Sacral chordomas are rare, low-grade and slow-growing malignant bone tumours arising from the sacral bone. They are locally aggressive with the tendency to metastasise to the lungs. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment of sacral chordomas. However, most patients presented late with large tumours and intra-abdominal extension-making en bloc resection highly challenging. Besides that, surgical resection poses risk of injury to the surrounding structures such as major blood vessels, bladder, ureters and rectum due to their proximity to the tumour. Therefore, multidisciplinary team approach is vital in anticipating possible complications and preventing surgical morbidity. We present a case of advanced sacral chordoma which has been successfully resected with the assistance of pre-operative selective arterial embolisation as a preemptive therapy. Case Report: A 58-year-old lady presented with a large sacral chordoma (17.17 cm x 27.3 cm x 30.5 cm) with sacral erosion, infiltration to gluteus maximus, medius and minimus muscles and lung metastasis. A decision to perform a surgical resection was made to alleviate the pain secondary to sacral nerve compression. Anticipating massive bleeding intra-operatively, pre-operative arterial embolisation was performed involving one branch of right internal iliac artery as well as five branches of left internal and external iliac arteries using endovascular coils. The tumour was resected with partial sacrectomy from the lower border of S1. Intra-operatively, 6 pints of packed cells were transfused with estimated blood loss of 4 litres. The patient recovered well after the surgery. She was pain-free post-operatively with no lower limb neurological deficit. Surgical resection remains the treatment of choice for sacral chordoma. Pre-operative selective arterial embolisation can reduce intraoperative bleeding and avoid potentially convoluted surgery.


This study presents a theoretical analysis of high performance reinforced concrete deep beams without stirrups based on three-dimensional finite element (FE) models to predict the shear stress,  shear strain, load deflection,  and crack propagation of 16specimens via ANSYS (v14).The variables considered in the experimental program were compressive strength (normal strength concrete,  40 MPa;  high strength concrete,  60 MPa;  and high performance concrete, more than 100MPa),  shear span-to-depth ratio (1,  1.5,  2,  2.5,  and  3),  and the ratio of the amount of flexural steel bars (1.35%,  2.40%,  3.76%,  and 6.108%).  Results obtained with ANSYS were compared with the experimental results to verify the accuracy of the FE models.  The general behaviors based on the linear and nonlinear ranges up to failure of the FE models show good agreement with the experimental data. The effect of each parameter was discussed and compared with those in experimental works.


Abstract Wicking and drying performances of knitted cotton fabrics made from siro, ring and open-end yarns were investigated before and after bleaching and dyeing procedures. Moreover, the samples were treated with cationic, non-ionic and silicone softeners at various concentrations. The data obtained were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) as well as independent t-tests, and the results were discussed comparatively. The results showed that the selected parameters were highly effective on the wicking and drying behaviors of cotton plain knitted fabrics. Fabrics made from siro yarns tended to perform better. Dyeing process caused improvement of fabric wicking and drying behaviors. Also, application of silicone, especially at higher concentrations, was shown to negatively affect the discussed comfort properties, probably due to silicone double-layer formation with polar outside.


Electrical properties of some new cyclopentenone derivatives have been studied. The structures of prepared samples were characterized by (UV), (XRD) and (SEM). The dependence of electrical properties such as σdc , σac , ɛ' and ɛ'' on frequency and temperature were studied at frequency range from 50 Hz to 5 MHz and the temperature range from 25oC to 140oC. It was found that, ɛ' decreased with increasing frequency while it increases with increasing temperatures within the used ranges. Moreover, dielectric constant is structural dependent which is obvious from the variation of dielectric constant for each sample.
Ac-electrical conductivity increased with increasing frequency which was attributed to the polarization of the charge carriers. The temperature dependence of dc-electrical conductivity show typical Arrhenius relation for the three prepared samples. The activation energy calculated from Arrhenius equation and the results are discussed in detailed.


Abstract Background Activities of daily living (ADL) are crucial for children because they enable them to participate in everyday life. For the evaluation of children`s ADL performance, health professionals such as occupational therapists use standardized ADL assessments. To implement assessments into practice it is important that the score generated from an assessment can be viewed as a unidimensional measure. Aim To investigate the factor structure of the German Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI-G) in a sample of typically developing children and children with an impairment. Material and Methods An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with factor rotation was performed to assess the factor structure for the PEDI-G domains (self-care, mobility and social function) of the Functional Skills Scale and the Caregiver Assistance Scale. Results 262 children (118 (45%) girls and 144 (55%) boys) participated in this study. Their mean age (SD) was 4 years (SD 1.91). Results suggest that the PEDI domains of the Functional Skills Scale and the Caregivers Assistance Scale can be used as unidimensional measures to evaluate child`s ability to perform activities of daily living. Conclusion The results of this study support the use of the PEDI-G for research and practice in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.


Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006

1248

Inhibiting epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGFR/ErbB-1) represents a powerful anticancer strategy. Activation of retinoid pathways is also in development for cancer teatment. Retinoic acid receptor-beta (RAR-β) - the tumor suppressor and main retinoid mediator - is silenced in many tumors, but can be reinduced by chromatin-modifying compounds. We and others demonstrated that ErbB and retinoid receptors interact at multiple levels. The EGFR-inhibitor PD153035 cooperates with retinoic acid during growth inhibition and induces RAR-β suggesting that EGFR controls RAR-β. However, here we demonstrate that EGFR is not involved in PD153035-mediated RAR-β-upregulation. PD153035 inhibits EGFR-phosphorylation, whereas its derivative EBE-A22 is inactive. Yet both inhibit cell growth and upregulate RAR-β in EGFR-overexpressing (MDA-MB-468), moderately expressing (OVCAR-3), EGFR-negative (MDA-MB-453) or ErbB-negative cells (CEM, Jurkat). No other EGFR/ErbB-2 inhibitor (ZD1839, RG-14620, LFM-A12, AG879, AG825) affects RAR-β. PD153035-mediated upregulation is specific for RAR-β: No other retinoid receptor, nor estrogen receptor-α, nor tumor suppressor RASSF1A is upregulated by PD153035. PD153035 causes demethylation of RAR-β2 promoter. This might be related to DNA-intercalating activity of PD153035. In OVCAR-3, PD153035 stimulates H3/H4 histone acetylation at RAR-β promoter. Thus PD153035 induces RAR-β by EGFR-independent mechanisms. This report highlights a triple action for an EGFR inhibitor (EGFR-inhibition, DNA-intercalation, epigenetic RAR-β-induction). Such multitargeting drugs bear great potential for cancer treatment.


OBJECTIVE
The aim: to reveal early results after transapical TAVI with a new self-manufactured XPand system, comparing them with SAVR and common transfemoral TAVI outcomes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Materials and methods: Eighty-four patients (mean age 79,5±10,2 years) with severe aortic stenosis were operated on from January 2016 to February 2019. Nine patients had undergone the TAVI (two with transfemoral access route and seven with transapical, using the XPand system). SAVR was performed in seventy five patients. For the latter, we estimate the in-hospital mortality, complication rates, intensive care unit and total hospital length of stay.

RESULTS
Results: There was no intraoperative mortality. In the TAVI group, the frequency of intraoperative and postoperative complications was significantly lower (p<0.01). The SAVR group showed higher median intensive care unit length of stay (104 h, IQR 72 -112 versus 29 h, IQR 20-35,p<0.01), hemodynamic support duration (100,98 ± 78 minutes versus 11.13 ± 7.89 minutes, p<0.01) and paravalvular leakage causality (9,33% versus 0%). No significant difference in results depending on the TAVI access routes was obtained.

CONCLUSION
Conclusions: We conclude that TAVI provides an alternative to the conventional approach in patients with severe aortic stenosis aged over 75 years. No significant difference in mortality rate between TAVI and SAVR groups was found. A novel transapical TAVI device is associated with good short-term results and lower complication rate.


Herein we provide a dietary analysis using stomach contents of Microgale brevicaudata (G. Grandidier, 1899), a poorly known species of shrew tenrec, in the dense lowland moist evergreen forest of the Marojejy National Park and human modified habitats in the peripheral zones. We specifically examine the arthropods consumed by this species and variation related to season, habitat type, sex and age of individuals. Analysis of stomach contents shows that the principal prey types of this species in order of importance are Coleoptera and followed by Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Araneae. No differences in prey consumed were found between age and sex classes, nor season, but the percentage of the different arthropod groups varies with the type of habitat.


ABSTRACT Problem: Several mechanisms contribute to the tolerogenic state observed during pregnancy, such as the activity of the enzyme indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO). This initializes the catabolism of tryptophan, inducing T cells to apoptosis due to its deprivation and by the action of its catabolites in the placental microenvironment. Progesterone plays an important part on immunological tolerance mechanisms during pregnancy; however, there is no evidence it is related to IDO activity. Thus, this study aimed to investigate progesterone influence on the maternal-fetal interface of pregnant Wistar rats, by identifying IDO positive cells by immunophenotyping and flow cytometry under exogenous progesterone supplementation. Method of study: Placenta and embryo cells were cultured and separated into groups that received interferon γ or progesterone, supplemented or not with mifepristone. After 2 and 24 h, these were labeled with an anti-IDO and a series of antibodies specific to leucocytes and progesterone receptor and processed through flow cytometry analysis. Results: Progesterone induced a significant decrease in the expression of IDO in dendritic cells and CD4+ lymphocytes. Conclusion: The blocking of progesterone receptor on these cells by mifepristone restored IDO expression levels and may constitute evidence of the participation of this hormone through a direct route in these cells.


The Irish language, despite being the first official language in Ireland, is an endangered minority language. It is spoken, as the daily language of communication, by less than 3% of the national population and only 27% of the Gaeltacht population. In education, two different Primary School Curriculum guidelines (one for Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools and one for national schools) reflect the different sociolinguistic roles that Irish plays within Irish society and the segregation existing between children of different linguistic backgrounds. Also, there is no language policy in Ireland for the teaching of foreign languages at primary level, which is in contrast to the support that the European Union gives to multilingualism from an early age. From a different perspective, at pre-service level, primary school teachers receive their training through the medium of English, which results in poor levels of Irish being acquired. Also, there is no training available for the teaching of foreign languages within the Bachelor of Education or the Professional Diploma in Education (primary level). The development of a combined language policy for primary education for English, Irish and foreign languages is a main component of this work. This thesis looks at the experience of Catalonia, where this challenge has already been overcome with regard to second language acquisition, and compares it with Ireland's experience. In Catalonia, there is a long tradition of early immersion education in Catalan; the agenda has now moved to third language development through researching the most effective teaching methodologies. Consequently, this is a comparative study between Ireland and Catalonia based on two main research methods: firstly, a theoretical analysis of issues related to cognitive language acquisition and European and State policy regarding language status and language use; secondly, an empirical study (consisting of qualitative and quantitative data) of teacher attitudes on early trilingual education in primary schools in Ireland and Catalonia. Hence, we explore the proposition that Ireland requires an integrated national language policy that includes English, Irish and a foreign language in the Primary School Curriculum which is directed at the achievement of high levels of proficiency in the three languages by the end of compulsory education. The results of this study suggest the appropriateness of developing a trilingual education system for primary education in Ireland based on early total immersion in Irish and the teaching of an L3 as content subject (1st-4th class) and through Content and Language Integrated Learning (5th and 6th class). This needs to be accompanied by strong institutional support with a redesign of both the Primary School Curriculum and of the pre-service training of primary school teachers.


Remove the soybean plant at ground level to make it easier to stage. Examine each main stem node one at a time to determine the development stage. Focus on the top four nodes that contain fully developed leaves (shown below). A fully developed leaf is one that is located immediately below a node containing a leaf with unrolled or unfolded leaflets (leaflet edges are no longer touching). The soybean crop is considered to be at a particular stage when 50% of the plants reach that stage. Listed with stage description for R1 through R6 are the approximate number of days to R7, or physiological maturity, for full season (FS) soybean planted in May and double crop (DC) soybean planted in June/July.


From a theoretical standpoint, the practice of medicine bears the same relationship to public health today that it did twenty years ago. Actually, the changes that have occurred in this relationship are extremely drastic. In recent years a new social point of view has developed, but most practitioners are apparently unaware of the awakening of the nation's social conscience and of the new demands on the profession that must naturally follow. It is my purpose in this paper to outline the more recent development of the demand for public health protection and the general trend of its fulfilment. The advancement of learning in America is the most outstanding achievement of the age in which we live. We are in the midst of an enlightened public opinion. Our educational systems have become so extensive that even our recently arrived immigrants have little or no difficulty in securing at least the rudiments


The detrimental consequences of Coronavirus infection are distinctly evident following its declaration as to the 6th Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization on 30th January 2020 and its distressing and negative implications experienced across the globe. Apart from drastically impacting the healthcare of the population, a worrisome reduction in the universal economy is also attributed to this menace.The government of Pakistan is cognizant of its responsibilities took stringent measures to curb the coronavirus infection by the endowment of services for early case detection, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine. Still, the first wave of COVID-19 resulted in a distressing scenario with the fast growth of this havoc in addition to those experienced in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. However, World Health Organization acknowledged the diligent efforts of the Pakistani government, healthcare professionals, and administrators in combating the first wave of COVID with an earlier reduction in effective Reproduction number (Rt) to 0.746 that was primarily attributed to Intermittent lockdown imposition, closure of educational institutes, avoidance of huge ceremonial gatherings and strict compliance to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).Although fewer chances of the second wave of COVID were anticipated in Pakistan due to early flattening of the curve during the first wave of COVID-19 in comparison with those of industrialized countries8 non-compliance to SOPs contributed to the rapid surge of the second wave. The government of Pakistan declared the occurrence of the second wave of COVID on 28th October 2020 when around 750 cases per day were reported. Active cases rapidly escalated to 11,000 and approximately 93 hospitalized patients were put on ventilators. Commencement of anti-government rallies and non-compliance to health guidelines are key contributors to this havoc. Currently, about 3499 active cases on daily basis are registered across the country with 39 deaths. About 410,000 active cases are detected nationally till now with 8260 fatalities. National Command and Operation Centre has accounted for a threefold ascend of infection since 12th October 2020. The steep ascend of cases during the second wave compelled the authorities to proceed with the shutting of learning institutes, the commencement of online education, and the postponement of all types of scheduled assessments except entrance exams. Even the employees of public and private sector medical institutes were vigilantly instructed to come to their offices on alternate days and keep working at home during the rest of the days from 25th November 2020 to 31st January 2021. Although these recommendations and initiatives by the concerned authorities can be of great assistance to curb the COVID pandemic but remaining extra cautious and strict observance of SOPs is of paramount significance to halt the rapid transmissibility of COVID. Stringent efforts of Rawalpindi Medical University-affiliated hospitals in battling the second wave of COVID are worth mentioning. Apart from Holy Family Hospital and Benazir Bhutto Hospital working to treat their respective catchment population, Rawalpindi Institute of Urology / Corona Hospital was reopened to cope up with the patient load amid the COVID pandemic. An adequate number of beds and necessary equipment were made available to manage the emerging infected cases.


A study was performed to determine the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal inoculation, using a locally isolated Claroideoglomus claroideum (Gc) ecotype, on the seedling development of chilean pepper plants, and to select an appropriate growth substrate. The first experiment consisted of two stages: (i) a seedling production stage of pepper plants were germinated and grown, inoculated or not with C. claroideum; and (ii) a seedling transplanting stage, in which seedlings were transplanted to a wider capacity containers, using the same substrates as in the seedling production stage. These were inoculated or not with C. claroideum and/or Penicillium albidum (Pa). A soil mixture was selected as the target substrate for further studies. A second experiment was then carried out and three new phosphate-solubilizing Penicillium that is, Penicillium frequentans,Penicillium jensenii and Penicillium restrictum, were incorporated as inoculation variables, in addition to the already tested P. albidum, inoculated either alone or in co-inoculation withC. claroideum. After 28 weeks, plants were harvested and fruit number, weight, and length were recorded.  A synergistic interaction between C. claroideum and P. albidum to improve fruit weight and phosphorous (P) concentration was evidenced, suggesting a sustainable alternative for chilean pepper production.

 Key words: Penicillium, saprophytic fungi, Claroideoglomus claroideum, phosphorus, substrate.


This research aimed to determine the income of clove farming in Talaga Village; Dampelas Sub District of Donggala Regency. The research was carried out from October to November 2016. Sixty respondents were selected from a total population of 150 clove farmers. The analysis method used was the analysis of income. The results of the analysis showed that the clove production was 228 kg/ha/year at a price of IDR 90,000/kg, the average total cost was IDR 6,100,118/ha/year or IDR 5,258,772/ha/year, the average revenue generated was IDR 35,145,000/ha/year or IDR 30,297,413/ha/year with the average income of the clove farmers was IDR 29,047,881/ha or IDR 25,041,276/ha/year. These values indicate that the total revenue is greater than the cost incurred by the clove farmers in The Village of Talaga. Key Words : Cost, clove farming, income and revenue.


We present N band observations of the planetary nebula CPD‐568032 by VLTI/MIDI. The dusty environment of CPD‐568032 exhibits a bright unresolved core and a diffuse environment evidenced by HST imaging. From MIDI 8.7μm acquisition images (dominated by PAHs emission), the extension and geometry of the core have been estimated and compared to the STIS/HST observations (De Marco et al., 1997 and 2002). The UT2 and UT3 telescopes were used providing projected baselines between 40 and 45 meters. The bright infrared core is almost fully resolved with these baselines although high SNR fringes at low level have been detected. This clear signal reveals a ring‐like structure interpreted as the bright inner rim of the equatorial disk exposed to the flux from the Wolf‐Rayet star at the center of the system. The geometrical parameters are well constrained by means of simple geometrical models and a radiative transfer model is under development to extract the physical parameters of the disk.


Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to the fraction 1 (F1) protein of Yersinia pestis protected mice against fatal pneumonic as well as bubonic plague from wild-type F1+ organisms. The rare isolation of a virulent F1- isolate from surviving animals supports earlier studies suggesting that improved vaccines should consist of immunogens to protect against F1- variants. The high degree of protection with IgG MAb suggests that secretory IgA is not required for protection from pneumonic plague.


Background HIV self-testing (HIVST) was recommended by the World Health Organization as an additional way for improving HIV testing due to its advantage in privacy and convenience. Studies showed that HIVST was well accepted among men who have sex with men(MSM) in China. This study aims to investigate the situation of HIVST usage, its correlates and implications for linkage to care among Chinese MSM. Methods Data were collected from a nationwide online survey. Men who ever had sex with another man, were 16 years or older, born as a male, and ever tested for HIV were eligible. Survey collected information on HIVST and source of self-test kits. Sociodemographic and behavioral data were also collected and assessed in relation to HIVST through bivariate analyses. We characterized linkage to care after receiving a HIV-positive confirmatory results among self-testers and facility-based testers(i.e. who never self-tested). Results Among 540 men who ever tested for HIV (age: 27.3±6.6), most were never married (87.4%, 472/540) and completed college (52.2%, 282/540). 75.2%(406/540) reported having been self-tested. Self-test kits were commonly obtained from community-based organizations (54.4%,221/406) and online (46.6%,189/406). HIVST was associated with college or higher education(OR=1.41, 95%CI: 1.03–1.96), but not with other socio-demographics, sexuality disclosure or condom use. 32/540 (5.9%) men received confirmed HIV-positive results, 25/406(6.2%) among self-testers and 7/134(5.2%,) among facility-based testers (p=0.69). After receiving HIV-positive confirmatory results, all 25 self-testers sought care while 3/7 (42.9%) facility-based testers did (p<0.001). Delays before seeking care were not significantly different between self-testers and facility-based testers (P=0.366). 254/508 (46.5%) men reported likely to test for HIV in next three months, similarly among self-testers and facility-based testers. Conclusion Many men received HIVST. Men with higher education were more likely to be ever self-tested. The use of HIVST did not appear to hinder linkage to HIV care and services among men with confirmed HIV-positive results. Disclosure No significant relationships.


The pecularities of evoked potentials changes in the first visual, first somatic and parietal cortical areas locally cooled under nembutal anesthesia, as well as in the association thalamic nuclei (pulvinar and posterolateral) were studied in cats. Two types of interaction between these cortical structures were distinguished. Type I interaction was observed between all the studied cortical areas; type II--took place only between the parietal and each of the projection areas. Type I is suggested to be formed by cortical connections, type II--by direct and indirect subcortical ones. The peculiarities of involving the association parietal area into type I and II interactions according to its activation by different modality signals are discussed.


Part of a series designed to help pupils prepare for GCSE history. It offers original sources, coverage of core topics and a presentation accessible to students of average ability.


Robotic teleoperation has proved to be an effective way to explore remote areas, access dangerous sites, or to provide telepresence. Currently, research projects are pushing the boundaries to develop methods for meaningful health care support through teleoperated robots. Surgical robotics have already shown the feasibility of radical concepts, such as intercontinental surgery, and it is believed that technology will eventually enable to extend its rage to space exploration missions. One of the key problems to tackle is the degrading effect of signal latency on system performance and stability. In this paper, we present a case study investigating solution for handling large delays during real-time teleoperation of a remote surgical robot. Modeling approaches are discussed, and simplified human and machine representations are derived to accommodate long distance telesurgical applications. We have shown that a cascade control structure relying on empirical design can be effectively used in this scenario. A suitable controller was designed based on the extension of Kessler's methods in the inner loop, supported by predictive technique in the outer loop. Several tuning methods resulting in proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers in the outer loop are analyzed. This paper suggests the use of PID–fuzzy controllers to improve the control system performance. The proposed cascade loop may be a good solution to support future teleoperational missions.


________________________________________________________________________________________ BHANDERI, B. B., M. K. JHALA, V. B. AHIR, V. D. BHATT, C. G. JOSHI: Cultural and metagenomic based identifi cation of a microbiome from subclinical mastitis in cows. Vet. arhiv 84, 215-228, 2014. ABSTRACT Metagenomic and traditional microbial culture based analyses of milk samples from cows harbouring subclinical mastitis pathogens were carried out to identify the microbial community structure of milk. A total of 77 Triple cross (TP), Kankrej and Gir lactating cows and 301 quarters were screened for subclinical mastitis. A total of 106 isolates belonging to fi ve different microbial genera were recovered from 91 quarters of 41 cows, including 15 quarters having mixed bacterial infections by cultural examination. Pyrosequencing readings obtained from the breed wise pooled DNA of subclinical mastitis milk samples were analyzed using the SEED subsystem database of Meta Genome Rapid Annotation with Subsystem Technology (MG-RAST). Among the fi ve genera, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Micrococcus, Bacillus and Escherichia, detected in the subclinical mastitis milk samples by culture based methods, four genera, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus and Escherichia, were identifi ed in the corresponding pyrosequencing data, while Micrococcus was not found. In contrast, the pyrosequencing yielded 28 bacterial species, of which only two species, S. aureus and E. coli, were identifi ed by the cultural method. S. agalactiae, the third species identifi ed by cultural method, was not found in the pyrosequencing data. Metagenomic analysis additionally identifi ed 19 genera and 26 species in comparison with the routine cultural methods. Many of the fastidious / anaerobic bacterial organisms, which are diffi cult to cultivate by routine methods, were identifi ed by metagenomic analyses.


Chitosanase plays a vital role in bioactive chitooligosaccharide preparation. Here, we characterized and prepared a potential GH46 family chitosanase from Bacillus atrophaeus BSS. The purified recombinant enzyme Csn-SH showed a molecular weight of 27.0 kDa. Csn-SH displayed maximal activity toward chitosan at pH 5.0 and 45°C. Thin-layer chromatography and electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry indicated that Csn-SH mainly hydrolyzed chitosan into (GlcN)2, (GlcN)3, and (GlcN)4 with an endo-type cleavage pattern. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that Csn-SH cleaved the glycoside bonds between subsites −2 and + 1 of (GlcN)6. Importantly, the chitosan hydrolysis rate of Csn-SH reached 80.57% within 40 min, which could reduce time and water consumption. The hydrolysates prepared with Csn-SH exhibited a good antifungal activity against Magnaporthe oryzae and Colletotrichum higginsianum. The above results suggested that Csn-SH could be used to produce active chitooligosaccharides efficiently that are biocontrol agents applicable for safe and sustainable agricultural production.


The interactive effects of nitrate supply and atmospheric CO2 concentration on growth, N2 fixation, dry matter and nitrogen partitioning in the leguminous tree Acacia melanoxylon R.Br. were studied. Seedlings were grown hydroponically in controlled-environment cabinets for 5 weeks at seven 15N-labelled nitrate levels, ranging from 3 to 6400 mmol m–3. Plants were exposed to ambient (~350 µmol mol–1) or elevated (~700 µmol mol–1) atmospheric CO2 for 6 weeks. Total plant dry mass increased strongly with nitrate supply. The proportion of nitrogen derived from air decreased with increasing nitrate supply. Plants grown under either ambient or elevated CO2 fixed the same amount of nitrogen per unit nodule dry mass (16.6 mmol N per g nodule dry mass) regardless of the nitrogen treatment. CO2 concentration had no effect on the relative contribution of N2 fixation to the nitrogen yield of plants. Plants grown with ≥50 mmol m–3 N and elevated CO2 had approximately twice the dry mass of those grown with ambient CO2 after 42 days. The rates of net CO2 assimilation under growth conditions were higher per unit leaf area for plants grown under elevated CO2. Elevated CO2 also decreased specific foliage area, due to an increase in foliage thickness and density. Dry matter partitioning between plant organs was affected by ontogeny and nitrogen status of the plants, but not by CO2 concentration. In contrast, plants grown under elevated CO2 partitioned more of their nitrogen to roots. This could be attributed to reduced nitrogen concentrations in foliage grown under elevated CO2.


This paper proposes a method of using fuzzy neural network into the security access control model based on the Trust-based access control model (TrustBAC). Under the circumstance of users' confidence changing with the context information, in order to solve the problem of dynamic access control and authorization, this paper provides a new attempt by building a reasonable fuzzy neural network topology and fuzzy inference rules to assign the users to the roles. Simulation experiments show that the method is effective.


Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary defect of the immune system involving an increased risk of respiratory and digestive tract infections and autoimmune diseases. Recently, it has been reported that chronic inflammatory bowel disease (CIBD) might occur with increased frequency (20%) in patients with CVID. A nine-year-old boy with CVID developed CIBD during follow-up and periodic intravenous immunoglobulin administration. Serum tumor necrosis factor-a concentration, which is suggested to show disease activity in CBD, was very high. The patient's radiological evaluation, both in active and remission periods, had characteristic features of CBD. We herewith present and discuss this case with both diseases, CVID and CIBD.


In order to effectively exploit opportunities presented in the environment agents in a group must be well-adapted to each other and to the environment. Agents that fail to adapt and modify their behavior to suit environmental demands can hinder, rather than aid, in achieving group goals. Adaptability and flexibility are key components of intelligent behavior which allow agent groups to improve performance in a given domain using prior problem solving experience. This paper focuses on a particular incremental learning mechanism by which agents can better adapt to each other using problem solving experience. In particular, we propose a framework in which individual group members learn cases to improve their model of other group members. Using these models agents can choose less greedy and more appropriate actions in the context of the group. We use a testbed problem from the distributed AI literature to show that simultaneous learning by group members can lead to significant improvement in group performance and efficiency over agent groups following static behavioral rules.


In this paper, we propose a scheme for the detection of digital amplitude-phase modulated signals in flat fading channels with non-Gaussian noise. The additive noise is modeled by a symmetric alpha-stable distribution, a well-known model of man-made and natural noise that appears in various environments. A major challenge in the design of signal detection schemes is that detectors typically operate without knowledge of the transmitted data, channel state, and noise statistics. The design becomes especially difficult for the considered noise model since conventional signal processing approaches are not applicable. For this reason, we propose a five-stage signal detection scheme that is based on the use of a matched myriad filter. An important contribution of this paper is the development of new algorithms for the estimation of noise distribution parameters in the presence of an unknown signal. Results are presented which show that the proposed detector outperforms a zero-memory non-linearity-based scheme.


The inner detector of the ATLAS experiment is in the process of being commissioned using cosmic ray events, first at the surface and then together with the other subdetectors in the ATLAS cavern. The full software chain has been set up in order to reconstruct and analyse this kind of events. Final detector decoders have been developed, pattern recognition algorithms and track fitters have been validated as well as the various alignment and calibration methods. The infrastructure to deal with conditions data coming from the data acquisition, detector control system and calibration runs has been put in place, allowing also to apply alignment and calibration constants. The software has also been essential to monitor the detector performance during data taking. Detector efficiencies, noise occupancies and resolutions have been studied in detail and compared with those obtained from simulation.


Abstract Converging evidence suggests that COVID-19 infects not only the respiratory system, but also has a large impact on the central nervous system (CNS), leading to acute neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) such as anxiety and delirium. It is thus far unclear which acute NPSs are most common in COVID-19 and if NPSs are associated with an altered COVID-19 disease course. We used data from two independent retrospective cohort studies performed in an academic hospital. A total of 93 patients with NPS and 125 patients without NPS were included. Main outcome measures consisted of type of acute NPS, COVID-19 severity (based on CT severity score), admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), and mortality. Most common acute NPSs were delirium, anxiety, and mood symptoms. NPS patients were more often admitted to the ICU than patients without NPS. However, there was no difference in duration of ICU admission, CT severity score, and mortality. Somatic comorbidity was similar between the two groups. These data suggest that delirium, anxiety, and mood symptoms were the most common NPS. Independent of other clinical characteristics, ICU admission in COVID-19 patients was associated with NPS. We recommend that all COVID-19 patients should be actively screened for acute NPS such as delirium, anxiety, and mood symptoms, especially when admitted to an ICU.


PURPOSE
This study developed an instrument to evaluate the health empowerment of North Korean women refugees and examined its validity and reliability.

METHODS
Through literature review and focused group interviews, 66 preliminary items with three constructs, including perceived control, perceived competence, and goal internalization were selected based on Menon's psychological health empowerment model. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 239 North Korean women refugees in the community from August 31 to September 4, 2020. Content, construct, convergent, and discriminative validity were evaluated. Cronbach's α was used to evaluate the reliability of scale.

RESULTS
The final instrument consisted of 31 items with three factors that were identified through confirmatory factor analysis. The convergent validity showed that the correlation coefficient was .52 (p < .001), which confirmed the validity of the developed measurement tool. Cronbach's α for all the items was .94, and Cronbach's α for the factors was .76~.91.

CONCLUSION
This health empowerment scale has been developed to include aspects of health empowerment, provide a conceptual framework, and offer objective indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of a health education program.


Simple Summary High incidences of twin lamb mortality constrain the reproductive efficiency and productivity of Merino sheep flocks. This study determined whether supplementing the diets of pregnant, twin-bearing ewes with 2 or 4 g/day of betaine would improve lamb viability and survival to weaning. Feeding ewes 2 g/day of betaine for the duration of pregnancy decreased lamb survival but increased lamb body weight at weaning. Whereas, lamb vigour and early post-natal survival were improved following ewe supplementation with 4 g/day of betaine during the second half of pregnancy. Maternal supplementation with 4 g/day of betaine during the second half of pregnancy may, therefore, be a useful strategy to improve twin lamb survival. Abstract Betaine increases the synthesis of creatine, an energy-rich amino acid that increases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and has neuroprotective properties which may improve post-natal lamb survival. This study determined whether maternal betaine supplementation during gestation would improve body weight, thermoregulation, time to stand and suck, colostrum intake and survival to weaning of twin lambs. Twin-bearing Merino ewes received dietary betaine at either 0 g/day (Control, CTL), 2 g/day from ram introduction to parturition (Early betaine, EB) or 4 g/day from Day 80 of gestation to parturition (Late betaine, LB). Ewes were housed individually during parturition and measures were collected at 4, 24 and 72 h and Day 7 post-partum, and at marking (53.2 ± 0.2 days of age) and weaning (99.3 ± 0.2 days of age). The EB treatment resulted in heavier lambs at weaning compared with CTL and LB lambs (p < 0.05). Time to stand and suck from birth was longer in EB lambs (p < 0.05), whereas, the interval from birth to first suck was shorter for LB lambs (p < 0.05). Lamb survival rate was the highest for LB lambs at 72 h and Day 7 (p < 0.05), and lowest for EB lambs on Day 7 (p < 0.05). These data indicated that betaine supplementation at 4 g/day during the second half of pregnancy improved twin lamb survival to Day 7 and shortened the interval from birth to first suck; whereas feeding ewes 2 g/day of betaine for the duration of pregnancy increased twin lamb body weight at weaning, but increased both the time to attain behavioural milestones and mortalities before Day 7.


Amalgam and composite restorations take prime place in restorative dental practices. Over time, restorations are replaced for various reasons. This study aimed to evaluate the reasons for restoration replacement of patients presenting at Dicle University, Dental Faculty, Restorative Dentistry Clinic. The study comprised 705 patients (402 female, 303 male) who presented at the dental clinic for routine dental treatment. Without taking gender into consideration, patients aged 15-80 who were determined to have amalgam and composite filling problems were included in the study. The patients were allocated to 5 groups according to age: Group 1, 16-25 years, Group 2, 26-35 years, Group 3, 36-45 years, Group 4, 46-55 years, Group 5, 56 years and over. The failure of the fillings was diagnosed from clinical and radiological evaluation results. The age, gender and reason for the replacement of the restoration were recorded for all patients. The obtained data was evaluated with Student's t test and a difference was determined between the age groups. Of 705 restorations, 378 (53.62%) were amalgam and 327 were composite (46.38%). When the reasons for replacement of restorations were examined the primary reason was secondary caries (30.78%), followed by fracture of the restoration (17.6%) and overflowing filling (15.46%). A significant difference was found between the age groups in terms of the parameter of reason for restoration replacement (p<0.05). To determine between which age groups this difference was more significant, the Tukey HSD test was applied as a multiple comparison test. The most significant reason for replacement of amalgams and composites was found to be secondary caries. The factor of gender had no effect on the reasons for replacement of the restoration. Failure of the restoration was seen to be greater in the 16-25 age group. Clinical article(J Int Dent Med Res 2013; 6: (1), pp. 15-19)


The international development sector is first and foremost a knowledge industry. Knowledge management (KM), knowledge exchange (KE) and mutual learning are essential in understanding what does and does not work in development. Using that knowledge to support replication and scale-up of interventions is critical.

KE is one of the key pillars of UNICEF's Programme Monitoring and Response (PMR) Initiative. The key objective of the PMR Initiative, launched by UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), is to enhance programme performance through a combination of strengthening real-time monitoring of community health and nutrition services, social accountability, evidence-based programme adjustments, and citizen feedback loops, and peer-to-peer learning within and among countries. The initiative has an integral KE component to strengthen knowledge sharing and foster continual learning by UNICEF, government staff, national communities and other partners in implementing countries.

This case study explores the challenges of sustaining a Community of Practice (CoP) in the development context, and examines the link between theoretical analysis – organizational routines - and actual practices in terms of managing CoPs in an international organization, UNICEF. The importance of the KE element of a regional initiative is reviewed, through the CoP lens. The paper explores how the KE tool supports and reinforces peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and skills development, and draws out lessons from real practices, which could be applied in different sectors, as well as within health and nutrition sectors. The paper concludes that KE facilitated continual learning, adaptation and scaling up of innovation within and beyond the pilot countries of the initiative. Key success factors, challenges, and lessons learned in the context of implanting a KE strategy are identified and documented.


Abstract problems are often visual and typically do not involve social ideas. Abstract reasoning is usually assessed as part of intelligence testing. Abstract reasoning ability is important because it enables students to apply what they learn in complex ways. Many students with learning disabilities have weaknesses in abstract reasoning and can benefit from direct instruction in problem solving skills. They may also benefit from language therapy to help them learn to use language to understand and solve problems. In this paper, the researcher took the above mentioned research problem and find out the major conclusions.


Objective To investigate the predictors of hypophosphatemic osteomalacia induced by adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) and to monitor for early detection. Patients and methods Hospitalized patients who were diagnosed with ADV-related hypo-phosphatemic osteomalacia were recruited and retrospectively analyzed in our hospital from January 2012 to December 2016. A telephone interview was conducted at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months after cessation of ADV. Results In the 8 patients enrolled in the study, the hypophosphatemic osteomalacia symptoms developed at an average of 5.14 (4–7) years since ADV treatment (10 mg/d). The average alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level was 279.50 (137–548) U/L, which was significantly higher than the normal level (45–125 U/L). The serum phosphorus level was an average of 0.59 (0.43–0.69) mmol/L, which was lower than the normal range (2.06–2.60 mmol/L). Serum calcium levels of the enrolled patients remained within normal limits. Reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR <29 mL/min/1.73 m2) was seen in 4 cases. The clinical manifestations were mainly progressive systemic bone and joint pain, frequent fractures, trouble in walking, height reduction (4–6 cm), and so on. After cessation of ADV, symptoms like bone pain resolved gradually. Serum phosphorus level restored to normal in 4.5 months after the withdrawal of ADV. However, in 4 patients, renal function failed to return to normal in 24 months. Conclusion More attention should be paid to the duration of ADV treatment. The level of serum phosphorus and ALP, as well as renal function, should be monitored for early detection of potential adverse drug reactions.


Abstract: The judicial dialogue represents a privileged perspective for studying the relations between interacting legal orders, especially looking at the multilevel and pluralistic structure of the European constitutional legal order. The aim of this paper is to focus on that particular form of judicial conversation represented by what I have endeavoured to call the techniques of "hidden dialogue" between the ECJ and the national Constitutional Courts. By the formula "hidden dialogue" I mean that unexplored side of the relationship between the Constitutional Courts and the ECJ which feeds itself with the somehow non- orthodox ways of judicial communication (that is ways of judicial communication which are different from the preliminary ruling and which are not formalized according to the letter of the Treaties, i.e. art 234 ECT). The final remarks of the paper will be devoted to the possible "destiny" of these techniques in the light of the latest judicial trend.


Background. Hidradenitis suppurativa (acne inversa) is a chronic recurrent disorder characterized by abscessing inflammation, fistulating sinus tracts, and scarring. Predilection sites are the intertriginal regions. The severe course of the disease demands an early and curative treatment. Objective. The aim of this study was to review the effect of radical surgical excision concerning cure rate and potential complications within a large group of patients. Methods. We analyzed data for 106 patients suffering from hidradenitis suppurativa treated during the period 1980–1998. The mean duration of the disease was 7 years. In about 90% of the cases, two or more sites were affected. Inguinal (70.8%) and axillary regions (61.3%) were most commonly involved. All patients were treated by radical wide excision using intraoperative marking of sinus tracts with methylviolet solution. The method of reconstruction depended on the size and location of the defect. Median postoperative follow‐up time was 36 months. Results. The overall complication rate was 17.8%. Most of these were minor complications such as suture dehiscence, postoperative bleeding, and hematoma. Wound infection occurred in only 3.7% of patients. The rate of recurrence within the operated fields was 2.5%. There was no relation between the surgical method of reconstruction and the rate of recurrence. Recurrence was related to the severity of the disorder. Conclusion. Our results confirm early radical excision as the treatment of choice for hidradenitis suppurativa. Using intraoperative color‐marking of sinus tracts, the recurrence rate is minimal. The method of reconstruction has no influence on recurrence and should be chosen with respect to the size and location of the excised area.


The EU law on public services is characterized by the need to reconcile competing EU and Member States interests as well as to accommodate both market and welfare interests. This paper explores how the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) and the Commission conduct this multi-level balancing of interests in the context of Article 106 (2) TFEU. To provide a full picture, this balancing is assessed by looking into both the requirements for the derogation and its scope of application. In essence, it is suggested that the EU has internalized the aforementioned struggle of interests. On the one hand, the EU, represented by the CJEU and the Commission, has assumed an increasingly dominant role by gradually limiting the autonomy and margin of discretion of the Member States regarding the provision, commission and financing of public services. On the other hand, it is argued that Article 106 (2) TFEU allows only a 'customized and limited derogation' from market and competition rules and has to be construed in consideration of the 'general compatibility test' which identifies economic activities in the first place. As a whole, Article 106 (2) TFEU constitutes a working system that reconciles potentially conflicting interests in favour of functioning public services. However, it is crucial that its premises and limits are respected.


AIM
To evaluate and compare skeletal, dental, and soft tissue parameters by therapeutic extraction of first premolar and nonextraction distalization of maxillary and mandibular arches in bimaxillary proclination using the skeletal anchorage system.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
About 40 orthodontic patients undergoing extraction or nonextraction treatment are enrolled in a randomized clinical trial. Participants are randomly assigned to either the extraction or nonextraction group and receive treatment augmented with skeletal anchorage. Mini implants were placed in the extraction group for retraction and infra-zygomatic crest (IZC) and buccal shelf screws were placed in the nonextraction group for distalization.

OBSERVATIONS AND RESULTS
Comparison between the ages of the patients among both Groups showed no significant difference. A significant difference is observed in dental and soft tissue parameters before and after the treatment in group A, whereas skeletal parameters also showed significant changes along with dental and soft tissue parameters in group B.

CONCLUSION
There is a significant change in the position of incisors by retraction and facial profile improves gradually in group A while for group B, a marked change in lower facial height was even seen. On comparing both the groups, a highly significant difference can be seen with respect to the amount of incisor retraction and change in molar inclination. The time taken for retraction of incisors is less in comparison to distalization.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
With this, we can easily avoid premolar extraction, and in cases of impacted third molars distalization as when indicated can be helpful as a part of the nonextraction treatment plan.


The behavior of Markov chains depends on the transition intensities or probabilities; in applications, these transitions are often written as functions of parameters. In this paper, matrix calculus is used to provide the sensitivities and elasticities of the behavior of continuous time‐absorbing Markov chains to arbitrary parameters, which could include the transition intensities themselves or parameters in which those intensities depend. The results include the sensitivity and elasticity of the moments, variances, standard deviations, and coefficients of variation of the time spent in transient states and the time to absorption. The number of visits to transient states is also analyzed, using the embedded discrete‐time chain. For models with multiple absorbing states, the sensitivity of the probability of absorption in each absorbing state is presented. As an example, a published model for the progress of colorectal cancer is analyzed in detail. Transient states in this model are defined by disease status, and the model includes two absorbing states: death from cancer and death from other causes. The perturbation analysis provides a quantitative comparison of the effect of changing transition and mortality rates. Such information may be useful for evaluating treatment or screening programs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Cuckoo search(CS) is a new nature-inspired intelligent algorithm which uses the whole update and evaluation strategy on solutions. For solving multi-dimension function optimization problems, this strategy may deteriorate the convergence speed and the quality of solution of algorithm due to interference phenomena among dimensions. To overcome this shortage, a dimension by dimension improvement based cuckoo search algorithm is proposed. In the progress of iteration of improved algorithm, a dimension by dimension based update and evaluation strategy on solutions is used. The proposed strategy combines an updated value of one dimension with values of other dimensions into a new solution, and greedily accepts any updated values that can improve the solution. The simulation experiments show that the proposed strategy can improve the convergence speed and the quality of the solutions effectively. Meanwhile, the results also reveal the proposed algorithm is competitive for continuous function optimization problems compared with other improved cuckoo search algorithms and other evolution algorithms.


To evaluate the effect of widely used parenteral vaccination of dams against neonatal colibacillosis, the virulence factors of the intestinal Escherichia coli flora, namely, O serogroup, enterotoxin(s) produced (heat labile, porcine heat stable, and murine heat stable) and adhesins (K88, K99, and 987P antigens) of 149 piglets from different herds in Sweden were investigated. Three categories were investigated: healthy piglets, diarrheal piglets born to unvaccinated dams, and diarrheal piglets born to dams vaccinated with a polyvalent Formalin-killed whole-cell vaccine containing K88 antigen (Porcovac; Hoechst Pharmaceuticals, Hounslow, England). Piglets less than 1 week old and those 1 to 8 weeks old were evaluated separately. Diarrheal piglets less than 1 week old from vaccinated dams yielded a higher incidence of K99 antigen-positive E. coli of the murine heat-stable enterotoxigenicity type compared with piglets of the same age group from unvaccinated dams. The percentage of diarrheal cases from which E. coli lacking recognized virulence attributes were isolated was also higher in the former compared with the latter group. In the 1- to 8-week-old diarrheal piglets of vaccinated dams, the overall incidence, enterotoxigenicity type, and serotype of the E. coli isolates resembled those of diarrheal piglets less than 1 week of age from unvaccinated herds. Enterotoxigenic E. coli bearing 987P antigen detectable in vitro was rare. Most of the enterotoxigenic isolates lacking K88, K99, and 987P antigens produced only ST. The investigation pinpoints some of the inadequacies of vaccines of the type studied under field conditions.


Abstract The radiological consequences of operational atmospheric discharges from nuclear power plants are analyzed by using coupled long-range atmospheric dispersion models with time-dependent dose and risk assessment models. The coupled model is applied to atmospheric discharges from twelve assumed nuclear power plants located at three different sites in Turkey. Individual as well as collective doses and risks are analyzed. The effects of multi-location food supply and interregional movements of people in the computational domain are also investigated while computing individual effective dose and risk values. The values computed are found to be negligible compared with values from natural background and exposures from nuclear weapon testing.


A New Waste Calcining Facility is being built at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant to replace the existing Waste Calcining Facility that was built to demonstrate fluidized-bed solidification of highly radioactive liquid wastes. The facility is being designed to provide a higher waste throughput, more corrosion-resistant materials of construction, more effective cleanup of effluent streams, and extensive remote maintenance and equipment replacement capability. The facility will also contain extensive decontamination capability should contact maintenance become necessary. The facility is presently in construction and is scheduled for hot operation in 1980.


Powdered calcium carbonate (CaCO3) patches averaging 4 cm in thickness were found on icings (aufeis fields) in the Canning and Shaviovik Rivers in northeastern Alaska. The presence of this material on aufeis suggests that much of the water which feeds the aufeis is coming from depth and has flowed through calcareous bedrock. Aufeis forms during the winter at or below the point where groundwater discharges, or when river water is forced upwards through cracks in river ice. Calcium carbonate in solution in the groundwater is excluded as the water freezes during ice growth. The CaCO3 slush then accumulates on top of the ice as the aufeis ablates during the melt season. Four patches of CaCO3, covering approximately 0.1% of the total area of the Canning River aufeis were observed during the July 1978 field study. It is estimated that approximately 540 m³ of CaCO3 precipitate were present in the Canning River aufeis in July of 1978. If similar percentages of CaCO3 precipitate were present on other major aufeis fields on the eastern North Slope, approximately 18000 m³ of CaCO3 may be present during a given year in the major North Slope aufeis fields. Most of this precipitate is deposited into the Arctic Ocean via river flow.


There were no data on SARS-CoV-2 and hematology in Mogadishu, Somalia, despite the fact that many prior investigations of SARS-CoV-2 and hematology have already been conducted in many different parts of the world. As a result, this study aimed to assess hematological changes in COVID-19-infected patients at some selected hospitals in Mogadishu, Somalia. Methods. Outright, 433 COVID-19 patients were included in this study, which used a hospital-based cross-sectional design to investigate hematological alterations using the Mindray full automated hematological analyzer. Furthermore, ethical considerations were taken into account during the study. All individuals provided informed consent prior to participation in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results. The median age of the current study was 54.65 ± 20.486 years. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, or heart disease made up 21.2%, 21.2%, 20%, and 2.1% of the study population, respectively. According to the patients' hematological profiles, 89.5% of them had leukopenia, 86.8% had lymphopenia, and 89% had neutrophilia. Monocytes, eosinophils, basophils, and thrombocytes were typically normal although around 50.4% individuals exhibited anemia. Conclusion. Hematological indicators can predict how bad the illness is and how it will turn out, which helps guide clinical therapy. Leukopenia, neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and anemia were found in this study. At the time of admission, a thorough review of laboratory parameters can help clinicians make a treatment plan and quickly give intensive care to the patients who need it most.


Alveolar type II cells of the lung are important in producing the lipoprotein surfactant. Most studies about metabolism in type II cells have focussed on lipid precursors for phospholipid metabolism. Surfactant contains a unique apoprotein; yet relatively little is known about the metabolism of amino acids by type II cells. Type II cells were isolated using density gradient centrifugation followed by centrifugal elutriation. Alanine (Ala), leucine (Leu), valine (Val), and phenylalanine (Phe) incorporation into protein and lipid and oxidation to CO2 was measured after the cells were incubated for 2 h. For alanine metabolism, 22% of total radioactivity from alanine was incorporated into protein, 20% into lipid, and 58% oxidized to CO2. For leucine, 51% was incorporated into protein, 23% into lipid, and 22% oxidized to CO2. Fifty percent of radioactivity from valine metabolism was incorporated into protein, 5% into lipid, and 47% oxidized to CO2. Virtually all (95%) of phenylalanine, however, was utilized for protein synthesis only. Puromycin and cycloheximide decreased protein synthesis from Ala, Leu, and Phe but had little affect on Ala and Leu metabolism to lipid or CO2. The hypolipidemic drug clofibrate inhibited all aspects of amino acid metabolism. In summary, type II cell amino acid metabolism is regulated similar to that of cells from skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, but in contrast to hepatocytes, type II cells readily oxidize valine and utilize leucine for lipid as well as protein synthesis.


Lymph nodes from patients with colorectal cancer were immunohistochemically stained for cytokeratin in order to investigate the relationship between the presence of occult neoplastic cells (ONCs) and recurrence/metastasis. A total of 78 patients with stage II/Dukes' B colorectal cancer were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 18 patients who had developed recurrence/metastasis (recurrence group) and the other one of 60 patients who had survived without recurrence (non-recurrence group). The presence of ONCs was compared between the two groups with respect to i) single cells (≥3 floating ONCs), ii) clusters of cells (≥1 floating aggregates of 2-20 ONCs), and iii) single cells + clusters. When single cells were detected, the sensitivity for recurrence was 55.6% (10/18), the positive predictive value (PPV) was 30.3% (10/33), the specificity was 61.7% (37/60, p=0.195), and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 82.2%(37/45). For the clusters, the sensitivity was 55.6% (10/18), PPV was 37% (10/27), specificity was 71.7% (43/60, p=0.033), and NPV was 84.3% (43/51). With single cells + clusters, the values were 55.6% (10/18), 43.5% (10/23), 78.3% (47/60, p=0.006), and 85.5% (47/55), respectively. These results suggest that the detection of single cells + clusters has a high specificity and NPV, and indicates a low risk of recurrence/metastasis in patients with stage II colorectal cancer.


In automation systems, the sensing of location and identity is essential to provide the interface between the physical space and the computer logic which runs the system. It is important to understand, however, that the two are not necessarily synonymous, and most technologies provide each datum to varying degrees. This paper provides a survey of some existing sensing technologies, and positions them in a framework within the general sensing space.


For 25 months, 100 male SPF rats were exposed to pulsed 2450-MHz circularly polarized microwaves at an average power density of 0.48 mW/cmS. Another 100 rats served as sham-exposed controls. This report summarizes the results of the eight previous volumes, which reported on measurements of 155 parameters. For most of the parameters no statistical difference was found between the exposed and sham-exposed groups. This report discusses a few end points that were statistically different.


DOI: 10.14673/IJA2018341036
Social farming has entered the non-profit world and despite the fact that it does not follow the principles of traditional market economy it has shown excellent economic results while promoting inclusion, sustainability and social impact (equity), all of which increase the value of the territory. The idea behind this paper is to show that the mission of social farming is consistent with the economic approach adopted by civil economics that emerged in XV century Italy. Bearing in mind that the European Commission for Agriculture and Rural Development has also recognized the multifunctional role of agriculture in improving the wellbeing of the community, social farming can also be seen as a way to face the current crisis.


The minimum spanning tree (MST) problem is one of the traditional optimization problems. Unlike the MST, the degree constrained minimum spanning tree (DCMST) of a graph cannot, in general, be found using a polynomial time algorithm. So, finding the DCMST of a graph is a well-known NP-hard problem of importance in communications network design, road network design and other network-related problems. So, it seems to be natural to use evolutionary algorithms for solving DCMST. Especially, when applying an evolutionary algorithm to spanning tree problems, a representation and search operators should be considered simultaneously. This paper introduces a new tree representation scheme and a genetic operator for solving combinatorial tree problem using evolutionary algorithms. We performed empirical comparisons with other tree representations on several test instances and could confirm that the proposed method is superior to other tree representations. Even it is superior to edge set representation which is known as the best algorithm.


INTRODUCTION
Intracavernous pharmacotherapy is one of the most common treatment modalities of erectile dysfunction (ED). There are different drugs that are used for intracavernous injection including papaverine, phentolamine, prostaglandins E1, phenoxybenzamine, and moxisylate.

AIM
The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of chlorpromazine as an intracavernous vasoactive agent alone or with other drugs.

METHODS
This study was performed on 50 patients presenting to our department complaining of ED. Patients were divided into three groups according to the type of intracavernous drug injected. Group A included 20 patients who received an intracavernous injection of 1 mL bimix (30 mg papaverine + 1 mg phentolamine) followed a week later by intracavernous test dose using a 1 mL mixture of papaverine and chlorpromazine (30 mg papaverine + 2.5 mg chlorpromazine). Group B included 20 patients who received an intracavernous injection of 1 mL trimix (30 mg papaverine + 1 mg phentolamine + 10 microg PGE1). A week later they received another intracavernous test dose using a 1 mL mixture of papaverine, PGE1, and chlorpromazine (30 mg papaverine + 2.5 mg chlorpromazine + 10 microg PGE1). Group C included 10 patients who received various intracavernous injections of chlorpromazine in doses 1 mg, 2 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg.

RESULTS
There was no significant difference in erection response and erection duration between phentolamine and chlorpromazine. Prolonged erection occurred in two patients of group B and postural hypotension occurred in three patients of group C.

CONCLUSION
Chlorpromazine can be used as an intracavernous vasoactive agent; it is similar to phentolamine in efficacy and short-term side effect profile.


This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the use of fine rather than larger calibre needles for myelography reduces the incidence of post-procedural headache. 160 patients were randomized in a prospective controlled trial of 22 gauge versus 26 gauge needles. The incidence and overall severity of headache as measured at 1, 4 and 21 days after myelography was not significantly different in the two groups.


In Japan with its low birthrate and an aging population, people are having difficulty in building relationships with each other. Families are losing their traditional roles, and local communities have not been revitalized yet. In such circumstances, community currencies are effective in turning things around as money plays the role as the lubricating oil of relationships in Japanese society. During the Edo period, community currencies (hansasu) contributed to the revitalization of regional economies. Since the war ended, community currencies have become unfamiliar to Japanese people. Thanks to the application of blockchains (digital currencies), the cost of flotation of community currencies have lowered dramatically. Furthermore, legal and tax problems have been solved. Companies which pay attention to the potentiality of community currencies have begun to introduce this as a means of revitalizing the regional economies. From the viewpoint of the welfare of regional societies, local governments should take the initiative in managing community currencies and stimulate the organization of multi-layer communities. To strengthen confidence in community currencies, a mechanism that reflects the demand of residents should be structured. Such policy is essential as the first step toward a true local autonomy.


Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI) is a rare, fast-growing, benign tumor originating from the neural crest. The tumor most often occurs during the first year of life. The predilection site of MNTI is the anterior maxilla, whereas lesions of the mandible are uncommon and account for only 6% of all cases. At present, the most common treatment for MNTI is surgical resection, however, tumor recurrence arises in 10–60% of cases. The optimal extent of surgical resection is a matter of debate; rapid growth and the possibilities of malignant transformation and metastasis indicate aggressive surgical resection. However, extensive resection may interfere with post-operative growth and development. The procedure should therefore preserve as much of the surrounding tissue as possible. The present case study examines a rare case of right-sided mandibular MNTI in a two-month-old female. The association between the tumor and the surrounding sclerotin, affected dental germ and the condition of the inferior alveolar nerve, were observed during the operative and post-operative periods. In addition, previous cases of MNTI were reviewed to evaluate the optimal scope of surgical resection.


A series of non-superconducting Pb2Sr2Y1−x Eux Cu3O8+δ (Pb-2213) samples with x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.00 were synthesized under a nitrogen atmosphere. Both as-synthesized and oxygen-annealed samples were studied. The phase purity, lattice parameters, and crystal structure were analysed by x-ray diffraction measurements. The behaviour of the crystallites in a magnetic field was studied by performing grain alignment experiments on some of the samples. Replacing Y with Eu increased the unit-cell volume and changed the preferred direction of the c axes in orienting experiments. The oxygen-loaded samples were tetragonal. The hyperfine interactions of the rare-earth site were monitored using 151Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy. The spectra obtained exhibited electric quadrupole interaction as expected. The asymmetry parameter (η) of the electric field gradient (efg) exhibited a strong dependence on x . For the as-synthesized x = 1.0 sample η was zero.


Immunotherapy has changed the natural history of several malignancies that, a decade ago, had a very poor prognosis, such as lung cancer and melanoma. Consequently, many attempts have been done to expand the indications of immunotherapy agents, predominantly immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), in other cancers, including gynecological malignancies. Alongside promising results in cervical and endometrial neoplasms, there are not clear data on the benefit of ICIs as single agent or in combination with antiangiogenic agents in ovarian cancer (OC) and ongoing trials are focusing on combining ICIs with standard chemotherapy or PARP inhibitors. This chapter summarized the evidences of ICIs in gynecological malignancies and report the ongoing trials in cervical, endometrial and OC.


The B0.5 IVe star γ Cas is of great interest because it is the prototype of a small group of classical Be stars having hard X-ray emission of unknown origin. We discuss results from ongoing B and V observations of the γ Cas star–disk system acquired with an Automated Photometric Telescope during the observing seasons 1997–2011. In an earlier study, Smith, Henry, & Vishniac showed that light variations in γ Cas are dominated by a series of comparatively prominent cycles with amplitudes of 0.02–0.03 mag and lengths of 2–3 months, superimposed on a 1.21 day periodic signal some five times smaller, which they attributed to rotation. The cycle lengths clustered around 70 days, with a total range of 50–91 days. Changes in both cycle length and amplitude were observed from year to year. These authors also found the V-band cycles to be 30%–40% larger than the B-band cycles. In the present study, we find continued evidence for these variability patterns and for the bimodal distribution of the ΔB/ΔV amplitude ratios in the long cycles. During the 2010 observing season, γ Cas underwent a mass-loss event ("outburst"), as evidenced by the brightening and reddening seen in our new photometry. This episode coincided with a waning of the amplitude in the ongoing cycle. The Be outburst ended the following year, and the light-curve amplitude returned to pre-outburst levels. This behavior reinforces the interpretation that cycles arise from a global disk instability. We have determined a more precise value of the rotation period, 1.215811 ± 0.000030 days, using the longer 15-season data set and combining solutions from the V and B light curves. Remarkably, we also find that both the amplitude and the asymmetry of the rotational waveform changed over the years. We review arguments for this modulation arising from transits of a surface magnetic disturbance. Finally, to a limit of 5 mmag, we find no evidence for any photometric variation corresponding to the γ Cas binary period, 203.55 days, or to the first few harmonics.


Abstract Microscopic teeth isolated from the early Cambrian Mahto Formation, Alberta, Canada, are identified as components of a molluscan radula, the oldest on record. Tooth-rows are polystichous and lack a medial rachidian tooth-column. Anterior-posterior differences in tooth-row morphology are interpreted as ontogenetic and correspond broadly to the diversity of isolated teeth, some of which correspond closely with those of extant aplacophoran molluscs. Associated pock-marked cuticular fragments are interpreted as having supported multiple biomineralized sclerites/spines in the manner of a modern chiton girdle. On the assumption that the cuticle and radula derive from the same species, there is a strong case for identifying this fossil as an aculiferan (aplacophoran + polyplacophora) mollusc, possibly a stem-group chiton. Similarities between the Mahto radula and the feeding apparatus of Wiwaxia and Odontogriphus are shown to be superficial. Terminal wear on some of the Mahto teeth indicate that they were used to scrape hard-substrates.


This paper is an attempt to investigate, through numerical simulation and optimization methods, the optimal design of dielectrophoretic (DEP) ctyosorters under certain constrains. DEP electrodes is designed to maximize the sorting resolution of a cytosorter, defined as the degree of (bio)particle deflection. In order to obtain the maximal particle deflection, different non-uniform electrical fields are produced by combinations of electrodes with different lengths. The findings of numerical simulation indicate that the design of electrodes near Xf/L= 0.283 and Xb/L=0.25 can maximize the particle deflection in the current flow sorter design constraints. In this study, an optimization method to accelerate the cytosorter design process is also presented. By using the numerical simulation and the optimization method, the cases for optimal design processes can reduce from 465 to 50 and still get a reasonable result.


We propose a physical model to explain the phenomenon of photon depletion in superconducting microwave resonators in the dispersive regime, coupled to Josephson junction qubits, via short microwave pulses. We discuss the conditions for matching the amplitude and phase of the pulse optimally within the framework of the model, allowing for significant reductions in reset times after measurement of the qubits. We consider how to deal with pulses and transient dynamics within the input-output formalism, along with a reassessment of the underlying assumptions for a wide-band pulse.


This paper models asset markets as a game where assets pay according to an arbitrary payoff matrix, investors decide on fractions of wealth to allocate to each asset, and prices result from market clearing. The only pure-strategy Nash equilibrium is to split wealth proportionally to the assets' expected returns, which can be interpreted as investing according to the fundamentals. Further, the equilibrium strategy is evolu-tionarily stable in the sense of Schaffer (1988). We also study the stability properties of the equilibrium in an evolutionary dynamics where wealth flows with higher probability into those strategies that obtain higher realized payoffs.


Geometric and chemical defects are frequently found or created on smooth graphene for applications of nanofluidics. In this work, imbibition dynamics and steady flows of water in graphene nanochannels with sparse defects are explored by molecular dynamics. The water contact angle is raised slightly by geometric defects (hole and protrusion) but lowered significantly by chemical defects (hydroxyl and epoxide groups). In steady flows, the mean velocity and slip length are always reduced by sparse defects and the effect of chemical defects is more significant than that of geometric defects. Moreover, it is interesting to find that the velocity profile is plug-like for geometric defects but becomes parabolic for chemical defects, regardless of the slip length. Sparse defects on graphene nanoslits also affect the imbibition dynamics remarkably, which generally follows Washburn's equation with the slip length. For chemical defects, surface friction (slip length) dominates over the driving force associated with surface wettability (contact angle). Nonetheless, for protrusion defects, the stick-slip behavior caused by contact line pinning and thermal fluctuations can be observed. Our simulation results indicate that the defect nature is crucial in nanoscale flows and imbibition processes, which the conventional hydrodynamic theory fails to depict.


Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) given to the research project PTDC/ECM/101810/2008 – Polymer-modified Cement Mortars for the Repair of Concrete Structures


Background: Postoperative cardiac arrhythmias may present as life threatening complications like- cerebrovascular strokes, thrombo-embolic manifestations, inadequate ventricular filling and compromised hemodynamic stability. Amiodarone is an effective drug for various postoperative arrhythmias. Objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Amiodarone in controlling postoperative arrhythmia in our settings at the department of cardiac surgery.
Methods: This retrospective observational study involved random selection of 20 patients, who developed potentially life-threatening arrhythmia following cardiac surgical procedures under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) between January 2018 and December 2020. Amiodarone was used in controlling postoperative cardiac arrhythmia by loading 1000 mg in first 24 hours, followed by 800 mg orally in daily divided doses.
Results: Among 20 patients under study, five had valvular replacement, three had ASD closure, one VSD closure, one patient had excision of LA myxoma and in ten patients had undergone CABG. The Mean ± SD of the age of the patients was 50.2 ± 14.7 years. Eleven patients (55%) were female. Atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular rate occurred in 15 patients, supraventricular tachycardia in two and ventricular tachycardia three patients. Targets were achieved in all 20 of these patients. Among them 13 (65%) reverted to sinus rhythm, in other 7 AF persisted but ventricular rates became below 100/m with hemodynamic stability. The Mean ± SD of the time required for target achievement was 8.9 ± 7.4 hours. There was no perioperative death in these patients.
Conclusion: Amiodarone is an effective medication in combating both atrial and ventricular arrhythmia following cardiac surgery employing cardiopulmonary bypass.
Cardiovasc j 2021; 14(1): 20-23


This paper draws on the historical process of construction of the modus operandis of development practices in order to understand the role of international organizations in mobilizing the resources necessary for the consolidation of the field of international cooperation. The analysis focuses on the aftermath of the Pearson Commission (1969), which goal was to make recommendations for future operation of international development practices. The main finding is that although both World Bank and UN shared the understanding that international aid was crucial to fight global inequality, they offered different agendas to solve the problem of underdevelopment. The paper concludes that the victorious agenda was the one supported by the World Bank, influencing the development cooperation dynamics afterwards.


An implicit measure of religiousness-spirituality (RS) was constructed and used in two studies. In Study 1, undergraduates completed a Religiousness-Spirituality Implicit Association Test (RS-IAT) and several self-report measures of RS and related constructs (e.g., religious fundamentalism, authoritarianism). Informants rated the participants' RS. The RS-IAT was internally consistent. Implicit RS correlated positively with self-reported RS, spiritual transcendence, spiritual experiences, religious fundamentalism, and intrinsic religiousness. Informant ratings correlated positively with participants' self-reported religiousness but not implicit RS. In Study 2, implicit RS accounted for unique variability in self-reported attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women when controlling for self-reported religiousness and right-wing authoritarianism. These findings demonstrate that an implicit measure of trait RS explains some variability in attitudes that self-report measures do not. An implicit measure of RS could advance the scientific study of religion beyond what is known from self-report measures.


The increasing demand for higher data rates on the Internet requires routers that deliver high performance for high-speed connections. Nowadays high speed routers use the buffered crossbar switches, which have been the interest for research and commercialization. In this paper, a study is made on the importance of buffered crossbar switches and their scheduling algorithms. A comparative analysis is made between these scheduling algorithms.


Transcriptome-wide association analysis is a powerful approach to studying the genetic architecture of complex traits. A key component of this approach is to build a model to predict (impute) gene expression levels from genotypes from samples with matched genotypes and expression levels in a specific tissue. However, it is challenging to develop robust and accurate imputation models with limited sample sizes for any single tissue. Here, we first introduce a multi-task learning approach to jointly impute gene expression in 44 human tissues. Compared with single-tissue methods, our approach achieved an average 39% improvement in imputation accuracy and generated effective imputation models for an average 120% (range 13%-339%) more genes in each tissue. We then describe a summary statistic-based testing framework that combines multiple single-tissue associations into a single powerful metric to quantify overall gene-trait association at the organism level. When our method, called UTMOST, was applied to analyze genome wide association results for 50 complex traits (Ntotal=4.5 million), we were able to identify considerably more genes in tissues enriched for trait heritability, and cross-tissue analysis significantly outperformed single-tissue strategies (p=1.7e-8). Finally, we performed a cross-tissue genome-wide association study for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) and replicated our findings in two independent datasets (Ntotal=175,776). In total, we identified 69 significant genes, many of which are novel, leading to novel insights on LOAD etiologies.


The aim of the article is to present the definition and criteria of diagnosis of abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) due to abdominal hypertension. Epidemiology of ACS is discussed. Secondary ACS is described. There is also an overview of clinical consequences and a scheme for ACS management.


Background: Hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma (HMH) is an uncommon benign tumor in children. While mesenchymal hamartomas may be angiomatous and blood vessels may be identified, HMH with a malignant tumor symptom on the contrast-enhanced hepatic computed tomography angiography (CTA) has not been described. Here, we present the first case of HMH mimicking hepatoblastoma on the hepatic CTA from pathological point of view and review the imaging and histological features of this unique lesion. Case presentation: A 2-year-old female child was found a distention in the right abdomen and was admitted to our hospital. The Hepatic CTA showed that the blood vessels were thickened, the tumor blood vessels were clustered in the tumor. According to the hepatic CT findings, the tumor was considered to be malignant, possibly a hepatoblastoma. Microscopic examination showed a tumor arranged in lobules, composed of loose myxoid mesenchyme surrounding ductal structures, with intervening vascular channels. The Immunohistochemical staining revealed positive CK7 and CD34 for the bile duct elements and the lining endothelial cells of the vascular channels. There were abundant blood vessels around the nodules and the margins of remaining hepatocytes, but few in the central region. The blood vessels are small, thin-walled vessels and presented like capillaries and venules. Conclusions: A histological diagnosis of Hepatic Mesenchymal Hamartoma was confirmed by the microscopic examinations. This case adds learning points to radiologists when heterogeneous reinforcement on enhanced CT scan was presented in such a large childhood liver tumor.


The ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator proposed by Yager and its some extensions have been extensively utilized to perform the mean‐type aggregation of individual preference relations in group decision making. An important issue in the theory of the OWA‐type operators is the determination of the associated weights. In the present paper, the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution is modified to propose a new method for generating the associated weights under the environment of a group of additive reciprocal matrices. First, a consistent additive reciprocal matrix is obtained from each additive reciprocal matrix. It is further used to generate an ideal additive reciprocal matrix by using the arithmetic averaging operator. Then, a similarity degree between every additive reciprocal matrix and the ideal one is defined. Based on the similarity degree, the associated weights are determined by making use of an exponential function and they show that more importance is given to that with more similarity degree. Finally, a numerical example is carried out to illustrate the given method.


Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were characterized in the extremely specialized ephemeral wetland plant species Cyperus fuscus (Cyperaceae). The markers will be used for studying population genetics in natural vs. anthropogenic habitats, on a European scale, and the role of the soil seed bank in the life cycle of this ephemeral species. Methods and Results: Twenty-one microsatellite loci were established and scored in two populations, with mean number of alleles of 2.6 and 2.9 and mean expected heterozygosity of 0.405 and 0.470, respectively. Forty-four additional loci with the number of alleles ranging from one to four (mean = 2.1) were successfully amplified in seven individuals. Conclusions: The novel microsatellite markers will be useful for studying the genetic structure of populations of this ephemeral plant as well as their seed bank.


Under hydrothermal conditions (3 kb, 100/sup 0/ to 300/sup 0/C, 25 to 5,200 hr), freshly solidified silica gel crystallized to quartz, predominantly in the form of chalcedonic spherulites. No intermediate crystalline phases in the transition from amorphous silica to quartz were detected. Chalcedony that made up the synthetic spherulites was either length-slow, length-fast, or both, depending on the experimental conditions. These findings contrast with the hypothesis that chalcedony derived from silica gel should be length-fast. In experiments in which blue-green algae had been embedded in the silica gel, spherulite nucleation occurred preferentially on surfaces of particulate organic matter, and the chalcedony generally was length-slow. A summary of spherulitic crystallization mechanisms is presented, and emphasis is placed on impurity and viscosity requirements. Considering these requirements and the experimental results, a viscous colloidal origin is postulated for cherts and other siliceous sedimentary rocks that contain abundant silica microspheres. The seemingly biological attributes of quartz microspheres in Precambrian iron formation cherts can be explained by strictly inorganic processes related to spherulitic crystallization of colloidal precursors.


According to the data of 2015, Turkey ranks first among the OECD countries in infections resistant to antibiotics. The efforts of preventing unprescribed antibiotic use as being implemented in Turkey so far since 2016 may have shaped this relationship. The purpose of the study is to determine knowledge level of the adults living in a rural neighborhood close to Aydın about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, and their statuses regarding their use. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Aydın. Data were collected from 411 participants. 26 questions were used for the questionnaire. Knowledge-attitude level was determined with average of the number of correct answers given in the survey. Sociodemographic variables and the variables consisting pharmaceutical use variables were defined as independent variable. Linear regression analysis by SPSS 23.0 was for analysis of the data. Simple linear regression outputs were shown as Model 1, and outputs of the multiple linear regression analysis were shown by Model 2. Internal consistency Kuder-Richardson 20 reliability coefficient was calculated. It was determined that self-medication of antibiotics was too low as a result of restriction of unprescribed antibiotic use by the public. It was understood that those using prescribed antibiotics and receiving information from physicians had more knowledge about antibiotics. Having received high school and higher education increased the participants' knowledge-attitude level by 1.88 (1.13-2.64) points, having lived in a city in childhood increased it by 1.07 (0.32-1.82) points, having used antibiotic within the last one month increased it by 1.12 (0.30-1.94) points, and the fact the last used antibiotic is prescribed by doctor increased it by 2.99 (1.17-4.81) points. There may be need for a training program which would generalize the "one health" approach that would provide the opportunity to guide rational antibiotic use in both humans and animals.


The use of star graphs as a viable interconnection scheme for parallel computers has been examined by a number of authors. An attractive feature of this class of graphs is that it has sublogarithmic diameter and has a great deal of symmetry akin to the binary hypercube. The authors describe a new class of algorithms for embedding Hamiltonian cycle, the set of all even cycles and a variety of two and multi-dimensional grids in a star graph. They derive an algorithm for the ranking and the unranking problem with respect to the Hamiltonian cycle.<<ETX>>


An extended self-similarity (ESS) model is developed by extending the self-similarity condition in fractional Brownian motion (FBM), then the incremental Fourier synthesis algorithm is introduced to generate ESS rough surfaces, and an estimation algorithm is presented to extract the generalized multiscale Hurst parameter, which can also be modified to estimate the Hurst parameter for FBM more accurately. Finally, the scattering coefficient from ESS rough surfaces is calculated with the scalar Kirchhoff approximation, and its variation with the parameters in the ESS model is obtained. Compared with experimental measurements, it can be concluded that the ESS model provides a good tool to model natural rough surfaces.


Objective To detect the prokaryotic expression of streptavidin-complement 3d (SA-C3d) fusion protein and verify its function in vitro. Methods The C3d DNA was amplified using C3 cDNA as a template, and the C3d fragment was ligated with the vector plasmid pET-24a-6His-SA-IL15 after the digestion with a one-step cloning method to obtain the SA-C3d prokaryotic expression plasmid. The correctly sequenced plasmid was transformed into expression competent Rosetta to induce protein expression. The target protein was obtained by nickel column affinity chromatography and urea dialyzed refolding. The function of SA was demonstrated by anchoring the biotinylated MB49 cell experiment, and the function of C3d was detected by an experiment that promoted the growth of Raji cells. Results The prokaryotic expression vector of SA-C3d was successfully constructed. The purified target protein was obtained by nickel column purification and dialysis refolding. The protein was specifically bound to biotinylated MB49 cells, which promoted the proliferation of Raji cells in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that the protein SA-C3d had a bifunctional activity. Conclusion The successfully prepared SA-C3d fusion protein can be bound to biotinylated MB49 cells in vitro and promote Raji cell proliferation.


Each claim in a research paper requires all relevant prior knowledge to be discovered, assimilated, and appropriately cited. However, despite the availability of powerful search engines and sophisticated text editing software, discovering relevant papers and integrating the knowledge into a manuscript remain complex tasks associated with high cognitive load. To define comprehensive search queries requires strong motivation from authors, irrespective of their familiarity with the research field. Moreover, switching between independent applications for literature discovery, bibliography management, reading papers, and writing text burdens authors further and interrupts their creative process. Here, we present a web application that combines text editing and literature discovery in an interactive user interface. The application is equipped with a search engine that couples Boolean keyword filtering with nearest neighbor search over text embeddings, providing a discovery experience tuned to an author's manuscript and his interests. Our application aims to take a step towards more enjoyable and effortless academic writing. The demo of the application (https://SciEditorDemo2020.herokuapp.com) and a short video tutorial (https://youtu.be/pkdVU60IcRc) are available online.