Abstract Context: Chard is used as an antidiabetic agent by the diabetic patients in Turkey. Objective: The effect of chard extract [Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla (Chenopodiaceae)] on the antioxidant system and the expression of surfactant-associated proteins (SP) in the lungs of hyperglycemic rats were examined. Materials and methods: Hyperglycemia was induced by a single dose of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) provided intraperitoneally. Fourteen days after the rats were rendered hyperglycemic, the chard (2 g/kg/d), insulin (6 U/kg/d), and chard plus insulin (as mentioned above) were administered to rats for 45 d. On day 60, rats' lungs were removed. Oxidative stress parameters and SP expression were assayed. Results: The lungs of hyperglycemic rats were characterized by the induced lipid and protein oxidation, elevated myeloperoxidase and xanthine oxidase activities, decreased glutathione levels, and reduced tissue factor and antioxidant enzymes activities (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase). Chard treatment alone and chard treatment combined with insulin were capable of achieving a regression of pulmonary oxidative stress, by inhibiting lipid and protein oxidation, and restoring the antioxidant system of hyperglycemic rats. SP-A expressions were significantly unchanged in all groups, whereas pro-SP-C and SP-D expressions were reduced in hyperglycemic rats. Pro-SP-C and SP-D levels were increased by chard and insulin administrations alone and combined in hyperglycemic rats. Discussion and conclusion: All treatments have a positive effect on the surfactant and antioxidant systems of the lungs of hyperglycemic rats. The best therapeutic effect was provided by treatment with chard extract alone in the compensation of hyperglycemic symptoms.


This paper addresses attempts to locate and dislocate music audiences in the context of global commercial, legal, and technical developments. The 2001 legal decision against Napster in the United States found the file share service company guilty of copyright infringement. This precedent appeared to support the recording industry. However, such legal frames have been bypassed by new softwares. Supporters see such global networks of sharing and distribution as undoing corporate control. The recording industry has responded with parallel claims of having encryption and surveillance technologies capable of globally reregulating property. However, as this article shows, there is no technical necessity and that total freedom and total enforcement are impossible. Just as globalization is reified into an inevitable process of deregulation in one instance and at the next moment it is reified into an indispensable regulatory regime, so new electronic media and global electronic networks promote neither regulation or deregulation, except in so far as the balance of social forces at any one time interprets and enacts them in such ways.


Software clustering is a useful technique to recover architecture of a software system. The results of clustering depend upon choice of entities, features, similarity measures and clustering algorithms. Different similarity measures have been used for determining similarity between entities during the clustering process. In software architecture recovery domain the Jaccard and the Unbiased Ellenberg measures have shown better results than other measures for binary and non-binary features respectively. In this paper we analyze the Russell and Rao measure for binary features to show the conditions under which its performance is expected to be better than that of Jaccard. We also show how our proposed Jaccard-NM measure is suitable for software clustering and propose its counterpart for non-binary features. Experimental results indicate that our proposed Jaccard-NM measure and Russell & Rao measure perform better than Jaccard measure for binary features, while for non-binary features, the proposed Unbiased Ellenberg-NM measure produces results which are closer to the decomposition prepared by experts.


This study determined the effect of phosphorus application rates on quality of potato tubers. Field experiments were set up at Egerton University, Njoro and Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization (KARLO), Molo. A randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement and three replicates were used. Main plot factors were varieties (Shangi, Dutch Robyjn, Unica and Wanjiku). Sub plot factors were phosphorus levels (0, 30, 60, 90 kg P ha-1). Data collected was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS software version 9.3. Application of 0 and 60 kg P ha-1 at KALRO Molo resulted in significantly higher (P<0.05) tuber dry matter contents of 23.49 and 25.76%, respectively. Unica variety at Egerton site and Dutch Robyjn and Wanjiku at KARLO, Molo site recorded significantly higher (P<0.001) dry matter and starch contents of 24.70, 25.52, and 23.45%, respectively. Wanjiku variety and application of 60 kg P ha-1 resulted in significantly higher (P<0.05) tuber starch content of 22.07%. Shangi with 0 and 60 kg P ha-1, Dutch Robyjn and Unica with 0, 30, 60 and 90 kg P ha-1 and Wanjiku with 0, 30, and 60 kg P ha-1 recorded significantly higher (P<0.001) specific gravity of tubers. Application of phosphorus is recommended for improvement in quality of potato propagated from rooted apical cuttings.

 Key words: Dry matter, potato, rooted apical cuttings, specific gravity, starch content.


N,N-dimethyl-4-nitroaniline is a piezoelectric organic superplastic and superelastic charge transfer molecular crystal that crystallizes in an acentric structure. Organic mechanical flexible crystals are of great importance as they stand between soft matter and inorganic crystals. Highly aligned poly-l-lactic acid polymer microfibers with embedded N,N-dimethyl-4-nitroaniline nanocrystals are fabricated using the electrospinning technique, and their piezoelectric and optical properties are explored as hybrid systems. The composite fibers display an extraordinarily high piezoelectric output response, where for a small stress of 5.0 × 103 Nm−2, an effective piezoelectric voltage coefficient of geff = 4.1 VmN−1 is obtained, which is one of the highest among piezoelectric polymers and organic lead perovskites. Mechanically, they exhibit an average increase of 67% in the Young modulus compared to polymer microfibers alone, reaching 55 MPa, while the tensile strength reaches 2.8 MPa. Furthermore, the fibers show solid-state blue fluorescence, important for emission applications, with a long lifetime decay (147 ns) lifetime decay. The present results show that nanocrystals from small organic molecules with luminescent, elastic and piezoelectric properties form a mechanically strong hybrid functional 2-dimensional array, promising for applications in energy harvesting through the piezoelectric effect and as solid-state blue emitters.


System's reusability and cost are very important in software product line design area. Developers' goal is to increase system reusability and decreasing cost and efforts for building components from scratch for each software configuration. This can be reached by developing software product line (SPL). To handle SPL engineering process, several approaches with several techniques were developed. One of these approaches is called separated approach. It requires separating the commonalities and variability for system's components to allow configuration selection based on user defined features. Textual notationbased approaches have been used for their formal syntax and semantics to represent system features and implementations. But these approaches are still weak in mixing features (conceptual level) and classes (physical level) that guarantee smooth and automatic configuration generation for software releases. The absence of methodology supporting the mixing process is a real weakness. In this paper, we enhanced SPL's reusability by introducing some meta-features, classified according to their functionalities. As a first consequence, mixing class and feature concepts is supported in a simple way using class interfaces and inherent features for smooth move from feature model to class model. And as a second consequence, the mixing process is supported by a textual design and implementation methodology, mixing class and feature models by combining their concepts in a single language. The supported configuration generation process is simple, coherent, and complete.


The provision of leading pedestrian intervals (LPI) has emerged in recent years to achieve safety equitability for pedestrians at signalized intersections. LPI is a way to provide the pedestrian walk interval a few seconds before starting the circular green indication to adjacent parallel traffic. Although the safety benefit of LPI is indisputable, there are fundamental questions that need to be addressed for the optimal deployment of this strategy. First, can significant safety benefits for pedestrians be achieved while maintaining a satisfactory operational level of service for vehicles? Second, what are the application circumstances most conducive to achieving the greatest safety benefits for pedestrians? Third, how can a jurisdiction effectively assess contemplated treatments to achieve optimal deployment? This exploratory paper addresses these three fundamental questions by reviewing relevant literature before presenting the research from the application of microsimulation to fifteen Toronto intersections where LPIs have been implemented. The microsimulation involved using a recently released module for accommodating LPI phasing in the PTV Vistro software. To directly address the first and second questions, vehicle-to-pedestrian conflicts and vehicle delay were estimated for ten scenarios that allowed for the provision of, and variability in the LPI interval, right turn volumes, right turn on red provision, pedestrian and vehicle volumes, and crossing width. The results suggest that significant safety benefits can be achieved for pedestrians while maintaining a satisfactory level of service for vehicles. They further suggest that potential LPI deployments need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis since the effects of LPI can be significantly impacted by the influencing factors investigated. Statistical models were developed to quantify the effects of LPI implementation on vehicle-to-pedestrian conflicts after controlling for pedestrian and turning vehicle volumes. The results of this exploratory investigation, though interesting and consistent with the literature and logical considerations, may not be generalizable in a strict sense. Nevertheless, the study does provide a blueprint for investigating the design, traffic, and operational factors that can influence the impact of LPI on pedestrian safety without detrimentally impacting vehicle level of service.


During acute inflammation, the recruitment of leukocytes from the blood stream into the inflamed tissue is a well-described mechanism encompassing the interaction of endothelial cells with leukocytes allowing leukocytes to reach the site of tissue injury or infection where they can fulfill their function such as phagocytosis. This process requires a fine-tuned regulation of a plethora of signaling cascades, which are still incompletely understood. Here, connexin 43 (Cx43) and pannexin 1 (Panx1) are known to be pivotal for the correct communication of endothelial cells with leukocytes. Pharmacological as well as genetic approaches provide evidence that endothelial Cx43-hemichannels and Panx1-channels release signaling molecules including ATP and thereby regulate vessel function and permeability as well as the recruitment of leukocytes during acute inflammation. Furthermore, Cx43 hemichannels and Panx1-channels in leukocytes release signaling molecules and can mediate the activation and function of leukocytes in an autocrine manner. The focus of the present review is to summarize the current knowledge of the role of Cx43 and Panx1 in endothelial cells and leukocytes in the vasculature during acute inflammation and to discuss relevant molecular mechanisms regulating Cx43 and Panx1 function.


Computer vision (CV) techniques try to mimic human capabilities of visual perception to support labor-intensive and time-consuming tasks like the recognition and localization of critical objects. Nowadays, CV increasingly relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically extract useful information from images that can be utilized for decision support and business process automation. However, the focus of extant research is often exclusively on technical aspects when designing AI-based CV systems while neglecting socio-technical facets, such as trust, control, and autonomy. For this purpose, we consider the design of such systems from a hybrid intelligence (HI) perspective and aim to derive prescriptive design knowledge for CV-based HI systems. We apply a reflective, practice-inspired design science approach and accumulate design knowledge from six comprehensive CV projects. As a result, we identify four design-related mechanisms (i.e


The incumbent coalition claimed victory in Malaysia's 13th general elections in May 2013, securing a simple majority of parliamentary seats despite losing the popular vote. The dramatic result raises questions not only about the probity of the electoral process in Malaysia but also about the future of party politics there.


As China's interests and investments expand globally under the new economic and political architecture envisaged with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), so do the risks. China's global ambitions have progressively exposed Chinese assets and nationals abroad to an increasing set of challenges, ranging from threats emanating from terrorist groups and separatist movements to cautious and critical views about Chinese investments and personnel working in foreign countries. Among the more than one hundred countries that have now signed up to BRI, Pakistan, through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), epitomizes most of the challenges that Beijing is confronting in the implementation of its BRI-driven international design. 1 CPEC—designated by Chinese premier Li Keqiang as the initiative's "flagship project"—represents an ideal test case to assess how China is aiming to secure its investments


ABSTRACT

In association with the mortality rate due to air pollution, vehicular emitted fine particles (PM2.5) are a threat to public health. PM2.5-induced in-vivo studies on environmental microorganisms can be used to assess the adverse impacts of PM2.5 on human health. In the present study, the toxicity of traffic-related-air-pollutant (TRAP) PM2.5 was evaluated in the animal model Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) using different toxicological endpoints such as lethality, survivability (lifespan), behavioral (head thrashing and body bending), and reproduction (brood size). The TRAP PM2.5 sample were collected in Taichung City, Taiwan from Mar 24 to April 15 in 2018. Of these 23 day samples, three samples (Days A, B, and C) were randomly selected. The results showed that no immediate lethality was observed after acute (24 h) exposure of the nematodes. On the other hand, sublethal endpoints of reproduction exhibited statistically significant dose-dependent reduction, although Day A and Day C did not decrease the egg-laying capability of the worms. For the neurological toxicity, it is inferred that the higher the PM2.5 concentrations, the more the adverse effects of neurobehavior (head trashing and body bending) it poses on the C. elegans. The lifespans of nematodes exposed to heavily TRAP PM2.5 were significantly shortened compared with those of untreated ones based on survival rate. The nematodes exposed PM2.5 models not only posed potentially adverse health effects on human but also represented ecotoxic impacts on the ecosystem. In conclusion, heavy concentrations of TRAP PM2.5 significantly and severely disrupted toxicological endpoints of neurology and reproduction to C. elegans. TRAP PM2.5 significantly shortened the lifespan of the nematodes compared with the control. TRAP PM2.5 might more severely influenced the specific toxic endpoints, such as lifespan and neurobehavira, in this in-vivo models compared with the reproductive endpoints.


We have developed a simple, novel cluster source with which intense beam of carbon and silver clusters were generated. The formation mechanism of the fullerene carbon clusters are discussed, and the velocity distribution of small carbon clusters was measured. The intensity distribution of silver clusters shows a distinct odd-even alternation, which agrees well with our previous theoretical predictions.


Objective: We aimed to investigate to what extent clustering of related drug interaction alerts (drug-drug and drug-disease interaction alerts) would decrease the alert rate in clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of drug interaction alerts generated by CDSSs in community pharmacies. Frequently generated combinations of alerts were analyzed for associations in a 5% random data sample (dataset 1). Alert combinations with similar management recommendations were defined as clusters. The alert rate was assessed by simulating a CDSS generating 1 alert per cluster per patient instead of separate alerts. The simulation was performed in dataset 1 and replicated in another 5% data sample (dataset 2). Results: Data were extracted from the CDSSs of 123 community pharmacies. Dataset 1 consisted of 841 572 dispensed prescriptions and 298 261 drug interaction alerts. Dataset 2 was comparable. Twenty-two frequently occurring alert combinations were identified. Analysis of these associated alert combinations for similar management recommendations resulted in 3 clusters (related to renal function, electrolytes, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases). Using the clusters in alert generation reduced the alert rate within these clusters by 53–70%. The overall number of drug interaction alerts was reduced by 11% in dataset 1 and by 12% in dataset 2. This corresponds to a decrease of 21 alerts per pharmacy per day. Discussion and conclusion: Using clusters of drug interaction alerts with similar management recommendations in CDSSs can substantially decrease the overall alert rate. Further research is needed to establish the applicability of this concept in daily practice.


This article studies the changes in the interpretations of suicide in Mexico City between 1876 and 1910, based on the analysis of some works, thesis and newspapers from that time, when hereditary predisposition began to gain importance in the explanations about the causes of suicide, reaching its apogee with the theory of degeneration, which made inheritance its last cause. The change in the conception of suicide was linked to professional and ideological factors, such as the development of legal medicine and psychiatry. In addition, it emerged during the clash between liberals and conservatives due to the social changes derived from the process of modernization in the city.


This article, Part 1 of a 2-part series, provides an overview of the current Medicare compliance climate and its implications for hospice providers. Content focuses on the 7 elements of a comprehensive compliance framework as defined by the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General in its 1999 Compliance Guidance for Hospices. A brief case example is provided and serves to set the stage for Part 2, which will explore hospice-specific risk areas and specific risk-reduction strategies.


Biochar is a solid material obtained from the thermochemical conversion of biomass in a limited oxygen environment. Portland cement-based products are the main construction materials. The manufacturing process of cement result in several harmful emissions, in particular CO2 emissions. In this work, biochar was produce from residues of palm oil shells stover at 700°C under a limited oxygen condition. Biochar small additions of 0.1, 0.33 and 0.5 % (w/w) were incorporated into Portland cement mortar samples. Mortar samples were made according to the Colombian earthquake-resistant standard. Early compression strength of samples were evaluated at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Mortar samples were subjected to an accelerated carbonation test using a carbonation chamber built for that purpose. Results shows that the early compression strength was altered since mortar with no biochar additions exhibit higher compression resistance that the ones exhibited by samples with small additions. Furthermore, this decreasing in the early compression strength is attributed to the presence of the surfactant used to incorporate the small amount of biochar into the cement matrix. Carbonation result shows that samples with small additions of biochar increases the measured carbonation depth.


The interfacial reactions between thin films of cobalt and silicon and (100)-oriented GaAs substrates in two configurations, Co/Si/GaAs and Si/Co/GaAs, were studied using a variety of techniques including Auger electron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The annealing conditions were 200, 300, 400, 600-degrees-C for 30 min, and rapid thermal annealing for 15 s. It was found that Si layer in the Co/Si/GaAs system acts as a barrier at the interface between Co and GaAs when annealed up to 600-degrees-C. The interfacial reaction between Co and Si is faster than that between Co and GaAs in the system of Si/Co/GaAs. The sequence of compound formation for the two metallizations studied (Co/Si/GaAs and Si/Co/GaAs) depends strongly on the sample configuration as well as the layer thickness of Si and Co (Co/Si atomic ratio). From our results, it is promising to utilize Co/Si/GaAs multilayer film structure to make a CoSi2/GaAs contact, and this CoSi2 may offer an alternative to the commonly used W silicides as improved gate metallurgies in self-aligned metal-semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) technologies.


Aims: To evaluate the effect of two types of disinfectant solutions(2% alkaline glutaraldehyde, 1% sodium hypochlorite) in wettability of three types of elastomeric impression materials (light body) which are used in crown and bridge restorations at different times of immersion. Materials and me- thods: Three types of elastomeric impression materials (light body) were formed on a flat acrylic resin block and allowed to set(five specimens of each impression material was done for each immersion time(15,30 and 60 minutes)of each disinfectant solution in addition to control groups). The wettability is indicated by measuring the contact angle of aqueous solution of CaSO4 on surface of cured impres- sion materials. Results: indicated no significant effect of immersion times on wettability of three types of impression materials. The hydrophilic type produce high wettability. Conclusions: The disinfectant solutions have different effects on each impression material. Sodium hypochlorite has the greatest


Abstract Carotenoids found in fruits and vegetables are compounds with significant biological activities. Epidemiological studies report that these compounds have significant anticancer effects, as well reducing the risk of cancer. In the present study, we aimed to determine the effects of capsanthin, an important carotenoid of paprika, on expressions of proteins playing roles in the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, in addition to its possible cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, possible oxidant/anti-oxidant roles of capsanthin on MCF-7 cells were investigated. The viability of MCF-7 cells was significantly decreased after 24 h of capsanthin application. After Comet analysis, it was determined that the capsanthin caused DNA damage on a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that capsanthin application increased p53 and Bax protein expressions and caused a decrease in Bcl-2 protein level. Capsanthin treatment decreased catalase and glutathione levels but increased lipid peroxidation. These results show that the capsanthin causes oxidative stress and DNA damage, and increases mitochondrial apoptotic mechanism-mediated cell death after p53 and Bax protein activations.


This paper presents a new technique for induction motor parameter identification. The proposed technique is based on a simple startup test using a standard V/F inverter. The recorded startup currents are compared to that obtained by simulation of an induction motor model. A Modified PSO optimization is used to find out the best model parameter that minimizes the sum square error between the measured and the simulated currents. The performance of the modified PSO is compared with other optimization methods including line search, conventional PSO and genetic algorithms. Simulation results demonstrate the ability of the proposed technique to capture the true values of the machine parameters and the superiority of the results obtained using the modified PSO over other optimization techniques.


The severe economic crisis that has been affecting Greece since 2009 is having an unprecedented impact in terms of job and income losses, and is widely perceived to have a comparably significant effect in terms of greater inequality and increased poverty. This article provides an early assessment of whether (and to what extent) the latter is the case. Specifically, it simulates the impact of the austerity (i.e. fiscal consolidation policies) and the recession (i.e. negative developments in the wider economy) on the distribution of incomes in 2009–12, and estimates how the burden of the Great Recession has been shared across income groups. The article concludes by discussing the policy implications of the authors' research.


Curved composite girder bridges with corrugated steel webs (CSWs) have already been constructed around the world. However, limited work has been done on their shear behavior. In this paper, the corrugated steel web (CSW) in horizontally curved girders (HCGs) is treated as an orthotropic cylindrical shallow shell, and the analytical formula for the elastic global shear buckling stress is deduced by the Galerkin method. Calculation tables for the global shear buckling coefficient for a four-edge simple support, for a four-edge fixed support, and for the two edges constrained by flanges fixed and the other two edges simply supported are given. Then, a parametric study based on a linear buckling analysis is performed to analyze the effect of the curvature radius and girder span on the shear buckling stress. Analytical and numerical results show that the difference of shear buckling stress of CSWs between curved girders and straight girders is small, so the shear design formulas for straight girders can be applied for curved girders. Finally, a series of tests were performed on three curved box girders with CSWs. Similar to CSWs in straight girders, the shear strain distributions of CSWs in HCGs are almost uniform along the direction of the web height and the principal strain direction angles are close to 45°. For the three specimens, CSWs carry about 76% of the shear force. In the destructive test, shear buckling after yielding occurred in all specimens which is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction, which means that the analytical formulas provide good predictions for the shear buckling stress of CSWs in HCGs and can be recommended for design purposes.


Although Italy is the first country in the world for certified typical food products, consumers are not yet able to recognize their distinctive features. The differences between «local» and «typical» are not yet clearly understood or consistently defined. Consumers don't perceive the authenticity of the denomination of origin and the value of European Certification (Dop, Doc, Igp). Such situation worries marketers operating in agricultural food chain who are interested to understand which strategies to implement in order to improve consumer knowledge. A proper understanding of the value of typical food products is a prerequisite for implementing effective marketing strategies and supporting a premium prices for these products. The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers' perception of typical food products in order to understand which role brands and distribution channels may have in decisions' making process. This study provides retailers and manufacturers with a depth knowledge on what shoppers value today and how to better promote and support typical food products.


Abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of mortality in Western countries. Its putative pathogenesis revolves around genetic and environmental factors, particularly diet. One of the most studied dietary factors, dairy product intake, is still debated as a protective agent. The role of lactose as a candidate prebiotic (stimulating lactic acid bacteria) and its relation to genetic lactase non-persistence (LNP) status has not been evaluated. We undertook a review and analysis of national per capita dairy product consumption, national LNP prevalence, and national CRC mortality rates (CRCM) to determine whether relationships existed among these variables. Data on these three items were obtained from the available literature. A negative binomial regression model was used to compare national LNP status with national CRCM rates for three time periods. Pearson correlation was used to compare national per capita dairy food intake with national CRCM rates for the approximate midpoint time period of reviewed articles. We found that there was a significant positive correlation between per capita dairy food intake and CRCM rates. However, there was also a significant negative correlation between national LNP prevalence and CRCM rates. Population-based studies supported the suggestion that in both homogeneous high and homogeneous low prevalence LNP countries characterized by low and high dairy food intake respectively, dairy food consumption exerted a protective effect against CRC and CRCM rate. Because some population studies contradict the hypotheses that dairy food intake promotes CRC or that LNP status protects against CRC, we hypothesize that dairy food consumption may operate by two distinct mechanisms—one that operates at low doses in LNP subjects and another in high doses in non-LNP subjects.


We live in an era of unprecedented interconnectivity and challenges (e.g., climate change, pandemics) that require global mindsets and creative approaches. While research on global identification has increased in recent years, the question of whether it can facilitate creativity remains largely unexplored. Moreover, despite the evidence linking multicultural experiences and global identities, migrant populations have been overly underrepresented in this area of research. We examine the association between global culture identification and creativity in the Alternate Uses Test, across two different samples residing in Spain: a host national and majorly student sample (N = 326) and a culturally diverse immigrant sample (N = 122). Additionally, we test the predictive value of ethnic identification (in both samples) and host culture identification (in the immigrant sample). Regression analyses reveal that global culture identification positively predicts creativity among host national participants, and host culture identification predicts creativity among immigrant participants. Our results suggest that developing a cultural identity that transcends the one acquired through enculturation (i.e., global culture identification for the host national sample, host culture identification for the immigrant sample) has the potential of facilitating creative behavior.


Abstract This article examines how the on-going confrontation between Russia and the West affects perceptions of security in Georgia. Our angle is twofold: in addition to comparing previous National Security Concepts of Georgia we examine both governmental and public perceptions of security in the light of Georgia's foreign policy priorities, its relationship with neighbouring countries and conflict resolution policy. Since Georgia declares 20 per cent of its territory to be occupied, the article focuses particularly on the crisis in Ukraine and its effect on security debates in Georgia. As the upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia in autumn 2016 are highly important to maintain the current foreign policy course and secure achievements, the paper also tries to answer how these global and regional developments may be interpreted and reflected in the next National Security Concept of Georgia (whenever it might be published).


Pseudocyesis is a rare condition in which a person has a false belief of being pregnant, accompanied by objective signs and symptoms of pregnancy, despite not being pregnant. Confirmation of pseudocyesis is achieved with a negative result of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood and/or urine and negative ultrasound finding. Most cases of pseudocyesis occur in the setting of major depressive disorder or psychotic disorder, with very few occurring during a manic episode of bipolar disorder. Hence, we present a 30-year-old woman with pseudocyesis in the setting of bipolar disorder, specifically within a current manic episode with features of psychosis. The patient was found in the woods naked, with signs of psychosis. She described symptoms of increasing abdominal size, whitish discharge from her nipple, and feeling of fetal movement. The patient continued to believe she was pregnant due to her symptoms, despite negative pregnancy tests on multiple occasions. She has a history of bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her examination showed an obese woman, with a non-distended abdomen and non-palpable uterus with no breast tenderness or enlargement. The patient was given olanzapine for her agitation and was subsequently stabilized with haloperidol and lorazepam. She was restarted on her home medications, including risperidone, oxcarbazepine, and topiramate. She was later committed involuntarily and transferred to a long-term psychiatry facility. Pseudocyesis is a rare condition often associated with other psychiatric comorbidities. Our patient's presentation highlights one of the few cases ever formally documented in a developed country, as most of the cases reported are found in developing countries. More studies, including case series and systematic reviews, need to be done to better understand this rare condition and its other variants.


Purpose This study analyzes the metabolic effects on body components of short-term standard physical training interventions in the staff of a Chinese hospital. Methods and materials We analyzed annual medical examinations, including blood sampling, ultrasound examinations, etc., and selected 10 overweight voluntary participants to take part in formal physical training, and a body composition analyzer DBA-550 (Donghuayuan Medical Co., Ltd, Beijing, China) was used to analyze body components' change before physical training interventions and the first month and third month after the physical intervention. Results The intervention significantly decreased body mass index (BMI) (p<0.05). Plasma lipids, triglyceride, and waist/hip ratio in females, trunk circumference in males, and limb circumference in females changed significantly (p<0.05). The body composition analysis showed that alterations in lean mass, fat weight, and fat percentage were not significant. Moreover, the segmental skeletal weight stable and segmental edema indices changed significantly but were within the normal range. Conclusions Three months of short-term physical intervention effectively lower body weight and fat, but more significant changes in long-term intervention and larger groups can be expected. Besides, the body composition analyzer proved reliable and can modify more individualized treatment plans for overweight and obese individuals.


A strongly direct sum decomposition given by a strongly nil-clean
 endomorphism motivates us to introduce a class of new Drazin inverses, which
 is called strong Drazin inverse. In this paper, some basic properties of the
 strong Drazin inverse are obtained. We show the Cline's Formula and
 Jacobson's Lemma for the strong Drazin inverse. Further, some additive
 results for the strong Drazin inverse are presented under additional
 conditions that ab = 0 or ab = ba.


The life, education, and contributions of E. Létiévant are reviewed. He first observed esthesiography, protopathic sensibility, and the "tingling sign" in peripheral-nerve lesions toward the end of the 19th century. His thoughts and language still remain familiar to us, and his work conveys a poignant freshness.


Nurses and nurse's aides at geriatric facilities face demanding patients and challenging situations that trigger undesired emotions. The psychological implications of care workers' emotional labour have been extensively researched, but not so their emotional experiences and the regulation of these emotions aimed at normalizing the extraordinary situations that arise in the course of geriatric care. The present study is based on data collected in interviews with 36 nurses and nurse's aides, and nine health professionals and management-level employees, on participant observations, and on field notes collected over a period of 14 months at two geriatric institutions in Israel. The data reveal the construction of patience and impatience as the pivotal emotional experience that needs regulation to cope successfully with extraordinary situations. The findings suggest that strict patience-display rules were constructed as an occupational impetus that exacts a price by increasing emotional load. Patience was regulated continually by normalizing practices that were culturally embedded in the organizations, by reframing patients' abusive behaviours, and by diffusing undesired emotions using detachment and disengagement practices. The findings contribute to the scarce empirical research on emotional labour of nurse's aides, and to the conceptualization and empirical study of nurses' normalizing regulation practices as cultural-organizational artefacts.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Introduction: Nestin, a progenitor/stem cell marker, is expressed in human pancreatic cancer, and we have previously shown that its expression positively correlates with invasiveness and metastasis of the cancer (Cancer Biol Ther, 2011; Am J Pathol. in press). Here, we examined the inhibitory effects of nestin expression using nestin-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) in pancreatic cancer cells. We also investigated the regulatory mechanism of nestin expression in pancreatic cancer. Methods: siRNA targeting nestin was transfected to the pancreatic cancer cell lines PANC-1 and PK-45H, and we analyzed the effect on cell behaviors including proliferation, migration, invasion, sphere-forming ability, and sensitivity to gemcitabine. Next, to clarify the mechanisms of nestin expression, pancreatic cancer cells were injected into the spleen of NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Sug/Jic (NOG) mice, and pancreatic cancer cells were also collected from metastatic foci of NOG mice. We compared the methylation status of the promoter and the 1st and 2nd introns of the nestin gene in metastatic and parental cancer cells using bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing.

Results: Nestin siRNA inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, and sphere-forming ability of the pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. Co-treatment of pancreatic cancer cells with gemcitabine and nestin siRNA decreased cell viability compared to administration of gemcitabine or nestin siRNA alone. Cells derived from the metastatic nodules of NOG mice showed higher expression of nestin compared with parental cells, and methylation of the nestin promoter and the 1st and 2nd introns was lower in the metastatic cells. Compared to control siRNA-treated mice, nestin siRNA significantly inhibited primary and metastatic tumor formation derived from human pancreatic cancer cells in an orthotopic implantation model using NOG mice.

In summary, decreasing nestin expression in pancreatic cancer cells using nestin siRNA suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and sphere formation in vitro and primary and metastatic tumor formation in vivo. Furthermore, nestin siRNA had synergistic effects with gemcitabine in inhibiting pancreatic cancer cell growth. These findings suggest that nestin plays a key role in pancreatic cancer cell metastasis and stemness, and that administration of nestin siRNA is a novel therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer.

Citation Format: Yoko Matsuda, Toshiyuki Ishiwata, Hisashi Yoshimura, Satoshi Yamashita, Toshikazu Ushijima, Kaiyo Takubo, Tomio Arai. Inhibitory effects and regulatory mechanism of nestin in pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3892. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3892


Negative interactions with nonnative fish are often cited as a leading cause of declining native fish populations, but quantifying these interactions is difficult. Movement ecology and consumptive demand estimates of nonnative fish predators is needed to better understand potential impacts these organisms are having on native species. The objective of this thesis were to estimate the consumptive demand of Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris on native fishes across an elevational gradient, and characterize the movement at hourly, daily, and seasonal scales of this introduced predator. This research was conducted in the upper Gila River basin of southwestern New Mexico. Bioenergetics modeling was used to estimate consumptive demand; model results were coupled with measured densities and size structure of Flathead Catfish populations, and water temperatures, to predict its predatory threat. Potential consumption was highest at lower elevation sites because of higher water temperatures, but actual consumption was highest at mid-elevation sites because of the prevalence of large-bodied individuals. Potential annual consumptive demand of Flathead Catfish on native fish across our nine sampling sites ranged from 0.0 to 3.1 g/m 2 /yr, which exceeded native fish productivity at one site. To characterize the movement of Flathead Catfish, we used radio telemetry and tracked individuals from May 2014 to June 2015. Movement behaviors varied among individuals with a majority moving 80 m. Daily activity was greatest during evening but late afternoon activity was observed in summer and fall. Results from this study identify areas within the upper Gila River where introduced Flathead Catfish consumption is likely to negatively impact native fish populations and managers can use this information to understand potential overlap with native species, target future removal efforts in areas where these fish are concentrated, and avoid stocking native fishes in reaches where Flathead Catfish tend to aggregate.


Seven chronically ill patients who refused to eat after prolonged hospitalizations were started on a feeding induction program that was based on behavior modification. Each of the children exhibited food aversions and was either dependent on central intravenous nutrition or received enteral feedings as the primary source of calories. An intervention program was initiated for six of the patients while they were hospitalized; the program was continued at home by the parents. All seven patients established consistent oral intake, and five were removed from supplemental feeding sources after implementation of the feeding induction programs.


As a subfield of Public Administration that is primarily concerned with improving performance within state institutions, administrative reform fails to fulfill its goals in developing countries due to the ethnocentricity of ready-made and replicable global strategies. Administrative reforms, as top-down models of development, marginalize local implementers who neither understand nor support the full adoption of the assigned models. Drawing on the significance of an all-inclusive synergy among local stakeholders for successful change, this study introduces the Blue Ocean strategy as an innovative managerial approach reflecting the temporal and spatial particularities of developing countries' operational context. This study builds a conceptual framework for reforming public and non-profit sectors in developing countries in light of the guidelines of the Blue Ocean strategy as the expression of local stakeholders' goal of improving organizational performance in compliance with existing opportunities and challenges. In doing so, it examines how the managers and employees of an Egyptian non-profit organization have benefited from the Blue Ocean strategy in improving their NGO's performance through the adoption of effective strategic planning that restructured human resources' functions and boosted employees' productivity. The author conducted seven open-ended and semi-structured expert interviews with a selection of the NGO's working staff and two managers in order to depict how the Blue Ocean strategy has enabled them to formulate and implement human resources strategic management as a customized administrative reform conforming to contextual exigencies.


This article focuses on three specific legal developments arising from the Martinović and Naletilić Judgement of the ICTY. The first issue is the possibility of prisoners of war consenting to perform otherwise prohibited labour under Geneva Convention III. The second relates to the legal definition of occupation within the meaning of Geneva Convention IV. The third issue concerns the trial chamber's analysis of the discriminatory requirement as an element of the offence of persecution.


Transferrin polymorphism has been studied in the polyploid Carassius auratus by cloning and sequence analysis of cDNAs from its three subspecies C. auratus gibelio, C. auratus auratus, and C. auratus cuvieri. DNA polymorphism of extremely high extent was shown for the transferrin gene by the 248 segregation sites among coding region sequences of its alleles. The deduced amino acid sequences of the transferrin alleles showed variable theoretical physicochemical parameters, which might constitute molecular basis for their electrophoretic heterogeneity. Positive selection was inferred by the replacement/synonymous ratios larger than 1 in partial allelic lineages which was subsequently confirmed by likelihood simulation under neutral or selection models. Furthermore, the correspondent sites to these selected codons were collectively located at two planes in the crystallographic structure of rabbit transferrin, which suggested that the rapid evolution of C. auratus transferrin might correlate to its adaptation to variable environmental elements such as oxygen pressure. The minimal 26 recombination events were detected among coding sequences of C. auratus transferrin, with partial mosaic sequences and breakpoints identified by identity scanning and information site analyses. Phylogenetic analyses revealed multiple antique allelic lineages of transferrin, which was estimated to diverge fifteen to twenty MYA. All these features strongly suggested the role of balancing selection in long persistence of high transferrin polymorphism in C. auratus. Furthermore, owing to its particular evolutionary backgrounds, the silver crucian carp might possess a distinctive balancing selection mechanism.


Mining operations involve the extraction of minerals of economic value from the earth. In surface mining operations, overburdens need to be stripped in other to reach the ore. Large volumes of waste as well as ore is stripped in the process. Various technologies have been used to aid in stockpile volume estimation. Notable among them are the Total Stations and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). However, labour, safety and time has challenged the use of these technologies. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), commonly known as drone is an emerging technology for stockpile volume computations in the Mine. UAV technology for data collection is less labour intensive, safer and faster. Therefore, this study applied the UAV technology in an open pit to estimate stockpile volumes from a Mine. For the purpose of this study, GPS and UAV data were collected for measuring stockpile volumes of materials mined. The actual volumes of stockpiles A, B, C, D (Case 2), produced differences of 0.05% for A, 0.05% for B, 0.08% for C, 0.07% for D and 0.03% for A, -0.03% for B, 0.03% for C and 0.04% for D, for the GPS-based and the UAV-based techniques, respectively. The GPS-based technique generated moderate accuracies for volume estimation, but was time consuming and labour intensive, compared to the UAV-based technique; which was faster and less labour intensive. The UAV-based technique was the most accurate, safest and is capable of mapping large areas rapidly. It is therefore recommended that UAV survey be incorporated in stockpile volume estimation.


abstract:This essay explores how a physiological notion of affect, one predicated on the trans-substantial circulation of micro-materiality, provides useful connectivity among old and new materialisms. First, it explores nascent theories of energetic matter in Marxism as potential sites for new materialist extensions. Second, it proposes affect as a theoretical shorthand for the circulating flows of matter central to the physiological production, orientation, and materialization of bodily capacities, including the ability to reinvent political economic habituation from the perspective of difference. Third, it illustrates the contributions of a Marxist new materialism through a brief discussion of contemporary race politics.