Bananas are one of the world's most consumed fruits. Developing countries in the Global South depend on bananas for food security and livelihoods. Still, the banana industry also drives a multinational trade worth billions of US dollars. In addition, banana plants also hold cultural and religious significances in many Asian countries. However, banana production faces several challenges, and one of the major issues is the Fusarium wilt disease caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4). This disease threatens numerous banana cultivars, including the Cavendish, the most traded banana cultivar. Therefore, the objective of this study was to find effective measures to control the spread of this disease through antagonistic soil bacteria. This study isolated 14 fluorescent, siderophore-producing bacteria with in vitro inhibition rates of 21.73-50.38% against Foc TR4 from the soil surrounding banana plants. Most of the isolates were identified as Pseudomonas spp. via 16S rRNA sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis based on 16s rRNA sequences showed clustering of isolates congruent with the results of similarity searches. Three isolates that exhibited relatively higher antagonistic activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense compared to other isolates were JBAA132 (50.38%), K2B131 (46.28%), and KTP231 (45.38%). Isolate JBAA132 displayed differences in biochemical characteristics compared to its closest match (Pseudomonas aeruginosa type strain DSM50071). It also demonstrated nitrogen-fixing and phosphate solubilising properties common to plant growth promoters. Therefore, isolate JBAA132 may be further explored as a potential biocontrol agent in curbing the spread of Foc TR4.


In this paper we present interpretations of Lommel polynomials and their derivatives. A combinatorial interpretation uses matchings in graphs. This gives an interpretation for the derivatives as well. Then Lommel polynomials are considered from the point of view of operator calculus. A step-3 nilpotent Lie algebra and finite-difference operators arise in the analysis.


Late Paleozoic deformation within interior North America has produced a series of north-northwest- to northwest-trending elongate basins that cover much of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. Each basin thickens asymmetrically toward an adjacent region of coeval basement uplift from which it is separated by synsedimentary faults with great vertical relief. The remarkable coincidence in timing, geometry, and apparent structural style throughout the region of late Paleozoic deformation strongly suggests that these paired regions of basin subsidence and basement uplift form a unified system of regional deformation, the greater Ancestral Rocky Mountains. Over this region, basin subsidence and basement uplift were approximately synchronous, beginning in the Chesterian-Morrowan, continuing through the Pennsylvanian, and ending in the Wolfcampian (although minor post-Wolfcampian deformation occurs locally). The basement uplifts show evidence for folding and faulting in the Pennsylvanian and Early Permian. Reverse faults and thrust faults have been drilled over many of the uplifts, but only in the Anadarko region has thrusting of the basement uplifts over the adjacent basin been clearly documented. Extensive basement-involved thrusting also occurs along the margins of the Delaware and Midland basins, and suggests that the entire greater Ancestral Rocky Mountains region probably formed as the result of northeast-southwest-directed-intraplate shortening. Deformation within the greater Ancestral Rocky Mountains was coeval with late Paleozoic subduction along much of the North American plate margin, and has traditionally been related to emplacement of thrust sheets within the Ouachita-Marathon orogenic belt. The nature, timing, and orientation of events along the Ouachita-Marathon belt make it difficult to drive the deformation of the greater Ancestral Rocky Mountains by emplacement of the Ouachita-Marathon belt along the southern margin of North America. We speculate the deformation was driven instead by events within a late Paleozoic Andean margin along the southwestern margin of North America. Evidence for the existence of this previously unrecognized Andean margin comes from east-central Mexico, where a Pennsylvanian and Permian volcanic arc indicates that a northeast-dipping subduction boundary lay to the south and west. The interpretation that deformation throughout the greater Ancestral Rocky Mountains occurs by basement-involved overthrusting on gently to moderately dipping thrust faults suggests that potential hydrocarbon reserves beneath crystalline thrust sheets may be much greater than is generally supposed.


This workshop aims to explore the applicability of Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) research ethics beyond the field's remit, to develop an animal-centered approach to the use of animals in research more broadly. The event is part of a longer-term project aiming to rearticulate the framework of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement). The workshop is targeted at researchers from different disciplines, with expertise on animal research from different perspectives. The event will involve group work sessions during which participants will discuss diverse case studies, exploring the applicability of animal-centered ethics principles when designing research that involves animals, and plenary discussions during which participants will share challenges identified, collectively explore possible ways to address them in practice and produce policy suggestions to facilitate the implementation of scenario-specific trade-offs. The workshop will be run both in presence and virtually, to promote inclusion of participants from different geographic areas. A key outcome of the event will be the establishment of a working group to develop a framework and provide a resource for researchers and practitioners whose work involves animals and for whom the application of animal-cantered technologies, methods or frameworks may be relevant.


. Abstract ! Patients with a transient ischaemic attack or ischaemic stroke are at high risk for a recurrent stroke, in particular in the first 48 to 72 hours. Antithrombotic treatment with antiplatelet drugs is able to reduce this risk. Randomised controlled trials have shown that aspirin and the combinations of aspirin and extended released dipyrida-mole or clopidogrel are efficacious in acute and early secondary stroke prevention after the initial ischaemic event. The use of all three antiplatelet regimens is associated with an increased bleeding risk, but the prevention of recurrent thromboembolic events outweighs the bleeding risk. Current evidence opens the option of a combination therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel in the acute and early secondary stroke prevention in patients with an ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack. However, further randomised trials are required to support this viewand to identify patient subgroups that benefit most. The combination of aspirin and extended released dipyridamole is also efficacious and safe in long-term secondary stroke prevention.


Salt-wasting nephropathy is a rare syndrome in which renal insufficiency is associated with extracellular volume depletion from marked natriuresis in the absence of adrenal insufficiency or diuretics. We report the clinical course of a 23-year-old woman with renal insufficiency, in association with orthostatic hypotension and salt wasting. A combination of daily infusion of saline, a high-salt diet and oral fludrocortisone did not compensate for her salt loses. Renal biopsy showed noncaseating granulomas and marked interstitial inflammation. Renal function and salt loss improved with prednisone therapy and 6 months after withdrawal of steroids, her renal function remains stable.


Dear Editor,

We enjoyed reading the excellent article by Yilmaz and colleagues on noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis using aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI) in adult patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) [1]. They performed their tests on adults with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), B (CHB), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We definitely need to develop serological markers that have satisfactory sensitivity, specificity, and high predictive values, which can be used either instead of liver biopsy or to reduce the frequency of needed biopsies for monitoring the evolution of CHC and defining the right moment for commencing treatment. Despite the study results showing that APRI has an acceptable accuracy for the assessment of liver fibrosis in adults with CHC and NAFLD, this was not the case in CHB patients. We believe that the study results would have been more valid if the researchers have used a combination of non-invasive tests to assess liver fibrosis. A similar study conducted in Hungary used APRI and liver stiffness (LS) measurements to assess fibrosis in CHC [2]. The combination of both fibrosis markers was useful for non-invasive assessment of fibrosis in CHC. Forestier and colleagues found that LS measurements, APRI score, (13)C-amniopyrine breath test and indocyanine green plasma clearance were reliable markers for assessing cirrhosis in patients with CLD [3]. APRI was also found to be a simple and readily available tool for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with biliary atresia during post-operative follow-up care [4].

A drawback for using APRI is that its performance is not reliable in women, younger patients and in those with non-vertically-transmitted hepatitis C virus infection [5]. Alternatively, our group recommends the use of Fibrotest (FT) as a non-invasive serum biomarker for the assessment of the degree of hepatic fibrosis in pediatric patients with CHC. FT at a cutoff value of 0.25 was able to discriminate patients with mild stage of fibrosis from those with no or minimal fibrosis (sensitivity of 92.3%, specificity of 95.8% and accuracy of 94%). A higher cutoff point (FT = 0.54) can be used to diagnose significant fibrosis (ie., moderate or severe stages) with a sensitivity of 71.4%, specificity of 90.7%, and accuracy of 88.0% [6].


The Ralls Case: Why CFIUS and the Court Got It Right examines the President's determination, based on a CFIUS recommendation, that national security concerns warranted the issuance of a divestiture order of Ralls Corporation's acquired interest in four wind farm project companies in Oregon. The article also reviews the decision of the US District Court in the legal challenge that Ralls brought in response to the President's order. The article argues that the President and CFIUS were right to block the transaction and that the President was within his legal authority to take such action. The article further argues that the court decision affirming the President's authority is, to date, correct.


ABSTRACT

 Nasir Mangngasing. 2013. Implementation of Policy of Village Fund Allocation in Donggala District (supervised by Muhammad Ramli as promoter, Muhammad Rusdi and Muhammad Asfah Rahman as co-promotores).

 The objective of the research is to analyze the implementation of the management of the Village Fund Allocation program which focuses on the aspects of the principle of management, the managing institution, mechanism of distribution, the application, reporting and supervision, as well as the dominant factors which influence the implementation of Village Fund Allocation in Donggala district such as communication, human resources, attitude of the implementing (dispotition), and structure of bureaucracy.
 The study employed qualitatative approach, which meant critically examining the process of the implementation of Village Fund Allocation program in Donggala district. The determination of the infotarmant was conducted purposively. Data were collectes through informal and unstructured interview by imploying interview guidance, observation, and documentation. Data were then analyzed by using descriptive qualitative analysis.
 The result of the study revealed that the implementation of Village Fund Allocation program on the aspect of the principle of Village Fund Allocation management, management of institution, the application, reporting and supervision starting from planning of activities, the implementation up to accountability were not yet conducted well as expected. The weaknesses could be detected on the delivery of report of Village Fund Allocation of stage I, II, III, and IV which often time was returned to the coach team of subdistrict level to be revised due to lack of ability of the implementation team of village level chaired by the head of the village, whereas, the factors which influence the implementation of the Village Fund Allocation policy were determined by (1) the communication which has not run well, (2) human resources which have not fully supported the program, (3) the attitude of the organizer which has not been optimal yet, and (4) the structure of bureaucracy which does not reflect the expectation in supporting the implementation of the program. On the other hand, the implementating of the Village Fund Allocation program focused on the improvement of public facilities in small scale (physical development) and intended dominantly to compete on village competitionwhich made the non- physical activity was ignored. This condition proved that the ability and skill of the village government officers as poor in conducting that task and functions toward the implementation on Village Fund Allocation program.

Keyword: Village Fund Allocation policy, communication, human resources, the attitude of the organizer, the structure of bureaucracy.


Baroreceptors are mechanosensitive elements of the peripheral nervous system that maintain homeostasis by coordinating physiologic responses to external and internal stimuli. While it is recognized that carotid and cardiopulmonary baroreceptor reflexes modulate autonomic output to mitigate excessive fluctuations in arterial blood pressure and to maintain intravascular volume, increasing evidence suggests that baroreflex pathways also project to key regions of the central nervous system that regulate somatosensory, somatomotor, and central nervous system arousal. In addition to maintaining autonomic homeostasis, baroreceptor activity modulates the perception of pain, as well as neuroimmune, neuroendocrine, and cognitive responses to physical and psychologic stressors. This review summarizes the role that baroreceptor pathways play in modulating acute and chronic pain perception. The contribution of baroreceptor function to postoperative outcomes is also presented. Finally, methods that enhance baroreceptor function, which hold promise in improving postoperative and pain management outcomes, are presented.


The aim of the study was to determine the intensity distribution of optical radiation in the range of: ultraviolet, visible and infrared, emitted by electrical discharges. Optical spectra were analyzed for different configurations types of high voltage electrodes for the possibility of using the obtained spectra to recognize these configurations types. Studies were conducted in laboratory conditions for electrodes of different geometrical shapes. Electric discharges were generated in the air under identical atmospheric conditions. The applied experimental method was based on the registration of the emitted optical radiation intensity. For the analysis of the emission radiation in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared range, was used the method of optical spectroscopy based on a high-resolution spectrometer with a spectral range of 200 nm - 1100 nm. Additionally was used an UV camera for detailed analysis of the phenomenon in the ultraviolet range.


Gender differences are being increasingly reported across psychiatric disorders. Females are known to be more at risk for developing unipolar depressive disorders. In bipolar disorder there is more dysphoria, rapid cycling and more number of depressive episodes in females. However studies on gender difference in resolution are scarce. This study was conducted in Central Institute of Psychiatry to assess the gender difference in resolution of mania. 24 males and 16 females were rated at day 0, 3, 7, 14, 21 & 28 on scale for Manic States, ft was found that males settled faster than females, which was evident at day 14. The rate of resolution was more in males in the first week. Remission was also reached earlier by males.


Introduction: Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a rare disorder characterized by severely increased cholesterol levels that lead to an extremely high risk of premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). Aggressive lipid-lowering therapy should be started at an early age with highly potent statins. Rosuvastatin is such a highly efficacious statin with a favorable safety profile that might be advantageous in pediatric HoFH. Areas covered: The authors conducted a PubMed search for rosuvastatin papers and papers on statin use in HoFH published in English. This review describes the pharmacology, safety and efficacy of rosuvastatin and discusses its use in pediatric HoFH. Expert opinion: To date, there is very little evidence on the efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin in pediatric HoFH. Sufficient clinical evidence has proven the lipid-lowering capacity and subsequent CVD prevention of rosuvastatin in hypercholesterolemic adults. Furthermore, clinical studies in children heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia aged 6 years and older revealed no untoward safety concerns. Rosuvastatin is, therefore, a promising agent in the treatment of pediatric HoFH.


ABSTRACT The efficacy of a recombinant plague vaccine (rF1V) was evaluated in cynomolgus macaques (CMs) to establish the relationship among vaccine doses, antibody titers, and survival following an aerosol challenge with a lethal dose of Yersinia pestis strain Colorado 92. CMs were vaccinated with a range of rF1V doses on a three-dose schedule (days 0, 56, and 121) to provide a range of survival outcomes. The humoral immune response following vaccination was evaluated with anti-rF1, anti-rV, and anti-rF1V bridge enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Animals were challenged via aerosol exposure on day 149. Vaccine doses and antibody responses were each significantly associated with the probability of CM survival (P < 0.0001). Vaccination also decreased signs of pneumonic plague in a dose-dependent manner. There were statistically significant correlations between the vaccine dose and the time to onset of fever (P < 0.0001), the time from onset of fever to death (P < 0.0001), the time to onset of elevated respiratory rate (P = 0.0003), and the time to onset of decreased activity (P = 0.0251) postinfection in animals exhibiting these clinical signs. Delays in the onset of these clinical signs of disease were associated with larger doses of rF1V. Immunization with ≥12 μg of rF1V resulted in 100% CM survival. Since both the vaccine dose and anti-rF1V antibody titers correlate with survival, rF1V bridge ELISA titers can be used as a correlate of protection.


Abstract: The research analyses the efficiency of the representative democracy model in the land policies definition. The representative model is based on the assumption that people (public) are not able to manage their interests, but need the presence of representatives in order to assure the common interest. The paper focuses on the comparison between social preferences and institutional preferences. The hypothesis is that in the case there is a wide divergence of preferences between institutional and social preferences, it means that institutional actors have a different perception of priority in comparison to the society. To analyse the divergences concerning land policies authors have used a questionnaire designed in order to consider the main management strategies on rural development. The questionnaire - subdivided into thematic sections (forest functions, strategies of territorial development, renewable energies and forest fire control strategies) - has been submitted face-to-face to the representatives of local institutions and to the non-institutional actors. The results of the interviews have been compared statistically considering the two groups of actors, with the purpose of emphasizing the convergence and divergence on land policies. The study area is the forest district of Arci-Grighine in the Oristano department (Sardinia).


Three types of AlCoNi decagonal quasicrystals in Al72.5Co11Ni16.5, Al71Co14.5Ni14.5 and Al71.5Co16Ni12.5 alloys have been examined by Cs-corrected high-angle annular detector dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), which has an enough resolution to represent individual TM atoms as bright dots in observed images of decagonal quasicrystals. On the basis of the structure of a W(AlNiCo) crystalline approximant, transition-metal (TM) atoms and mixed sites (MSs) of Al and TM atoms are separately distinguished in HAADF-STEM images. Most of TM atoms are arranged with pentagonal tilings of a bond-length of 0.76 nm, and MSs are located inside of pentagonal frames with definite orientations. All of the TM atoms and MSs are located at lattice points of a Penrose lattice of an edge-length of 0.25 nm, and arranged with a bond-orientational order. The present result shows that the structures of AlCoNi decagonal quasicrystals should be characterized as BOO arrangements of transition-metal atoms, instead of previous models of BOO arrangements of 2 nm atom clusters. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2012340]


Expert judgment, standardized in a meaningful format, can be used to identify research/survey needs and to characterize areas of (dis)agreement in species responses, associated traits, and factors affecting responses. Feasible methods are needed to facilitate the evaluation of expertise in a complex domain characterized by moderate to low learnability. Specific objectives for this study were 1) to evaluate agreement among experts on range plant species behavior and 2) to develop an agreement-based classification method for plant species responses. Declarative information at landscape scale was elicited from 7 role-suggested experts on expected responses to cattle grazing (none, moderate, or heavy) and fire (absent, applied in late summer or fall, or applied in late winter or spring) of 198 plant species from the Edwards Plateau (Texas). Trends were requested to be assessed in a 3-level ordinal scale (decrease, unaffected, increase). Kappa statistics (pair-wise and multi-rater versions) and log-linear models were used to evaluate agreement. A procedure based upon cumulative probability distributions of possible rating combinations was developed to classify plant species while accounting for agreement. A total of 4,584 opinions (cattle grazing: 2,959; fire: 1,625) was elicited and analyzed. Low to moderate agreement was observed. Average pair-wise kappa statistics ranged from 0.07 to 0.39; multiple-rater kappa coefficients ranged from -0.17 to 0.53. Log-linear analyses were consistent with those estimations: agreement beyond chance or baseline association between ratings (P < 0.05) was observed in 62 out of 114 possible pair-wise cases. Non-homogeneous marginal distributions of opinion were an important source of disagreement. Experts performed beyond chance expectations in all scenarios but agreement was better (and pattern of agreement more consistent) when scenarios were most familiar to the experts (e.g., heavy grazing and winter/spring burning). Almost 80% of species was classified beyond chance (P < 0.15) in grazing scenarios in contrast to only 40 to 60% in fire scenarios. This resulted from less agreement among experts but also from apparent lack of knowledge. The procedure developed to classify plant species provides an objective criterion for evaluating agreement in an ordinal scale. Graphical representations facilitate understanding of relationships between the number of expert sources and their ability to distinguish among classes for a pre-defined confidence level.


Depression is common disorder and contributes largely to nonfatal health loss characterized by feeling of sadness or loss of interest in activities which can be correlated to kaphaja Unmada. In Ayurveda, choice of treatment for Kaphaja Unmada is Vamana with Satwavajaya Chikitsa, Shamana Aushadhi, and Medhya Rasayana. A treatment protocol was designed based on signs and symptoms of the patient and was administered Sarvanga Udvartana with Bashpa Sweda, Sirotalam, Vamana, Patent medicine (Composed of Jyotishmati Taila, Shuddha Gandhaka, Shankhapushpi, Vacha, Jatamamsi and Bhringraja) and Saraswatarishta. This treatment was helpful in reducing the intensity of symptoms and improving his quality of life of an extent. This helps us to understand the scope of Ayurvedic intervention for mental disorders. Ayurveda provides various effective solutions to various diseases which come under the umbrella of Unmada.


An international comparison of the spectral radiance scales of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) was carried out in 1993 and 1994, under the auspices of the Comite Consultatif de Photometrie et Radiometrie (CCPR) of the Comite International des Poids et Mesures (CIPM). The comparison covered the spectral range 200 nm to 350 nm. The transfer standards were deuterium discharge lamps, with examples of the lamps used at each of the participating laboratories included in the comparison to aid in the identification of systematic errors and to gather information on their relative performance. The scales of the laboratories agreed within the combined uncertainties. However, the combined uncertainties were high (an expanded uncertainty with a coverage factor of k = 2 of up to 8 %), and further work is required to reduce the uncertainties associated with the spectral radiance scales of each laboratory. Little difference was observed in the performance of the three different transfer standard sources used.


Recent work has shown that deep generative models assign higher likelihood to out-of-distribution inputs than to training data. We show that a factor underlying this phenomenon is a mismatch between the nature of the prior distribution and that of the data distribution, a problem found in widely used deep generative models such as VAEs and Glow. While a typical choice for a prior distribution is a standard Gaussian distribution, properties of distributions of real data sets may not be consistent with a unimodal prior distribution. This paper focuses on the relationship between the choice of a prior distribution and the likelihoods assigned to out-of-distribution inputs. We propose the use of a mixture distribution as a prior to make likelihoods assigned by deep generative models sensitive to out-of-distribution inputs. Furthermore, we explain the theoretical advantages of adopting a mixture distribution as the prior, and we present experimental results to support our claims. Finally, we demonstrate that a mixture prior lowers the out-of-distribution likelihood with respect to two pairs of real image data sets: Fashion-MNIST vs. MNIST and CIFAR10 vs. SVHN.


In this written testimony, Professor Steinitz addresses bills pending in the New York State Senate and Assembly relating to consumer litigation finance. Among other things, she suggests (1) establishing a "Minimum Payment" for plaintiffs, instead of (or in addition to) flat rates or interest caps; and (2) defining the scope of application by applying an "Unsophisticated Plaintiff" test rather than by focusing on the financing amount. She also addresses other matters implicated by the bills such as whether lawyers should be permitted to provide financial advice, prohibition of prepayment penalties, registration requirements, and right of rescission in the context of consumer litigation finance.


ABSTRACT Public perceptions of fracking and natural gas have received significant scholarly attention recently. However, opinion research is scant with respect to natural gas export (the transport and sale of natural gas from one country to another via pipeline or ship) and its associated economic benefits and environmental risks. Understanding public views on export, particularly in places where export facilities are proposed, is important because the U.S. has rapidly increased its natural gas exports overseas in the wake of the shale revolution. Moreover, such facilities have been targeted by anti-fossil fuel and climate activists as a weak link in the chain of the fossil fuel economy, particularly on the U.S. West Coast where proposals for export terminals have proven unsuccessful. Using a web-based opinion survey in the state of Oregon (n = 500), we evaluate risk and benefit perceptions of natural gas export and the role of socio-demographic, political ideology, and place-based factors in shaping these perceptions. We find that men, conservatives, urban residents, and those who perceive that their community's economic identity is tied to extractive industries are less likely to perceive risks and more likely to perceive benefits from natural gas export. Respondents with a bachelor's degree and those who perceive that their community's economic identity is tied to renewable energy are more likely to perceive risks and less likely to perceive benefits. Whereas much of energy social science is focused on sites of extraction, our results contribute to the growing understanding of the social dimensions of energy export.


Using a technique adapted from the intragastric titration method of Fordtran and Walsh, food-stimulated acid secretion, gastrin release and gastric emptying have been investigated before and after proximal vagotomy in 11 duodenal ulcer patients. Vagal denervation of the proximal stomach resulted in (i) a 40 p. 100 decrease in acid secretion in response to a protein meal; this response was of the same magnitude as the reduction in pentagastrin-stimulated acid output, (ii) a marked increase in food-induced gastrin release, suggesting a relationship between antral gastrin release and fundal vagal innervation since antral pH remained constant and the amount of protein and the distension volume within the antrum were the same as before proximal vagotomy, (iii) a slowing down of the initial phase of gastric emptying of the liquid protein meal in 5 patients, a slight acceleration in 4 and no change in 2. The clinical relevance of these findings is discussed.


Though the literature is making advances in the study of fear for the general population, we still know very little about adolescent's perceptions of fear in the school setting. Moreover, the existing literature has primarily examined fear among older adolescents, and has not provided gender-sensitive analyses when exploring the factors related to fear. In this paper, we examine both the individual and contextual factors that predict male and female students' feelings of safety for 5 th , 8 th , and 11 th graders who attend public schools in the state of Delaware. Previous victimization experiences were the most consistent predictor of fear for all grades regardless of gender. At the school level, students attending schools with higher rates of expulsion and suspension were also more fearful than students attending schools with lower rates of these sanctions. Importantly, all students who attended schools where rules were communicated and enforced fairly were less likely to perceive fear, net of the other individual and contextual level factors. Other variables including alcohol/drug availability had relationships with fear that varied across age and gender groups. These findings and their implications for policy are discussed.


. Cryptography is increasingly deployed in applications running on open devices in which the software is extremely vulnerable to attacks, since the attacker has complete control over the execution platform and the software implementation itself. This creates a challenge for cryptography: design implementations of cryptographic algorithms that are secure, not only in the black-box model, but also in this attack context that is referred to as the white-box adversary model. Moreover, emerging applications such as mobile payment, mobile contract signing or blockchain-based technologies have created a need for white-box implementations of public-key cryptography, and especially of signature algorithms. However, while many attempts were made to construct white-box implementations of block-ciphers, almost no white-box implementations have been published for what concerns asymmetric schemes. We present here a concrete white-box implementation of the well-known HFE signature algorithm for a specific set of internal polynomials. For a security level 2 80 , the public key size is approximately 62.5 MB and the white-box implementation of the signature algorithm has a size approximately 256 GB.


The analysis of Cs-isotope was conducted on separation process of Cs 137 isotope using a Lampung zeolite. Analysis of Cs based on modification of ASTM E320-79 method. Modification process including a Cs separation by extraction using a TBP/OK and by direct sedimentation as CsClO4, which was subsequently applied using a zeolite. Cs-isotope measurement was conducted using spectrometer γ. The result of Cs 137 analysis through the direct sedimentation with zeolite obtained about 86,40% ± 0,1%, while the analysis of Cs-137 by extraction modification separated process which followed by catching zeolite obtained a recovery about 28,05% ± 5,28%, and by modification precipation process with ASM obtained a recovery about 52,55% ± 1,11%.


Purpose: The purpose of the study is that mammography screening for breast cancer is widely available in many countries. The goal of screening mammography programs is to decrease mortality from breast cancer. Initially praised as a universal achievement to improve women's health and to reduce the burden of breast cancer, the benefits and harms of mammography screening have been debated heatedly in the past years. Although much attention has been paid to the female breast and its pathologic conditions, the male breast is often times ignored given its rudimentary and nonfunctional nature. However, the male breast is the source of a wide variety of benign and malignant conditions, and particular attention must be paid to palpable abnormalities of the male breast to ensure accurate characterization and diagnosis of these lesions. Mammography has been traditionally used as the imaging modality of choice in the evaluation of the male breast, particularly in distinguishing between gynecomastia and breast carcinoma. Method: The researchers reviewed of several researches discusses the benefits, limitations and harms of mammography screening in light of findings from randomized trials and from more recent observational studies performed in the era of modern diagnostics and treatment. Results: The main benefit of mammography screening is reduction of breast-cancer related death. Relative reductions vary from about 15 to 25% in randomized trials to more recent estimates of 13 to 17% in metaanalyses of observational studies. In an update of the 2006 review, Gøtzsche and Nielsen reassessed screening mammography's effect on mortality and morbidity. Eight eligible trials were identified, with one trial excluded due to bias, providing an analysis with 600,000 women. Consistent with the findings of the 2006 review, the three trials with adequate randomization did not show a significant reduction in breast cancer mortality at 13 years (RR= 0.90, 95% CI: 0.79-1.02). These trials did not find an effect of screening on cancer mortality, including breast cancer, after 10 years (RR=1.02, 95% CI: 0.95-1.10) or on all cause mortality after 13 years (RR=0.99, 95% CI: 0.95 -1.03). According to the authors, "Screening is likely to reduce breast cancer mortality. As the effect was lowest in the adequately randomized trials, a reasonable estimate is a 15% reduction corresponding to an absolute risk reduction of 0.05%. Screening led to 30% over diagnosis and overtreatment, or an absolute risk increase of 0.5%. It is thus not clear whether screening does more good than harm Conclusion: Researchers concluded that evidence from studies of varied quality indicate that, overall, mammography screening has a modest effect on breast cancer mortality. When analyzed in absolute terms, the death rate is reduced by just 0.05%. Like with all medical interventions, there are harms associated with screening mammography such as misdiagnosis and overtreatment. Screening mammography can produce inaccurate results, and as a result, many women receive false-positive or false-negative results. A false-positive result occurs when a mammogram shows a suspicious image, but there is actually no breast cancer. A falsenegative result occurs when a woman's mammography results are normal, but she actually has breast cancer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date of Submission: 11-12-2019 Date of Acceptance: 26-12-2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Air temperature and precipitation changes in the decades 1961–2006 at Wet Meadows wetland ecosystem near Třeboň, South Bohemia were compared with the changes in these characteristics at other stations in the Czech Republic. Mean daily maximum air temperature measured during the vegetation growing season at wetland station Wet Meadows rose from 19·7 °C during the period 1961–1970 to 21·5 °C in the period 2001–2006 (i.e. 1·8 °C during 40 years). At Churáňov, a mountain forest station, this increase was from 14·7 to 15·8 °C (1·1 °C) and at Praha Ruzyně, a city station, the increase was from 20·0 to 20·7 °C (0·7 °C) during the same time. Mean number of precipitation days changed at Wet Meadows from 94·5 to 80·7 days per vegetation season, at Churáňov from 101·2 to 105·0 days per vegetation season and at Praha Ruzyně from 83·9 to 83·0 days per vegetation season during this time. We attribute the rise in temperature at Wet Meadows to a combined effect of climate change and a local change of the hydrological cycle. The disturbances in the short water cycle are attributed to the decrease in vegetation cover and the lack of water in the landscape. The consequent increase in the incoming direct solar radiation along with the rise in the heat coming into the area via precipitation as well as a decrease in and redistribution of precipitation events are considered major drivers of the meteorological changes that have resulted in the observed warming at Wet Meadows. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Background: psoriasis is a chronic, debilitating, autoimmune disease that adversely affects the individual's quality of life; the disease progresses with periods of flare-ups and remission. Psoriasis affects approximately 2% of the global population. Psoriasis can begin at any age, however, the mean age of onset was 15-20 years old and the second peak period was 55-60years of age .
Aim of the Work: this study aimed to evaluate the serum level of visfatin in psoriatic patients and its relation to duration and severity of psoriasis.
Subjects and Methods: the present study represents a case-control study which was carried out on 20 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 20 age and sex matched healthy volunteers as the controls.
Results: in the present study, serum level of visfatin in patients group was statistically significant higher than serum level of visfatin in the control group. There was a significant positive correlation between visfatin level and PASI score proposing visfatin as a marker of psoriasis severity.
Conclusion: Visfatin is one of adipokines that may have a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and its severity in addition to its role in the cardiovascular system diseases, which may explain the relation between psoriasis and cardiovascular complications and their severity in the psoriatic patients.


The effect of a series of respiratory inhibitors on the oxidation of NADH in state 4 and state 3 conditions was studied with corn shoot mitochondria. Comparisons were made using malate and succinate as substrates. The inhibitors, rotenone, amytal, antimycin A and cyanide, inhibited oxidation of NADH in state 3 but rotenone and amytal did not inhibit oxidation in state 4. The inhibition by antimycin A was partially overcome by the presence of cytochrome c. The results indicate the presence of alternative pathways available for NADH oxidation depending on the metabolic condition of the mitochondria. Under state 4 conditions, NADH oxidation bypasses the amytal and rotenone sensitive sites but under state 3 conditions a component of the NADH respiration appears to be oxidized by an internal pathway which is sensitive to these inhibitors. Still a third pathway for NADH oxidation is dependent on the addition of cytochrome c and is insensitive to antimycin A. Succinate oxidation was sensitive to cyanide and antimycin A under both state 4 and state 3 conditions as well as amytal and rotenone under state 3 conditions but was not inhibited by amytal and rotenone under state 4 conditions. Malate oxidation was inhibited by cyanide, rotenone and amytal under both state 4 and state 3 conditions. Antimycin A inhibited state 3 but did not appreciably alter state 4 rates of malate oxidation. With all substrates tested inhibition by antimycin A was greatly facilitated by preswelling the mitochondria for 10 min. This was interpreted to indicate that swelling increases the accessibility of antimycin A to the site of inhibition.


Objective: The present study aimed to determine the structure and morphology of the maxilla in patients with cleft lip and palate to ensure safe Le Fort I osteotomy. Patients: A total of 34 sides of 17 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (nonsyndromic cases) were included in this study. The control group included 10 sides of 5 patients who exhibited skeletal mandibular protrusion without malformation. Methods: Finite element analysis was performed to examine the distribution of occlusal force over the maxilla, and continuous 3-dimensional measurement was performed at the sites of stress concentration. Results: In patients with cleft lip and palate, bones at the lateral border of the piriform aperture and the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus were significantly thicker than those in controls (P < .05). Furthermore, the attachment of the pterygomaxillary junction was wider and thicker (P < .05), and the anterior distance to the descending palatine artery was shorter (P < .01) in patients with cleft lip and palate than in controls. Our results further indicated that alveolar bone grafting may significantly influence bone thickness and the attachment state of the pterygomaxillary junction. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the complications of LFI can be reduced in patients with cleft lip and palate by ensuring proper understanding of each patient's maxillary anatomy and bone thickness, as well as the location of the descending palatine artery and the attachment state of the pterygomaxillary junction.


Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae-RTX-toxin I (ApxI), an important virulence factor, is secreted by serotypes 1, 5, 9, 10, and 11 of A. pleuropneumoniae. However, sequences homologous to the secretion genes apxIBD of the ApxI operon are present in all 12 serotypes except serotype 3. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the structures of the ApxI operons of the 12 A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes. We focused on the nucleotide sequence comparison of the ApxI-coding genes, the structures of the ApxI operons, and the transcription of the ApxI operons. We determined the nucleotide sequences of the toxin-encoding apxICA genes of serotype 9 and found that the gene for the structural toxin, apxIA, was almost identical to the apxIA gene of serotype 1. The toxin-encoding genes of the other serotypes are also similar for the main part; nevertheless, two variants were identified, one in serotypes 1, 9, and 11 and one in serotypes 5 and 10. The two apxIA variants differ mainly within the distal 110 nucleotides. Structural analysis demonstrated that intact ApxI operons, consisting of the four contiguous genes apxICABD, are present in serotypes 1, 5, 9, 10, and 11. ApxI operons with a major deletion in the apxICA genes are present in serotypes 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 12. Serotype 3 does not contain ApxI operon sequences. We found that all ApxI operons are transcriptionally active despite the partial deletion of the operon in some serotypes. The implications of these data for the expression and secretion of ApxI and the other Apx-toxins, ApxII and ApxIII, as well as for the development of a subunit vaccine against A. pleuropneumoniae will be discussed.


A good model of developmental phenomena should not only "explain" the data in the sense that the model is not falsified by the data but it should also be built on the basic theoretical assumptions about the process under study. This is often not the case when standard statistical models are applied to developmental data. An alternative is then to apply nonlinear dynamical system modeling. This approach is followed in the article and it is illustrated by a provisional model of the development of boys' problem behavior between the ages 10 and 13. The underlying interactionistic theory of development was mirrored in a nonlinear model that predicted outcomes marginally better than a standard regression model. It is pointed out in the article that it might be possible to use nonlinear dynamic system modeling also in contexts where data are available only from a few measurement occasions.


Introduction: Early recovery of mobilization after a fracture of the hip is associated with improved long-term ability to walk, lower complication rates, and mortality. In this context, early mobilization and full weight bearing are favorable. The aim of this study was (1) to analyze the influence of time between operation and first mobilization on in-hospital outcome and (2) the influence of early mobilization, full weight bearing, and ASA on pain, mobility of the hip, and ability to walk during the in-hospital phase of recovery. Methods: This is a retrospective in-hospital study of 219 patients aged 70 years or older who were treated with surgery after a hip fracture. Data were collected by a review of medical records. The outcomes were mortality, complications, length of stay, and the Merle d'Aubigné score which evaluates pain, mobility of the hip, and ability to walk. Factors were sought in bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results: A shorter time between operation and first mobilization was significantly associated with lower in-hospital mortality and complications. Early mobilization (within 24 h after the operation) and full weight bearing had no influence on pain, mobility of the hip, and ability to walk as well as length of stay in our cohort. Fracture type and treatment influenced mobility of the hip, while age as well as physical health status affected the ability to walk. Discussion: Patients with femoral neck fractures, respectively after total hip arthroplasty, had less pain and showed better mobility of the hip and ability to walk during hospitalization than patients with trochanteric fractures; these results were irrespective of early vs. late mobilization and full vs. partial weight bearing. Foremost, a shorter time between operation and first mobilization is associated with lower complication and mortality rates.


Pouchitis is an inflammatory complication after restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). IPAA is the surgical treatment of choice in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who require colectomy. Initial episodes of acute pouchitis generally respond to antibiotics but significant numbers of cases eventually become dependent on or refractory to antibiotics. Management of chronic antibiotic refractory pouchitis is challenging and can ultimately lead to pouch failure. The etiopathogenesis is unknown though recent studies have implicated bacterial dysbiosis of the pouch microbiota, NOD2 polymorphism, and Clostridium difficile infection in the development of severe pouchitis. Early identification of risk factors can help in tailoring therapy and reducing cases of chronic pouchitis.


Today's consumers can select functional foods from a wide variety of these products with components such as proteins, carotenes, dietary fiber or microorganisms known as "probiotics", among which are those belonging to the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteri umgenera. This work evaluates the effect of the addition of ascorbic acid and Lcysteine as redox potential reducing agents (Eh) on the propagation of a probiotic microorganism, Lactobacillus casei, in milk. The reducing agents were added to milk individually or combined in concentrations of 0, 100 and 200 ppm, in order to obtain the combination that would allow the maximum growth of the probiotic culture. The different combinations of ascorbic acid and L-cysteine were evaluated on the number of colony forming units of L. casei before and after 5 days of milk incubation. The propagation of the microorganism was analyzed by counting colonies on Mann Rogosa Sharp (MRS) agar plates incubated anaerobically at 35 ± 1°C for 72 h. The combination of the higher concentration of ascorbic acid (200 ppm) and L-cysteine (100 or 200 ppm) gave the maximum count of L. casei, with a population higher than 1010 CFU/mL. These additives proved to be effective in the multiplication of the probiotic bacteria to generate new healthy products in the food industry.


This study investigated the surface modification of orthodontic stainless steel using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of bioactive glass (BG). The BG coatings were characterized by spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction. The frictional properties were investigated using a progressive load scratch test. The remineralization ability of the etched dental enamel was studied according to the time-dependent mechanical properties of the enamel using a nano-indentation test. The EPD process using alternating current produced higher values in both reflectance and lightness. Additionally, the BG coating was thinner than that prepared using direct current, and was completely amorphous. All of the BG coatings displayed good interfacial adhesion, and Si and O were the major components. Most BG-coated specimens produced slightly higher frictional forces compared with non-coated specimens. The hardness and elastic modulus of etched enamel specimens immersed with most BG-coated specimens recovered significantly with increasing immersion time compared with the non-coated specimen, and significant acid-neutralization was observed for the BG-coated specimens. The surface modification technique using EPD and BG coating on orthodontic stainless steel may assist the development of new non-cytotoxic orthodontic metallic appliances having satisfactory appearance and remineralization ability.


This study discusses the fortification or addition of nutrients to ice cream products by utilizing purple sweet potatoes as natural dyes and non-fat solids. The background of this study is that, in Indonesia, commercial ice cream products commonly use synthetic dyes and fat solids in the form of skim milk which has a high lactose content and could have an adverse effect on health. Moreover, the abundant yield of purple sweet potatoes in Indonesia is not utilized optimally. This study employed a research and development method by conducting a consumer acceptability test (organoleptic test) on 100 panelists. This study formulated the purple sweet potato ice cream product by steaming and smoothing purple sweet potatoes and then mixing them with ice cream ingredients. The next processes included mixing, pasteurization, homogenization, aging, and freezing. Thus, this study sought to examine the extent to which the consumer acceptability of the ice cream product made by using purple sweet potatoes as natural dyes and non-fat solids. The results suggested that purple sweet potato-based ice cream was accepted by the consumers from which 79% of them gave "like" response to the flavor, 81% gave "attractive" response to the color, 62% gave "fragrant" response to the aroma, 80.4% gave "soft" response to the texture, and 85.4% gave "like" response to the physical appearance.


New Public Management from 1970s have impacted Korea to enhance the number of public institutions. Approximately, the government facilitates more than 300 public institutions and their budgets are 31% of GDP, which surpasses the government allocated budget (Government Innovation Decentralization Committee, 2007). According to Public Institution Management Information System (ALIO), the total number of employees of public enterprises, quasi-government institutions, and public institutions have exceeded 260,000 as of April of 2015, illustrating the continual growth. Therefore, general interest on public institutions climbed significantly while its achievement and management are critically profusely analyzed (DakungKim, 2014; DakungKim․TeahoEm, 2013; MineunYu, 2012; SunaePark․HeesunLee, 2013; DongsukOk, 2010). Public institutions, i.e. public enterprises, existed in midriff of the government administration organization, including private enterprises. Due to its specific placement, public institutions operated to attain great profits in parallel with public goods (Dimock, 1961; Robson, 1960). Unlike state organizations and private enterprises, public enterprises are intertwined with various interest parties. Not only are they restricted from the central-local government's management, evaluation, and inspection but also have limited discretion in regards to registration and controlled budget while fulfilling the obligation to receive outstanding evaluations from the general public. Due to the dynamic role of manufactures and conveyances, public enterprises need to maintain the inter-dependence relationship with the indispensable participants of the government such as the President, National Assembly, supervisors, inspectors and evaluating institutions, while putting into consideration its consequences on press and general public (DakungKim, 2014).Inevitably issues appear as each interest party has contradictory preferences and expectations hence the organizations struggle to undertake conflicting demands (Pfeffer and Salancik, 1978; Freeman, 1984). If organizations fail to comprehend the complexity of the internal and external aspects of the interest parties, defilements might occur which will eventually blemish the organizations' success and effectiveness (Romzek and Dubnick, 1987). Therefore, impeccable comprehension of the overall dynamic structure of each interest party's expectations/demands and impact on the organization evaluation is essential to ensure favorable outcomes. Moreover, this analysis will advocate the systematic strategies to improve the effectiveness of the organizations. However, implications of discussion relevant to interest parties are often neglected to scrutinize the evaluation of public enterprises' accomplishment and its effectiveness. This research will critically investigate the organizational effectiveness of public enterprises. Specifically, utilization of interest parties approach on a varying organizational effectiveness models, considering the groups' profits to suggest applicable policy implications.


Response of Tibialis anterior muscle to a "proprioceptive technique" used in applied kinesiology was investigated during manual muscle testing using a graphical registration of both mechanical and electromyographic parameters. Experiments were conducted blind on ten subjects. Each subject was tested ten times, five as reference, five after proprioceptive technique application reputed to be inhibitory. Results indicated that when examiner-subject coordination was good an inhibition was easily registered. Therefore reliability of the proposed procedure is mostly dependent upon satisfactory subject-examiner coordination which is also necessary in standard clinical manual muscle testing.


The effects of a silvicultural sludge application on resident small mammal populations were assessed by monitoring their demographic responses before and after sewage sludge treatment. Potential contamination of the forest ecosystem by Giardia duodenalis, a parasitic protozoan, was also investigated. Populations of the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), Oregon vole (Microtus oregoni), Townsend chipmunk (Eutamias townsendii), shrews (Sorex spp.), and a few species caught occasionally, were sampled in control and treatment study sites from May 1990 to October 1991. Sludge application occurred in November 1990. There were no detectable differences in the abundances of deer mice, Oregon voles, and chipmunks on treatment areas relative to controls after sludge application. This was also the case for recruitment, survival, mean body weight, weight at sexual maturity, sex ratio, species diversity and spatial distribution. There was, however, a significant increase in the growth rate of juvenile deer mice on treatment sites after sludge application. This was also the only effect on small mammal population dynamics observed from the sludge treatment. The prevalence of Giardia spp. cysts in small mammal fecal samples on study sites did not differ between pre-sludge and post-sludge periods. My laboratory study using wild deer mice concluded that this species was capable of acting as a host to some strains of human Giardia under specific laboratory conditions. Because of the deer mouse's apparent ability to adapt well to this environmental change, as illustrated by the lack of effect on its survival and reproduction attributes, and this species' potential ability to host human Giardia, additional research and consideration are warranted prior to the implementation of large scale silvicultural sludge applications.


101 Background: Contemporary breast surgery is exploring less invasive techniques for the treatment of breast cancer and recent approaches such as ablative therapy have shown promise in early trials. Caution is required prior to adopting of these techniques, however, as ablative treatment may hinder interpretation of final pathology, which might impact adjuvant recommendations. To address this concern, we evaluated the concordance between preoperative core needle biopsy and postoperative final pathology, to determine whether the biopsy findings predicted final pathology.

METHODS
A retrospective chart review was performed of women diagnosed with breast cancers less than 2 cm on radiographic evaluation between 1997 and 2004. Concordance between preoperative assessment (by imaging and core needle biopsy) and final pathology results was analyzed based on tumor size, grade, lymphovascular space invasion, and in situ component. Kappa analysis was performed to characterize agreement.

RESULTS
We identified 56 women from our institution for analysis. The median age was 56 (range, 38-94) and the majority had presented with an abnormal mammogram (61%). The vast majority also underwent breast-conserving surgery (95%). Agreement was moderately accurate between preoperative and final assessment of grade (weighted κ 0.536) and size (weighted κ 0.464). It was not accurate in the assessment of lymphovascular invasion (weighted κ 0.123) and the presence of DCIS (weighted κ 0.197).

CONCLUSIONS
Information from preoperative evaluation is insufficiently accurate for the evaluation of breast tumors, which may be important for adjuvant decision making. This information must be taken in to account when assessing new technologies, which may impact on the assessment of histologic criteria in excised breast cancers.


Members of the Urceolariidae Dujardin, 1941 have been found associated with a wide variety of invertebrate hosts from freshwater and marine habitats. Five species have been described from molluscan hosts from Europe and America. This paper deals with an urceolariid (Leiotrocha Fabre-Domergue, 1888) collected from the gills of Cellana radiata capensis (Gmelin, 1791) and Scutellastra exusta (Reeve, 1854) from the east coast of South Africa, as well as Patella depressa Pennant, 1777 and Cymbula safiana (Lamarck, 1891) from the bulge (west coast) of Africa. A higher prevalence was found on C. radiata capensis (89%) and P. depressa (72%) compared to the other two hosts. The urceolariid collected from the African limpets was identified as L. patellae (Cuenot, 1891). This is the first record of an urceolariid from any African hosts, including representatives of the Mollusca. Five urceolariid species were identified and described from gastropods, i.e. L. patellae Cuenot, 1891, U. karyolobia Hirshfield, 1949, U. cellanae Suzuki, 1950, U. viridis Richards, 1971 and U. parakorschelti Irwin, Sabetrasekh and Lynn, 2017. Motivation is provided why U. cellanae and U. viridis should be reallocated to the genus Leiotrocha, and U. karyolobia not. The taxonomic validity of the recent description of U. parakorschelti from limpets is commented on.


In this paper we develop an analytic model of the behaviour of competing TCP flows in wireless networks. A key feature of this work is that we take explicit account of the interactions between competing TCP flows. This allows us to study issues such as responsiveness and the impact of the flow AIMD parameters on fairness.


Abstract:In the past decade, the Korean film industry has enjoyed never-before-seen success at home and abroad. With the high domestic market share of local movies (recording more than 40% market share continuously from 2001), it has been reported that Korea is "the only nation during the post-Vietnam War history that would regain its domestic audiences after losing them to Hollywood" (Kim, 2004). Based on this domestic achievement, Korean cinema's foreign exports have also drastically increased, from 14 movies that generated revenue of US$173,838 in 1993 to 202 movies that reached about US$75 million in 2005 (Korean Film Council, 2010). Despite this achievement, trade headlines and popular news reports have continued to rave about these external figures while ignoring significant internal changes from within the Korean film industry. In addition, there is a tendency among scholars to interpret this commercial achievement simply as successful resistance against American cultural imperialism within the local vs. global paradigm.In order to understand the cultures of production (du Gay, 1997) of the current Korean film industry, this study examines the changing industrial formations and ownership concentration processes in the Korean film industry of the 2000s against the backdrop of distinct media globalization processes. It relates this finding to larger discussions concerning the overseas development of the Korean Wave or Hallyu. From this political-economic approach, it is expected that readers can gain a more holistic understanding of the Korean film industry and the Korean Wave.


In the optimization of multilayer stacks for various optical filtering purposes not only the thicknesses of the thin films are to be optimized, but also the sequence of materials. Materials with very different optical properties, such as metals and dielectrics, may be combined. A genetic algorithm is introduced to search for the optimal sequence of materials along with their optical thicknesses. This procedure is applied to a heat mirror in combination with a blackbody absorber for thermal solar energy applications at elevated temperatures (250 °C). The heat mirror is based on silver films with antireflective dielectric layers. Seven dielectrics have been considered. For a five-layer stack the sequence (TiO(2)/Ag/TiO(2)/Ag/Y(2)O(3)) is found to be optimal.


Women who require or desire mastectomy for breast cancer one option should be immediate breast reconstruction. Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) describes the surgery that maximises breast skin and infra- mammary fold preservation, significantly improves the symmetry and natural appearance and a more satisfied patient. In multiple studies, SSM seems to be oncologically safe in patients undergoing mastectomy for invasive T1-T2 tumours, multicentric tumours, ductal carcinoma in situ or risk-reduction. However, the technique should be avoided in patients with inflammatory breast cancer or in those with extensive tumour involvement of the skin. SSM with nipple areola complex preservation appears to be oncologically safe, providing that the tumour is not close to the nipple and the retro-areolar tissue is free of tumour. Though adjuvant radiotherapy is not an absolute contraindication to SSM, it should be used with caution since it decreases the final cosmetic result.


One source of bacteria that has not been widely explored is lactic acid bacteria originating from honeycomb (hive). Timor Island has a wealth of giant honey bees (Apis dorsata). Lactic acid bacteria from the Apis dorsata hive in Timor Island need to be investigated to obtain probiotic candidates with specific functional properties. Lactic acid bacteria were isolated from honeycomb by using de Mann, Rogosa, and Sharpe agar supplemented with 1% of CaCO3. Bacterial isolates that formed clear zones and were Gram-positive and catalase-negative were determined as lactic acid bacteria. The probiotic candidates are isolates that are resistant to bile salts and low pH; susceptible to antibiotics; are able to aggregate, autoaggregate, and coaggregate; and have antibacterial activities. Isolate MC7 was selected as a probiotic candidate and had inhibitory activity against angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) with IC50 263,098 ppm. Isolate MC7 showed weak inhibition against ɑ-glucosidase activity. Molecular identification based on 16S rRNA gene showed that MC7 isolate was closely related to Lactobacillus rhamnosus with 100% similarity. Therefore, isolate MC7 was recommended as a probiotic candidate with a functional property as an inhibitor of ACE.


A case of entero-vesical fistula in Crohn's disease is presented. Clinical manifestations, diagnostic means and surgical treatment of the lesion are discussed.


Ultra-compact all-optical AND logic gate is realized for optical processing and photonic integrated devices with two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides based on beam interference principle. The performance of the structure is examined and evaluated by optimized parameters such as refractive index and silicon rod radius. The results obtained from a numerical calculation using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and plane wave expansion method. The photonic crystal based all-optical AND logic gate has benefits of compact size as 38.88 μ𝑚2, operated at low power levels, high transmission ratio and good time response as 0.124 ps. Associated with conventional semiconductor optical amplifiers, Mach-Zehnder interferometer and photonic crystal ring resonators proposed methodology provides better performance with a high achieved more than 97% transmission ratio, at a wavelength of 1.55 μm.


Domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) are the most commonly kept companion animals in the US with large populations of owned (86 million), free-roaming (70 million), research (13,000), and shelter (2-3 million) cats. Vast numbers of cats are maintained in homes and other facilities each year and are reliant on humans for all of their care. Understanding cat behavior and providing the highest quality environments possible, including positive human-cat interactions, based on research could help improve the outcomes of biomedical research, shelter adoptions, and veterinary care, as well as overall cat welfare. Often, however, cats' needs are inadequately met in homes and some aspects may also not be well met in research colonies and shelters, despite the fact that similar problems are likely to be encountered in all of these environments. This paper provides a brief overview of common welfare challenges associated with indoor housing of domestic cats. Essential considerations for cage confinement are reviewed, along with implications of poor cat coping, such as weakening of the human-animal bond and relinquishment to shelters. The important role that environmental management plays in cat behavior and welfare outcomes is explored along with the need for additional research in key areas.


Abstract : The effect of wounding on the metabolism of the sulfur amino acids was studied by following the excretion of sulfur in normal and wounded rats. After wounding, there is a relative retention of sulfur, even though a greater amount of nitrogen than normal is excreted. Studies with S35 labeled cystine and methionine indicated that the metabolism of these amino acids is greater in wounded than in normal animals.


The concept of deterministic theory underlying quantum mechanics, usually referred to as "hidden variable theories". For instance, one may or may not assume the occurence of information loss at tiny distance scales. One may suspect some sort of cellular automaton or a classical system of continuous fields, or even classical loops, D-branes, or whatever. We discuss Gerardus 't Hooft idea that refer to as pre-quantization, where the physical system is not modified and complex systems are handled probabilistically. Our results for harmonic oscillators indicate that the energy eigenstates of a quantum system are going to be nice. The next one urgent question must be answered is how to construct explicit models in which energy can be seen extrinsic and how can we find its limit cycles. An atractive related problem that found by us is how to introduce weak interactions between two nearly independent systems.


The case described is reported because it is the first of its kind that I have seen in the course of more than 10,000 examinations of the gastro-intestinal tract. T. O., aged 44, complained of knifelike pain in the left upper quadrant, which occurred an hour or two after meals. The condition had lasted four months. There was no radiation, vomiting or food relief. He had lost 20 pounds (9 Kg.). Physical examination, except for tenderness in the left upper quadrant, was negative. Nothing in the clinical examination suggested an esophageal disorder. The sacculations of the esophagus in the accompanying illustration were noted in the course of a routine roentgenographic examination of the gastro-intestinal tract. The remainder of the alimentary canal was normal. For a number of weeks since the examination, the patient has been entirely symptom free. The esophageal condition does not appear to have any relation to his


Replicating data objects onto servers across a system can alleviate access delays. The selection of data objects and servers requires solving a constraint optimization problem, which is NP-complete in general. A majority of conventional replica placement techniques falter on issues of scalability or solution quality. To counteract such issues, we propose a game theoretical replica placement technique, in which computational agents compete for the allocation or reallocation of replicas onto their servers in order to reduce the user perceived access delays. The technique is based upon six well-defined axioms, each guaranteeing certain basic game theoretical properties. This eccentric method of designing game theoretical techniques using axioms is unique in the literature and takes away from the designers the cumbersome mathematical details of game theory. The distinctive feature of these axioms is that when amassed together, their individual properties constrict into one system-wide performance enhancement property, which in our case is the reduction of access time. The control of the proposed technique is "semi-distributed" in nature, wherein all the heavy processing is done on the servers of the distributed system and the central body is only required to take a binary decision: (0) not to replicate or (1) to replicate. This semi-distributed approach makes the technique scalable and helps solutions to converge in a fast turn-around time without loosing much of the solution quality. Experimental comparisons are made against: 1) branch and bound, 2) greedy, 3) genetic, 4) Dutch auction, and 5) English auction. As attested by the results, the proposed technique maintains superior solution quality in terms of lower communication cost and reduced execution time.


This article discusses the objectives and goals reached regarding the issues of Training and Education of Women and Girls addressed in the Beijing Platform for Action, a document drafted in the Fourth World Conference on Women held in 1995. Twenty years after this world event, we identify areas and objectives not met or in which advances were modest, the challenges that this entails for the organizations responsible for the design and execution of those programs for the education of our country's women and girls. We also allude to the public policy measures that could contribute to advancements in the fulfillment of the education rights of women and girls in the field of education.


In this study, we have designed a high-performance excitation source and chose the optimal excitation coil to improve the efficiency of magnetic induction tomography system. A new type excitation source with adjustable output has been designed, the power circuit is simulated by the software ICPA. Focused and solenoid coils were designed by the design principle, then the optimal excitation coil was proved by measuring the magnetic field distribution and the experimentation of phase detection with cells models. At certain excitation frequency, parameters of output power of the excitation source are 0.035 W~31.4 W, the steady output peak current over 1 A, frequency stability of 10"9, THD amplitude of less -51dB. The focused discal excitation coil is most effective for phase detection with cells models than other coils. The excitation source can produce certain frequency sine wave, with higher frequency stability, lower THD and wider adjustable output power. The phase difference of normal and edema cell can be obtained by focused discal coil.


In todays society the demand for convenience has lead to disposable paper cups becoming a part of everyday life. As paper cup technology has developed this has enabled them to move beyond being a purely functional product and more emphasis has been placed on the design, environmental issues and extra convenience features such as opaque lids, handles and sleeves as well as cardboard carriers. Over 100 full colour examples are shown of striking designs including different uses of patterns and logos as well as graphics illustration and words.


NARRATION OF CASE. History. —Mrs. R., age 65, referred by Dr. W. F. Malone. Usual diseases of children. Appendicitis three years ago. Full recovery. Thirteen months ago loss of appetite and loss in weight. Family history negative. Present State. —Weight 52 kilo. Emaciation and weakness very marked. Almost complete anorexia. Dull continuous pain over gastric region; slight tenderness over region of the gall bladder. This is only elicited at intervals. Stiller's sign absent. Abdomen is distended to the utmost in both the gastric and umbilical regions. Ten c.m. below the umbilicus the resonance of percussion takes on a lower pitch. (Percussion from above downward.) No stool the last ten days. Patient vomits continually, which consists of a foamy, brownish, malodorous mass, made up of fermenting food remnants. Total absence of HCl free or combined. Presence of an immense number of sareinae. No Oppler-Boas


The transfer of control of institutional health delivery from the medical profession to the managerial model and it's implications for the nursing profession is the subject of my enquiry. As the basis for an interpretation of Foucalt's work, I have used a previously unpublished text on power by Foucault, published in 1982 by Dreyfus & Rainbow as an 'afterword' for their book. I have used Michel Foucault's five factors for analysis of power, to summarise the elements which are exercised in these two forms of control. Although emphasis has been given to the effects of control on nursing practice, it is in nursing education that I have found possibilities for the nursing profession to address the challenges it now faces.


In December 2019, unusual cases of acute renal failure with neurological changes were observed in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Criminal investigations indicated cases of intoxication after consumption of beers contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG). The elimination of DEG by the body is fast, but its metabolite, diglycolic acid (DA), may persist for a long time. To assess the level of intoxicated victims who consumed the contaminated beers, qualitative and quantitative methods were developed to determine DA in biological matrices by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer with triple-quadrupole mass filter (GC-MS/MS), respectively. The validated qualitative method presents good selectivity and limit of detection of 1 µg/mL (whole blood, urine, vitreous humor and cerebrospinal fluid) and 5 µg/g (liver and kidney). A quantitative method for whole blood presented satisfactory performance to determine DA. Twelve victims presented positive results for DA in whole blood, with concentrations ranging from 2 to 108 µg/mL. The toxicology laboratory of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Minas Gerais was the first governmental agency to identify DA in whole blood, vitreous humor, cerebrospinal fluid, kidney and urine in victims affected by this contaminant. The results of this study legally supported the prohibition to the continued consumption of the beer and avoided further intoxications. Our results showed, for real cases of human intoxication, that it can still be detected in alternative matrices, even when non-detectable in blood, demonstrating the importance of collecting different kinds of samples for a proper investigation.


We show that rational inattention theory of Sims (2003) provides a rationalization of choice models a la Luce and gives a structural interpretation to probability curvature parameters as reflecting costs of processing information. We use data from a behavioral experiment to show that people behave according to predictions of the theory. We estimate attitudes to risk and costs of information for individual participants and document overwhelming heterogeneity in these parameters among a relatively homogeneous sample of people. We characterize, both theoretically and empirically, the aggregation biases this heterogeneity implies and find these biases to be substantial.


DURING the last ten years several cases of a peculiar type of ulceration of the nose which correspond to no known pathological entity have come under our direct observation. The ulceration was progressive and invariably ended fatally. Such cases left a painful impression which became mitigated by the passage of time, only to be intensified by the occurrence of another case. I may, therefore, be pardoned for writing a paper composed of cases which at first sight appear to be rare and, because of their scarcity, demand more scientific than practical consideration. Similar cases met with at one time or another will probably be within the recollection of some. The literature on this special form of ulceration is scanty, but an amazingly large field is opened up of similar ulcerative nasal conditions of known origin. It is beyond the scope of this paper to include ulceration due to malignant disease, syphilis, and tuberculosis, but other types of ulceration will be


Abstract : High strength alloy steels typically used for gun steel were investigated to determine their susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement. Although AISI grade 4340 was quite susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement, ASTM A723 steel, which has identical mechanical properties but slightly different chemistries, was not susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement when exposed to the same conditions. The degree of embrittlement was determined by conducting notched tensile testing on uncharged and cathodically charged specimens. Chemical composition was modified to isolate the effect of alloying elements on hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility. Two steels-Modified A723 (C increased from 0.32% to 0.40%) and Modified 4340 (V increased from 0 to O.12%)-were tested. X-ray diffraction identified the presence of vanadium carbide, V4C3, in A?23 steels, and subsequent hydrogen extraction studies evaluated the trapping effect of vanadium carbide. Based on these tests, it was determined that adding vanadium carbide to 4340 significantly decreased hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility because vanadium carbide traps ties up diffusible hydrogen. The effectiveness of these traps is examined and discussed in this paper.


Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a highly prevalent clinical entity that prospectively allows to identify a population of women with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The rate of persistent metabolic abnormalities after delivery and the evidence regarding risk factors related are limited and variable. Objectives: 1) To describe the prevalence of carbohydrate metabolism (CHM) abnormalities after childbirth in Argentine women with GDM. 2) To categorize risk factors involved in such abnormalities. Methods: During the last 5 years, 165 women with diagnosis of GDM (according to ADA criteria) were evaluated. Patients with diagnosed or suspected pregestational diabetes, clinical relevance comorbidities and those in treatment with hyperglycemic drugs were excluded. FPG and 2-hours plasma glucose during a 75-g OGTT were performed from 6 weeks postpartum. Results: In the reassessment, 106 women (64.2%) had normal parameters (NP) and 59 (35.8%) showed impared glucemic metabolism (IGM): IGT in 18, IFG in 25, both abnormalities in 13 and 3 developed T2DM. In the IGM group, 74.6% were 30 yr or older while in the NP group only 52.8% (p=0.006). In women with pathologic reevaluation, 18.5% had a history of previous GDM compared to 4.8% in the other group (p=0.005). In patients with IGM, 62.5% showed pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 27 vs. 44.3% in those with NP (p=0,039). A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the pregnancy factors that independently predict IGM. As expected, age ≥ 30 yr (OR 4.05, 95%CI 1.01-15.08) and previous GDM (OR 11.35, 95%CI 1.22-104.86) were associated significantly (p=0.037). Conclusions: In our population, the analysis showed a high prevalence of CHM abnormalities following GDM. We found a higher risk for IGM in patients who had a history of previous GDM, age ≥ 30 yr and BMI ≥ 27. We therefore believe it is important to categorize risk factors in order to establish preventive therapeutic actions, particularly in cases with greater vulnerability. Disclosure J.D. Baran: None. M.I. Aranguren: None. M.X. Tapper: None. M.S. Paredes: None. M. Gentile: None. V. Grud: None. M.R. Fernandez Sanchez: None. J. Nogueira: None. H.R. Boquete: None.


Dr. Dumur is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is the Associate Director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory and the Co-Director of the institutional biorepository. Dr. Dumur has been very involved in the clinical implementation of cutting-edge high-complexity genomic technologies, such as microarrays and next-generation sequencing for the detection of somatic mutations in actionable gene panels for targeted therapies. Dr. Dumur is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research and the Association for Molecular Pathology, in which she is an active member serving in the Program Committee as a Solid Tumor Subdivision representative. Dr. Dumur also serves on the editorial board of Cancer Cytopathology.


Abstract : Solid propellants have been developed and evaluated in a hydrogen gas generator as potential sources of hydrogen for the HF/DF chemical laser. Formulations based on the reaction of NaBH4 with Fe2O3 to produce high purity hydrogen and the reaction of NaBH4 with (NH4)2SO4 to produce a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen have been investigated. When deuterated compounds are used in place of the hydrogen-containing compounds, deuterium (D2) is generated in place of hydrogen (H2). Propellant grains of NaBH4/Fe2O3 weighing approximately 0.08 kg have been prepared and used to generate high purity hydrogen gas for use as a laser cavity fuel and precombustor fuel in a small HF/DF chemical laser device. The propellant formulations that contain NaBH4 are very stable to moisture, exhibit no sensitivity to impact or friction, and have autoignition temperatures above 773 K. These propellants or similar type solid propellants are potential storage H2/D2 gas sources that combine instant readiness with excellent handling characteristics and compact storage. The volumetric efficiency of these solid propellants is equivalent to or greater than that of liquid hydrogen as a source of gaseous hydrogen. Experimental data from the HF/DF chemical laser tests confirm that hydrogen produced from a solid propellant grain is equivalent to commercial hydrogen for use as a cavity or precombustor fuel in the HF/DF chemical laser. (Author)


Abstract We determined focal mechanism solutions for 14,544 earthquakes that occurred in and around the Japanese Islands from July 1985 to December 1998 using first‐motion polarities reported by the Japan University Seismic Network and compiled by the Japan University Seismic Network Earthquake Catalog of First‐Motion Focal Mechanisms (JUNEC FM ∧ 2). This catalog covers small‐magnitude earthquakes ( M ≥2.0) prior to the recent development of seismic observation networks and automated waveform data processing systems. This catalog will prove helpful in understanding the spatial and temporal heterogeneities of stress fields by combining recent focal mechanism solutions and also will be useful for statistical analyses. Online Material: Figures of velocity structure, focal mechanisms, magnitude–frequency distributions, and temporal changes in station locations.


A cross sectional comparative study was carried out at Kenyatta National Hospital. The aim was to review the management of traumatic dislocation of the hip. One hundred and ten patients were included in the study. The maximum duration of follow-up was 4 years. Their age ranged between 3 years and 71 years; 75.5% [83 patients] of the patients were males while 24.5% [27 patients] were females. Most injuries were sustained from road traffic accidents, 79.3%. The commonest type of dislocation was posterior dislocation 62.7% [ 69 patients] followed by central dislocation 23.6%. [26 patients]. Ninety two patients, [83.6percent] were managed conservatively by traction after successful closed reduction and 18 patients (16.4%) by operative intervention. Of the 18 patients who underwent various operative procedures after failed closed reduction ,12 patients(66.7%) had open reduction and relocation,2 patients(11.1 %) had arthrodesis, 2 patients(11.1 %) had total hip replacement,2 patients(11.1 %) had acetabular reconstruction performed. Seventy mne patients, [71.8percent] recovered fully without any complications. Overall, the commonest complication occurring alone or in combination was osteoarthritis occurring in 20% [22 patients] of the patients, followed by avascular necrosis of the femoral head, 17.3 % [ 19 patients]. Sciatic nerve injury was found in 3patients (2.7%) of the patients. Mortality during the first 14 days stood at 1.8 percent [2 patients I, one of whom died of pulmonary embolism as shown at postmortem. Education and law enforcement on the use of seat belts will go a long way to reduce this problem as (87%) 56 people who were in automobiles at the time of the road traffic accident did not have seat belts on.


Air farm could provide urban people with a beautiful place to release working pressure,remove troubles,cultivate moral character and long for future.It was of practical value.The paper had analyzed the tendency and necessity to construct air farm and put forward limiting factors and favorable factors for construction of air farm.Limiting factors were:① man-made planting soil had separated plants from the earth,restricting the supply of underground water;② plants on roof had weak capacity resisting to wind.Favorable factors were fresh air,good light and large temperature difference between day and night,which were beneficial for growth of plants.Based on domestic planting of blueberry,starting from the angles of good visual appearance,ecological effect and economic effect,four planting methods of blueberry had been proposed,which were standard planting,landscape planting,greenhouse planting,and combination planting.It hoped to apply new techniques,new materials and research results in practical design of air farm as far as possible.


Certain aspects of the relations between ritual action and ritual meaning are determined by socially regulated cycles of transmissive frequency, via the highly structured operations of human memory. Evidence is presented in this article that: (i) the relative scarcity of spontaneous exegetical reflection and the relatively wide dissemination of standard official exegesis in routinized traditions, may be explained by the dynamics of implicit procedural memory and the opportunities afforded by repetition for the spread of stable theological/exegetical representations encoded in semantic memory; (ii) the relative scarcity or restricted distribution of official exegesis and the relatively high degree of elaboration of spontaneous exegetical reflection in rare and climactic rituals, may be explained by the dynamics of episodic memory. These arguments are shown to have potentially significant implications for epidemiological perspectives on cognition and religion.


The interaction between cosmetic emulsions and the skin's surface is an important factor to consider in the development of topical formulations. Two important ingredients in cosmetic formulations are waxes and polymers. The physical and mechanical properties of formulations directly impact the interface skin-formulation. To evaluate this interaction, it is important to study the rheology, texture, and sensory properties. In this context, the aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of waxes and polymers on the rheological behavior, texture profile, and sensorial properties of topical formulations and the correlation between these parameters. The best combination of a wax and a polymer was determined by full factorial design of experiments and applied to develop eight formulations that were tested in relation to rheological, mechanical, and sensorial properties. The polymer helps with the spreadability of the formulation, and the wax had a strong influence on the parameters related to the structure of emulsions. A correlation between these parameters was observed. This way, it was possible to compare theoretical and practical data, except between the flow index and the work of shear. Finally, it was possible to predict sensorial aspects from rheological and texture parameters, making the formulation process easier and more integrated with all stages of the development of new topical formulations. Thus, the present study introduces a new proposal in the development of cosmetics.


In 23 very low birth weight infants the influence of mineral supplementation with 0.4 mmol calciumgluconate and 0.2 mmol glucose-1-phosphate/dl human milk on concentrations of 25-OH-D3, parathyroid hormone, calcitonine, calcium, phosphorus and activity of alkaline phosphatase was studied on days 3, 8, 28 and 56. On days 28 and 56 respectively, degree of bone mineralisation was classified. 8 preterm infants received supplementation before day 28, 7 infants after day 28, 8 infants had no supplementation. All preterm infants received beginning with day 7 vitamin D3 1000 IU/day. In all preterms mean concentrations of 25-OH-D3 were normal and increasing with age. Concentrations of parathyroid hormone and calcitonine were first of all increased and decreased with age, especially in supplemented infants. Light metabolic bone disease without fractures occurred in 4 infants of supplemented groups. Non-supplemented group contains 5 infants with severe metabolic bone disease without fractures. Results indicate intact metabolism and secretion of 25-OH-D3, parathyroid hormone and calcitonine. Decrease of calcitonine concentration in mineral supplemented preterms is a reference to a better mineral supply. Mineral supplementation is followed by an increase in bone mineralisation with prevention of severe metabolic bone disease.


Phosphorylation of heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) in human platelets by mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase (MAPKAP) 2 is associated with signaling events involved in platelet aggregation and regulation of microfilament organization. We now show that Hsp27 is also phosphorylated by cGMP-dependent protein kinase (cGK), a signaling system important for the inhibition of platelet aggregation. Stimulation of washed platelets with 8-para-chlorophenylthio-cGMP, a cGK specific activator, resulted in a time-dependent phosphorylation of Hsp27. This is supported by the ability of cGK to phosphorylate Hsp27 in vitro to an extent comparable with the cGK-mediated phosphorylation of its established substrate vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein. Studies with Hsp27 mutants identified threonine 143 as a yet uncharacterized phosphorylation site in Hsp27 specifically targeted by cGK. To test the hypothesis that cGK could inhibit platelet aggregation by phosphorylating Hsp27 and interfering with the MAPKAP kinase phosphorylation of Hsp27, the known MAPKAP kinase 2-phosphorylation sites (Ser15, Ser78, and Ser82) as well as Thr143 were replaced by negatively charged amino acids, which are considered to mimic phosphate groups, and tested in actin polymerization experiments. Mimicry at the MAPKAP kinase 2 phosphorylation sites led to mutants with a stimulating effect on actin polymerization. Mutation of the cGK-specific site Thr143alone had no effect on actin polymerization, but in the MAPKAP kinase 2 phosphorylation-mimicking mutant, this mutation reduced the stimulation of actin polymerization significantly. These data suggest that phosphorylation of Hsp27 and Hsp27-dependent regulation of actin microfilaments contribute to the inhibitory effects of cGK on platelet function.


While 'open innovation' is often considered to be an organisational strategy with universal application, its generalisability and applicability to organisations operating within emerging economies has yet to be fully explored. This study provides empirical evidence of its importance within a substantial sample of Chinese large firms and small and medium enterprises. Using Tobit regression analysis, our findings indicate that external knowledge sources from inter-firm networking are more important in creating the benefits of open innovation for Chinese small and medium enterprises than their larger peers. Linkages to university and research institutes generally have few direct effects on the innovation performance of both large and small firms in China. However, the role of universities and research institutes is shown to be important among our large firm sample when combined with evident internal absorptive capacity. This interaction is generally limited to our large firm sample, and is not as evident among small firms.

Our study indicates that the barriers to the adoption of open innovation by Chinese firms might be largely related to the comparatively weak domestic research expertise and limited organisational absorptive capabilities, with this most particularly evident for small and medium enterprises.

These findings suggest that, based on this evidence, there is no need for emerging economies like China to mimic the emergence path from closed to open innovation followed by developed countries. Chinese firms will be more likely to garner the benefits available from openness when they develop the capabilities required to identify, assimilate and commercialise knowledge and technologies obtained from external sources.


The mechanisms and rate constants at 293 K of a number of elementary reactions of the ground state BrO (X2Π, v″= 0) radical are reported. BrO is found to react rapidly only with other free radicals (NO,O), [graphic ommitted] It is unreactive towards singlet ground-state molecules (H2, CH4, C2H4, C2H6), BrO+H2→products; k5 < 109.5; BrO+CH4, C2H4, C2H6→products; k < 1010.0. Free X atoms (X = Br, Cl)(formed by bimolecular disproportionation of 2 XO radicals) are normally present in low-pressure systems containing XO radicals. The possible effects on reaction rates of the coexistence of XO and X are considered.
 The ground state IO(X2Π, v″= 0,1) radical, produced by the reaction,. I(2P)+O3→IO+O2, was detected by means of the A2Π—X2Π band absorption system. This reaction leads to preferential population of the vibrational level v″= 1. Detailed quantitative study of the kinetics of reaction of IO was precluded. However, the results suggest that the decay of IO was closely analogous to that of BrO in mechanism and rate, [graphic ommitted], with k9= 1012.5±0.3 at 293 K.


Purpose: 124I-PU-H71 is an investigational first-in-class radiologic agent specific for imaging tumor epichaperome formations. The intracellular epichaperome forms under cellular stress and is a clinically validated oncotherapeutic target. We conducted a first-in-human study of microdose 124I-PU-H71 for PET to study in vivo biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and safety; and the feasibility of epichaperome-targeted tumor imaging. Experimental Design: Adult patients with cancer (n = 30) received 124I-PU-H71 tracer (201±12 MBq, <25 μg) intravenous bolus followed by PET/CT scans and blood radioassays. Results: 124I-PU-H71 PET detected tumors of different cancer types (breast, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, genitourinary, gynecologic, sarcoma, and pancreas). 124I-PU-H71 was retained by tumors for several days while it cleared rapidly from bones, healthy soft tissues, and blood. Radiation dosimetry is favorable and patients suffered no adverse effects. Conclusions: Our first-in-human results demonstrate the safety and feasibility of noninvasive in vivo detection of tumor epichaperomes using 124I-PU-H71 PET, supporting clinical development of PU-H71 and other epichaperome-targeted therapeutics.