Background: In patients with branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (BD-IPMN), we aimed to develop a novel blood-based biomarker utilizing a gene-expression profile for the detection of pancreatic malignancies, such as IPMN-derived carcinoma (IPMC) or pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Patients and Methods: We enrolled 40 patients with pancreatic tumors (24 BD-IPMNs, four IPMCs and 12 PDACs) and identified the characteristic gene-expression profiles in pancreatic malignancies. Subsequently, we constructed a gene-expression scoring system for the proper diagnosis of pancreatic malignancies. The result was validated in 14 patients (five IPMNs, three IPMCs and six PDACs). Results: The scoring system utilizing the expression levels of 13 genes showed high diagnostic yield (sensitivity=94.0%, specificity=92.0% and area under the curve=0.94), which was confirmed in the validation set. Furthermore, its diagnostic yield was not reduced even in early-stage pancreatic malignancies (sensitivity=85.0%, specificity=93.0% and area under the curve=0.88). Conclusion: We developed a blood-based gene expression scoring system for cancer screening in patients with BD-IPMNs.


Objectives: This study was conducted to estimate health service weight for resource allocation and performance monitoring using Basic Priority Rating System. Methods: The Health service would be classified according to New Health Plan 2010, and Burden of disease collected from preceding studies. The data of severity of health problem and effectiveness of intervention were collected through the survey of experts" suggestion. The health service weight was estimated in the formula which is Basic Priority Rating System. Results: In the result of analysis, the health service weight of Infectious disease was ranked highest at 58.97% followed by Anti-smoking campaign(14.07%), Hypertension(3.87%), Diabetes mellitus(3.40%), Cancer(2.90%), Cardiovascular-Cerebrovascular diseases(2.86%), Physical activity(2.10%), Moderate drinking(2.07%), Medical examination(1.92%), Mental health promotion(1.72%), Serious mental illnesses(1.62%), Nutrition(1.52%), Oral health promotion(1.15%), Oral diseases(1.10%), Addiction(0.73%). Conclusions: We think the result of this study provides a rational basis for resource allocation and performance monitoring of health service.


Zoo authorities of Central Indian State of Chattisgarh reported a hyena suffering from the fatal anthrax disease in Nandanvan zoo in capital city Raipur. After laboratory confirmation of anthrax, the zoo was closed for 15 days as precautionary measure. According to the veterinarians of the zoo, all symptoms of anthrax were found in one of the hyenas. The Forest department officials decided to vaccinate animals within the 5 km radius of zoo to contain the disease. All employees of Nandanvan zoo had been put on prophylactic antibiotic medicine.(1)

The report of death of a hyena due to anthrax in the state of Chattisgarh in India during June 2007 was very disturbing and was unusual occurrence by any standards. Chattisgarh state has never reported anthrax case either in animal or in humans. Anthrax is generally an epizootic disease which infects and kills herbivorous animals e.g. cattle, sheep, and goat.(2) Cattle get mostly infected by eating vegetations contaminated by spores. Elephants have been known to die of anthrax in north-east. They and other herbivores develop bacteriamic phase followed by death. So do poor humans. Occasionally dogs, horses, etc. are also found to be infected but are rarely fatal in them. Terminally ill animals tend to bleed from the nose, mouth, and bowel, thereby contaminating soil or water places with B. anthracis that can subsequently sporulate and persist in the environment.

On further literature review, the Chattisgarh incident turns out to be the first case of death of non-herbivorous animal like hyena dying due to anthrax in India.(3) This event has a great epidemiological as well as public health significance. The reports of anthrax infection in hyena leading to death is a pointer towards the larger fact that the anthrax bacteria are in circulation in Chattisgarh, also it is a matter of concern from public health point of view, as once anthrax affected, the locale is always anthrax prone on account of longevity of viable spores lasting many decades.

From public health point of view, it is very important that Chattisgarh should step up their mechanism for animal screening for anthrax. Since Chattisgarh never had history of anthrax, capacities and skills for the same need to be instituted. Once anthrax is fully established as enzootic disease in a region, it is only a matter of time before zoonotic transmission begin and human case of anthrax begin to appear posing as big public health problem. The case in point is Orissa, where anthrax is an endemic disease and already a major public health problem of Orissa; 14 out of 30 revenue districts in the state have witnessed outbreaks of anthrax as many as 61 times during the last 10 years affecting 750 people of which 418 had died.(4) The anthrax outbreaks are an annual phenomenon Orissa. With good forest cover, the soil being highly organic in with good moisture to support anthrax spores. Due to scanty agriculture, tribals mainly depend on forest for livelihood. Risk of infection increases due to anthrax spores in the wild. Outbreaks of anthrax in these indigenous populations very often occur as food poisoning following consumption of contaminated cattle meat.

Tribals for that matter, any given community, in these states particularly if underprivileged, eat carcass of dead animals. Such people are vulnerable. Even if they do not eat, if they de-skin carcasses of infected animals, they are also vulnerable for anthrax infection.

Anthrax is known to occur generally in underdeveloped regions.(5) Ecologically speaking, from vulnerability point of view, Chattisgarh shows striking parallels and Orissa, as far as potential proneness and risk of anthrax outbreaks in the human population in the coming years:

Chattisgarh and Orissa rank almost similar on human development indices (HDIs);

Like Orissa, Chattisgarh has very high concentration of tribal population (>35%);

Both the states have extensive forest cover;

The indigenous population of both these states depend less on agriculture and more on forest and animal produce for food;

Overwhelming majority of people in both these states live below the poverty line.

Both the states have poor public health infrastructure. This is the perfect amalgamation and interface of risk factors that are conducive for zoonotic transmission of anthrax to the human population. Hence the probability of occurrence of anthrax outbreak in the human population would increase on logarithmic scale, each time an episode of anthrax detected in animal population in a state like Chattisgarh.

So, epizootology and epidemiology should be both applied not only for anthrax, but for every zoonotic disease, hence the importance of veterinary and doctors putting heads together.


This paper presents an enhanced version of an existing LMS (land mobile satellite) narrowband propagation model. The basics of the existing model are first discussed. L- and S-band experimental data from several environments and elevation angles have been processed for parameter extraction. Finally, a software simulator has been developed for generating synthetic time-series. Measurement and simulation examples are presented. (6 pages)


Background: Stent-assisted coiling is an effective method of treating intracranial aneurysms. The aim of the study was to assess the safety and efficacy of the new Accero stent for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective, single-center study. Eighteen unruptured intracranial aneurysms were treated using the stent-assisted coiling method with the Accero stent. Patient demographics, aneurysm characteristics, procedural parameters, grade of occlusion, complications, and clinical results were analyzed. Follow-up magnetic resonance (MR) was performed 6 months after intervention. Results: Seventeen patients with 18 incidental unruptured aneurysms were electively treated with coiling and the Accero stent. The aneurysms were located on internal carotid artery (ICA), middle cerebral artery (MCA) and basilar artery (BA). All stents were deployed successfully. Immediate complete occlusion rate Raymond-Roy occlusion classification (RROC) class I was achieved in 13 cases and class II in 4 cases. Complications occurred in 2/17 treatments and included guidewire stent perforation with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and stent deformation. Vascular spasm in the subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patient subsided before discharge. Ninety days after intervention, the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) value was 0. RROC class I was observed in 88.23% of cases in follow-up. Conclusion: The Accero stent provides excellent support for coil mass. It constitutes an efficacious device with good initial occlusion rate for treating wide-necked unruptured intracranial aneurysms.


Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) is one of the most effective means for plasma heating. Experimental Data Publishing Software (EDPS) is developed to publish experimental data to get the NBI system under remote monitoring. In this paper, the architecture and implementation of EDPS including the design of the communication module and web page display module are presented. EDPS is developed based on the Browser/Server (B/S) model, and works under the Linux operating system. Using the data source and communication mechanism of the NBI Control System (NBICS), EDPS publishes experimental data on the Internet.


Ownership of agricultural property gives its owners special powers, but also imposes on them a number of restrictions arising from law. These restrictions apply to both how to acquire and sell such property. They provide additional protection of agricultural land and have a relationship not only with the EU subsidies for agricultural production but also the need for deliberate planning for the countryside. First it should be noted the right of pre-emption of the real estate by the Agricultural Property Agency and the ability to block or cancel the sale if the seller and buyer do not comply with the required formalities. In most cases, the Agency is the seller, so it means that it can shape the rate of sales prices. On the other hand, as a unit under the Treasury it is obliged to comply with the law on public procurement and to protect the public interest. Legal issues related to the management shall be governed by national rules, adapted to the European directives and treaties. Another issue is the agricultural property divisions, which are held in a simplified form, however, maintain the minimum area of land resulting from the surveying division. Such restrictions are to prevent excessive fragmentation of agricultural land. If the existing patchwork of land was made from too small plots, there is a possibility to make integration and exchange of land. It has the nature of the collective spatial effort, which effect will improve the area structure of agricultural holdings and shall be created more favorable conditions for the management of agriculture. Important are also the possibilities of development the agricultural land. It can be done, only if the creation of a farm building will be used for agricultural production. Vital issue, maintained in this article, is also the issue of the exclusion of land from agricultural production in order to use them for non-agricultural holdings.


SummaryIn 2001 and 2002, studies were conducted on a pollen substitute formulated for easy home preparation. Tests were done with free flying honey bee colonies. In 2001, pollen supply was restricted with pollen traps in 9 experimental colonies. Colonies were then equally divided among three treatments: (1) fed pollen substitute, (2) fed bee-collected bee bread, or (3) no supplement. In 2002 the design was similar except that the bee bread treatment was replaced with a control treatment without pollen trap or supplements. The pollen substitute was readily consumed by bees, and brood development (fraction of larvae achieving pupa) did not differ among treatments. In 2002, longevity of bees was highest in colonies fed pollen substitute even though this group had a pollen trap. The average concentration of haemolymph protein did not differ among treatments in 2001, but in 2002 this value was significantly highest in colonies without a pollen trap. The results of this study are applicable for honey bee coloni...


With the introduction of laparoscopy into adult urology, a vast new field has suddenly opened itself up to the urologic surgeon, filled with exciting and promising possibilities of applying the principles of minimally invasive surgery to an ever increasing number of diseases that so far have only been approachable by incisional surgery. While undoubtedly, laparoscopy has been providing unprecedented challenges to the principles of open surgery, it is of paramount importance to critically evaluate each new laparoscopic procedure against its open surgical counterpart. However, despite a widely publicized higher complication rate for laparoscopic procedures, it must not be overlooked that each laparoscopist must go through his/her very own individual learning curve; although a painful process at times, it is not any different than the novice's introduction to open incisional surgery. The problems of the learning curve can be partly alleviated by carefully studying the basic principles of laparoscopy in the animal laboratory, and by subsequent clinical training under the guidance of an experienced laparoscopist. The discoverer's enthusiasm for his or her own newly developed procedure and the instinctive negative reaction of the practicing community to new concepts that threaten to overturn what is perceived as 'tried and true', must both be tempered by the accumulation of clinical data, testing the validity of all procedures, new and old alike. To this end, surgeons have the opportunity to explore a gentler form of surgical practice, one in which the practitioner can heal without the need to harm.


OBJECTIVE
To keep the pneumoperitoneum and the tightness of the abdominal and pelvic cavity during a laparoscopy, the sheaths of trocar are provided with a device (valvule, membranes etc.) inducing a friction during the handling of the instrument. The objective of this article is to analyse friction from different types of trocar's port.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We present here the experimental results obtained during a testing bench of three different trocar sheaths. The mechanism of tightness of the first trocar sheath is made of a fine membrane associated to a valve, of a thick membrane for the second trocar sheath, whereas the third trocar sheath is made of two membranes, a fine and a thick, associated to a valve. After reporting the experimental device and the analytic model adopted to describe the relationship between the measured physical parameters, we lay out our results. The identification of parameters of this model makes it possible to objectively compare the three trocars.

RESULTS
Our results revealed that, under experimental conditions, the amplitude of friction was significantly lower with trocar's port provided with a valve and a fine membrane than with both other ports (fivefold weaker).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
We evoke the importance of the possible disruption brought by these frictions while referring these values to those of other measurements concerning interactions between instrument and organs. These different behaviours of the material could have some consequences in choosing the tools for the performance of precise gestures.


Abstract Operational model analyses of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF), the German Weather Service (DWD) and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (HIRLAM) are compared to data measured by 16 ice buoys and by a research aircraft in eight flight missions during the Fram Strait cyclone experiment FRAMZY in March/April 2007. The sea level pressure (SLP) compares well with the buoys for all models, SLP correlations are >0.99, SLP tendency correlations are >0.95 and spatial SLP correlations are >0.94 on the average. The aircraft measurements are used for comparison of the horizontal and vertical boundary layer structure in ECMWF and HIRLAM under cyclonic conditions. Horizontal SLP gradients are slightly underestimated. The surface air temperature (SAT) is too low on the warm side and too high on the cold side of the synoptic systems. The temperature inversion on the cold side is not realistically captured with respect to its base and strength in the ECMWF model and with respect to its thickness in HIRLAM. This results in a wrong vertical structure of humidity and wind. The SAT errors hint at model deficits in the representation of the surface energy balance and the inversion errors hint at deficits in the parametrization of the vertical mixing.


Room reverberation creates a major challenge to speech segregation. We propose a computational auditory scene analysis approach to monaural segregation of reverberant voiced speech, which performs multipitch tracking of reverberant mixtures and supervised classification. Speech and nonspeech models are separately trained, and each learns to map from a set of pitch-based features to a grouping cue which encodes the posterior probability of a time-frequency (T-F) unit being dominated by the source with the given pitch estimate. Because interference may be either speech or nonspeech, a likelihood ratio test selects the correct model for labeling corresponding T-F units. Experimental results show that the proposed system performs robustly in different types of interference and various reverberant conditions, and has a significant advantage over existing systems.


Abstract: In earlier twenty first century, fashion trends has evolved into a way of life. Depending on skin tone, physical stature, gender, as well as social and geographic factors, the amount and style of clothes which we worn might vary significantly. For the huge chunk of population , the in-store buying experience ( buying in the shops ) is still what comes to mind when they think of shopping. The customers can try on clothing in real time, but this process takes too long when there will not be enough trial rooms in the dressing store. The goal here is to create an engaging, interactive, involving and incredibly realistic virtual system that allow the users or customers to select from a wide variety of clothing designs before simulating those outfits on the people or customers virtually. In this study, we have proposed a system that aids in the synchronization of daily attire of the people. The Virtual styling room using live video feed may alter how a person will shop for and tries on new clothing. Customers or people can try on a wide range of clothing items without a need to actually wear them by making use of the idea of "Virtual Reality". The benefit of doing things in this way is that it would take less time and effort of the people or customers to physically try the garments on. The project we did also aids in market management, reducing the requirement for customers to try on each and every article of clothing in clothing store. Additionally, retailers can save time, money, and space by not keeping a large inventory on hand( in store).


This paper examines the marketing systems for pigs and chicken in Western Leyte, Philippines. The aim is to provide a clear understanding of the existing marketing systems to smallholder livestock farmers and to formulate recommendations for improving marketing of livestock produce. Using reconnaissance surveys and focus group discussions, this study determined the supply chain for livestock and identified opportunities for improving marketing of pigs and chicken in Western Leyte.


Mitochondria act as the "power house" of the cell providing ATP as the energy currency to areas of a cell that use this fuel in its processes. This organelle maintains an electrochemical proton gradient spanning across its inner membrane. This aids in the synthesis of ATP. This membrane potential is a great indication of the energy needed at a specific region of a cell. The inside of the inner membrane is negative. Because of this attribute, JC-1 vital fluorescent dye, a lipophilic cation can be used to identify these mitochondria. When exposed to JC-1 for the appropriate exposure time, chick sympathetic neurons express fluorescent mitochondria in different colors depending on the charge of the inner membrane. JC-1 emits a green wavelength when present in areas of low membrane potential. A red wavelength is emitted when the JC-1 is present in areas of high membrane potential. The regions of the neurons that were used in this study were areas of axonal overlap such as en passants, and regions of the cell body. These regions were recognized through a transmitted image taken on an Optiphot-2 microscope with a RT-colorspot camera. Using the mean brightness histogram, values for the concentrations of red to green mitochondria were found. In areas of axonal overlap, there is a higher mitochondrial membrane charge represented by a higher concentration of red JC-1 stained organelles. In the cell bodies, there is a higher concentration of green mitochondria meaning that there is a lower membrane charge. Using ratiometric analysis, the red to green ratio was determined. In areas of axonal overlap, this ratio was great than one. This again shows that there is a higher concentration of highly charged mitochondria. In areas of the cell body, this ratio was less than one, suggesting that there is a lower concentration of higher charged mitochondria, and a greater concentration of less charged, green fluoresced organelles. This higher charge in areas of axonal overlap may be due to the fact that there is a higher mitochondrial membrane potential in areas where highenergy expenditure is taking place. These areas are interacting with each other thus; need energy to allow this phenomenon to occur.


In this paper, we present a new method, called multiview fuzzy querying, which permits to query incomplete, imprecise and heterogeneously structured data stored in a relational database. This method has been implemented in the MIEL software. MIEL is used to query the Sym'Previus database which gathers information about the behavior of pathogenic germs in food products. In this database, data are incomplete because information about all possible food products and all possible germs is not available; data are heterogeneous because they come from various sources (scientific bibliography, industrial data, etc); data may be imprecise because of the complexity of the underlying biological processes that are involved. To deal with heterogeneity, MIEL queries the database through several views simultaneously. To query incomplete data, MIEL proposes to use a fuzzy set, expressing the query preferences of the user. Fuzzy sets may be defined on a hierarchized domain of values, called an ontology (values of the domain are connected using the a kind of semantic link). MIEL also proposes two optional functionalities to help the user query the database: i) MIEL can use the ontology to enlarge the querying in order to retrieve the nearest data corresponding to the selection criteria; and ii) MIEL proposes fuzzy completion rules to help the user formulate his/her query. To query imprecise data stored in the database with fuzzy selection criteria, MIEL uses fuzzy pattern matching.


Trans Himalaya of the Indian Himalayan region is repository of indigenous knowledge and practices. Recent re-emergence of herbal medicine along with the ever- escalating threats to biodiversity and the intensifying biopiracy controversies have necessitated an urgent need of documentation of the traditional use (s) of bioresoures. Therefore, an attempt has been made to document the ethnopharmacological uses of plants utilized in the traditional medicine system/household remedies by the inhabitants of the cold desert. We recorded a total of 68 plant species belonging to 58 genera and 34 families which are used traditionally to cure various diseases/ailments. Thirty three plant species are non- native whereas thirty five species are native to Indian Himalayan region. Various part (s) of these species are used to cure cough/cold, bronchitis, fever, liver disorders, kidney stone, joints pain etc. The study would help in developing a comprehensive data base of ethnopharmocological uses of plants, help in strengthening the health care system in the villages/rural areas and also in conserving the traditional knowledge and practices for posterity.


Catalyzed phenol-hypochlorite and ninhydrin colorimetric procedures were adapted to the Technicon AutoAnalyzer for simultaneous determination of ammonia and total amino acids in ruminal fluid or ruminal in vitro media. The manifold developed was compatible with a sampling rate of 40/h without significant sample-to-sample carryover. With proper storage, reagents for both the phenol-hypochlorite and the air-stable ninhydrin systems were stable for 8 mo or more. Response of individual amino acids in the phenol-hypochlorite system were generally 1% or less than equimolar amounts of ammonia. Certain amino acids inhibited ammonia color yield 10 to 15% when with equimolar amounts of ammonia; however, the inhibitory effect of casein amino acids was only 2 to 3%. Although ninhydrin response, relative to leucine, of individual alpha-amino acids ranged from 62 (valine) to 151% (histidine), recoveries of casein amino acids from ruminal fluid had coefficients of variation of 1% or less. Coefficients of variation for ammonia recoveries from ruminal fluid by the phenol-hypochlorite procedure were about half of those for the Conway microdiffusion technique. Intraclass correlations for the adapted procedures indicated high degrees of accuracy and precision for both ammonia and amino acid analyses.


Incantations are the most archaic element in the treasury of folk medical knowledge and no other element is vanishing so fast. Some decades ago incantations were used in folk medicine by only 15% of the Slovenes, while the other practises of folk medicine were based on traditional and empirical knowledge about the curative effects of active substances of plant and animal origin. Nowadays the relation between the magical and religious approach to treating diseases on the one hand and the scientific approach on the other hand, is probably identical, but what has changed is that the magical and religious component has been replaced by alternative medicine.


Original scientific paper In this study, an optimal control algorithm is proposed to overcome low performance problems arising from the non-linear characteristics of pneumatic motor in compressed air-based energy conversion systems. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is tested on an energy conversion system which includes a compressor, a proportional valve, a pneumatic motor (PM), a permanent magnet direct current (PMDC) generator and a control card. The control function of the system is carried out by driving the proportional valve with the control signals which is obtained depending on the PMDC generator output voltage error. In this structure, an optimal proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller which tunes on-line its own gain parameters by particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm according to the operating conditions of the system used. In order to observe the effects of PSO-based PID controller on the system performance, the energy conversion system is also controlled by a discrete time PID controller. The experimental results show that PSO-based PID controller provides more robust control performance than discrete time PID controller under various operating conditions.


Evidence-based parenting programs are effective methods of preventing problematic child behaviors and improving parents' competencies and skills. However, there is a lack of understanding of the mechanisms that may explain how parents change when they participate in parenting programs (Sandler et al., 2011). In the current study, we aimed to address this limitation by examining the mechanisms that explain how parents' harsh parenting practices are reduced following their participation in parent training programs. We focused on parenting stress and parental sense of competence as potential mechanisms of change (Sandler et al., 2011). We hypothesized that parents with low levels of parenting stress would display greater change in parental competence due to their participation in parent training programs, and in turn, their use of harsh parenting practices would decrease over time. We also tested the alternative model where changes in parental stress may mediate the association between parents' sense of competence, and in turn, changes in harsh parenting. We fitted parallel process growth models with 4 time points (i.e., pre-, post-test, 1-year, and 2-year follow up). The sample consisted of 635 parents who participated in four commonly used parent training programs in Sweden. Stattin et al. and Oloffsson et al. (in press) showed that all these programs demonstrated significant reductions in all parenting variables of interest in short, and long-term using a randomized controlled effectiveness trial.First, we tested whether the participants of the parenting programs have all showed decreased parenting stress and harsh parenting, and increased parental sense of competence. Latent growth models suggested that the parents significantly decreased in stress and harsh parenting, and increased in competence from pre-test to post-test, and relatively maintained these changes at both 1-year and 2-year follow-ups. Then, we fitted the mediation model to test the proposed mechanisms of change (Cheong, et al., 2003). We included child gender in all models as a covariate. The hypothesized mediation model revealed acceptable model fit, χ2(75)=438.03, CFI=.91, RMSEA=0.08, SRMR=0.08. That is, parents with low levels of stress at baseline increased more in parental competence over time, and in turn, they decreased in harsh parenting practices (βind=0.51, p=.009). The model held for all program types. In contrast, the model testing the alternative hypothesis did not reveal good fit. Together, our findings suggested that changes in parents' competence may explain why parents decrease in use of harsh parenting when they are involved in parent training programs.


Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the association of regular leisure-time physical activity with body mass index and obesity risk in Taiwanese young adults. Methods: A total of 10,802 young adults (18-44 years) were enrolled into this national telephone survey. The questionnaire data of this survey includes socio-demographic characteristics, zip code of residence, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) behaviors, self-reported health status, and self-evaluations (including height, body weight, and body mass index [BMI]). Results: When using non-regular LTPA as the baseline, participants in regular LTPA group exhibited the lower risks of overweight and underweight (OR, 0.837; 95% CI 0.738–0.948, OR, 0.732; 95% CI 0.611-0.876). But there was no significant relationship between the regular LTPA and obesity risk when using non-regular LTPA as the baseline after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions: The study results revealed that regular LTPA effectively lowered the risks of underweight and overweight. However, for people with obesity, regular LTPA was unable to significantly decrease their obesity risk.


In a model that relies entirely on legal and structural factors, Wright (1989) seeks to account for changes in voter participation from the initial primary to the runoff. This article tests an alternative, campaign-centered model of voter turnout in 109 congressional runoffs from 1982 through 1996. The analysis indicates that candidate-centered factors, including the amount of money expended by the candidates in the runoff and the political experience of the primary leader, influence turnout in runoff primaries. Generally, when more money is spent during the runoff, voter participation declines less relative to the initial primary, suggesting that a more stimulated political environment encourages greater participation. Spending before the initial primary is less influential than spending between the primary and runoff in maintaining voter turnout, which indicates that any potential effects from stimulation of the environment in the prior campaign have largely dissipated by the time of the second election.


In this paper, we formalize the problem of partial barrier coverage, that is, the problem of using robot sensors (guards) to minimize the probability of undetected intrusion in a particular region by an intruder. We use ideas from noncooperative game theory together with previous results from complete barrier coverage - the problem of completely preventing undetected intrusion - to develop new methods that solve this problem for the specific case of bounded-range line-of-sight sensors in a two-dimensional polygonally-bounded region. Our solution constructs equilibrium strategies for the intruder and guards, and calculates the level of partial coverage.


We have presented a simple approach for quantitative phase imaging by optimizing asymmetric illumination of a conventional microscope. With this illumination, the light intensity modulation accompanying refraction at the surface profile of phase objects occurs, and "phase-gradient information" can be derived by detecting it. Two images with phase-gradient information on different axes are converted into the two-dimensional phase distribution of the specimen by introducing the phase-gradient transfer function, which is the intensity change due to refraction by the phase-gradient of a specimen. We experimentally confirm accurate and repeatable performance of our method and demonstrate phase imaging of live cells.


Three-dimensional hierarchical tin oxide microspheres (HM-SnO2) are successfully synthesized by hydrothermal treatment. The SnO2 microspheres with diameter of 1–4 μm are pure rutile phase and consist of nanosheets. The two-dimensional nanosheets ensure fast electron transport and slow charge carrier recombination. Due to their large particle size, the HM-SnO2 films can scatter light efficiently and enhance light harvesting. Because of the above advantages, a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on the HM-SnO2 photoanode shows an energy conversion efficiency of 4.55%, which indicates a 12.6% improvement compared to the DSSC based on a current SnO2 nanoparticle photoanode prepared under the same conditions. Moreover, the photovoltaic performance of the DSSC can be improved by modifying the photoanode with a TiO2 blocking layer and TiCl4 post-treatment.


We propose an algorithm for clustering high dimensional data. If $P$ features for $N$ objects are represented in an $N\times P$ matrix ${\bf X}$, where $N\ll P$, the method is based on exploiting the cluster-dependent structure of the $N\times N$ matrix ${\bf XX}^T$. Computational burden thus depends primarily on $N$, the number of objects to be clustered, rather than $P$, the number of features that are measured. This makes the method particularly useful in high dimensional settings, where it is substantially faster than a number of other popular clustering algorithms. Aside from an upper bound on the number of potential clusters, the method is independent of tuning parameters. When compared to $16$ other clustering algorithms on $32$ genomic datasets with gold standards, we show that it provides the most accurate cluster configuration more than twice as often than its closest competitors. We illustrate the method on data taken from highly cited genomic studies.


This article analyses opposition to Europe in the Czech Republic, both on the mass and the elite level. It offers a precise definition of Euroscepticism, based on the distinction between diffuse and specific support for European integration, and considers how the exigencies of the EU enlargement process may fuel anti-EU stances. On the basis of an analysis of both mass attitudes and party political stances, the article argues that a major anti-EU mobilisation is unlikely in the Czech Republic, regardless of the relatively strong undercurrent of Euroscepticism that now exists in the country. However, current expressions of Euroscepticism should be understood as potentially defining characteristics of Czech (elite) attitudes in the soon to be enlarged EU.


This paper investigates high-frequency (HF) trading in the U.S. Treasury market around macroeconomic news announcements. After identifying HF market and limit orders based on the speed of their placement alteration and cancellation deemed beyond manual ability, we use the introduction of the co-location facility (i-Cross) by BrokerTec as an exogenous instrument to assess the impact of HF trading on market liquidity and price efficiency. We find that HF trading increases after news announcements and improves price efficiency. However, it has a negative impact on liquidity, as it widens spreads before announcements and lowers depth of the order book after announcements.


Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) are the subject of intense focus by the machine learning community for problems involving relational reasoning. GNNs can be broadly divided into spatial and spectral approaches. Spatial approaches use a form of learned message-passing, in which interactions among vertices are computed locally, and information propagates over longer distances on the graph with greater numbers of message-passing steps. Spectral approaches use eigendecompositions of the graph Laplacian to produce a generalization of spatial convolutions to graph structured data which access information over short and long time scales simultaneously. Here we introduce the Spectral Graph Network, which applies message passing to both the spatial and spectral domains. Our model projects vertices of the spatial graph onto the Laplacian eigenvectors, which are each represented as vertices in a fully connected "spectral graph", and then applies learned message passing to them. We apply this model to various benchmark tasks including a graph-based variant of MNIST classification, molecular property prediction on MoleculeNet and QM9, and shortest path problems on random graphs. Our results show that the Spectral GN promotes efficient training, reaching high performance with fewer training iterations despite having more parameters. The model also provides robustness to edge dropout and outperforms baselines for the classification tasks. We also explore how these performance benefits depend on properties of the dataset.


The purpose was to analyze the role of the Venezuelan State in the electoral processes of the communal councils according. The investigation was legal theoretical documentary in nature, based on the Venezuelan legal framework. The Constitution, law of communal councils, electoral processes, rulings and newspaper articles were used for data collection. Conclusions: actually there is absence of effective legal protection with helplessness due process in the conflicts in the electoral processes of communal councils. Recommendations: create municipal electoral collegiate bodies with incorporation of the universities


Three new bismuth-organic compounds, namely, Bi(OH)(2,6-pdc)·H(2)O (1), Bi(4)(OH)(4)(2,6-pdc)(4)(H(2)O)(3)·H(2)O (2) and Bi(5)(OH)(5)(2,6-pdc)(5)(H(2)O)(4)·H(2)O (3) (2,6-H(2)pdc = pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate) have been obtained by incorporating different Bi subunits as building blocks under hydrothermal conditions. Compound 1 contains dimeric {Bi(2)} units and these are further linked by 2,6-pdc(2-) ligands into a 2D net with 3(6) topology. Compounds 2-3 display 4(4) net topology by using linear {Bi(8)} and {Bi(10)} as secondary building units (SBUs), respectively. Compounds 1-3 display yellow and blue luminescence, respectively. Furthermore, the PXRD, TGA, UV-visible and IR spectra of 1-3 were also studied.


This paper discusses the idea of using a single Pareto-compliant surrogate model for multiobjective optimization. While most surrogate approaches to multi-objective optimization build a surrogate model for each objective, the recently proposed mono surrogate approach [3] aims at building a global surrogate model defined on the decision space and tightly characterizing the current Pareto set and the dominated region, in order to speed up the evolution progress toward the true Pareto set. This surrogate model is specified by combining a One-class Support Vector Machine (SVMs) to characterize the dominated points, and a Regression SVM to clamp the Pareto front on a single value. The aims of this paper are to identify issues of the proposed approach demanding further study and to raise the question of how to efficiently incorporate quality indicators, such as the hypervolume into the surrogate model.


An anisotropy study is reported on an ultrathin fcc Cu(111)/Co(111)/Cu(111) wedge grown on a sapphire substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. Room temperature polar and longitudinal magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) measurements were analysed by two different methods to determine the volume and surface contributions to the anisotropy. The values obtained by the `area method' by calculating the difference in area between the in-plane and perpendicular magnetization curves and also by simulation of the polar MOKE curves were not in agreement. The `area method' was found to be unreliable for analysing MOKE data. Values of the anisotropy obtained by simulation agreed with the expected bulk value for fcc Co of 0.0 MJ m-3 and the surface anisotropy was found to lie in the range 0.4-0.5 mJ m-2.


The 206Pb/204Pb ratios of fine-grained fractions from glacial tills indicate the presence of known Proterozoic volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits at Chisel Lake, near Snow Lake, Manitoba, Canada. Data from <2 μm and other size fractions define a linear array on a 207Pb/204Pb vs. 206Pb/204Pb diagram, with a slope that yields an age similar to the age of the deposits and the surrounding country rocks. Some of the least radiogenic till samples were found down ice from the deposits, suggesting that the Pb isotopic compositions from till may provide a new approach to mineral exploration for massive sulfide deposits in glaciated terrains.


Urbanization is a key process in developing countries. Within the next decade over 50 per cent of the world's population will inhabit urban areas and the majority of this growth is concentrated in developing countries. Analysing data for four large countries, this volume focuses on the relationship between economic change and urban growth. Specifically the authors examine the continued growth of industrial employment at the expense of the agricultural sector, the impact of government-controlled regional and industrial policy and the role of migration in response to employment opportunities. There are also important chapters on government responses to the lack of basic infrastructure, and the resulting negative impact on human welfare, in the cities. The volume's coherence results from the cross-country comparisons made by the authors and the conclusions that are not geographically restricted but have potential applications, by urban planners, in all developing countries.


A plethora of coding and streaming mechanisms have been proposed for real-time multimedia transmission over the Internet. However, most proposed mechanisms rely only on global (e.g. based on end-to-end measurements), delayed (at least by the round-trip-time), or statistical (often based on simplistic network models) information available about the network state. Based on recently-proposed state-of-the-art open-loop video coding schemes, we propose a new integrated streaming and routing framework for robust and efficient video transmission over networks exhibiting path failures. Our approach explicitly takes into account the network dynamics, path diversity, and the modeled video distortion at the receiver side to optimize the packet redundancy and scheduling. In the derived framework, multimedia streams can be adapted dynamically at the video server based on instantaneous routing-layer information or failure-modeling statistics. The performance of our integrated application and network-layer method is simulated against equivalent approaches that are not optimized based on routing-layer feedback and distortion modeling, and the obtained gains in video quality are quantified


The authors made 106 cultures from the endings of intravenous catheters used in children hospitalized in the teaching hospital in the years 1987-88. In 30 cases (28%) the cultures were positive. The most common cultures were those of Staphylococcus and Micrococcus. No correlation was found between the time of keeping a catheter in the vein and the number of positive cultures from the catheter. The children not receiving antibiotics had 2.6 as many positive cultures as those receiving antibiotics.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cochlear nerve deficiency (CND), including aplasia and hypoplasia, is a rare cause of congenital hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuronal integrity of the subcortical auditory pathway in subjects with CND by diffusion tensor MR imaging (DTI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve subjects with unilateral congenital CND were included in this prospective study. Twelve normal-hearing subjects served as controls. DTIs were acquired from these subjects on a 3T MR imaging scanner. Several indices including axial diffusivity (λ‖), radial diffusivity (λ⊥), mean diffusivity (MD), and fractional anisotropy (FA) along the auditory pathway were extracted. Two regions of interest were selected bilaterally for evaluation: the lateral lemniscus (LL) and inferior colliculus (IC). The mean values of λ‖, λ⊥, MD, and FA at both regions of interest were compared between the ipsilateral and contralateral sides of subjects with CND with those in the control group. RESULTS: Significant decrease of FA and increase of MD on both the ipsilateral and contralateral sides of patients with CND as compared with normal subjects in both LL and IC were found. The decrease of FA was due to the increase of λ⊥, whereas λ‖ remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: The maintained axial diffusion implied that the orientation of neural fibers along the subcortical auditory pathway in subjects with unilateral CND is intact. However, the reduction in FA and increase in λ⊥ on both the ipsilateral and contralateral sides might be attributed to axonal loss and/or demyelination of the subcortical auditory tract in these subjects.


There are a wide range of products containing essential oils. Aromatherapy for horses is becoming popular with owners however there are few published studies on equine response to essential oil odours.
The study aimed to identify which essential oils were attractive to horses. The study comprised 10 horses, (5) geldings, (5) mares of mixed breed. Nine organic essential oils plus a control (no oil) were presented in a repeated measures experimental design. Oils were applied to cotton wool and gauze and hung either side of the stable door. Presentation of oils was randomised using a 10 x 10 Latin Square design. Oils were presented in pairs for 120 seconds with a 5 minute interval between tests. Horses were exposed to 5 paired presentations on day 1 and the experiment was repeated on day 2.
Behaviour was recorded on videotape for 120 seconds. Continuous focal sampling was used to analyse behaviour based on an ethogram using Observer 5.0® software.
The time the horses spent investigating each individual test substance was recorded. Range 169.2 seconds (Violet Leaf) to 35.4 seconds (control).
Kendall's W coefficient of concordance compared agreement in duration of interest between the horses. The mean ranked duration of investigation was significant (W= 0.272, n=10, p= <0.05). To compare differences between the duration of interest, individual oils were tested against the control using the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Significant differences were found between the control and Peppermint (Mentha piperata) p=<0.01, Violet Leaf (Viola odorata) p=<0.05. Valerian Valeriana officinalis) and Lavender (Lavendula angustifiolia) were approaching significance at p=<0.08 and p=0.09 respectively.
Although only a limited number of oils were tested, horses demonstrated a significant attraction to Peppermint, Violet Leaf and were also attracted to Valerian and Lavender. This study is relevant for horses exposed to essential oils in horse care products.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to evaluate the classification accuracy of a multivariate model of performance validity assessment using embedded validity indicators (EVIs) within the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV).

METHOD
Archival data were collected from 100 adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) consecutively referred for neuropsychological assessment in a clinical setting. The classification accuracy of previously published individual EVIs nested within the WAIS-IV and a composite measure based on six independent EVIs were evaluated against psychometrically defined non-credible performance.

RESULTS
Univariate validity cutoffs based on age-corrected scaled scores on Coding, Symbol Search, Digit Span, Letter-Number-Sequencing, Vocabulary minus Digit Span, and Coding minus Symbol Search were strong predictors of psychometrically defined non-credible responding. Failing ≥3 of these six EVIs at the liberal cutoff improved specificity (.91-.95) over univariate cutoffs (.78-.93). Conversely, failing ≥2 EVIs at the more conservative cutoff increased and stabilized sensitivity (.43-.67) compared to univariate cutoffs (.11-.63) while maintaining consistently high specificity (.93-.95).

CONCLUSIONS
In addition to being a widely used test of cognitive functioning, the WAIS-IV can also function as a measure of performance validity. Consistent with previous research, combining information from multiple EVIs enhanced the classification accuracy of individual cutoffs and provided more stable parameter estimates. If the current findings are replicated in larger, diagnostically and demographically heterogeneous samples, the WAIS-IV has the potential to become a powerful multivariate model of performance validity assessment.

BRIEF SUMMARY
Using a combination of multiple performance validity indicators embedded within the subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the credibility of the response set can be established with a high level of confidence. Multivariate models improve classification accuracy over individual tests. Relying on existing test data is a cost-effective approach to performance validity assessment.


Cervical cancer patients have a defective immune system. There is a decrease of total white blood cell count including lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells, one type of lymphocytes, play a role to eliminate cancer cells by antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) mechanism. Previous studies have shown that P-glycoprotein (170 kDa, transmembrane protein) may be a transporter for cytokine releasing in ADCC mechanism. This study proposed to explore the role of bitter melon intake in cervical cancer patients undergoing normal treatment (radiotherapy). Subjects were divided into three groups: 1) normal control (women 35-55 years, n = 35), 2) patient control (n = 30) and 3) patient treatment (n = 30) groups. Patient control and patient treatment groups were cervical cancer patients (stage II or III) treated with radiotherapy (without or with bitter melon ingestion). Blood samples of patient control and patient treatment groups were analyzed for NK cells percentage and P-glycoprotein level. Bitter melon is a Thai herb. Previous studies have shown that bitter melon can stimulate lymphocyte activity in vitro and in vivo (mouse). The authors hope that bitter melon could stimulate the increase of NK cells percentage and P-glycoprotein level on the membrane in blood samples from cervical cancer patients who ingest bitter melon. The results showed an increased percentage of NK cells in patient control and patient treatment groups. The increase in each group is significant (p < 0.05) when compared with the percentage of NK cells from second and third blood sampling time (after radiation with of without bitter melon intake for 45 and 90 days) with first blood sampling time (before treatment). The results also show a significant decrease of P-glycoprotein level (p < 0.05) in second and third blood sampling times when compared with first blood sampling time of the patient treatment group. There was no significant difference of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) level from first, second and third blood sampling times in patient control group. Bitter melon ingestion did not affect NK cell level but it affected the decrease of P-gp level on NK cell membrane.


During the usage phase, a technical product system is in permanent interaction with its environment. This interaction can lead to failures that significantly endanger the safety of the user and negatively affect the quality and reliability of the product. Conventional methods of failure analysis focus on the technical product system. The interaction of the product with its environment in the usage phase is not sufficiently considered, resulting in undetected potential failures of the product that lead to complaints. For this purpose, a methodology for failure identification is developed, which is continuously improved through product usage scenarios. The use cases are modelled according to a systems engineering approach with four views. The linking of the product system, physical effects, events and environmental factors enable the analysis of fault chains. These four parameters are subject to great complexity and must be systematically analysed using databases and expert knowledge. The scenarios are continuously updated by field data and complaints. The new approach can identify potential failures in a more systematic and holistic way. Complaints provide direct input on the scenarios. Unknown, previously unrecognized events can be systematically identified through continuous improvement. The complexity of the relationship between the product system and its environmental factors can thus be adequately taken into account in product development. Keywords: failure analysis, methodology, product development, systems engineering, scenario analysis, scenario improvement, environmental factors, product environment, continuous improvement.


icant Banksia/Tuart woodland reserves. Summary Banksia woodlands are renowned for their flammability and prescribed fire is increasingly employed to reduce the risk of wildfire and to protect life and property, particularly where these woodlands occur on the urban interface. Prescribed fire is also employed as a tool for protecting biodiversity assets but can have adverse impacts on native plant communities. We investigated changes in species richness and cover in native and introduced flora following autumn prescribed fire in a 700-hectare Banksia/Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) woodland that had not burnt for more than 30 years. Effectiveness of management techniques at reducing weed cover and the impacts of grazing by Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) postfire were also investigated. Thirty plots were established across a designated burn boundary immediately before a prescribed fire in May 2011, and species richness and cover were measured 3 years after the fire, in spring of 2013. Fencing treatments were established immediately following the fire, and weed management treatments were applied annually in winter over the subsequent 3 years. Our results indicate that autumn prescribed fire can facilitate increases in weed cover, but management techniques can limit the establishment of targeted weeds postfire. Postfire grazing was found to have significant adverse impacts on native species cover and vegetation structure, but it also limited establishment of some serious weeds including Pigface (Carpobrotus edulis). Manipulating herbivores in time and space following prescribed fire could be an important and cost-effective way of maintaining biodiversity values.


A field research feasible project for the implementation of a virtual classroom to students from the second semester of Nursing Program in the course Introduction to Computing was performed. In the first diagnosis phase, the need for the implementation of a virtual classroom in that subject was determined. Information was collected by means of a questionnaire validated through expert opinions before being applied. In the second phase, a feasibility study determined the legal and institutional support framework of the project. In the third phase, taking into account the results of diagnostic and feasibility phases, a proposal was designed meeting the objectives of the program using multimedia strategies. The design and development of the proposal will result in: a) four trained teachers competent to assume the facilitator and/or tutor role at distance, b) a screening test to obtain general and specific information about the students and c) a subject updated program, educational guides as well as the design of a virtual classroom.


Steroid production in vitro by dog adrenal cortical slices was measured in the presence of varying concentrations of sodium and potassium ions. Increasing concentrations of potassium produced a significant increase in the intracellular potassium content and in the rate of synthesis of aldosterone. However, the potassium effect on aldosterone secretion may also occur without changes in tissue potassium content. Ouabain significantly diminished intracellular potassium content, but inhibited aldosterone production only at the high dose of 2.5 X 10(-3) M in the presence of an elevated external potassium level. Physiological changes in sodium concentration can modify aldosterone production. The effect was observed with changes as small as 10 mEq/liter sodium. Changes in external potassium and sodium levels modulate aldosterone as well as corticosterone, but not cortisol production. No changes in the intracellular content of potassium were detectable in angiotensin-stimulated tissue. Nevertheless, high doses of ouabain blocked angiotensin-stimulated aldosterone production without affecting cortisol production. The dissociation observed between intracellular potassium levels and aldosterone production suggests that there is not a simple relationship between the two parameters.


Surfactant dysfunction is probably involved in the pathophysiology of
neonatal group B streptococcal (GBS) pneumonia. Aim of the present
studies was to evaluate efficacy and safety of surfactant replacement
therapy for term and preterm neonates with severe respiratory failure due
to GBS infection. We investigated the effects of surfactant on growth of
GBS and on oxidative metabolism of polymorphonuclear neutrophilic
granulocytes (PMN) stimulated with GBS, and developed an animal model of
GBS pneumonia for studies on lung function, inflammatory response and
bacterial proliferation in lung tissue.

Surfactant reduced nitroblue tetrazolium-reduction of resting PMN. In
contrast, when PMN were stimulated with encapsulated GBS and a specific
antibody no suppression in the release of reactive oxygen species from
PMN could be observed following incubation with surfactant.

We tested the effects of surfactant treatment in tracheotomized,
ventilated, near-term newborn rabbits with experimental GBS pneumonia. In
this model we found reduced bacterial proliferation following
instillation of exogenous surfactant as compared to controls receiving
saline. In addition, lung function was significantly improved in preterm
rabbits with GBS pneumonia receiving surfactant. The surfactant
associated protein A (SP-A) stimulates the phagocytosis of bacteria by
alveolar macrophages and is believed to play an important role in the
pulmonary antimicrobial defense system. However, inactivation of SP-A by
a monoclonal antibody did not influence bacterial proliferation in our
model. Furthermore, we could demonstrate that simultaneous instillation
of surfactant and specific antibodies against the polysaccharide capsule
of GBS reduced bacterial growth in the lungs of GBS infected newborn
rabbits more effectively than either treatment alone. We speculate that
this might be due to a more homogenous and rapid distribution of the
antibodies within the lung.

To study the effectiveness of surfactant treatment in neonatal GBS
pneumonia, we assessed oxygen requirements and complication rates in 118
neonates with severe respiratory failure due to GBS infection. We could
demonstrate a significant improvement in oxygenation within 1 h following
surfactant instillation. However, the response to exogenous surfactant
was slower than in non-infected infants with respiratory distress
syndrome.

The use of surfactant for treatment of bacterial pneumonia deserves
further experimental evaluation not only in neonates, but also in
children and adults.


Growth charts have become widely used, if not universal, tools for the assessment of the growth and health of children. In 2006, the WHO published a set of charts designed to represent standards to which all the world's children should aspire. They were produced in response to the apparent variability in the patterns of child growth documented worldwide, and with the aim of creating a prescriptive standard based on best feeding advice. Our modern understanding and use of growth references arose out of the application of technology, mathematics and charting to the biology of growth in the 19th century. As means of summarizing normal development, modern growth standards have replaced Renaissance conceptions of human form based on idealized proportions in harmony with the cosmos, and the simple reference to key developmental milestones first noted by the ancients. The WHO growth standards are the culmination of a search for a human ideal based on 20th century biology. However, while they may be the 'best' standards based on contemporary feeding advice, they are 'provisional' because all developmental processes in biology, including body growth, are plastic and permit a flexibility of life course trajectories in response to epigenetic, nutritional and other environmental conditions.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationships between visual sensitivity and age-related ocular disorders.

DESIGN
Prevalence survey of age-related eye diseases.

SETTING
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

PARTICIPANTS
A total community sample of persons 43-84 at the time of the census (1987-1988) was invited to participate (n = 5.926).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Visual sensitivity was measured by a perimeter. Sensitivities were evaluated with regard to age, sex and age-related eye diseases.

RESULTS
Sensitivity was inversely associated with age and was lower in women in each age stratum. Central cataract, cataract surgery, and late age-related maculopathy were significantly related to decreased sensitivity in multivariate analyses.

CONCLUSIONS
Visual sensitivity, an indication of the ability of the eye to detect a light stimulus, was diminished in those with central cataract, cataract surgery, and late age-related maculopathy. This may be related to diminished vision in environmental conditions of low illumination. Since visual sensitivity is relative easy to determine, this test may have use as a surrogate to assess functional vision loss. Also, although cataract surgery often leads to improved high contrast acuity, there may be a loss in low contrast settings.


Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body's overwhelming response to an infection, such as pneumonia or urinary tract infection. It occurs when the immune system releases cytokines into the bloodstream, triggering widespread inflammation. If not treated, it can lead to organ failure and death. Unfortunately, sepsis has a high mortality rate, with studies reporting rates ranging from 20% to over 50%, depending on the severity and promptness of treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual death toll in the world is about 11 million. One of the main toxins responsible for inflammation induction are lipopolysaccharides (LPS, endotoxin) from Gram-negative bacteria, which rank among the most potent immunostimulants found in nature. Antibiotics are consistently prescribed as a part of anti-sepsis-therapy. However, antibiotic therapy (i) is increasingly ineffective due to resistance development and (ii) most antibiotics are unable to bind and neutralize LPS, a prerequisite to inhibit the interaction of endotoxin with its cellular receptor complex, namely Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2, responsible for the intracellular cascade leading to pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. The pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2 has infected hundreds of millions of humans worldwide since its emergence in 2019. The COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-19) caused by this virus is associated with high lethality, particularly for elderly and immunocompromised people. As of August 2023, nearly 7 million deaths were reported worldwide due to this disease. According to some reported studies, upregulation of TLR4 and the subsequent inflammatory signaling detected in COVID-19 patients "mimics bacterial sepsis". Furthermore, the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 was described by others as "mirror image of sepsis". Similarly, the cytokine profile in sera from severe COVID-19 patients was very similar to those suffering from the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. Finally, the severe COVID-19 infection is frequently accompanied by bacterial co-infections, as well as by the presence of significant LPS concentrations. In the present review, we will analyze similarities and differences between COVID-19 and sepsis at the pathophysiological, epidemiological, and molecular levels.


Background: Many newly diagnosed breast cancer patients undergo preoperative breast MRI which includes visualization of some degree of the axilla. The impact of patient characteristics and tumor biology on the fidelity of MRI imaging of the axilla in these cases is not well-studied. We sought to examine the correlation between nodal findings on breast MRI and pathologic nodal status in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Methods: With IRB approval, we identified 1868 consecutive breasts with invasive cancer in 1803 patients undergoing primary operation with axillary surgery from 1/2010-7/2013. Patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (348) were excluded leaving 1510 breasts with cancer in 1455 patients. Preoperative MRI was performed in 763 patients (52%). We evaluated patient, imaging and pathology data. Results: Patients evaluated with MRI were median age 57 years. The majority of tumors were T1 (63%) and T2 (28%). MRI identified suspicious axillary nodes in 240 cases (31%), of which 123 (51%) were node positive at operation. Suspicious axillary findings on MRI predicted both nodal status and pN stage at operation (both p Diagnostic performance did not vary significantly based on patient body mass index (BMI) or approximated biologic subtype, but specificity was better for patients >age 50 (p=0.007) and sensitivity and PPV both were worse for grade 1 vs grade 2/3 tumors. Node positivity rate at operation was 48% (51/106) for patients with a solitary abnormal node on MRI and 54% (72/134) when >1 suspicious node was seen (p=0.39). However, multiple vs solitary MRI suspicious nodes correlated with ≥3 positive nodes at operation (40 [30%] vs 19 [18%], p=0.03) and pN2/pN3 disease (29 [22%] vs 12 [11%], p=0.03). Conclusion : Axillary lymph node findings on MRI for breast cancer predict nodal status and disease volume in invasive breast cancer patients. Tumor biologic subtype did not affect performance characteristics of preoperative MRI, but tumor grade did influence the sensitivity and PPV of MRI. When MRI is performed in the evaluation of newly diagnosed breast cancer, axillary findings inform pathologic nodal stage at operation regardless of tumor subtype. Citation Format: Sean C Dupont, Judy C Boughey, Tanya L Hoskin, Katrina N Glazebrook, Tina J Hieken. Value of breast MRI for preoperative axillary assessment of breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-01-03.


We address the question of the relations between the black hole's mass, the accretion rate, the bolometric luminosity, the optical luminosity and the size of the Broad Line Region (BLR) in Active Galactic Nuclei, using recent observational data obtained from monitoring campaigns. We first show that a standard accretion disc cannot account for the observed optical luminosity, unless it radiates at super-Eddington rates. This implies the existence of another, dominant emission mechanism in the optical range, which could be due to the reprocessing of X-rays by a system of dense clouds, or a non standard disc (non stationary, ADAF and/or strong outflows). Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) are most extreme in this context: they have larger bolometric to Eddington luminosity ratios than Broad Line Seyfert 1 (BLS1s), and most likely a larger "non disc" component in the optical range. Second, from realistic simulations of self-gravitating α -discs, we have systematically localized the gravitationally unstable disc and shown that, given uncertainties on both the model and observations, it coincides quite well with the size of the BLR. We therefore suggest that the gravitationally unstable disc is the source which releases BLR clouds in the medium. However, the influence of the ionization parameter is also required to explain the correlation found between the size of the BLR and the luminosity. In this picture, the size of the BLR in NLS1s (relative to the black hole size) is larger (and the emission line width smaller) than in BLS1s simply because their Eddington ratio is larger.


Fourteen adults with spontaneous pneumothorax (SP), 9 of whom had primary SP (PSP) and 5 of whom had secondary forms (SSP), were given intrapleural infusions of self-donated blood for pleurodesis. Instillations of 50 ml were given to all except 1, who required a total volume of 120 ml. The procedure was performed in each patient's bed in all cases. With apical chest tube placement in most cases and the lung expanded, the outer tip of the tube was elevated and the patient's own blood was taken from a superficial forearm vein and instilled. Them, with the tube occluded, the patient's were rotated un bed for a period of 2 hours to distribute the blood evenly throughout the pleural cavity. Tolerance was excellent, with no pain reported by any patient. The only noteworthy complication was 1 case of infectious pleural effusion of unknown etiology which was treated by evacuation and antibiotics. In 13 (92%) patients closure of the fistula was achieved, in under 12 h in 7 (53%), in under 24 h in 3 (23%), in under 48 h in 2 (15%), and in under 72 h in the remaining 2 (15%). In 4 (28.5%) there was recurrence (2 SSP and 2 PSP patients). Over a 10 to 32 month follow-up period (mean 16 months), 10 (71.4%) patients experienced no recurrences or complications. These results allow us to speculate that blood instilled in the pleural cavity may act in 2 ways: in the short term as a blood patch that adheres to and closes the fistula in the visceral pleura, and over the longer term by creating pleural symphysis by adhesions and fibrous tissue. Our limited experience indicates that pleurodesis with self-donated blood is an easy-to-perform, painless, convenient, rapid and inexpensive procedure that is moderately effective in the short and medium term. Its main drawbacks are the lack of consensus on certain technical considerations, such as the optimum amount of blood to be instilled, the number of instillations to perform and, if multiple instillations are carried out, what the interval between them should be. Further study is needed to confirm or discount our results and to determine the place this technique may have in the clinical management of pneumothorax.


The QRS complex is the most significant feature of the electrocardiogram (ECG). This paper introduces a novel algorithm for detection of QRS complexes in ECG based on matching pursuit algorithm (MPA). To recognize QRS Complex regions, time-frequency map of the ECG signal is plotted. Then the correct QRS regions are detected using the map. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated on ECG signals recorded in Bioinstruments Lab at Sahand University of Technology. The results indicate that the proposed method achieves 99.92% of sensitivity and 99.85% of specificity. The percentage of detected error rate is 0.223%. The efficiency of the algorithm in the presence of noise and corruption in ECG is also investigated.


Ninety-six undergraduates were given four tasks under either reward or punishment conditions. Each task consisted of 20 trials of pressing or not pressing a button to make a light come on. Monetary reinforcement was contingent on light onset for all tasks and on accuracy of judgment of control for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th tasks. Cognitive processing was comprehensively assessed for each task by measuring expectancy, judgment of control, perception of environmental stimuli, evaluation of performance, attribution, and reinforcement value.
Results showed that subjects were more accurate in moderate than in low control and in low than moderate frequency. Females were more accurate in perceiving environmental stimuli and had lower self-esteem, lower efficacy expectancies, and higher self-rated reinforcement values for monetary incentives than males. Low defensives were accurate in expectancy of control, judgment of control in punishment, and estimation of environmental stimuli.
Subjects in reward were more accurate in perceiving reinforcing events and they gave themselves more credit for task performance than subjects in punishment gave themselves blame for comparable performance. Those in punishment had more stable and external attributions and were more anxious, depressed, and hostile.
Depressives and nondepressives reacted differently to the monetary contingency on accuracy of judgment of control. Depressives showed overestimation of control immediately after initiation of this contingency, then gradually decreased their estimation until they were relatively accurate on the last task. Nondepressives showed more accurate judgment of control immediately after monetary contingency on accuracy, but returned to overestimation on subsequent tasks. These findings gave partial support to Alloy and Abramson (1979) in that mild depressives became increasingly accurate in judgment of control across tasks.
Female depressives, compared to female nondepressives, were less accurate in perceiving environmental stimuli and gave themselves less credit in reward. Although depressives did not set a particularly high criterion for success as suggested by Beck and Seligman, all subjects set criteria for success higher than both estimated and actual maximal control (ps < .05).


This paper describes the design and development of a Wind Turbine Emulator (WTE), which can be used to analyze and assess the performance of Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS). The mathematical modeling of the WTE has been done using MATLAB/Simulink platform.  A separately excited DC motor is deployed in order to reproduce the speed/torque, replacing the real wind turbine rotor. The half-bridge DC-DC power converter is developed to run the DC motor in a controlled fashion. Two PI controllers viz speed and current controller are employed which guarantee that the DC motor is following the theoretical (reference) rotational speed of the turbine rotor. A user interface is created in ControlDesk Next Generation, through which the input parameters of the WTE can be altered in real time and the instantaneous effect can be observed by analyzing the output parameters. The designed system offers wide range flexibility and provides a friendly environment in which wind speed and turbine parameters can be altered easily. Hence, offering user to conduct research on variable wind speeds. The DS1104 R&D controller board is employed for implementation of the developed Simulink model. The system design, the model used, and obtained results are presented in this paper.  Full Text: PDF DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijpeds.v8.i1.pp454-461


Unsteady flow around a linear oscillating turbine cascade has been experimentally and computationally studied, aimed at understanding the bubble type of flow separation and examining the predictive ability of a computational method. It was also intended to check the validity of the linear assumption under an unsteady viscous flow condition. Part 2 of the paper presents a computational study of the experimental turbine cascade that was discussed in Part 1. Numerical calculations were carried out for this case using an unsteady Navier-Stokes solver. The Baldwin-Lomax mixing length model was adopted for turbulence closure. The boundary layers on blade surfaces were either assumed to be fully turbulent or transitional with the unsteady transition subject to a quasi-steady laminar separation bubble model. The comparison between the computations and the experiment was generally quite satisfactory, except in the regions with the flow separation. It was shown that the behavior of the short bubble on the suction surface could be reasonably accounted for by using the quasi-steady bubble transition model. The calculation also showed that there was a more apparent mesh dependence of the results in the regions of flow separation. Two different kinds of numerical test were carried out to check the linearitymore » of the unsteady flow and therefore the validity of the influence coefficient method. First, calculations using the same configurations as in the experiment were performed with different oscillating amplitudes. Second, calculations were performed with a tuned cascade model and the results were compared with those using the influence coefficient method. The present work showed that the nonlinear effect was quite small, even though for the most severe case in which the separated flow region covered about 60% of blade pressure surface with a large movement of the reattachment point. It seemed to suggest that the linear assumption about the unsteady flow behavior should be adequately acceptable for situations with bubble-type flow separation similar to the present case.« less


A three-dimensional accelerometer was incorporated into a balance board to report real-time ankle attitudes during ankle sprain rehabilitative treatment. The design consisted of an embedded sensory module wirelessly linked to an Android mobile device with a graphic user interface to assess proprioceptive improvements. Preliminary results demonstrated an ability to report ankle attitude at a rate of 6 Hz, thereby providing a useful real-time feedback during the rehabilitation.


In mammals, the Bax inhibitor (TMBIM) family of proteins has cytoprotective properties that are most evident in paradigms of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The canonical gene of the family called BI-1 has been linked to several human cancers. The crystal structure of a prokaryotic member of the family, BsYetJ, has revealed that the Bax inhibitor proteins are pH sensitive calcium leaks. Our published studies have shown that the yeast Bax Inhibitor, Bxi1p, is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and is involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR) that is triggered by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We now show that cells lacking BXI1 have an altered redox microenvironment in the ER: The ER of Δbxi1 cells exposed to dithiothreitol (DTT) and tunicamycin, two drugs known to induce the unfolded protein response (UPR), become more reduced than their wildtype counterparts. Moreover, we also report that cells lacking BXI1 accumulate more calcium in the ER than wildtype cells. Together, our data suggests that Bxi1p is involved in regulating the ER microenvironment. Other members of the TMBIM family may have the same role in normal and cancer cells. [Our laboratory is supported by grant NIGMS R15 GM110578, awarded to N. Austriaco.] Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: David Eagan, Joseph Alisch, Liam McDonough, Savannah Benko, Walter Jacob, Lukas Ritzer, James Mullin, John O9Reilly, Nicanor Austriaco. Yeast Bax Inhibitor (BXI1) is involved in redox and calcium homeostasis of the ER in S. cerevisiae [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5472. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5472


As part of the project Programa Regional de Biodiversidad, subprograma Linea Base de Conoci- miento de la Biodiversidad del Choco , designed to document the mammalian fauna of the Biogeographic Choco, museum voucher specimens from the Colombian Chocoan Region deposited in American institutions have been taxonomically assessed in the past three years. Herein, we review the morphological variation, distribution patterns, and taxonomy of night monkeys in the genus Aotus from northwestern Colombia deposited at the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), and GIS based analyses and Maxent modeling are used to define the geographic extent and ecological limiting factors of the analyzed taxa. Our Principal Component Analysis showed high variation in skull morphology among Aotus from northwestern Colombia. However, differences observed in both discrete and morphometric analyses of the interorbital region of A. zonalis (more depressed than that in the grographically adjacent A. griseimembra and A. lemurinus ) appear as good diagnostic characters for this taxon. Our analyses on the ecological variation associated with collecting localities of Aotus specimens support the geographic subdivision previously proposed based on karyotypic data. Based on obtained models of potential distribution we define the location and extent of potential contact zones among species of Aotus from northwestern Colombia.


A metal-free tandem reduction and N-trifluoroethylation of quinolines and quinoxalines has been developed. It provided a convenient route to access trifluoroethylated tetrahydroquinolines and tetrahydroquinoxalines. This one-pot method avoids the purification process of the intermediate. Mechanistically, the in situ-generated boryl acetal species reacted with tetrahydroquinolines to generate iminiums followed by reduction to give the target compounds.


Cyclosporin 'A' is an important immunosuppresive drug used in organ and bone marrow transplantations. Nine isolates of Aspergillus terreus was used for the production of Cyclosporin 'A' by submerged fermentation in this study. The highest drug yielding isolate FCBP-58 was subjected to both physical and chemical mutation to increase the biosynthetic capabilities of Cyclosporin 'A'. In this study, mutation was carried out by ultraviolet radiation (254 nm) and alkylating agent ethylmethane sulphonate (EMS). UV 5 min time treatment was proved to be the best treatment because most of the resulted mutants showed enhancement in drug production. Chemical treatment of 200 μg/ml produced best mutants, among which MC 3.2 showed maximum increment of 885% in Cyclosporine 'A' production when compared to the parental isolate. Key words: Cyclosporin 'A', Aspergillus terreus , UV radiation, EMS.


Most studies concerned with the effects of noise on the performance of optimization strategies, in general, and on evolutionary approaches, in particular, have assumed a Gaussian noise model. However, practical optimization strategies frequently face situations where the noise is not Gaussian. Noise distributions may be skew or biased, and outliers may be present. The effects of non-Gaussian noise are largely unexplored, and it is unclear whether the insights gained and the recommendations with regard to the sizing of strategy parameters that have been made under the assumption of Gaussian noise bear relevance to more general situations. In this paper, the behavior of a powerful class of recombinative evolution strategies is studied on the sphere model under the assumption of a very general noise model. A performance law is derived, its implications are studied both analytically and numerically, and comparisons with the case of Gaussian noise are drawn. It is seen that while overall, the assumption of Gaussian noise in previous studies is less severe than might have been expected, some significant differences do arise when considering noise that is of unbounded variance, skew, or biased


Rangeland restoration is a multilayered process aimed at improving land condition, often parallel to utilization. To ensure the long‐term progress that restoration programmes are expected to deliver, they must be designed, implemented and maintained in partnership with local stakeholders. Each programme should have clear goals, followed up by measurable ecological and/or socio‐economic objectives, to facilitate their evaluation in the long run. In this research, we examine if a large‐scale rangeland restoration programme in Iceland had contributed to the expected attitudinal and behavioural changes among the participating sheep farmers, as described in the initial objectives of the programme. A survey, based on a questionnaire on sheep farmers' attitude and behaviour related to rangeland restoration and land management practices, was used to gauge the perception of participating farmers, in comparison with non‐participating farmers. Our results show that participating farmers are more aware of the potential of rangeland restoration and are more motivated to engage in further collaboration, when compared with non‐participating farmers. Nevertheless, our results indicate that, despite extensive areas of degraded land already successfully treated within the restoration programme, the programme has not facilitated other anticipated attitudinal and behavioural changes among its participants as expected. Furthermore, it seems that the direct incentives provided by the programme are pushing participating farmers towards favouring agronomic instead of ecological approaches in their restoration activities, when compared with the non‐participating farmers. Our results also point to several organizational errors embedded in the programme management that might be halting its further progress. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


History holds important insights for political scientists concerned with contemporary international development issues. Michael E. Latham and Nick Cullather's recent historical accounts of US foreign policy toward developing countries provide excellent examples of the significance of understanding the past in order to interpret the present. Both books highlight the ways in which strategic concerns of the US government during the Cold War shaped its international aid policies.


Background: Bhutan is a mountainous country with 31% urban population. There is no information on prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in Bhutan yet. This was the first study of its kind conducted in the capital city. Objective: To determine prevalence of diabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and hypertension in urban Bhutanese population aged 25 to 74 years. Materials and Methods: Stratified two-stage sampling was adopted to include 2474 respondents (Males: 1132, Females: 1342) equally distributed among different age and sex groups. A questionnaire containing demographic, educational and social details and history of diabetes and hypertension was administered on the sampled population the previous evening and blood pressure measured the next morning in nearby camp where fasting blood samples were collected and an oral glucose tolerance test done. Results: Age and sex standardized prevalence of diabetes, IGT and IFG were 8.2.0, 21.6 and 4%, respectively. Only 66.5% of the population had normal blood sugar. Prevalence of diabetes and IGT increased progressively with increasing age. Prevalence of hypertension was 26% (Males: 28.3%, Females: 23.2%). It was observed that 54.1% of diabetes population had hypertension. Conclusion: The study shows that not only is prevalence of diabetes and hypertension high in the urban Bhutanese but also there is a high diagnosis and treatment gap in these disorders.


Abstract Background Progressive renal insufficiency is frequent in heart failure patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The optimal strategy for long-term dialysis in LVAD patients and its effect on quality-of-life in these patients remain to be determined. Case summary Our 55-year-old patient with pre-existing renal insufficiency received an LVAD as destination therapy because of advanced ischaemic heart failure. Six years after implantation, he developed end-stage renal disease for which peritoneal dialysis (PD) was initiated. Left ventricular assist device flow alterations during ultrafiltration did not cause clinical or technical problems. The patient's exercise capacity increased and quality-of-life improved. Over 7.5 years after LVAD implantation and 16 months after PD initiation, he died from encephalitis. Discussion Despite initial improvement, renal function often gradually decreases after LVAD implantation. Data on long-term renal replacement therapy in LVAD patients are limited. Haemodialysis is most commonly applied. Conceptually, however, PD has advantages over haemodialysis including less bloodstream infections, less haemodynamic shifts, and the comfort of the ambulant setting. This case illustrates that PD in an LVAD patient is feasible and improves quality-of-life. Key factors contributing to successful PD in LVAD patients may be a good right ventricular function and close cardiology–nephrology collaboration.


Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by the expansion of a polymorphic (CAG)(n) tract, which is translated into an expanded polyglutamine tract in the ataxin-2 protein. Although repeat length and age at disease onset are inversely related, approximately 50% of the age at onset variance in SCA2 remains unexplained. Other familial factors have been proposed to account for at least part of this remaining variance in the polyglutamine dis-orders. The ability of polyglutamine tracts to interact with each other, as well as the presence of intra-nuclear inclusions in other polyglutamine disorders, led us to hypothesize that other CAG-containing proteins may interact with expanded ataxin-2 and affect the rate of protein accumulation, and thus influence age at onset. To test this hypothesis, we used step-wise multiple linear regression to examine 10 CAG-containing genes for possible influences on SCA2 age at onset. One locus, RAI1, contributed an additional 4.1% of the variance in SCA2 age at onset after accounting for the effect of the SCA2 expanded repeat. This locus was further studied in SCA3/Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), but did not have an effect on SCA3/MJD age at onset. This result implicates RAI1 as a possible contributor to SCA2 neurodegeneration and raises the possibility that other CAG-containing proteins may play a role in the pathogenesis of other polyglutamine disorders.


Robert St. Clair's study of Rimbaud's early verse is erudite, wide-ranging in argumentation, and sensitive to the intricacies of poetry's expressivity. Homage is soundly paid to Ross Chambers, who was steadfast to the end with exhortations to "be brave and be strong" (viii). Four main chapters—categorized as "Departures," "Diagnostic," "Prognosis," and "Anamnesis"—revolve around "unabashedly 'close' readings of French verse" (14) that focus on bodily materiality as an inspiration for revolutionary poetic expression. Paramount importance is afforded to a single poem in each portion of the analysis: "Sensation" for "Natural Bodies"; "Les effarés" for "Impoverished Bodies"; "Au Cabaret-vert, cinq heures du soir" for "Happy Bodies"; "Le forgeron" for "Revolting Bodies." Hundreds of expansive footnotes bear out the depth of an undertaking pertaining to "History producing form as a kind of poetic upheaval within the body of language that is a poem" (17). Akin to discussions of Rimbaud's ecosensitivity in ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment (2015) and French Ecocriticism (2017), Chapter 1 elucidates an ecopoetics linked to "the body's weave within the world" (51), as the youthful poet touches on the complex interconnectedness of human and more-than-human being. In Chapter 2, the disfiguring forces of poverty around the time of the Paris Commune are shown to have spurred Rimbaud's concern for social justice to the point of him rebuking "the 'ogre industriel' that 'eats the poor alive' with no regard for age or social station, and that transforms necessary labor [...] into a grinding source of alienation, if not an objective form of violence subtending social relations" (112–13). Chapter 3 illustrates not only how Rimbaud envisages triviality and a go-slow attitude as counterpoints to an unequal distribution of power, but also how "the stylistic signature of his verse in the 1870–71 corpus often resides in its innovative riffs on and radicalizations of poetic resources and practices—such as the semantic investment of enjambment, [and] the use of noncanonical rhyme schemes in sonnets" (131). A distinctive sense of politically oriented poésie-voyante emerges in Chapter 4, which deals with "Rimbaud, like Hugo if more dramatically, navigat[ing] between breaking and respecting the rules of the poetic game in order to democratize the space of the lyric" (194). Concluding remarks about "Other Bodies" dwell on "L'idole—Le sonnet du trou du cul" as a Rimbaud-Verlaine coproduction, in conjunction with the iterations of Fantin-Latour's Coin de table from 1872–73. As in the case of the human-filled version of the painting, the lovers' handling of each other's style in the sonnet is evocative of "poetry as a [...] practice carried out both with and against other poets, and whose contexts and circumstances play, along with these relationships, a crucial role in their intelligibility" (222). The sixteen-page bibliography and seven-page index succeed in pointing up key scholarship by the likes of Steve Murphy and Seth Whidden within a dense field that still has plenty of scope to be enriched through pioneering approaches such as St. Clair's. DANIEL A. FINCH-RACE Center for the Humanities and Social Change, Università Ca' Foscari, Venice


Introduction: The purpose of this experiment is to examine the effect of different oligosaccharides with proven prebiotic effects on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and the antioxidant protection of erythrocytes in vitro under conditions of hyperglycemia. Materials and methods: This experiment included 10 healthy men (27±3 years of age). The isolated erythrocytes were treated with 1% and 5% solutions of the following oligosaccharides: lactulose, inulin, galactooligosaccharide and fructooligosaccharide in the presence of 5mM, 50mM and 100mM glucose. After incubation, for 2 hours at 37 °C, the erythrocytes were lysed, and the supernatant was used for analyses of lactate dehydrogenase, hexokinase and glutathione reductase. FRAP (Ferric reducing antioxidant power) method was used for determining the total antioxidant activity of erythrocytes. Results: Lactate dehydrogenase was decreased in the presence of 5% lactulose in groups with 50mM and 100 mM Glc. An increase in the activity of glutathione reductase under severe hyperglycemia (100mM glucose) was observed after treatment with: 1% lactulose, 1% inulin, 1% galactooligosaccharide, 1% and 5% fructooligosaccharides (p<0.005). A significant difference in the enzymatic activity of hexokinase was found in all groups (p<0.05) and of glutathione reductase only in the control group as well as in the groups treated with 1% lactulose, 1% galactooligosaccharide, 1% and 5% fructooligosaccharides. Conclusions: Galactooligosaccharides 1% and fructooligosaccharides 1% and 5% cause a statistically significant increase of the enzymatic activities of hexokinase and glutathione reductase in in vitro hyperglycemia induced by 100 mM glucose, as well as an increase in FRAP.


Perceptually accurate representation of audio objects obtained from multi-track audio signals is desired for applications such as interactive soundfield rendering and browsing. Presented in this work is a scalable psychoacoustic analysis-by-synthesis approach to extract the perceptually dominant time-frequency audio objects from a multi-track audio signal. The proposed compression framework exploits sparsity in the perceptual time-frequency domain where up to eight audio objects can be efficiently encoded using only two audio mixtures with side information representing the origin of the time-frequency instances in the mixture signals. The proposed approach, judged by both objective and subjective tests, results in superior audio quality compared to existing techniques when encoding more than 5 audio objects.