During the past 75 years much progress has occurred in the field of vascular surgery. During this period, contributions from clinical surgeons have stimulated new scientific discoveries which have led to further clinical applications in a mutually perpetuating cycle of surgical advancement. One of the major achievements has been the use of the venous autograft employed as an arterial substitute. First used by Goyanes in 1906 to replace a popliteal aneurysm, a venous autograft was first successfully employed in the United States by Bernheim in 1915. The stepwise development of this aspect of modern vascular surgery is presented, and the role of other related contributions in making its use feasible is reviewed.


Background: Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), also known as celiac artery compression syndrome, is characterized by gastrointestinal ischemia secondary to the compression of the median arcuate ligament of the diaphragm to the proximal celiac trunk.
Case Presentation: Herein, we aimed to report the Color Doppler Ultrasonography (CDUS) and Computerized Tomography (CT) findings of MALS in a 27-year-old man presenting with complaints of abdominal pain and slimming.
Conclusion: We think that MALS should be considered in young patients with persistent abdominal pain who are admitted with chronic epigastric pain. Non-invasive methods such as CDUS and CT should be used for diagnosis.


This paper presents a general overview on evolution of concealment methods in computer viruses and defensive techniques employed by anti-virus products. In order to stay far from the anti-virus scanners, computer viruses gradually improve their codes to make them invisible. On the other hand, anti-virus technologies continually follow the virus tricks and methodologies to overcome their threats. In this process, antivirus experts design and develop new methodologies to make them stronger, more and more, every day. The purpose of this paper is to review these methodologies and outline their strengths and weaknesses to encourage those are interested in more investigation on these areas.


Architextual Web of Bright Details
Peter Nadas inserted a plethora of archival documents into his 2017 two-volume memoire, Vilaglo reszletek ('Bright Details'). Nadas's private archive contains written, visual, and intermedial sources, personal memorabilia, and artworks. The function of these is to give legitimacy to the text; at the same time they are meant to keep memory work in check. Acting as a bridge between the text's linguistic dimension and its present and past realities, they constitute the architextual web of the book. In my paper I will approach the theory of the archives based on Wolfgang Ernst and Jacques Derrida primarily, furthermore I will also engage with Maurizio Ferraris' concept of documentality. I will categorize the rich documentary material of Vilaglo reszletek and highlight some of the most important documents: the farewell letter of Nadas's father and his never finished, hagiographic biography of Nadas's mother; the exceptional story of the "family's heirloom swaddling cloth"; the Hungarian sculptor Pal Patzay's small statue David; the autobiography of Magda Aranyossi, the author's aunt and the letters of Pal Aranyossi. I will describe these documents' and artefacts' positionality in the text, their ekhphrasis, their scope of effect and the way they infom motives. This study is part of my research on Peter Nadas's documentarist method as an idiosyncratic form of literary archival science.


: To achieve efficient routing protocol for vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs); existing system employs intersection-based Geographical Routing Protocol (IGRP) in city environments. IGRP is based on an effective selection of road intersections through which a packet must pass to reach the gateway to the internet. The selection is made in such a way that guarantees with high probability and network connectivity among the road intersection while satisfying quality-of-service (QoS) constraints on tolerable delay, bandwidth usage and error rate. To deal with security and privacy issues in VANET the proposed scheme builds a secure environment for value-added services in VANET's using An Anonymous Batch Authenticated and Key Agreement Scheme for Value-Added Services in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (ABAKA). ABAKA can efficiently authenticate multiple requests by one verification operation and negotiate a session key with each vehicle by one broadcast message.


Abstract Introduction: Mass-casualty incidents (MCIs), specifically incidents with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents (CBRN) or terrorist attacks, challenge medical coordination, rescue, availability, and adequate provision of prehospital and hospital-based emergency care. In the Netherlands, a new model for Mass Casualty and Disaster Management (MCDM) along with a Terror Attack Mitigation Approach (TAMA) was introduced in 2016. Study Objective: The objective of this study was to provide insight in the first experiences of health policy advisors and managers with a medical rescue coordinator and ambulance nursing background regarding the new MCDM and TAMA in order to identify strengths and pitfalls in emergency preparedness and to provide recommendations for improvement. Methods: The study had a qualitative design and was performed from January 2017 through June 2018. Purposeful sampling was used and the inclusion comprehended health policy advisors and managers with a medical rescue coordinator and ambulance nursing background involved in emergency preparedness. The respondents were interviewed semi-structured and the researchers used a topic list that was based on the literature and content of the newly introduced model and approach. All interviews were typed out verbatim and qualitative content analyzing was used in order to identify relevant themes. Results: Respondents based their perceptions on large-scale training exercises, as MCDM and TAMA were not yet used during MCIs. Perceived issues of MCDM were the two-tiered triage system, the change in focus from "stay and play" towards "scoop and run," difficulties with new tasks and roles of professionals, and improvement in material provision. Regarding TAMA, all respondents supported the principles (do the most for the most; scoop and run; acceptable personal risk; never walk alone; and standard operational procedure); however, the definitions were lacking clarity while the awareness of optimal personal safety of professionals was absent. As there are currently regional differences in the level of implementation of MCDM and TAMA, this may pose a risk for an optimal inter-regional collaboration. Conclusion: The conclusions refer to experiences of professionals in the Netherlands. Elements of the MCDM and TAMA were highly appreciated and seemed to improve emergency preparedness, while other aspects needed further attention, training, and integration in daily routine. The Netherlands' MCDM model and TAMA will need continuous systematic evaluation based on (inter)national performance criteria in order to underpin the useful and effective elements and to improve the observed pitfalls in emergency preparedness.


Proven strategies to reduce cardiovascular events and cardiac mortality in hemodialysis patients are given on the basis of pathophysiology. This is an overview of our clinical know-how acquired during the last 30 years. We try to answer the following questions: (1) how to reduce cardiovascular events and cardiac mortality in hemodialysis patients; (2) how to achieve regression of left ventricular hypertrophy, the most important predictor of sudden cardiac death; (3) how to manage iron status during full correction of renal anemia to prevent iron deficiency-induced reactive thrombocytosis, which is recognized to cause fatal stroke and cardiovascular thrombosis; (4) how to maintain responsiveness to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents during correction of renal anemia, thereby avoiding unnecessarily high doses and so reaching ultimate cost-effectiveness. Conclusion: Normalization of renal anemia is not responsible for increased risk of cardiovascular events/cardiac mortality. The inability to adequately address iron status in hemoglobin normalization studies and the underprescription of effective cardiac/antihypertensive medication might explain the adverse outcome. Effective cardiac/antihypertensive medication, intensive iron therapy during normalization of hemoglobin, optimized correction of metabolic acidosis and supplementation of vitamins which are involved in the energy metabolism should be considered to significantly improve the outcome of hemodialysis patients.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the mechanism of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) promoting angiogenesis and tissue regeneration in tissue engineering chamber.

METHODS
Twenty-four 6-month-old New Zealand white rabbits, male or female, weighing 2.5-2.8 kg, were selected. Thoracic dorsal arteriovenous bundle combined with collagen type I scaffold was transplanted to dorsal side, and wrapped by cylindrical hollow silicone chamber; all animals were randomly divided into the experimental group (n = 12) and the control group (n = 12). SVF was isolated from the back fat pads of rabbits in experimental group and labelled with DiI at 2 weeks after operation. The 1 mL cell suspension (1 x 10(6) cells/mL) and equal saline were injected into the chamber in experimental group and control group, respectively. The regenerative tissues were harvested for general observation and HE staining at 2 and 4 weeks after injection: and immunofluorescent staining was carried out in experimental group at 4 weeks.

RESULTS
At 2 weeks after injection, the regenerative tissue was cylindrical; obvious vessel network and incompletely degradable collagen scaffold could be seen on the surface of the new tissue in 2 groups. The volume of new tissue was (0.87 +/- 0.11) mL in experimental group, and (0.72 +/- 0.08) mL in control group at 2 weeks, showing significant difference (t = 2.701, P = 0.011). At 4 weeks, little collagen scaffold could be seen on the surface in control group, but no collagen scaffold in experimental group; the volume of new tissue was (0.74 +/- 0.14) mL in experimental group, and (0.64 +/- 0.10) mL in control group, showing no significant difference (t = 1.424, P = 0.093). HE staining showed new mature vessels at 4 weeks, but no adipose tissue or fat lobulus formed in both groups; the capillary density was significantly higher in experimental group than in control group at 2 weeks (t = 6.291, P = 0.000) and at 4 weeks (t = 5.445, P = 0.000). The immunofluorescent staining found that SVF survived and located at the edge area after 4 weeks; the expressions of CD31 and DiI were positive in some endothelial cells.

CONCLUSION
SVF can promote the angiogenesis and tissue regeneration in tissue engineering chamber, but it can not differentiate into adipocyte spontaneously without adipogenic microenvironment.


To explore the dental care experiences of one of Minnesota's ethnic communities, the authors conducted pilot study among members of Sikh temple. The Sikhs, a religious group from the Punjab region of India, number roughly 1,500-2,000 individuals in the Twin Cities. Forty-seven adults from the Bloomington, Minnesot temple completed the survey, which was administered during interviews with one of the authors, himself a Sikh. Respondents, who ranged in age from 29 to 92, have been in the United States for an average of 16 years, and had educational backgrounds ranging from undergraduate, Masters, to doctoral degrees. Their self-reported oral health is deemed good. They regularly seek dental care, including preventive services. Their experiences with dental practices have largely been positive, and they have found little discrimination when encountering dental office staff members. Some degree of communication issues was reported by 25% of respondents. Roughly half of the persons surveyed seek care in private practices, but a surprisingly high percentage (13%) visit the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry clinics. Most respondents were comfortable discussing their culture and religion with dental office staff members, and they seemed to hold a positive view of Minnesota's dental profession. Sikh weddings are always full of rituals, traditions, and celebrations. The wedding usually takes place in the morning and is held in front of the Sikh holy book Shri Guru Granth Sahib. A bride may traditionally be dressed in red, as the color red symbolizes love and commitment in Indian culture. The groom wears a colored turban and scarf and carries a kirpan, a ceremonial sword a dagger. The priest leading this ceremony explains the Sikh philosophy of marriage. Family members, relatives, and friends gather to congratulate and bless the new couple, and the whole wedding can last three to four days, made up of a number of rituals.


Background: Air pollution has become one of the most prevalent health issues in the entire world. Smog is defined as the fog that is intensified or contaminated by smoke. Psychological distress is the emotional or mental discomfort that can lead to anxiety, stress, and other mental problems. Aim: To evaluate the relationship between psychological distress and air pollution in undergraduate students of Lahore. Study design: Cross Sectional study. Methodology: The sample size (n=194) was calculated with G power analysis. A web-based survey was conducted, and the data was collected from 200 students in the age range of 18 to 25 (M=21.39, SD=1.23) from both public and private universities. Data was evaluated by using SPSS version 24. Pearson's correlation was applied. Results: Results indicated that air pollution and psychological distress are positively correlated r=.981, N=200, p < .01. Air pollution is associated with psychological distress. Conclusion: It was concluded that air pollution perception is positively correlated to Perceived psychological distress. Thus better their perception regarding air pollution the more they are having psychological distress. Keywords: Air Pollution, Psychological Impact, Psychological Distress and Undergraduate Students.


The article discusses theoretical and practical issues one may face when applying various types of employment contracts, refers to specific legal relations governed by Labour Code standards, and raises issues that would help to solve the existing troubles. Last decades as globalization processes were gaining pace, and market economy conditions changed, labour and production organization models were undergoing transformation. The more complex people's social relationships are, the greater is the need to regulate these relationships, i. e. to adopt legislation that would create pre-conditions for addressing social interest conflicts. Thus a need has arisen for a new legal regulation because new activity models do not fit into traditional relationships governed by labour law. Along standard employment relationship, non-standard relationships occur in the market. In 2003 the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania issued recommendations for employers on flexible work organisation forms and indicated reasons for the organisation of flexible work forms: the nature of work and employee's demographic and social characteristics; fulfilment of family duties; health condition; unfavourable work environment; employee's age; studying and studies.


Polymyalgia rheumatica and Fibromyalgia are probably not distinct clinical entities. Rather polymyalgia rheumatica is the common denomiator of a large spectrum of different diseases. The historical separation between Polymyalgia rheumatica and Giant-Cell Arteritis is no more clinically applicable in most cases. A better clinical approach is to view them as extrems of a continuum. Similarly, fibromyalgia is one manifestation of chronic pain syndromes of undetermined etiology. In addition, fibromyalgia can often not be delineated clearely from functional disorders, including depression.


The migration to using ultra deep submicron (UDSM) process, 0.25 /spl mu/m or below, necessitates new design methodologies and EDA tools to address the new design challenges. One of the main challenges is noise. All different types of deep submicron such as cross talk, leakage, supply noise and process variations are obstacles in the way of achieving the desired level of noise immunity without giving up the improvement achieved in performance and energy efficiency. This article describes research directions and various levels of design abstraction to handle the interconnect challenges. These directions include approaches to adopt new analytical methods for interconnects, physical design levels and finally ways to face these challenges early in a higher level of the design process.


We consider an eigenvalue problem for a divergence form elliptic operator $A_\epsilon$ with high contrast periodic coefficients with period $\epsilon$ in each coordinate, where $\epsilon$ is a small parameter. The coefficients are perturbed on a bounded domain of `order one' size. The local perturbation of coefficients for such operator could result in emergence of localized waves - eigenfunctions with corresponding eigenvalues lying in the gaps of the Floquet-Bloch spectrum. We prove that, for the so-called double porosity type scaling, the eigenfunctions decay exponentially at infinity, uniformly in $\epsilon$. Then, using the tools of two-scale convergence for high contrast homogenization, we prove the strong two-scale compactness of the eigenfunctions of $A_\epsilon$. This implies that the eigenfunctions converge in the sense of the strong two-scale convergence to the eigenfunctions of a two-scale limit homogenized operator $A_0$, consequently establishing `asymptotic one-to-one correspondence' between the eigenvalues and the eigenfunctions of these two operators. We also prove by direct means the stability of the essential spectrum of the homogenized operator with respect to the local perturbation of its coefficients. That allows us to establish not only the strong two-scale resolvent convergence of $A_\epsilon$ to $A_0$ but also the Hausdorff convergence of the spectra of $A_\epsilon$ to the spectrum of $A_0$, preserving the multiplicity of the isolated eigenvalues.


This is a case series study to evaluate immunological markers associated with schistosomiasis advanced fibrosis, including 69 patients from an endemic area from the State of Sergipe and from the Hepatology Service of the University Hospital in Sergipe, Brazil. Hepatic fibrosis was classified based on Niamey protocol for ultrasonography (US). Immune response to Schistosoma mansoni antigens was evaluated by stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from these patients with either adult worm (SWAP—10 μg/ml) or egg (SEA—10 μg/ml) antigens or purified protein derivative of turberculin (PPD—10 μg/ml) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA—1 μg/ml) for 72 h. The levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-17 were measured in these supernatants by ELISA and IL-9 by Luminex. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in IL-17, IL10, and CD209 genes were genotyped using TaqMan probe by qPCR. Higher levels of IL-9, IL-10, and IL-17 were found in PBMC supernatants of patients with advanced hepatic fibrosis. Direct correlations were detected between IL-9 and IL-17 levels with US spleen sizes, portal vein diameters, and periportal thickening. The CD209 rs2287886 AG polymorphism patients produce higher IL-17 levels. Together, these data suggest a role of these cytokines in the immunopathogenesis of advanced fibrosis in human schistosomiasis.


Prolonged exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) can pose several adverse outcomes on human health. However, there is limited information on public health associated with indoor PCDD/F exposure in residential environments. Here, we examined PCDD/F concentrations in indoor air and indoor dust samples obtained from households near a municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) plant. Our measurements revealed that the toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentrations of PCDD/Fs in indoor air ranged from 0.01 to 0.05 pg TEQ/m3, which were below intervention thresholds (0.6 pg TEQ/m3). Additionally, the TEQ concentrations of PCDD/Fs in indoor dust ranged from 0.30 to 11.56 ng TEQ/kg. Higher PCDD/F levels were found in household dust in the town of Taopu compared to those in the town of Changzheng. Principal component analysis (PCA) of PCDD/Fs suggested that waste incineration was the primary source of PCDD/Fs in indoor air, whereas PCDD/Fs in indoor dust came from multiple sources. The results of the health risk assessment showed the carcinogenic risk due to indoor PCDD/F exposure was higher for adults than for nursery children and primary school children. The carcinogenic risks of PCDD/Fs for age groups residing near the MSWI plant were all less than the risk threshold (10-5). Our findings will help to better understand the levels of PCDD/F exposure among urban populations living in residential communities around the MSWI plant and to formulate corresponding control measures to reduce probabilistic risk implications.


A set of rich_alkaline and alkaline intrusive complexes occur in Beishan-Alxa region, Northwest China. There exist such types of rocks as syenite, quartz syenite, aegirine_augite syenite, nepheline syenites, monzonite, quartz monzonites, alkaline gabbro, alkaline_feldspar granites and alkaline granite.The distribution, formation time, modes of occurrence, associations and petrochemistry of these complexes are summed up in this paper. Formed in Permian to Triassic, these complexes stretch in east_west direction, they are rich_alkaline to alkaline in petrochemistry, making up a belt of rich_alkaline-alkaline rocks and serving as a part of the gigantic alkaline rock belt along the northern border and the neighboring area of the North China-Tarim platform.


April 2022. Abstract. Hermadi I, Wulandari, Dhira D. 2022. Short Communication: Development of a protected birds identification system using a convolutional neural network. Biodiversitas 23: 2561-2569. The protected animals are the animals having small populations, a sharp decline in the number of individuals in the wild, or endemic. The government has banned owning, keeping, or trading these animals. The first step in conserving these animals is identification. The government of the Republic of Indonesia has defined 564 species of bird as protected. This issue becomes a challenge to bird species identification. This study aims to develop a web application that implements a convolutional neural network (CNN) model for image-based protected bird species identification. This study uses the images of ten protected bird species in Indonesia as the research subject. This study consists of the stages viz. data collection, data preprocessing, data splitting, CNN model development, model evaluation, and web development using the Prototyping method. This study has successfully developed a model that gained 97% accuracy, 98% precision, and 97% recall on testing data. The study utilized HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Tensorflow.js for Web development. The black-box testing result shows that the prototype


Engaging in sufficient physical activity has several beneficial effects on physical and mental health. Still, a large proportion of the Western population doesn't meet the guidelines of being moderately to vigorously active for a minimum of 30 minutes on at least five days a week. Mobile technology provides possibilities for personalized coaching systems, and the results of existing mobile interventions look promising. Here, the authors present a mobile system that goes beyond existing (mobile) physical activity interventions. The approach combines theory and evidence-based behavior-change techniques with a model-based reasoning system, to provide the right support and strategies at the right time for obtaining a physically active lifestyle.


A seroprevalency study of human toxoplasmosis was carried out in Córdoba, using indirect immunofluorescence and indirect hemagglutination. The sample of people interviewed was made up of 443 serums, 356 supposedly healthy people (mainly students) and 87, considered "high risk" (patients from the "Reina Sofia" Hospital). The positiveness obtained for the total of the sample was 43.79% with IFI and 53.59% for HAI. As regards sex of the person tested, prevalence is higher in women, with 54.36% and 70.47% with IFI and HAI respectively, in men the scores were 38.43% and 44.90% for the same tests. As far as the origin of the sample was concerned, there were 31.18% with IFI and 43.25% for HAI of the normal population, in the "high risk" sample, for both tests it was 95.40%. With both tests there are significative differences in low amounts, but not in high dilutions. We conclude that human toxoplasmosis is present and widespread in the studied population.


The herbicide paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride) has been banned in Europe since 2007 due to its high toxicity in humans. However, it is still widely used in Middle/South America and in Asia where it is annually associated with a high incidence of unintentional and intentional poisoning. Human macrophage-like cell lines were used to shed more light on the inflammatory response elicited by paraquat. Paraquat (3-1000 μM) reduced cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Exposure to 50 or 200 μM paraquat for 24 h elevated the release of interleukin 8 and gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α. Expression of the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 gene tended to increase, while cellular glutathione concentrations decreased. The anti-inflammatory effect of cortisol was significantly disrupted. The paraquat-induced cortisol resistance could not be prevented by N-acetyl-l-cysteine. However, a polyphenolic extract of grape seeds consisting of monomeric and oligomeric flavan-3-ols (MOF) reduced paraquat-induced inflammation in the presence of cortisol to baseline. In conclusion, the results suggest that an impaired cortisol response may contribute to paraquat-mediated inflammation. Agents with pleiotropic cellular and subcellular effects on redox regulation and inflammation, such as plant-derived polyphenols, may be an effective add-on to the therapy of paraquat intoxications with glucocorticoids.


Written in a complex, pun-based idiogloss and boasting a dreamlike narrative that defies conventions of plot and continuity, James Joyce's "Finnegans Wake" has been challenging readers since its first publication in 1939. The novel is so famously difficult that it is widely agreed that only the brave or foolhardy attempt to unravel this well-known but relatively little-read classic. Most tackle the text in reading groups, which provide mutual assistance (and moral support) in understanding Joyce's modern masterpiece. Now, with the publication of Edmund Epstein's "A Guide through Finnegans Wake", no one has to go it alone. Recognized as one of the world's foremost Joyce scholars, Epstein has been reading and thinking about Joyce for over fifty years, and his considerable experience and enthusiasm is preserved here for the benefit of anyone with an interest in reading the Wake. This accessible guide approaches the daunting work in a way that provides handrails for beginners while, at the same time, presenting new insights for experienced readers.


Necrobiotic xanthogranuloma (NXG) is a progressive non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis with a predilection for the periorbital area. NXG is most commonly associated with monoclonal gammopathy and ophthalmic complications. The authors present a 69-year-old man who was evaluated for a left upper eyelid nodule and plaques on the lower extremities, trunk, abdomen, and right upper extremity. Biopsy of the eyelid was supportive for NXG. Serum protein electrophoresis was positive for a monoclonal gammopathy, IgG light chain kappa. MRI showed preseptal involvement. The periocular nodules cleared with a high dose of prednisone; however, the other skin lesions persisted. Bone marrow biopsy showed kappa-restricted 6% plasma cells and he was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin. This case illustrates the importance of clinicopathologic correlations to render an NXG diagnosis.


Chemotherapy drugs reduce quality of life often causing acute and delayed central side-effects, termed chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI). Another dose-limiting chemotherapy-induced side-effect is oral and intestinal mucositis which results in significant gastrointestinal (GIT) damage and intestinal inflammation. Recent interest has been paid to neurological complications arising in patients with gut disorders, yet little attention has been paid to the role GIT damage plays in CICI. Our current understanding of neuronal adaptations and behavioral consequences resulting from immune system dysregulation has paved the way for investigation into the neuroimmunological manifestations associated with chemotherapy. In a clinical setting cancer patients experience a cluster of symptoms, similar to that manifested in cytokine-induced sickness responses. Accordingly, it is suggested that peripheral inflammatory events, such as chemotherapy-induced mucositis, may indirectly cause glial dysregulation and potentiate cognitive changes in CICI. Perhaps it is time to examine the cancer experience in a multidisciplinary manner, in order to encapsulate the direct and indirect mechanisms underlying treatment-related side-effects. Specifically, understanding the neuroimmunological implications of chemotherapy-induced mucositis will provide further insight into the direct and indirect mechanisms underlying CICI pathogenesis.


Sixteen 6-mo-old battery-reared ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were inoculated orally with 105 (group A, ME 49 strain, five birds), 104 (group B, ME 49 strain, six birds) and 104 (group C, GT-1 strain, five birds) Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. The pheasants in groups A and B remained clinically normal. One of the pheasants in group C died 19 days after inoculation (DAI); T. gondii was found in histological sections of brain and heart and encephalitis, myocarditis and enteritis were the main lesions. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated by bioassays from pooled tissues of five of six pheasants in group B killed 36 DAI. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from the brains, hearts and skeletal muscles of each of the four pheasants inoculated with the GT-1 strain (group C), and from the brains of four, hearts of three and skeletal muscles of four of five pheasants inoculated with the ME 49 strain (group A). All pheasants developed high (1: 1,600–1:25,600) antibody titers to T. gondii in the modified agglutination test (MAT) 36 to 68 DAI. Antibody titers detected with the MAT were higher than those detected in the indirect hemagglutination and latex agglutination tests. Antibodies were not detected in 1:4 dilution of pheasant sera with the Sabin-Feldman dye test.


In a prospective, randomized double-blind study, the anti-inflammatory effects of indomethacin and flurbiprofen were examined. The operation performed was extracapsular cataract extraction. For the pre- and postoperative measurement, the Laser Flare Cell Meter was used. In 76 eyes the flare and cell concentrations were measured quantitatively. It was found that, dependent on the postoperative time interval, indomethacin is more effective in reducing post-operative inflammation than flurbiprofen.


The low mountain range south of the Santa Clara River valley, that includes, from east to west, the Santa Susana and Oak Ridge Mountains and South Mountain, is herein referred to as the Oak Ridge uplift. It is a continuous east-trending range about 36 mi (58 km) long. This uplift is separated from the east-west-trending San Gabriel Mountains by the Newhall Pass area. The Oak Ridge uplift is one of the youngest features of the Transverse Ranges. It evolved during Quaternary time from compressive anticlinal uplift of the Cenozoic sediments on the south flank of the Ventura basin along the Oak Ridge and Santa Susana faults. Terrestrial and marine Pliocene-Pleistocene detrital sediments are exposed on the flanks along most of the Oak Ridge and Santa Susana faults. Terrestrial and marine Pliocene-Pleistocene detrital sediments are exposed on the flanks along most of the Oak Ridge uplift. This series is extremely thick on the north flank but very thin on the south flank. Miocene marine formations, the Oligocene nonmarine Sespe Formation, and Paleogene to Upper Cretaceous strata form the core of this uplift. The Miocene units include siliceous shale of the Monterey (Modelo) Formation that forms its grassy crest. The Sespe Formationmore » is underlain by the marine Llajas Formation (middle Eocene), which together with the underlying Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous marine units crop out along the Simi Hills uplift. The anticlinal Oak Ridge uplift, composed of several domed segments, apparently evolved from an elongate seamount that developed during the Pliocene, south of the deep Ventura basin depositional trough. The western part of the uplift was thrust northward along the Oak Ridge fault against the elongate east-west-trending depocenter. The eastern part was thrust southward along the Santa Susana fault, in part against the preexisting Simi Hills uplift.« less


The deregulation of the electricity, gas and water utilities, both in Europe, USA and other countries, is providing a unique time for introducing real time communications services for customers. The low voltage power distribution network provides a unique opportunity to deliver power to customers and also overlay communications for carrying out a number of utility functions. This paper considers the current evolution of using the power line for communications, the potential problems, together with the development in standards for making this a more robust medium to provide these services.


Quantification of spectral data from X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy is frequently done using relative sensitivity factors (RSFs) provided by instrument or software vendors. Understanding of the key factors that impact the amount of signal observed from a given photoelectron peak has improved substantially over the past 30+ years, which permits calculation of RSFs from first principles. Here, we have examined a series of in vacuo fractured silicate glass samples covering a wide range of elemental compositions that allow determination of empirical RSFs for the photoelectron peaks of several important elements. RSFs for three common X‐ray‐induced Auger lines (two Mg KLL and one Na KLL) have also been evaluated. These results are then compared with standard RSF libraries provided by instrument manufacturers, as well as those derived from first principles. The empirically derived RSFs differ by up to 10% for several photoelectron peaks and directly impact the accuracy of the resulting measured composition. We explore likely causes of these discrepancies and conclude that satellite losses, as recently discussed by Brundle and Crist, are a significant factor that must be accounted for if first principles RSFs are to be used. In the absence of suitable empirical RSFs for the material family of interest, we propose systematically measuring satellite losses for different materials to develop an empirical table of yield losses for more accurate quantification using first principles RSFs.


We present EasyASR, a distributed machine learning platform for training and serving large-scale Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) models, as well as collecting and processing audio data at scale. Our platform is built upon the Machine Learning Platform for AI of Alibaba Cloud. Its main functionality is to support efficient learning and inference for end-to-end ASR models on distributed GPU clusters. It allows users to learn ASR models with either pre-defined or user-customized network architectures via simple user interface. On EasyASR, we have produced state-of-the-art results over several public datasets for Mandarin speech recognition.


Nutritional problems are among the essential aspects significantly affecting the health status of children. Oral health problems, especially untreated dental caries that keeps increasing among children can cause malnutrition. This study aimed to determine the association of self-reported oral health problems and other risk factors with nutritional status of children aged 3-6 years in Indonesia. A cross-sectional study of 27,022 children aged 3-6 years old in Indonesia was conducted through self-reported oral health problems and data from 2018 National basic health survey. Chi-square analysis revealed significant correlation (p<0,05) between self-reported oral health problems with nutritional status categorized by body mass index (BMI) based by age using Z-score. There were 836 (7,72%) underweight children, 8.302 (76,68%) normally-weighing children, 752 (6,95%) overweight children, and 936 (8,65%) obese children who had self-reported oral health problems. The bivariate analysis also showed significant statistical correlation between age of children, mother's educational level, father's employment status, the economic status of family, children and mother's dietary practice, accessibility to health care facilities, and diarrhea to children aged 3-6 years nutritional status (p-value <0,05) while there was no significant correlation between nutritional status and gender. Clinical article (J Int Dent Med Res 2022; 15(1): 190-198)


The effect of prolonged hypobaric hypoxia on fetal sheep was studied. Pregnant ewes were subjected to an atmospheric pressure of 429 torr from 30 days to 135 days gestation (long-term study). Average fetal weight for the hypoxaemic group (3.35 +/- 0.53 kg; n = 4; mean +/- SD) was significantly lower than for the controls (4.23 +/- 0.29 kg; n = 7; P less than 0.05). A short-term study was undertaken with fetuses (n = 8) which were catheterized at 110 days gestation and whose dams were subjected to hypobaric hypoxia from 120 to 141 days gestation. The mean carotid PO2 of fetuses in the hypoxic group was 12.7 +/- 0.7 torr compared to 22.7 +/- 0.7 torr for the control group (n = 9; P less than 0.001) throughout the period of treatment. Fetal arterial oxygen content fell from 6.5 +/- 1.7 to 4.9 +/- 0.4 ml/dl (P less than 0.05), but rose to control values after 7 days due to an increase in fetal haemoglobin concentration (9.6 +/- 1.1 to 13.0 +/- 1.9 g/dl, P less than 0.001) and packed cell volume (33 +/- 3 to 45 +/- 4%, P less than 0.001). In the hypoxaemic fetuses, pH fell initially from 7.34 +/- 0.02 to 7.28 +/- 0.03 (P less than 0.05) and then recovered to 7.32 +/- 0.03 within 24 h. Mean fetal weight of the short-term hypoxic group was 3.46 +/- 0.72 kg compared to 4.15 +/- 0.51 for the control group (P less than 0.05). Both long- and short-term hypoxia produced a similar reduction in fetal body weight. The adrenal glands were significantly heavier in the hypoxic fetuses than in controls. Placental weight was not effected by hypoxia, but exposure from 30 days gestation reduced the average size of cotyledons (P less than 0.05). It is concluded that the fetal sheep increases its ability to acquire and transport oxygen in response to chronic hypoxia, but this compensation is not sufficient to prevent growth retardation or changes to the pattern of tissue growth.


A 10- to 15-year follow-up study of patients with modeled incus interposition procedure for restoration of hearing reveals that hearing gains as reported in 1972 were sustained by long-term postoperative care despite resurgence of problems from negative middle ear air pressures.


The eukaryotic class 1 polypeptide chain release factor is a three‐domain protein involved in the termination of translation, the final stage of polypeptide biosynthesis. In attempts to understand the roles of the middle domain of the eukaryotic class 1 polypeptide chain release factor in the transduction of the termination signal from the small to the large ribosomal subunit and in peptidyl‐tRNA hydrolysis, its high‐resolution NMR structure has been obtained. The overall fold and the structure of the β‐strand core of the protein in solution are similar to those found in the crystal. However, the orientation of the functionally critical GGQ loop and neighboring α‐helices has genuine and noticeable differences in solution and in the crystal. Backbone amide protons of most of the residues in the GGQ loop undergo fast exchange with water. However, in the AGQ mutant, where functional activity is abolished, a significant reduction in the exchange rate of the amide protons has been observed without a noticeable change in the loop conformation, providing evidence for the GGQ loop interaction with water molecule(s) that may serve as a substrate for the hydrolytic cleavage of the peptidyl‐tRNA in the ribosome. The protein backbone dynamics, studied using 15N relaxation experiments, showed that the GGQ loop is the most flexible part of the middle domain. The conformational flexibility of the GGQ and 215–223 loops, which are situated at opposite ends of the longest α‐helix, could be a determinant of the functional activity of the eukaryotic class 1 polypeptide chain release factor, with that helix acting as the trigger to transmit the signals from one loop to the other.


A 21-year-old man was transferred to our hospital after a traffic accident. He had chief complaint of right upper abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography scan at admission showed fluid collection in the abdominal cavity and linear low density area in the hepatic hilus including segment V of the liver. Operative findings revealed a hepatic laceration extending from the boundary between segment IV and segment V to the hepatic hilus, and a completely transection of the left hepatic duct near the caudate lobe without ischemic change and contusion. The bile duct of the caudate lobe communicated with the left hepatic bile duct at the distal portion of the torn wedge, and was not injured. The transected bile duct was primarily repaired with an interrupted end-to-end anastomosis using a retrograde transhepatic bile duct tube (RTBD tube) as stent. Intra- and postoperative cholangiography via the tube revealed no leakage or narrowing. He is in good health for 60 months after surgery. The case illustrates the condition of the transectional wedges for end-to-end anastomosis, and the usefulness of RTBD tube for the anastomotic stent and the diagnosis of bile leakage after anastomosis.


The recent rise of collective bargaining among faculty in higher education has prompted numerous studies of the factors affecting faculty interest in collective bargaining, the competition among various bargaining agents for recognition, the impacts on campus governance and the contract negotiation process. Few studies have recognized the variations in local context as important factors, nor have many sought to assess the role of the administration prior to and during the campaign. This paper presents a case study of one administration's opposition to collective bargaining in an effort to describe the complexity of the situation and the unusual degree and kind of attention required from campus administrators.


The problematic of this study addresses the question regarding the signing of the European Union–Algeria Association Agreement in 2005, which is: to what extent were the contexts of the negotiation respected and connected to the fundamentals of the scientific evaluation which specified the strong and weak points of the Algerian economy in order to investigate the probable repercussions if that agreement was signed? Was there an audit on the likely gains and losses for Algeria if such an agreement was signed, relying particularly on the previous experiences of Tunisia and Morocco who were first to enter into a partnership with the European Union?


For 20 years I have been trying to help Nazi victims by psychotherapy. I find that the confrontation with the holocaust by working with the victims during many years, is for the psychotherapist extremely painful and full of stress. Comparing these treatments with other treatments, it may be that beyond the empathy with the personal victim, the patient. I, the Jewish therapist, identify with the fate of the Jewish people. What happened to this patient could have happened to me, to my family, to my friends - and can happen again.


The study of planetary magnetic fields can provide important information on a planet's interior structure and composition. Here we use numerical dynamo models to demonstrate that it is possible to determine information on a fundamental core property: inner core size, from observations of intense, small‐scale radial magnetic flux patches. The inner core size is discernable from the boundary between different types of intense magnetic flux patches inside and outside the inner core tangent cylinder. This type of study could help in determining the solid inner core size in Mercury, Ganymede, Jupiter and Saturn. For Mercury and Ganymede, the inner core size would then provide useful constraints on thermal evolution models for these bodies.


Objectives: Clearance of jaundice (CoJ) is the first key objective of Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) for biliary atresia (BA) and its achievement is by far the best index of long-term prognosis. We sought to identify the reasons for failure [subsequent liver transplant (LT)] in this cohort Methods: Review of single-center prospective BA database. Successful KPE was defined by achieving a postoperative bilirubin of ≤20 µmol/L. Pre-KPE and post-KPE variables were identified together with a multivariate logistic regression model to identify those observable at 3 months post-KPE. Data are quoted as median (range). A P value of ≤0.05 was significant. Results: One hundred thirty-five infants underwent KPE between January 2012 and December 2018, of which 90 (67%) achieved CoJ. From these 20 (22%) (Cohort A) underwent LT with the remainder continuing with native liver (Cohort B) (median follow-up of 4.15 years). There was no difference in age at KPE (P = 0.41), APRi (aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio) (P = 0.07), associated anomalies (P = 0.7), and cytomegalovirus status (P = 0.7) between the 2 groups. Postoperatively, both cholangitis [any episode, 18/20 (90%) vs 15/70 (21%); P < 0.0001] and portal hypertension (PHT) [gastrointestinal (GI) bleed, 10/20 (50%) vs 2/70 (2.8%); P < 0.0001] were significantly more common in cohort A. Univariate analysis showed that the most significant predictive values at 3 months for LT by 2 years were high APRi, bilirubin, international normalized ratio, and ultrasound (US)-detected ascites with multivariate logistic modeling confirming these variables with predictive values of r2 = 0.79, AUROC = 0.98. Conclusions: Failure is not preordained at KPE but due to recurrent cholangitis and/or symptoms of PHT.


Strategic human capital research has emphasized the importance of human capital as a resource for sustained competitive advantage, but firm investments in this intangible asset vary considerably. This article examines whether and how external pressures on firms from capital markets influence their human capital strategy. These pressures have increased over the past three decades due to banking deregulation, technological innovation, and the rise of institutional investors and new financial intermediaries. Against this backdrop, this study examines whether a firm's capital structure as measured by share turnover, shareholder concentration, and financial leverage is associated with firm investment in strategic human capital. Based on survey and objective financial data from 221 establishments in the United States and Canada, our analysis indicates that firms with greater share turnover, higher shareholder concentration, and higher levels of financial leverage are less likely to invest in human resource systems that create strategic human capital. Differences in national financial systems also lead to differential effects for U.S. and Canadian firms.


Model membranes composed of various lipid mixtures can segregate into liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) phases. In this study, lipid vesicles composed of mainly Lo or Ld phases as well as complex lipid systems representing the cytosolic leaflet of the myelin membrane were characterized by fluorescence resonance energy transfer with a donor/acceptor pair that preferentially partitioned into Lo or Ld phases, respectively. The fluidity of the lipid systems containing >30% cholesterol was modulated in the presence of the amphipathic peptide melittin. With all the studied lipid systems, melittin attained an α-helical conformation as determined by CD spectroscopy and attained varying degrees of membrane association and penetration as determined by intrinsic Trp fluorescence. The other protein domain utilized was a putative amphipathic helical peptide derived from the cytosolic C-terminal sequence of proteolipid protein (PLP) which is the most abundant protein in the myelin membrane. The C-terminal PLP peptide transitioned from a random coil to an α-helix in the presence of trifluoroethanol. Upon interacting with each of lipid vesicle system, the PLP peptide also folded into a helix; however, at high concentrations of the peptide with fluid lipid systems, associated helices transmuted into a β-sheet conformer. The membrane-associated aggregation of the cytosolic C-termini could be a mechanism by which the transmembrane PLP multimerizes in the myelin membrane.


Abstract Given the low incidence, variety of histological types, and heterogeneous biological features of head and neck sarcomas, there is limited high-quality evidence available to head and neck oncologists. For resectable sarcomas, surgical resection followed by radiotherapy is the principle of local treatment, and perioperative chemotherapy is considered for chemotherapy-sensitive sarcomas. They often originate in anatomical border areas such as the skull base and mediastinum, and they require a multidisciplinary treatment approach considering functional and cosmetic impairment. Moreover, head and neck sarcomas may exhibit different behaviour and characteristics than sarcomas of other areas. In recent years, the molecular biological features of sarcomas have been used for the pathological diagnosis and development of novel agents. This review describes the historical background and recent topics that head and neck oncologists should know about this rare tumour from the following five perspectives: (i) epidemiology and general characteristics of head and neck sarcomas; (ii) changes in histopathological diagnosis in the genomic era; (iii) current standard treatment by histological type and clinical questions specific to head and neck; (iv) new drugs for advanced and metastatic soft tissue sarcomas; and (v) proton and carbon ion radiotherapy for head and neck sarcomas.


BALB/c mice were given 100, 500 or 1500 Bq/g 241Am at day 14 of pregnancy. The offspring were separated from the mothers at birth and followed until death. In addition, adult females and one group of males were also studied for the effects of 241Am following treatment with 45-213 Bq/g. Adults treated with 241Am showed significantly shortened survival and increased incidence of osteosarcoma (to 40 - 50%). The data also suggest that the female mouse is more susceptible to induction of osteosarcoma than the male. There was also a significant increase in osteosarcoma, all bone tumours, all sarcomas, and all leukaemias in the offspring from the contaminated mothers, although this appeared to occur independently of dose. Calculations of the number of osteosarcomas induced per Gy varied for contamination of adult mice between 0.2 and 0.01 and for the offspring between 6 and 0.6. Thus, offspring seemed to be about 10 times more at risk if osteosarcomas induced per mouse Gy are compared. Surprisingly, offspring from mothers treated with 241Am displayed a longer survival time than controls, possibly due to fewer deterministic lung diseases appearing early in life.


Consider the following class of learning schemes: \begin{equation} \label{eq:main-problem1}
\hat{\boldsymbol{\beta}} := \underset{\boldsymbol{\beta} \in \mathcal{C}}{\arg\min} \;\sum_{j=1}^n \ell(\boldsymbol{x}_j^\top\boldsymbol{\beta}; y_j) + \lambda R(\boldsymbol{\beta}), \qquad \qquad \qquad (1) \end{equation} where $\boldsymbol{x}_i \in \mathbb{R}^p$ and $y_i \in \mathbb{R}$ denote the $i^{\rm th}$ feature and response variable respectively. Let $\ell$ and $R$ be the convex loss function and regularizer, $\boldsymbol{\beta}$ denote the unknown weights, and $\lambda$ be a regularization parameter. $\mathcal{C} \subset \mathbb{R}^{p}$ is a closed convex set. Finding the optimal choice of $\lambda$ is a challenging problem in high-dimensional regimes where both $n$ and $p$ are large. We propose three frameworks to obtain a computationally efficient approximation of the leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) risk for nonsmooth losses and regularizers. Our three frameworks are based on the primal, dual, and proximal formulations of (1). Each framework shows its strength in certain types of problems. We prove the equivalence of the three approaches under smoothness conditions. This equivalence enables us to justify the accuracy of the three methods under such conditions. We use our approaches to obtain a risk estimate for several standard problems, including generalized LASSO, nuclear norm regularization, and support vector machines. We empirically demonstrate the effectiveness of our results for non-differentiable cases.


The reliability of a particular in vitro parameter as potential prognostic biomarker of individual radiosensitivity is still discussed. Therefore, several in vitro radiation-induced cellular endpoints including initial, oxidative and residual DNA damage and the rate of DNA repair were assessed in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from healthy donors and patients with carcinoma of the cervix using the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (the comet assay). PBL from cancer patients were analyzed three times during the course of therapy, prior, in the middle (25-27 Gy) and after the radiotherapy. Interindividual differences in radiation-induced DNA damage and in the kinetics of strand break rejoining were determined within both groups. Significantly higher level of mean background and oxidative DNA damage was estimated in the cancer patient cohort than in the healthy subject group; however similar mean values of the initial DNA damage and the rate of DNA repair kinetics were found in both groups. No adaptive response was determined in PBL from cancer patients due to radiotherapy. The acute radiation toxicity and the clinical outcome were scored according to the criteria as proposed by the National Cancer Institute. A substantial delay in DNA strand break rejoining was determined in cancer patients suffering from adverse side effects (G2+) in comparison to persons with no or very mild radiation toxicity (G0-G1) (p<0.05). The recurrence of disease has been associated with a lower initial DNA damage and slope value of dose-response effect, and increased rate of DNA repair. Results from this pilot study suggest that the residual DNA damage level might be a promising prognostic biomarker of acute radiation morbidity; however, further study is necessary to validate this finding.


Objectives: To determine the neurodevelopmental status in children with congenital hypothyroidism. Study Design: Cross Sectional Study. Setting: Department of Pediatric Endocrine and Developmental Pediatrics Outpatient at The Children's Hospital and The Institute of the Child Health (CHICH) Multan. Period: January to December 2019. Material & Methods: A total of 119 children, 1-5years of age having congenital hypothyroidism were included. Their socioeconomical status, age at which the diagnosis was made, duration of thyroxine intake was noted. Development in domains of personal-social, fine motor-adaptive, language and gross motor skills was assessed by using The Denver developmental screening test (DDST). Developmental quotient of each domain was measured and less than 70% was considered significant delayed. SPSS-20 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Out of 119 patients, 47.8% were male, 61.3% were among the age group of 1-3 years and the mean age was 1.40 ± 0.489 years. Forty-five percent (45.4%) belonged to low and 47.1% to middle socioeconomical status. Only 46.2% children started taking thyroxine within 2 months of life. Significant delay in personal-social domain was detected in 73.9% (n=88) children while 80.7% (n=96), 80.7% (n=96) and 86.6% (n=103) patients had significant developmental delay in fine motor-adaptive, language and gross motor skills respectively. Developmental delay was significantly low in children started on thyroxine therapy within 2-months of age (p-value ≤ 0.05 for all domains of development. Conclusion: Children with congenital hypothyroidism suffer from delayed development, so these patients must be referred for developmental therapy along with medical therapy.


Conditioned reflexes to relation of temporal intervals, as a specific variety of reflexes to stimuli ratios, were studied in rats during alternation of two homogeneous trace stimuli with their separate reinforcement; the stimuli were addressed to one analyser, but were of different duration. Formation of conditioned reflexes to the ratio of temporal intervals began in rats after eleven sessions (106 pairings) on the average. The total duration of the whole process of formation up to stabilization of the reflex varied from 20 to 40 sessions (31 on the average), or from 200 to 394 pairings (308 on the average). The process of formation was the longer the less the ratio between the compared intervals (of a longer to a shorter one). The precision of the formed conditioned reflex to the ratio of temporal intervals (as expressed in the probability of correct reactions) amounted to 0.71% on the average. The experimental data may be satisfactorily explained in the light of concepts of Pavlovian school on the physiological mechanism of conditioned reflexes to stimuli ratios.


: The author presents 9 observations of colonic tumors growing into the urinary bladder. Radical operations with resection of considerable portions of the urinary bladder were performed on 7 patients. In some patients autoplastic methods developed by the author were used for the substitution of the defects formed.


Background: Some known antibacterial drugs can be used as anti-tuberculosis agents. But all of them must initially be tested as a component of long-therm polychemotherapy. The most promising one, linezolid (Lz), is now in the spot-light of TB-experts [G.B. Migliori et al., Eur Respir J 2009; 34:387-393]. Aims: To obtain data on efficacy and safety of Lz in the treatment of multi- (MDR) and extensively (XDR) drug-resistance tuberculosis (TB). Methods: The prospective unblinded non-randomized one-centered study, includes 35 pulmonary TB pts (18-71 y.o., 21 m and 14 f); MDR in 19 pts (7 new and 12 re-treated), XDR in 16 (3 and 13). Lz (600 mg q.d.) was included in treatment regimen, tailored by drug susceptibility tests, as 4th, 5th or 6th drug for 4-20 weeks. XDR was the strict indication for Lz, MDR - only if found impossible to create the adequate chemotherapy regimen (min 4 drugs) due to intolerance and/or resistance to second-line drugs. Results: After 4 weeks of treatment in all cases the evident resolution of clinical and X-ray symptoms was obtained. The sputum smear negativation totally score 85,7% (30 pts): 73,3% after 8 week, additional 6,7% after 12 weeks and 3,3% else after 16 week. The severe side-effects, attributed to Lz, occurred in 2 pts (5,7%): peroneal neuropathy and obstinate vomiting. Anemia, thrombocytopenia were not registered. Conclusion: The regimens included L (min 8 week) are high-effective in MDR and XDR TB in spite of long-term ineffective previously treatment. The Lz safety is quit well over a period of 8-16 weeks. Lz must be considered as a drug of choice after obtaining more accurate information on optimal length of administration, taking into account its high price.


Objective: Knowing that there is a wide variation in pelvic anatomy worldwide, it was an instinctive
query that whether radiotherapy planning in cancer cervix by four field box technique based on GOG
(gynaecologic oncology group) defined field carries adequacy and justification in our region. A prospective
trial was conducted at a Regional Cancer Centre located in Northern India, from August 2014 to July 2015.
CECT (contrast enhanced computed tomography) abdomen and pelvis was done in newly diagnosed 64
patients of cervical cancer with stage IB to IIIB. Using vessels as surrogates for lymph nodes, adequacy of
radiation portals using bony landmarks defined by GOG were assessed.
Materials and Methods: 2D (two dimensional) radiation portals were designed on conventional simulator
"Acuity" as per GOG recommendations. CECT pelvis from L1(first lumbar) to mid femur was done in
the same position along with same immobilization accessories used during conventional simulation. Three
parameters D1, D2 and D3 were defined for adequacy of superior, lateral, and anterior portals respectively.
Results: Increasing the length of AP:PA portal cranially by 4.5 cm will cover the proximal common iliac
nodes adequately. The width of the AP: PA portal needs to be increased by 3.6 cm to cover the distal
external iliac nodes adequately.
Conclusions: Conventional pelvic fields failed to cover all of pelvic lymph nodes in majority of this study
population. Diagnostic CT and MRI are suggested to be referenced to plan pelvic fields precisely when CT
simulation is not available.

Keywords: Cancer cervix, Conventional simulator, Bony landmarks.


Prior research highlights how mothers across social classes express similar beliefs that good parenting adheres to the tenets of intensive mothering by being child-centered, time-consuming, and self-sacrificing. Yet intensive mothering ideologies emphasize parenting tactics that assume children's basic needs are met, while ignoring how mothers in poverty devise distinctive childrearing strategies and logics to perform carework demanded by deprivation, discrimination, and a meager social safety net. I theorize inventive mothering that instead highlights the complexity and agency of poor mothers' innovative efforts to ensure children's access to resources, protect children from the harms of poverty and racism, and present themselves as fit parents in the context of intersecting gender, class, and race stigma. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 70 mothers who experienced diaper need, I conceptualize diaper work as a case of inventive mothering that involves extensive physical, cognitive, and emotional labor. These findings show how focusing on childrearing practices experienced as "intense" from the point of view of more affluent, white mothers perpetuates inequalities by obscuring the complex labor poor mothers, especially poor mothers of color, perform when there is limited public support for fundamental aspects of childcare.


Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expresses a calcium calmudolinindependent enzyme which can catalyse NO production from L-arginine. The induction of iNOS activity has been demonstrated in a wide variety of cell types under stimulation with cytokines and lipopoly saccharide (LPS). Previous studies indicated that all nitric oxide synthases (NOS) activated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were calcium dependent. In this work we indicate that endothelial cells can express iNOS mRNA under stimulation by cytokines, LPS and H2O2. We also found that iNOS mRNA expression has increased by augmentation of H2O2 concentration and its expression depends on increasing in time. Therefore we conclude that two isoforms of NOS are expressed in the HUVEC and induction of iNOS enzyme by H2O2 and NO production in endothelial cells may represent a novel cellular defence mechanism against oxidative stress and infections.


The title of this book poses a statement, not a question. What comes next is the end of big government in response to the new paradigm of the computer age. The old paradigm is the bureaucratic model of government--the command-and-control system whose influence reached its zenith with the mainframe computer. The new paradigm's driving force is the science of computers and the "five 'Cs' of the cyber-economy:" currency, computers, cinema, CDs and cable. The picture on the cover provides a striking metaphor: we are driving one of a cluster of vehicles, speeding along a stream of electronic pulses, with the Capitol dome in the rearview mirror. The New Paradigm Big Offer Pinkerton presents what he calls a manifesto and challenges "anyone--Democrat, Republican, or others" to articulate a "New Paradigm Big Offer." He cites only three successful "big offers" in American history: the American Revolution and the establishment of democracy; Lincoln's preservation of the Union, free land for whites, and emancipation for blacks; and Roosevelt's New Deal. The New Paradigm Big Offer must be based on three principles. The first idea involves incentives to private sector wealth creation in the form of (1) a flat tax on income or a progressive consumption tax, and (2) cuts in discretionary spending that are fair and changes in entitlement program that save the country from "age war." Second, Pinkerton proposes downsizing and rightsizing government through privatization and federalism. Specifically, only the Departments of State, Treasury, Defense, Justice and Interior would be "keepers" for the federal government. He would abolish most programs in the Agriculture, Commerce, Labor and Health and Human Services departments, and transfer Census, Labor Statistics, food stamps and Forest Service. The missions of Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Education and Veterans Affairs would be privatized or funded with block grants to the states. The third principle would be self-determination of all Americans for health care, education and work. The means for providing consumer choice in health care would be Medical Savings Accounts. He proposes vouchers combined with efficient information to aid consumers in making good choices in education. In the realm of work, he offers welfare to work programs funded with block grants to states, and a program like the New Deal Civilian Conservation Corps, but focused on reclaiming the environment and repairing the nation's infrastructure. Pinkerton says this is the Big Offer the voters are waiting for. These principles resonate with a consensus of Americans about enduring values: democracy, markets, nondiscrimination and compassion. …


Though single injections of angiotensin cause extreme rise in arterial pressure, infusion fails to elevate pressure to the degree usually found in experimental renal hypertension. The maximal pressure level obtainable by infusing angiotensin into anesthetized dogs was approximately the same in different dogs and was independent of the initial pressure. The vagus nerves did not importantly influence the "ceiling" response but if arterial pressure was then elevated by carotid occlusion the ceiling was raised. The combination of renal artery constriction and infusion of angiotensin failed to give a higher ceiling than angiotensin alone. In dogs with chronic renal hypertension the ceiling was higher than in normal dogs, presumably because of an upward shift in the range of response of cardiovascular reflexes. The results support the view that compensatory cardiovascular reflexes and tachyphylaxis to large amounts of infused angiotensin suppress the response and that these factors are much less effective in limiting response to quick injection.


Computational-integrity (also known as checking-computation [9], verifiable-computation [31, 49], and computation-delegation [37]) protocols eliminate the need to trust reporters of computation results, by allowing the latter to provide a cryptographic proof attesting to the validity of the results. The proof verification time is polylogarithmic with the length of the computation (succinct), introducing significant improvement over the naive solution for general computations, which is merely re-execution. Computational-integrity protocols were introduced around three decades ago [9]. This original work offered theoretical solutions to practical problems. An immediate practical motivation for taking such an approach comes from a different field of mathematical-proofs done by computer such as the celebrated example of [8] showing that any planar graph is fourcolourable. The method used in [8] included a computer exhaustively verifying correctness of a finite set of graphs, requiring work beyond what is humanly achievable, and took over a thousand hours to complete using the computer. Obviously, anyone who did not want to repeat this heavy verification process had to put their trust in the researcher who claimed to execute it. This kind of a proof to a mathematical claim was novel, and the fact the proof cannot be easily verified by peer reviews disappointed many. Computational-integrity is a natural solution to such problems, as it can be used by researchers to generate a succinct proof for the integrity of any computation, verifiable by anyone. Unfortunately, the work of [8] predated the initial ideas of verifiable computation, introduced in [9], by roughly a decade. Even though roughly three decades have passed since the introduction of [9], it is still probably infeasible to use modern computational-integrity for problems of such complexity. Although there are implementations of succinct verifiers that can succinctly verify the correctness of a small proof, the computation overhead on the prover, compared to the naive computation, is still too high. The line of research work we present shows what we have done in order to advance the field of computational-integrity from theory to practice. Our results show how theory can be improved to provide concrete efficiency. A common technique we have used is adding interactivity to both improve the soundness of protocols, and reduce the proving computational load. In addition to theoretical improvements, we provide three POC implementations of systems used to measure the constructions' concrete efficiency. Moreover, the implementations can be used as a reference for production grade system, as they introduce efficient data-structures and algorithms designed and tuned for implementation of algebraic proof systems. Technion Computer Science Department Ph.D. Thesis PHD-2019-13 2019


Turkmenistan's unique approach to land reform and farm restructuring has produced a significant shift to individual or household-based farming, with more than three-quarters of the arable land leased to individual households or small groups. Most leaseholders consider this land to be rightfully theirs, and they expect to keep it in the future, either as private owners, or through extension of their leasehold. However, individual production is administratively circumscribed by a pervasive system of state orders and central planning. The lease contracts rigidly specify the crop that each leaseholder is required to produce (typically cotton or wheat) and set a specific quantity target for delivery to the state at prices much below the level of prices on international markets. Managers and leaseholders universally express the view that the prices they receive from the state for wheat and cotton are too low, and identify the chance to sell freely at open market proces as a key factor that would improve the economic situation on farms. Both managers and leaseholders expressed enthusiasm for the reform at the time of the survey. This is a natural psychological reaction to the dramatic transition to a new system, and to avoid disillusionment, the initial change must be followed by further meaningful reforms, including abolition of state orders, transfer of land to individual control, and elimination of constraints on individual choice.


Over the past few years wireless sensor networks applications have evolved from a stage where these networks were designed in a technology-dependent manner to a stage where some conceptual understanding issues now exist. As wireless sensor networks are deployed, energy consumption emerges as a core requirement. Recent advances in energy harvesting technology for wireless devices have increased the lifetime and performance of wireless sensor node. It is useful to get a tradeoff between the duration of energy harvesting and network reliability. Previous investigations are mostly focused on duty cycle optimizing. An interrelation of energy harvesting schedule and network reliability has not been considered. To fill this gap we formulate optimizing problems for operation strategy of Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks. A problem solving approach is considered as well.


A new automated method of samp'e preparation and introduction that may circumvent the problems of measurement of micro-scale quantities of samples and preparation of serum or soluble blood fraction is being developed for use in fast analytical systems based on the GeMSAEC principle. This method involves the dynamic introduction of reagents or blood samples into the centrifugal field of the Fast Analyzer during rotation of the rotor. The rotor can be designed to fractionate the fluid into discrete, measured portions that are transferred to the cuvets for photometric monitoring. Whole-blood samp'es can be directly introduced into the rotating rotor where, after fractionation into measured volumes, the particulates are automatically removed by the centrifugal field and the resulting measured quantities of plasma are transferred directly to the cuvets. The dynamic proportionation of reagents, serum, and whole blood has been shown to be precise, and automatic analyses for specific chemicals have been performed on whole blood samples with a coefficient of variation of less than 2%.


Pulmonary Tuberculosis remains as a major health problem in South East Asia as well as Indonesia. The failure of tuberculosis treatment is mostly due to drop-out and multiple drugs resistant. Previous study showed that Vitamin D increase the intracellular cathelicidin which has potency to kill the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This research was aimed to identify the effect of Vitamin D as supportive treatment on the improvement of sputum conversion, radiographic finding and TNF-α serum concentration. A Double-blind randomized control trial was used in two random allocated patient group with standard tuberculosis treatment. The first group was treated with Vitamin D (800 iu/day) while the other was not. Subjects were evaluated using three parameters i.e. sputum conversion, radiographic finding and TNF-α serum concentration. Compared to the group without vitamin D supplementation, group with vitamin D has higher proportion of sputum conversion in the first month (67% vs. 34%, p=0,04) and second month (95% vs. 77%, p=0,18). Improvement in radiographic findings in the group with vitamin D is also higher in the first month (67% vs. 18%, p=0,02) and second month (76% vs. 45%, p=0,06). There is a significant difference in the level of 25-dihidroxyvitamin D between two groups (p=0,00). However, there is no significant difference in the level of TNF-α between two groups (p=0,76) after two months. Vitamin D has supportive effects in pulmonary tuberculosis patients by improving healing process as indicated by faster improvement in sputum conversion and radiographic findings but it did not improve the decrease of TNF-α.


An investigation about N. meningitidis carriers was carried out in Apulia (Italy) among teen-agers. 85 healthy carriers were identified (1.4%): the 81.2% of isolates resulted polyagglutinable, 3.5% autoagglutinable and 1.2% were not classifiable with antisera. The other strains belonged to serogroup B (9.4%), W135 (2.3%), Y (1.2%) and 29E (1.2%). Some Authors report that non-groupable strains are usually isolated from healthy carriers pharynx. The most recent molecular methods permit to subdivide these bacteria in serotype and serosubtype by membrane protein antigens, too. So, today the only identification as serogroup is not able to study N. meningitidis epidemiology.


We have designed a modular protein tagging system that allows different functionalities to be linked onto a single genetic fusion, either in solution, in living cells, or in chemically fixed cells. The protein tag (HaloTag) is a modified haloalkane dehalogenase designed to covalently bind to synthetic ligands (HaloTag ligands). The synthetic ligands comprise a chloroalkane linker attached to a variety of useful molecules, such as fluorescent dyes, affinity handles, or solid surfaces. Covalent bond formation between the protein tag and the chloroalkane linker is highly specific, occurs rapidly under physiological conditions, and is essentially irreversible. We demonstrate the utility of this system for cellular imaging and protein immobilization by analyzing multiple molecular processes associated with NF-kappaB-mediated cellular physiology, including imaging of subcellular protein translocation and capture of protein--protein and protein--DNA complexes.


Abstract Reactive paper sizing agents, such as alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), provide hydrophobicity to paper. The reactive anhydride group of these reagents is highly susceptible to reaction with water and thus resistance against hydrolysis is of primary importance for their practical application. This study describes different application-relevant properties of recently developed sizing agents that are based on renewable vegetable oils including hydrolysis behavior, time-dependent sizing efficiency, and tendency to form deposits or foam. The novel sizing agents – maleated high oleic sunflower oil (MSOHO) and maleated rapeseed oil (MRSO) – are compared to conventional ASA as the state-of-the-art sizing agent. Although the reactive group is the same in all reagents, there are pronounced differences between the three reagents, with MSOHO showing the best performance, i.e., the slowest hydrolysis. This oil has a higher ratio of hydrophobic side chains that impede the water attack at the anhydride group. Also, the higher viscosity of MSOHO plays an important role in performance, because diffusion of water molecules into a MSOHO emulsion droplet is much slower than in the case of conventional ASA.


In higher plants, the chloroplast NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (NDH) complex mediates photosystem I (PSI) cyclic and chlororespiratory electron transport. We reported previously that NDH interacts with the PSI complex to form a supercomplex (NDH-PSI). In this study, NDH18 and FKBP16-2 (FK506 Binding Protein 16-2), detected in the NDH-PSI supercomplex by mass spectrometry, were shown to be NDH subunits by the analysis of their knockdown lines. On the basis of extensive mutant characterization, we propose a structural model for chloroplast NDH, whereby NDH is divided into four subcomplexes. The subcomplex A and membrane subcomplex are conserved in cyanobacteria, but the subcomplex B and lumen subcomplex are specific to chloroplasts. Two minor light-harvesting complex I proteins, Lhca5 and Lhca6, were required for the full-size NDH-PSI supercomplex formation. Similar to crr pgr5 double mutants that completely lack cyclic electron flow activity around PSI, the lhca6 pgr5 double mutant exhibited a severe defect in growth. Consistent with the impaired NDH activity, photosynthesis was also severely affected in mature leaves of lhca6 pgr5. We conclude that chloroplast NDH became equipped with the novel subcomplexes and became associated with PSI during the evolution of land plants, and this process may have facilitated the efficient operation of NDH.


The most hazardous pest species in the semi-desert zone with regard to their abundance and the level of harmfulness are the Asiatic (migratory) locust (Locusta migratoria L.) and the Italian locust (Calliptamus italicus L.). The objectives of the research which was carried out in the semi-desert zone include agroecological monitoring of the species composition, phenology, abundance and harmfulness of locusts, as well as the selection of optimal insecticides for locust control.The research provided data on the phenology, abundance and harmfulness of the Asiatic locust and the Italian locust in the semi-desert territories of the West Kazakhstan Region. The research also determined the biological efficiency of the modern insecticides in locust control. The highest biological efficiency was observed when using the insecticides Herold – 98.2% and Tanrek – 97.7%. When using the insecticide Decis-extra the larval mortality amounted to 94.8%.


ObjectiveCardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA. Thyroid analogs have emerged as a potential new therapeutic agent for cardiovascular disease. Thyroid hormones beneficially influence cardiac contractility and serum lipids but can also confer harmful effects on cardiac tissue and bone. To circumvent these harmful effects of thyroid hormones, several thyroid analogs have been studied since the 1960s. This review focuses on one such thyroid analog, diiodothyropropionic acid (DITPA), which has shown promise in the management of heart failure. Materials and methodsWe conducted a systematic review of the literature using evidence-based criteria. ResultsStrong laboratory data exist supporting the role of DITPA in heart failure by improving systolic and diastolic heart function. DITPA significantly alters the myosin heavy chain ratio in the heart muscle to improve ventricular contractility. There is increasing evidence in support of the improvement in lipid profile in patients on DITPA. No proarrhythmogenic adverse effects were noted with the use of DITPA. ConclusionDITPA appears to be promising in enhancing cardiac output and hemodynamic stability for heart failure patients, with possible synergistic implications when combined with other heart failure medications. However, extensive human trials are needed to establish its role in the management of heart failure and establish its safety profile.


A growing body of empirical research on the crossmodal correspondences, that is, on the associations between abstract features that we share across the senses, demonstrates that people associate (gustatory) tastes and visual shape features in a non-random manner. Such abstract features of shapes (e.g., symmetry or curvature) can, under certain circumstances, guide our taste expectations and even taste experiences. Here, it is argued that the different dimensions of the shapes associated with our food experiences, such as the tableware (what some have called tablescapes), the way in which we plate the food, and the food itself, may all impact the expected and experienced taste of food. Further, we discuss how food experience designers (think chefs, culinary artists, and food companies) may capitalize on these recentlydiscovered correspondences when designing dining experiences and present directions for future research. determining people's taste expectations and experience (see [12]). Note that we focus on the relationship between shape features and taste attributes (not 'flavour', which results primarily from the integration of taste, and retronasal olfaction, see [15,16] for reviews). First, we present an overview of crossmodal correspondences. Next, we introduce the Correspondence to: Dr. Carlos Velasco, Imagineering Institute, Anchor 5, Mall of Medini, No.4 Lebuh Medini Utara, Medini, Iskandar, Nusajaya, 79250, Johor, Malaysia, Tel: +60 07 509 6568; Fax: +60 07 509 6713; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


Recently, our group described the application of vertebral bone marrow (vBMA) clot as a cell therapy strategy for spinal fusion. Its beneficial effects were confirmed in aging-associated processes, but the influence of gender is unknown. In this study, we compared the biological properties of vBMA clots and derived vertebral mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from female and male patients undergoing spinal fusion procedures and treated with vBMA clot. We analyzed the expression of growth factors (GFs) in vBMA clots and MSCs as well as morphology, viability, doubling time, markers expression, clonogenicity, differentiation ability, senescence factors, Klotho expression, and HOX and TALE gene profiles from female and male donors. Our findings indicate that vBMA clots and derived MSCs from males had higher expression of GFs and greater osteogenic and chondrogenic potential compared to female patients. Additionally, vBMA-clot-derived MSCs from female and male donors exhibited distinct levels of HOX and TALE gene expression. Specifically, HOXA1, HOXB8, HOXD9, HOXA11, and PBX1 genes were upregulated in MSCs derived from clotted vBMA from male donors. These results demonstrate that vBMA clots can be effectively used for spinal fusion procedures; however, gender-related differences should be taken into consideration when utilizing vBMA-clot-based studies to optimize the design and implementation of this cell therapy strategy in clinical trials.


Rapid proliferation of cancer cells assisted by endothelial cell-mediated angiogenesis and acquired inflammation at the tumor microenvironment (TME) lowers the success rate of chemotherapeutic regimens. Therefore, targeting these processes using localized delivery of a minimally toxic drug combination may be a promising strategy. Here, we present engineering of a biocompatible self-assembled lithocholic acid-dipeptide derived hydrogel (TRI-Gel) that can maintain sustained delivery of antiproliferating doxorubicin, antiangiogenic combretastatin-A4 and anti-inflammatory dexamethasone. Application of TRI-Gel therapy to a murine tumor model promotes enhanced apoptosis with a concurrent reduction in angiogenesis and inflammation, leading to effective abrogation of tumor proliferation and increased median survival with reduced drug resistance. In-depth RNA-sequencing analysis showed that TRI-Gel therapy induced transcriptome-wide alternative splicing of many genes responsible for oncogenic transformation including sphingolipid genes. We demonstrate that TRI-Gel therapy targets the reversal of a unique intron retention event in β-glucocerebrosidase 1 (Gba1), thereby increasing the availability of functional Gba1 protein. An enhanced Gba1 activity elevates ceramide levels responsible for apoptosis and decreases glucosylceramides to overcome drug resistance. Therefore, TRI-Gel therapy provides a unique system that affects the TME via post-transcriptional modulations of sphingolipid metabolic genes, thereby opening a new and rational approach to cancer therapy.


This paper reviews the current status and implementation of battery chargers, charging power levels and infrastructure for plug-in electric vehicles and hybrids. Battery performance depends both on types and design of the batteries, and on charger characteristics and charging infrastructure. Charger systems are categorized into off-board and on-board types with unidirectional or bidirectional power flow. Unidirectional charging limits hardware requirements and simplifies interconnection issues. Bidirectional charging supports battery energy injection back to the grid. Typical onboard chargers restrict the power because of weight, space and cost constraints. They can be integrated with the electric drive for avoiding these problems. The availability of a charging infrastructure reduces on-board energy storage requirements and costs. On-board charger systems can be conductive or inductive. While conductive chargers use direct contact, inductive chargers transfer power magnetically. An off-board charger can be designed for high charging rates and is less constrained by size and weight. Level 1 (convenience), Level 2 (primary), and Level 3 (fast) power levels are discussed. These system configurations vary from country to country depending on the source and plug capacity standards. Various power level chargers and infrastructure configurations are presented, compared, and evaluated based on amount of power, charging time and location, cost, equipment, effect on the grid, and other factors.


Will a growing population lead to depletion of natural resources and eventually economic collapse, as predicted by Malthus, or rather to innovations in the agricultural sector improving agricultural potential of land, as hypothesized by Boserup? This centuries-old puzzle is as relevant as ever in some densely populated regions of Sub-Saharan Africa where population growth is still alarmingly high and shows no sign of slowing down, leading to enormous pressure on land. In this paper, we quantify the relationship between population pressure and land intensification in Burundi, one of the most densely populated regions in Africa. Using data from a nationally representative agricultural survey (n=2050), we find evidence of both Malthusian and Boserupian processes. In line with Boserup's theory, the use of fertilizer and labour, yields and food production initially increases with population pressure, but decreases again when population densities exceed a critical threshold, supporting Malthus' prediction. These limits to intensification confirm findings from previous studies on densely populated regions in Sub-Saharan Africa.


1. To characterize signal interactions between ganglion cells, extrinsic current, either sinusoidally or white-noise modulated, was injected into a ganglion cell and the resulting extracellular spike discharges were recorded from a neighboring ganglion cell. 2. Current injected into an ON-ganglion (GA) cell modulated the spike discharges of a neighboring ON-ganglion cell (GA). Similarly, a current injected into an OFF-ganglion (GB) cell modulated the spike discharges of a neighboring OFF-ganglion (GB) cell. The signal transmission between ganglion cells of the same response polarity was fast and sign-noninverting. The transfer function was lowpass with a cutoff frequency of 30 Hz. The efficacy of the transmission was comparable to that from bipolar or amacrine to ganglion cells of the same polarity. 3. Current injected into an ON-ganglion (GA) cell modulated the spike discharges of a neighboring OFF-ganglion (GB) cell; the signal transmission was slow and sign-noninverting. Correspondingly, current injected into an OFF-ganglion (GB) cell modulated the spike discharges of a neighboring ON-ganglion (GA) cell; transmission was slow and sign-inverting. 4. A brief electrical stimulation of the optic nerve activated a single antidromic ganglion cell spike at threshold. With suprathreshold stimulation, multiple spikes appeared, which probably were activated orthodromically. Changes in membrane potential of ganglion and amacrine cells induced by optic nerve stimulation usually lasted 50-80 ms, with an initial depolarization followed by hyperpolarization. We interpret such long-lasting responses to be mediated by reciprocal circuits that include amacrine, bipolar, and ganglion cells. 5. Together with the observations made by Sakai and Naka, we conclude that virtually almost all amacrine, bipolar, and ganglion cells are functionally interconnected; direct and fast connections are established among ON-cells and similarly among OFF-cells, and complex, indirect connections are established between ON- and OFF-cells.


Background The continued uses of dichlordiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) for indoor vector control in some developing countries have recently fueled intensive debates toward the global ban of this persistent legacy contaminant. Current approaches for ecological and health risk assessment has ignored the chiral nature of DDT. In this study by employing an array of cytotoxicity related endpoints, we investigated the enantioselective cytotoxicity of o,p'-DDT. Principal Findings we demonstrated for the first time that R-(−)-o,p'-DDT caused more neuron cell death by inducing more severe oxidative stress, which selectively imbalanced the transcription of stress-related genes (SOD1, SOD2, HSP70) and enzyme (superoxide dismutase and lactate dehydrogenase) activities, and greater cellular apoptosis compared to its enantiomer S-(+)-o,p'-DDT at the level comparable to malaria area exposure (parts per million). We further elucidated enantioselective modes of action using microarray combined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The enantioselective apoptosis might involve three signaling pathways via caspase 3, tumor protein 53 (p53) and NFkB. Conclusions Based on DDT stereochemistry and results reported for other chiral pesticides, our results pointed to the same directional enantioselectivity of chiral DDT toward mammalian cells. We proposed that risk assessment on DDT should consider the enantiomer ratio and enantioselectivities.


Provided is a power connection conductor that makes it possible to compactly store circuit breakers and electromagnetic switches in a power distribution board without resulting in an increase in the area of the power distribution board and without performing complex wiring work. Said power connection conductor also reduces wiring mistakes and the number of man-hours required for wiring. In order to connect a circuit breaker to connection terminals on an electric device such as an electromagnetic switch (2a, 2b), the power connection conductor has conducting bars integrally formed from electrical wires, for a plurality of power phases, enclosed inside an insulating member. The power connection conductor has a flat plate-shaped base section disposed, at least, between the anchoring side of a circuit breaker and the front side of an electromagnetic switch. Conducting bars on both ends of the flat plate-shaped base section are connected, respectively, to secondary connection terminals on the circuit breaker and primary connection terminals on the electromagnetic switch.


The present study measured the effects of guided-inductive (GI) versus deductive computer-delivered instruction on the processing and retention of the Spanish true passive using a self-paced reading design. Fifty-four foreign language learners of Spanish participated in the study, which operationalised guided-inductive and deductive approaches using an adaptation of the PACE model and processing instruction (PI), respectively. Results revealed that each experimental group significantly improved after the pedagogical intervention, and that the GI group outperformed the PI group in terms of accuracy on an immediate post-test. Differences between the groups, however, were not durative; at the delayed post-test, each group performed the same. Additional analyses revealed that the GI group spent over twice as much time on task during instruction than the PI group, with no long-term advantages on processing, calling into question the pedagogical justification for implementing GI at a curricular level.


Abstract The kinetic energy budgets of several examples of synoptic scale systems are reviewed. Included are systems containing a major cyclone development, the immediate cyclone vicinity, and the anticyclone preceding the cyclone development. These are then considered in terms of their role in the general circulation of the middle latitudes. Results show that the cyclone system and cyclone vicinity are respectively about two and five times more active energetically than the general circulation. Further, when averaged with results of Petterssen and Smehye, the resulting mean cyclone system accounts for about one-third of the energetic activity of the middle latitudes. On the other hand, circulations associated with the anticyclone case exhibit much less intense energetic properties.


The percolation threshold in a composite depends on the processing conditions used to fabricate it along with the size and shape of the filler and the matrix. In this study, borosilicate glass microspheres were used as the matrix material, and nanosized antimony tin oxide (ATO) particles were used as the filler. The glass microsphere/ATO composites were fabricated by hot pressing at temperatures in the range between the glass transition temperature and the softening temperature of the glass to control the viscosity. The pressure and temperature applied allowed the ATO to be confined to the spaces between certain glass particles, forming percolating networks at low volume fractions of the ATO. The viscous flow of the glass allowed for the composite to have near full densities, while allowing for the nanoparticle segregation to occur. Even though apparently similar microstructures were made using different heating schedules, the percolation behavior and electrical conductivity showed noticeable differences. The percolation threshold ranged from 0.1 to 2.5 phr (parts per hundred glass) and the change in electrical conductivity was around seven to nine orders of magnitude. The differences were attributed to the interaction of the segregated ATO particles with one another. The electrical properties were examined using ac impedance spectroscopy along with current atomic force microscopy (C-AFM), which allowed for valuable insights in the structure–property–processing relationships in these materials.


Summary
Mating experiments with several strains of C. p. pipiens and C. p. fatigans at different temperatures showed that fatigans was more active at all temperatures, but was less inhibited than pipiens at the highest temperature. With decreasing intensity of illumination, fatigans began swarming sooner than did pipiens, but ceased shortly after complete darkness was attained, whereas pipiens continued to swarm in the dark.
It is concluded that fatigans does not exhibit a specific temperature adaptation for mating, but that the higher insemination rates at all temperatures were the result of an inherent sexual aggressiveness. However, such differential activity could be a means of limiting the establishment of pipiens in warmer areas, where it would have to compete with the more active fatigans. Furthermore, these differences in response to temperature and changes in illumination could be a mechanism for keeping the populations segregated in some areas where they coexist.


In this paper, we propose a system for the complete implementation of the advanced encryption standard (AES) for encryption and decryption of images and text on a graphics processing unit. The GPU acts as a valuable co-processor that relieves the load off the CPU. In the decryption stage, we use a novel technique to display the decrypted images and text on the screen without bringing it onto CPU memory. We also present a system for encryption and decryption of hybrid map tiles generated from GIS data sets.