Objective: to evaluate the structural and functional state of the right cardiac cavities in acute left ventricular myocardial infarction and in progressive chronic heart failure (CHF) in patients with coronary heart disease. Materials and methods. 20 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 48 with postinfarct cardiosclerosis with NYHA functional classes I to IV CHF were examined. The structural and functional state of the right heart was evalQ uated in progressive left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction by echocardiography. Results. In the acute period of infarction, remodeling processes occur in the left ventricle, with normal postload values, volumetric indices and right ventricular contractility are in the normal range. There is right cardiac dilatation at the early stage of left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction in postinfarct remodeling and evolving CHF, normal pulmonary arteriQ al and right atrial pressures. With a significant reduction in left ventricular contractility and its pronounced filling impairment, increases in postQ and preload for the right ventricle occur with a just considerable change in its strucQ tural and functional state. Conclusion. In impaired myocardial relaxation in the presence of CHF, remodeling of the right cardiac cavities takes place without the influence of a hemodynamic factor. There is a close relationship of remodeling of both ventricles from the very early CHF stages, which suggests that there are common pathogenetic


Development of an effective vaccine against HIV-1 will likely require the induction of a broad array of immune responses, including virus-specific CTLs and neutralizing antibodies. One promising vaccine approach involves live recombinant canarypox (CP)-based vectors (ALVAC) containing multiple HIV-1 genes. In phase I clinical trials in HIV-1-seronegative volunteers, the cumulative rate of detection of HIV-1-specific CTLs has been as high as 60-70%. In the present study, the factors associated with CTL responsiveness were evaluated in a subset of vaccinees immunized with a CP vector expressing portions of the gag, pro, and env genes of HIV-1 (ALVAC-HIV). CTL responses were detected in one of seven examined. While the responding individual had both CD4+ and CD8+ CTLs directed at multiple HIV-1 antigens, this response was not detectable 1 year after the last vaccination. In-depth characterization of "CTL nonresponders" showed that nonresponsiveness was not associated with defects in antigen processing or presentation. A generalized defect in CTL responsiveness was ruled out by parallel assays to detect CMV-specific CTLs from these same volunteers. Furthermore, HIV-1-specific memory CTLs were not detectable by peptide stimulation or by a novel technique for flow cytometric visualization of Gag epitope-specific T lymphocytes while HIV-1-seropositive donors frequently had 0.1-3% of CD8+ cells stain positively for this epitope (SLYNTVATL). Taken together, these results suggest that the lack of detectable HIV-1 CTLs in these volunteers was not due to classic MHC-linked nonresponsiveness.


Six cultivars of maize (Zea mays L.) (Ada-523, Bora, C-955, PR 3394, Progen-1550 and Trebbia) were subjected to 0 and 100 mM NaCl and their response to salt stress were determined by growths related to relative shoot growth weight (RSGR), shoot and root dry weight and stress tolerance index by biochemical parameters associated with total chlorophyll and proline contents and by mineral element contents such as Na + and K + contents and K + \Na + ratio. Cultivars were grown in greenhouse in perlit supplied with a complete nutrient solution and salt treatment started 14 days after planting. The results indicate that salinity decreased RSGR, shoot and dry weight, stress tolerance index, total chlorophyll and K + contents and K + \Na + ratio, but increased proline and Na + accumulations. Especially, proline accumulation appears to react to salt stress damage rather than a plant response associated with salt tolerance. Another striking point is that the rates of increase in Na + content were higher in shoots than in roots. According to the results, salt tolerance index, Na + and K + contents are reliable criteria for preliminary selection in early growth stage of maize.


Introduction: Even as early as 1916 it was suggested that the nitric oxide is synthetized in the mammals. This nitric oxide, synthetized in the body, was responsible for vasodilation by the endothelium derived relaxing factors and also by the stimulation of the guanylyl cyclase. Inflammatory conditions increase the production of nitrates and nitrites which is seen in the response to endotoxin and is accompanied with nitrosamine formation. Nitric oxide, hence, has been thought to be the physiological messenger and is increases in the pathological processes. This present study was conducted to find the association between the urinary secretion of nitrates and the osteoarthritis. Design: A total of 200 patients coming to the hospital out of 100 were patients with osteoarthritis of the knee joint and 100 were randomly selected. All the patients were screened for the causes of secondary osteoarthritis. Urine sample from all the patients was obtained along with X-ray of bilateral knees was taken to assess the grade of osteoarthritis. The osteoarthritic patients were assigned Group A and the randomly chosen patients were assigned the Group B. Both groups were compared and the results were evaluated. Results: In group A there were 5 cases with urinary nitrate positive as compared to 4 cases with positive urinary nitrate in group B, which was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The current study clearly shows that there is no association between the urinary nitrate levels and OA.


Data processing is an important step in various natural language processing tasks. As the commonly used datasets in named entity recognition contain only a limited number of samples, it is important to obtain additional labeled data in an efficient and reliable manner. A common practice is to utilize large monolingual unlabeled corpora. Another popular technique is to create synthetic data from the original labeled data (data augmentation). In this work, we investigate the impact of these two methods on the performance of three different named entity recognition tasks.


So far, the reception of the apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia has mainly focussed on the question whether divorced people who have remarried could, on certain conditions, be allowed to take part in the Eucharist. This article shows that this conflict is merely a symptom of a fundamental paradigm shift in the church's speaking about marriage and sexuality. This paradigm shift started as early as the Second Vatican Council and is reaffirmed and developed by pope Francis, for the new approach of an ethics of love with its liberal approach of sexuality has yet to fully be established in the Roman-Catholic Church. Therefore, Amoris laetitia can be regarded as a transitionary document. At the same time, this letter is important to more than just the debate on divorced people who have remarried. The basic condition of love is its central focus. This might even mean that the church's and theology's speaking about marriage and sexuality could contribute meaningfully to secularised society. But Amoris laetitia also has consequences within the church. There, the pope argues for synodality and decentralisation in the worldwide community of faith, and for a pastoral approach to the church's doctrinal authority. That much was already clear even when he was still writing the exhortation. He also uses Amoris laetitia to point to the importance of a dynamic inculturation of Christian faith and the conscience and moral autonomy of people. Moreover, he explicitly appreciates the erotic aspects of physical love. Because of these aspects, his letter could also form an inspiration for partnership outside marriage or between homosexual partners. At the same time, doctrinal authority can only accept the sexual union in marriages between women and men, despite the actual situation. As a result, there is still tension between the church's doctrines and the experience of many late modern people, despite Amoris laetitia.


ABSTRACT The Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) commonly breeds along coastal beaches and major interior rivers of North America and the Caribbean. Least Terns have been observed in Hawai'i since the 1970s; however, few breeding attempts have been documented. Nests have been discovered on the northwestern Hawaiian island of Midway Atoll and the southeastern Hawaiian island of Hawai'i. While nesting is thought to also occur on the islands of O'ahu and French Frigate Shoals based on observations of juvenile Least Terns, no observations of nests had been recorded for these islands prior to this study. In this paper we describe 2 accounts of discovering Least Tern eggs in the Ki'i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on O'ahu, as well as several observations of breeding behavior in wetlands within the Pearl Harbor region of O'ahu.


The synthesis of a self-complementary oligonucleotide possessing an anthraquinonylmethyl substituent at the designated sugar fragment, 5'-CCU(2'AQ)AGCTAGG (1), is described. The anthraquinonylmethyl group was introduced to 2'-hydroxyl moiety of uridine, which was then converted to the protected phosphorobisdiethylamidite derivative. This reagent was used for the solid-phase synthesis of the modified oligonucleotide 1. The UV and CD melting behaviors indicate that the modified oligonucleotide 1 can form a duplex in aqueous buffer solution similar to the unmodified strand 5'-CCTAGCTAGG (7). The observed melting temperatures for the duplexes 1 and 7 were 57.4 and 40.0 degrees C, respectively. The temperature-dependent change in the intensity of the induced CD at around 335 nm reflected directly to the melting behaviors of duplex 1, indicating that the anthraquinone groups intercalate into the base pairs in the duplex. The intercalation-induced stability of the duplex translates into a free energy cost of 5.2 kcal/mol. The present work provides a novel method for enhancing the affinity of oligonucleotides for their complementary sequences.


We study the limiting behavior of Tr U^(k(n)), where U is an n x n random unitary matrix and k(n)is a natural number that may vary with n in an arbitrary way. Our analysis is based on the connection with Toeplitz determinants. The central observation of this paper is a strong Szego limit theorem for Toeplitz determinants associated to symbols depending on n in a particular way. As a consequence of this result, we find that for each fixed m Є N, the random variables TrU^(k_j(n))√min(k_j(n),n), j = 1,...,m, converge to independent standard complex normals.


Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! An affordable, readable, portable book for pediatricians, family practitioners, and house officers or students taking electives in pediatric hematology/oncology. Dr Lanzkowsky has combined the best of his two previous volumes into an updated manual. Dr Lanzkowsky's extensive clinical experience provides a cohesiveness to the presentation of the clinical problems. Greater space and detail are allotted to the common disorders and their uncommon presentations, while the rarer diagnoses are there, but considerably abridged. The reader will need to pursue zebras elsewhere. Each chapter includes the little "how to's" so necessary to a prompt diagnosis. Of necessity the manual is chock-full of tables and graphs to guide the reader to the correct diagnosis. After arriving at a diagnosis, however, the physician will need other sources for the latest molecular biological information, ie, this is not the text that explains on which band of what autosome a dominant hereditary trait


The variable-length azacrown ether bridging ligand N,N′-bis(3-pyridyl-methyl)diaza-18-crown-6 (b3pmdc) was reacted with cuprous iodide to give a range of new discrete and polymeric coordination compounds. Six structurally diverse CuI(b3pmdc) architectures were isolated, as well as a single oxidized CuII(b3pmdc) species. These include the helical one-dimensional (1D) chain [H4b3pmdc][Cu10I14]·CHCl3·2H2O (1), the luminescent linear cluster chain [Cu4I6(H2b3pmdc)] (2), the guest water containing network [Cu4I4(Hb3pmdc)2](1.5ClO4)(0.5I3)·3.5H2O·2.5MeOH (3), the luminescent cubane cluster chain [Cu4I4(b3pmdc)2] (4), the three-dimensional (3D) net [Cu9I12(Kb3pmdc)3(H2O)4]·9MeOH (5), the dinuclear mixed halide [Cu2Cl3.4I2.6(H4b3pmdc)] (6), and the cupric 1D chain [CuCl2(H2b3pmdc)(MeOH)2]·2Cl·2MeCN (7). Manipulation of the ligand conformation was achieved by the addition of the alkali metal salt potassium and by varying the pH of the solution with a range of acids (HCl, HClO4). In the case of 2 and 4, green and y...


We are constantly exposed to multiple visual scenes, and while freely viewing them without an intentional effort to memorize or encode them, only some are remembered. It has been suggested that image memorability is influenced by multiple factors as depth of processing (1–3), familiarity (4), and visual category (5–7). However, this is typically investigated with intentional (8, 9) or unintentional (10, 11) encoding tasks. Furthermore, since visual memory relies on size-invariant visual perception (12–14), image size is not considered a contributing factor. Here we reasoned that during naturalistic free viewing of images without an encoding task, bigger images would be better remembered due to multiple factors (as vaster expanse of activated visual cortex (15, 16), deeper processing). In an extensive set of experiments participants (n=117) freely viewed small to large images (3°-24°) without any encoding task. Subsequently, they were presented with mid-sized images (50% already seen) and were asked to report if they recall seeing them or not. Larger images were better remembered (~23% more than smaller images), image memorability was proportional to image size, faces were better remembered, and outdoors the least. These were independent of image set, presentation order, or screen resolution. While multiple factors affect image memorability (1–7), here we show that during free viewing with no encoding task, a basic physical image dimension influences its memorability.


The value of xeroradiography and of high-resolution ultrasonography was compared on minute samples of foreign bodies of various radiographic density (wood, plastic, metallic wires and needles, glass, fish bones). The samples were introduced into pieces of veal meat at different angles with respect to the surface. Xeroradiographic images were taken at 60 kVp, with 32 mAs, and were developed in both positive and negative mode. The echographic examinations were performed using a real-time sector 10 MHz probe placed directly over the specimen, with constant gain rates. The results confirm the value of xeroradiography and demonstrate the effectiveness of high-resolution ultrasonography for the detection of minute foreign bodies. Some materials showed a peculiar echographic pattern, like sand, that corresponded to a frank acoustic shadow, or like metal and glass, showing a comet tail of reverberation artifacts. Wood and fish bones were well outlined, while plastic was less effectively represented. High-resolution ultrasonography is considered to be a first-line technique in searching for many kinds of minute foreign bodies, to be used in combination with xeroradiography in routine clinical examination.


This study was designed to investigate the influence of vermicompost (VC) on trace metals distribution and uptake in soil and rice plant in research field as split plot arrangement based on randomized complete block design with three replications in 2008. Main-plot was VC and chemical fertilizer (CF) that were added to soil in 6 levels (20 and 40 ton/ha VC, 20 and 40 ton/ha VC + 1/2 CF, CF and control). Application years considered as sub-plot comprised 1, 2 and 3 years. The results indicated that fertilizers and application periods treatments influenced micronutrients in soil and rice. Available copper (Cu) had no significant difference under different treatments. The highest available iron (Fe) was found in the 40 ton treatment group. During the 3 years, application of 20 ton and enriched 40 ton gave the most available zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). In VC and enriched VC, treatments happened to give the highest Zn uptake by rice. Under the 3 years, application of 40 ton/ha VC, the highest Fe (91.19 ppm) and Cu (13.66 ppm) concentration was seen in flag leaf, while Fe (31.35 ppm) and Mn (27.56 ppm) was seen in grain. With the application of enriched 20 ton VC, the maximum uptake of Mn by flag leaf and Cu by grain was obtained.


The bovine tuberculosis is a zoonotic disease with importance to the public health. The post mortem identification and its fast and accurate diagnosis combined with the epidemiology knowledge are essential to fight against the advance of this disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to perform the diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovis, by molecular detection and also by histopathologic lesion characterization and identification of acid-fast bacilli (AFB), seeking to compare them. During slaughter of cattle in slaughter plants, under Federal Inspection Service in Sao Paulo State, were collected and identified, in duplicate, tissue samples with suggestive lesions of tuberculosis. One of the samples was intended for histopathology, being performed the hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining for lesion characterization and the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining to identification the AFB. The other sample was separated to the molecular diagnosis, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and nested PCR. The bacterial DNA present in the lesion was extracted and the PCR was performed, showing 20.84% (10/48) of positive samples. However, when the results were compared with more sensitive tests (nested PCR) and cheapest ones (histopathologycal characterization of lesions and the AFB identification), different results were found. When performing nested PCR in negative samples by conventional PCR (38/48), it was found more 18.74% (9/38) of positive samples resulting in 39.58% (19/48) of positive samples by molecular diagnosis from tissue lesions. However, histopathological characterization by hematoxylin-eosin resulted in 66.67% (32/48) of positive samples and the identification of AFB by Ziehl-Neelsen, 54.17% (26/48) of positive samples for bovine tuberculosis. The molecular tissue diagnosis from lesions is possible, but it should not be the only method used for bovine tuberculosis diagnosis.


The π → π* transitions of more than 100 organic dyes from the major classes of chromophores (quinones, diazo, ...) have been investigated using a Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) procedure relying on large atomic basis sets and the systematic modeling of solvent effects. These calculations have been performed with pure (PBE) as well as conventional (PBE0) and long-range (LR) corrected hybrid functionals (LC-PBE, LC-ωPBE, and CAM-B3LYP). The computed wavelengths are systematically guided by the percentage of exact exchange included at intermediate interelectronic distance, i.e., the λmax value always follows the PBE > PBE0 > CAM-B3LYP > LC-PBE > LC-ωPBE > HF sequence. The functional giving the best estimates of the experimental transition energies may vary, but PBE0 and CAM-B3LYP tend to outperform all other approaches. The latter functional is shown to be especially adequate to treat molecules with delocalized excited states. The mean absolute error provided by PBE0 is 22 nm (0.14 eV) with no deviation exceeding 100 nm (0.50 eV):  PBE0 is able to deliver reasonable estimates of the color of most organic dyes of practical or industrial interest. By using a calibration curve, we found that the LR functionals systematically allow an even more consistent description of the low-lying excited-state energies than the conventional hybrids. Indeed, linearly corrected LR approaches yield an average error of 10 nm for each dye family. Therefore, when such statistical treatments can be designed for given sets of dyes, a simple and rapid theoretical procedure allows both a chemically sound and a numerically accurate description of the absorption wavelengths.


Inter-radar interference will be a crucial problem when a number of frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radars are densely deployed in future, since it can cause miss detection and false detection of the target due to wideband interference and narrowband interference. One of the approaches to solve this problem is to introduce a multiple access technique for automotive radars, e.g. carrier sense multiple access used in wireless LAN to avoid packet collision. This study proposes multiple access FMCW radar which can avoid both narrow-band and wideband interference assuming all of the FMCW radars have the same design parameters. It also, proposes a carrier sense technique as a key technique for multiple access FMCW radar and evaluates the carrier sense performance by computer simulations.


Background Although psychological interventions for stress relief, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), have been developed, they have not been widely used in treating depression. The use of mobile devices can increase the possibility of actual use by integrating interventions and reducing the difficulty and cost burden of treatment application. This study aims to determine whether "inMind," an integrated mobile application for stress reduction, developed for the general population, decreases stress for patients with mild to moderate major depressive disorder during the pharmacological treatment period. Methods This study is a single-blind, multicenter, randomized, controlled crossover trial. The App, developed in Republic of Korea, provides integrated interventions for stress reduction for the general population through three modules based on mindfulness-based stress reduction, cognitive behavior therapy, and relaxation sounds that are known to be effective in stress reduction ("meditation," "cognitive approach," and "relaxation sounds," respectively). Participants (n = 215) recruited via medical practitioner referral will be randomized to an App first group (fAPP) or a wait list crossover group (dAPP). The study will be conducted over 8 weeks; the fAPP group will use the App for the first 4 weeks and the dAPP group for the next 4 weeks. During all study periods, participants will receive their usual pharmacological treatment. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 is the primary outcome measure. The analysis will employ repeated measurements using a mixed-model approach. Discussion The App can potentially be an important addition to depression treatment because of its applicability and the comprehensive nature of the interventions that covers diverse stress-relieving models. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05312203, identifier 2021GR0585.


We prove that there is a natural injective correspondence between the maximal ideals of the ring of analytic functions on a real analytic set X and those of its subring of bounded analytic functions. By describing the maximal ideals in terms of ultrafilters we see that this correspondence is surjective if and only if X is compact. This approach is also useful for studying the orderings of the.field of meromorphic functions on X.


This report describes a set of tools developed to help define an efficient computer architecture for executing Prologt programs. These tools decompose Prolog source code into basic register-transfer level operations compact these operations into more complex instructions while enforcing various architectural limits within the processor, and simulate and gather statistics on the resulting programs. This report also describes a group of Prolog benchmarks that have been analyzed by this set of tools, and presents some necessary features of an efficient Prolog architecture that were revealed by the analysis of these benchmarks.


This paper investigates adaptive fuzzy neural network (NN) control using impedance learning for a constrained robot, subject to unknown system dynamics, the effect of state constraints, and the uncertain compliant environment with which the robot comes into contact. A fuzzy NN learning algorithm is developed to identify the uncertain plant model. The prominent feature of the fuzzy NN is that there is no need to get the prior knowledge about the uncertainty and a sufficient amount of observed data. Also, impedance learning is introduced to tackle the interaction between the robot and its environment, so that the robot follows a desired destination generated by impedance learning. A barrier Lyapunov function is used to address the effect of state constraints. With the proposed control, the stability of the closed-loop system is achieved via Lyapunov's stability theory, and the tracking performance is guaranteed under the condition of state constraints and uncertainty. Some simulation studies are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.


Maternal effects can have an adaptive value if they improve the performance of offspring. As such, the transfer of maternal testosterone (T) to the eggs has been suggested as a mechanism for adaptive maternal control of offspring phenotype in birds, although recent studies have shown negative effects of testosterone on hatching rate and chick survival. Here, we experimentally investigated whether socially stressful conditions experienced by female house sparrows during egg laying affected their circulating levels of androgens and the amount transferred to the eggs. Social stress was simulated by the intrusion of a foreign male placed near the nest box during the egg-laying sequence. We found that (1) both female and yolk testosterone titres were positively related to breeding density; (2) yolk testosterone was negatively correlated with maternal testosterone; (3) yolk testosterone was positively correlated with the behavioural response of females towards the intruder and (4) the interaction between social intrusion and breeding density affected the amount of testosterone transferred to the eggs. Altogether, our results suggest that females may be able to modulate the amount of testosterone they allocate to their eggs according to the social environment they experience during egg laying.


This paper develops and tests the argument that industrialized countries pursue an agenda of strategic development in their relations with developing countries. In an increasingly interdependent world, wealthy states have an interest in promoting development abroad. This leads them to focus on development, but disproportionately in the poorer states where the benefit from development to the wealthy states is higher. Hypotheses are tested in the area of foreign aid, where evidence is found that donors alter the composition of aid across recipients to account for different levels of government capacity to use aid for development, but also increase the volume of aid flows to developing countries with which they have strong existing connections. The attention to government capacity is new, suggesting that in an interdependent world relations between industrialized and developing countries have evolved, with development promotion becoming an important, strategic goal for industrialized states.


The roots of intense language controversies in South Asia (comprising Pakistan, India, Bangla Desh, and Sri Lanka) can be found in the 'schizophrenic' handling of education by the British rulers. Various 'native' pressure groups championing the cause of different languages were mobilized during the nineteenth century largely due to the rulers' policies of arbitrarily distributing favors or prejudices through language concessions or constraints (awarding or withdrawing recognition to one or another vernacular or writing system), to bring some order into the 'chaotic' diversity, or at times to serve imperial interests. Various instant, but often vacillating, decisions with regard to language education on the part of British rulers played a vital role in shaking the traditional fluid modes of language loyalty in South Asia. The great debate about language policies among colonial administrators and the 'native' elite for over a century has left a deep imprint on contemporary language ideologies of different nations in the subcontinent (Das Gupta 1970; Khubchandani 1971, 1973c).


Introduction: Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is a well known condition, characterized by pain over the tibial tubercle with subsequent tubercle prominence. Avulsion fracture following OSD is a rare complication. We report an unusual case of simultaneous bilateral tibial tubercle avulsion fracture in a 16 year old boy who was a known case of OSD. Case presentation: A 16 year old boy a known case of OSD presented to the outpatient department with history of jumping from the school compound wall (two feet height) while playing, followed by severe pain around anterior aspect of both knees and difficulty in walking. Radiographs showed bilateral tibial tubercle avulsion fracture. He was treated successfully with open reduction and internal fixation with tension band wiring. At the end of 22 months the patient was symptomatically relieved and both the tuberosities were united with the main bone. Conclusion: Even though bilateral Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is a well known condition, one should always keep in mind the risk of tibial tubercle avulsion fractures while treating a case of OSD. Patient should be advised not to involve in strenuous activities till the disease subsides radiologically or till skeletal maturity.


CLINICAL TRIALS of tricyclic antidepressants have shown efficacy for both chronic headaches and neuropathic pain.' The tricyclic antidepressants useful for chronic pain block the neuronal reuptake of both serotonin and norepi-nephrine. Serotonin-selective reuptake-inhibitor antidepressants have shown little or no efficacy when compared with placebo or tricyclic antidepressant use for neuropathic pain.2 Unfortunately, the use of these drugs for chronic pain is limited by numerous side effects such as sedation, cognitive impairment, orthostatic hypotension, cardiac conduction abnormalities, dry mouth, and consti-pation. Many of these effects are due to the affinity of tricyclic antidepressants for the muscarinic-cholinergic, histaminic, and ot1-adrenergic receptors. Venlafaxine hydrochloride is a new antidepressant medication that, like the tricyclic antidepressants, inhibits the neuronal reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine.3 Venlafaxine does not bind to muscarinic-cholinergic, histaminic, and


This article reviews recent developments in use of microbial enzymes for clinical analysis and new trends in production of the enzymes by use of genetic engineering techniques. The increased availability of microbial enzymes has led to many analytical applications in the areas of clinical chemistry. Especially during the last decade enzymatic assays have rapidly spred in clinical laboratories through efforts of the search of useful enzymes. The applications of cholesterol oxidase to the determination of serum cholesterol showed that the enzymatic method was more specific, precise and sensitive than the chemical method. This success stimulated developments and adoptions of other enzymatic assays for triglycerides, phospholipids and free fatty acids. The principle of enzymatic methods are mainly based on either the colorimetric assay of hydrogen peroxide formed during the reaction by oxidase or the spectrophotometric determination of the change of NAD (P) linked with dehydrogenase. Whether the enzymatic method can prove its worth or not depends on properties of microbial enzymes used in the assay. The enzymes have to be equipped with enough qualifications in specificity, affinity, optimum pH and stability. The advance in gene-splicing technology made it possible to produce microbial enzymes at high levels and the cloned N-acetylneuraminate lyase has become the first enzyme to be used in clinical laboratories. Protein engineering also gives us possibilities that properties of the enzymes are improved to be more suitable for clinical analysis.


1 Williams BT. Life sustaining technology: making the decisions. BrMedJ 1989;298:978. (15 April.) 2 Jennett B. Decisions to limit treatment. Lancet 1987;ii:787-9. 3 Age Concern Institute of Gerontology and Centre of Medical Law and Ethics, King's College, London. The living will. London: Edward Arnold, 1988. 4 Barlow P. Audit of mortality in a neurosurgical unit. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry (in press). 5 Working Party of British M\edical Association. The euthanasia report. London: British Medical Association, 1988. 6 Higgs R. Not the last word on euthanasia. Br Med J 1988;2%: 1348. 7 Gillon R. Euthanasia, withholding life-prolonging treatment, and moral differences between killing and letting die. J Med Ethics 1988;14:115-7. 8 Stanley JM, Abrams FR. The Appleton consensus: international guidelines for decisions to forgo medical treatment. Journal of the Danish Medical Association 1989;March:700-6.


The solidification microstructure and crystal orientation have been investigated for solar cell grade high purity multicrystal silicon through a unidirectional solidification technique. The mechanism of the twin growth on a reentrant corner has been also discussed. A columnar structure is observed at solidification velocities of 1.25–30 μm/s and positive temperature gradient of 20 K/cm in the rod-like silicon specimens in an electric resistance furnace. In the solidification velocity range of 1.25–2.5 μm/s, the grain size enlarges as solidification progresses. Furthermore, large columnar grains contain many twin boundaries. However, the average grain size decreases as the solidification velocity increases and above the critical velocity around 40 μm/s, equiaxed structure appears at the central part of specimens. Therefore, molten silicon must be solidified at the velocity below 2.5 μm/s where twins are always introduced into grains to obtain large columnar crystal grains. The undercooling for directional growth is less than 4 K in the solidification velocity range of 1.25–30 μm/s. A model of two-dimensional nucleation on the reentrant corner was established, and the critical nucleus could be estimated to be 70 to 80% of the radius of the general two-dimensional nucleus. The nucleation undercooling on the surface containing twins also decreased to 70% of the general undercooling. The reduction of the critical radius and undercooling on the reentrant corner could eventually influence on the priority growth direction and the enlargement of the grain size.


Background. Severe fractures of the shin bones are often accompanied by the formation of defects in the tibia, suppuration and soft tissue necrosis. In the case of surgical treatment of fractures, infectious complications reach 3.6-9.1%. One of the methods of treatment of infected defects is resection of the ends of the tibia with shortening. This operation has proven to be effective in the treatment of fresh fractures. The relevance of the work is due to the prospects of using this technique in the treatment of the consequences of fractures with the formation of infected defects of the tibia.Aim of the study. Improving the results of treatment of patients with post-traumatic defects of the tibia complicated by osteomyelitis by performing a shortening resection with simultaneous or sequential correction of the segment length.Material and methods. The results of treatment of 65 patients with diaphyseal post-traumatic tibial defects complicated by osteomyelitis were analysed. They were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 was formed by 31 (47.7%) patients, they underwent shortening resection of the ends of bone fragments in the defect zone with simultaneous lengthening at another level. Group 2 included 34 (52.3%) patients who underwent a shortening resection of the tibia without lengthening. In all cases, the Ilizarov apparatus was used as a fixator.Results. The technique for assessing the size of the true defect of the tibia was optimized taking into account the initial shortening of the segment and the distance between the proximal and distal fragments after resection of their ends. A treatment regimen was developed depending on the level of localization of the tibial defect, and the results of treatment of patients in the compared groups were assessed.Conclusion. Shortening resection is an effective treatment for patients with post-traumatic tibial defects complicated by osteomyelitis. Depending on the level of localization of the defect, it is advisable to carry out treatment according to one of two possible options. When the defect is localized in the upper and middle third of the tibia, shortening resection in an isolated form is shown. If the defect is localized in the lower third of the tibia, it is possible to supplement the shortening resection with an osteotomy in the upper third with Ilizarov lengthening.


In recent years, many types of Tobit models have been suggested and various estimation methods proposed [see the survey by Amemiya (1981, 1984)]. However, little attention is given to the finite sample properties of the various estimators. This paper examines the small sample properties of some of the estimators of the Tobit model. These estimators include, among others, the Heckman's two-step estimator (H2S), the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) and two nonlinear least squares estimators. Further, a three-step estimator (35E) and its weighted version, a weighted three-step estimator (W3SE), are also suggested and investigated. The paper investigates the effects of sample size, degree (level) of censoring and error distribution on the properties of the estimators. Under normally distributed error terms, the MLE estimator performed better than all estimators, followed by the 3SE estimator. However, both the MLE and 3SE estimators appear to be .sensitive for skewed @hi-square) distributed error terms. On the other hand, given a low level of censoring, the MLE estimator performs well under the student's-t distribution. If the degree of censoring is high, the MLE estimates under the student's-t distribution can be less efficient than the 3SE estimator. The H2S estimator, although less efficient compared to 3SE or MLE estimators in all cases, seems to perform well, given low levels of censoring. However, the H2S estimator can be misleading if used for hypothesis testing and confidence intervals even for large sample sizes and low degrees of censoring.


Abstract Rationale Inflammation is present in several conditions associated with risk of venous thromboembolism. The gut microbiome might be a source of systemic inflammation and activation of coagulation, by translocation of lipopolysaccharides from gram-negative bacteria to the systemic circulation. Objective To investigate whether a vancomycin-induced shift of the gut microbiome in a gram-negative direction influences systemic inflammation and plasma factor (F) VIII procoagulant activity (FVIII:C). Methods and Results We performed a randomized controlled trial including 43 healthy volunteers aged 19 to 37 years. Twenty-one were randomized to 7 days of oral vancomycin intake and 22 served as controls. Feces and blood were sampled at baseline, the day after the end of intervention, and 3 weeks after intervention. Gut microbiome composition was assessed by amplicon sequencing. FVIII:C was measured using an activated partial thromboplastin time-based assay, cytokines were measured using multiplex technology, complement activation was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) was measured by an immunoturbidimetric assay. Vancomycin intake reduced gut microbiome diversity and increased the abundance of gram-negative bacteria. Change in FVIII:C in the intervention group was +4 IU/dL versus −6 IU/dL (p = 0.01) in the control group. A similar change was observed for log-transformed CRP (+0.21 mg/dL vs. −0.25 mg/dL, p = 0.04). The cytokines and complement activation markers remained similar in the two groups. Conclusion The found slight increases in FVIII:C and CRP levels might support the hypothesis that a vancomycin-induced gram-negative shift in the gut microbiome could induce increased systemic inflammation and thereby a procoagulant state.


We study the Sparse Plus Low-Rank decomposition problem (SLR), which is the problem of decomposing a corrupted data matrix into a sparse matrix of perturbations plus a low-rank matrix containing the ground truth. SLR is a fundamental problem in Operations Research and Machine Learning which arises in various applications, including data compression, latent semantic indexing, collaborative filtering, and medical imaging. We introduce a novel formulation for SLR that directly models its underlying discreteness. For this formulation, we develop an alternating minimization heuristic that computes high-quality solutions and a novel semidefinite relaxation that provides meaningful bounds for the solutions returned by our heuristic. We also develop a custom branch-and-bound algorithm that leverages our heuristic and convex relaxations to solve small instances of SLR to certifiable (near) optimality. Given an input $n$-by-$n$ matrix, our heuristic scales to solve instances where $n=10000$ in minutes, our relaxation scales to instances where $n=200$ in hours, and our branch-and-bound algorithm scales to instances where $n=25$ in minutes. Our numerical results demonstrate that our approach outperforms existing state-of-the-art approaches in terms of rank, sparsity, and mean-square error while maintaining a comparable runtime.


The University of Pecs has 9 faculties, nearly 28 thousand students and 1,500 professors. Its capacity to offer the complete range of domestic higher education possibilities with its 9 faculties provides the unique cultural positions of the University. The development of the IT network that operates at the Pecs premises of the institution began in 1991 and is subject to continuous improvement and expansion. The presentation will introduce the development targets, the quantitative data, the characteristics of Internet and Network use as well as the current and planned future changes of resource stocks in laboratories.
In the year 2000, all Nobel prizes were granted to scientists who excelled in the development of new tools to be used in the digital, so-called ICT systems and the elaboration of new, computerised economic methods. The EU is funding €100 million worth of developments in this field. Inspired by the completion of IDP and efforts made by the Ministry of Education in the field, the leadership of UP decided to deal with the radical restructuring and improvement of the informatics system along with IT courses and applications. The presentation will elaborate on the strategy of IT education, the SWOT analysis, training targets, organisational changes, consolidations of the subject, financial sources and the expected results of the development planned.


We report a case of subcutaneous emphysema following multiple attempts to cannulate both subclavian veins for pacemaker insertion. Initial bilateral pneumothoraces were complicated by subcutaneous emphysema which became so severe that respiration and cardiac output became seriously impaired. The insertion of a single large bore subcutaneous drain produced a dramatic improvement. The aetiology, complications and management of tension subcutaneous emphysema are discussed.


Robust control and flexible operation are the major objectives of islanded microgrid. A microgrid can have different configurations with linear loads and nonlinear loads. The harmonic current caused by nonlinear loads make Proportional Integral (PI) or Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) voltage controller far beyond excellent performance in case of microgrid operating in islanded mode. Additionally, the robustness of the PID closed loop system can not be guaranteed. The voltage control by using Proportional resonant (PR) controller are recommended. Although PR controller has the ability to sinusoidal signals. However, PR controller has a slight deviation of the frequency of selected harmonic component. This paper presents a Sliding Mode Control (SMC) for voltage control of parallel inverters operating in islanded microgrid. This controller can enhance the robustness of control system and reduced-state tracking error. The stability of the closed-system is verified by means of Lyapunov stability criterion. The control structure is based on the inner sliding mode closed-loop and the outer droop control loop. The main aim of this paper is to design inner controllers to enhance the dynamics of the microgrid. The results obtained from the simulation of Matlab.


The paper presents advanced mission management system (MMS) for unmanned aerial vehicles, based on integrated modular avionics (IMA) architecture. IMA architecture enables the MMS to host high end functions for autonomous navigation and attack. MMS is a collection of systems to execute the mission objectives. The system constitutes mission computer (MC), sensors and other sub-systems. The MMS-MC needs to execute advanced algorithms like terrain referenced navigation, vision-aided navigation, automatic target recognition, sensor fusion, online path planning, and tactical planning for autonomy and safety. This demands high-end architecture in terms of hardware, software, and communication. The MMS-MC is designed to exploit the benefits of IMA concepts such as open system architecture, hardware and software architecture catering for portability, technology transparency, scalability, system reconfigurability and fault tolerance. This paper investigates on advanced navigation methods for augmenting INS with terrain-referenced navigation and vision-aided navigation during GPS non-availability. This paper also includes approach to implement these methods and simulation results are provided accordingly, and also discusses in a limited way, the approach for implementing online path planning. Defence Science Journal, Vol. 64, No. 5, September 2014, pp.438-444, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.64.5992


Background and aims Child overweight and obesity has increased globally every region of the world. Based on the evidence of 2014, 19.9% of children in the Russian Federation are overweight and about 5.7% are obese. The purpose of the study: To evaluate the effectiveness of the application of bioimpedance analysis of body composition to optimise recommendations for diet correction in children who are overweight or obese. Methods 82 children aged 5–18 years who were overweight or obese have been examined; 49 girls (59.8%) and 33 boys (40.2%). The component body composition was studied using bioimpedance analysis with the definition of the following parameters: body mass index (BMI), fat mass (FM) (as a percentage and in kg), lean body mass (LBM), active cell mass (ACM), specific (normalised for body surface area) basal metabolism, phase angle. The assessment of actual nutrition was made using a questionnaire (3 days), and a computer program for calculating the chemical composition of the diet. Results 19 children (23.2%) were overweight, 34 children (41.5%) had 1st degree obesity and 29 children (35.3%) had 2nd degree obesity (p<0.05). According to the bioimpedance analysis, all examined children had an excess of fat mass, and water retention in the body was revealed in 48 girls (58.5%) and 34 boys (41.5%). Active cell mass was reduced in 55 children out of 63 with 1st–2nd degree obesity and in 13 children out of 19 who were overweight. A decrease in phase angle was noted in all subjects, with reduced ACM, increased FM (both kg and percentage) and reduced specific basal metabolism, reflecting a state of hypodynamia in the children examined. After diet therapy, with food and water intake schedule observed, appetite-stimulating products eliminated and fasting days used, as well as additional measures such as an increase in physical activity, a change in eating behaviour and the keeping of a food diary, component body composition was repeatedly estimated over a period of 1 to 1.5 months. In 55 children (67.1%), body composition measurements showed positive signs. In 27 of the children (32.9%) who did not keep to a diet, the bioimpedance analysis indices remained unchanged. Conclusion The application of bioimpedance analysis of dynamics within the program of body weight correction provides an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of diet therapy in children who are overweight or obese.


The aim of this study was the development of a simple chromogenic factor VIII assay for practical clinical use. The criteria that the assay fulfils are: (1) The method is so sensitive that even 1% factor VIII in human plasma is easily detected. (2) The method is linear in the amount of factor VIII from 0 to 200% in plasma. (3) The pipetting scheme is very simple; two reagents are prepared, reagent 1 (factor IXa, thrombin, Ca2+ and phospholipids) and reagent 2 (factor X). Then we pipet at t = 0 s, 100 microliters diluted plasma + 100 microliters reagent 1 in a reaction tube; at t = 30 s, 100 microliters reagent 2 in the same tube and at t = 90 s, 200 microliters of the reaction mixture in a cuvette with 700 microliters EDTA buffer (stop buffer) and the formed factor Xa is measured with a chromogenic substrate. (4) The reaction components are stable during at least a whole working day. Factor VIII was measured in an assay using bovine clotting factors, so one avoids the risk of viral infections, which one might catch by working with clotting factors isolated from human plasma.


The transmission control protocol (TCP) adopts some techniques that use network resources efficiently by estimating the characteristics and condition of the network. The slow-start algorithm is the primary technique for effective resource usage. The goal of slow-start is to establish a TCP connection in an optimum state for the network path quickly unless giving an excessive load to the network. However, in large-bandwidth with long-delay links such as satellite links, the slow-start algorithm does not work properly and causes substantial performance degradation. In this paper, we describe the problem of the current slow-start algorithm in large-bandwidth with long-delay networks. We propose a new slow-start algorithm that can increase network transfer performance for large bandwidth with long delay networks. We also implemented this algorithm on a network simulator for evaluation and it resulted in over a 60% efficiency compared to a normal slow start algorithm.


We introduce a research on steering dampers using MR fluid (Magnetorheological Fluid). In recent years, steering dampers have been used in on-road and off-road motorcycles. Steering dampers stabilize the front end of motorcycles. The advantage of a steering damper is increased stability, but hydraulic steering dampers give rise to the problem of 'Heavy Steering'. In order to resolve this heavy steering, we need to set the restrictions on the maximum damping force and avoid it from interfering when the rider is steering. However only reducing the damping force will lead to insufficient damping force when the handle, unresponsive because of kickback, shakes. We solved this problem with the development of an electric control damper which generates sufficient damping force at low steering angle rates and also allows for mechanically limiting the maximum damping force. The damper design uses "Direct Shear Mode" and features a steering angle sensor built into the damper, which results in easier and smoother steering. To test its effectiveness, we installed our new steering damper and asked for feedback from riders. From the received feedback, we were able to confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of our new design as well as its superiority over other traditional designs. In particular, we were able to improve stability when entering a corner or riding over gaps by generating more damping force from a low steering angle rate in comparison to traditional dampers. We also succeeded in keeping the nimble handling while riding by reducing the maximum damping force. Language: en


The impending global climate change presents significant challenges to agricultural production. It is imperative to find approaches to ensure sustained growth in food production while reducing agricultural input, in order to meet the needs of worldwide people for nutritious food supply. One of the effective strategies to address this challenge is still the development of new crop varieties with high yield, stable yield, environmental friendliness and rich nutrition. The creation of new crop cultivars depends largely on the expansion of genetic resources and the innovation of breeding techniques. De novo domestication is an innovative breeding strategy for developing new crop varieties. It involves utilizing undomesticated or semi-domesticated plants with desirable traits as founder species for breeding. The process involves rapid domestication of wild plants through the redesign of agronomic traits and the introduction of domestication genes to meet diverse human needs. In this review, we overview the history of crop domestication and genetic improvement, clarify the necessity of enriching crop diversity, and emphasize the significance of wild plants' genetic diversity in expanding the scope for crop redesign. Breeding strategy innovation is the key to accelerate crop breeding. We also discuss the feasibility and prospects of rapid developing new crops through de novo domestication.


Osteoarthritis(OA) is the most common chronic condition of the knee joints that takes place when the cartilage or a low friction surface between joints breaks down which leads to pain, stiffness and swelling. Total 56 patients with osteoarthritis of knee, randomized to receive intra articular hyaluronic acid injection and were followed up for 3 months. Patients were evaluated with the Western Ontario and Mc Master University Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC), Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and the visual analog scale. This study was done for the evaluation of the therapeutic effect of intra articular injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) in knee osteoarthritis. Patients mean age were57 ±9 years. WOMAC score shows that stiffness did not improved after intervention, (P> 0.05). KOOS score shows that after intervention, symptoms were improved (P< 0.05).


Predicting the positions of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) requires a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic nature of the atmosphere. For objects in LEO the most significant orbit perturbation is atmospheric drag, which is a function of the local atmospheric density from a layer in the atmosphere called the thermosphere. For long-term predictions of satellite orbits and ephemerides, any density trend in the thermosphere is a necessary consideration, not only for satellite operators, but also for studies of the future LEO environment in terms of space debris. Numerous studies of long-term thermospheric density change have been performed. Predictions by Roble & Ramesh (2002), along with evidence by Keating (2000), Emmert et al.(2004), Marcos et al. (2005), Qian et al. (2006) and Emmert et al. (2008), strongly suggest the existence of such a phenomenon. Therefore, the objective of the research presented in this thesis is to provide a novel method to evaluate quantitatively thermospheric density change. Satellite drag data is an effective medium through which one can investigate local thermospheric density and changes thereof. There are many ways of determining atmospheric density, but inferring thermospheric density from satellite drag data is a relatively cost-effective way of gathering in-situ measurements. To do this, knowledge about a satellite's physical properties that are intrinsic to atmospheric drag is required. A study by Saunders et al. (2009) highlighted problems with estimating a satellite's physical properties directly from data given explicitly by Two-Line Element (TLE) sets. This prompted an investigation into ways to estimate ballistic coefficients: a required satellite parameter associated with drag coefficient and area-to-mass ratio. A novel way of estimating satellite ballistic coefficients was derived and is presented in this thesis. Additionally, novel consideration of atmospheric chemical composition was applied on long-term drag coefficient variability. Using a quantitative estimate of a ballistic coefficient one can propagate numerically a satellite's orbit and predict the effects of atmospheric drag. Given an initial satellite orbit from TLE data, one approach is to use an orbital propagator to predict the satellite's state at some time ahead and then to compare that state with TLE data at the same epoch. The difference between the semi-major axes of the initial orbit and that after the orbit propagation is then integrated and can be used to estimate the global average density. The method employed in this study utilises this process. To achieve this, a specially developed, computer-based, numerical orbital propagator was written in the programming language C/C++. The underlying theories and implementation tests for this propagator are presented in this thesis.


The chest radiograph is used as a screening test to exclude significant thoracic injuries in cases of major trauma. A systematic approach to reviewing chest radiographs is necessary for accurate interpretation. Radiographic findings should be considered together with clinical assessment.


ABSTRACT Li, Y.Y. and Wang, J., 2020. Incised-valley sedimentary succession and evolution of the Nanjing section of the Yangtze River since the LGM. In: Guido Aldana, P.A. and Kantamaneni, K. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Coastal Management, and Marine Science Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 104, pp. 785–794. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The incised valley at the Nanjing section of the Yangtze River contains a detailed sedimentary succession since the last glacial maximum (LGM). As stratigraphic and chronologic frameworks are not available for the Yangtze at the Nanjing section, five cross sections were constructed from 230 boreholes. Twenty-five radiocarbon and five ESR ages provided a detailed chronological framework. Based on analysis of lithology and sedimentary architecture, six deposition units were divided. The two main stages included the deep cutting stage from 23,000 to 15,000 cal yr BP and the lateral developing stage from 15,000 cal yr BP to the present. During the deep cutting stage, relative sea level change was the primary factor determining incised valley evolution. The great gradient provided a powerful hydrodynamic condition for palaeochannel cutting into the bedrock and large pebble gravel deposition. The faults and injection of the tributaries resulted in an incised depth deeper than the upstream and downstream. During the lateral developing stage, with the rapid rise of sea level and the moister and warmer climate, the incision power decreased and the channel broadened, resulting in a gradual reduction of sediment size.


This paper looks at what a classification algorithm is and examines one such algorithm –  random forest. The paper then introduces the topics of entropy, information gain, classification trees and different classification voting methods used in the process. An example is used throughout the paper to demonstrate the concepts and how they link in a clear way and shows a full process used within random forests classification.


Countries are moving towards inclusive education and are undertaking reforms in their education systems according to their culture and socio-economic status. They are formulating education laws, policies and plans to implement inclusive education. This study looks at the National Education Act, 20/2003 of Indonesia and its application in the field. The intention is to examine the Indonesian experience and make suggestions for the inclusive education movement in Bangladesh. Relevant information was collected through document analysis; interviews with education supervisors and teachers; and observation of classrooms in three primary schools and two madrasahs. Having looked at the law and its implementation in schools, recommendations have been made for planning and implementation of inclusive education in Bangladesh. Key Word: Reflection, National Education Act, Inclusive Education, Indonesia, Lessons for Bangladesh.


Aging is intrinsically linked with physiologic decline and is a major risk factor for a broad range of diseases. The deleterious effects of advancing age on the vascular system are evidenced by the high incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease in the elderly. Reactive oxygen species are critical mediators of normal vascular physiology and have been shown to gradually increase in the vasculature with age. There is a growing appreciation for the complexity of oxidant and antioxidant systems at the cellular and molecular levels, and accumulating evidence indicates a causal association between oxidative stress and age-related vascular disease. Herein, we review the current understanding of mechanistic links between oxidative stress and thrombotic vascular disease and the changes that occur with aging. While several vascular cells are key contributors, we focus on oxidative changes that occur in platelets and their mediation in disease progression. Additionally, we discuss the impact of comorbid conditions (i.e., diabetes, atherosclerosis, obesity, cancer, etc.) that have been associated with platelet redox dysregulation and vascular disease pathogenesis. As we continue to unravel the fundamental redox mechanisms of the vascular system, we will be able to develop more targeted therapeutic strategies for the prevention and management of age-associated vascular disease.


The part of manipulators is normally studied with regularized environmental conditions. However, it is the most difficult that the part of AMR must be studied with uncertainty in the environmental conditions. The part of AMR has skelton, sensor fusion, path planning etc. This paper is the research of the local pass planning that gathers information about external environment using neural network from each sensors and designs the algorithm which can determine which correct direction the robot can find. As the result of the research, AMR has been able to drive similarly as if the expert does and has been able to observe it acting without any control


The worrisome rise in multi and extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains has prompted researchers to look for new, more effective, and safer treatments. A variety of N-alkylated indole chalcone derivatives were docked against the InhA enzyme to achieve this goal. In the present study, the flexible ligand docking simulations were performed on 88 new compounds against the InhA protein with the PDB ID-4TZK by using Glide module. All the docks are considered as well docked as all of them were bound to Ligand binding domain of InhA. The InhA was identified through an in silico docking investigation as a possible molecular target for the N-alkylated indole chalcone derivatives. This work sought to identify possible inhibitors of the Enoyl-ACP reductase (InhA), which regulates the formation of the cell wall in mycobacterium, using in silico methods. Most of the compounds show good Glide score compare to INH as reference drug. Compound (E)-1-(4-bromo-2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(1-butyl-1H-indol-3-yl) prop-2-en-1-one (S1R8) showed highest GLIDE score (-10.45), (S1R16-10.41), (S1R22-10.17) and (SIR24-10.10) compared to INH (-7.15). The presence of oxygen group in the ring showed hydrogen bond interactions with NAD and Tyr158 residues. Results obtained are valuable for synthesis and therefore biological screening of promising hits.


ABSTRACT Studies worldwide indicate that sexual minority students often face different forms of bullying in everyday life at school, and young people growing up in communities with conservative values, such as in rural areas, are often in a particularly vulnerable position. Nonetheless, there is an absence of studies addressing the everyday lives of sexual minority students in rural schools. Drawing on interviews with students in the ninth grade of a rural lower secondary school in Sweden, the current study has investigated experiences of violence and harassment routinely directed at sexual minority students at school. The results indicate that the local gender regime is strongly framed by heteronormative values that position non-heterosexual students as the Other. Sexual minority students are exposed to homophobic name-calling on a daily basis, and threats and physical violence are also common. To fit in and to 'survive' in school, sexual minority students are forced to accept the homophobic name-calling and are sometimes also forced to physically fight back. This study concludes that it is important that schools address issues around violence directed towards non-heterosexual students, and that ways to create a more inclusive and safe school environment be identified.


B26 Quercetin is a flavone that exerts cytotoxicity in cancer cells but not in normal cells. However, clinical application of quercetin has been hampered by its low water solubility and potency. The objectives of this study are to develop a formulation to improve the water solubility of quercetin and to encapsulate chemotherapeutic agents exhibiting synergistic activity with quercetin. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduced side effects. In vitro studies of quercetin and irinotecan alone or in combination were conducted on breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 and JIMT-1) and ovarian cancer cells (SKOV-3). Quercetin and irinotecan exhibited synergism over a wide range of concentrations. A cholesterol-free liposome formulation was prepared by the thin film hydration method followed by extrusion. Quercetin was incorporated into the lipid bilayer of the liposomes while irinotecan was encapsulated with an ionophore generated transmembrane proton gradient. The encapsulation efficiencies for irinotecan and quercetin were 83% and 97% respectively; providing a 10- fold increase in the water solubility of quercetin. In addition, the liposomes had a unimodal size-distribution (polydispersity = 0.19) with a mean size of 107 nm. The liposomes were stable for up to 12 weeks, without any significant changes in either the mean size (111nm) or size distribution (polydispersity = 0.18). In conclusion, the liposomes encapsulated the two agents efficiently, solubilized quercetin and were stable, demonstrating the potential of this novel formulation to be translated into clinical use for treating breast and ovarian cancers.


When added to cultures of human peripheral blood lymphocytes, ribavirin (1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) inhibited antigen- and mitogen-induced proliferative responses as determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation. Dose-dependent suppressive effects were obtained when concentrations of 5 to 60 microgram of ribavirin per ml were added at culture initiation or up to 96 h thereafter. Ribavirin inhibited [3H]uridine and [3H]leucine incorporation by concanavalin A-activated and normal lymphocytes although not as severely as deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis. The capacity of ribavirin to interfere with lymphoproliferative responses was entirely reversed by guanosine and, to a lesser extent, by adenosine and xanthosine. These studies demonstrate that ribavirin is a reversible inhibitor of lymphocyte nucleic acid synthesis and suggest that the drug may be immunosuppressive when administered in vivo.


General-purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs), due to their enormous parallelism, have found ubiquitous applications in parallel computing. However, their peak power rating has also increased over the years. As a consequence, near-threshold computing (NTC) has come to the rescue. However, a severe device-level delay variability arising from process variation (PV) can significantly diminish the NTC system performance. In this article, we examine choke points—a unique device-level characteristic of PV at NTC—that can exacerbate the delays of the GPGPU parallel warps. In order to improve the NTC GPU performance, we propose a family of holistic circuit-architectural solutions, referred to as choke-point-aware warp speculator (CPAWS). CPAWS identifies the choke point-induced critical warps in GPGPU applications and improves their execution latencies. Compared to a state-of-the-art warp scheduling policy, our best scheme improves the performance and energy efficiency of an NTC GPU by ~39% and ~31%, respectively.


This paper deals with the pattern of cerebral functions from neuromorphological, neurophysiological and neurochemical points of view. The author's original concept of the principles of this pattern is raised. This concept is also important in understanding the rearrangement of brain functions in various abnormalities.


The concept and preliminary designs of novel self-aligned local-channel V-gate by optical lithography (SALVO) devices are presented. SALVO uses optimized local-channel doping to sharpen the lateral junctions, in order to minimize short channel effects for gate lengths down to 25 nm. In addition, it utilizes the replacement-gate design with inner spacers to facilitate integration of alternative gate stack materials and to extend the application of optical lithography. SALVO PMOS designs with both metal gate and poly-metal gate electrodes were studied, the latter proving capable of delivering high performance 25 nm PMOS with currently manufacturable processes.


Objective; To determine frequency of BCG Vaccination in patients of tuberculous meningitis presenting at a tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Pediatric Medicine, Services Hospital Lahore from June 2016 to 2017. Materials and Methods; A total of 167 Patients were included in the study. Patients with Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) less than 5 years of age were included. Patients having acute onset of encephalopathy and those with lumbar puncture contraindicated were excluded from our study. Demographic bio data (patient name, father name, age, gender, date of admission) was taken. After that complete history regarding presenting complaints and vaccination were taken. Physical examination will be done. BCG scar ark was identified on examination. CSF examination, Chest X-ray, CT scan brain was done from single laboratory. Tuberculin test was applied and interpreted by experience pediatrician. Data was recorded on the specifically designed proforma. Results; Of these 167 study cases, 106 (63.5%) were boys while 61 (36.5%) were girls. Mean age of our study cases was 3.31 ± 0.98 years. Mean duration of disease was noted to be 4.71 ± 1.49 weeks. History of contact with index TB patients was positive in 114 (68.3%) of our study cases, 68 (40.7%) were from rural areas and 99 (59.3%) from urban areas and majority of them i.e. 90 (53.9%) belonged to poor families with majority of mothers i.e. 129 (77.2%) were uneducated. BCG vaccination was positive in 94 (56.3 %) of our study cases. Conclusion; Our study results support the use of BCG vaccination as it has some protective role against TB. Very high frequency of history of contact with positive index case was observed in our study. BCG vaccination was significantly associated with gender, history of contact with index case and socioeconomic status.


The brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system is implicated in the neurobiological control of feeding and appears to be dysfunctional in patients suffering from feeding disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, and obesity. Thanks to the identification and cloning of 5-HT receptors, the production of agonist and antagonist compounds, and the generation of 5-HT receptor knock-out mice, our knowledge on the implication of different 5-HT receptor subtypes in feeding behavior has greatly increased. A number of studies have demonstrated an involvement of the hypothalamic 5-HT1B and 5-HT2C receptors in food intake and body weight control, but the downstream events induced by such signaling remain to be explored. Moreover, little is known about the influence of 5-HT on the rewarding value of eating. Such value may not necessarily be linked to food consumption, but rather to voluntary reduction of food intake, as recently demonstrated upon activation of the 5-HT4 receptors in the nucleus accumbens. Thus, abnormalities in the reward system in addition to those in the central control of the autonomic nervous system might contribute to the anorexic behavior. Recent studies have also reported an involvement of the 5-HT6 and 5-HT7 receptors in feeding behavior. Potential 5-HT receptor agonists/antagonists could then be developed and used in association with psychological treatment to better cope with the stressors that trigger anorexia and drug dependence. WIREs Membr Transp Signal 2012, 1:715–729. doi: 10.1002/wmts.45

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Autophagy, a metabolic pathway that plays an important role in maintaining the dynamic balance of cells, has two types, i.e. non-selective autophagy and selective autophagy. The role of non-selective autophagy is primarily to allow cells to circulate nutrients in an energy-limited environment, while selective autophagy primarily cleans up the organelles inside the cells to maintain the cell structure. The NLRP3 inflammasome is an innate immune response produced by the organism that can promote the secretion of interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 through caspase-1 activation and resist the damage of some pathogens. However, when the NLRP3 inflammasome is overactivated, it can cause various inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory liver disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Many previous studies have shown that autophagy can inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome, while in recent years, new studies have found that autophagy can also promote the NLRP3 inflammasome in some cases, and the NLRP3 inflammasome can, in turn, affect autophagy. In this review, the interaction between autophagy and the NLRP3 inflammasome is explored, and then the application of this interaction in disease treatment is discussed.


The essay starts with a brief introduction on Jewish Canadian writers, and especially on Jewish women poets and novelists, who have only recently found a proper critical attention. On the literary map of Jewish Canadian women writers, the Shoah occupies a specific space, as in the novel Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels, published in 1996. A poet and novelist, the Canadian writer revisits the Shoah through the voice of a male survivor, Jakob Beer, rescued by a geologist, working at the Biskupin site in Poland, who literally adopts him, taking him in incognito to Greece and, after World War II, to Canada. In the second part of the novel the narration switches to Ben, a professor of meteorology in contemporary Toronto. A child of survivors, Ben does not know how to face the violence suffered by his parents until he meets Jakob. Fugitive Pieces is analysed taking into consideration its polyphonic structure, the manifold motives and threads that weave together an intricate pattern, based on historical events and personal stories. Thanks to her use of scientific language from the realm of geology, paleobotany and geography, Michaels excavates time and space, past and present, in order to find a language to unveil the atrocities of Nazism against Jews, to preserve and evoke the memories of the survivors, but at the same time lead to a possible reconciliation with the past.


The article focuses on the issue of the education of returned emigré pupils. A progymnasium is part of the Lithuanian system, a general education institution (grades 1 to 8), an intermediate link between primary school and a gymnasium, which differs from basic schools in the higher quality of the activities and the created added value. A quantitative study was conducted: 106 progymnasium teachers working with returned emigré pupils took part. The research revealed that individual plans were made for returned emigré pupils in progymnasiums, and school education specialists (psychologists, social pedagogues, etc) assisted them during the adaptation period. For the teachers working with returned emigré pupils, the competences of recognising their diverse abilities and the management of (information) technology were especially important. Additional formal (Lithuanian language and literature, mathematics) and informal activities, the development of the digitalised content of education, cooperation, and the dissemination of best practices created the preconditions for the streamlining of the education of returned emigré pupils in progymnasiums.


This six-paper series in the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife aims to draw together two important themes: celebrating the role of nursing in advancing care in cardiac surgery and providing an international perspective of cardiac surgery nursing.


An experiment of second harmonic generation in a KNbO3 slab waveguide is reported. A power conversion efficiency of 11.3% and a slope efficiency of 17% have been obtained in a 93 μm waveguide pumped by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The oscillation output with increase of the beam diameter is due to the interference effect in waveguide.


We describe the case of a patient with an acute respiratory failure during the postoperative period of a timectomy. Myasthenic syndrome was excluded and bilateral diaphragmatic paralyze was diagnosticated. Incidence, etiology, symptoms, diagnostic and treatment of phrenic paralysis are reviewed.


The dynamic errors of the track-and-hold circuit (THC) in the signal track mode for the sinusoidal signal were analyzed. The output signal time diagrams, which depend on the parasitic electrical parameters of the internal and external circuit, were presented. The results of the modeling, when the THC is intended for the 8 and 10-bit ADC with two different sets of the parasitic electrical parameters of the THC, were presented. It has been determined that the best hold time constant is 120-500 fs for the THC clock speed of 5 GHz. In such a case, the precision of the THC is about 0.5 of the least significant bit (LSB) for the 8-bit ADC and about 0.75 LSB for the 10-bit ADC. When the values of the parasitic inductances increased from 0.05 nH to 0.2 nH, the THC precision decreased slightly. When the linear part length of the amplifier transfer characteristic is 0.05 V, in order to obtain the analog signal frequency of 1 GHz with the 50 dB SNR, the equivalent holding time constant of 200 fs needs to be chosen. The results of the research allow us to choose more optimally the THC characteristics depending on the needed signal processing frequency and the THC precision. Ill. 6, bibl. 7 (In English; summaries in English, Russian and Lithuanian).


Hagenia abyssinica is a characteristic species of mountain forests in the Albertine Rift. In Kahuzi Biega National Park, the species is found between 2000 and 2600 m altitude. This study intended to characterize Hagenia monospecific forest by providing an account for its floristic composition, structure and biomass. Data were collected from 9 different plots of 1 hectare each located in 3 different sites (Tshivanga 2000-2250m asl; Mugabe and Kasirusiru 2400-2600m asl). Parameters including tree diameter ≥ 10cm, height, dead individuals and young shoots of Hagenia abyssinica were wetting the plot. The results showed that species richness was significantly low, varying between 8-24 species (p < 0.05, Df = 35); while the specific density was 565 ± 121 individuals. The Richness decreased with the increment of the species density of Hagenia. The similarity analysis revealed the influence/impact of the site/altitude on the species composition. The diametric structure showed a regressive dynamism within the population found between 2000 and 2200 m altitude, in which Hagenia specimens were replaced by the specimens of secondary forest species such as Sapium ellipticum, Macaranga neomilbraediana, Neoboutonia macrocalyx. Whereas, between 2400-2600 m altitude, there was a progressive dynamism with several Hagenia young shoots, with no mortality (χ2 = 487, p < 0.001). The average woody biomass was estimated at 108t / ha. This increased as Hagenia density decreased and vegetation became heterogeneous. Human disturbance and climate change effects in the region, could be the causes of variability observed in this population in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park.


Historically in Australia, mixed Construction and Demolition waste, and Commercial and Industrial waste has been traditionally landfilled. As environmental impacts of landfilling is becoming more evident New South Wales policy makers and innovators have begun exploring an incineration strategy to use such waste to generate electricity. The objective of this study is to utilise life cycle assessment to evaluate GHG emissions from this waste treatment strategy and the environmental impact of a case study facility, in Sydney Australia. The system boundary includes the thermal treatment of waste through incineration, the electricity generation from the steam turbine and air pollution control processes involved within. The functional unit is based on 1 tonne of input mixed Construction and Demolition waste and Commercial and Industrial waste. GHG emissions are calculated and the result shows that the facility generates 0.994 MWh/tonne waste and 1.16 tCO2e/MWh electricity. This emission is lower than a brown coal fired powerplant emission factor 1.31 tCO2e/MWh. The results from this study assists understanding and policy making for the future of Energy-from-Waste as part of the generation mix in New South Wales, Australia.


This paper presents an energy efficient H.264 video transmission over wireless ad hoc networks based on an adaptive IEEE 802.11e EDCA (enhanced distributed channel access) mechanism. The standard IEEE 802.11e EDCA mechanism provides only service priority differentiation for time bound applications over ad hoc networks. However, this standard does not provide adaptation mechanism to respond to the time varying network link status. Furthermore, the critical issues in energy efficient transmission have not been addressed under EDCA mechanism. In this research we develop a new adaptive scheme to adjust the Contention Window (CW) after each transmission attempt based on current network link status. This adaptation scheme is also integrated with energy efficient FHSS (BFSK) scheme in order to save the energy consumption during the transmission. An analytical model of Energy efficient estimator (E3 metric) is developed to support the selection of modulation scheme. We also carry out NS-2 based simulation, in combination with E3 model, to evaluate the proposed scheme in comparison with standard IEEE 802.11e EDCA. Based on extensive simulation with H.264/AVC video over the proposed AEDCA and the standard EDCA, we demonstrate that the proposed AEDCA with Energy efficient BFSK scheme outperforms the standard IEEE 802.11e EDCA with an improved video quality as well as reduced energy dissipation.


We first give a general error estimate for the nonconforming approximation of a problem for which a Banach-Ne{\v c}as-Babu{\v s}ka (BNB) inequality holds. This framework covers parabolic problems with general conditions in time (initial value problems as well as periodic problems) under minimal regularity assumptions. We consider approximations by two types of space-time discretizations, both based on a conforming Galerkin method in space. The first one is the Euler $\theta$--scheme. In this case, we show that the BNB inequality is always satisfied, and may require an extra condition on the time step for $\theta$ $\le$ 1 2. The second one is the time discontinuous Galerkin method, where the BNB condition holds without any additional condition.


Dynamic collapse analyses of a 4-story steel building frame modeled by solid ele- ments are performed using the E-Simulator, which is a parallel finite element analysis soft- ware package for civil and building structures. Code verification, calculation verification, and validation of the numerical codes (V&V) are conducted by comparing the results ob- tained by the E-Simulator, those obtained by a beam element analysis code, and the experi- mental results obtained by the 3-D full-scale earthquake testing facility, the E-Defense at NIED. The seismic response analyses under 60% or 100% of the JR Takatori seismic wave of the 1995 Hyogoken-Nanbu earthquake are performed. The shear forces and interstory drift angles of the 1st story obtained by the E-Simulator simulation and the E-Defense full-scale test have good agreement. Both response of the whole frame and local deformation due to plastic buckling are simulated in the analysis using the E-Simulator.


Emerging evidence supports the dual function of kinase suppressor of Ras 1 (KSR1) as an active kinase and a scaffold, although it has been extensively referred as a pseudokinase, due to the absence of key residues in its catalytic domain [1, 2]. As a scaffolding protein, KSR1 orchestrates the assembly of the protein kinases RAF, mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the canonical Ras-RAF-MAPKs pathway, in a Ras-dependent manner or upon growth factor treatment [1, 3]. Conversely, structural and biochemical studies reveal that KSR1 is capable of phosphorylating MEK and more importantly, the catalytic activity of KSR is markedly increased when BRAF or inhibitor-bound CRAF is introduced in the complexes [1, 4, 5]. Such findings add complexity to the ERK spatio-temporal pathway control and identify KSR1 as a modulator of these pathways.

In light of its regulatory role in oncogenic Ras-RAF-MAPKs signaling, extensive efforts have attempted to establish KSR1 as an oncogene in Ras-dependent cancers. Indeed, KSR1 has been shown to contribute to oncogenesis in various forms of Ras-activated cancer, including skin, pancreatic and lung carcinomas [1]. First, absence of KSR1 inhibits tumor formation in different Ras-mediated mouse models (KSR1−/−), suggesting that KSR1 is required for Ras-transduced MAPK activated tumorigenesis. Moreover, depletion of KSR1 reduces tumor growth of K-Ras-dependent pancreatic and lung cancer xenografts in nude mice, further supporting KSR1 as an oncogene as well as a potential therapeutic target.

However, our own studies reveal an interesting, and yet unexpected role of KSR1 in breast cancer, where Ras mutations are rare. Using tumor tissue microarrays in a large patient cohort with a long term follow-up, we observe that breast cancer patients with high KSR1 had better disease free- and overall survival, results also supported by Oncomine analyses, microarray data and genomic data from paired tumor and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) samples revealing loss of heterozygosity [6]. KSR1 expression is positively associated with breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1), BRCA1-associated ring domain 1 (BARD1) and checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) levels in breast cancer specimens. Intriguingly, phospho-profiling of major components of the canonical Ras-RAF-MAPKs pathway, including RAF, MEK and ERK, show no significant changes upon KSR1 overexpression or depletion. These results underline its role beyond coordinating MAPKs signaling and challenge its oncogenic function in breast cancer.

Further experiments support a tumor suppressive role of KSR1. Of note, breast cancer cells overexpressing KSR1 form fewer and smaller size colonies compared to the parental ones, while an in vivo mouse model also demonstrates that the growth of xenograft tumors overexpressing KSR1 is inhibited. It appears that the tumor inhibitory effect of KSR1 is BRCA1-dependent as shown by in vitro 3D-matrigel and soft-agar assays. Consistent with the correlation between KSR1 and BRCA1 in clinical samples, in vitro assays demonstrate KSR1 overexpression increases BRCA1 protein levels by decreasing BRCA1 ubiquitination partly through elevating BARD1 protein abundance and the BRCA1-BARD1 interaction. These findings integrate KSR1 into a complicated signaling network involving BRCA1-BARD1 complex. Unquestionably, alternative mechanisms underlying BRCA1's up-regulation by KSR1 other than through BARD1 remain to be examined.

Our current understanding of KSR1's function in breast cancer is far from complete (Figure (Figure1).1). Puzzlingly, in addition to executing its anti-tumor effects through BRCA1, KSR1 negatively regulates transcriptional activity of p53 by reducing p53 acetylation via modulation of deleted in breast cancer 1 (DBC1) phosphorylation [7]. How can KSR1 up-regulates BRCA1 and inhibits p53 activity at the same time? What determines its preferable binding partners and thus contributes to its inhibitory outcome? An interesting and simple theory might be the following: since DBC1 is a positive regulator of p53 activity and a repressor for BRCA1, it potentially positions KSR1 into a dynamic state connecting p53 and BRCA1. Ultimately, while BRCA1 compensates for the loss of p53 activity, KSR1 tilts the balance scale towards tumor suppression in cancer cells. Further investigation is much needed to address the underlying mechanisms. In addition, evidence regarding other aspects of its action are evolving: a very recent study characterizing the proteomic profile of KSR1-regulated signaling in response to genotoxic agents in breast cancer illustrates a broad functional network conferred by KSR1, highlighting its importance in the chemotherapy response [8]..

Figure 1

KSR1-regulated signaling in cancer

A better understanding of the molecular determinants of the distinctive behaviour of KSR1 in different types of cancer is essential to the optimal targeting of this dual functional kinase-scaffold protein. Our studies suggest the tumor suppressive action of KSR1 and its clinical relevance in patient stratification, placing KSR1 in the major oncoprotein pathways.


The reported study in this paper examined the continuing viability of Florida's 2+2 articulation agreement by comparing academic success and persistence among Florida public community college graduates (n = 1,738) and native (n = 874) juniors at three universities. Discriminant analysis yielded statistically significant differences. Transfer students graduated with fewer lower level courses in upper division and fewer cumulative credit hours than native students. Discriminant analysis did not yield appreciable differences in the final grade point averages of student graduates, indicating that community college transfer students performed just as well academically as native students. Chi-square tests of independence indicated that a greater percentage of transfers dropped out prior to graduation. These findings support the conclusion that community college transfers are academically competitive, but they may benefit from retention services and programs that engender student engagement.


Third-order random lasing operating in 1670 nm spectral band is experimentally demonstrated for the first time to the best of our knowledge, with only 2.45 W pump threshold. The lasing cavity is formed by G.652 fiber and fiber loop mirrors (FLMs), while the former acts as the distributed reflector and the latter acts as the point reflector. The G.652 fiber and the FLMs are connected via a multi-band wavelength-division-multiplexer, which ensures each of the three Raman Stokes components generated in the long fiber is routed to one FLM and then reflected back with minimum loss. Unlike existing half-open random lasing cavities using fiber Bragg gratings, the reflection bandwidth of FLMs is wide enough to preserve the intrinsic spectral features of each lasing bands, providing a valuable platform to study the mechanism of high-order random lasing in fibers. Also, the reflection efficiency can be treated as an invariant as the pump power grows, significantly reducing the threshold of high-order random lasing. The stationary model is used to calculate the output power, and the results fit the experimental data well.


Background Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a rare and heterogeneous pediatric-onset idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. It is a heterogeneous disease which may be complicated by life-threatening complications. Identifying causes, clinical and biological manifestations and outcomes of such complications may be helpful for their better early management Objectives We aim to describe the causes of admission in paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), clinical and biological presentation and outcomes of JDM patients Methods Retrospective study of JDM patients admitted in two french paediatric PICUs from 2005 to 2013 among a cohort of 116 JDM patients followed during the same period. Results 11/116 JDM patients (9.5%) (8 girls and 3 boys, median age at diagnosis: 9.0±3.1 years) were admitted in ICUs because of digestive involvement (digestive perforation: 2 patients, digestive ulceration: 1 patient, severe ileus: 1 patient), cardiac involvement (severe bradycardia: 1 patient, cardiac arrest: 1 patient), respiratory failure resulting from hypoxemic pneumonia (1 patient), thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) (2 patients), posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) related to cyclosporine use (1 patient), and anaphylactic shock after an infusion of Rituximab. At admission in ICU, patients presented with some manifestations which did not usually occur in typical JDM:) generalized edema (6/11 patients), hyponatremia (9/11 patients), hypoalbuminemia (9/11 patients) and thrombocytopenia (7/11 patients). Treatment consisted in corticosteroids (including pulses of methylprednisolone in 5 patients), intravenous immunoglobulin (7), plasmapheresis (7), infusions of rituximab (4) and cyclophosphamide (2). The mean duration of stay in PICU was 18.2 days. One patient died in ICU from pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. The remaining 10 patients are in complete or partial remission with a median duration of follow-up of 4,8 years. Conclusions Severe digestive vasculopathy, cardiac and pulmonary involvements, TMA and therapy-related adverse events were responsible for admissions in PICU in 9,5% of JDM patients in our cohorts. This report suggests that generalized edema, thrombocytopenia revealing TMA, hyponatremia and hypoalbuminemia are associated with severe JDM, and that pulses of methylprednisolone might favour digestive perforation in patients with preexisting gastrointestinal vasculitis. Outcomes was favourable in all the patients presenting with non-infectious severe complications. Disclosure of Interest None declared


I submit to the Society the present exposition of some of the elementary principles of an Abstract m-dimensional Geometry. The science presents itself in two ways,—as a legitimate extension of the ordinary two- and three-dimensional geometries ; and as a need in these geometries and in analysis generally. In fact whenever we are concerned with quantities connected together in any manner, and which are, or are considered as variable or determinable, then the nature of the relation between the quantities is frequently rendered more intelligible by regarding them (if only two or three in number) as the coordinates of a point in a plane or in space : for more than three quantities there is, from the greater complexity of the case, the greater need of such a representation ; but this can only be obtained by means of the notion of a space of the proper dimensionality ; and to use such representation, we require the geometry of such space. An important instance in plane geometry has actually presented itself in the question of the determination of the number of the curves which satisfy given conditions : the conditions imply relations between the coefficients in the equation of the curve ; and for the better understanding of these relations it was expedient to consider the coefficients as the coordinates of a point in a space of the proper dimensionality. A fundamental notion in the general theory presents itself, slightly in plane geometry, but already very prominently in solid geometry ; viz. we have here the difficulty as to the form of the equations of a curve in space, or (to speak more accurately) as to the expression by means of equations of the twofold relation between the coordinates of a point of such curve. The notion in question is that of a k-fold relation,—as distinguished from any system of equations (or onefold relations) serving for the expression of it, and as giving rise to the problem how to express such relation by means of a system of equations (or onefold relations). Applying to the case of solid geometry my conclusion in the general theory, it may be mentioned that I regard the twofold relation of a curve in space as being completely and precisely expressed by means of a system of equations (P = 0, Q =0, ... T=0), when no one of the functions P, Q, ... T is a linear function, with constant or variable integral coefficients, of the others of them, and when every surface whatever which passes through the curve has its equation expressible in the form U =AP + BQ . . .+KT, with constant or variable integral coefficients, A, B, . . . K. It is hardly necessary to remark that all the functions and coefficients are taken to be rational functions of the coordinates, and that the word integral has reference to the coordinates.


This essay is dedicated to Ermanno Olmi's oeuvre. Miller analyzes four of his feature films (The Job, The Engagement, Long Live the Lady! and The Legend of the Holy Drinker), pointing out that the main motif that connects them is travel. It could be considered literally (all main characters of Olmi's films are emigrants) or in a metaphorical way – as a psychological journey. Miller concludes her essay with the analysis of The Legend of the Holy Drinker. According to her, this movie sums up Olmi's views on life regarded as travel from birth to the "earthly death" – here the homo viator figure is replaced by homo peregrinus. Therefore, it could be claimed that Olmi's cinema focuses on "coming back home" scheme, which enables the protagonists to sustain their self-identities.