Background: Tooth bleaching is a promising aesthetic treatment for shaded teeth; however, demineralized lesions also occur after bleaching, and Icon resin can infiltrate into the demineralized lesions and then improve the color of teeth. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of resin infiltration on bleached teeth that are managed with different protocols by assessing the micromorphology of enamel surfaces, the depth of resin penetration and the microhardness of enamel after bleaching and Icon resin infiltration.Methods: A total of 150 noncarious premolars with sound coronal structure, which were extracted for orthodontic purposes, were obtained in this study in three parts: part Ⅰ"micromorphology of enamel surfaces"(n=60);part II"observation the depth of the resin penetration"(n=30);part III "Vickers hardness number values"(n=60). Both part Ⅰ and part III were divided into six subgroups. Part II was divided into three subgroups. 10 samples per subgroup. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0, Mann-Whitney test.Results: The surface roughness of the teeth increased after bleaching. When etched with 15 % HCl before the resin infiltration, it would result in further increase in roughness, but the surface of the bleached teeth could be as smooth as that of normal teeth after resin infiltration. There was a statistically significant increase in the mean resin penetration depth of the bleached teeth with 5-day delay of resin infiltration over the bleached teeth with resin infiltration immediately (Mann-Whitney test, P<0.05). Otherwise,the VHN values of delayed ones were similar to the normal one.Conclusions: It suggested that Icon resin infiltration treatment should be delayed after tooth bleaching but not performed right after tooth bleaching.


A heterofullerene isoelectronic to C60 is reported. The azafullerenium cation C59N+ can be isolated in good yield as a carborane salt via the two-electron oxidation of the C-C bond of (C59N)2 dimer. [C59N][Ag(CB11H6Cl6)2] has been characterized by electronic, IR, Raman, and 13C NMR spectroscopies, MALDI spectrometry, DFT calculations, and X-ray crystallography.


Among the many goals of environmental management in Saudi Aramco, protection of special environmental areas is recognized as high priority to both the company and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In line with this objective, Safaniya Onshore Producing Department (SONPD) designated Safaniya area sea water lagoon as Biodiversity Area. The area is estimated to be 6 km2 peninsula, which is located in the north east of the Safaniya Producing Plant, where undisturbed native flora combines with a pristine shallow sea water lagoon, and provide a safe place for land wildlife (foxes, rodents, reptiles), marine wildlife (turtles, shrimps, fish, mollusks) and birds (flamingos, seagulls, etc.). Establishment of the Safaniya Lagoon started with surveying Safaniya and Tanajib Area, in collaboration with Saudi Aramco Environmental Protection Department (EPD) to select the most suitable region for biodiversity development. An establishment procedure was followed to secure the area with fences to limit the accessibility and prevent improper usage. A signboard was installed to identify the area as a sanctuary, forbidding entrance or any type of land use. Site development included mangrove plantation, already existing trash clean-up, and observation any type of waste dumped in the area, to ensure no contamination or danger to the habitat in the lagoon. The department successfully cooperated with Saudi Aramco EPD to plant more than 9,000 mangrove seedlings at the first two years of development. SONPD in collaboration with Society of Advocates and Volunteers for the Environment (S.A.V.E) invited employees with their respected family members to participate in a biodiversity beach clean-up campaign. The campaign helped collect more than 300 kg of waste, consisting of plastic bottles, old ropes, wood, and other waste materials. SONPD, along with its partners and programs, has now established the Safaniya Lagoon ecological and biological diversity sanctuary as a permanent refuge, with in-place protection and future mangrove planting events planned, the area is expected to expand in biodiversity with native flora and fauna, and expand a natural breeding and hatchery. During the winter season, migratory birds — such as flamingos and Amur Falcons, with flyways that pass over Safaniya Lagoon — are seeking warm weather and abundant food supplies. Creation of biodiversity is just the beginning of further area development. The next phase of sanctuary enhancement will be reutilization of tertiary treated wastewater for trees, which will form a wind barrier for mangroves.


ABSTRACT Wnt signaling activates gene expression through the induced formation of complexes between DNA-binding T-cell factors (TCFs) and the transcriptional coactivator β-catenin. In colorectal cancer, activating Wnt pathway mutations transform epithelial cells through the inappropriate activation of a TCF7L2/TCF4 target gene program. Through a DNA array-based genome-wide analysis of TCF4 chromatin occupancy, we have identified 6,868 high-confidence TCF4-binding sites in the LS174T colorectal cancer cell line. Most TCF4-binding sites are located at large distances from transcription start sites, while target genes are frequently "decorated" by multiple binding sites. Motif discovery algorithms define the in vivo-occupied TCF4-binding site as evolutionarily conserved A-C/G-A/T-T-C-A-A-A-G motifs. The TCF4-binding regions significantly correlate with Wnt-responsive gene expression profiles derived from primary human adenomas and often behave as β-catenin/TCF4-dependent enhancers in transient reporter assays.


Quantum mechanical energy levels are computed for the hydrogen molecule and its homonuclear isotopes confined within carbon nanotubes of various sizes and structures using three different interaction potentials. Two translational and two rotational degrees of freedom are treated explicitly. We study the dependence on the interaction potential and the size of the nanotube of several features, including zero-pressure quantum sieving selectivities, ortho-para energy splittings, and wave function characteristics. We show that large quantum sieving selectivities, as well as large deviations from gas phase ortho-para splittings, occur only under the condition of extreme two-dimensional confinement, when the characteristic length of the hydrogen-carbon interaction potential is nearly equal to the radius of the nanotube.


Soil-transmitted helminths are responsible for diseases that thrive where there is poverty and disadvantage. Although rarely fatal, it is recognized as a leading global cause of lifelong disability. To achieve the target set by World Health Assembly, efforts must be intensified to eliminate STH as a public-health problem. Accumulated scientific knowledge and the availability of safe anthelminthics such as mebendazole and albendazole laid the foundation for a global strategy to control STH. However, there are several foreseeable challenges and risks to the success of an MDA-based transmission interruption strategy for STH. Continued progress toward global STH elimination will require solutions to potential obstacles in the most challenging— that is, the poorest—endemic settings like Bangladesh.


Despite its fundamental importance in radiative transfer, atmospheric dynamics, and the hydrological cycle, atmospheric water is inadequately characterized particularly at a global scale. Occultation measurements from the Global Positioning System (GPS) should improve upon this situation. Individual occultations yield profiles of specific humidity accurate to 0.2 to 0.5 g/kg providing sensitive measurements of lower and middle tropospheric water vapor with global coverage in a unique, all-weather, limb-viewing geometry with several hundred meters to a kilometer vertical resolution. We have derived water vapor profiles from June 21 to July 4, 1995, using GPS occultation data combined with global temperature analyses from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and reanalyses from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). The zonal mean structure of the profiles exhibits basic climatological features of tropospheric moisture. Specific humidity biases between the GPS results and the ECMWF global humidity analyses in the middle to upper troposphere are ∼0.1 g/kg or less. Occultation results below 6 km altitude are generally drier than those of ECMWF with the bias generally increasing toward warmer temperatures. Near the height of the trade wind inversion, the ECMWF analyses are significantly moister than the occultation results due to vertical smoothing and overextension of the boundary layer top in the analyses. Overall, the occultation results are drier than the NCEP reanalyses with a marked exception near the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where occultation results are wetter by more than 10%. The occultation results are significantly wetter near the ITCZ and drier in the subtropics than the classical moisture climatology of Peixoto and Oort. Similarities between the NCEP and the Peixoto and Oort near-ITCZ differences suggest that a common analysis/model problem may be responsible. The generally wetter Peixoto and Oort results in the subtropics are due in part to moist radiosonde biases. Discrepancies between these data sets are significant and limit our ability to resolve uncertainties in moisture control and feedbacks in a changing climate.


While higher education institutions are among the largest service industries of the 21st century, education has become the most prominent global symbol of prestige. These institutions are tackling multiple tasks not only to maintain and uphold their identities but also to provide quality services. These services create a continuum of high quality education that meets learners' needs, and thus offer golden opportunities for attracting applicants on the local and global levels. A total of 355 international students in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia UTM) were included in this study, which assessed their perception of the quality of teaching and learning and the services provided by the support staff of this institution of higher education. The research scale was a set of questionnaires adopted and translated from Hamidah et al. (2004). The findings from this study mirrored the moderate perception of the international students about the educational services.


Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) often exhibit impairments in the coordination of the grip and lift phases of arm movements that directly impact their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). The application of assistive robotic therapy to children with spastic hemiplegic CP has shown that augmented movement training can lead to improved functional outcomes and improved arm kinematics. Assistive robotic therapy of the wrist has been shown to help improve motor skills in stroke patients, but the devices employed are often large and obtrusive, focusing on a repeated motion rather than a task-based itinerary. Here, we propose a lightweight low clearance wrist orthosis for use in children with Cerebral Palsy that actuates pronation/supination and flexion/extension of the wrist.


Disease is one of the obstacles in shrimp farming. Many countries have experienced economic losses due to disease in shrimp caused by microbes. Many strategies are being used to overcome the problem such as antibiotics, formalin, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and others. However, the use antibiotics in long term can cause negative effects. So that, the development of potential new natural compounds is required to overcome this problem. This review article aims to explain the nutritional content, bioactive compounds, antimicrobial potential, and the effect of S. alba and S. caseolaris on shrimp survival. Sonneratia alba and Sonneratia caseolaris are plants that have many bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolics. They have also been shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria such as Vibrio harveyi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Saprolegnia sp., and others. Application of S. alba and S. caseolaris can also increase the survival rate of infected shrimps. S. alba and S. caseolaris have the potential to be used as antimicrobial agents and can be used to protect shrimp from microbial pathogens.


Subjective beliefs are crucial for economic inference, yet behavior can challenge the elicitation. We propose that belief elicitation should be incentive compatible not only theoretically but also in a de facto behavioral sense. To demonstrate, we show that the binarized scoring rule, a state-of-the-art elicitation, violates two weak conditions for behavioral incentive compatibility: (i) within the elicitation, information on the incentives increases deviations from truthful reporting; and (ii) in a pure choice over the set of incentives, most deviate from the theorized maximizer. Moreover, we document that deviations are systematic and center-biased, and that the elicited beliefs substantially distort inference. (JEL D83, D91)


Background Reconstruction of complex soft tissue defect around the knee, particularly in involving with large soft tissue defect or disruption of extensor mechanism, always is a challenging problem. The purpose of this study was to introduce our clinical experience on using individual design of free perforator flap for complex soft-tissue reconstruction around the knee. Methods Between June 2010 and March 2017, 16 patients underwent the reconstruction of complex soft tissue defect in the knee region with free perforator flap, Various flap designs was performed basing on the location of wound, the require pedicle length, the tissue components that are deficient, the volume of such components and the risk of donor site morbidity.Results Complex soft tissue defect of the knee was reconstructed with anteriorlateral thigh perforator (ALTP) flap in 5 cases, modified ALTP flap in 2 cases, chimeric ALTP flap in 4 cases, dual skin paddles ALTP flap in 2 cases and chimeric thoracodorsal artery perforator (TDAP) flap in 2 cases. Multiple perforator flaps and vascularized fascia lata in combination were performed in one case. All flaps survived postoperative. None vascular congestion was observed. Only one case suffered partial necrosis. Primary closure of donor site was performed for all patients. The mean follow-up time was 16.5 months. Most cases showed satisfactory flap contour and acceptable function outcome. Conclusions Free perforator flap is a reliable option for repairing complex soft tissue defect in the knee region, especially when local and pedicled flaps are unavailable. Various flap designs allow for more individualized treatment approaches.


Abstract Crustal melting occurs at the higher grades of metamorphism. Migmatites reflect crustal anatexis without necessary additional heat supply. Granites usually result from crustal melting resulting from 'hot' geotherms, or reflect an external heat supply. The commonest mechanisms of crustal melting are: (i) decompression of crust thickened into mantle in convergent orogens; (ii) asthenosphere upwelled beneth the crust in extensional orogens; (iii) massive invasion or underplating of crust by mantle magma generated by mantle decompression. This paper considers some of the processes governing timescales and lengthscales of these various magmatic events with particular view to determining the intensity and duration of crustal melting, and relationships between the rates of melt extraction, ascent and emplacement.


The leadership of teacher remains as an essentially topic of educational leadership currently and it becomes teacher's main role in implementing the school development process. However, there are less studies done in Malaysian schools; even hardly see Malaysian teachers are prepared to be teacher leaders  due to also lack of reliable and valid instrument that measure teacher leadership within Malaysian context. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the readiness of Malaysian teachers to be selected as teacher leaders among other teachers. Secondly, it also aims to measure the reliability and validity of instrument on teacher leadership in the context of Malaysian teachers. A total of 189 secondary school teachers who have more than five years' experience were selected to be the respondents to answer the 12 items on teachers' readiness as teacher leaders based on two main constructs such as personal and professional readiness. Finding from the factor analyses (exploratory and confirmatory) indicated that items from the professional and personal readiness constructs have high convergent validity in measuring the relevant teacher leadership. In addition, values from the correlational matrix also indicated high values of discriminant validity. Hence, it was proved that the teacher leadership readiness instrument has high validity and reliability in examining teachers' readiness as a teacher leader.


Gutek, Searle, and Klepa (1991) proposed two models to explain the gender differences in work-family conflict: the rational model and the gender role expectations model. Both models have mostly been tested on American and Canadian samples, and have obtained partial support. Given the cultural differences between North American countries and Spain, we should question whether the two models are equally applicable to Spanish society or whether one of them captures Spanish men and women's experience of work-family conflict better than the other. So, the aim of this study is to test which of the models better explains the gender differences in work-family conflict in the Spanish cultural context (or if, indeed, the two models apply equally well). Given the typical cultural dimensions of Spanish society, we expected to find greater support for the gender role expectations model than for the rational model. However, the results obtained in this study indicated that, while the rational model can explain the gender differences that were found, the gender role expectations model cannot capture Spanish people's work-family conflict experiences. The results are interpreted in terms of cultural dimensions characteristic of the Spanish context.


BACKGROUND
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are one of the most serious complications in diabetic health treatment. The treatment for DFUs is more challenging, especially in individuals with a weakened immune system. Furthermore, due to developing antibiotic resistance characteristics among harmful bacteria and fungi, existing antibiotics may not be helpful in combating microbial infections in the wound site.

OBJECTIVES
This review will focus on the newest advances in antimicrobial treatments such as dressings and topical therapies as well as drugs and debridement methods.

METHODS
The English-language publications published on DFU were collected from a variety of sources, including Scopus, Web of Science, Bentham Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar.

RESULTS
DFU therapy necessitates a multidisciplinary strategy including the use of appropriate diagnostic instruments, expertise, and experience. This begins with patient education and the use of new classifications to direct care in order to avoid amputations. To gain a deeper understanding of the microbiota in DFUs, new diagnostic approaches, such as the 16S ribosomal DNA sequence in bacteria, should become usable.

CONCLUSION
DFU is said to have a polymicrobial nature and, depending on its geographical area, some distinct characteristics, such as wound characteristics, antibiograms based on local epidemiology, individualized antimicrobial driven treatment, routine debridement, regular wound examination, and dressing changes. New biological and molecular therapies that have been shown to enhance infection prevention, the management of the local inflammatory profile, and the efficiency of the cicatrizing mechanism often help with the above characteristics.


Pesticide residual persistence in agriculture soil selectively increases the pesticide-degrading population and transfers the pesticide-degrading gene to other populations, leading to cross-resistance to a wide range of antibiotics. The enzymes that degrade pesticides can also catabolize the antibiotics by inducing changes in the gene or protein structure through induced mutations. The present work focuses on the pesticide-degrading bacteria isolated from an agricultural field that develop cross-resistance to antibiotics. This cross-resistance is developed through catabolic gene clusters present in an extrachromosomal plasmid. A larger plasmid (236.7 Kbp) isolated from Bacillus sp. was sequenced by next-generation sequencing, and important features such as α-β hydrolase, DNA topoisomerase, DNA polymerase III subunit beta, reverse transcriptase, plasmid replication rep X, recombination U, transposase, and S-formylglutathione hydrolase were found in this plasmid. Among these, the α-β hydrolase enzyme is known for the degradation of organophosphate pesticides. The cloning and expression of the α-β hydrolase gene imply nonspecific cleavage of antibiotics through a cross-resistance phenomenon in the host. The docking of α-β hydrolase with a spectrum of antibiotics showed a high G-score against chloramphenicol (−3.793), streptomycin (−2.865), cefotaxime (−5.885), ampicillin (−4.316), and tetracycline (−3.972). This study concludes that continuous exposure to pesticide residues may lead to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains among the wild microbial flora.


Assessing the biological relevance of variance components estimated using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC)‐based mixed‐effects models is not straightforward. Variance estimates are constrained to be greater than zero and their posterior distributions are often asymmetric. Different measures of central tendency for these distributions can therefore vary widely, and credible intervals cannot overlap zero, making it difficult to assess the size and statistical support for among‐group variance. Statistical support is often assessed through visual inspection of the whole posterior distribution and so relies on subjective decisions for interpretation. We use simulations to demonstrate the difficulties of summarizing the posterior distributions of variance estimates from MCMC‐based models. We then describe different methods for generating the expected null distribution (i.e. a distribution of effect sizes that would be obtained if there was no among‐group variance) that can be used to aid in the interpretation of variance estimates. Through comparing commonly used summary statistics of posterior distributions of variance components, we show that the posterior median is predominantly the least biased. We further show how null distributions can be used to derive a p‐value that provides complementary information to the commonly presented measures of central tendency and uncertainty. Finally, we show how these p‐values facilitate the implementation of power analyses within an MCMC framework. The use of null distributions for variance components can aid study design and the interpretation of results from MCMC‐based models. We hope that this manuscript will make empiricists using mixed models think more carefully about their results, what descriptive statistics they present and what inference they can make.


In many speech applications, the signal of interest is often corrupted by highly correlated noise sources. An extreme example is when several speakers are talking at the same time, a phenomenon called cock-tail party problem. Separating desired speaker signals from their mixture is one of the most challenging research topics in speech signal processing. The problem is called single-channel speech separation (SCSS) where the interfering signal is another speaker. Possible applications include speech coding, speech recognition, hearing aid and forensics where a high quality separation algorithm is required as a pre-processing stage to mitigate the effect of interfering signals. In the introductory part of this thesis, we present the problem definition and give an overview of its different applications in real life. We then move on presenting the dominating previous SCSS methods and outline the problems they face. As our contribution, we present novel strategies to improve the separation performance in the form of proposing two SCSS systems, namely model-driven SCSS in sinusoidal domain and joint speech separation and speaker identification. We propose sinusoidal mixture estimator for speech separation. We generalize mask methods for speech separation from short-time Fourier transform to sinusoidal case. Experiments show that using sinusoidal masks improved the separation performance compared to the STFT counterpart. A separation system is proposed based on sinusoidal parameters composed of sinusoidal mixture estimator along with sinusoidal coders used as speaker models. To overcome the speaker dependency problem known as a common problem in model-driven SCSS methods, we present a joint closed loop speaker identification and speech separation considered as an attractive approach for speaker-independent SCSS. We also propose two contributions to identify speakers from single-channel speech mixture. We propose a new approach for speaker identification for single-channel speech mixture independent of the signal-to-signal ratio. We present a double-talk detection method to determine the single-talk/double-talk regions in a mixture. We also integrate a double-talk detector with a speaker identification module to improve the speaker identification accuracy. Finally, a joint speech separation and speaker identification system is proposed for separation challenge.


Background: Dental caries is still a major public health problem. The use of fluoride is
one of the most effective ways to prevent tooth decay.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of fluoride entrapped in
chitosan nanoparticles in vivo.

Methods: Sodium fluoride was loaded in chitosan via ionic gelation of tripolyphosphate nanoparticles.
Characterization of nanoparticles was investigated by using the zeta potential, size of particles,
loading capacities, encapsulation efficiency, and Fourier Transforms Infrared Spectroscopy. Chitosan/
fluoride nanoparticles were fabricated by a method of fluoride/chitosan cross-linking with
tripolyphosphate.

Results: The size of nanoparticles was 219 nm. According to the zeta potential results, by adding
sodium fluoride to chitosan/tripolyphosphate nanoparticles reducing the number of positive charges
of chitosan, the result was diminished zeta potential from +30.8 mV to +14.9 mV. The optimum
drug loading and percentage of entrapment efficiency were 70% and 30% respectively. Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed linked among tripolyphosphate, chitosan and fluoride
nanoparticles. In vitro characterization of nanoparticles demonstrated higher fluoride uptake ability
and smooth releasing profile.

Conclusion: It is suggested that fluoride/chitosan nanoparticles synthesized in our study may be a
promising means of delivering fluoride for the early prevention of tooth decay.


It has been argued that one of the characteristics of swamp rice cultivation practiced in the tropical rain forest climate of the lowlands of insular Southeast Asia is the transplanting of seedlings grown in nurseries to paddy fields. Such transplanting is carried out as a countermeasure to the problem of vigorous weed growth in tropical climates, but the author has reported in previous papers [Ichikawa a; b] that swamp rice cultivation in Nakat village located in the Bakong River basin, Sarawak, East Malaysia, is carried out by broadcast seeding. In this village, seeded fields were sometimes shifted to fallow grasslands and forests to solve the weed problem. The objectives of this paper are to describe other examples of broadcast seeding in swamp rice cultivation, to examine the distribution of this practice, and correlate it with the natural and social characteristics of the areas where it is currently practiced or was formerly used. Interviews in villages located in some large river basins in Sarawak revealed that, although transplanting is the principal planting method used, broadcast seeding is also practiced in some villages. It was also discovered that even in villages in which transplanting is the only method practiced today, broadcast seeding was practiced successfully up to from to years ago. Previous studies have reported a few cases of shifting swamp rice cultivation utilizing broadcast seeding in the Malay Peninsula, West Kalimantan and Sarawak. Such rice cultivation is observed not only in Nakat, but also in the abovementioned areas, and was no doubt practiced more widely a few decades ago. Among the various conditions to be satisfied in the areas where shifting swamp-ricecultivation with broadcast seeding is practiced, the two main conditions are: existence of abundant fallows which can be converted easily to new paddy fields, and favorable water conditions, the areas concerned being naturally protected from sudden flooding, and not being prone to flooding in the seed broadcasting season. To meet these conditions, swamp rice fields where broadcast seeding is practiced need to be located in swamps on slightly elevated grounds, such as flood plains, low terraces and fans, such as in Nakat. Insular Southeast Asia with its tropical rain forest climate is characterized by vigorous growth of plants and low population density. It is under such conditions that broadcast seeding in swamp rice cultivation has been practiced over broad areas as an appropriate labor-saving method, weeds being countered by shifting planted/seeded fields to fallows where few weeds grow.


The reports of foodborne illnesses are increasing and rapid, sensitive and reliable methods to detect and identify foodborne microorganisms are needed. This review encompasses a description of recent technologies upon which DNA detection methods are based. This review also provides current information on hybridization assays developed or under study for application in food microbiology. Literature pertaining to some of the most common foodborne microorganisms, including Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Listeria spp., Escherichia coli , and Yersinia enterocolitica is emphasized.


PURPOSE
We sought to isolate, clone, and determine the nucleic acid sequence of the guinea pig adenovirus (GPAdV) hexon gene. From this, the amino acid sequence of the cloned portion was deduced and compared with a set of mastadenovirus hexons.

METHODS
The DNA isolated from a histologic section of infected guinea pig lung was subjected to high-fidelity amplification, using degenerate primers complementary to a conserved nucleic acid sequence near the 3' end of the hexon gene of mastadenoviruses and a 5' primer from GenBank accession No. X95630 (GPAdV hexon gene partial sequence). The amplified product was cloned, the nucleic acid sequence was determined, and the amino acid sequence was deduced and compared with the hexon amino acid sequences of 25 mastadenoviruses.

RESULTS
The cloned fragment comprised 1,603 base pairs (bp) [approximately 50%]) of the hexon. Of the initial 278 nucleic acids of the clone, 276 were identical with GenBank accession No. X95630, and the deduced amino acid sequences of both were identical. The deduced GPAdV hexon amino acid sequence from the clone aligned with structural regions NT, V1, DE1, and FG1 described for human adenovirus types 2 and 5. The GPAdV hexon had < 50% similarity in amino acid sequence, compared with hexons of 25 other mastadenoviruses. Analysis of regional peptide similarities revealed the GPAdV hexon to be more similar to animal mastadenoviruses and human subgroups A, C and F than to other human subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS
The cloned portion of the GPAdV hexon contained a sequence nearly identical to that of GenBank accession No. X95630. Compared with the truncated amino acid sequences of human adenovirus types 2 and 5, the deduced GPAdV hexon amino acid sequence was similar in areas structurally conserved, but different in areas associated with type-specific antigenicity.


ABSTRACT Research question: This paper is an integration of three studies. Study 1 investigates sport career transition organisational intervention programmes for high-performance athletes and training and development programmes for sport career transition practitioners in order to find a research gap with regard to sport career transition supporting services. A psycho-educational curriculum was developed for sport career transition practitioner in Study 2 to fill the research gap. In Study 3, the curriculum was examined to see if the curriculum contributed to enhancing practitioners' confidence in key competences. Research methods: A range of methods were applied to the studies including One Group Pre- and Post-test design, Case Study, Focus Group, Semi-Structured Interview, two-round Delphi-Method, and Questionnaires. The data for Study 1 collected from 19 countries worldwide and total 16 participants based in seven different countries were invited to development and evaluation of the curriculum. Results and Findings: A novel psycho-educational curriculum for sport career transition practitioner was developed and evaluated concerning four competences as a form of curriculum package. The findings revealed that the curriculum package increased the participants' confidence in key competences concerning sport career transition. Implications: The findings deepen the knowledge of sport career transition in the areas of organisational intervention programmes focusing on high-performance athletes and sport career transition practitioners. These findings contribute to modifying the Conceptual Model of Adaptation to Career Transition [Lavallee, D., Park, S., & Taylor, J. (2014). Career transition among athletes: Is there life after sports? In J. Williams & V. Krane (Eds.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (pp. 490–509). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill] by strengthening the organisational intervention perspective and applied work in respect of sporting organisation management strategies.


A high-throughput RapidFire mass spectrometry assay is described for the JMJD2 family of Fe2+, O2, and α-ketoglutarate-dependent histone lysine demethylases. The assay employs a short amino acid peptide substrate, corresponding to the first 15 amino acid residues of histone H3, but mutated at two positions to increase assay sensitivity. The assay monitors the direct formation of the dimethylated-Lys9 product from the trimethylated-Lys9 peptide substrate. Monitoring the formation of the monomethylated and des-methylated peptide products is also possible. The assay was validated using known inhibitors of the histone lysine demethylases, including 2,4-pyridinedicarboxylic acid and an α-ketoglutarate analogue. With a sampling rate of 7 s per well, the RapidFire technology permitted the single-concentration screening of 101 226 compounds against JMJD2C in 10 days using two instruments, typically giving Z′ values of 0.75 to 0.85. Several compounds were identified of the 8-hydroxyquinoline chemotype, a known series of inhibitors of the Lys9-specific histone demethylases. The peptide also functions as a substrate for JMJD2A, JMJD2D, and JMJD2E, thus enabling the development of assays for all 3 enzymes to monitor progress in compound selectivity. The assay represents the first report of a RapidFire mass spectrometry assay for an epigenetics target.


The authors describe a technique for total spondylectomy for lesions involving the cervical spine. The method involves separately staged anterior and posterior approaches and befits the unique anatomy of the cervical spine. The procedure is described in detail, with the aid of radiographs, intraoperative photographs, and illustrations. Unlike in the thoracic and lumbar spine--for which methods of total en bloc spondylectomy have previously been described--a strictly en bloc resection is not possible in the cervical spine because of the need to preserve the vertebral arteries and the nerve roots supplying the upper limbs. Although the resection described in this case is by definition intralesional, it is oncologically sound, given the development of effective neoadjuvent chemotherapeutic regimens for osteosarcoma.


This article studies the governance of 'cyber historical nihilism' in China. By performing document analysis of the regulatory policies and actions against cyber historical nihilism, we found that cyber historical nihilism is mainly governed as harmful 'online content' and a threatening 'ideological trend', and its governance has incorporated agencies and measures of China's 'internet governance' and 'ideological and political education'. We argue that cyber historical nihilism has been securitised by the Chinese Communist Party as an urgent threat to the nation's ideological and political securities. The governance of cyber historical nihilism aims to maintain the Chinese Communist Party's authority in history writing and its legitimacy and longevity as the ruling party. The Chinese Communist Party's emphasis and intensity in governing cyber historical nihilism has not only demonstrated the ideological turn to Maoism in internet governance, propaganda and politics under Xi Jinping's leadership, but also the Chinese Communist Party's ability and resilience to adapt to new challenges in the ideological field in the digital age.


The conformation of peptides when bound to different HLA class II molecules is of interest in the study of specificity and function of responding T cells. Here, we report the investigation of the HLA-DR binding profiles of an immunodominant and HLA-promiscuous mycobacterial peptide, p38G. Its binding affinities were found to be high for DR1, moderate for DR2, DR7 and DR8, low for DR4, DR5, DR6 and DR9, and below detection for DR3. The minimum peptide length required for binding was, in the majority of cases, nine residues and 11 in two instances (DR2 and DR4). Peptide binding to DR2 was attributed to the DRB5*0101 and not to the DRB1*1501 gene product. Substitution analysis of the amino acid residues involved in binding to DR1 and DRB5*0101 identified F-354 as the common primary contact residue (P1), while allele-specific differences were found in positions P4, P6 and in the C-terminal anchor residue (valine at P9 for DR1 or lysine at P10 for DRB5*0101). Computer-assisted evaluation of these empirical data produced a molecular model, suggesting that the peptide binds to DR1 in an elongated conformation, similar to that of other peptide MHC class II complexes. In contrast, the DRB5*0101 bound peptide is likely to be kinked, which so far was considered characteristic only for peptides within MHC class I complexes. The different conformations imposed on the same peptide by distinct HLA alleles may represent an important mechanism for the control of T cell responses.


In this paper, the development of network and intersection simulation models using microsimulation tool, along with validation of the models is studied. The validated microscopic simulation models can be utilized for further evaluation of various traffic operational conditions, such as bus priority measures for improving bus service performance. Traffic planning should put emphasis on the promotion of public transport to ensure sustainability. In planning transport setups, computer models ensure the analysis of different alternative public transport options like bus priority treatments. Various traffic performance indicators like; headway, delay, queue length, travel speed and travel time were considered during the validation of the simulation models. The obtained results from the developed simulation experiments and the statistical comparison with the field traffic behavior assured that the models accurately represent the actual traffic nature with less than 10% margin of error. The simulation experiment results show that the City's road corridors can accurately be created in microsimulation tools before conducting an impact analysis for alternative transportation strategies.Keywords: Microscopic simulation, microsimulation tool, public transport, traffic performance indicators, validation


The aim of this study was to analyze the genetic characteristics of the VP1 gene of coxsackievirus A16(CA16)strains isolated from Jiangsu Province, China, in 2015.The VP1 regions of 20CA16 virus strains from Jiangsu Province in 2015 were amplified, and the amplification products were sequenced. Mega 6.0and DNA Star software were applied to build the phylogenetic tree and analyze the homogeneity of nucleotides and amino acids. The sequence homologies of the nucleotides and amino acids of the VP1 gene were 88.2%~100.0%and 98.0%~100.0%among 20CA16 isolates, respectively. Comparison with the sequence of the prototype strain A-G10 showed 75.3%~77.4% homologies in nucleotide sequence and90.6%~92.3%in amino-acid sequences, respectively. Comparison with the sequence of the representative strain B1 showed 88.3%~98.4% homologies in nucleotide sequence and 96.3%~100.0%in amino-acid sequence, respectively. Comparison with the sequence of the representative strain B2 showed 88.4%~90.8% homologies in nucleotide sequence and 96.6%~100.0%in amino-acid sequence, respectively. Twenty CA16 isolates were subgenotype B1.One isolate was subgenotype B1a, whereas the remainder of isolates was subgenotype B1b among 20 CA16 isolates. A subgenotype B1b transmission chain was also noted. The CA16 strains isolated from Jiangsu Province in 2015 belonged to subgenotype B1.There were two evolutionary branches, whereby B1 a and B1bwere co-circulating and evolving together. The epidemic strain was subgenotype B1b.


Background: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are an important and preventable cause of medication errors in hospitals. Research has shown that doctors and pharmacists are often unable to recognise potential DDIs, suggesting that a strategy to aid in DDI detection and prevention is needed. Recent developments in technology have seen new strategies emerge for preventing DDIs but these strategies are rarely evaluated and are typically implemented with little input from the individuals using them. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the opinions of both experts and users (doctors) on strategies available to assist in the identification and prevention of DDIs. Method: Eight drug safety experts and 18 doctors took part in semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked about their confidence in identifying DDIs and their views on strategies to prevent DDIs. Results: No doctors reported complete confidence in identifying dangerous DDIs, with junior doctors appearing less confident than senior doctors. Most doctors believed that computerised alerts would be the most effective strategy for preventing DDIs, while experts were more critical of alerts. Conclusion: The lack of confidence displayed by doctors in their ability to identify DDIs suggests that a strategy that does not rely on individuals seeking out the information themselves would be most appropriate. While a large number of problems related to DDI alert implementation have been reported in the literature (e.g. alert overload), users appeared to be receptive to the idea of being alerted. By ensuring users are aware of the limitations of the system and involving them in DDI strategy design we expect greater use and satisfaction with the adopted strategy.


Abstract : A latex used as an admixture in portland cement concrete or mortar is a water-emulsion organic polymer. This polymer emulsion will coalesce to form a continuous film within the matrix of the paste and around the aggregate, thus producing greater tensile and flexural strength and a more durable material (because it acts as a moisture barrier to the entry of liquid water but allows water vapor to migrate out). A literature search was conducted to collect information about latex admixtures and some minor laboratory testing was performed to corroborate some of the literature findings.


In this article we will discuss the ranking of the sociology higher education study programs in Romania, on the basis of departmental g-successive index. The need and consequences of rankings in higher education is a much debated topic. Thus, we will look a little bit into the assumptions and the logic that underpins any evaluation and ranking exercise. Having done so, we will stumble upon a specific ranking methodology that is largely based on g-index. We will nonetheless show that the alternative official methodology, based on a considerably higher number of indicators, though measuring more comprehensively the concept of quality, largely produces the same results. We will eventually discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using synthetic indexes (like g index for instance) comparing with evaluation exercises that take on board more numerous indicators and dimensions.


Semiconductor nanowire field effect transistors have emerged as a promising technology for development of label-free biomolecular sensors for rapid diagnostics. However, their practical application has been hindered due to the significant device-to-device variations in electrical properties and the need for individual sensor calibration. Recent advances in device fabrication and demonstrations of multiplexed sensing and quantification might make this technology more competitive with respect to the current cutting-edge techniques such as surface plasmon resonance.


We propose a new approach which allows us to obtain analytical expressions for the angular momentum dependence of the intermediate-state transition rates in the exciton model. Using this approach we deduce the condition for the equilibration of the angular momentum distribution of {ital n}-exciton states. We also calculate the isomeric ratio in the {sup 111}Cd({ital p},2{ital n}) reaction using the solutions of the master equation for each value of the total angular momentum of the composite system. We obtain good agreement with experimental data for proton energy of about {epsilon}{le}50MeV.


Background and Aim: During speech development in normal children, cluster reduction is one of the natural phonological processes. Children begin to produce some consonant clusters from the age of 2 years but ability to produce all consonant clusters continues up to 9. The main objective of this investigation was assessing the ability of Persian-speaking children in production of consonant clusters in mono-syllable CVCC words. Methods: In this cross-sectional and comparative study, production of 19 clusters with stop, fricative, affricate, nasal, and glide consonants in 38 words were tested in 200 Persian-speaking children at the age of 3 to 6 years in kindergartens of Tehran, Iran. Content validity indexes of 38 words were above 0.80 and Cronbach's alpha of split half was 0.91. Results: More than 75% of 3-years-old children were able to produce /xl/, /bz/, /rs/, and /xm/ clusters. Age was positively correlated with correct production scores of words (p=0.001) and was negatively correlated with cluster reduction scores (p=0.001). Conclusion: Three-years-old normal Persian-speaking children may use cluster reduction in words with consonant clusters but this phonological process decreased by increasing of age; so, most of the 6-years-old children could produce consonant clusters correctly. Place of articulation more than manner of articulation affect on correct production of consonant clusters.


The rapid development of the network technology and internet have changed the way of how files are distributed, including sensitive data such as medical record. Some methods have been applied to ensure its security, including those with cryptography or steganography, along with their advantages and disadvantages. While cryptography may attract suspiciousness of attackers, steganography may not. This is because the file being sent is similar to ordinary files. Therefore, this similarity is one of the key factor in this data hiding problem, besides the capacity of the secret message which can be fully accommodated. In this paper, we propose a data hiding scheme by using audio files as the cover (carrier) to hide the medical record and to secure it. In order to maximize the embedding capacity of the method while maintaining good quality, we combine the Reduced Difference Expansion with Generalized Difference Expansion methods. In addition, we further enhance the method by reducing the difference to achieve a better quality result; and applying a multiple layer embedding scheme, so that same sample can be used for embedding multiple times. For the proposed scheme, the result is quite satisfactory with a 320.0000 bit of payload data can be embedded into 10 second audio clip while still maintaining the quality by 37dB of PSNR value.


This article examines whether seasonality is present in the excess returns of low risk Canadian firms in safe industries for a sample of firms that are highly scrutinized and visible and uses such tests as the foundation to empirically test competing explanations of stock market seasonality, namely, the tax-loss selling hypothesis and the gamesmanship hypothesis. The tests cover the period 1980 to 1998. For a sample of highly scrutinized and visible firms strong seasonality in excess returns is reported. However, the firms in our sample have unusually low excess returns in January and returns adjust upwards over the remainder of the year. The results hold even after we control for various risk differences among the stocks of our sample. Further, this article's findings imply that the January effect is not as pervasive across risk classes and industry sectors as earlier studies using aggregate data have shown it to be. The disaggregated data of this study provide evidence in support of the gamesmanship hypothesis, but not the tax-loss selling hypothesis. Whenever a January effect is observed, the last quarter of the year tends to be weak for those companies in our sample that experienced a strong January. The opposite is true when a January effect is not evident, as the gamesmanship hypothesis would predict.


This paper shows how classic inductive assertions can be used in conjunction with a formal operational semantics to prove partial correctness properties of programs. The method imposes only the proof obligations that would be produced by a verification condition generator – but does not require the definition of a verification condition generator. All that is required is a theorem prover, a formal operational semantics, and the object program with appropriate assertions at user-selected cut points. The verification conditions are generated in the course of the theorem-proving process by straightforward symbolic evaluation of the formal operational semantics. The technique is demonstrated by proving the partial correctness of simple bytecode programs with respect to a preexisting operational model of the Java Virtual Machine.


: This qualitative evaluation study aims to investigate the implementation process of a current educational reform on teaching English to young learners in Turkey, the Intensive English Language Program in the Fifth Grade, from English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' viewpoints. Seven EFL teachers at pilot schools in the city-center of Erzincan were interviewed twice. The results of the first round of interviews indicated that despite the challenges arising from the pilot program, the teachers had positive attitudes regarding the potential advantages of the program. However, the final interview results painted a different picture in that although the main principles of the policy were seen as beneficial for young learners, the teachers faced a variety of challenges, such as a heavy compulsory curriculum in terms of content, lack of professional development support on the new program and scarcity of suitable language teaching materials. Based on both these problems and the benefits of the program, the teachers offered several suggestions for improving the quality of the program; these targeted elements including poor design of the program and unsatisfying professional development support. This study takes a snapshot of the implementation of the current EFL reform and presents suggestions for policymakers and teachers.


Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) causes macro- and microvasculopathy, but data on cardiac microvascular changes in large animals are scarce. We sought to determine the effect of DM on macro- and microvascular changes in diabetic pigs and humans. Methods Eight domestic pigs (4 with type I diabetes and 4 controls) underwent coronary angiography with optical coherence tomography (OCT; at baseline and 1 and 2 months), coronary computed tomography angiography, cardiac magnet resonance (CMR) imaging, and histologic examination. Results The diabetic pigs had more irregular capillaries with acellular capillaries and a smaller capillary diameter (11.7 ± 0.33 μm vs. 13.5 ± 0.53 μm; P < 0.001) than those of the control pigs. The OCT showed no significant epicardial stenosis in either group; however diabetic pigs had a greater intima-media thickness. CMR results showed that diabetic pigs had a lower relative upslope at rest (31.3 ± 5.9 vs. 37.9 ± 8.1; P = 0.011) and during stress (18.0 ± 3.0 vs. 21.6 ± 2.8; P = 0.007) than the control pigs, implying decreased myocardial perfusion. Among the 79 patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction, 25 had diabetes and they had lower myocardial perfusion on CMR as well. Conclusion DM causes microvascular remodeling and a decrease in myocardial perfusion in large animals at a very early stage of the disease course. Early and effective interventions are necessary to interrupt the progression of vascular complications in diabetic patients.


During the initial 8 months period of 18F-FDG PET/CT examination in our institution eleven cases of double cancers were detected. Eight cases were simultaneous second cancers and 3 cases are consecutive cancers. All cases are clinical ones and were referred from both outside hospitals and our own hospital. 18F-FDG PET/CT examination were utilized either to determine the extent of tumor or to stage the cancer or to detect recurrent tumors during the follow-up period. During the 8-months period 964 cases were studied. Therefore, the detection rates of simultaneous and consecutive cancers are 0.83% and 0.31% respectively. All together the detection rate of double cancer was 1.14%. To gain the general conception of double cancers the authors reviewed the autopsy registry of Japanese Society of Pathology during the four years from 2000 through 2003, and tabulated the combination of primary and second cancers. Frequently found combination of cancers were cancers of the thyroid, lung, stomach, liver, biliary tract, colon, rectum, and prostate. 18F-FDG PET/CT examination seems to be very useful in the management of cancer patients in terms of whole patient care.


SUMMARY We investigate the crust and upper-mantle structures beneath the southern Apennine mountain chain using three-component seismograms from the Calabria-ApennineTyrrhenian/Subduction-Collision-Accretion Network (CAT/SCAN) array. Surface wave waveforms from three moderate-sized (M w > 5.0) regional earthquakes are modelled using multiple frequencies (0.03–0.06 and 0.05–0.2 Hz) and both forward and linearized-inversion algorithms. Our best-fitting shear velocity models clearly reflect the major tectonic units where, for example, the average seismic structure at depths above 50 km beneath Apulia is substantially faster than beneath the Apennine mountain chain. We identify a prominent low-velocity channel under the mountain belt at depths below ∼25–30 km and a secondary low-velocity zone at 6–12 km depth near Mt Vulture (a once active volcano). Speed variations between Love and Rayleigh waves provide further constraints on the fabric and dynamic processes. Our analysis indicates that the crustal low-velocity zones are highly anisotropic (maximum 14 per cent) and allow transversely polarized shear waves to travel faster than vertically polarized shear waves. The upper crustal anomaly reveals a layer of highly deformed rocks caused by past collisions and by the active normal faults cutting across the thrust sheets, whereas hot mantle upwelling may be responsible for a high-temperature, partially molten lower crust beneath the southern Apennines.


The objective of this study was to identify geranium cultivars that exhibit differential reactions to floral inoculation with Botrytis cinerea Per. ex. Fr. Sixty-two genotypes, including both cultivars and breeding lines, were evaluated from several Pelargonium species. Resistant genotypes included the diploid Pelargonium peltatum (L.) L'Herit. cultivar King of Balcon and the diploid Pelargonium ×hortorum L.H. Bail. cultivar Ben Franklin, as well as the diploid Pelargonium peltatum accession 93-1-33 developed from an accession obtained from South Africa. Susceptible genotypes included the putative tetraploid Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Simone. Floral resistance was not correlated with foliar resistance. Diploid genotypes appeared to have greater resistance than tetraploid genotypes, and P. peltatum cultivars more resistance than P. ×hortorum cultivars. In addition, the association of petal number and resistance was investigated.


Background It is known that serum IL-6 (sIL-6) levels are associated with disease activity and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Tocilizumab (TCZ) blocks binding of interleukin 6 (IL-6) to both membrane and soluble receptors, thereby preventing the signal transmission and its efficacy in the treatment of RA and other inflammatory diseases has been well documented. A better knowledge on IL-6 modulation in our patients may help us to design strategies for optimal use of TCZ in RA patients. Objectives To analyse the genetic, sociodemographic and clinical factors that could be involved in the regulation of sIL-6 levels in a population of patients with early arthritis (EA). Methods We studied 176 patients from our prospective EA register, 75% women, age at disease-onset 53 [43-67] (mean [p25-p75]) years, disease duration at inclusion in the register 5.5 [3.1-8.6] months and 2 to 5 years of follow-up. A total of 693 visits were analyzed (3.7 visits/patient). 71% met the 1987 ACR criteria for classification of RA at two years of follow-up. Rheumatoid factor (RF) was positive in 44% and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) in 45%. Sociodemographic data were collected at the first visit and clinical and laboratory data, at each visit, according to a protocol. sIL-6 levels were measured using an ELISA kit from R&D Systems. Genotyping of single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs7574865 on STAT4, rs2476601 on PTPN22, rs231775 on CTLA-4, rs2228145 on the IL-6 receptor and rs1800795 on IL-6 was performed using real-time PCR and specific TaqMan probes (Applied Biosystems). To determine the effect of the independent variables on sIL-6 levels, a generalised linear model, nested by patient and visit, was fitted using the xtgee command of Stata 10.1 for Windows (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA). Results sIL-6 levels diminished along the follow-up from 3.4 pg/ml [1.5-8] at basal visit to 1.64 pg/ml [0.75-3.4] at the two-year follow-up. The variables which reached statistically significant association with increased sIL-6 levels were: moderate or high activity versus remission (p<0.001 in both cases), age (>65 versus <45 y; p<0.001) and the presence of ACPA (p=0.004). Once the statistical model was adjusted by these variables, methotrexate (MTX) was the only drug associated with a reduction in sIL-6 levels (p<0.001) after fitting the statistical model by the level of disease activity. In addition, the alleles from the STAT4, PTPN22 and CTLA4 polymorphisms associated with the greatest risk for RA correlated with lower sIL-6 levels although without statistical significance. The genetic variants studied on IL-6 gene and its receptor did not have any effect on serum cytokine levels. Conclusions Our data suggest that elderly patients with EA, those with positive ACPA and with greater disease activity show the highest sIL-6 levels and confirm the association between these levels and disease activity. Therefore, our results would explain, at least in part, the lack of synergy in the MTX/TCZ combination that has been revealed in clinical trials, likely as both these drugs exert their action on the same target. This work is partially funded by the RETICS program, RD08/0075 (RIER) and FIS 080754 from the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) and a Roche Farma unrestricted grant. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


OBJECTIVE
To establish the dermatoglyphic features of the Urhobos of southern Nigeria.

DESIGN
Cross sectional study of randomly selected Urhobo subjects.

SETTING
Department of Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, southern Nigeria.

MAIN OUTCOME
Plantar and digital pattern types were determined and Dankmeijer's (DI) and pattern intensity (PII) indices were calculated.

RESULTS
Males showed greater pattern types than females except in loops and whorls of the digits, where females showed greater numbers than males. The pattern intensity index was higher in females than in males. What appears characteristic to this group however, was the presence of few whorl distribution in the small toe in female subjects which was absent in male subjects.

CONCLUSION
This study thus provide normal dermatoglyphic features for the Urhobos of Southern Nigeria and also highlighted possible distinguishing dermtoglyphic difference between the Ibos and Urhobos of Southern Nigeria.


In the modern church, the Book of Leviticus is often neglected, due perhaps to the incomprehensible content of the book to contemporary man. However ignored, Leviticus is still an important source for knowledge of God's way of dealing with sin and uncleanness. This study attempted to find out how those who lived in Old Testament times, especially those who underwent the Exodus experience, could have understood the salvific acts of God. Of special interest was the question of whether or not they could have known through the rites of the Day of Atonement what Christ would do for them. This study, then, examined closely the Day of Atonement services, as recorded in Leviticus 16. It looked specifically for an Old Testament understanding of Christ's sacrificial and mediatorial ministry. An overview of the contextual setting of Leviticus in the Pentateuch shows it to be the core of the five books of Moses. Leviticus deals with cleanness and holiness, as God wants demonstrated in his law-keeping people of Israel. Further, Leviticus 16 can be shown to be the heart of Leviticus, the core of the holiness message. The structure of the chapter, its relationship to the sanctuary service, its relation to the Exodus experience, and its relation to the law of God—all indicate this. Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies An analysis of Leviticus 16 demonstrates that the Day of Atonement was a very special day for Israel, with many special and unique religious features. This day was the climax of the religious year, when the sins and uncleanness of the people were cleansed, atoned for by the blood of Yahweh's goat and sent away by the Azazel goat to the desert. The repeated use of the words kipper and taher in the chapter suggest cleansing and purification as the most important functions of the day. The mediatorial ministry of the high priest, the sacrifice offered for the sins of the people, and the Azazel ceremony—with its portrayal of the forgiveness of sin and eradication of evil—were symbols of judgment and salvation. Salvation was for the ones who obeyed, fasted, and accepted God's plan; judgment--"cutting off" from the people—was for those who did not make right their hearts on that day. The ceremonies of that special day clearly pointed to the activity of Yahweh in favor of Israel. He was seen as the one who made possible their salvation, delivered them from death and judgment, and set them right with himself and the community. There is no mention of Christ, but the functions of Yahweh, cleansing and saving from judgment, clearly portrayed the work that the Messiah would perform for Israel. It can only be conjectured that to some degree the Israelites comprehended this. A brief study of the main features of the Day of Atonement in the New Testament confirms that the New Testament authors saw Jesus as performing the functions of Yahweh, so clearly shown in the Day of Atonement. Jesus Christ, as the promised Messiah, fulfilled what God intended to foreshadow in the Day of Atonement services. A comparison of Leviticus 16 in Hebrew and the Indonesian versions of the Old Testament suggest that the concepts are clearly translated and can be readily understood within an Indonesian context. Four words are taken almost directs, through the Arabic, from the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies Hebrew. There are: Azazel, tahir (clean), kudus (holy), and korban (sacrifice). These words are used by Indonesians in referring to the sacrifices and rituals that are commonly practices. Thus, the important concepts of the Day of Atonement can easily be conveyed within the Indonesian context.


The use of biodegradable lubricants based on vegetable oils is receiving increasing attention, being an important area of research, in order to promote products with a reduced environmental impact during their entire life cycle. Compressibility is one of the key properties that should be taken into account to develop efficient hydraulic fluids and gear oils. The isothermal compressibility of four reference fluids, a sunflower base oil and a biodegradable oil up to 50 MPa and from 298.15 K to 373.15 K has been determined. For this aim an experimental device based on a vibrating-tube densimeter was used to obtain the density values. The density values at atmospheric pressure were correlated within an absolute average deviation of 0.07% with the Rackett equation whereas a modified Tait equation was used to correlate the experimental data over all temperatures and at higher pressures. The sunflower base oil analyzed in this work has a slightly lower compressibility than those of the reference oils for hydraulic and two stroke engines applications. Moreover, viscosities from 278.15 K to 373.15 K and the viscosity index (VI) were determined for all the analyzed oils using a SVM 3000 Anton Paar rotational Stabinger viscometer.


One of the major problems in many countries is the forest fires. Forest fires are the source of the most of the problems of fire protection organization in every year. Why does Turkey still have too many forest fires? And how do we eliminate forest fires? We are trying to approach this problem under our country conditions, and explain that how we are able to eliminate the forest fires in Izmir Forest Directorate. Forest fires stands out especially in the provinces of forests under the influence of the Mediterranean climate in Turkey. However, the forest directorate that are at risk in terms of both burning areas and fire numbers in these provinces are Mugla, Antalya and Izmir. For this reason, this study was carried out in Izmir Regional Directorate of Forestry between the years 2006-2015, one of the regional directorates that are always at risk.


Non-typhoidal Salmonella infections are increasingly being encountered. Recurrent systemic salmonellosis has previously been reported in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. However, recurrent salmonella bacteraemia by different species of salmonella has rarely been described. We report a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus having Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium infections after ingesting raw eggs and vegetables. Multiple internal organs, including left knee joint, left ovary and bones, were involved. The patient recovered with a prolonged course of antibiotics. This case illustrates that recurrent systemic salmonellosis can be caused by different species of pathogens, especially in immunocompromised hosts. Detailed food history and education on food hygiene is essential in making the diagnosis and preventing recurrence. A prolonged course of antibiotics may be needed to manage these cases.


Nowadays, diagnostics enables detection of cancer-related mutations. It concerns germline mutations as well as de novo mutations. The number of genetics tests available for specific tumors increase in cessantly. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are highpenetrant genes, but still their functions and mechanisms leading to cancer caused by their mutations remain un known. Germline alterations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 sequences are related to hereditary breast cancer syndrome (HBC), hereditary breast and ovarian can cer syndrome (HBOC), hereditary ovar ian cancer syndrome (HOC). Primary and secondary tumors prevention and choice of the best treatment are the benefits of the detection of BRCA2 mutations. Re search on correlation between the tumor phenotype and the type of mutation is continuously performed. This research may have an impact on the development of more effective drugs.


Risk assessment (RA) is widely acknowledged to be linked with construction project success (PS). However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support this perception. Therefore, the current study sought to fill the gap by establishing the relationship of RA with project success. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from small and medium contractors (SMEs) who were conveniently sampled in Gauteng, South Africa. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, computing inferential statistics. The results revealed a statistically significant relationship between RA and PS; that PS was positively influenced by RA. This was an indication that RA in construction is an important risk management factor that enhance project management decision making and hence influence PS. This finding contributes to the body of knowledge on the subject of RA and management and provide guidance to contractors on the practical implementation of RA concerns for construction PS. © 2018 The Authors. Published by Diamond Congress Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Creative Construction Conference 2018.


The infectious bronchitis (IB) is divesting infectious diseases of poultry. Hence, this study determined the maternally derived antibody (MDA) titer of IBV and comparison of two IB vaccine in layer. A total of 1600 birds were equally allocated into two groups (group-A and group-B). The group-A and group-B were vaccinated by two different vaccines having the strain "B1-Strain of ND+Massachusetts B-41 Strains of IBV" and "Hitchner-B1 Strain of ND+Massachusetts H120 Strains of IBV" respectively. Blood samples were collected and antibody titer was detected by indirect ELISA test. Results showed that both groups had the protective level of MDA titer and both the vaccines significantly (p<0.01) increased the antibody mean titer than the MDA. Between the groups, the highest antibody mean titer (11544.43±177.51) was observed in group-B at 5 weeks age and had significant (p<0.01) difference with group-A (10222.11±96.96). The effect size of the antibody titer was higher in group-B (14.25; CI: 9173.82-9564.39; n=46 at 5 weeks birds) than group-A (9.54; CI: 8580.19-9131.68; n=46 at one-day-old birds) respectively. Shortly, the MDA mean titer was in protective condition and both the IB vaccinated groups had the significantly (p<0.05) higher antibody mean titer than the protective level of antibody titer (>853).


Background. After decompressive craniectomy, a deep-freeze-preserved autologous cranial bone graft can be used for cranioplasty to avoid immunoreaction against an artificial patch material. Autologous cranial bone grafts not only have better physical properties, such as heat conduction, compared to artificial patch materials, but they also have the advantages of a lower medical cost and satisfactory physical flexibility. The discussion over 99Tcm-MDP SPECT static cranial bone tomography in the diagnosis of survival and regeneration in deep-freeze preservation autologous cranial bones after cranioplasty is valuable. Objective. To investigate whether deep-freeze-preserved autologous cranial bone grafts could survive and regenerate after autologous reimplantation. Methods. The method of cranial bone preservation involved removing the cranial graft and sealing it in a double-layer sterile plastic bag under sterile surgical conditions. On the day of the cranioplasty operation, the cranial bone graft was disinfected by immersing it in 3% povidone–iodine for 30 minutes. At short-term (2 weeks), medium-term (3 months), and long-term (12 months) postoperative follow-up visits, 99Tcm-MDP SPECT static cranial bone tomography was used to examine the reimplanted cranial bone. Results. There were no postoperative infections or seromas in all 16 cases. Two weeks following cranial bone graft reimplantation, the SPECT tomography showed some radioactivity uptake in the reimplanted cranial bone graft, which was lower than that in the cranial bone on the healthy side. At 3 months and 12 months after the operation, the radioactivity uptake in the reimplanted cranial bone graft was the same as that in the cranial bone on the healthy side. X-ray films showed blurred sutures in the reimplanted cranial bone graft at 12 months after surgery. Conclusion. Reimplanted deep-freeze-preserved autologous cranial bone can survive in the short term and regenerate in the medium and long terms.


The first purpose of this paper is to collate and conceptualize two problems: food fraud/adulteration and food authenticity. The second aim is to investigate students' understanding of these concepts and their implications for consumers and producers (processors and/or farmers) to include food fraud course in university programme for business majors. In the theoretical part of the paper, the cognitive‑critical analysis of the world's literature was applied; the analysis was enriched with instantiations coming from Polish economy, market issues and legislative framework. In the empirical (applicable) part, questionnaire survey was conducted among students of Economics Faculty at Polish university in 2016. Since food supply chains are more and more vulnerable to fraud, the issue has been getting significance rapidly. Both food fraud/adulteration and food authenticity may be treated in terms of instruments that entrepreneurs have in their hands while trying to succeed. The point is that consumers should be aware of these problems, appropriate educational program including university syllabus would help to raise this awareness. The surveyed students' understanding of the phenomenon is quite appropriate. The proposition is to conduct a social campaign covering researched issues. Knowledgeable consumers impose additional pressure on food industry to become more disciplined. The original contribution of this paper to theory is showing the intersection between food fraud / adulteration and authenticity concepts and recognising Polish students' perception of these issues.


The method for diagnostics of flat foot in children at a specialized department for orthopaedic two-degree examination is described. The first degree consists in the very finding of flat foot, the second degree in the determination of the construction of the orthopaedic product with the subsequent express orthesis based on a module principle of devising orthopaedic insole. Key words: flat foot in children, modular orthesis.


The field of biomaterials has recently been focused on the design of intelligent materials. Toward this goal, materials have been developed that can provide specific bioactive signals to control the biological environment around them during the process of materials integration and wound healing. In addition, materials have been developed that can respond to changes in their environment, such as a change in pH or cell-associated enzymatic activity. In designing such novel biomaterials, researchers have sought not merely to create bio-inert materials, but rather materials that can respond to the cellular environment around them to improve device integration and tissue regeneration.


The classification of soils must necessarily be of very considerable interest to the forester if only for the reason that he is so often expected to make some practical use, not only of an assortment of crumbs, but also of the more or less indigestible bones that may, so to speak, fall from the agriculturist's table Numerous as are the soil problems of ordinary farming, it is in cases where the farmer is fully convinced that these problems are economically insurmountable that you are apt most frequently to find land on ofler to the forester. The latter, we will admit, has at his disposal a crop capable of giving an economic n '! turn on many classes of soil which may reasonably be considered unsuited for normal farming use. It is the character of the soil which ultimately decides whether a particular district be economically plantable, just as it is the character of the soil which chiefly decides the tree species which will likely give the most profitable return.


Swedish health information, conducted by the National Board of Health and Welfare in collaboration with private participants, expanded rapidly in the 1970s. This study examines a controversial bread campaign, which declared that the National Board, in collaboration with the private Bread Institute, wanted citizens to eat six to eight slices of bread every day. Why and how could such a seemingly unholy alliance come about? Contextualizing the collaborations with the industry, with a network governance approach, this article seeks the answers by investigating the organizational conditions behind the various campaigns. Different conflicting dilemmas influenced the campaigns and their outcomes. For example, the desire to maximize the disseminationof information, and at the same time controlling it, as well as the imbedded power dynamics between private and public sector. The result points to a shift from strong to weak interdependence between the government agency and collaborating parties, basically due to the agency's diminishing campaign resources, which opened up for a stronger commercialization of the bread campaign.


This paper presents two phase-locked methods of wind power generation three-phase grid-connected inverter. First establishes the mathematical model of the inverter, on this basis analyzes why the power voltage phase must be known. And then studies the direct calculation method in α-β coordinates, and analyzes the shortcomings of this approach for three-phase imbalance; then focusing on the phase locked loop (PLL) approach in d-q coordinate system. To solve dynamic response problem of the PLL, a new signal delay cancellation method is put forward. With this improved method, the PLL can have a better performance. Experimental results show that the theoretical analysis is real.


To expand the knowledge on the tempo-spatial patterns of zooplankton and the key modulated factors in urban aquatic ecosystem, we investigated zooplankton and water quality from April 2018 to January 2019 in the hinterland of the Three Gorges Reservoir area, Wanzhou City of China. The results indicated that water quality indicated by the trophic state index (TSI) reached a state of mesotrophication to light eutrophication in the Yangtze River, and a state of moderate- to hyper- eutrophication in its tributaries. Based on the biomass of zooplanktons, Asplanchna priodonta was the most common specie in April; Encentrum sp., Filinia cornuta and Epiphanes senta were the most noticeable species in summer; Cyclopoida Copepodid, Sinocalanus dorrii and Philodina erythrophthalma became the dominant species in winter. Generally, rotifers prevailed in April and August, and copepods became the most popular in January. According to canonical correspondence analysis, nitrate, temperature (T), ammonia, water level and permanganate index (CODMn) significantly influenced the community structure of zooplankton (p < 0.05). The dominant species shifts of zooplankton were partly associated with nutrient level (nitrate and ammonia) under periodic water level fluctuations. Rotifers and protozoans were characterized as high T adapted and CODMn-tolerant species comparing with cladocerans and copepods. The ratio of microzooplankton to mesozooplankton (Pmicro/meso) has presented a strongly positive relationship with T (p < 0.001), as well as Pmicro/meso and CODMn (p < 0.001). It implied that zooplankton tended to miniaturize individual size via species shift under high T and/or CODMn conditions induced by global warming and human activities. The information hints us that climate change and human activities are likely to produce fundamental changes in urban aquatic ecosystem by reorganizing biomass structure of the food web in future.


The P-median facility location problem with user preferences (PUP) studies an operator that locates P facilities to serve customers/users in a cost-efficient manner, upon anticipating customer preferences and choices. The problem can be visualized as a leader-follower game in which the operator is the leader that opens facilities, whereas the customer is the follower who observes the operator's location decision at first and then seeks services from the most preferred facility. Such a modeling perspective is of practical importance as we have witnessed its applications to various problems, such as the establishment of power plants in energy markets and the location of healthcare service centers for COVID-19 Vaccination. Despite that a considerable number of solution methodologies have been proposed, many of them are heuristic methods whose solution quality cannot be easily verified. Moreover, due to the hardness of the problems, existing exact approaches have limited performance. Motivated by these observations, we aim to develop an efficient exact algorithm for solving large-scale PUP models. We first propose a branch-and-cut decomposition algorithm and then design accelerated techniques to further enhance the performance. Using a broad testbed, we show that our algorithm outperforms various exact approaches by a large margin, and the advantage can go up to several orders of magnitude in terms of computational time in some datasets. Finally, we conduct sensitivity analysis to draw additional implications and to highlight the importance of considering user preferences when they exist.


The dissemination of pro-inclusive changes in the system of Polish education promotes the flexibility of its existing offer - organizational, programmatic, and in terms of support, making it more adequate towards the needs and abilities of the people with intellectual disabilities. However, there are some weaknesses present in their implementation, where their elimination or at least limitation could improve the quality and effectiveness of the integrative education of these people. These weaknesses and, at the same time, priority tasks for the school are primarily associated with the need to "fit" program arrangements to the life needs, expectations, and experiences of students and graduates of pro-inclusive forms and the reorganization of the existing school work and its functioning in the local environment as a (self-) learning organization. Therefore, to avert a shutdown of including (and already included) people with intellectual disabilities into the educational space, we should monitor the pro-inclusive changes taking place, in which the school as an educational and (self-) learning institution will be one of the vital links of this multidimensional process.


Vaginal candidiasis (VC) is one of the most common reasons for consultations with a gynecologist, with an increasing trend in occurrence in female patients. It is estimated that 75% of all women experience an episode of vulvovaginal candidiasis in their lifetime, 50% of them experience at least a second episode, and 5% have recurrent candidiasis. Cervical and vaginal secretions act as the last line of defense from ascendant infection pathway spreading. Factors that may disturb vaginal ecosystem are: endogenous factors, way of life, infectious factors and iatrogenic factors. The most common cause of VC in 85-90% of cases is C. albicans, but other Candida species tend to be more likely to cause VVC (Candida tropicalis , Candida glabrata , C particulary, C crusei and so on). These non-albicans species have been found to be fluconazole and antimycotics resistant in more than 70% of cases. This is especially true for C. glabrata. There are several predisposing factors that have been associated with VC recurrence and resistance, such as Candida genotypes, resistance and virulence, immunodeficiency, unregulated hyperglycemia, use of oral contraceptives, long-term use of antibiotics. Therapy approach should be individual, including local and oral antimycotics until the symptoms disappear. The maintenance dose can be continuous or intermittent. Due to hormone concentration increase, increase in local glycogen, alternations of vaginal flora, VC incidence in pregnancy is two times higher in comparison to other female population. The problem of vaginal candidiasis requires individual approach, taking into account all the risk factors and accompanying physiological conditions or diseases in female patients. Acta Medica Medianae 2014;53(4):46-53.


This study explores the application of viscoelastic modeling for characterization of the response of the brain to impulsive loading with the objective of learning whether such models could exhibit the same time dependency of strain or likelihood of injury, as exhibited by the Severity Index, HIC Index, Wayne Tolerance Curve, and other similar representations of tolerance. The mathematical relationships between viscoelastic properties and the corresponding time dependency of tolerance are shown for Newtonian, Bingham plastic, and Pseudo-Bingham, as well as more general behavior. Preliminary static and dynamic tests upon small mammalian material are described with particular attention given to strain in the vicinity of the brainstem as a function of loading profile. Both the theoretical and experimental results show that the falling time dependency of the above indexes can be interpreted in terms of nonlinear viscoelastic response.


Building on recent work on capsule networks, we propose a new, general-purpose form of "routing by agreement" that activates output capsules in a layer as a function of their net benefit to use and net cost to ignore input capsules from earlier layers. To illustrate the usefulness of our routing algorithm, we present two capsule networks that apply it in different domains: vision and language. The first network achieves new state-of-the-art accuracy of 99.1% on the smallNORB visual recognition task with fewer parameters and an order of magnitude less training than previous capsule models, and we find evidence that it learns to perform a form of "reverse graphics." The second network achieves new state-of-the-art accuracies on the root sentences of the Stanford Sentiment Treebank: 58.5% on fine-grained and 95.6% on binary labels with a single-task model that routes frozen embeddings from a pretrained transformer as capsules. In both domains, we train with the same regime. Code is available at this https URL along with replication instructions.


Due to the defects caused by limited energy, storage capacity, and computing ability, the increasing amount of sensing data has become a challenge in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). To decrease the additional power consumption and extend the lifetime of a WSN, a multistage hierarchical clustering deredundancy algorithm is proposed. In the first stage, a dual-metric distance is employed, and redundant nodes are preliminarily identified by the improved

 k

 -means algorithm to obtain clusters of similar nodes. Then, a Gaussian hybrid clustering classification algorithm is presented to implement data similarity clustering for edge sensing data in the second stage. In the third stage, the clustered sensing data is randomly weighted to deduplicate the spatial correlation data. Detailed experimental results show that, compared with the existing schemes, the proposed deredundancy algorithm can achieve better performance in terms of redundant data ratio, energy consumption, and network lifetime.


Designing realistic tridimensional facial models is a challenging task, not only due to the effort and artistic abilities required but also because human visual perception is very tuned to the processing of facial features. For this reason, rather than creating face models from scratch, artists usually start from a scanned model of a real person. In this work, we present a novel method for blending human faces in order to create a new one. In a nutshell, our proposal uses Laplacian smoothing to segregate layers of details from one or more faces, which are then integrated into a base face with the help of an interactive and visual editor. In particular, our method supports blending multiple faces and multiple sub‐regions in those faces. Since our approach is intuitive and relatively easy to implement, it can be integrated into artistic pipelines aiming at designing human face models from preexisting ones.


The Sendai virus P protein plays a central role in viral genome amplification and expression, forming complexes with the viral L protein to generate the polymerase (P-L) and unassembled N (P-N(o)). This latter complex prevents N from self-assembling illegitimately, i.e., independently of the concurrent assembly of a nascent viral genome, and is thought to represent the functional form of N in nucleocapsid assembly. Based upon earlier functional studies using an in vitro transcription/ replication system in which the P, L, and N proteins were coexpressed, we identified two regions of the P protein required for RNA synthesis, namely, the C-terminal 40% of the protein, and a second, apparently redundant domain near the N-terminus (either amino acids 1-77 or 78-145). The lack of sequence conservation in this second region, apart from overall negative charge, was reminiscent of the acidic activation domains of cellular transcription factors. However, we recently mapped a chaperone domain at the N-terminal of P (aa 33-41), which is required for stable complex formation with unassembled N(o) and, thus, for assembly and genome replication. In this present study we show that coexpression of N protein with P deletion mutants lacking this region (e.g., P delta 1-324) results in the sequestration of the mutant P by the illegitimately assembled form of N. As a consequence, P protein is unavailable for RNA synthesis from bona fide templates. We also find that in the absence of coexpressed N protein, the entire N-terminal 60% of the P protein is not required for mRNA synthesis. During these studies, a supplemental role for the P protein in viral RNA synthesis, independent of stable complex formation with L, was observed. This function involves, at least in part, the binding of additional copies of P to the N:RNA template.


In Sococo farm in the county of Moju, in the State of Para, more than 14,000 coconut palms were killed, between 2000 and 2002, by epidemics of a new disease known as coconut palm leaf spot, at Sococo plantations alone. In order to identify the cause, samples with typical symptoms of the disease were collected at the same farm, between August 2003 and April 2004, for subsequent laboratory analysis. In a BDA medium three species of fungus were isolated-Cylindrocladium pteridis, Bipolaris incurvata and Pestalotiopsis sp. Pathogenicity tests on detached leaves and young palm leaves of hybrid PB 121 showed that only Bipolaris incurvata caused symptoms of the disease. In inoculated plants with damage, macroscopic symptoms appeared after two days, while, in inoculated plants without damage, symptoms were observed eight days after inoculation, thereby confirming that Bipolaris incurvata is the cause of coconut palm leaf spot. ARTIGO www.ajaes.ufra.edu.br doi: 10.4322/rca.2011.009


Effects of the electron-electron interaction on the transport in quasi one-dimensional systems are studied theoretically. The theory is applied to multi-subband quantum wires, and the temperature dependence of the resistance is predicted.


In this study we examine the user development of process technologies and protection of these innovations in manufacturing industries in a late industrializing context, Korea. Using data from both KIS 2008 and a follow-up survey, we study the characteristics of user innovations and user-innovators, as well as the protection of user innovations. This study has two major findings and a number of minor findings. The major findings are, first, that the incidence of user innovations in Korea is quite significant. Firms that are larger, more technologically capable, with a higher export ratio, or that belong to a business group are more likely to be a user-innovator in Korea. Second, we find that the proportion of user innovations sharing by innovators with other firms is much lower (3.2%) than that found in similar studies conducted in Canada and the Netherlands (about 20%). We suggest that the lower incidence and transfer of user innovation in Korean manufacturing industries may be due to the lower level of technological capability and social trust, and also due to the closed nature of the buyer-supplier relationship dominated by a few large Chaebols. The study concludes by discussing managerial and policy steps that could be used to encourage user innovation and its transfer in the Korean manufacturing sectors.


Umbilical vein catheterizations (UVC) (for fluid administration) in 86 infants were studied to determine the risk of infections associated with the procedure. Fifty-two percent of the catheters were colonized upon removal. The rate of catheter colonization was not dependent on duration of catheterization. Six infants (8%) were found to be bacteremic while the catheter was in place. In each of these patients an identical organism was isolated from the catheter. Systemic penicillin and kanamycin significantly reduced the rate of catheter colonization, particularly with pathogenic organisms, and the rate of bacteremia. Thus, the risk of local and systemic infections associated with UVC is significant and possible preventive measures are discussed.


To present a unique case of mandibular second premolar with an atypical canal pattern. Thorough knowledge of root canal morphology, appropriate assessment of the pulp chamber floor, and critical interpretation of radiographs are a prerequisite for successful root canal treatment. Mandibular premolars frequently exhibit variable and complex root canal morphology and are one of the most difficult cases to treat endodontically. These teeth may require skillful and special root canal preparation and obturation techniques. This article reports an unusual case of a mandibular second premolar with atypical canal pattern that was successfully treated endodontically.


Objectives : This research was executed to verify antitumor effect and protective effect on doxorubicin(Doxo)-induced toxicity of Cultivated Wild Ginseng(CWG) and synergic effect of CWG with Doxo in B16/F10 melanomas-bearing C57BL/6 mice. Methods : To evaluate protective effect on doxorubicin(Doxo)-induced toxicity and enhancing effect on the antitumor activity of Doxo, CWG water extract(0.5 ml) was intraperitoneally injected for 10 days, in combination with intraperitoneal injection of Doxo(4 mg/kg) on days 12, 16, 19, to mice subcutaneously inoculated with B16/F10 melanoma cells. In order to investigate antitumor effect of CWG, CWG water extract(0.5 ml) was intraperitoneally injected for 10 days to mice subcutaneously inoculated with B16/F10 melanoma cells. Results : The body weights of melanoma-bearing mice increased following B16/F10 cells inoculation. In contrast, such an increase in body weights was significantly attenuated by Doxo administration. Whereas CWG inhibits the decrease in body weights induced by Doxo. The tumor volume and tumor weights of melanomas-bearing mice dramatically increased following B16/F10 cells inoculation, In contrast, such an increase in tumor volume and tumor weights were significantly attenuated by Doxo or CWG administration. But the synergic effect of CWG with Doxo was not observed. The reduction of cellularity of seminiferous epithelia, level of spermatogonium and spermatid induced by Doxo was recovered by CWG administration. BrdU labeling index of spermatogonium was remarkably decreased in Doxo group but was no change in CWG group. Whereas the incidence and intensity of BrdU labelled spermatocytes and spermatids were increased by CWG administration than those of Doxo group. Conclusions : The obtained results suggest that CWG have antitumor effect and protective effect on doxo-induced testicular toxicity. This effect might be mediated through the supplementation of vital energy.


The firm membrane enclosing the ripe deposited ovum of Myxine is a primary egg membrane produced within the follicle. The polar threads are processes from this membrane. The membrane is single and not differentiated into layers: it possesses minute pores perpendicular to its surface, and is therefore a zona radiata. The zona radiata in Myxine is homologous with the single or double zona radiata of Teleosteans and of Petromyzon. The membrane at one pole of the ovum, that at which the protoplasmic germinal disc is situated, is perforated by a micropyle. The micropyle is produced by a process from the follicular epithelium. The immature testis in Myxine consists of a thickened border of the mesorchium containing more or less spherical capsules, which are filled with hyaline nucleated spermatoblasts. A large proportion of immature Myxine are hermaphrodite, the posterior portion of the reproductive organ containing testicular capsules which have the same structure as those found in the male. Spermatozoa have been found in the testicular portion of the hermaphrodite organ, but not in the males.