Context. This study is based on models of the first overtone (Δv = 2) bands of the monosubstituted isotopologues of CO at 2.3 μm in the spectrum of Arcturus (K2 III) and of the monosubstituted isotopologues of SiO at 4 μm in the spectrum of the red giant HD 196610 (M6 III).
Aims. We aim to investigate problems involving the computation of the first overtone bands of isotopologues of CO and SiO in the spectra of late-type stars and to determine isotopic abundances.
Methods. We used fits of theoretical synthetic spectra to the observed stellar molecular bands of CO and SiO for determining the abundances for isotopes of C, O, and Si.
Results. Fits of synthetic spectra of the 12C16O first overtone bands at 2.3 μm computed with three available line lists to the observed spectrum of Arcturus provide the same carbon abundance [C] = − 0.6 and isotopic ratio of carbon 12C/13C = 10 ± 2. However, the quality of fits to the observed spectrum differ for three line lists used. Furthermore, the derived oxygen isotopic ratio 16O/18O = 2000 ± 500 is larger than that known in the solar system, where 16O/18O = 500. The silicon isotopic ratio in the atmosphere of the red giant HD 196610 has been revised. Using the ExoMol SiO line list with appropriate statistical weights for the SiO isotopologues, the "non-solar" ratio 28Si:29Si:30Si = 0.86 ± 0.03:0.12 ± 0.02:0.02 ± 0.01 is obtained.
Conclusions. We find that: (a) the computed isotopic carbon and silicon ratios determined by the fits to the observed spectrum depend on the adopted abundance of C and Si, respectively; and (b) Correct treatment of the nuclear spin degeneracies parameter is of crucial importance for today's application of HITRAN and ExoMol line lists in the astrophysical computations.


Penh is a dimensionless index normally used to evaluate changes in the shape of the airflow pattern entering and leaving a whole-body flow plethysmograph as an animal breathes. The index is sensitive to changes in the distribution of area under the waveform during exhalation and increases in a nonlinear fashion as the normalized area increases near the beginning of the curve. Enhanced pause (Penh) has been used to evaluate changes in pulmonary function and as a method to evaluate airway reactivity. However, the use of Penh to assess pulmonary function has been challenged (Bates et al., 2004; Lundblad et al., 2002; Mitzner et al., 2003; Mitzner & Tankersley, 1998; Petak et al., 2001; Sly et al., 2005). The objective of this study was to show how Penh of the thorax and plethysmograph flow patterns are related. That relationship is used to describe the conditions under which whole-body plethysmograph Penh measurements can be used to detect changes in sRaw.


The Cognitive Load and Active Processing learning theories offer seemingly conflicting implications to educators regarding the most effective way to present instructional materials. The apparent contradiction between these bodies of research was investigated in terms of a Region of Proximal Learning (RPL) framework. The results from Experiment 1 provide evidence that the RPL can successfully unify these separate areas of research and provide more useful guidance to educators. Experiment 2 examined how the affordance of Learner Control (LC), an inherent aspect of the Web, may interact with the Region of Proximal Learning. Results from this experiment provide evidence that individuals can utilize LC to adaptively select material of appropriate difficulty for their ability level. However, this did not lead to increased learning.


Mitochondria are critical for maintaining normal cardiac function, and a deficit in mitochondrial energetics can lead to the development of the substrate that promotes atrial fibrillation (AF) and its progression. However, the link between mitochondrial dysfunction and AF in humans is still not fully defined. The aim of this study was to elucidate differences in the functional activity of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes and oxidative stress in right atrial tissue from patients without (non-AF) and with AF (AF) who were undergoing open-heart surgery and were not significantly different for age, sex, major comorbidities, and medications. The overall functional activity of the electron transport chain (ETC), NADH:O2 oxidoreductase activity, was reduced by 30% in atrial tissue from AF compared with non-AF patients. This was predominantly due to a selective reduction in complex I (0.06 ± 0.007 vs. 0.09 ± 0.006 nmol·min(-1)·citrate synthase activity(-1), P = 0.02) and II (0.11 ± 0.012 vs. 0.16 ± 0.012 nmol·min(-1)·citrate synthase activity(-1), P = 0.003) functional activity in AF patients. Conversely, complex V activity was significantly increased in AF patients (0.21 ± 0.027 vs. 0.12 ± 0.01 nmol·min(-1)·citrate synthase activity(-1), P = 0.005). In addition, AF patients exhibited a higher oxidative stress with increased production of mitochondrial superoxide (73 ± 17 vs. 11 ± 2 arbitrary units, P = 0.03) and 4-hydroxynonenal level (77.64 ± 30.2 vs. 9.83 ± 2.83 ng·mg(-1) protein, P = 0.048). Our findings suggest that AF is associated with selective downregulation of ETC activity and increased oxidative stress that can contribute to the progression of the substrate for AF.


A procedure for rapidly screening and quantitatively analyzing organic molecules is presented, in which a miniaturized solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge containing 0.6 mg of graphitized carbon black (the GCB-mu-trap) is used for sample pretreatment. Then surface-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SALDI-TOF-MS) screening is followed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) for robust quantitative analysis of samples containing analytes of interest. Liquid samples with volumes up to 100 mL were extracted using the GCB-mu-trap, and SALDI screening was performed by transferring a few particles of the GCB 4 sorbent from the mu-trap onto a stainless steel plate. Analytes were then simply ionized and desorbed by irradiating the GCB 4 particles without any further pretreatment. GCB 4 was found to be an excellent surface for the SALDI analysis of small molecules, providing spectra with very clean backgrounds. The small size of the cartridge (micropipet filter tip) results in enrichment of the analytes on a small surface area, affording low SALDI-TOF-MS detection limits. Furthermore, the removal of just a few particles from the mu-trap does not significantly affect the subsequent quantitative determination. This approach offers considerable reductions in analytical costs by eliminating unnecessary SPE-LC/MS analyses.


ABSTRACT The salt-sensitive mutant 549 of the cyanobacteriumSynechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 was genetically and physiologically characterized. The mutated site and corresponding wild-type site were cloned and partially sequenced. The genetic analysis revealed that during the mutation about 1.8 kb was deleted from the chromosome of mutant 549. This deletion affected four open reading frames: a gcp gene homolog, the psaFJgenes, and an unknown gene. After construction of mutants with single mutations, only the gcp mutant showed a reduction in salt tolerance comparable to that of the initial mutant, indicating that the deletion of this gene was responsible for the salt sensitivity and that the other genes were of minor importance. Besides the reduced salt tolerance, a remarkable change in pigmentation was observed that became more pronounced in salt-stressed cells. The phycobilipigment content decreased, and that of carotenoids increased. Investigations of changes in the ultrastructure revealed an increase in the amount of characteristic inclusion bodies containing the high-molecular-weight nitrogen storage polymer cyanophycin (polyaspartate and arginine). The salt-induced accumulation of cyanophycin was confirmed by chemical estimations. The putative glycoprotease encoded by the gcpgene might be responsible for the degradation of cyanophycin inSynechocystis. Mutation of this gene leads to nitrogen starvation of the cells, accompanied by characteristic changes in pigmentation, ultrastructure, and salt tolerance level.


The paper discusses different methods to deal with unobservable variables: Kalman-Filtering, principal components, factor analysis, LISREL, MIMIC, DYMIMIC, PLS with respect to parameter estimation and forecasting. We got very good results by an extension of Kalman-Filtering called AS (general stationary parameter model). LISREL proved to be superior to PLS in parameter estimation. Explicit introduction of the latent variables "mood" of the economic agents, the "political trend" and "social stability" improved the forecasting performance of an econometric model of the FRG.


In this study the career motivations and values of regional candidate teachers are investigated using a mixed methodology. Expectancy–value theory (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000) supports the understanding of motivations through the use of four key value categories: interest, utility, attainment and cost. A total of 135 preservice teachers were surveyed using a modified survey instrument. This study addresses a gap in career motivational literature by exploring the motivations of regional teacher candidates. Current research indicates that quality staffing in Australian regional schools remains a significant concern. Findings indicated that candidates' motivations tended to be aspirational, yet there also exist strong pragmatic imperatives for choosing teaching. Career motivations were aligned to job opportunities in local communities, as well as the desire for social contribution. The findings have implications for university programs in terms of developing teacher agency and supporting career pathways.


Since motion-compensated temporal filtering (MCTF) becomes an important temporal prediction scheme in video coding algorithms, this paper presents an efficient temporal prediction engine which not only is the first MCTF hardware work but also supports traditional motion-compensated prediction (MCP) scheme to provide computation scalability. For the prediction stage of MCTF and MCP schemes, modified extended double current Frames is adopted to reduce the system memory bandwidth, and a frame-interleaved macroblock pipelining scheme is proposed to eliminate the induced data buffer overhead. In addition, the proposed update stage architecture with pipelined scheduling and motion estimation (ME)-like motion compensation (MC) with level C+ scheme can also save about half external memory bandwidth and eliminate irregular memory access for MC. Moreover, 76.4% hardware area of the update stage is saved by reusing the hardware resources of the prediction stage. This MCTF chip can process CIF 30 fps in real-time, and the searching range is [-32, 32) for 5/3 MCTF with four-decomposition level and also support 1/3 MCTF, hierarchical B-frames, and MCP coding schemes in JSVM and H.264/AVC. The gate count is 352-K gates with 16.8 KBytes internal memory, and the maximum operating frequency is 60 MHz.


Highly concentrated aqueous solutions of bromide were used to examine the total radical yield in the direct decomposition of water by γ-rays. Bromide concentrations were varied up to 6 M at which almost all OH(•) radicals, H(•) atoms, and hydrated electrons produced in the picosecond range oxidize bromide to ultimately form Br(3)(-), a stable species that can easily be measured with a spectrometer. Considering only the decomposition of water in the presence of air and in acidic conditions, the apparent yield of oxidizing species is found to be around (10 ± 0.05) × 10(-7) mol J(-1). The absorption of irradiation dose by the solute at high concentration is discussed and quantitatively evaluated. At 6 M Br(-) solutions, 38% of the dose is absorbed by solutes and Br(-) is directly ionized. The optimal value for the initial yield of the radicals produced by direct radiolytic Br(-) ionization is found to be (9.6 ± 0.5) × 10(-7) mol J(-1).


Seed mass distribution in grassland communities of slopes of contrasting aspect was analysed in dolomite regions of the Pannonian Basin. Species frequencies were obtained for four pairs of data sets, which originated from corresponding south- and north-facing dolomite grasslands, thus forming four independent case studies. The data sets comprised 5–15 sample plots and 51–114 (average 85) species. The species were classified using an eight-class system reflecting their mean seed mass (MSM) records (class 1 being the lowest, MSM ≤ 0.2 mg; class 8 being the highest, MSM > 50 mg). Seed mass class distributions derived from slopes of contrasting aspect showed strong significant differences in chi-square tests for trend for all the four case studies. Small-seeded species (classes 1 and 2) showed a positive balance for the south-facing slopes, whereas large-seeded species (classes 5, 6, 7 and 8) were more frequent on north-facing slopes. Species with intermediate seed mass (classes 3 and 4) were not distinctive between the slopes. These results represent strong evidence of increased seed mass in the vegetation of north-facing grasslands, when compared to their south-facing counterparts. Among the phenomena potentially responsible for the new findings, we discuss the roles of microclimatic effects (especially drought stress and light regime), grass litter, interspecific competition and seed predation.


Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second cause of cancer deaths, with over 1 million new cases estimated every year. Familial adenomatous polyposis, MUTYH-associated polyposis and hamartomatous polyposis are inherited syndromes that account for 2%-5% of all colon cancer. The mutated genes responsible for the vast majority of these disorders, are now known (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, APC, MYH, LKB1, SMAD4, BMPR1A, and PTEN) and specific mutations have been identified. Molecular caracterization of inherited CRCs allows pre-symptomatic diagnosis identifying at-risk individuals and improving cancer surveillance. Adenomatous polyposis includes familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), attenuated FAP (AFAP), and MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP). Hamartomatous polyposis comprises Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS), juvenile polyposis syndrome (JPS) and "PTEN hamartoma tumour syndrome" (PHTS). MAP is an autosomal recessive condition, while all other disorders are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Differential dyagnosis could be very difficult between syndromes because of their phenotypic variability. Attenuated FAP, MAP and Lynch syndrome could be all associated with fewer numbers of adenomas (3-10 polyps), nevertheless, each syndrome has distinct cancer risks, characteristic clinical features, and separate genetic etiologies. Thus, differential diagnosis is essential for correct management of the specific disease. In our laboratory we set up a methodology for genetic tests of the colorectal polyposis syndrome. In these reviews we summarize the literature data and our experience about diagnosis, genetic tests and cancer risk assesment associated with colorectal polyposis. According to literature data, in our experience, there is a portion of analyzing patients that remain without identified mutation, after molecular screening of the specific gene involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Since the sensibility of used techniques, such as DHPLC, MLPA and sequencing, is now very high, we suggest that a different approach to molecular diagnosis of polyposis syndromes is necessary. In our laboratory, we are now planning to set up analysis of a larger pannel of genes that could be involved in colorectal poliposis syndromes, using a next generation sequencing techniques. In our opinion, a better characterization of molecular basis of the polyposis syndromes will allow a more efficient cancer prevention.


An orphan G protein-coupled receptor from the rat has recently been demonstrated to act as a transmembrane receptor for the nucleobase adenine. The receptor is possibly involved in nociception. Here we report the cloning and functional expression of an additional Gi-coupled receptor for adenine (Genbank accession code DQ386867). mRNA for this receptor was obtained from mouse brain and the mouse neuroblastoma x rat glioma hybrid cell line NG108-15. The new mouse protein sequence shares only 76% identity with that of the rat adenine receptor, suggesting that the receptors are not species homologs but distinct receptor subtypes. In human 1321N1 astrocytoma cells stably expressing the new mouse receptor, adenine and 2-fluoroadenine inhibited the isoproterenol-induced cAMP formation with IC50 concentrations of 8 and 15 nM, respectively. The adenosine receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX, 1 μM) as well as the P2 receptor antagonist suramin (300 μM) failed to change the responses to adenine. In contrast, pretreatment of cells with pertussis toxin abolished the effect of adenine. When the novel adenine receptor was expressed in Sf21 insect cells, a specific binding site for [3H]adenine was detected. In competition assays, the rank order of potency of selected ligands was identical to that obtained in membranes from NG108-15 cells and rat brain cortex (adenine > 2-fluoroadenine > 7-methyladenine > 1-methyladenine ≫ N6-dimethyladenine). In summary, our data show that a second mammalian DNA sequence encodes for a Gi-coupled GPCR activated by low, nanomolar concentrations of adenine.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
There are few second-line regimens available for esophageal cancer. The use of fractionated docetaxel and nedaplatin as second-line chemotherapy was examined in this study.

METHODOLOGY
Eligibility criteria were follows: histologically-proven squamous cell carcinoma, surgically unresectable disease, failure to respond to chemotherapy with 5-FU and cisplatin and no more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens. A total of 12 patients were enrolled in this study. To reduce toxicities, fractionated docetaxel (50 mg/m² in day 1 and 8) and nedaplatin (50 mg/m² in day 8) were administered as second-line chemotherapy.

RESULTS
Stable disease (SD) was observed in 4 cases (33%) and the disease control rate was 33%. Regarding toxicities, leukopenia was the most frequently observed (8 cases, 67%); however, there were no cases of grade 4 nonhematological toxicity. The 1-year overall survival was 26.7% and the median survival time was 7.8 months (95% CI=3.328-12.272 months). The 1-year progression-free survival was 0% and the median progression-free time was 2.0 months (95% CI=1.319-2.681).

CONCLUSIONS
Combination chemotherapy using fractionated docetaxel and nedaplatin is safe and effective and appears to be a feasible regimen to use as second-line chemotherapy for FP-resistant advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.


Background: Excessive extravascular lung water (EVLW) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We compared three lung-ultrasound (L-US) techniques against the reference-standard transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD) technique to access EVLW. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, single-blind, cross-sectional study. Forty-four septic patients were enrolled. EVLW index was measured by the TPTD method, and an index of ≥10 mL/kg was considered diagnostic of pulmonary edema. EVLW index was then compared to three established bedside L-US protocols that evaluate sonographic B-lines: (1) a 28-zone protocol (total B-line score [TBS]) (2) a scanning 8-region examination, and (3) a 4-point examination. Results: Eighty-nine comparisons were obtained. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between L-US TBS and an EVLW index ≥10 mL/kg (r = 0.668,P < 0.001). The 28-zone protocol score ≥39 has a sensitivity of 81.6% and a specificity of 76.5% to define EVLW index ≥10 mL/kg. In contrast, the positive 4-point examination and scanning 8-regions showed low sensitivity (23.7% and 50.0%, respectively) but high specificity (96.1% and 88.2%, respectively). Ten patients with a total of 21 comparisons met criteria for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In this subgroup, only the TBS had statistically significant positive correlation to EVLW (r = 0.488,P = 0.025). Conclusion: L-US is feasible in patients with severe sepsis. In addition, L-US 28-zone protocol demonstrated high specificity and better sensitivity than abbreviated 4- and 8-zone protocols. In ARDS, the L-US 28-zone protocol was more accurate than the 4- and 8-zone protocols in predicting EVLW. Consideration of limitations of the latter protocols may prevent clinicians from reaching premature conclusions regarding the prediction of EVLW. Trial Registration: ISRCTN11419081. Registered 4 February 2015 retrospectively.


The McCarran-Ferguson Act (PL-15) passed in 1945 exempts the state-regulated property-casualty (P/C) insurance industry from important sections of the federal antitrust laws. There are a number of proposals currently in Congress, supported by a few industry representatives and many industry critics, that would repeal the McCarran-Ferguson Act (MFA). The focus of this study will be to examine whether the repeal of the P/C insurance industry's antitrust exemption would be intelligent public policy.


Influenced by river discharge, the tidal properties of estuarine tides can be more complex than those of oceanic tides, which makes the tidal prediction less accurate when using a classical tidal harmonic analysis approach, such as the T_TIDE model. Although the nonstationary tidal harmonic analysis model NS_TIDE can improve the accuracy for the analysis of tides in a river-dominated estuary, it becomes less satisfactory when applyingthe NS_TIDEmodelto a mesotidalestuarylike theYangtzeestuary.Through theerror source analysis, it is found that the main errors originate from the low frequency of tidal fluctuation. The NS_TIDE model is then modified by replacing the stage model with the frequency-expanded tidal–fluvial model so that more subtidal constituents, especially the ''atmospheric tides,'' can be taken into account. The results show that the residuals from tidal harmonic analysis are significantly reduced by using the modified NS_TIDE model, with the yearly root-mean-square-error values being only 0.04–0.06m for the Yangtze estuarine tides.


In the Dutch case, a physician, at the occasion of a surgery, had removed a contraceptive implant and, without advising his patient, had not replaced it. In the first case before the BVerfG, a failed sterilization procedure was carried out by a medical doctor, who had been family planning counselor to the husband of plaintiff, and was followed by a pregnancy; again, the doctor had neglected to inform his patient of the failure. In both these cases, the 'resulting' child turned out to be 'normal' and healthy. This was different in the second German case. The parents of a disabled daughter, fearing a genetic predisposition, had chosen to undergo a medical examination in a specialized institution in order to find out whether indeed such a condition existed and could lead to the re-occurrence of the same disabilities should they have another child. They were assured, in a written document, that a genetically transmissible defect was very unlikely, and that therefore no reason existed to avoid a subsequent pregnancy. Nonetheless, the second daughter of the couple was born with the same disabilities as their first child. The Hoge Raad and the Erster Senat accept a claim for damages, the Zweiter Senat rejects it.


The human response to surgery is meant to be protective and to promote healing. The cascade of events that ensue following tissue injury is highly complicated and involves an interplay of the metabolic, hemodynamic, hormonal and immunological systems. The release of biomolecules known as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) activates the pro-inflammatory innate and anti-inflammatory adaptive responses, which are designed to defend and contain the inflammatory process locally. The magnitude of tissue injury influences the scale of the inflammatory response. Further, patient factors as well as medical therapy influences this response. An imbalance between the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory response or an exaggerated response may culminate with organ dysfunction, an increased susceptibility for infections or death. Cell mediated immunity (CMI) is often suppressed post surgery and patients are predisposed to the development of postoperative infections and complications. Mapping the immune response would be useful in terms of adjudging the patient's response to surgery, alerting clinicians to the occurrence of complications thereby providing the opportunity to implement appropriate management timeously if necessary. There is a vast overlap in the surgical inflammatory response with that of the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) induced response that follows sepsis. This presents a challenge in the postoperative period in terms of distinguishing between infectious and non-infectious complications. Biomarkers have thus emerged as attractive contenders to map the immune response. Taking into account the complexity of the inflammatory response, it is unlikely that a single biomarker will ever be utilised to achieve this. In the era of personalised medicine, where our patient populations are quite heterogeneous, future directions point towards the use of multiple panels of novel biomarkers. Currently the procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are available for general use. This review explores the inflammatory response to surgery and the utility of CRP and PCT in the postoperative period. It highlights the importance of using biomarker kinetics coupled with the clinical response and the principle of individualised interpretation.


We present a detailed comparison of theory and experiment for transient stimulated Brillouin scattering for a pump pulse with Gaussian temporal profile. A new approach for measuring Brillouin linewidths is demon-strated, and an unexplained asymmetry is observed.


Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is an essential metabolic enzyme operating in the gluconeogenesis and glyceroneogenesis pathways. Recent studies have demonstrated that the enzyme contains a mobile active site lid domain that undergoes a transition between an open, disorded conformation and a closed, ordered conformation as the enzyme progresses through the catalytic cycle. The understanding of how this mobile domain functions in catalysis is incomplete. Previous studies showed that the closure of the lid domain stabilizes the reaction intermediate and protects the reactive intermediate from spurious protonation and thus contributes to the fidelity of the enzyme. To more fully investigate the roles of the lid domain in PEPCK function, we introduced three mutations that replaced the 11-residue lid domain with one, two, and three glycine residues. Kinetic analysis of the mutant enzymes demonstrates that none of the enzyme constructs exhibit any measurable kinetic activity, resulting in a decrease in the catalytic parameters of at least 10(6). Structural characterization of the mutants in complexes representing the catalytic cycle suggests that the inactivity is due to a role for the lid domain in the formation of the fully closed state of the enzyme that is required for catalytic function. In the absence of the lid domain, the enzyme is unable to achieve the fully closed state and is rendered inactive despite possessing all of the residues and substrates required for catalytic function. This work demonstrates how enzyme catalytic function can be abolished through the alteration of conformational equilibria despite all the elements required for chemical conversion of substrates to products remaining intact.


Two solid complexes of terbium with phenylacetic acid (L1) and phenyl-hydroxylacetic acid (L2) were synthesized by solid state reaction at low temperature, and the complexes were characterized by chemical analysis. Elemental analysis and rare earth coordination titration studies suggested that the composition of the complexes is Tb(L1)3) x H2O and Tb(L2)3 x 4H2O respectively. IR spectra and 1H NMR studies indicated that the coordination fashion of the two ligands with Tb(III) is different The ligand (L1) is bonded with Tb(III) ions by two oxygen atoms in carboxyl group which coordinate as a symmetrical chelate bidentate group. The ligand (L2) is bonded with Tb(III) ions by one oxygen atom in carboxyl group. The molar conductivity in DMSO solvent indicates that all complexes are non-electrolyte. The fluorescence spectra of complexes and phosphorescence spectra of the ligands showed that all of the two ligands were sensitized differently by Tb3+ ions for fluorescence intensity, which indicates that the triplet state energy of ligands and the different structure of complexes play an important role in the luminescence of complexes. Fluorescence intensity of Tb(L1)3 x H2O is smaller than that of Tb(L2)3 x 4H2O. So the structure of ligand carboxylic acid has an effect on Tb3+ luminescence in these complexes.


Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials for electronic devices in aviation and aerospace not only need lightweight and high shielding effectiveness, but also should withstand harsh environments. Traditional EMI shielding materials often show heavy weight, poor thermal stability, short lifetime, poor tolerance to chemicals, and are hard-to-manufacture. Searching for high-efficiency EMI shielding materials overcoming the above weaknesses is still a great challenge. Herein, inspired by the unique structure of natural wood, lightweight and highly anisotropic wood-derived carbon composite EMI shielding materials have been prepared which possess not only high EMI shielding performance and mechanical stable characteristics, but also possess thermally stable properties, outperforming those metals, conductive polymers, and their composites. The newly developed low-cost materials are promising for specific applications in aerospace electronic devices, especially regarding extreme temperatures.


Using a qualitative interview approach, this study analyzes the experiences of women in academic leadership positions in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. An exploration of the extent of the relevance of Western research on female academic leadership is used to explain the experiences of female leaders in Kazakhstan. The results of the study are consistent with the results of prior studies conducted in other countries and can be largely explained by existing theories. One distinctive feature of the experiences of female leaders in Kazakhstan is the superimposition of three dominant cultures – traditional, Soviet, and Westernized neo-liberal, which impose multiple conflicting expectations. Kazakhstani women are obliged to maintain multiple identities when communicating with their colleagues, superiors and extended family members. The exact outcome of the work–life balance negotiation depends, among other factors, on the type of ownership and geographic region of a university. The study also reveals that neo-institutional theory, not conventionally used in the analysis of female leadership in academia in the West, may be particularly relevant for explaining female experiences in transitional and developing contexts; specifically, in explaining the constraints imposed by informal policy networks and corruption.


Value of information (VOI) methods allow decision makers to identify efficient trial design following a principle of maximising the expected value to decision makers of information from potential trial designs relative to their expected cost. In health technology assessment these methods have been applied to identify optimal trial designs within jurisdiction where decision makers face positive but uncertain incremental net benefit. However, previous applications in HTA have ignored new information arising outside of jurisdiction, implicitly making the restrictive assumption that there is only expected value from research commissioned within a jurisdiction. This paper relaxes this restrictive assumption to extend the framework and methods for optimal trial design and decision making within jurisdiction in Eckermann and Willan (2007) to allow for optimal trial design across jurisdictions. A principle of maximising the expected global value of non-rival information less expected costs of trial designs optimally allocated across jurisdictions allows identification of optimal decision making within jurisdictions and optimal trial design across jurisdictions. For non-rival trial information, estimates of expected value of sample information (EVSI) for each jurisdiction conditional on prior incremental net benefit (INB) and the context of adoption or delay are able to be summed across jurisdiction. Direct and opportunity costs of trial design can be minimised in allocating trial sample across jurisdictions. These principles and methods are illustrated in identifying optimal trial design for decision making across North America, the UK and Australia in the case of early versus late external cephalic version. The expected net gain (ENG) of locally optimal trial designs of US$0.72 million is shown to increase to US$1.14 million with optimal trial design across these jurisdictions. In general, the proposed method of global optimal trial design is shown to improve on optimal trial design within jurisdictions by: (i) Reflecting the global value of non-rival information; (ii) Allowing optimal allocation of trial sample across jurisdiction; (iii) Avoiding sub-optimal spreading of fixed costs and heterogeneity of trial information with multiple trials and; (iv) Permitting adoption and trial (AT) in jurisdictions with expected positive net clinical benefit, without AT being infeasible or unethical. Consequently, provided evidence can be translated across jurisdictions, optimal global trial design following the identified principles and methods increases ENG from any set of locally optimal trial designs. Eckermann S, Willan A. Expected Value of Information and Decision Making in HTA. Health Economics 16:195-209 (2007).


Purpose: To investigate the antioxidant, physicochemical sensory, and microbial safety qualities of sunsik containing fermented Curcuma longa L. powder. Methods: Quality characteristics of samples were measured using pH, moisture content, crude ash content, color and sensory evaluation. Antioxidant activities of samples were compared using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)(ABTS) cation radical scavenging activities. Microbial safety of samples were tested for Aerobic plate counts, Salmonella spp. , Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Results: The pH of samples was between pH 5.51 and pH 5.64, which was significantly lower than the optimum microbial living range. The DPPH and ABTS radical activities of sunsik containing 0.8% fermented Curcuma longa L. were significantly increased compared to that of the control ( p <0.05). In sensory intensities, sunsik containing 0.8% fermented Curcuma longa L. showed significantly ( p <0.05) similar savoy aroma and flavor, spicy aroma, spicy hot flavor, sweet flavor, and throat swallowing values to those of the control samples. Samples of sunsik added 0.8% and 1.2% fermented Curcuma longa L. showed significantly similar overall acceptance values to those of the control. All samples tested were found to free of microbes and microbiologically safe according to the food code standards. C onclusion: The sunsik added with 0.8% or 1.2% fermented Curcuma longa L. powder were successfully developed. we conclude that the developed sunsik with the fermented turmeric powder can be potentially high value products in the highly competitive sunsik food industry.


Sixty-seven unselected adult patients with untreated acute non lymphotblastic leukemia (ANLL) ranging in age from 15 to 80 years received a new induction regimen consisting of Idarubicin, Etoposide and Cytarabine. Patients who entered complete remission (CR) were then allocated to 4 courses of post remission intensification. After this, patients under 50 years of age with a compatible donor were given allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or autologous BMT (ABMT) in those without an HLA-compatible donor; the remainder, older than 50, did not receive further therapy. Fifty-six of 67 patients (83.5%) achieved CR (02.5% in young and 70.3% in old patients) and 40 (71 %) after the first course. Seven patients (of whom, 6 were > 50 years) died in aplasia during the induction phase and four additional patients (all elderly) died during post-remission intensification without recurrent disease. Subsequently, the younger patients received transplants (BMT: 4 pts; ABMT: 10 pts). Twelve: of the 52 (23%) who survived post remission intensification (BMT: 1; ABMT: 4; others: 7) are disease free survivors 9-67 months (median, 32 months) after achieving CR. In conclusion, this intensive chemotherapy regimen is highly effective both in young and odder patients but the post-remission intensification may be too aggressive for elderly patients.


Groundwater resource is limited,as an important resource which is closely related to people's health and the quality of life.Recently,the problem on groundwater nitrate contamination that is increasingly serious gradually arouses the concern of the peoples of the world,and NO3——N becomes the most frequently contamination into groundwater.Therefore,China,Europe,the United States and other countries all have done a great deal survey and monitoring on this.The results show that the application of chemical nitrogen fertilizer is the main reason that causes the nitrate pollution of groundwater.In China,application of chemical nitrogen fertilizer in different types of farmland reflect different impact to the goundwater of crop-growing aeras.The vegetable field uses more amount of nitrogen fertilizer,which is usually several times and even more several times than the grain and rice fields.Hence,the groundwater polluted situation of shallow root vegetable crop-growing areas is the most serious,and the rate of exceeding nitrate content standard in groundwater is still higher than the other two types of farmland.Moreover,in recent years,due to excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer and improper fertilization methods,and so on,the groundwater pollution shuold not be ignored both in the grain-growing areas and the paddy cultivation areas.Even if there is no any pollution at the moment,the potential threat is still existing in the soil of arable land that the accumulation of NO3——N would eluviate into groundwater by the way of rainfall and irragation.At the present time,we have developed a serie of unambiguous evaluation criteria and standards of test menthod on the governance of nitrate contamination of groundwater.Although there are still many deficiencies,scientists are working hard to improve the problem of drinking water nitrate polluted in rural areas.


Medicine is still largely taught as an apprenticeship. Not until recently have medical students and physicians been taught to critically examine the evidence base behind medical management decisions. This book is perfect for students, not only because it will help them care for patients during their medicine subinternship rotation, but also because it will provide a valuable resource as they prepare for their end-of-rotation NBME shelf examination. The standard of care is constantly evolving, and the pace of its progress is increasing. A busy clinician has difficulty keeping up with the literature as it reports on the results of clinical trials and current "expert consensus". Evidence-Based Clinical Reasoning in Medicine dissects many of the most controversial medical issues and landmark clinical trials that have and will continue to influence the practice of medicine.


Different presentations of depression may occur in the elderly. Complaints of physical illness are especially common and pseudodementia may be the presenting picture. Overtreated hypertension which can be well controlled with diuretics is a common cause of depression in the elderly. Taking the patient off the drug known to cause depression will often solve the problem.


The generation of handwriting is a complex task. In order to accommodate for the large variations involved in handwritten words deformable templates need to be used. In this paper we propose a handwriting model, based on Active shape modeling (ASM). In a two-step generation process, a template-based ASM generates characters and a Gaussian mixture regression (GMR) model concatenates the generated characters. For real time generation of cursive handwriting an adaptation of Global local approximation (GLA) methodology is used to fit the generated models.


GPUs are readily available in cloud computing and personal devices, but their use for data processing acceleration has been slowed down by their limited integration with common programming languages such as Python or Java. Moreover, using GPUs to their full capabilities requires expert knowledge of asynchronous programming. In this work, we present a novel GPU run time scheduler for multi-task GPU computations that transparently provides asynchronous execution, space-sharing, and transfer-computation overlap without requiring in advance any information about the program dependency structure. We leverage the GrCUDA polyglot API to integrate our scheduler with multiple high-level languages and provide a platform for fast prototyping and easy GPU acceleration. We validate our work on 6 benchmarks created to evaluate task-parallelism and show an average of 44% speedup against synchronous execution, with no execution time slowdown compared to hand-optimized host code written using the C++ CUDA Graphs API.


Comparative philosophical studies can seek to fit some Eastern patterns of thought into the general philosophical framework, or, on the contrary, to improve understanding of Western ones through the view "from abroad". I try to hit both marks by means of establishing, firstly, the parallels between Indian versions of theodicy and the Hellenic and Christian ones, then by defining to which of five types of Western theodicy the Advaita-Vedānta and Nyāya versions belong and, thirdly, by considering the meaning of the fact that some varieties of Western theodicy, like the explanation of evil by free will and Divine dispensation aiming at the improvement of man, have Indian counterparts while others lack them. Some considerations concerning the remainders of primordial monotheisms ("an argument from theodicy") under the thick layers of other religious world-outlooks are also offered to the reader at the end of the article.


The research aimed to study and experimentally verify the efficiency of the use of problem-based methods in teaching future air traffic controllers to conduct radio exchange in non-routine situations. The professional readiness to conduct radio exchange is viewed as a complex of professional skills and knowledge (communicative, cognitive and functional) enhanced by motivation. The study involved 67 university students of a bachelor's degree programme majoring in "Aviation transport". Tests, observations and specially designed questionnaires were used to evaluate the use of problem-based methods (role-playing, simulation of specific situations, problem-solving, case studies) in ESP study. The conclusion was made about the effectiveness of problem-based ESP methods since they simulate possible professional situations and promote communication between future air traffic controllers and pilots, thus contributing to the acquisition of professional knowledge and activation of use of standard phraseology of radio exchange and plain English in non-routine situations. As shown by the results of our study, problem-based ESP methods are effective in raising future air traffic controllers' motivation to acquire Aviation English as they bring the learning closer to professional life.


PURPOSE
To investigate the method and conditions of isolation and proliferation of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human maxillary sinus membrane in vitro and to induce osteogenic differentiation directly for identification.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A human maxillary sinus membrane specimen was collected in aseptic conditions from an orthognathic surgery patient and cultured. The cells at passage three were sorted by flow cytometry and treated with osteogenic differentiation media. To determine the osteogenic potential of these cells, the authors analyzed alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression, mineralization of extracellular matrix, and osteocalcin expression; staining with alizarin red and von Kossa and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction were also performed.

RESULTS
Maxillary sinus membrane-derived cells were positive for STRO-1 and CD105 and negative for CD34. After 7 days, ALP began to be expressed. After 21 and 28 days, most cells showed expression of ALP. Mineralization of the extracellular matrix was observed and, after 21 and 28 days, most of the cells showed mineralization. After 7 days, the osteocalcin gene was expressed; this expression was strongest on the 28th day.

CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that there are MSCs in human maxillary sinus membrane tissue, which can be differentiated into osteoblasts under osteogenic induction. This indicates that maxillary sinus membrane may be a useful source of MSCs for cell therapy.


When Hugh Owen Thomas invented his splint for tuberculosis of the knee the splint ring was flat in front for the groin and well curved behind to accommodate the buttocks, thus rendering the lateral axial bars eccentric but giving the surgeon a well-fitting right or left splint as required. In the last European war a standard ring was devised to be worn equally well on either leg, but this splint was far from perfect. Pressure sores in the perineum and even over the anterior superior iliac spine were and are common, and the ill-fitting standard ring remains a danger to the patient and completely upsets the extension mechanism. Firmly convinced of the vatue of the Thomas's splint for fractures of the femur, 1 determined, seventeen years ago, to obtain for each case a selection of splints, to choose one of good fit, and so establish immediate extension from the ischial tuberosity and no other part of the pelvis-in short, to avoid pressure sores. A "nest " of split splints was made for me, and has been in use ever since. The idea is probably not original-Mr. Woolfenden certainly was considering the matter at that time. The split Thomas's splint consists of a ring and a detachable iron extension piece. It is made from an ordinary Thomas's splint by dividing the inner bar four inches below the ring and the outer bar at a corresponding level. On to the cut ends a two-and-a-half-inch piece of tubing is brazed, allowing a tube hole two inches deep. Into these tube holes the remaining length of the extension iron can be slotted when in use. A locking mechanism could be devised, but it is unnecessary.


Despite Africa's strong foreign direct investment (FDI) performance since 2000, the majority of FDI inflows have been directed to a few selected countries. As investors face many risks when investing in developing countries, it is argued that risk perception plays a vital role in the FDI inflows into Africa. This article focuses on the relationship between risk and FDI. A structural equation model is used to analyse this relationship with a dataset of ten risk categories and FDI data from 42 African countries. The study focuses on four sectors, namely metals, automotive, communications and real estate. Overall, results indicate that government effectiveness and legal and regulatory risks produce the biggest concern for investors. The conclusion is that each sector's risk pattern regarding FDI differs. The most important empirical results indicated that African countries should focus more on government effectiveness, stability and transparency to attract the levels of FDI required to stimulate economic growth.


Two Peruvian strains of the genus Brachionus were isolated from impacted coastal wetlands. With an integrative taxonomic view, we described their taxonomic status, morphological characters, productive parameters, and phylogenetic position. In the case of both strains, the relationship between biometrics and productive parameters obtained with Principal Components Analysis indicated that the lorica length was associated with longevity, progeny, egg production, and reproductive age, while the lorica width and aperture were associated with the maximum number of eggs carried. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analysis carried out with mtDNA COI gene and rDNA ITS1 region showed that both strains were clustered in two clades with distinct phylogenetic positioning from what is currently known for Brachionus plicatilis s.l. One of the strains, Z010-VL, is proposed to be a subspecies of L4 (B. paranguensis), and the other strain, Z018-SD, is proposed as a sub species of SM2 (B. koreanus). In addition, 33 and 31 aquaculture production lineages are proposed, delimited by COI and concatenated COI+ITS1 sequences, respectively. Finally, this study provides new tools that enhance the traceability of the origin of each sub-species throughout the world.


Abstract Introduction: The upper extremity is a frequent site of injury. Upper limb arterial thromboembolism, a rare complication of such injuries, may be missed if typical signs, such as pain, pulselessness, and sensory loss, cannot be ascertained or are overlooked by physicians, especially in the case of polytrauma or comatose patients. Case presentation: In this report, we present the case of a left brachial artery thromboembolism in a polytrauma patient for which brachial artery embolectomy was performed. Before surgery, the diagnosis was established with doppler ultrasonography of the upper limb vessels, performed upon suspicion of thrombus formation. Brachial artery arteriotomy and thrombo-embolectomy were performed using a size 6 Fr Fogarty catheter, after which 500 IU heparin was flushed to ensure adequate back and forward flow. Limb function and blood flow were restored immediately after the procedure. Conclusion: A high index of suspicion, timely assessment, and a prompt intervention can significantly reduce the rate of limb ischemia and/or amputations in polytrauma patients, especially in resource-limited settings.


Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder linked to high type 2 diabetes risk. Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the standard of care for OSA, but it inconsistently improves glucose homeostasis. Senescent cells are common in adipose tissue (AT) of patients with OSA and may impair insulin signaling. However, the effects of PAP therapy on AT senescence are not known. Addition of metformin, an insulin-sensitizer with anti-senescent effects, may be a good adjuvant therapeutic strategy to improve glycemic control in patients with OSA.
 Methods: We randomly assigned 16 nondiabetic participants with OSA (Mean± SD; age: 50.9 ± 6.7 y, BMI: 36.5 ± 2.9 kg/m2) in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 2g metformin or placebo daily along with PAP therapy for 3 months in a double-blind pilot study. Whole body and AT insulin sensitivity was determined by 2h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). AT biopsy was obtained to estimate tissue insulin signaling and senescence.
 Results: The metformin and placebo groups had comparable age, BMI and OSA severity at baseline. PAP compliance was 38% and 75% in the metformin and placebo groups, respectively. Matsuda Index, glucose area under the curve (2h AUC), and free-fatty acid suppression at baseline and follow-up were not different in metformin or placebo treated groups. Compared to baseline, insulin AUC and insulin to glucose AUC ratio during OGTT was unchanged in the metformin but increased in the placebo group. Metformin, but not placebo, was associated with increased insulin mediated AKT phosphorylation and decreased senescence biomarkers (p21 and MCP1) in AT during the follow-up visit.
 Conclusion: Metformin, as adjunct to PAP therapy, attenuated insulin rises during OGTT, improved AT insulin signaling, and lowered senescence biomarkers in OSA patients. Larger trials of longer treatment duration are needed to determine if metformin can prevent diabetes in OSA patients.

 S. Rodrigues: None. W.S. Dantas: None. R.A. Beyl: None. R.C. Hebert: None. I. Griffith: None. M. Tanksley: None. E.C. Mader: None. J.P. Kirwan: None. C.L. Axelrod: None. E. Ravussin: Research Support; Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis AG. Advisory Panel; Novartis. P. Singh: None.

 National Institutes of Health (P30DK072476, U54GM104940); CAPES (88887.470405/2019-00 to S.R.)


The raw natural rubber is usually extracted from Brazilian rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) and is used to manufacture tools such as gloves, sleeves and so on. It is also used in electrically energized line services as electrical energy utilities so customers can be attended without any energy breakdowns. These tools cannot present physical imperfections while in use because they could cause injury or death to electrical workers. Such materials are used as electric insulators and can present a great deal of imperfections during their use in the field due to electrical and mechanical external stressing actions and those can lead to electrical conduction mechanisms and so leading to a dielectric breakdown. In order to improve the quality and durability of the formulated natural rubber compounds for the electric insulation tools used in electrically energized lines, such as gloves and sleeves. Available commercial material from different manufactures was deformulated and reformulated into thin films by thermal press processes in optimized temperature and vulcanization. The reformulated samples have been aged under temperature and in an AC electric field at 3 kHz. The electric conduction mechanism of the samples had been studied by using the isothermal current depolarization technique and the experimental results were analyzed by using dielectric function response models by using Dissado and Hill's theory. Prepared samples in laboratory showed two conduction mechanisms whose parameters of the dielectric function response models involve themselves with the aging processes. To study the two mechanism principles of superposition for the function, it was applied a dielectric response from Dissado and HiIFs theory and an excellent fitting was obtained from experimental data. The obtained results could support one's better understanding of electrical conduction mechanisms of the natural rubber composites that lead the material to a dielectric breakdown, what could develop a better formulation of it so this would guarantee a high quality and durability for the safety tools used in electrically energized lines. This research intends to look into accurate electrical properties of natural rubber composites for practical uses in industry as electrical insulating materials due to the availability of big natural resources in some developing countries what could reduce environmental impact and keep low the prices of raw natural rubber commodities.


Interest within the scientific community in organic solar cells has been on the rise over the last two decades as researchers respond to increasing demands for alternative renewable energy sources. Fulvene, fullerene, and endohedral metallofullerene derivatives have individually shown great promise as efficient charge transfer agents. Despite the heavy demand for research in this area, there have been no studies reported to date that explore the electronic behavior of molecules containing both fullerene and fulvene groups. The lack of interest may be attributed to inherent limitations and inaccuracy in most density functional theory (DFT) band gap calculations for large molecules. Herein we present a systematic computational investigation of the band gaps and dipole moments of several test fullerene-fulvene molecules using a novel DFT method that has been modified to allow accurate computation of the band gaps of this class of molecules. Calculated results showed promising low band gap energies and attractive conductive properties for all fullerene-fulvene derivatives. This new DFT method can conceivably be an invaluable tool that can provide predictive insight into the suitability of similar high molecular weight materials for application in organic solar cell devices.


An integral management system was designed to handle solid waste from "La Merced" market in the city of Riobamba. For this purpose, a causeeffect relationship was established and an environmental diagnosis (base line) was made to know where the problem arose due to the mishandling of the solid waste. A random sampling was applied, which allowed it to know how many sample should be studied. The information was gathered in a seven day sampling period, March 16 -22 of 2015. The identification, characterization and quantification of the solid waste along with the identification of negative environmental impacts were carried out in order to pose alternative proposals for the integral management of the solid waste generated at this market. The results obtained showed an impact of moderate level (55%) with a mean of 550,38 kg/day. Profitable organic material was identified (85% plastic, 7% paper, 1% cardboard and 2% of other residuals). The calculated per capita production (PCP) was 0,18 kg/inhabitant/day. It is concluded that with the implementation of this research some of the environmental problems caused by the mishandling of the waste will diminish. It is recommended that the "Manual of Integral Management of Solid Waste" be implemented in "la Merced" market, which will contribute to pose solutions that help to improve the quality of life of the population, promoting an ecologically proper management of the waste, from its generation to its final disposal.


Nowadays there is significant diversity in Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) clouds. The differences span from virtualization technology and hypervisors, through storage and network configuration, to the cloud management APIs. These differences make migration of a VM (or a set of VMs) from a private cloud into a public cloud, or between different public clouds, complicated or even impractical for many use-cases. HVX is a virtualization platform that enables complete abstraction of underlying cloud infrastructure from the application virtual machines. HVX allows deployment of existing VMs into the cloud without any modifications, mobility between the clouds and easy duplication of the entire deployment. HVX can be deployed on almost any existing IaaS cloud. Each instance of the HVX deployment packs in a nested hypervisor, virtual hardware, network and storage configuration. Combined with image store and management APIs, the HVX can be used for the creation of a virtual cloud that utilizes existing cloud provider infrastructure as the hardware rather than using physical servers, switches and storage.


Abstract Bellar, D, Judge, LW, Turk, M, and Judge, M. Efficacy of potentiation of performance through overweight implement throws on male and female collegiate and elite weight throwers. J Strength Cond Res 26(6): 1469–1474, 2012—The purpose of this investigation was to determine the acute effects of 2 different overweight implements on weight throw performance. Seventeen collegiate and elite weight throwers were recruited to participate. A within-subject design was used to compare the difference between mean and peak distance after warm-up with a regulation weight (STAND), 1.37-kg overweight (OVRWGHT1), and 2.27-kg overweight implement (OVRWGHT2). Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a main effect for Treatment (p = 0.006) and a significant interaction effect for Treatment by Time (p = 0.041). The means for the OVRWGHT1 treatment (16.08 ± 2.5 m) and OVRWGHT2 (16.08 ± 2.7 m) were not different; however, the mean for STAND was significantly lower than that for the other treatments (15.58 ± 2.5, p < 0.02). Changes in performance between OVRWGHT treatments and STAND were found to correlate to one-repetition maximum (1RM) Power Clean (improvement for OVRWGHT 1, r = 0.536, p = 0.016; improvement for OVRWGHT2, r = 0.548, p = 0.014). The results suggest that in collegiate and elite athletes overweight implement warm-up may improve performance and that stronger athletes may be better suited to take advantage of this effect.


The development of the supervisory system of the Imperial College Free Ranging Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) project in a known structured environment is described. AGVs are increasingly being used in industry to transport workpieces between specified locations. The supervisory system is the traffic controller which interfaces the AGV fleet with other activities in the factory. Based on transportation demands, the supervisory system executes the dispatching, scheduling, communicating and monitoring operation of the fleet. The system also performs dynamic rescheduling if unexpected obstacles or conflict situations arise for the selected vehicles.<<ETX>>


We describe the case of a 55-year-old female with nine months of chronic postoperative abdominal wall pain likely representing anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES), who experienced marked symptomatic improvement with the use of the fascial distortion model (FDM) in the emergency department (ED). This is the first case report in the literature on the successful application of the FDM for abdominal wall pain, and there is still little FDM literature in the emergency medicine (EM) setting.


Sustainable management of resources is crucial for balancing competing livelihood, economic, and environmental goals. Since forests and other systems do not exist in isolation, comprehensive jurisdictional approaches to forest, and land-use governance can help promote sustainability. The ability of jurisdictions to provide evidence of progress toward sustainability is essential for attracting public and private sector investments and maintaining local stakeholder involvement. The Sustainable Landscapes Rating Tool (SLRT) provides a way to assess enabling conditions for jurisdictional sustainability through an evidence-based rating system. We applied this rating tool in 19 states and provinces across six countries (Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, Cote d'Ivoire, Mexico, Peru) that are members of the Governors' Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF TF). Each SLRT assessment was completed using publicly available information, interviews with stakeholders in the jurisdiction, and a multi-stakeholder workshop to validate the indicator ratings. This paper explores the effects of stakeholder involvement in the validation process, along with stakeholder perceptions of the tool's usefulness. Our analysis shows that the validation workshops often led to modifications of the indicator ratings, even for indicators originally assessed using publicly available data, highlighting the gap between existence of a policy and its implementation. Also, a more diverse composition of stakeholders at the workshops led to more changes in indicator ratings, which indicates the importance of including different perspectives in compiling and validating the assessments. Overall, most participants agreed that the tool is useful for self-assessment of the jurisdiction and to address coordination gaps. Further, the validation workshops provided a space for discussions across government agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), producer organizations, indigenous peoples and local community representatives, and researchers about improving policy and governance conditions. Our findings from the analysis of a participatory approach to collecting and validating data can be used to inform future research on environmental governance and sustainability.


This paper presents a new methodological framework to address the problem of estimating pollutant emissions for large congested urban networks in a within-day dynamic context. It consists of three main modules: 1) a module to compute pollutant emissions for general links; 2) a module to compute pollutant emissions for all links approaching a signalized intersection; 3) a module to compute pollutant emissions for all links approaching an unsignalized intersection. A dynamic mesoscopic assignment model is performed to derive the main dynamic input of each one of the modules. All the modules have been tested in a real case study (the district of Eur in the city of Rome, Italy), so confirming the reliability of the developed models and their applicability for the estimation of pollutant emissions.


The economic growth experienced by the Asian countries has triggered the need for creation and rehabilitation of infrastructure in order to sustain the economic growth and remain competitive. The competition for the government budgetary resources between the socially-justified projects and the physical infrastructure expenditures have prompted governments to invite private investors to partially fulfill the widening demand-supply gap for infrastructure while the governments are endeavoring to meet the social commitments with the fiscal constraints. Governments are realigning their traditional budgetary-based procurement strategy to private investment through Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach. Structural & legal reforms and policy initiatives have been introduced by the Asian countries to enable private sector participation in various sectors, including infrastructure and real estate. The private investorsi responses to development of projects through PPP route are greatly influenced by the risk profiles of the projects and the in-built risk management framework besides other country and project specific characteristics. This paper will discuss the comparative analysis of the four Asian countriesi, viz. Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, and India experiences with Public Private Partnerships in the delivery of infrastructure. The private sector participation enabling environment and the threats deterring private investment in the traditional publicly procured infrastructure are analyzed using a research framework that reviews each countryis legal framework, government initiatives, economic and structural reforms, and risk profile. The implications of the private investment enhancing measures in overcoming the bottlenecks to private sector participation in the development of infrastructure projects are critically studied with the help of case studies from specific sectors in all the four Asian countries. The paper concludes with the effectiveness of the reforms undertaken in attracting private investment through PPP in the four countries.


A rigorous formulation is given of the quantum theory of the diamagnetism of free electrons. It is shown that Z, the partition function in classical statistics, may be calculated for arbitrary magnetic fields and temperatures without explicit knowledge of the energy levels, and complicated arguments involving boundary electrons are therefore unnecessary. It is further shown that the phenomena which arise in Fermi-Dirac statistics are determined by the singularities of Z regarded as a function of a complex variable, and, in particular, that the poles of Z give rise to the de Haas-van Alphen effect (the periodic field dependence of the susceptibility at low temperatures). The theory confirms the results obtained in earlier treatments.


No exact method is known for determining tolerance limits or s-confidence limits for reliability for the gamma distribution when both parameters are unknown. Perhaps the simplest approximate method is to determine a tolerance limit assuming the shape parameter known and then replace the shape parameter with its ML estimate to obtain approximate limits. Simulated values of the true probability levels, achieved by this method, indicate that this method is not suitable, contrary to what has been anticipated. A second approach is to consider the corresponding tolerance limits assuming the distribution mean known and the shape parameter unknown, and then replace the distribution mean by the sample mean. This approach gives useful results for many practical cases. Simulated values of the true probability levels achieved are presented for some typical cases and limiting values are provided. This method appears satisfactory for all values of the shape parameter, for the common s-confidence levels, and moderate sample sizes.


Artifact reduction from electroencephalographic (EEG) signals is an important process in the numerical analysis of brain activities. In general, independent component analysis (ICA) is employed for artifact reduction from multichannel EEG devices. On the other hand, single-channel EEG devices have recently become attractive because of their usability for measurement and their portability. However, it is ill-defined problem to design a numerical approach for eye-blink artifact reduction from single-channel EEG signals. In this paper, we therefore propose a new artifact reduction method based on 2-step nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) for single-channel EEG signals. In an experiment, we conducted 2-step NMF to reject eye-blink artifacts using single-channel EEG signals recorded at Fp1. We also applied ICA to multichannel EEG signals and compared the results with those obtained by the proposed method. The experimental results show a relatively high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) between the signals reconstructed using the proposed method and those obtained by ICA. Moreover, we confirm the coefficient of correlation of over 99% for estimating the recorded EEG signals by the proposed method.


Background/Aims Sacroiliitis is a frequent extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of sacroiliitis using a validated screening tool based on abdominopelvic computed tomography (APCT) in Korean patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and examine potential associations between clinical characteristics and sacroiliitis. Methods One hundred five patients with CD undergoing APCT for any indication at an IBD clinic were matched 1:1 for age and sex with 105 controls without underlying chronic illnesses. Using a validated APCT screening tool that defines sacroiliitis as either ankylosis or a total erosion score (TES) ≥ 3, all computed tomography scans were assessed by two independent, blinded radiologists. We compared the prevalence of sacroiliitis between CD patients and controls and clinical characteristics between CD patients with and without sacroiliitis. Results The prevalence of sacroiliitis was significantly higher in CD patients than in controls (13.3% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.030). All subjects with sacroiliitis had a TES ≥ 3, but no ankylosis. The assessment of sacroiliitis in APCT showed excellent interreader reliability (Cohen's kappa = 0.933 for presence of sacroiliitis). Sacroiliitis in CD patients was bilateral and asymptomatic. There were no significant associations between sacroiliitis and any demographic data or clinical characteristics in these patients. Conclusions The prevalence of APCT-detected sacroiliitis in CD patients was higher than that in controls, but the condition was asymptomatic. The clinical significance of asymptomatic sacroiliitis in Korean CD patients remains unclear.


We present a novel method to infer the Dark Matter (DM) content and spatial distribution within galaxies, based on convolutional neural networks trained within state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulations (Illustris–TNG100). The framework we have developed is capable of inferring the DM mass distribution within galaxies of mass ∼ 10 – 10 M with very high performance from the gravitationally baryon dominated internal regions to the DM-rich, baryon–depleted outskirts of the galaxies. With respect to traditional methods, the one presented here also possesses the advantages of not relying on a pre-assigned shape for the DM distribution, to be applicable to galaxies not necessarily in isolation, and to perform very well even in the absence of spectroscopic observations.


Molecular chaperones play vital roles in various physiological reactions by regulating folding and assembly of biomacromolecules. We have demonstrated that cationic comb-type copolymers exhibit chaperone activity for anionic biomolecules including DNA and ionic peptide via the formation of soluble interpolyelectrolyte complexes. The development of smart artificial chaperones that can be spatiotemporally controlled by a remotely guided signal would expand the functions of artificial chaperones. Herein, to enable photocontrol of chaperone activity, a cationic comb-type copolymer bearing malachite green as a photoresponsive unit was designed. We firstly prepared a series of carboxylic acid derivatives of malachite green identified a derivative that could be quickly and quantitatively converted to the cationic form from the nonionic form by photoirradiation. This derivative was conjugated to the cationic comb-type copolymer, poly(allylamine)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) through a condensation reaction. Upon photoirradiation, the copolymer bearing 9 mol% malachite green enhanced the membrane disruptive activity of acidic peptide E5 and induced morphological changes in liposomes. This demonstration of photoresponsive activation of chaperoning activity of a copolymer suggests that installation of carboxyl derivatives of malachite green will impart photoresponsiveness to various materials including biopolymers.


The results of the National Toxoplasmosis Reference Laboratory during 1999 and 2000 were processed and the evaluations on this topic were simultaneously analyzed among 51 professionals that attended the First National Workshop held at "Pedro Kouri" Institute of Tropical Medicine at that time. Of 3 672 orders, 3 171 (86.3%) did not have the reason for serology, 36.1% had no place of origin and only 301 cases (8.1%) were indicated the matched serum. On analyzing the main causes leading to make this test, 13.5% corresponded to repeated abortions, which is not accepted at present as a clinical manifestation in the course of the disease. Coincidentally, when some professionals were evaluated through a survey about the basic aspects related to this parasitosis, only 31.3% were able to obtain satisfactory marks. Most of the mistakes were observed in the interpretation of the laboratory results.


Rosemary is an aromatic evergreen shrubby herb that is native to the Mediterranean region. This herb is now widely cultivated in many regions of the world. Rosemary is widely used in traditional Chinese medicines, foods, nutraceuticals and cosmetics. Hydro distilled essential oils, obtained from rosemary in China and the Mediterranean region, were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thirty-seven compounds accounting for 94.97%-99.72% of the oils were identified. The majority of the compounds in the essential oils exhibited no significant differences (table 1 and fig. 1). The extracts were prepared with three solvents of different polarity (dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and aqueous). The ethyl acetate fractions exhibited the highest phenol content and were found to be significantly more active than the dichloromethane and aqueous fractions (fig. 2). Antioxidant activity (by DPPH radical scavenging, ferric ion reduction (FRAP) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS)) was also assessed. The ethyl acetate extracts of Yunnan had the highest amount of antioxidant capacity from China by DPPH and TBARS, with the lowest IC50 values being 0.0011 mg/ml, and 1.6611 mg/ml, respectively. In conclusion, the antioxidant activities of the essential oils and ethyl acetate extracts from rosemary obtained by three different testing methods revealed higher antioxidant activity from rosemary grown in China than in the Mediterranean region. These results suggested that Chinese rosemary should be widely used in food, traditional medicine, cosmetics and perfume products, as well as other chemical industries.


An account of new measure of coupling and cohesion developed to assess the reusability of Java components is proposed in this paper. These measures differ from the majority of established metrics in two respects: they reflect the degree to which entities are coupled or resemble each other, and they take account of indirect couplings or similarities. An empirical comparison of the new measures with eight established metrics is described. The new measures are shown to be consistently superior at measuring component reusability.


We address the problem of selecting sensors so as to minimize the error in estimating the position of a target. We consider a generic sensor model where the measurements can be interpreted as polygonal, convex subsets of the plane. In our model, the measurements are merged by intersecting corresponding subsets, and the measurement uncertainty corresponds to the area of the intersection. This model applies to a large class of sensors, including cameras. We present an approximation algorithm which guarantees that the resulting error in estimation is within factor 2 of the least possible error. In establishing this result, we formally prove that a constant number of sensors suffice for a good estimate-an observation made by many researchers. We demonstrate the utility of this result in an experiment where 19 cameras are used to estimate the position of a target on a known plane. In the second part of this paper, we study relaxations of the problem formulation. We consider 1) a scenario where we are given a set of possible locations of the target (instead of a single estimate) and 2) relaxations of the sensing model. Note to Practitioners-This paper addresses a problem which arises in applications where many sensors are used to estimate the position of a target. For most sensing models, the estimates get better as the number of sensors increases. On the other hand, energy and communication constraints may render it impossible to use the measurements from all sensors. In this case, we face the sensor selection problem: how to select a "good" subset of sensors so as to obtain "good" estimates. We show that under a fairly restricted sensing model, a constant number of sensors are always competitive with respect to all sensors and present an algorithm for selecting such sensors. In obtaining this result, we assume that the sensor locations are known. In future research, we will investigate methods that are robust with respect to errors in sensor localization/calibration


Identification of genetic variants affecting complex traits such as obesity is confounded by many types of bias, especially when effect sizes are small. Given our findings of a positive association between rs7566605 and body mass index in four out of five separate samples, a false positive finding cannot be ruled out with certainty but seems unlikely. Meta-analyses of multiple large studies will help refine the estimate of the effects of rs7566605 on body mass index.


Syntheses with the Reagent Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Bromide/Silver Tetrafluoroborate: The Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Cation as Reactive Intermediate

Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl bromide 1 reacts with silver tetrafluoroborate with abstraction of the halide ion to form pentamethylcyclopentadienylium tetrafluoroborate (2). The 4π-antiaromatic cation in 2 can be trapped with different nucleophiles. Thus, 2 reacts with methanol to give 5-methoxy-1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene (4). In the presence of methylamine, dimethylamine, or diethylamine, the corresponding pentamethylcyclopentadienyl-substituted amines 5, 6, and 9 are formed. Trapping of 1 with pyridine or dimethyl sulfide leads to the ionic compounds 7 and 8, respectively. The reaction of 2 with sterically crowded amines leads to tetramethylfulvene (3).


This study attempts to assess the degree of influence interest groups can exert on the state policy process, specifically via their lobbying activities. The analysis uses data from the 2005–06 Wisconsin Legislative Session to assess the association between lobbying activity and legislative outcomes in one state legislature. The study finds a direct association between lobbying activities and bill outcomes, while also exploring the potential influences of both key political actors and public attention. Public attention is found to reduce the effects of lobbying efforts, suggesting that lobbying is most effective when focused on less salient issues.


With the long-term widespread overuse of antibiotics, a large number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have emerged and become a serious threat to healthcare systems. As an alternative strategy, near-infrared light (NIR)-actuated photothermal treatment has been developed for killing antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Although promising, the widespread applications of photothermal antibacterial platforms face great challenges due to the skin-harmful high laser irradiation. In this work, a novel NIR-responsive hydrogel membrane for effective photothermal sterilization upon light irradiation at skin-permissible intensity has been successfully prepared using a sodium alginate-based hydrogel membrane containing tannic acid-Fe(III) compounds (STF). The as-prepared STF displayed excellent mechanical capacity and fabricability. More importantly, the as-prepared STF revealed superior photothermal efficiency under a low-intensity NIR irradiation (0.3 W cm-2), which was below the maximum permissible exposure of skin (0.33 W cm-2). In addition, the STF showed the excellent performance of photothermal sterilization for MRSA both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the STF showed good biocompatibility. Based on the simple synthesis method, outstanding mechanical properties, excellent photothermal sterilization performance and good biocompatibility, the STF could be a promising wound dressing for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.


The GSM is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The number of GSM users is estimated at 80% of the world's population, or a total of five billion in over 200 countries. The advent of mobile terminals and the proliferation of their uses (including in sectors where they are used for communicating between machines) ensure compliance with robust security requirements. The topic of mobile security is vast as it includes radio access, network infrastructure, terminals, as well as the applications running on it. This article focuses on the first two themes. Since 2002, different independent projects have elicited interest in the security principles that were implemented in second and third generation mobile telephony networks. This presentation provides an overview of the objectives and concomitant impacts of these projects on the overall security of mobile networks. In addition to mentioning principles of security, the paper also identifies the challenges associated with geolocation.


By virtually any standard, Spike Lee is a dedicated follower of professional sports. In winter, he can often be seen courtside at New York Knicks games, jawing at opposing players; in interviews, he has claimed that he grew up wanting to be a professional athlete. He made headlines in late 2001 by auctioning a ticket to Michael Jordan's comeback game and donating the proceeds to a September 11 relief effort, and he borrowed a phrase from the lexicon of baseball line scores in titling Five for Five (the book that accompanied the release of his film Jungle Fever)--implying that his fifth project, like his previous four trips to the plate, had resulted in a hit. This lively interest in sports has clearly influenced his more recent work, as several of his latest films have featured athletes as subjects and actors. But his interest in sports also colored, if a bit less obviously, his first five feature films, none of which deals with explicitly athletic plotlines. From a slew of references to Knicks great Bernard King in She's Gotta Have It to the Mets telecast that accompanies our first look at Angela Tucci's brothers in Jungle Fever, allusions to professional sports--and specifically to New York sports--form a consistent pattern in Lee's early films. Certainly, such references point in part to the close relationship between Lee's visual style and contemporary urban fashion. Air Jordans and Laker jerseys, after all, are not unique to Spike Lee joints; they were common sights on New York streets in the late 1980s. But much as Lee blended hip-hop tunes with Negro spirituals and jazz melodies in creating the complex soundtracks that echoed the very diverse voices of his characters, his references to athletic gear and jargon are not simply received stylistic statements. (1) In Lee's first five films, when characters chat about professional sports or wear a particular team jersey, the references usually advance our specific understanding of both the speaker and the situation. As S. Craig Watkins has noted, Lee's characters often represent distinct fields of discourse, and perform specific narrative functions (140). Lee's use of athletic iconography furthers this strategy, using established cultural codes as a means of characterization, and it creates, by extension, a general atmosphere of competition, or conflict, in which voices and visual images jostle and compete for legitimacy. While a parade of replica jerseys, athletic anecdotes, and photos of athletes thus grounds his early work in a relevant urban idiom, such references also allow Lee to nuance, as we shall see, the themes of racial conflict, individual pride, and social history that consistently characterize his work. Lee's interest in athletic iconographies has no better, or better-known, ambassador than the flamboyant Mars Blackmon, the likable loser who is one of Nola Darling's suitors in the breakthrough 1986 film, She's Gotta Have It. Dressed when we first see him in a Knicks jacket and a Georgetown tee-shirt, Mars knits himself to two high-profile basketball squads of the early 1980s: to the New York NBA team that starred the acrobatic King, and to the Georgetown program that had won a national title in 1984, and finished second in the 1985 college tournament. The Knicks jacket, of course, also links Mars to the city in which he works as a bike messenger. The shirt is less geographically specific, but a quick look at Georgetown's hoops program in the 1980s reveals an equally basic relevance. Georgetown, then coached by John Thompson and thus one of the few teams in the country with an African American behind the bench, fielded several of the nation's best college teams in the mid-1980s--and some of its blackest. Led by Thompson, who spoke candidly on race and recruited heavily from Washington's inner-city high schools, Georgetown's squads were often entirely comprised of African Americans. Thus, by wearing the gray Georgetown tee, Mars suggestively links himself to college stars like Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning, but also to a quiet sense of black pride. …


This paper argues the flexibility of focus group in Design research as a controlled-experiment setting to study Designerly Intuition at concept-stage decision making. This paper outlines the focus group design in terms of the types and structure considerations and the moderator factor. Finally, the focus-group result gathers dual-mode input from novice Industrial Designers (1) 'as a group' and the intuitive attributes as (2) 'individual participants'. Therefore, the focus group design for the data collection setting is established through the research layout and space design that accommodates both modes of inquiry.
Keywords: Focus Group Study, Design Intuition, Design Research, Controlled Experiment
eISSN: 2398-4287© 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bsby e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5iSI3.2536


The study here presented concerns the possibility of making use of the natural environmental potential, expressed through ecosystem services, in the establishment of foundations for and the direction of development of the rural-urban areas. The purpose of the study is to show the potentialities of using ecosystem services in governance, directed towards the economic and social development of the rural-urban regions, with consideration of improvement in quality of human life and preservation of the most valuable resources of nature as well as landscape qualities. Ecosystem services, being the nature-provided good, play an increasingly important role in the shaping of social and economic policies within the peri-urban areas, and thereby also their direct influence on the standard of living of the inhabitants increases. The scope of analysis that is presented in the report encompasses the problems of using the potential of the environment in the development of regions on the basis of modelling of reality with due account of the level of social awareness in the context of pro-ecological behaviour patterns. Assumption was adopted that even small differences in the initial parameters or a disturbance of the trajectory of regional development may have an essential impact on the ultimate effect, that is – on the role played by ecosystem services in this process.


In this study, the influence of drying temperature (40, 50, 60C) and airflow velocity (2 and 3 m/s) on drying onion was evaluated by a custom designed fluidized bed dryer equipped with a heat pump dehumidifier. A comparative study was performed among nonlinear regression techniques, fuzzy logic and artificial neural networks to estimate the dynamic drying behavior of onion. Among nine mathematical models, approximation of diffusion with R2 = 0.9999 and root mean square error = 0.004157 showed the best fit with experimental data. Fuzzy logic tool in MATLAB with Mamdani model in the form of If–Then rules along with triangular membership function used for simulation, interpolation and obtaining a theoretical increase in experimental moisture ratios were used. Feedforward–backpropagation neural system with application of Levenberg–Marquardt training algorithm, hyperbolic tangent sigmoid transfer function, training cycle of 1,000 epoch and 2-5-1 topology was determined as the best neural model in terms of statistical indices.

Practical Applications

Forecasting kinetics of food drying by application of precise mathematical and dynamic modeling techniques as well as preparing particular patterns for describing such drying behaviors of diverse food products seem unavoidable for processing factories to optimize the quality of their dried food products and reduce operational costs. For this purpose, in this study, we applied different temperatures and airflow velocities to dry onion by a custom designed fluidized bed dryer equipped with a heat pump dehumidifier, predicting its drying behavior by regression, fuzzy logic and artificial neural network techniques and comparing accuracy of those models. Also, this paper compares prediction patterns of drying onion by fluidized bed drying with those of other food products dried by various drying methods. The results of this study will be helpful for all researchers and producers who want to know more about the nuances of impacts of different fluidized bed drying variables on the patterns of heat and mass transfer in fruits and vegetables.


Nuclear interactor of ARF and Mdm2, NIAM, is a novel regulator of the ARF-Mdm2-p53 tumor suppressor pathway. It collaborates with ARF, promotes p53 transcriptional activity, and is negatively regulated by Mdm2-mediated ubiquitination and proteasome degradation. How NIAM activates p53 is not known, however its ability to do so in ARF-null cells reveals it is an ARF-independent process. Our preliminary data suggest that NIAM could activate p53 by either competing Mdm2 away from p53-Mdm2 complexes and/or by inducing lysine 120 acetylation of p53 via the Tip60 acetyltransferase. p53 acetylation at K120 is known to be regulated by two different histone acetyltransferases, Tip60 and MOF, and to promote the specific upregulation of apoptotic genes by p53. Our preliminary data show that NIAM interacts with Tip60 and strongly promotes p53 acetylation of K120, suggesting a functional NIAM-Tip60 interaction in vivo. Tip60 is an established chromatin modifying protein that influences chromatin structure and cancer gene expression. Consistent with these characteristics of Tip60, we discovered that NIAM is a chromatin-associated protein that binds to transcriptionally active regions of the genome. Other findings connect Tip60 and NIAM. Tip60 acts through p53, ARF and Myc to control transcription and promote the DNA damage checkpoint response. We found that NIAM, like Tip60, localizes to sites of DNA repair in response to DNA damage and it is already established that the absence of either protein leads to chromosomal instability. These compelling observations link NIAM with chromatin regulation and DNA damage repair, potentially via Tip60 signaling, all of which are important for the maintenance of chromosomal stability and prevention of cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 215. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-215


Agriculture is the main sector of the Ethiopian economy. Uneven distribution of rainfall, droughts and high rainfall intensities contribute to low agricultural productivity and high levels of food insecurity. High population growth, the cultivation of steep and marginal lands, poor land management practices and lack of effective rainwater management (RWM) strategies aggravate the situation. Studies show that the adoption of RWM technologies is low and is influenced by several factors. This study assesses the patterns and the factors that influence farm household adoption of RWM technologies. Unlike previous studies which typically examined a single technology rather than the interdependence between technologies, the conceptual framework of this study is based on the premise that farmers are more likely to adopt a combination of promising RWM technologies. The need to consider this interdependence is one of the many recommendations made by this study to promote the adoption of RWM technologies.


Measuring the quality of human health and well-being is one of the key growth areas in our society. Preferably, these measurements are done as unobtrusive as possible. These sensoric devices are then to be integrated directly on the human body as a patch or integrated into garments. This requires the devices to be very thin, flexible and sometimes even stretchable. An overview will be given of recent technology developments in this domain and concrete application examples will be shown.


Assessments of reef fish communities in the coastal waters of Phu Yen province were carried out at 11 sites in April 2009 by  using SCUBA diving. Results from this study show that there were  210 species belonging to 96 genera and 39 families of coral reefs fishes recorded, of which wrasses (Labridae: 37 species), damselfishes (Pomacen-tridae: 36 species), butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae: 25) and surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae: 12 species) were recorded with higher number of species. Target fishes belonging to groupers, snappers, sweetlips, leatherjackets, triggerfishes and moray eels were rare in composition and number of species. Density of fishes at each studied site was relatively low, giving mean value being 93.8 inds./100m 2 , mostly dominated by fish at size class of 1-10cm belonging to butterflyfishes, damselfishes, wrasses, surgeonfishes and angelfishes (> 75%). Densities of target fishes with large sizes of groupers, snappers, sweetlips, emperors  were very low (< 0.5 inds./100m 2 ) and this indicates that resources of fishes were  over-exploited.  Sites at Vinh Hoa (Cu Mong lagoon), Tu Nham (Xuan Dai bay), Bai Nam (Cu Lao Mai Nha), Hon Chua (An Chan) and Hon Nua (Vung Ro) supported a higher number of species and densities of reef fishes compared to other sites in the coastal waters of Phu Yen province.


The fabrication of organic solar cells from aqueous dispersions of photoactive nanoparticles has recently attracted the interest of the photovoltaic community, since these dispersions offer an eco-friendly solution for the fabrication of solar cells, avoiding the use of toxic solvents. In this work, aqueous dispersions of pure poly[n-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C71 -butyric acid methyl ester (PC71 BM) nanoparticles, as well as of composite PC71 BM:PCDTBT nanoparticles, are prepared using the nanoprecipitation postpolymerization method. These dispersions are subsequently used to form the active layer of organic photovoltaic cells. Thin films of PC71 BM and PCDTBT are obtained by spray deposition of the nanoparticles' dispersions, and are characterized using a combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Photovoltaics that incorporate these active layers are fabricated thereafter. The impact of the annealing temperature and of the composition of the active layer on the efficiency of the solar cells is studied.


The application of pesticide microcapsules (MCs) in agriculture is becoming more and more popular. In this study, the effects of different wall materials on the stomach toxicity, contact toxicity, length of efficacy, and photolysis characteristics of pesticide microcapsules were investigated. The results showed that microencapsulation reduced the stomach and contact toxicities of phoxim and prolonged the efficacy of this light-sensitive chemical in the greenhouse test. Neither of the degradation curves for microencapsulated phoxim under ultraviolet light fit a first-order model, although the emulsifiable concentrate (EC) degradation curve fit it well. The phoxim-loaded polyurea microcapsules (PUA-MCs) showed significantly increased UV-resistance ability, stomach toxicity, and contact toxicity compared with the phoxim-loaded urea-formaldehyde microcapsules (UF-MCs). These experiments indicated that it is crucial to select the appropriate wall materials for pesticide microcapsules on the basis of application sites and physicochemical properties of pesticide active ingredients.