-resolution molecular sizing method, to the study of viral envelope proteins. BN-PAGE and other biophysical studies demonstrated that SOS gp140 was monomeric, whereas gp140UNC comprised a mixture of noncovalently associated and disulfide-linked dimers, trimers, and tetramers. The oligomeric and conformational properties of SOS gp140 and gp140UNC were largely unaffected by purification. An uncleaved gp140 protein containing the SOS cysteine mutations (SOS gp140UNC) was also oligomeric. Surprisingly, variable-loop-deleted SOS gp140 proteins were expressed (although not yet purified) as cleaved, noncovalently associated oligomers that were significantly more stable than the full-length protein. Overall, our findings have relevance for rational vaccine design.


Nitrogen (N) fertilization recommendations to achieve optimum growth are well established for many floriculture crops. Although it has been shown that plant functions can recover from N deficiency in other crops, little research has investigated the threshold beyond which a bedding plant crop is recoverable. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of N deficiency on geranium chlorophyll content and growth and then to document the degree of recovery and recovery time from N deprivation. This was determined in two experiments by monitoring chlorophyll content and growth of seedlings grown in hydroponic culture in which the N source was removed and then restored after differing lengths of time. Summarizing across both experiments, chlorophyll and foliar N levels were shown to rebound quickly after N deprivation; however, growth was reduced after just 4 days compared with plants fed constantly. Geraniums grown without N for 4 to 12 days resulted in smaller, more compact plants with lower shoot-to-root ratios. Although foliar chlorophyll and N concentration recovered from longer periods in N growth solution, geranium growth was reduced and failed to completely recover for any plant receiving more than 2 days of N-free solution.


Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Local recurrence after surgery for operable disease has long been recognized as a hindrance to long-term survival. Postoperative radiation therapy was logically explored as a means to improve local control and survival. Multiple randomized trials were conducted, many showing improved local control, but none demonstrated a statistically significant survival benefit.


Background: Prediabetes is a precursor condition to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Previous research and clinical trials have shown that the onset of type 2 diabetes could be delayed or prevented through structured life style modifications such as dietary changes, modest weight loss and moderate-intensity exercise. This study examines U.S adults of different ethnicities that include non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black and Mexican Americans and whether their awareness of diabetes risk is associated with their participation in diabetes risk reduction behavior, a combination of physical activity, weight control and fat/calories intake. Methods: The 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NHANES, was used to conduct a cross-sectional study of 4083 U.S. adults who were 20 years old and above and were aware of their diabetes risk. The association between the awareness of one's diabetes risk and the adoption of diabetes risk reduction behavior were examined in present of other risk factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, education, annual family income, BMI, hypertension, mean systolic blood pressure, mean diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels. Males and females were examined separately for all analyses performed. Cross tabulation was conducted and p-values were calculated by the Pearson's chi-square test for the categorical variables which include gender, ethnicity, education, annual family income, adiposity and hypertension. One Way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests were conducted for the continuous variables which include age, mean systolic blood pressure, mean diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association between the main independent variable, awareness of one's diabetes risk, and the dependent variable, adoption of diabetes risk reduction behavior, controlling for other risk factors. A p-value of <0.05 and 95% confidence intervals were used to determine statistical significance throughout all analyses performed.


The author discusses aspects of population policy development in Argentina. Problems caused by underpopulation and uneven population distribution are outlined. The need for a settlement policy that addresses socioeconomic concerns and demographic objectives is emphasized. (summary in ENG) (ANNOTATION)


ABSTRACT Capsule: Voles are the main prey of the Ural Owl Strix uralensis in Europe, with larger prey and higher prey diversity being positively associated with owl breeding performance. Aims: To assess the breeding diet and its influence on the breeding performance of the Ural Owl across a north–south gradient of its European range using nest box monitoring data. Methods: Comparable monitoring of nest boxes in different biogeographical regions of Europe (Finland, Latvia, Slovenia) and diet analysis from nest samples to assess the taxonomic and trait influence of prey on owl breeding performance in different environments. Results: High plasticity in the Ural Owl hunting behaviour under different prey availability conditions resulted in significant differences between regions and years. Voles formed the highest proportion of the diet in all studied regions. Owl brood size was positively associated by higher proportions of voles and mice in the diet, and with increasing proportions of seasonally available larger prey and consequently prey diversity. Brood size was negatively associated with the proportion of non-mammalian and predominantly forest-living prey. Conclusions: The study highlighted the importance of comparative studies of raptor ecology across their geographical ranges in different environmental conditions to reveal undiscovered patterns, which may go undetected when conducting studies at the regional scale only.


Resistance mechanism of potato (Solanum tuberosum) to golden cyst nematode (Globodera rostochiensis).  The research was conducted from June 2005 to May 2006 in Kepuhharjo, Cangkringan, Sleman, Yogyakarta. The aims of the research were to find the resistance status of 20 potato varieties, role of  chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid  in the resistance mechanism and histopathological differences between resistant and susceptible potato varieties to  G. rostochiensis. The results showed that two varieties were resistant to G. rostochiensis, i.e, Hertha and Manohara.  Thirteen varieties were moderately resistant, i.e; No.30, No.44, No. 5, No.19, Batang Hitam, Agria,  Desiree, Berolina, Atlantik, No.095, Cipanas, FLS and Colombus, and five varieties were susceptible, i.e; Kikondo, Granola, Erika, LBR, and Fries. The presence of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid in Hertha (resistant variety) and in Granola (susceptible variety) were analized by TLC. In Hertha chlorogenic acid was detected at 4, 5, and 6 days after inoculation (DAI), whereas in Granola it was detected at 1 and 6 DAI. It was assumed that the presence of chlorogenic acid for 3 successively week in Hertha, caused it more resistant than Granola.  Cell lignification inhibited                       G. rostochiensis grow well inside the root tissue of Hertha, whereas in Granola only a few cell was lignified as indicated by less absorption of red colour (safranin) in infected areas. Caffeic acid was not detected either in uninoculated or inoculated of both potato varieties.  It indicated that caffeic acid might not be naturally present in Hertha and Granola and nematode infection could not stimulate the production of this compound.


The genetic control of hair growth has been studied in mice carrying the following coat texture genes: fz (fuzzy), soc (soft coat), hid (hair interior defect), sa (satin), It (lustrous), Ve (velvet), wa-1 (waved-1), Re (rex), Rewc (wavy coat) and pk (plucked).

A general effect on cells of epidermal origin, found in soc/soc and Ve/+ skin samples illustrates how common factors control developmental potential in both the stratum germinativum and the follicle bulb. A direct influence on follicle bulb development is also seen in fz/fz homozygotes in which the dermal papilla functions abnormally. The role of the bulb cells and the dermal papilla in the control of hair shaft calibre is discussed.

hid is a new gene, found in homozygous condition in all mice of the AKR inbred strain. hid and sa appear primarily to be concerned in the differentiation of the medulla.

In the hair waving mutants, waved-1, rex and wavy coat, the processes controlling hair movement within the follicle are disturbed. These genes appear to regulate internal root sheath function. When the normal relationship between internal root sheath and developing hair shaft is disturbed, shaft movement slows, with the subsequent development of shaft calibre abnormalities.

pk acts at the level of the sebaceous gland, disturbing the normal process of hair eruption. The roles of the internal root sheath, external root sheath and the sebaceous gland in hair eruption are discussed.

The abnormal epidermal layer in soc/soc and Ve/+ skin also disturbs hair eruption to a small extent. The resulting abnormalities this causes in hair shaft formation are compared with those found pk/pk samples and also with the similar effects of faulty hair movement in the hair waving mutants. An effect on pigmentation is also described.

The chemistry of keratinization appears to be normal in all these mutants.


The paper deals with the concept of relevance learning in learning vector quantization. Recent approaches are considered: the generalized learning vector quantization as well as the soft learning vector quantization. It is shown that relevance learning can be included in both methods obtaining similar structured learning rules for prototype learning as well as relevance factor adaptation. We show the power in case of image classification of natural environment images. The performance makes the tool suitable for classification tasks in robotics.


Since the product recall problem is recently observed, realizing design and production activities that can prevent occurrences of a product failure has been becoming a serious issue. This paper proposes "the Synthetic design approach of a product and a production process which enables to reduce occurrences of a product failure from the initial stage of a product development." In order to realize this proposed concept as a specific system, the integrated model of the failure information in the design and production is introduced. This paper shows some examples of design and production for a circuit breaker and an automobile with considering a design error and a production failure using developed prototype system.


This thesis aims to study the sustainability of agriculture in Galicia (Spain) in a new and integrative way. Therefore not only economic but also social and ecological data and interest are drawn into the analysis. Farming, undoubtedly, is an economic activity. However, in order to obtain and market the final product natural resources are used and transformed. When pollution and depletion or exhaustion of those resources takes place, the future of the activity is at stake. Furthermore, social relations play an important role. The use of labour, for instance, is based on economic deliberations but also regulated by social interests. Social and political factors are at stake at the institutional level as well. These factors determine not only the orientation of agricultural production but also its volume, and prices. Agriculture is a multi-dimensional activity. It is an ecological activity by its use of natural resources. It is a social activity as production and consumption are based on a specific organisation of social relations. And it is a cultural activity as agriculture roots in a way of living which is time- and place specific and characterized by locally and historically specific norms and values. In short, it is not only an activity that generates economic value. In order to study the sustainability of an agricultural system, it is therefore important to analyse its impact on different (social, economic and ecological) domains but also to look into their interrelation and, hence, interaction. Theoretically there are two possible ways of interaction: (1) the interaction between the different domains has a positive effect and strengthen the sustainability of the whole system (synergy), or (2) the different domains counteract each other and a positive effect in one domains works to the detriment of another domain (trade off effect). In this thesis an integrative approach was chosen which made use of the insights and methods of different disciplines: ecological economics, agro-ecology and sociology. On the basis of the integrative approach we analysed if and how the economic, ecological and social effects of an agricultural system vary depending on the chosen style of farming. In order to understand actual Galician agriculture it is necessary to know the past. The first part of the thesis describes the recent history of Galician agriculture. Since the Second World War the traditional peasant agro-ecosystem transformed into an industrial system; this period is also described as a process of de-structuring. It included the dismantling of the traditional agro-ecosystem in force until the middle of the 20 th century; and the recessive dynamics derived from the most recent process of modernisation throughout the period 1960-2005. In this thesis, the traditional agroecosystem is defined as an articulated and joint management of cattle, crops and nature with a high degree of integration and interaction. It analyses of political and socio-demographic factors that have jeopardised the continuation of that model. The dismantling of the traditional agroecosystem is effective during the last process of modernisation after 1960. Its effects come to the fore quite clearly in the changes in land use during that period, demonstrated by the evolution of the Useful Agricultural Area and the Total Area, as well as by the reduction in the number of farms. The main features of this process of modernisation are the alignment of farm management strategies based on intensification, specialisation and the increasing dependency on external market inputs as regards both biological and, specially, mechanical technology. Income squeeze, reduction of labour and abandonment of productive natural resources are the main consequences of that process so far. Although the study of the farming dynamics at the regional level suggests homogeneity of management-strategies, the second part of the thesis -looking for heterogeneity- shows that the practice is actually heterogeneous. Heterogeneity in the practice or the different ways of doing are encountered by applying the Farming Styles approach and methodology. Styles of farming are analysed at the level of the farmer and his/her farm, within the context of a cooperative of services, Os Irmandinos, located in Ribadeo (Lugo, Galicia). In a following step we analysed the social, economic and ecological impact of every style by means of different indicators. In this way we wanted to find out if the way of doing matters in terms of sustainability. This is interesting not only in order to evaluate the farmers' response of the past, but also to see which of the styles might have promising results also for the future and the possibility to achieve a more sustainable agriculture and balanced rural development. Within the different styles of farming, the style characterized as 'Farming Economically' comes to the fore as an interesting point of departure for the construction of sustainability in a multi-dimensional way.


We examine to what extent banks' stock market values during the 2007-2012 financial crisis were driven by increases in the default risk of banks designated as globally systemically important by the Financial Stability Board. We find that bank market values hardly respond to changes in the default risk of individual systemic banks. Together, however, changes in systemic banks' default risk explain a substantial part of changes in other banks' market values. This result is robust across several sub-samples, using both credit default swap spreads and Moody's expected default frequencies as indicators of default risk.


Introduction: Suprascapular Nerve Block (SSNB) and Intra-articular (IA) steroid injection are used for management of Periarthritis (PA) of shoulder with variable results. Aim: To compare the efficacy of SSNB and IA steroid injection for management of PA shoulder. Materials and Methods: In this randomised clinical trial, 100 patients of PA shoulder from Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) Outpatient Department (OPD) were enrolled over the period of 18 months and were divided in two equal groups using computerised block randomisation. Group A patients received IA methylprednisolone while Group B patients were subjected to Ultrasound (USG) guided SSNB. Assessment was done at baseline and at 1, 4 and 12 weeks after the intervention, using Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), active and passive Range Of Motion (ROM) of shoulder and Shoulder Pain And Disability Index (SPADI). Statistical significance was determined by Chi- square for qualitative variables and by unpaired t-test or paired t-test for quantitative variables. The p<0.05 was taken as a level of statistical significance. Results: Both groups had significant improvement (p<0.0005) in pain, ROM and functional index at all follow-ups. Comparison between the groups revealed a better outcome in Group A, in terms of NPRS, SPADI score, internal and external rotations at 1, 4 and 12 weeks (p<0.0005). Both the groups were comparable in terms of abduction, flexion and extension at first week (p<0.0005) with Group A showing better improvement at subsequent follow-up. Conclusion: Both SSNB and IA steroid injection can be used for treatment of PA shoulder but IA steroid injections gave better results as compared to SSNB. SSNB may be used as an adjunct to exercise therapy and as an alternative to IA steroid injection if required.


Estriol, estriol sulfate, progesterone, and 17 neutral steroid sulfates, including estriol precursors and progesterone metabolites, were determined in 27 cord plasma samples collected after pregnancies complicated by intrahepatic cholestasis of the mother. The levels of these steroids were compared with those in the cord plasma of 42 healthy controls. In the cord plasma, the steroid profile after pregnancies complicated by maternal intrahepatic cholestasis differed greatly from that seen after uncomplicated pregnancy. Two main differences were found. In the disulfate fraction, the concentrations of two pregnanediol isomers, 5alpha-pregnane-3alpha,20alpha-diol and 5beta-pregnane-3alpha,20alpha-diol, were high after cholestasis. Other investigators have shown that, as a result of cholestasis, these pregnanediol sulfates circulate in greatly elevated amounts in the maternal plasma. Our results indicate that in cholestasis these steroids cross the placenta into the fetal compartment, where they circulate in elevated amounts as disulfates. Secondly, the concentrations of several steroid sulfates known to be synthesized by the fetus were significantly lower in the cholestasis group than in the healthy controls. This was especially true of 16alpha-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and 16alpha-hydroxypregnenolone sulfate. These results suggest that, in pregnancies complicated by maternal intrahepatic cholestasis, impairment of fetal steroid synthesis, and especially of 16alpha-hydroxylation, occurs in the fetal compartment.Thus, the changes in maternal steroid metabolism caused by cholestasis are reflected in the steroid profile of the fetoplacental circulation. Furthermore, maternal intrahepatic cholestasis may result in the production of some substance which crosses the placenta and affects fetal steroid metabolism.


A three phase hollow fiber liquid‐phase microextraction technique combined with capillary electrophoresis was developed to quantify lamotrigine (LTG) in plasma samples. The analyte was extracted from 4.0 mL of a basic donor phase (composed of 0.5 mL of plasma and 3.5 mL of sodium phosphate solution pH 9.0) through a supported liquid membrane composed of 1‐octanol immobilized in the pores of the hollow fiber, and to an acidic acceptor phase (hydrochloric acid solution pH 4.0) placed in the lumen of the fiber. The extraction was carried out for 30 min at 500 rpm. The eletrophoretic analysis was carried out in 130 mmol/L MES buffer, pH 5.0 with a constant voltage of +15 kV and 20°C. Sample injections were performed for 10 s, at a pressure of 0.5 psi. The detection was performed at 214 nm for both LTG and the internal standard lidocaine. Under the optimized conditions, the method showed a limit of quantification of 1.0 μg/mL and was linear over the plasmatic concentration range of 1.0–20.0 μg/mL. Finally, the validated method was applied for the quantification of LTG in plasma samples of epileptic patients.


Surfaces with engineered microtopographies are potential candidate against biofouling to replace the use of biocides in the marine environment. Understanding the antifouling mechanism of microtopographic surfaces against marine microorganisms, however, has been limited. In this work, we theoretically studied the aggregation of Ulva linza zoospores on the Sharklet topographic surfaces by employing the extended Surface Energetic Attachment (SEA) model proposedin a previous work. The energy parameters of the model were obtained by matching theoretical results with experimental data for one type of Sharklet surface. Monte Carlo simulations were then carried out for a series of Sharklet surfaces with various numbers of distinct features. Inagreement with prior experimental results, our simulations indicate that engineered topographies promote smaller aggregates than those on a smooth surface. Furthermore, we show that the maximum effect of the Sharklet topography on the aggregate size of U. linza can be obtained with just 3 distinct features.


A39 Introduction : Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in children.. Close monitoring of the blood picture can avoid the disastrous side effects of aggressive chemotherapy and guide supportive therapy.
 Objective : To analyse blood constituent behaviour in children undergoing initial intensive phase chemotherapy. To assess component transfusion requirement in children undergoing chemotherapy.
 Materials and Methods : A prospective under the department of pediatrics, at K.M.C. Mangalore and Government Wenlock Hospital over a 12 month period from June 2004 to May 2005.
 Children in the age group of 0-16 years showing clinical, peripheral blood and bone marrow evidence of ALL, undergoing chemotherapy under the MCP 841 protocol for ALL
 Results : Out of 30 patients 22 were males and 8 were females. As per CDC growth charts, Group 1 comprising of children with normal weight for age and and group 2 comprising of children with weight for age less than 3 rd percentile (i.e. children with malnutrition) included 13/30 patients. 18 cases were classified as L 1 , while 12 as L 2. 17 had hemoglobin levels less than 8g/dl. Packed cell transfusion (PCT) was required in 20 cases before initiation of chemotherapy and the mean number of PCT transfused during the first four months of intensive phase of chemotherapy was 3.66 per case. Children in group 1 required 3.52 transfusions per case and in group 2 (malnourished children) this was 3.84 per case.
 Thrombocytopenia was seen in more than 75% of the patients initially e. 18 (60%) were given platelet transfusion(PT) before initiation of chemotherapy and further 4.93 per case was required in the first two weeks of I 1 phase. In the I 2, RI 1 and consolidation phases of chemotherapy the PT requirements were 0.8, 0.6 and 0.23 per case respectively. The overall mean number of PT required in the first four months of intensive phase was 8.73 per case. Children in group 2 (malnourished children).PT required was 9.76 while in group 1 this was 7.94 per case. . Rise in platelet count and monocytosis predict bone marrow recovery.
 The average number of episodes of febrile neutropenia in the initial four months of chemotherapy was 1.05 in group 1 and 2.84 in group 2. In 14 children chemotherapy stretched to more than 145 days, 4 belonged to group 1 and 10 to group 2. 20 out of 30 cases (66.66%) achieved peripheral blood blast clearance within 7 days of initiation of chemotherapy. In the remaining 10 cases, with delayed blast clearance 2 were in group 1 and 8 were in group 2.
 Conclusions: . Rise in platelet count and monocytosis predict bone marrow recovery. Malnutrition is associated with more episodes of febrile neutropenia, treatment delay and persistence of blast cells in day 7 peripheral smear.


A method is proposed for enhancement of speech degraded by background noise and reverberation, which is collected simultaneously over several microphones. Each microphone signal is processed by the Linear Prediction (LP) analysis to extract the Hilbert envelope of the LP residual. The time-delays are estimated and the Hilbert envelopes of the LP residuals from all the microphones are added coherently. The coherently-added Hilbert envelope is processed by the the group delay analysis to derive a weight function. The LP residual of the coherently-added speech signal is multiplied with the weight function to produce a modi.ed LP residual in which the excitation part of speech is enhanced. The speech signal synthesized from the modi.ed LP residual is found to be perceptually enhanced signi.cantly.


IntroductionFall injuries are one of the leading causes of hospitalisation for adults aged ≥65 years. Distinguishing key characteristics of older adults who are either living in aged care or in the community who have multiple hospital readmissions after a fall injury may inform targeted approaches to the prevention of hospital readmissions.
Objectives and ApproachTo examine trajectories of hospital readmission of older adults living in aged care or the community after a fall injury hospitalisation and to identify factors predictive of trajectory group membership. A group-based trajectory analysis of hospital readmissions of adults aged ≥65 years who had a fall injury hospitalisation during 2008-09 in New South Wales, Australia was conducted. Linked hospitalisation and aged care data were examined for a 5 year period to 2013. Group-based trajectory models were derived based on number of subsequent readmissions following the index admission. Multinominal logistic regression examined predictors of trajectory group membership.
ResultsThere were 24,729 fall injury hospitalisations; 78.8% of fallers were living in the community and 21.2% in aged care. Five distinct trajectory groups were identified for community-living (i.e. Moderate-declining, Chronic, Low-constant, Low-declining, and High users) and four trajectory groups for aged care residents (i.e. Low, Moderate-declining, Moderate-chronic, and High users). Key predictors of trajectory group membership for both community-living and aged care residents were age group, number of comorbidities, and dementia status. For aged care residents, depression, assistance with activities of daily living, and number of subsequent fall injury admissions were also predictors of group membership, with time to move to an aged care facility a predictor of group membership for community-living.
Conclusion / ImplicationsIdentifying trajectories of ongoing hospital use informs targeting of strategies to reduce hospital admissions and design of services to allow community-living individuals to remain as long as possible within their own residence.


These updated guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation review the diagnosis, prevention, and management of tuberculosis in the pre‐ and post‐transplant period. The challenges of screening for both latent and active TB in the setting of transplantation are reviewed. The use of interferon gamma release assays for detection of latent tuberculosis is discussed and compared to tuberculin skin testing. Given the limitations of both testing modality, it is important to consider exposure history and chest imaging. The clinical manifestations of active tuberculosis in transplantation are covered. New recommendations for treatment of latent tuberculosis and active tuberculosis are included.


Accurate checkerboard detection is of vital importance for computer vision applications, and a variety of checkerboard detectors have been developed in the past decades. While some detectors are able to handle partially occluded checkerboards, they fail when a large occlusion completely divides the checkerboard. We propose a new checkerboard detection pipeline for occluded checkerboards that has a robust performance under varying levels of noise, blurring, and distortion, and for a variety of imaging modalities. This pipeline consists of a checkerboard detector and checkerboard enhancement with Gaussian processes (GP). By learning a mapping from local board coordinates to image pixel coordinates via a Gaussian process, we can fill in occluded corners, expand the board beyond the image borders, allocate detected corners that do not fit an initial grid, and remove noise on the detected corner locations. We show that our method can improve the performance of other publicly available state-of-the-art checkerboard detectors, both in terms of accuracy and the number of corners detected. Our code and datasets are made publicly available. The checkerboard detector pipeline is contained within our Python checkerboard detection library, called PyCBD. The pipeline itself is modular and easy to adapt to different use cases.


AIM OF STUDY
To audit the incidence and management of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage in the Singaporean context.

METHODS
Three hundred and sixty-six consecutive tonsillectomies done over a 2-year period were retrospectively studied. Demographic details and indication for operation were evaluated in conjunction with the incidence and management of post-operative haemorrhage.

RESULTS
84.4% of the patients were adults while 58.7% were males. Chronic tonsillitis was the most common indication for operation (84.5%). The incidence of primary and secondary haemorrhage was 0.6% and 7.1% respectively. 3.8% of the patients had to return to the operation theatre to secure haemostasis. The use of post-operative antibiotics did not significantly affect the incidence of haemorrhage. There was no mortality from this complication. The haemorrhage rate was significantly higher among the adults (p = 0.048) and males (p = 0.019) in this study.

CONCLUSION
Our overall post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage rate was higher than that reported in most of the Western publications because adults rather than children predominated in our series. We report a low incidence of primary haemorrhage which is in keeping with the results of studies on electrodissection tonsillectomies. Our findings indicate that tonsillectomy is a safe procedure which can be performed on a day surgery basis if the patients are carefully selected.


Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) continue to develop in the digital era. In this digital era, all data will obtaineasily online. The development of learning media can be applied in the presence of ICT. One of the subjects that can use ICT as a medium is chemistry. This study aimed to describe the role of ICT in chemistry learning to increase students' creativity. Methods of data collection are done by documentation and literature study. Data sources are obtained from references to research results, journal articles, and other related sources. The form of ICT development in the field of conventional to modern chemistry education is with chemistry e-modules, virtual laboratory applications with (Phet), applications for drawing chemical structures online with ChemDraw, Chem3D, Jmoll, Chem and Sketch, as well as making chemical animation videos with PowerPoint, Fillmora, Powtoon, Flash, etc. Based on the results and discussion, it can conclude that ICT innovation in the chemistry learning system could increase students' creativity in the digital era.


The study of safety culture estimate has received a wide attentions in many other industries, rather in the contexture of railroad stands at an initial phase. A factor analysis and internal reliability test were conducted to check if the survey results are reliable by looking at how the factors are dimensioned and how the questionnaires are sub-grouped in accordance with such factors, and further if there are any other common attributes being extracted as a new factor. The designed 5 factors were expanded to 7 through the test, and they were renamed accordingly. The questionnaires are reorganized according to the new 7 factors. It implicates that thorough investigation of the common attributes is important in reducing the gaps between interviewers' and interviewees' understanding. Moreover, the results of internal reliability test represent the new design of questionnaire is reasonably acceptable with the high reliable values. We expect such approaches can be applied for the railway culture survey study to be more reliable and applicable.


Small hydropower (SHP) is one of the most appropriate options to meet increasing energy demand especially in a country like India, Sri Lanka where a huge power potential in this sector is available. It is clean and renewable in contrast to fossil fuel based generations which pollute the environment and whose resources are depleting fast. But high cost per unit generation is a constraint in case of SHP development. The hurdle of cost effectiveness has slow down the process of small hydropower development. Control & Operation system for SHP should be simple, reliable, cheap and with minimum interference of operating personal. Control system should be such that remote operation can be performed easily. The main functions of the controller for automation is to execute starting and the shut down sequences under normal and emergency conditions. In addition to these operating sequences, certain control actions like speed control for synchronization (off line control) and speed control when the machine is put on the grid are also to be performed for frequency control and load sharing. The excitation system should respond with respect to the system requirement that is either to control the voltage or to share the reactive power with the other units operating in parallel. In this paper an attempt has been made to elaborate the use of Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for control and automation of SHP station, its advantages and cost effectiveness. Programmable logic controllers (PLC) can be used for control & automation of SHP Station. The main reason for this is cost effectiveness. Various functions and controls can be achieved by programming the PLC. They can be used for full plant automation including governing of auto-operation includes speed control, load control, excitation control, and level control automatic start/stop sequencing, gate control, start/stop of auxiliary systems, and protection requirement etc. Functions other than control like continuous monitoring, data recording, instrumentation and protections can also be performed. For remote operation, communication with PLC can be performed. For continuous monitoring purpose, a personal computer can be interfaced with PLC and continuous data can be recorded regularly


History of the Investigations The region designated as the Bahamas is shown on figure 1. That portion of the region which will be discussed in this paper may be termed the "Bahama Block," comprising Andros Island and the Great Bahama Bank. The particularly significant borders of the Bahama Block are the Santaren Channel on the west, and the tongue of the ocean on the east The general position of this region in relation to the Florida coast is shown on figure 2. A number of scientists have visited this region, including, however, a relatively small number of geologists. For the sake of brevity, the writer has not attempted to present in this paper a summary of the previous geological investigations; only the recent and most significant papers are referred to in the text. The writer's interest in the Bahamas was first aroused by Dr. Alfred G. Mayor during a visit . . .


AIMS
Increase in life expectancy has led to increased rate of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation in patients in their 80s, but there are no current formal recommendations to guide physicians when elderly patients with ICDs require elective unit replacement (EUR). This study aims at assessing survival and rates of ICD therapies in patients who have had ICD implantation or EUR above the age of 80, focusing on the latter.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Retrospective analysis of a prospectively kept database of all ICD-related procedures carried out in a single tertiary centre. Patients 80 years of age or older submitted to ICD implantation (n = 42) or EUR (n = 34) between November 1991 and May 2012 were included. Using collected baseline and outcome data from this cohort, we assessed survival of these patients and the rates of ICD therapies. Median additional years of life after ICD implantation and ICD EUR in patients who died before data retrieval was 2.5 and 1.2, respectively, and while 65% of deceased patients after ICD implantation died in the first 3 years after the procedure, 50% of deceased post-ICD EUR patients died within the first year. Mortality rates at 1 and 2 years post-EUR were 23.1 and 38.1%, respectively. Furthermore, ventricular tachycardia occurred in a small minority of patients after EUR (16.7%) and no ventricular fibrillation-triggered ICD therapies were reported in both groups.

CONCLUSION
In octogenarians who are due for an ICD EUR, careful thought should be given to the current clinical status, comorbidities, and general frailty prior to considering them for the procedure. A survival benefit from ICD EUR in this age stratum is not likely.


The aim of this research is to examine the effective use of pictograms in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria. A simple sampling technique was used to select twenty-five (25) nursery and primary school teachers in four (4) schools, a questionnaire was used to collect data, and a simple percentage and chi-square (x) were used to analyze the data. The result reveals that there is a significant difference between children taught with pictograms and the children taught without them. It is therefore suggested that all the pre-school teachers and caregivers should use pictograms to teach the learners for a better understanding and effective learning, the government should provide instructional materials (pictogram) for public schools, and private school owners should provide the necessary instructional materials needed, and teachers and caregivers should use pictograms effectively for a better result.


Modern progress in terahertz (THz) diagnostics of malignancies, including non-invasive, least-invasive and intraoperative techniques is briefly discussed. Special attention is paid to intraoperative diagnosis of brain tumors, which is a rapidly developing field nowadays. We discuss our recent results in this research field, which are associated with (i) in vitro studies the THz dielectric response of gelatin-embedded human brain tumors (including gliomas and meningiomas featuring different grades), (ii) analysis an ability for differentiation between normal and pathological tissues of the brain relying on the methods of THz spectroscopy and imaging, and, finally, (iii) development of novel THz instrumentation for the intraoperative detection of margins of tumors in order to guarantee its gross total resection.


René Théophile Hyacinthe Laënnec (1781-1826), a French physician, is considered one of the pioneers of respiratory medicine. His contribution to the invention of the stethoscope and to the development of clinical auscultation played a key role in the progress of the diagnosis of chest diseases. Almost two centuries after his invention of the stethoscope, his achievements continue to be widely appreciated and used by modern physicians in current pulmonology.


We present an introduction to, and examples of, Cox proportional hazards regression in the context of animal lethality studies of potential radioprotective agents. This established method is seldom used to analyze survival data collected in such studies, but is appropriate in many instances. Presenting a hypothetical radiation study that examines the efficacy of a potential radioprotectant both in the absence and presence of a potential modifier, we detail how to implement and interpret results from a Cox proportional hazards regression analysis used to analyze the survival data, and we provide relevant SAS® code. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis of survival data from lethal radiation experiments (1) considers the whole distribution of survival times rather than simply the commonly used proportions of animals that survived, (2) provides a unified analysis when multiple factors are present, and (3) can increase statistical power by combining information across different levels of a factor. Cox proportional hazards regression should be considered as a potential statistical method in the toolbox of radiation researchers.


Implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems has found widespread usage in large and mid-sized institutions worldwide. There has been a rapid increase in implementation of these systems in management and administration of institutions of higher learning. To establish the implementation experience in public universities in Kenya, the research study has used the Diffusion of Innovations Theory and the Information Systems Success Model. The study was carried out on evaluation of implemented integrated enterprise resource planning systems in selected public universities in Kenya. The study sought to investigate existing implementation of enterprise resource planning systems in public university management in Kenya and how they have influenced automation efforts in these institutions. Various challenges are evaluated on the ease of use of integrated systems in administration and management of public universities. Recommendations are drawn on probable ways of utilizing the enterprise systems not only to overcome existing management challenges but also improve service delivery in line with respective institutional strategic objectives. From the findings of the study, most of the implementation projects had been abandoned or stalled altogether. Challenges associated with institutional connectivity and limited skilled expertise to drive the implementation processes were highlighted as leading influencers of implementation processes in respective public universities. The study recommends increased investments towards improvement in institutional connectivity, blending of internal and external skilled expertise to drive implementation initiatives and regular contribution of implementation experiences in internal and external seminars for future studies and contribution to the body of knowledge.


CO2/H2 separation using membrane technology is an important research area in order to obtain high purity hydrogen as one source of clean energy. Finding a suitable inorganic membrane is one of the critical issues, which needs to be explored for CO2/H2 separation. In the present study, Ba-SAPO-34 zeolite membrane was synthesized and followed by a modification process. CO2/H2 separation of the membrane was investigated by varying the independent process variables (CO2 % in the feed, pressure difference across the membrane and temperature). Modeling and optimization for the responses (CO2/H2 separation selectivity and CO2 permeance) was performed by applying response surface methodology and central composite design, which is available in Design Expert software. The accuracy of the models in predicting the response was tested by comparing with the experimental value of response and the two values were in good agreement. The optimization of the models gave CO2 permeance of 19.23 × 10−7 mol/m2 s Pa and CO2/H2 separation selectivity of 11.6 at 5% CO2 in the feed, a pressure difference of 100 kPa, and temperature of 30 °C for Ba-SAPO-34 zeolite membrane.


Dialogue systems can leverage large pre-trained language models and knowledge to generate fluent and informative responses. However, these models are still prone to produce hallucinated responses not supported by the input source, which greatly hinders their application. The heterogeneity between external knowledge and dialogue context challenges representation learning and source integration, and further contributes to unfaithfulness. To handle this challenge and generate more faithful responses, this paper presents RHO ($\rho$) utilizing the representations of linked entities and relation predicates from a knowledge graph (KG). We propose (1) local knowledge grounding to combine textual embeddings with the corresponding KG embeddings; and (2) global knowledge grounding to equip RHO with multi-hop reasoning abilities via the attention mechanism. In addition, we devise a response re-ranking technique based on walks over KG sub-graphs for better conversational reasoning. Experimental results on OpenDialKG show that our approach significantly outperforms state-of-the-art methods on both automatic and human evaluation by a large margin, especially in hallucination reduction (17.54% in FeQA).


The research and development of nanomaterial and the nanotechnology fields have been greatly improved by the fabrication of Nano devices and their unique properties of nanomaterial. Silica nanoparticles and their composites (SiO2/Ni and SiO2/Ni-Cu) were synthesized using simple chemical phase method and their morphological and structural characterizations were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray diffraction (EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques. The photo catalytic behaviour of prepared nanostructure toward Methylene blue dye in the presence of solar light was evaluated using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. It has been found that the SiO2/Ni-Cu catalyst exhibited superior degradation ability over SiO2/Ni nanoparticles. Thus the proposed effort has not only provided a simple approach to synthesize the SiO2 based composites but also the effective and economically viable approach for the complete degradation of hazardous organic dye.


Zinc nutritional status was evaluated during intensive care for 55 infants. Plasma zinc, serum albumin, alkaline phosphatase, growth, nutrient intake, and clinical data were examined. The more premature infants (less than 32 wk gestational age) had higher zinc levels on admission, but their levels declined more rapidly than in more mature infants. Zinc level did not correlate with albumin or alkaline phosphatase. Low zinc levels (45 microgram/dl or less) occurred at about 6 wk in 14 of 39 premature infants. True zinc deficiency occurred in two premature infants; it was manifest by increased gastric residuals, poor suck, and decreased growth, but neither infant had the skin or gastrointestinal signs generally expected with zinc deficiency. There was evidence that sick premature infants may need more zinc than is currently recommended to supplement parenteral nutrition and more than the amount supplied in premature infant formulas currently available.


In this study, a PVC membrane electrode modified with a Cd Schiff base complex was constructed as a novel, sensitive and selective structured carrier for checking trace amounts of mefenamic acid in real samples. A novel macrocyclic Schiff base complex ([CdL2Cl]ClO4·2H2O) was synthesized via the Cd(II) templated [1 + 1] cyclocondensation of 2,9-dicarboxaldehyde-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline with N-(2-aminoethyl)-1,3-propanediamine. The effects of the parameters such as working solution pH, repeatability, reproducibility, response time and selectivity to mefenamic acid were investigated. This sensor responds to mefenamic acid in the wide linear range from 1.0 × 10−9 to 4.0 × 10−2 mol L−1 with a limit of detection of 5.01 × 10−9 mol L−1 at pH 3–8.5. The proposed sensor has a fast response time and can be applied for at least 5 months without any significant divergence in the currents.


Partial-wave analysis of meson and photon-induced reactions is needed to enable the comparison of many theoretical approaches to data. In both energy-dependent and independent parametrizations of partial waves, the selection of the model amplitude is crucial. Principles of the $S$-matrix are implemented to different degree in different approaches, but a many times overlooked aspect concerns the selection of undetermined coefficients and functional forms for fitting, leading to a minimal yet sufficient parametrization. We present an analysis of low-energy neutral pion photoproduction using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) in combination with criteria from information theory and $K$-fold cross validation. These methods are not yet widely known in the analysis of excited hadrons but will become relevant in the era of precision spectroscopy. The principle is first illustrated with synthetic data, then, its feasibility for real data is demonstrated by analyzing the latest available measurements of differential cross sections ($d\sigma/d\Omega$), photon-beam asymmetries ($\Sigma$), and target asymmetry differential cross sections ($d\sigma_T/d\Omega$) in the low energy regime.


Abstract Embodiment design (ED) is an early phase of product development. ED problems consist of finding solution principles that satisfy product requirements such as physics behaviors and interactions between components. Constraint satisfaction techniques are useful to solve constraint-based models that are often partial, heterogeneous, and uncertain in ED. This paper proposes new constraint satisfaction techniques to tackle piecewise-defined physics phenomena or skill-based rules and multiple categories of variables arising in design applications. New search heuristics and a global piecewise constraint are introduced in the branch and prune framework. The capabilities of these techniques are illustrated with both academic and real-world problems. Complete models of the latter are presented.


A rat liver factor, which has been found previously to inhibit proliferation of untransformed rat liver cell lines but not of transformed liver cell lines, did not inhibit proliferation of the chemically transformed rat liver cell line, W-8. Moreover, a temperature-sensitive mutant derived from W-8 (TS-223), which exhibits an untransformed phenotype at 39.5-41 degrees and a transformed phenotype at 36 degrees, was not affected by the liver factor at either temperature. Since the factor can be incubated at 41 degrees for 4 days without loss of activity, it would seem that the regulation of cell proliferation is not necessarily linked with the expression of other markers of transformed cells.


ABSTRACT: Sediments play a major role in fate and transport of heavy metals with high affinity to solid particles such as mercury in water bodies. Sediment-associated mercury can be released gradually due to diffusive processes, or may be re-entrained in the watercolumn as a result of high flows or anthropogenic activities. In addition biotic and abiotic geochemical transformations in the bed sediments control both the mobility and toxicity of mercury in the water. Therefore to quantify the fate and transport of mercury in water bodies, various processes ranging from hydrodynamic and sediment transport to biogeochemical transformation of contaminants in the sediments need to be considered. In the research being presented, an integrated water column-benthic sediment, multi-scale, multi-component biogeochemical reactive transport model is presented, with description of both theory and numerical implementation. The model includes aqueous water column, suspended sediment, aqueous bed porewater, and sediment bed phases, with associated contaminant transformation and transport, as well as sediment resuspension, deposition and burial. The sediment bed domain is modeled using a set of vertical one-dimensional sub-models which take into account burial and compaction as well as diffusive-reactive transport of solutes. Reactions include speciation, sorption/desorption, and microbially-mediated multiple terminal-electron accepting processes as kinetically-controlled redox reactions. Applications of this multiscale modeling strategy to mercury transport and transformations in water bodies in California is also presented.


In this study, we investigated the pattern of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis isolates in Shanghai, China from 2005 to 2014. We found the first isolates with resistance to the fourth-generation cephalosporin cefepime starting in 2010. Furthermore, we analyzed the epidemic characteristics and mechanisms of underlying cefepime resistance in S. Enteritidis isolates found from 2010. In total, 38 of 2,914 (1.30%) isolates were identified as cefepime-resistant S. Enteritidis (CRSE) isolates by Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion. Two isolates were from animal derived food sources; 36 isolates were from fecal samples of human patients with salmonellosis. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the agar dilution method revealed that all CRSE isolates showed additional resistances at least to ceftazidime, cefotaxime, and ampicillin. Additionally, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles indicated that 89.47% of CRSE isolates also displayed similar PFGE patterns. Five types of β-lactamase genes, blaCTX–M (100.00%, 38/38), blaSHV (65.79%, 25/38), blaTEM (52.63%, 20/38), blaACC (18.42%, 7/38), and blaPSE (5.26%, 2/38) were detected by PCR and sequencing. Among blaCTX–M genes, blaCTX–M–55 was the dominant type (84.21%, 32/38). Conjugation and transformation experiments along with plasmid replicon typing revealed that blaCTX–M–55 was located on plasmids of various replicon types with sizes ranging from 76.8 to 138.9 kb. Plasmid sequence analysis also showed that the blaCTX–M–55 gene was mobilized mainly by the ISEcp1-blaCTX–M–55-ORF477 transposition unit and had its own ISEcp1-based promoter, which accelerated the expression and transmission of blaCTX–M–55. Analysis of whole genome sequences (Illumina) of one selected transformant SH12G706-C showed high similarity of the blaCTX–M–55 carrying plasmid with the IncI1 plasmid backbone p628-CTX-M of Klebsiella pneumoniae detected in 2010 in China. The present study demonstrated that the blaCTX–M–55 gene mobilized by ISEcp1- blaCTX–M–55-ORF477 was the main feature shared by CRSE isolates and seems to play an important role for transmission of cefepime resistance. The number of CRSE isolates is rising annually, and the strong dissemination ability of ISEcp1-blaCTX–M–55-ORF477-harboring plasmids among different species represents an important threat to the therapeutic effectiveness of cefepime.


ALTHOUGH extraskeletal tumor masses are not infrequently found in disseminated multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytomas localized to a visceral organ are unusual. Most frequently, they are localized to the upper respiratory tract. 1 Plasmacytomas of the colon are exceedingly rare; only seven cases have been reported previously, 2 and in most there has not been sufficient documentation to exclude disseminated myeloma. This case represents the first instance, to our knowledge, in which a truly solitary plasmacytoma caused intestinal obstruction. It also serves to emphasize the need to carefully evaluate such cases to exclude generalized involvement. Report of a Case A 76-year-old, Italian-born, retired railroad worker was admitted to the Montefiore Hospital, University of Pittsburgh, for abdominal pain. The patient had been in excellent health until two weeks prior to admission, when he had suddenly experienced lower abdominal pain. This had subsided within 24 hours but recurred at two-to three-day intervals. On


Introduction Chronic cough affects ∼10% of the population and adversely impacts quality of life. This retrospective observational cohort study aimed to identify the demographics, clinical characteristics and quality of life of the chronic cough population in a Dutch chronic cough clinic, at baseline and following treatment at 6 months. Patients were categorised based on the underlying phenotype and response to treatment. Methods Retrospective data on 2397 patients who were diagnosed according to standard guidelines of the American College of Chest Physicians were analysed. Quality of life was captured via the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, the Cough Numeric Rating Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results Mean patient age was 59 years; 62.5% of the patients were female; and 69.1% had at least one underlying phenotype associated with chronic cough. Of the latter, 52.1% had bronchial hyperresponsiveness/airflow limitation, 33.3% had airway reflux and 20.1% had upper airway cough syndrome. 46% of patients with a phenotype, and 51% without, experienced no improvement in their quality of life or still had significant cough remaining after 6 months. Of patients with available quality-of-life data, 37.5% were categorised as having refractory chronic cough, and 9.5% were categorised as unexplained chronic cough. Discussion This study highlights the poor quality-of-life outcomes in patients with chronic cough, despite interventions to treat underlying conditions, and indicates a need to manage chronic cough irrespective of phenotype. Of patients attending a specialist chronic cough clinic, ∼70% had an underlying chronic cough phenotype and a significant proportion exhibited poor health-related quality of life outcomes despite interventions to treat underlying conditions and the cough https://bit.ly/3rgy5yV


We report on experimental and theoretical studies of stimulated Brillouin and Raman scattering occurring simultaneously in moderate density, long scale length plasma irradiated by a moderate intensity CO2 laser beam. Saturated Brillouin (20%) and Raman (0.7%) backscatter are observed, the former as a convective and the latter as an absolute instability. Importantly, it is found both experimentally and theoretically that the presence of ion fluctuations associated with the Brillouin process can profoundly affect the Raman instability.


It is widely established that chronic pain has a negative effect on neurocognitive functioning, in both adult and pediatric populations. These impairments are specifically strong in the areas of memory, processing speed, attention, and executive functions, and particularly among older patients and those with fibromyalgia. However, the exact mechanism explaining the relationship between cognition and pain has yet to be determined. Two main hypotheses are posited: 1) pain is distracting and removes focus from the task at hand, resulting in decreased cognitive performance, and 2) the neural systems involved in both pain and cognition are closely linked and may even modulate one another reciprocally.The relationship is complex in nature and it is important to consider factors that could be potential mediators or moderators of the relationship, such as age, sex, cognitive load, fatigue, opioid use, pain intensity, pain location, sleep disturbance, fatigue, tendencies toward somatization and/or somatic vigilance, and emotional state. These factors have all been shown to interact with cognition on some level, whether they are independently associated with cognitive dysfunction or, in tandem with pain, disrupt cognitive processes.


The new financial European regulations such as PSD2 are changing the retail banking services. Noticeably, the monitoring of the personal expenses is now opened to other institutions than retail banks. Nonetheless, the retail banks are looking to leverage the user-device authentication on the mobile banking applications to enhance the personal financial advertisement. To address the profiling of the authentication, we rely on tensor decompositions, a higher dimensional analogue of matrix decompositions. We use Paratuck2, which expresses a tensor as a multiplication of matrices and diagonal tensors, because of the imbalance between the number of users and devices. We highlight why Paratuck2 is more appropriate in this case than the popular CP tensor decomposition, which decomposes a tensor as a sum of rank-one tensors. However, the computation of Paratuck2 is computational intensive. We propose a new APproximate HEssian-based Newton resolution algorithm, APHEN, capable of solving Paratuck2 more accurately and faster than the other popular approaches based on alternating least square or gradient descent. The results of Paratuck2 are used for the predictions of users' authentication with neural networks. We apply our method for the concrete case of targeting clients for financial advertising campaigns based on the authentication events generated by mobile banking applications.


Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) have been employed for the insulation of substrates from high temperature in gas turbine plants. The TBC system consists of ceramic top coating, metallic bond coating and substrate. Delamination of the ceramic coating is important problem in TBC systems. In this paper, the delamination mechanism was studied by residual stress history under thermal aging and thermal cycle conditions. In-plane residual stress histories of ceramic coating and bond coating after thermal aging and cycling were measured by X-ray diffraction method. The residual stress under thermal cycling was also calculated by FEM analysis. The results obtained were as follows: (1) in-plane surface residual stresses of the coatings scarcely changed regardless of the increase of thermally grown oxidation (TGO). (2) high compressive thermal stress, residual stress at room temperature, in ceramic coating induced by thermal stress did not occur. It was found that stress of ceramic top coating was relaxed by micro cracks and driving stress of delamination was in-plane high compressive stress.


This study sought to establish the factors affecting funding of youth group enterprises through youth Enterprise Development Fund. Specifically the study sought to determine whether the nature of businesses, management skills, business plan development and collateral requirements affects funding of youth group enterprises in Kenya. The study adopted descriptive research design. The study targeted youth development officers in Machakos district and youth group that applied for C-YES loan scheme 2010-2012. This also included five youth officers that were involved in the process as agencies of YEDF. Stratified sampling technique was applied whereby the sample was divided into sub-groups of youth officers and youth members from funded groups and groups that were not funded. The sample size of the study was 75 respondents; 70 respondents from the youth groups and 5 youth officers. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire for youth group members interview guides for the youth development officers. The collected data was analyzed through descriptive analysis and inferential statistics using SPSS. The analyzed data was presented in tables and charts to summarize responses. The study found out that funds that the youths were given for their intended purposes were not enough. The youths cited that their businesses were performing well but indicated that they needed more funds so as to achieve comprehensive growth. The study concluded that lack of proper business plan development, adequate repayment structures and lack of repayment avenues was a problem. To improve on the viability of the youth enterprises, there is need for the Government to aggressively market the youth products. The study therefore recommended that the youths need to be sensitized on youth group formation and registration in order to benefit more from the fund. The Fund should invest more in public sensitization and education on its operations and progresses since its inception. There should be alternative public sensitization and education avenues that are relevant to youth development. Keywords : nature of businesses, management skills, business plan development, collateral requirements


Low energy efficiency is already a major problem for petrol and diesel vehicles. Typically, only 20% of the overall well-to-wheel energy is actually used to power these vehicles. The other 80% is lost through oil extraction, refinement, transport, evaporation, and engine heat. This low energy efficiency is the primary reason why fossil fuel vehicles are emissions-intensive, and relatively Why battery-powered vehicles stack up better than hydrogen 1 of 6


Isotopes in diatoms are increasingly used in palaeoenvironmental studies in both lacustrine and marine settings, enabling the reconstruction of a range of variables including temperature, precipitation, salinity, glacial discharge, carbon dynamics and biogeochemical cycling. This protocol details an optimised methodology for extracting diatoms for isotope analysis from sediment samples, using a range of chemical and density separation techniques that minimise sample loss and avoids the need for expensive equipment. Whilst designed for the extraction of diatoms for oxygen, silicon and carbon isotope analysis, additional stages are outlined for the analysis of other isotopes that are of increasing interest to the palaeo community (e.g., boron and zinc). The protocol also includes procedures for assessing sample purity, to ensure that analysed samples produce robust palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Overall, the method aims to improve the quality of palaeoenvironmental research derived from isotopes in diatoms by maximising sample purity and the efficiency of the extraction process.


Abstract Objective: The most prevailing surgical procedure in the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures, Short Segment Fixation (SSF), is often followed by loss of correction or hardware failure which may be significant enough to require another surgical intervention. In order to take advantage of its benefits but to avoid or diminish the risk and impact of associated drawbacks, some other alternatives have been lately developed among which we refer to short segment fixation with intermediate screws (SSF+IS). This article provides a comparative picture over the effectiveness of the two above-mentioned surgical treatments, focusing on their potential to prevent the loss of correction. Methods: After a systematic literature review over research papers published between 2000 and 2012, 14 articles which met the criteria were included in the meta-analysis. The relevant data extracted and compared for each subgroup of patients treated either with SSF or SSF+IS, were the weighted averages for the pre-operative, post-operative and last follow up kyphosis angles. We also considered common associated complications, operation time, and blood loss values for each surgical subgroups. Results: The values for the loss of correction at the last follow-up were: 5.5° for SS and 7.4° for SSF+IS, which didn't prove to be statistically different. With reference to other parameters, such as operation time, blood loss and correction attainment, the values did not present statistically significant differences, either. Regarding complications, we noticed that both SSF and SSF+IS display a similar incidence for hardware failure, screw breakages, superficial infections, deep venous thrombosis. Conclusions: This paper concludes that, adding one or two screws at the fractured vertebra level (SSF+IS) does not bring forth a significant improvement compared to the traditional approach (SSF). Apparently, the blood loss depends mostly on the approach type (open or percutaneous) and less on the surgery type.


As the role of leptin in energy balance in neonate is unknown, we investigated the effect of acute (2 h) and chronic (7 days) administration of leptin (100 μg/day) on thermoregulation and mitochondrial protein abundance in adipose tissue. The concentration of uncoupling protein (UCP)1 and voltage‐dependent anion channel (VDAC) located on the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes, respectively, were measured. Administration of leptin prevented the normal decline in colonic temperature over the first few hours and days after birth. It subsequently accelerated the loss of both mRNA and protein for UCP1 but had no effect on VDAC abundance. At seven days of age, colonic temperature was correlated strongly with both mRNA abundance and thermogenic potential of UCP1 in leptin‐treated but not control lambs, indicating more effective use of UCP1 for heat production following leptin administration. Leptin had no effect on weight gain or adipose tissue deposition; at one day of age only, leptin mRNA was correlated positively with adipose tissue weight. In conclusion, leptin administration to neonatal lambs improves thermoregulation and promotes the loss of UCP1 in brown adipose tissue.


Background Recent advances in imaging have improved our understanding of the role of the brain in painful conditions. Discoveries of morphological changes have been made in patients with chronic pain, with little known about the functional consequences when they occur in areas associated with 'number-sense'; thus, it can be hypothesized that chronic pain impairs this sense. Methods First, an audit of the use of numbers in gold-standard pain assessment tools in patients with acute and chronic pain was undertaken. Secondly, experiments were conducted with patients with acute and chronic pain and healthy controls. Participants marked positions of numbers on lines (number marking), before naming numbers on pre-marked lines (number naming). Finally, subjects bisected lines flanked with '2' and '9'. Deviations from expected responses were determined for each experiment. Results Four hundred and ninety-four patients were audited; numeric scores in the 'moderate' and 'severe' pain categories were significantly higher in chronic compared with acute pain patients. In experiments (n=150), more than one-third of chronic pain patients compared with 1/10th of controls showed greater deviations from the expected in number marking and naming indicating impaired number sense. Line bisection experiments suggest prefrontal and parietal cortical dysfunction as cause of this impairment. Conclusions Audit data suggest patients with chronic pain interpret numbers differently from acute pain sufferers. Support is gained by experiments indicating impaired number sense in one-third of chronic pain patients. These results cast doubts on the appropriateness of the use of visual analogue and numeric rating scales in chronic pain in clinics and research.


AIM
To investigate the activation of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and its function in the corticosterone (CORT)-induced apoptosis of rat Leydig cells.

METHODS
NFAT in rat Leydig cells was detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. Cyclosporin A (CsA) was used to evaluate potential involvement of NFAT in the CORT-induced apoptosis of Leydig cells. Intracellular Ca(2+) was monitored in CORT-treated Leydig cells using Fluo-3/AM. After the Leydig cells were incubated with either CORT or CORT plus CsA for 12 h, the levels of NFAT2 in the nuclei and in the cytoplasm were measured by semi-quantitative Western blotting. The role of NFAT2 in CORT-induced Leydig cell apoptosis was further evaluated by observing the effects of NFAT2 overexpression and the inhibition of NFAT2 activation by CsA on FasL expression and apoptosis.

RESULTS
We found that NFAT2 was the predominant isoform in Leydig cells. CsA blocked the CORT-induced apoptosis of the Leydig cells. The intracellular Ca(2+) level in the Leydig cells was significantly increased after the CORT treatment. The CORT increased the level of NFAT2 in the nuclei and decreased its level in the cytoplasm. CsA blocked the CORT-induced nuclear translocation of NFAT2 in the Leydig cells. Both CORT-induced apoptosis and FasL expression in the rat Leydig cells were enhanced by the overexpression of NFAT2 and antagonized by CsA.

CONCLUSION
NFAT2 was activated in CORT-induced Leydig cell apoptosis. The effects of NFAT2 overexpression and the inhibition of NFAT2 activation suggest that NFAT2 may potentially play a pro-apoptotic role in CORT-induced Leydig cell apoptosis through the up-regulation of FasL.


A seismic refraction experiment was conducted in the Pacific Ocean basin, off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. The purpose of these measurements was to obtain an estimate of the anisotropy of the mantle P-wave velocity in the area and to relate this parameter to the direction of sea floor spreading. The results show that the crustal structure is similar to that measured elsewhere in the Pacific basin. Significant anisotropy of the mantle rocks is observed; the direction in which the maximum velocity occurs being 107° and the change of velocity, about 8% of the mean value, 8.07 km/s. The direction of maximum velocity does not coincide exactly with the direction of sea floor spreading, 090°, inferred from magnetic lineations.


The present work reports on a feasibility study commissioned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences of China to explore various possible mission options to detect gravitational waves in space alternative to that of the eLISA/LISA mission concept. Based on the relative merits assigned to science and technological viability, a few representative mission options descoped from the ALIA mission are considered. A semi-analytic Monte Carlo simulation is carried out to understand the cosmic black hole merger histories and the possible scientific merits of the mission options in probing the light seed black holes and their coevolution with galaxies in early Universe. The study indicates that, by choosing the armlength of the interferometer to be three million kilometers and shifting the sensitivity floor to around one-hundredth Hz, together with a very moderate improvement on the position noise budget, there are certain mission options capable of exploring light seed, intermediate mass black hole binaries at high redshift that are not readily accessible to eLISA/LISA, and yet the technological requirements seem to within reach in the next few decades for China.


Background: Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) via valve implantation can be achieved by targeting severely hyperinflated and emphysematously destructed lung areas in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. Lack of collateral ventilation (CV) is important for good outcomes with BLVR. CV can be measured using the catheter-based Chartis system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between total exhaled volume drained from the target lobe measured by Chartis and clinical outcomes after BLVR in CV-negative patients. Methods: From January 2016 to March 2019, 60 patients were included in this retrospective single-center analysis. Drained volume (TVol) measured by Chartis was recorded and compared with lung function and physical performance parameters. Outcome variables included the percentage change in lung function [forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), residual volume (RV), and inspiratory vital capacity (IVC)]. Secondary outcomes were the degree of target lobe volume reduction (TLVR), change in 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and change in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT) score. Results: Drained volume correlated significantly with post-BLVR change in FEV1 (r = 0.663), IVC (r = 0.611), RV (r = −0.368), and TLVR (r = 0.635) (all p < 0.05). In a priori-defined patient subgroups based on drained volume [<100 ml (n = 19), 100−400 ml (n = 33), and >400 ml (n = 8)]; mean changes in FEV1 were 2.6%, 17.4%, and 51.3%; in RV were −3.9%, −10.6%, and −23.8%; in IVC were −4.0%, 10.6%, and 62.4%; and in TLVR were 525 ml (39%), 1375 ml (73%) and 1760 ml (100%), respectively. There were no significant correlations between absolute and percentage changes in 6MWD and the CAT score. Lung volume reduction was diagnosed in 32 (53%) cases. Conclusion: Drained volume measured by the Chartis system correlated with functional improvement in CV-negative patients undergoing BLVR. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.


Ultrasound is in common use in medicine. Here the physical concepts that underlie its use are explained, including choice of frequency, resolution and imaging.


We report a 78-year-old man with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) who showed upper limb dominant muscle weakness following an upper respiratory infection. He had no weakness in extraocular, oropharyngeal and neck muscles. Tendon reflexes were absent in his upper limbs. Electrophysiological studies suggested demyelination of motor nerves in his upper and lower extremities. He had serum IgG antibodies to GM1 and GT1a but not to GQ1b. Anti-GT1a antibodies did not cross-react to GM1 by means of the absorption test. Titers of the antibodies decreased after recovering from muscle weakness of upper limbs. Since the presence of serum antibodies to GT1a but not to GQ1b were reported in patients with pharyngeal-cervical-brachial weakness of Guillain-Barré syndrome, it has been suggested that anti-GT1a antibodies play a role in acute oropharyngeal neuropathy. This is the first report of a patient with GBS lacking oropharyngeal palsy who had serum IgG antibodies to GT1a but not to GQ1b. Our case suggests that anti-GT1a antibodies are related not only with acute oropharyngeal neuropathy but also with upper limb dominant motor neuropathy.


Professor J. G. SCADDING (London) emphasized that intelligent treatment required an understanding of the nature of the disease and the objectives of the therapeutic measures available. There was no medical treatment for simple chronic bronchitis ; the only advice that could be given was to stop smoking. Although air pollution was the other recognized causative factor, few urban patients could change their atmospheric environment. There was good evidence that the pus in mucopurulent sputum resulted from bacterial infection, with Haemophilus influenzae and the pneumococcus as the organisms generally responsible. These organisms were often present in the respiratory tract without causing symptoms, but active infection followed virus infection, severe air pollution, and any episode rendering cough less effective. The duration but not the frequency of infective episodes could be reduced in many patients by the use of tetracyclines or ampicillin. Bronchodilators only slightly reduced the airways obstruction of bronchitis. Sympathomimetic drugs should be given episodically, and theophylline derivatives in regular dosage. In uncomplicated bronchitis corticosteroids were rarely of value, but if a trial was contemplated it should be carried out in hospital with careful quantitative assessment. Following discussion, the CHAIRMAN concluded by observing that despite great advances in the diagnosis and management of bronchitis control of the condition required the abolition of smoking and of atmospheric pollution. We had only ourselves to blame for the miseries and frustration which chronic bronchitis provided.


This issue marks the tenth birthday of Significance magazine. To mark it, Mario Cortina Borja examines the strong birthday problem.


The formation of different structures in phase-separated composite films (PSCOFs) from formulations of liquid crystals and photocurable monomers has been investigated using polarizing optical and scanning electron microscopies. Two processes, spatially nonuniform polymerization and diffusion of small molecules, play important roles in determining a specific PSCOF polymer structure. The variations in UV irradiation intensity and temperature, at which phase separation is carried out, strongly influence these two processes and can change the resultant structure from a homogeneous PSCOF bilayer structure to a heterogeneous polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) structure. A variation in cell thickness changes the distance through which small molecules have to diffuse during phase separation and, thus, affects the structure obtained in thick and thin cells.


Epilepsy (from the Ancient Greek word ( epilēpsia ) — "seizure") is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. The mainstay of treatment of epilepsy is anticonvulsant medications. Some of the new antiepileptic drugs are: Oxcarbazepine, Lamotrizine, Topiramate, Zonisamide. All these new anticonvulsants have shown promising results in the formulation of new dosage forms such as fast dissolving tablets or buccal tablets. For these formulations it becomes important to study their permeation across the buccal membrane and if inherently permeable drugs are chosen their formulations as fast dissolving tablets will be more successful. Since the present study deals with new antiepileptics a suitable spectrophotometric method of analyzing Lamotrigine and Oxcarbazepine was not found during the course of Literature survey, hence a new method was devised and later validated as per the ICH guidelines. However for Topiramate and Zonisamide method reported in the literature survey was followed and these four drug's permeation across bovine cheek mucosa using Franz diffusion cell was studied. Comparative Permeation evaluation of Drugs revealed that Lamotrigine and Oxcarbazepine showed permeation of 30% and 10% respectively which is much larger than that of Topiramate and Zonisamide (6% and 1.28% respectively). This enhanced permeability may be attributed to the slightly lipophilic character of both these drugs as compared to their counterparts and because of their higher permeability they are ideal candidates for the formulation of fast dissolving tablets thus improving their bioavailability.


Leucorrhoea, the unusual vaginal discharge is a common problem now-a-days in gynaecological practice. It may be physiological but when turn into pathological condition, produce associated problems like itching vulva, backache and so as to anxiety to a female suffering from the entity. It is quoted as a symptom in multiple gynaecological problems. Management of leucorrhoea depends upon the causative factor, Prakriti of the patient's, involvement of Doshas etc. Usually leucorrhoea is a curable disease, but recurrence is common due to causative factors. Some classical preparations mentioned for the management of Leucorrhoea in Ayurvedic classics oral as well as local like vaginal douche, vaginal suppositories, dhoopana and tampons. Research works done at various institutions give evidence of effectiveness of such oral and local therapies.


Background Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is very common in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and represents the leading cause of death. Despite its toxicity, cyclophosphamide (CYC) remains one of the most effective therapy. However, limited data about optimal dosage, duration therapy and best way of administration are available. It has been suggested that a prolonged CYC regimen might be more effective than a shorter course. Objectives To evaluate safety and response to oral long-term treatment with CYC in combination with low or medium steroids dose in patients with ILD-SSc. Methods Twenty two patients with ILD-SSc treated with oral CYC, were retrospectively included in this study. A complete clinical examination, included evaluation of European disease activity score and Mesdger' severity scale score, high-resolution (HRCT) scan, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were performed before starting therapy, and annually therefore during 10 years of follow-up [86.6 (47.4) months]. Patients were treated with oral CYC at the dosage of 50 mg/day, for consecutive 10-15 days monthly, for a mean of 63.8 (34.2) months, in association with oral prednisone at low (<10 mg/day; n = 9) or medium (> 10 mg/day; n = 13) doses. Results The cumulative CYC dosage reached was 39 (28.7) g, (range 6-122). After the first year of therapy, differences with baseline results for diffusion lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were less than 15% and 10 % respectively, indicating that they remained almost stable. Moreover, in 13 patients who discontinued CYC, DLCO continued to improve more than 10% after 24 months, compared with baseline. In multivariate analysis, an improvement of more than 15% in DLCO after CYC discontinuation significantly correlated with limited cutaneous SSc, early disease, severe ILD, elevated acute phase serum proteins. HRCT documented a regression of ground glass (GG) pattern in 77% of patients. Decrease of GG was mostly detected in the first year of therapy (P < 0.01) and when GG was the predominant pattern. Disease activity estimated by European disease activity score, improved significantly after the first year (P < 0.01) and then stabilized during the follow-up. Medsger severity scale score remained overall stable. Modified Rodnan skin score remained unchanged. Ten out of 22 patients (45%) developed adverse events (reversible and no life-threathening) that require drug withdrawal in seven cases. Three patients died for not related drug causes. No side effects were reported after drug withdrawal. Conclusions Oral CYC long-term therapy seem to be as effective as the intravenous pulse route and with comparable side effects. In our series, it ameliorated and/or stabilized lung function and HRCT pattern, maintaining favorable results after long time of discontinuation. Therapy was overall well tolerated with no severe adverse events. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared