Triticale (×Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus) is primarily an animal feed crop with promising qualities for a bioindustrial crop. Development of genetically modified (GM) triticale is in progress and before release of GM cultivars, the potential for pollen-mediated gene flow (PMGF) needs to be assessed to determine if it can coexist with conventional cultivars without causing market harm. Small and large plot experiments were conducted to quantify PMGF using an experimental blue aleurone triticale line as pollen donor and 'AC Alta' as pollen receptor. Small plot experiments were conducted at two locations in both 2007 and 2009 in Alberta, Canada. There were no site or year differences. Average PMGF from 0.2 to 1.4 m was 0.76%. Large plot experiments were conducted at two locations in both 2008 and 2009 using a concentric donor (20 by 20 m) and receptor (120 by 120 m) design. Over 17 million seeds were screened. There were no significant differences between sites or years. Pollen-mediated gene flow best fit an exponential decay model in which the highest average PMGF (3.4%) occurred adjacent to the donor crop and rapidly declined to 0.09% by 50 m. Directional differences were detected with highest PMGF corresponding to prevailing wind directions at flowering. The estimated adventitious presence of GM triticale after harvest blending within a 50-m conventional field was 0.22%. Pollen-mediated gene flow in triticale is similar to spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and should not prevent the coexistence of GM and conventional triticale using the 0.9% threshold established by the European Union.


Summary 1.Mouse protective tests were conducted with serums taken from 633 officers and men aboard five cruisers before inoculation with Shigella flexneri III vaccines and from different groups at eight postinoculation intervals; a control group that received placebos only was included. Statistical evaluations of the data were made to obtain evidence concerning the efficacy of the vaccines employed. 2.Statistically significant antibody responses were observed in serums from two groups of men who had received primary subcutaneous inoculations of S. flexneri III vaccine; fold increases were 9.2 and 10.5. Little or no enhancement in protective power of serums was obtained by oral administration of S. flexneri III vaccine. 3.The peak of protective antibody production following parenteral inoculations was reached approximately three weeks after the last injection in the initial course of vaccine. Evidence was obtained that indicated the persistence of a statistically significant amount of circulating antibody for approximately six months. 4.Previous epidemiologic experiences of men with S. flexneri III apparently influenced their antibody response to artificial parenteral stimulation with vaccine. Preinoculation antibody levels differed significantly depending upon whether individuals had been present and ill, present but not ill, or not present in an epidemic. Those who had reported clinical symptoms possessed the highest titers and serums from men with no prior contact showed the lowest antibody content. Protective antibody levels after inoculation were, however, of a similar order in the three groups. It appeared, therefore, that there was a point beyond which antibody formation could not be increased by the stimulus applied regardless of the initial antibody level. 5.A single subcutaneous booster dose of S. flexneri III vaccine administered to a group of men six months after the initial inoculations increased only slightly the mouse protective power of the serums. This lack of further antibody response following the recall dose was probably due to the persistence of antibody levels that could not be elevated markedly by the additional antigen injected. 6.It appeared that the parenterally administered S. flexneri III vaccine induced the production of protective antibody in susceptible individuals to a degree comparable with that found in men who had experienced a natural infection. Records suggest that persons who have convalesced from the disease rarely suffer second attacks due to the same Shigella type.


Model transformation in the context of Model-Driven Data Warehouse is ensured by human experts. It generates an exorbitant cost and requires high proficiency. We propose in this paper a machine learning approach to reduce the expert contribution in the transformation process. We propose to express the model transformation problem as an Inductive Logic Programming one and to use existing project traces to find the best business transformation rules. We used the Aleph ILP system to learn such rules. Obtained results show that found rules are close to expert ones. Within our application context, we need to deal with several dependent concepts. Taking into account work in Layered Learning, we propose a new methodology that automatically updates the background knowledge of the concepts to be learned. Experimental results support the conclusion that this approach is suitable to solve this kind of problem.


In this paper, we analyze and evaluate the performance of digital communication systems that operate over a composite fading channel following the η−μ/gamma distribution. More specifically, new analytical expressions for the channel capacity under different transmission schemes are derived in the form of infinite series. For the special case of integer μ values, simplified closed-form expressions are also obtained. Moreover, we deduce exact tractable formulas for the average bit error rate (BER) of various modulation schemes. In the high-power regime, simplified capacity and BER expressions are provided, revealing the implications of the model parameters on system performance. The relationship of the presented results with previously reported results on generalized-K and K fading channels is also established. We note that the theoretical results presented herein are given in analytical form, which can efficiently be evaluated.


Economic analyses were conducted on six of the most popular kinds of stockwater developments constructed in Saline County, Kansas, from 1978-85. Included were spring box and riser-flush valve spring developments, wet pit and dry pit ponds, and small and medium-sized embankment ponds. Data pertaining to county, wide development costs, lease rates for rangeland, potential increases in carrying capacity following construction of developments, and interest rates were collected from records of government conservation agencies, livestock producers who constructed developments, lease rates consigned, and local lending institutions for the relevant time period, respectively. Nominal costs of developments and lease rates were adjusted for inflation to determine their real costs (1982 dollars). Nominal interest rates were adjusted for inflation and risk premiums to calculate the mean real rate of interest for the time period. The economic viability of water developments with and without inclusion of cost-share assistance were tested. Minimal, mean, and maximal values of costs and lease rates were used to calculate the range of returns to investment, throughout the range of potential development cost*lease rate combinations that existed in Saline County from 1978-85. Break-even points were computed in animal unit months (AUM) required to pay for total net present value (NPV) of development costs. Internal rates of return (IRR) and net present values (NPV) were calculated for investment in developments at levels of returns related to 6 and 18 AUM potential increases in carrying capacity. The mean real interest rate (1.64%) was used in discounting calculations, and for comparing IRR. Development costs and lease rates of AUM possessed large inherent variabilities. Costs and lease rates used were representative of ranges of potential values commanded by these commodities in local markets. The mail survey failed to produce definitive information about livestock production in Saline County; only 28% of the surveys were returned. Production functions used in this study might not be representative for all ranches in Saline County. At full investment costs minimal cost options of smaller developments, combined with mean to maximal lease rates, produced positive investment criteria with a 6 AUM increase. Most minimal and mean cost options of developments produced positive NPV and IRR at the 18 AUM increase in carrying capacity. Cost-share payments reduced investment costs 70%, creating positive investment criteria for most cost*lease rate combinations. Medium-sized embankment ponds were the exceptions, in both instances. NPV of total costs and break-even points were reduced 46 to 50% with inclusion of cost-share assistance. This study indicates that lower cost options of the smaller types of water developments used in Saline County could yield positive economic returns with relatively low increases in carrying capacities, particularly if cost-share assistance can be obtained. The large inherent variabilities in development costs and lease rates, and the shortage of definitive data about Saline county livestock production, limits the population of inference applicable to this study. Results should be used with some caution.


Previously we proposed a fast parallel decoding algorithm for general one-point algebraic geometric (AG) codes with a systolic array architecture. But, designing the detailed structure of the systolic array and scheduling the relevant procedures remained to be given explicitly, because the proper discontinuities (i.e., gaps) accompanied with a pole-order (nongap) sequence make the problem very complicated. Based on a version of the fast decoding algorithm expressed in terms of matrices with univariate polynomials as entities, we present a method of complete scheduling on a revised architecture of systolic array for implementing this algorithm in parallel. For the size m of input data, i.e. the syndrome, and the first nongap /spl rho/, the time complexity is O(m) and the space complexity is O(/spl rho//sup 2/ m), where the time complexity O(/spl rho/m/sup 2/) was required by the serial algorithm.


Roots are generally the critical drought sensors, but little is known about their molecular response to drought stress. We used the drought-tolerant soybean variety 'Jiyu 47' to investigate the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in soybean roots during the seedling stage based on the tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics analysis. Various expression patterns were observed in a total of six physiological parameters. A total of 468 DEPs (144 up-regulated and 324 down-regulated) among a total of 8687 proteins were identified in response to drought stress in 24 h. The expression of DEPs was further validated based on quantitative real-time PCR of a total of five genes (i.e., GmGSH, GmGST1, GmGST2 k GmCAT, and Gm6PGD) involved in the glutathione biosynthesis. Results of enrichment analyses revealed a coordinated expression pattern of proteins involved in various cellular metabolisms responding to drought stress in soybean roots. Our results showed that drought stress caused significant alterations in the expression of proteins involved in several metabolic pathways in soybean roots, including carbohydrate metabolism, metabolism of the osmotic regulation substances, and antioxidant defense system (i.e., the glutathione metabolism). Increased production of reduced glutathione (GSH) enhanced the prevention of the damage caused by reactive oxygen species and the tolerance of the abiotic stress. The glutathione metabolism played a key role in modifying the antioxidant defense system in response to drought stress in soybean roots. Our proteomic study suggested that the soybean plants responded to drought stress by coordinating their protein expression during the vegetative stage, providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating the response to abiotic stress in plants.


We consider fair sharing of network resources over a period of time between offline and interactive users. The former value total transferred volume while the latter have timedependent valuations for instantaneous bandwidth. Following the work of Kelly on fair bandwidth sharing, we express the system optimum as an equilibrium of traditional congestion control taking place in a fast timescale and a volume charging mechanism in a slow timescale. The problem is very much related to multipath congestion control where paths are unfolded also in the dimension of time, and our algorithms can be regarded as multipath congestion control algorithms operating on two separate timescales. A novel feature of our algorithms is that, contrary to ordinary dual algorithms, users are not overcharged at any time while approaching the equilibrium. This is a sensible economical property not recognized before in the context of congestion control over long timescales. Our results provide the theoretical foundation for designing the 'worse than best-effort' traffic class for handling p2p traffic.


This article presents the results from round-robin tests performed on epoxy composite materials. These results show the potential of these materials for use as electrical insulation in some specific applications. A small section of the article addresses the health and safety issues related to the use of nanoparticles in the electrical power engineering industry. We define epoxy nanocomposites as epoxy-based materials containing exclusively nanosized filler particles. Epoxy microcomposites are defined as epoxy materials containing exclusively microsized filler particles, and epoxy micro+nano composites are materials containing both microsized and nanosized particles.


School violence, drug use, vandalism, gang activity, bullying, and theft are costly and interfere with academic achievement. Fortunately, crime victimization in schools for students and teachers followed the downward trend in national crime rates during the 1990s and has remained at a relatively low level since 2000. Youths are as likely to be victimized in school as out when it comes to theft and minor assaults, but the most serious assaults tend to occur outside of school. Despite the high rates of crime in school, school crime plays a relatively minor role in juvenile criminal careers. Nonetheless, school crime deserves public concern. The composition and operation of schools influence crime. A variety of instructional programs can reduce crime, such as those that teach self‐control or social competency skills using cognitive‐behavioral or behavioral instructional methods. School discipline management policies and practices are also important. Schools in which rules are clearly stated, are fair, and are consistently enforced, and in which students participate in establishing mechanisms for reducing misbehavior, experience less disorder.


To evaluate the effect of different substrates in intensive organic
garden in cropping secuence cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)-pepper
(Capsicum annuum L. var. chay), one experiment was conducted at
Universidad de Ciego de Avila, Cuba. The following organic sources were
used in organic garden: filter-cake (control), organic-mineral
fertilizer, compost, compost enriched with partially acidulated
phosphate rocks, compost enriched with triple super phosphate and
earthworm humus. Organic garden observations were made on final
chemical soil analysis, yield and its components. The plants that
receive compost enriched with triple super phosphate (9.35 cm) and
filter-cake (9.43 cm) had the greater fruit length. There was no
difference in the diameter (3.08 cm to 3.17 cm) and quality of the
fruits between the different treatments. The organic-mineral fertilizer
application increased soil P concentration up to 124 mg P2O5 Kg-1 soil.
The plants that receive earthworm humus had the greater fruit weight
(11.1 Kg) and yield (59.3 t ha-1). The results showed that the best
substrates, from agronomic and economic points of view, were compost
enriched with partially acidulated phosphate rocks, compost enriched
with triple super phosphate and earthworm humus. The economic
evaluation of the results demonstrated the advantage of the use of
processed organic fertilizers with earthworm humus with the most
earnings.


Mexico's federal elections in 2000 represent an important milestone in the country's history of political uncertainty. For the first time since 1929, the traditional governing party PRI lost hold of the presidency and thereby brought Mexico's authoritarian system one step closer in its quest for a long overdue democratic transition. However, these reforms in the electoral arena by themselves do not amount to the culmination of this long and gradual process (Lawson, 2000: 274). First, this essay will demonstrate that the quality of a country's democracy is inextricably dependent on the extent to which active citizenship is exercised. It will then show that Mexico's political and neoliberal economic reforms over the last decades have been associated with a substantial decline in civic engagement and political contestation thus undermining the democratic experience. The material hardships of the majority of the Mexican population, the systematic exclusion of indigenous people, and the structural disadvantages of women have only been partially challenged with social struggles and remain an obstacle to the development of a democratic political culture. This political culture, as well as a vibrant civil society, are needed in Mexico for reaching a more efficacious democratic threshold.


Current study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence rate of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) parasites of cats in Faisalabad and check the comparative efficacy of Ivermectin and Albendazole. A total of 384 fecal samples of cats were collected randomly from different government and private clinics of district Faislabad. Ivermectin and Albendazole were used for the treatment against the GIT parasites. After clinical examination, 70 positive cats with GIT parasites were grouped as follows: group A (n=30) which was treated with graded doses of ivermectin (merial), similarly group B (n=30) treated with graded doses of albendazole (zental) and group C (n=10) kept as a control. Fecal samples were processed in postgraduate laboratory, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Quantitative fecal examination was performed to observe the egg per gram of feces before and after treatment. The percentage of infection was found higher in female cats 33.33% than male 24.44%. The prevalence in adults and kittens was recorded as 24.10% and 42.45% respectively. T. cati was found more prevalent with the infection rate of 7.03% followed by T. leonina, A. duodenalis, A. abstrus, T.Taeniaformimus, D. caninum, A. tubaeforme and T. gondii with the infection rate of 5.4, 4.1, 3.7, 2.6, 2.3, 2.3 and 1.8% respectively. Comparatively ivermectin showed more significant results against GIT parasites of cats than albendazole.
Keywords: Ivermectin; Albendazole; Prevalence; GIT parasites; Cats; EPG
http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2017.60049


ABSTRACT Being resettled is a complex and traumatic process. International experience reveals that people are made worse off by project induced displacement and resettlement. In China, a country with much dam induced resettlement, since 2006 there has been considerable government attention to ensure that post-resettlement outcomes are improved and that people are made better off as a result of being resettled. We describe the context of dam-induced resettlement in China, and analyse the post-resettlement support mechanisms used. We identify the key success factors that have led to effective outcomes. They included: a trigger that prompted the government to take action; a change in development philosophy to a more people-oriented approach and acceptance that resettled people and host communities had to be made better off; a market-oriented approach in the way post-resettlement support was delivered and in terms of cross-subsidizing resettlement from hydroelectricity production; long term support to resettled people and host communities; and considerable public participation so that the post-resettlement support schemes were of value to the resettled people and host communities.


Physical models of complex bony structures can be used for surgical skills training. Current models focus on surface rendering but suffer from a lack of internal accuracy due to limitations in the manufacturing process. We describe a technique for generating internally accurate rapid-prototyped anatomical models with solid and hollow structures from clinical and microCT data using a 3D printer. In a face validation experiment, otolaryngology residents drilled a cadaveric bone and its corresponding printed model. The printed bone models were deemed highly realistic representations across all measured parameters and the educational value of the models was strongly appreciated.


BACKGROUND
Goldmann applanation tonometry and dynamic contour tonometry (PASCAL) are two well established slit lamp mounted tonometric methods. Intraocular pressure measurement in bedridden patients and children is often only possible using hand held tonometers (TonoPenXL, Perkins tonometer, Draeger tonometer). This study was performed to evaluate the hand held ICare tonometer, which is based on the rebound method.

METHODS
A total of 102 eyes were examined by two highly experienced ophthalmologists for: 1) ophthalmological status, 2) central corneal power (Zeiss IOL-Master), 3) central corneal thickness (Tomey ultrasound pachymetry, five successive measurements, SD<5%), 4) intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement with the Goldmann applantation tonometer (GAT) 1x, 5) TonoPenXL (1x), 6) ICare with three successive measurement series of 6 single measurements.

RESULTS
The mean IOP(GAT) was 13.2+/-3.0 mmHg compared with the mean IOP(TonoPenXL) (13.4+/-3.1 mmHg) and with the IOP(ICare) (mean value of first measurement series: 13.4+/-3.1 mmHg). The series of measurements with the ICare showed a tonography effect (decrease of IOP from 14.6 mmHg at the first measurement and 14.2 mmHg at the second to 14.0 at the third measurement). The ICare-measurements were highly reliable (Cronbach's alpha=0.974) and showed a good correlation between the measurement series (r=0.592-0.642; p<0.001). There was a great intra-individual variability of up to 17 mmHg between the GAT, TonoPenXL and ICare methods.

CONCLUSIONS
The ICare tonometer is easy to handle and high reliability. The data are comparable with those from the Goldmann tonometer. A tonography effect of 0.6 mmHg in the successive measurement series was found.


A mixed-integer dynamic optimization (MIDO) framework for solvent design in batch processes is presented. Performance measures reflecting process economics and computed on the basis of process dynamics are used to validate candidate solvent structures built from the UNIFAC molecular groups. These define the discrete space in the overall material formulation and are combined according to molecular design feasibility rules to guarantee realistic molecular representations. The algorithm is based on the decomposition of the MIDO primal subproblem into several steps that are solved successively. This allows unsuitable solvents to be detected and discarded quickly and without significant computational cost. Emphasis is placed on problem formulation in order to match accuracy of process model and physical property predictions. The algorithm is applied successfully to an industrial case study dealing with a three-phase dehydration column and a decantation unit for solvent recovery. The proposed algorithm can be regarded as a promising initial step toward an integrated and simultaneous methodology for material process design in batch separation systems.


We demonstrate high performance CMOS operation of fully depleted (FD) and partially depleted (PD) strained-SOI MOSFETs on a new thin-film-SGOI substrate with high Ge content (25%) fabricated by the combination of SIMOX and ITOX technologies, without using the usual thick SiGe buffer layers. We verify high electron (85%) and hole (50%) mobility enhancement of strained-SOI MOSFETs against the universal carrier mobility. It is demonstrated, as a result, that the gate delay time of strained-SOI CMOS is improved by about 70%, compared to that of control-SOI CMOS. Moreover, we also discuss both the strained-Si thickness and the effective field dependent difference between electron and hole mobility enhancement factors of strained-SOI CMOS.


The formation of SiC through the interface reaction between C60 and Si in a plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition system (PACVD) is investigated with a C60 film previously deposited on Si wafers. The composition and structure of the deposited samples were characterized by micro-Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that SiC film was formed successfully in hydrogen plasma at a substrate temperature of 800°C. The hydrogen atoms in plasma were found to enhance the production of SiC. Furthermore, the effects of the added CH4 on the formation of film were studied. Introduction of CH4 simultaneously with H2 at the beginning would suppress the formation of the initial layer of SiC due to a carbon-rich environment on the substrate, which would be disadvantageous to the further growth of the SiC film.


The use of N,N′-dialkylation of aromatic ureas and guanidines to achieve consecutive stereochemical switching from (trans,trans) to (cis,cis) conformations provides an elegant methodology for constructing ladder-like multi-layered aromatic oligoureas and oligoguanidines. Here, we highlight the structural properties and functions of these stable, flexible oligomers, which are candidate backbone structures for novel functional materials including electronic devices, chiral recognition, and bioactive substances.


Many knowledge graph embedding methods operate on triples and are therefore implicitly limited by a very local view of the entire knowledge graph. We present a new framework MOHONE to effectively model higher order network effects in knowledge-graphs, thus enabling one to capture varying degrees of network connectivity (from the local to the global). Our framework is generic, explicitly models the network scale, and captures two different aspects of similarity in networks: (a) shared local neighborhood and (b) structural role-based similarity. First, we introduce methods that learn network representations of entities in the knowledge graph capturing these varied aspects of similarity. We then propose a fast, efficient method to incorporate the information captured by these network representations into existing knowledge graph embeddings. We show that our method consistently and significantly improves the performance on link prediction of several different knowledge-graph embedding methods including TRANSE, TRANSD, DISTMULT, and COMPLEX(by at least 4 points or 17% in some cases).


Abstract Avian communal roosts provide insight into evolution and serve as focal points for conservation. Nonbreeding Crested Caracaras (Caracara cheriway; hereafter caracaras) use communal roosts, but evolutionary implications have not been explored. Though nonbreeding caracaras are nonmigratory, the scientific literature fails to explain seasonal differences in their movement and survival concurrent with seasonal consistency in their habitat and social ecology. In the Social Refuge–Territory Prospecting hypothesis we propose, socially subordinate nonbreeding caracaras precluded from breeding by habitat limitation use communal roosts as social refuges to avoid aggression from dominant territory holders during nonbreeding seasons, and engage in territory prospecting during breeding seasons. Communal roosts thus become central places from which to forage not for food, but for a breeding territory. Because foraging gains are stored as remembered information, competition costs resulting from public information are preempted. For the Social Refuge–Territory Prospecting hypothesis to be valid, two criteria need to be met. First, communal roost use needs to be higher during nonbreeding seasons. Second, a measure of fitness needs to be used to evaluate the hypothesis as an evolutionarily stable strategy. To meet these criteria, in this study we report that numbers of nonbreeding caracaras using a communal roost in Florida are higher during nonbreeding seasons (mean = 111.8 individuals / night) than during breeding seasons (mean = 60.7 individuals / night) as counted from August 2006–April 2009 (n = 407 counts). We also compare differential survival by season from previous work to demonstrate that by limiting exploratory movements to times when prospecting is most informative, nonbreeding caracaras balance maximizing survival against the likelihood of securing a breeding territory. Our hypothesis provides a unifying explanation for otherwise unexplained paradoxes in the ecology of nonbreeding caracaras, and may be useful in guiding conservation and expanding our understanding of the ecology of other communally roosting birds.


This study aimed to assess the sustainability of current agricultural component of the selected counties of East Azarbaijan province, including Tabriz, Ahar and Maragheh done. Indicators of social, economic and environmental assessment decisions were considered as indicators. Data and information required in this study using technical comments Jihad Agriculture Organization experts through questionnaires and statistical yearbooks were collected in the year 1391. Value-weighted index and the index of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) were performed. The relative importance of each of the sub options (agricultural areas) also was determined using TOPSIS technique. The results showed that the highest standards of environmental and social criteria selected regions are minimal impact on agricultural sustainability. Moreover, the results indicate that the Ahar is most desirable area in terms of three agriculture sustainable index. Environmental indicators in the Ahar and Tabriz counties has the greatest diversity of crops are and crop diversity is low and the county of Maragheh.


Inflammatory diseases and stressor-related psychiatric disorders, for which inflammation is a risk factor, are increasing in modern Western societies. Recent studies suggest that immunoregulatory approaches are a promising tool in reducing the risk of suffering from such disorders. Specifically, the environmental saprophyte Mycobacterium vaccae National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) 11659 has recently gained attention for the prevention and treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders. However, effective use requires a sophisticated understanding of the effects of M. vaccae NCTC 11659 and related rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGMs) on microbiome–gut–immune–brain interactions. This historical narrative review is intended as a first step in exploring these mechanisms and provides an overview of preclinical and clinical studies on M. vaccae NCTC 11659 and related RGMs. The overall objective of this review article is to increase the comprehension of, and interest in, the mechanisms through which M. vaccae NCTC 11659 and related RGMs promote stress resilience, with the intention of fostering novel clinical strategies for the prevention and treatment of stressor-related disorders.


This paper proposes and analyzes a stochastic multi-agent opinion dynamics model. We are interested in a multi-leveled opinion of each agent which is randomly influenced by the binary actions of its neighbors. It is shown that, as far as the number of agents in the network is finite, the model asymptotically produces consensus. The consensus value corresponds to one of the absorbing states of the associated Markov system. However, when the number of agents is large, we emphasize that partial agreements are reached and these transient states are metastable, i.e., the expected persistence duration is arbitrarily large. These states are characterized using an N-intertwined mean field approximation (NIMFA) for the Markov system. Moreover we analyze a simple and easily implementable way of controlling the opinion in the network. Numerical simulations validate the proposed analysis.


Diabetes is a chronic disease that is reaching epidemic proportions worldwide. There are currently more than 190 million people with diabetes worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that this will rise to 221 million by the year 2010, largely due to population growth, ageing, urbanization and a sedentary lifestyle. Diabetes is currently the fourth main cause of death in most developed countries. In Singapore, the prevalence of diabetes in our population is 8.2% according to the 2004 National Health Survey. This is expected to grow as our population age. Diabetic Retinopathy, if not well managed and controlled, can progress steadily to devastating complications like blindness. At present, various analyses on complicated interaction between hereditary and environmental factors are being undertaken regarding the onset of diabetes. The development of diabetic complication has become a major concern regarding the prognosis of diabetic patients. Diabetes Retinopathy is one of the most common diseases that people get affected by over the years. By doing this paper, we hope to detect the stages of Diabetic Retinopathy as early as possible so as to prevent and cure more Singaporeans from falling prey to this disease


Absolute photonic band gaps can be substantially improved in two-dimensional square and triangular lattices of cylinders by introducing anisotropy in material dielectricity. Owing to different refractive indices for electromagnetic waves with E and H polarization, the band gaps for the two polarization modes can be freely adjusted and matched to overlap optimally. Large absolute band gaps can be created for uniaxial cylinders in air with a positive anisotropy. In the case of air holes in background uniaxial dielectric with even a weak negative anisotropy, the absolute band gap can be increased 2-3 times. [S0031-9007(98)07161-0].


Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) can provide abundant information for different organic functional groups and chemical bonds, and is therefore widely used in molecular structure analysis, qualitative analysis of mixtures, and quantitative analysis. However, it is difficult to decompose and extract the highly correlated component spectra from complex mixed spectrum, and existing methods for FTIR qualitative analysis has poor recognition effect. For this reason, a spectroscopic analysis model based on zero-phase component analysis (ZCA) whitening and particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed in this paper. The model uses wavelet threshold filter to de-noise the mixed spectrum, and uses ZCA whitening to remove the correlation of the component spectra. Finally, PSO is used to solve the component concentration. In order to verify the superiority of the ZCA whitening-based spectral analysis model, simulation studies are carried out on signals made up by twenty kinds of component spectra. The simulation results show that the model not only achieves effective qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis of the main components of the mixed spectrum, but also has better performance than the current mainstream spectrum analysis model. Keywords—Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Pyrolysis products, Particle swarm optimization (PSO), Wavelet threshold filter, Zero-phase component analysis (ZCA) whitening


There are several basic issues regarding the safety and feasibility of implanting multichannel scala tympani cochlear prostheses in humans. Physiological and technical studies have been designed to resolve some of these questions. Results of physiological investigations demonstrate that (1) nerve viability is not affected by the presence (without activation) of a multichannel array; (2) use of a highly specified bipolar electrode configuration permits discrete and predictable stimulation of sectors of the auditory nerve array, and (3) some deleterious effects (i.e., nerve damage and calcification products) may result when stimulus parameters (intensity, duration and waveform symmetry) are not well controlled over long periods of stimulation. Results of technical investigations regarding the specifications (materials and design) of multi-electrode arrays and engineering studies regarding hardware and software for safe and efficient stimulators for humans have provided devices with which 2 patients could be implanted and tested psychophysically. Some preliminary results of testing with these provide data regarding threshold, loudness discrimination and pitch perception.


A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor in Counselling Psychology.


The authors studied two families with autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) complicated by the presence of additional symptoms of pigmented maculopathy, distal amyotrophy, dysarthria, mental retardation, and further intellectual deterioration. Evidence was obtained for linkage to a locus on chromosome 14q that is distinct from the SPG3 locus for autosomal dominant HSP (D14S77: lod score of 4.20 at zero recombination). Haplotype construction of nearby markers confirms the existence of this novel HSP locus (SPG15) and narrows it to a 19-cM interval flanked by D14S1038 and D14S61.


The emerging COVID-19 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been raised as a global health challenge. Despite the breakthrough in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, it still continues as a serious crisis, worldwide. The aberrant immune responses are strongly associated with the severity of the disease and an increased rate of morbidity and mortality among COVID-19 patients. The complement cascade activation is mediated by classical, lectin, and alternative pathways which could induce an inflammatory state during the COVID-19 infection. The growing body of research suggests that complement system activation plays an important role in the immunopathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, the blockade of complement cascades may be an effective approach to prevent the multi-organ complications of COVID-19. In this review, we will highlight the role of the complement system in the immunopathology of COVID-19, emphasizing the potential therapeutical targets to ameliorate COVID-19 infection.


(R,S)-2-Aminopropanol was prepared by acetoxylation of 1-chloropropanone with sodium acetate,followed by alkaline hydrolysis and reductive amination under hydrogen in the presence of Raney Ni with an overall yield of44%.


Two techniques for modeling a cellular telephone system are shown. Both of the techniques are based on a data base of experimentally measured data on signal strength as a function of location in the service area. Both techniques produce geographic maps of the system performance. Optimization routines are run on the model system to improve the operational statistics of the systems. Comparisons with the central Ohio Cellular One system are given.<<ETX>>


Activation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) has a central role in the pathophysiology of congestive cardiac failure. Increased concentrations of RAAS neurohormones are associated with worse outcomes in patients with heart failure.1 Blockade of this system with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, β blockers, and spironolactone is a cornerstone of treatment. Congestive cardiac failure is treated with a multiple drug approach limited by patient concordance, drug related side effects, and metabolic derangements. Despite chronic treatment RAAS activity can remain increased1 and mortality of patients with congestive cardiac failure remains high.2 Uncertainty concerning the combined role of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II antagonists in heart failure has largely been resolved by the CHARM-Added (candesartan in heart failure assessment of reduction in mortality and morbidity for patients taking ACE inhibitors) study, which showed improvements in cardiovascular mortality and hospitalisations.2 However, combination treatment in CHARM-Added did increase the risk of metabolic side effects. There may be a case for tailoring treatment for individual patients to maximise benefits.

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations are increased in congestive cardiac failure due to myocardial stretch and neuroendocrine interactions. BNP has potential for help in diagnosis …


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, mecamylamine, is a potential novel pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder. The aims were to compare alcohol consumption between mecamylamine and placebo and test if smoking status modified treatment effects.

DESIGN
Out-patient, randomized, double-blind clinical trial for 12 weeks of treatment with mecamylamine (10 mg) (n = 65) versus placebo (n = 63).

SETTING
Connecticut, USA.

PARTICIPANTS
Individuals had current alcohol dependence (n = 128), had an average age of 48.5 [standard deviation (SD) = 9.4], 110 (85.9%) were men, and included 74 smokers (57.8%) and 54 non-smokers (42.2%). Participants were randomized to mecamylamine 10 mg per day or placebo. All subjects also received medical management therapy administered by trained research personnel.

MEASUREMENTS
Primary outcome was percentage of heavy drinking days during the last month of treatment; other outcomes included drinking days, drinks per drinking days, alcohol craving, smoking, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and side effects.

FINDINGS
There were no significant differences in the percentage of heavy drinking days at 3 months between the mecamylamine (mean = 18.4, SD = 29.0) and placebo treatment groups (mean = 20.4, SD = 29.2) [F1, 100  = 1.3, P = 0.25; effect size d = 0.07; mean difference = 2.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -8.96 to 13.08]. There were no significant differences in percentage of drinking days or in drinks per drinking day at month 3 between the mecamylamine and placebo groups; there were no significant interactions.

CONCLUSIONS
Mecamylamine 10 mg per day did not reduce alcohol consumption significantly in treatment-seeking smokers and non-smokers with alcohol use disorder.


Infiltration processes in fractured‐porous media remain a crucial, yet not very well understood component of recharge and vulnerability assessment. Under partially saturated condition flows in fractures, percolating fracture networks and fault zones contribute to the fastest spectrum of infiltration velocities via preferential pathways. Specifically, the partitioning dynamics at fracture intersections determine the magnitude of flow fragmentation into vertical and horizontal components, hence the bulk flow velocity and dispersion of fracture networks. Here we derive an approximate analytical solution for the partitioning process and validate it using smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations. The transfer function is conceptually based on simulation results and laboratory experiments carried out in previous works. It allows efficient flow simulation through fracture networks with simple cubic structures and an arbitrary number of fractures and aperture sizes via linear response theory and convolution of a given input signal. We derive a nondimensional bulk flow velocity ( v∼ ) and dispersion coefficient ( D~ ) to characterize fracture networks in terms of dimensionless horizontal and vertical time scales τm and τ0. The dispersion coefficient strongly depends on the horizontal time scale and converges toward a constant value of 0.08 within reasonable fluid and geometrical parameter ranges, while the nondimensional velocity exhibits a characteristic v~∼τm−1/2 scaling. Given that hydraulic information is often only available at limited places within (fractured‐porous) aquifer systems (boreholes or springs), our study intends to provide an analytical concept to potentially reconstruct internal fracture network geometries from external boundary information, such as the dispersive properties of discharge (groundwater level fluctuations).


Background: Complement factor H (hCFH) plays a key inhibitory role in the control of the alternative complement pathway. We examined whether urinary hCFH (U-hCFH) levels is useful as an indirect indicator of renal damage. Methods: Urine samples were obtained from 104 patients with renal disease. Urine was collected with 10 mM EDTA and U-hCFH levels were measured using the BTA TRAK Assay Kit. Results: In the 62 patients with nephritis, the levels of U-hCFH were elevated (range 15–52,198 U/ml) over the normal range (0–14 U/ml). U-hCFH levels of patients with chronic renal failure, lupus nephritis, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, focal glomerulosclerosis were higher than that of IgA nephropathy patients (p < 0.05). In the patients with minimal change disease, showed high levels of U-hCFH during the nephrotic syndrome. U-hCFH was correlated significantly with urinary protein and urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase. Conclusion: We demonstrated that U-hCFH was detected in the urine of nephritis patients.


This study has been carried out to study the thermal performance of an all-glass type solar collector tube when a heat transfer medium is used with a heat storage unit capable of preventing pressure build-up within the tube. The heat storage unit is devised such that it performs the dual function of relieving excessive pressure and storing solar thermal energy. Different types of heat storage medium are tested under heat-up phase of a collector tube. It is found that the proposed unit could be used quite effectively if one wishes to capitalize more aggressively in harnessing the solar energy.


The Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies publishes a themed issue each fall. The theme for 2019 is "Child Development: Nurturing Our Humanity".  The editors of IJPS invite researchers, scholars, authors, and practitioners to submit original writing for publication in our Fall 2019 issue (Vol. 6, No.3). The submission deadline is September 15, 2019. Early submissions are welcome and will receive preference in the publication process.
How children develop is a growing theme across disciplines — and for important reasons. Those seeking improved policies and actions to help families understand that this is a critical issue, not only for children and their families, but for every society on the planet.  In this Child Development-themed issue of the IJPS, you are invited to propose perspectives on child development from all disciplines, and to consider how these perspectives relate to domination or partnership; what role child development plays in cultural transformation; and how this role, in turn, relates to fundamental changes in the prevailing paradigm.


Efficent astronomical imaging at energy greater than 20 keV is
mainly achieved through modulation, either time (i.e. HXMT) or spatial
(i.e. IBIS/INTEGRAL), techniques. Currently, the coded mask
technique is widely used with the true spatial intensity distribution
reconstructed from the data by the cross-correlation (CC) method.
As the sensitivity of instruments increases, so must the angular resolution
in order to avoid problems with source confusion. The IBIS 12'
angular resolution is clearly not sufficient to distinguish all the sources
in the crowded field of the Galactic Centre. One possibility to overcome
this problem is to change the deconvolution method.
The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the real imaging capability of
the Direct Demodulation (DD) method. It deconvolves incomplete and
noisy data by iteratively solving the image formation equation under
physical constraints. With the goal of exploiting the DD technique,
in the early of the 1990s the HXMT mission was designed, where the
imaging capability is obtained through the temporal modulation of the
detected counts by a set of mechanical collimators.
To achieve this goal, we developed the Lucy-Richardson (LR) code
to reconstruct directly hard-X/soft-
 ray images. It assumes that the
data and the noise follow a Poisson distribution and it guarantees the
non-negativity of the restored images. For the moment, any kind of
regularization or constraint was implemented in the underlying optimization
problem, so this will be ill-posed yet.
Due to the general nature of the DD and the fact that HXMT has still
to fly, the IBIS/INTEGRAL data and its PSF were used to check our
own code. The pure geometrical PSF considering only the effects due
to the photon propagation from the mask to the detector was created.
Our CC code implements the same balanced cross-correlation as the
standard software for IBIS/INTEGRAL analysis. The CC deconvolved
images are the reference for the image quality obtained with the LR.
The great improvement in the theoretical angular resolution and location
precision is evident. It is independent on the source position in
the total FOV, the iteration number and the source flux. Within the
parameters of the simulations used, the LR statistical uncertainty was
found to be a factor of 10 smaller than that obtained with the CC.
Furthermore, the LR deconvolved images have less fluctuating reconstructed
background.
The main LR drawback is the flux evaluation of the reconstructed
source. It is mainly due to the choice of the correct iteration number.
The use of a-priori information about the unknown object allows a
complete regularization of the problem, so probably solving the problem
with the flux estimation.
Keywords: Coded-mask, Lucy, Richardson, INTEGRAL, IBIS


Introduction IT HAS BEEN documented that individuals with the Down syndrome have trisomy 21 and an increased level of polymorphonuclear leukocyte alkaline phosphatase.1-3On the other hand, a small acrocentric chromosome (Philadelphia chromosome) and low levels of leukocyte alkaline phosphatase have been found in association with chronic myelogenous leukemia.4,5An increased incidence of acute leukemia in patients with the Down syndrome has been observed and approximates 15 times that expected in the general population.6These findings have suggested that changes in chromosome 21 play some role in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and the Down syndrome. It is the purpose of this communication to describe an adult patient with many features of the Down syndrome, CML, low leukocyte alkaline phosphatase, and the Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome. Report of a Case A 42-year-old white woman was first seen in May of 1962. She had been well until one


ABSTRACT Brill, D.; Pint, A.; Jankaew, K.; Frenzel, P.; Schwarzer, K.; Vött, A., and Brückner, H., 2014. Sediment transport and hydrodynamic parameters of tsunami waves recorded in onshore geoarchives. In regions with a short historical tsunami record, the assessment of long-term tsunami risk strongly depends on geological evidence of prehistoric events. Whereas dating tsunami deposits is already well established, magnitude assessment based on remaining sedimentary structures is still a major challenge. In this study, two approaches were applied to deduce transport processes and hydrodynamic parameters of tsunami events from onshore deposits found in the coastal plain of Ban Bang Sak, SW Thailand: (1) The maximum offshore sediment source was determined using granulometry, geochemistry, mineralogy and foraminifera of the tsunamites, and reference samples from various marine and terrestrial environments, and (2) the onshore flow velocities and flow depths of associated tsunami waves were estimated by means of sedimentation modelling. In the case of the Indian Ocean tsunami (IOT) of 2004, modelled flow velocities of 3.7 to 4.9 m/s, modelled onshore flow depths of up to 5.5 m, and a sediment source from offshore areas shallower than a 45-m water depth—including littoral sediments transported as bedload and suspended load from the shallow subtidal zone—are in agreement with quotations based on survivor videos and posttsunami surveys. For a 500- to 700-year-old predecessor, comparable flow velocities and flow depths of 4.1 to 5.9 m/s and 4.0 to 7.5 m, respectively, were modelled, indicating a similar magnitude as the IOT 2004. Comparable values of maximum transport distance and depth of wave erosion were also found. In the case of three older tsunami candidates, dated to 1180 to 2000 cal BP, the deposits indicate partly similar source areas with water depths of less than 45 m and partly shallower source areas restricted solely to the beach. Whereas the former tsunamis are interpreted as events similar to 2004, the latter are more likely storms or tsunamis of a lower magnitude.


Describes the history of attention to bright students in Iran and in the world, policies and practices relating to bright students. Reports the results of field study about the views and expectation of bright university students. Also, explains geographical focus point (Tehran) in payiny attention to bright students. The relation between the parents' education and the identification of brighthness, few women are identified as bright, focus on disciplines with more income, negative attitude toward educational system and adminestration. Students's views on the different issues relating to bright students are categorized in 11 tables.


The growth of density perturbations in an expanding universe in the non-linear regime is investigated. The underlying equations of motion are cast in a suggestive form, and motivate a conjecture that the scaled pair velocity, $h(a,x)\equiv -[v/(\dot{a}x)]$ depends on the expansion factor $a$ and comoving coordinate $x$ only through the density contrast $\sigma(a,x)$. This leads to the result that the true, non-linear, density contrast $ ^{1/2}=\sigma(a,x)$ is a universal function of the density contrast $\sigma_L(a,l)$, computed in the linear theory and evaluated at a scale $l$ where $l=x(1+\sigma^2)^{1/3}$. This universality is supported by existing numerical simulations with scale-invariant initial conditions having different power laws. We discuss a physically motivated ansatz $h(a,x)=h[\sigma^2(a,x)]$ and use it to compute the non-linear density contrast at any given scale analytically. This provides a promising method for analysing the non-linear evolution of density perturbations in the universe and for interpreting numerical simulations.


Decimation is an important component of oversampled analog-to-dlgital conversion. It transforms the digitally modulated signal from short words occurring at high sampling rate to longer words at the Nyquist rate. Here we are concerned with the initial stage of decimation, where the word rate decreases to about four times the Nyquist rate. We show that digital filters comprising cascades of integrate-and-dump functions can match the structure of the noise from sigma delta modulation to provide decimation with negligible loss of signal-to-noise ratio. Explicit formulas evaluate particular tradeoffs between modulation rate, signal-to-noise ratio, length of digital words, and complexity of the modulating and decimating functions.


Engineering the interface between different components of heterogeneous catalysts at nanometer level can radically alter their performances. This is particularly true for ceria-based catalysts where the interactions are critical for obtaining materials with enhanced properties. Here we show that mechanical contact achieved by high-energy milling of CeO2–ZrO2 powders and carbon soot results in the formation of a core of oxide particles wrapped in a thin carbon envelope. This 2D nanoscale carbon arrangement greatly increases the number and quality of contact points between the oxide and carbon. Consequently, the temperatures of activation and transfer of the oxygen in ceria are shifted to exceptionally low temperatures and the soot combustion rate is boosted. The study confirms the importance of the redox behavior of ceria-zirconia particles in the mechanism of soot oxidation and shows that the organization of contact points at the nanoscale can significantly modify the reactivity resulting in unexpected properties and functionalities.


This paper considers a secondary user (SU) sharing the spectrum licensed to a primary user (PU) if limited interference caused to the latter can be guaranteed. In particular, besides the interference power constraint at the PU to protect the PU, the transmit power of the SU is also considered. Under such a setup, we consider the average bit error rate (BER) as the performance metric for the SU, and then derive the optimal power allocation strategies to achieve the minimum average BER of the SU. Simulation results are presented and discussed. It is shown that the optimal power allocation strategies can achieve substantial performance gain for the SU over the water-filling method.


753 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering & Sciences Publication Retrieval Number: E7227068519//19©BEIESP Abstract: The present study determine the influence of GGBS as a SCMs on strength and serviceability properties of concrete. The cement content of the concrete were substituted by GGBS with the replacement rate of 7.5%, 15%, 22.5% and 30% and the cement was replaced by SCMs in weight fraction. Slump cone test was executed to examine the influence of GGBS on fresh state properties of blended concrete. The study impact of GGBS on the strength properties of concrete compressive, flexural and split tensile strength tests were performed. RCPT test was made to study the chloride ion penetration in concrete and the penetration was determined through electrical conductance of concrete. Since the GGBS particles are smooth and spherical in shape, efficiently dispersed in the concrete mixture and exhibited a slump value relatively equal to the control/reference concrete. Even though the existence of GGBS reduced the concrete strength at the early eternities, as the curative time protracted, the increase in strength of the GGBS blended concrete mixtures was relatively upper than the control mixtures. In addition, the pozzolonic reaction and finess of the GGBS filled and densify the aperture structure of the concrete, thus, led to the increase in the chloride penetration resistance.


Synchrotron-radiation-based microcomputed-tomography (SR-μCT) is a powerful tool for yielding 3D structural information of high spatial and contrast resolution about a specimen preserved in its natural state. A large number of projection views are required currently for yielding SR-μCT images by use of existing algorithms without significant artifacts. When a wet biological specimen is imaged, synchrotron x-ray radiation from a large number of projection views can result in significant structural deformation within the specimen. A possible approach to reducing imaging time and specimen deformation is to decrease the number of projection views. In the work, using reconstruction algorithms developed recently for medical computed tomography (CT), we investigate and demonstrate image reconstruction from sparse-view data acquired in SR-μCT. Numerical results of our study suggest that images of practical value can be obtained from data acquired at a number of projection views significantly lower than those used currently in a typical SR-μCT imaging experiment.


Premature infants are at increased risk for persistent growth failure, neurodevelopmental impairment, hypertension, and diabetes. Rapid neonatal growth has been linked to the increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity. Nutritional goals for the premature infant with incipient growth failure have thus become a source of controversy. We used isogenic mice with natural variation in perinatal growth to test the hypothesis that neonatal catch up growth improves the neurobehavioral and cardiovascular outcomes of low-birth weight mice, despite an increase in diabetes susceptibility. Adult mice that experienced prenatal and neonatal growth restriction had persistent growth failure, hypertension, and neurobehavioral alterations. When switched from standard rodent chow to a hypercaloric diet, growth restricted mice were protected from diet-induced obesity. Among low-birth weight male mice, neonatal catch up growth normalized neurobehavioral and cardiovascular phenotypes, but led to insulin resistance and high fat diet-induced diabetes. Among low-birth weight female mice, neonatal catch up growth did not prevent the development of adult hypertension and significantly increased measures of anxiety, including self-injury and the avoidance of open spaces. These studies support the importance of the perinatal environment in the resetting of adult disease susceptibility and suggest an earlier window of vulnerability among growth restricted female mice.


While some cases may focus on using social media to advance the interests of a business or brand, this case is best positioned as a springboard for exploring social media as it may coexist with or be embedded in organizational life. The case depicts a challenge for a young direct report, a relatively inexperienced manager, and the manager's supervisor when the direct report reveals a passionate political opinion on Facebook and unwittingly links it to sensitive company information. The case discussion can (1) surface diverse student views on the uses of social media as they relate to work life; (2) encourage analysis of and decision-making in the context of a tricky multilevel managerial situation involving social media use, company nondisclosure policies, and communicating guidelines; and (3) consider how issues raised in the discussion may inform students' own choices as users of social media and as managers of people who use these channels. Larger managerial, organizational, and corporate communication issues that are complicated by employee social media use may arise in this class discussion, including: managing professional boundaries between levels of employees in an organization; the porous boundaries that exist between internal and external communication; and gray areas among private, personal, professional, political, and public speech. Excerpt UVA-BC-0267 Nov. 9, 2018 Worlds Collide: Work, Life, and Social Media Jenny Peters, assistant director of the Schools Assistance Contract at Atek International (Atek), sat at her computer at 8:00 a.m. on a cold Monday morning in February 2017, trying to slow her racing pulse. The prior afternoon, she had checked her Facebook account and discovered one of her direct reports, Richard Harley, had posted some sensitive company information to Facebook over the weekend that his friends, including several people in the company, had seen. Harley had even tagged her in the posts so that they showed up on her Facebook News Feed. She felt awful but didn't know how to respond, or what the consequences would be for herself, Harley, or the company. Peters then logged into her work email and saw a note from her supervisor, Mike Dupree, who said that he had also seen Harley's Facebook posts, and would see her at 10:00 a.m. Monday morning in his office. Peters tried to remain calm, but she had no idea what to do next. Atek International Atek, a government contractor, was cofounded in 1967 by Cal Sullivan, a Korean War veteran, and four former federal government employees. Over time, government contracting became a very lucrative business. By 2017, Atek was publicly traded and boasted 6,000 employees working in over 45 cities around the world and a global headquarters in Northern Virginia. Atek took a broad-brush approach to government support, pursuing contracts in the areas of government, education, energy, health, security, public safety, and social programming. The company provided comprehensive support including program management, business process, data analytics, cybersecurity, strategic planning, marketing strategy, and public relations. . . .


: The grammatical description of Old English lacks complete and systematic lemmatization, which hinders Natural Language Processing studies in this language, as they strongly rely on the existence of large, annotated corpora. Moreover, the inflectional features of Old English preclude token-based automatic lemmatization. Therefore, specifically goal-oriented applications must be developed to account for the automatic lemmatization of specific variable categories. This article designs an automatic lemmatizer within the framework of Morphological Generation to address the type-based lemmatization of Old English class V strong verbs (L-Y). The lemmatizer is implemented with rules that account for inflectional, derivational and morphophonological variation. The generated forms are compared with the most relevant corpora of Old English for validation before being assigned a lemma. The lemmatizer is successful in supplying form-lemma associations not yet accounted for in the literature, and in identifying mismatches and areas for manual revision. , , ,


An optimal design of a salient poles permanent magnets synchronous motor is presented. Firstly, a multivariable optimization process is performed by geometric programming method in order to minimize the total cost of the motor. Then a finite element method is used to evaluate recursively the motor torque. This methodology is applied to the optimal design of a three-phase, 5 Hp, 1800 rpm salient poles permanent magnet motor. The results show that the proposed methodology is fast and reliable and allows obtaining a very accurate torque evaluation and a great flexibility to observe how the motor optimal design varies with the specifications.


This work aimed to investigate the inter-regulatory functions of hsa-mir-127 and replication initiator 1 (REPIN1) on the proliferation and metastasis of glioma cells. The in-silico data on the implication of hsa-mir-127 and REPIN1 in glioma were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The expression levels of hsa-mir-127 and REPIN1 mRNA were determined by qRT-PCR, whereas Western blot was used to detect REPIN1 protein expression in glioma cell lines. The proliferation of glioma cells was determined by means of the MTT assay, whereas the transwell assay was employed for assessing the extent of cell migration and invasion. The interaction among REPIN1 and hsa-mir-127 was checked using the luciferase reporter assay. The expression of hsa-mir-127 was markedly increased in clinical data obtained from TCGA and in glioma cells compared with normal tissues and control cells, respectively. Increased expression of hsa-mir-127 and decreased expression of REPIN1 were both associated with poor overall survival. Moreover, hsa-mir-127 overexpression noticeably promoted proliferation, inhibited apoptosis and increased the invasive and migratory capacities of glioma cells. Inverse effects were found with hsa-mir-127 antisense inhibitor. Interestingly, overexpression of hsa-mir-127 downregulated REPIN1 expression, and luciferase reporter assay showed that the tumorigenesis effect of hsa-mir-127 requires, in part, its direct targeting of REPIN1. In conclusion, the hsa-mir-127/REPIN1 pathway is involved in gliomas and could be a potential therapeutic target.


A method for the determination of 22 trace impurities in solar grade silicon after dissolution in a mixture of HF and HNO3 and subsequent matrix evaporation is reported. The presented method involves a simple, inexpensive, one-vessel sample preparation apparatus design. The recoveries of B, Na, Mg, Al, P, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Mo, Sb, W, and Tl at 250 μg kg−1 level are in the range of 93 to 108%. After careful selection of monitored isotopes and their respective resolutions, a sector field mass spectrometer has been used to carry out the measurements. Limits of determination down to 120 ng kg−1 have been obtained using a calibration by three-point standard addition. The method was tested on diluted NIST SRM 57b silicon powder as well as on synthetic test samples and also applied successfully on raw solar grade silicon samples in an interlaboratory comparison including NAA.


The flow nephelometric technique was recently introduced to study the interaction between tannins and proteins. This technique was employed here to study the ability of the polysaccharides xanthan, dextran and gum arabic to disrupt the interactions between condensed tannin fractions from grape seed and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Xanthan was shown to have a higher ability to inhibit the aggregate formation of tannins and BSA than the other polysaccharides. Xanthan's ability to inhibit protein-tannin complex formation was higher for condensed tannin fractions of smaller size and lower complexity. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry


This report summarizes West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance data reported to CDC through ArboNET and by states and other jurisdictions as of August 14, 2002.


One of the most fascinating areas of research within the field of histocompatibility at present time concerns an observation that a major human histocompatibility system, human leucocyte antigen (HLA), is deeply involved in the development of a great number of diseases. Major histocompatibility complex is the most polymorphic system in the genome of different species. Recognition of HLA alleles could be useful in transplantation and disease studies. Genetic construct of HLA DRB1 was studied in Iranian normal populations and patients with aplastic anaemia and Fanconi's disease. DNA was extracted from the whole blood of 466 normal, 35 aplastic anaemia and 10 Fanconi's individuals. Then DRB1 gene polymorphism was studied by polymerase chain reaction‐sequence‐specific primer method. The HLA DRB1 gene analysis showed increase of DRB1*07 in aplastic anaemia patients compared to normal population (P = 0.02). According to this study, the frequency of DRB1*07 in normal individuals was 8.3, and in aplastic anaemia patients, 15.7%. Additionally, the frequency of DRB1*04 in normal, aplastic anaemia and Fanconi's individuals was 10, 5.7 and 20%, respectively. Our results of investigation showed correlation between some HLA alleles with the studied diseases. We reported the frequency of various DR types in aplastic and Fanconi's patients. This study could imply the possible role of HLA‐DRB1*07 in the incidence of aplastic anaemia. Moreover, the frequency of DRB1*04, DRB1*03 and DRB1*15 alleles showed intermediate correlation with Fanconi's anaemia.


Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between bipolar disorder (BP) and endocrine diseases. Further, circadian rhythm disruptions may be a potential common pathophysiological mechanism of both disorders. This review provides a brief overview of the molecular mechanisms of circadian rhythms, as well as roles circadian rhythms play in BP and common endocrine comorbidities such as diabetes and thyroid disease. Treatments targeting the circadian system, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, are also discussed. The hope is to elicit new interest to the importance of circadian system in BP and offer new entry points and impetus to the development of medicine.


Every decision in the Islamic shariah law should be based on the original source, that are nash A1-Qur'an and As-Sunnah as the main source of the Islamic law. The way of law delving from the nash uses the approach of meaning and lafaldz or wording. An overview of the Qur'an to the law does not only use a particular form of sentences, but also in various forms, for instance command sentences (shighat amr), prohibition sentences (shighat nahy), sentences which are characteristically general, muthlaq and so forth. The ushul fiqh scholars make the norms to understand the syara' nashs and delve the taklify correctly from the nashs, so that they are along with what is meant by the language of the nashs themselves. In making the norms- the scholars was directed by the method which once was used by the Prophet SAW in explaining the laws of the Al-Qur'an and the set of laws texts that had been briefed on the As-Sunnah


The metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, is closely related to environmental and lifestyle risk factors. Increasing evidence suggests that environmental risk factors may involve an increase in xenobiotic exposure, for example due to environmental toxins, medications, high meat intake, food additives and supplements; while lifestyle risk factors, such as sedentary lifestyles, may involve a decrease in the detoxification and elimination of xenobiotics. The skin, the body's largest organ, plays a distinct role in the detoxification and elimination of xenobiotics and the body lipid homeostasis, which is affected by sedentary lifestyle and physical activity, as well as by ambient temperature. Thus, it seems that decreased skin biotransformation and excretion, for example due to low ambient temperature and sedentary lifestyle, may be an important risk factor for metabolic syndrome. This review aims to provide insight into the role of the skin in the development of metabolic syndrome.


Abstract. The Neotropical lizard Tropidurus torquatus (Wied, 1820) is a generalist of habitats and habits, occurring both in preserved and in disturbed environments, including urban areas. In the present study, we analyzed the diet composition of populations of T. torquatus from two areas in the state of Rio de Janeiro in southeast Brazil: one with relatively little impact (Bravo 10, in Ilha da Marambaia) and one highly modified by anthropic influence (Rio de Janeiro Botanical Gardens). A total of 55 sexually mature lizards was collected (29 in the Botanical Gardens and 26 in Marambaia). We also sampled invertebrates on the ground and on vegetation to estimate the local potential availability of prey. Both populations presented relatively diverse diets, with ants and winged Hymenoptera (non-ant) being the predominant food items in the Botanical Gardens, whereas in Marambaia ants predominated, though termites were more representative in numerical terms (despite the low frequency of occurrence). In both areas, the proportion of plant material in the diet (10.6% of the total volume in the Botanical Gardens and 9.5% in Marambaia) was relatively low compared with other conspecific populations. Differences in diet between the two lizard populations were not significant, though the diets differed from the estimated local supply of prey in both areas. Our results suggest that the differences in the degree of anthropic disturbance between the two environments are not reflected in the diets of the lizards or in the availability of potential prey, with little variation between areas in both cases.


Emerging evidence suggests that FcγR-mediated cross-linking of tumor-bound mAbs may induce signaling in tumor cells that contributes to their therapeutic activity. In this study, we show that daratumumab (DARA), a therapeutic human CD38 mAb with a broad-spectrum killing activity, is able to induce programmed cell death (PCD) of CD38+ multiple myeloma tumor cell lines when cross-linked in vitro by secondary Abs or via an FcγR. By comparing DARA efficacy in a syngeneic in vivo tumor model using FcRγ-chain knockout or NOTAM mice carrying a signaling-inactive FcRγ-chain, we found that the inhibitory FcγRIIb as well as activating FcγRs induce DARA cross-linking–mediated PCD. In conclusion, our in vitro and in vivo data show that FcγR-mediated cross-linking of DARA induces PCD of CD38-expressing multiple myeloma tumor cells, which potentially contributes to the depth of response observed in DARA-treated patients and the drug's multifaceted mechanisms of action.


G-protein-coupled receptor signaling and receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling are two mechanisms of transmembrane communication used by numerous extracellular agents and stimuli. The beta gamma-subunit complex of G proteins mediates many of the functions associated with G-protein-coupled receptor signaling and may even provide a means to link G proteins to RTK-initiated cascades. This connection may be mediated by the pleckstrin homology domain, a modular domain found in many signaling proteins that interact with G beta gamma.


Background Juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) is a severe multi-system inflammatory disease with very varied presentation and disease course. Diverse clinical manifestations means classification of JSLE can prove challenging. The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) group proposed revised classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLICC-2012 criteria)1. Objectives This study aimed to compare the SLICC-2012 criteria with the widely used American College of Rheumatology classification criteria (ACR-1997 criteria)2.3 in a national cohort of JSLE patients and evaluate how classification criteria that individual patients meet evolved over time. Methods Data from patients in the UK JSLE Cohort Study with a senior clinician diagnosis of probable, evolving or definite JSLE was reviewed. Patients were classified using both criteria within one year of diagnosis and at latest follow-up (following a minimum twelve month follow-up period). Sensitivity of each classification criteria was compared using McNemar's test. Results 226 patients were included. The SLICC-2012 was more sensitive than ACR-1997 at diagnosis (92.9% vs 84.1% p<0.0001) and after follow-up (100% vs 92.0% p<0.0001). Figure 1 provides an overview of our results. Of those patients meeting the SLICC-2012 criteria and not the ACR-1997 criteria 59% of patients at diagnosis and 61% of patients at follow-up, scored more than one additional point on the SLICC-2012. In particular, the inclusion of hypocomplementaemia on SLICC-2012 facilitated classification of more patients using these criteria.Figure 1. Summary of classification criteria met by patients at diagnosis and at follow-up Conclusions The SLICC-2012 was better able to classify patients with JSLE than the ACR-1997 and did so at an earlier stage in their disease course. SLICC-2012 should be considered for classification of JSLE patients for the purpose of observational studies and clinical trial eligibility. It may also be useful in daily practice to corroborate clinician diagnosis of JSLE. References Petri M, Orbai A, Alarcon G, et al. Derivation and validation of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 2012;64:2677–86. Hochberg M. Updating the American college of rheumatology revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 1997;40:1725. Tan E, Cohen A, Fries J, et al. The 1982 revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 1982;25:1271–7. Acknowledgement This abstract is written on behalf of the UK JSLE Study Group. We would like to thank all of the patients and their families for participating in this study, and acknowledge the support given by all of the multidisciplinary teams within each paediatric centre. In addition, special recognition is made to LUPUS UK for financially supporting the UK JSLE Study Group. Special recognition also goes to Mrs Carla Roberts for her continued support of the UK JSLE Cohort Study and Mr Duncan Appleby for database and information technology support. Disclosure of Interest None declared


The HAD (Haloacid Dehalogenase) superfamily is a diverse superfamily with a majority of the enzymes being phosphatases. One family of the HAD superfamily is the nitrophenyl phosphatase family, so named because the first family members were yeast enzymes found only to hydrolyze p‐nitrophenyl phosphate. Since that time, a number of enzymes with a variety of activities have been identified and characterized. There are pyridoxal phosphatases, a UMPase, phosphoglycolate phosphatases, and most recently, a sugar phosphatase from B. subtilis. We have cloned the araL gene, expressed and purified the AraL protein, and partially determined its activity. Like the other family members, AraL is a phosphatase, but unlike any other member, it is the first sugar phosphatase to be reported for this family. Currently, we have found activity on ribose 5‐phosphate, but this may not be the best substrate, as araL is within the arabinose operon. If AraL degrades sugar phosphates found in the arabinose pathway, its cellular role may be to help regulate this important sugar metabolism pathway. This research was supported by an NIH AREA grant.


Abstract Background Antibiotics are frequently overused in the outpatient setting, however it is unknown how antibiotic use differs with age. Infections are a leading cause of hospitalization in elderly patients. Prescribing appropriateness for patients less than 65 years old was compared with patients at or above ≥65 years old in order to identify targets for antimicrobial stewardship in this population. Methods A retrospective review of all outpatient antibiotic prescriptions between June and September of 2017. Prescriptions were reviewed based on alerts in the electronic medical record when orders for antibiotics were signed by the provider. Appropriateness of antibiotics was assessed based on clinical practice guidelines. Retreatment and hospital admissions were documented. Those aged <65 were compared with those ≥65 years of age using Student's t-test and chi-squared tests. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed to identify risk factors for inappropriate use of antibiotics between the two age groups. Results The study period yielded 1,700 prescriptions after exclusions 1,063 were included in the analysis. Patients aged ≥65 comprised 51% of the population. Older patients had significantly more comorbidities than the younger population. No significant difference was observed for antibiotic indicated (60%), correct drug (50%), or correct duration (75%) between the two age groups. Patients in the ≥65 cohort were statistically significantly more likely to receive an inappropriate dose (86% vs. 76%, P < 0.002). In the multivariable analysis, patients with COPD were more likely to be appropriately with antibiotics OR 1.4 (95% CI: 1.03–1.9) compared with those without COPD. Older patients were not more likely to be retreated or admitted for the same indication within 30 days. Conclusion Antibiotics were frequently overused in the outpatient setting; however, they were not more frequently used in elderly patients. However, older adults were more likely to be prescribed an antibiotic at an inappropriate dose highlighting the need for increased caution with dosage selection in this population. Stewardship teams caring for elderly patients should be cognizant of dosing in this population. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


Head mounted displays provide a good platform for viewing of immersive 360° or hemispheric images. A person can observe an image all around, just by turning his/her head and looking at different directions. The device also provides a highly useful tool for studying the observer's gaze directions and head turns. We aimed to explore the interplay between participant's head and gaze directions and collected head and gaze orientation data while participants were asked to view and study hemispheric images. In this exploration paper we show combined visualizations of both the head and gaze orientations and present two preliminary models of the relation between the gaze and the head orientations. We also show results of an analysis of the gaze and head behavior in relation to the given task/question.


The most useful map of the Moon for general purposes, which I have seen, especially for quickly finding and identifying lunar formations, is the wall-map of M. C. M. Gaudibert, drawn by M. Fénet and edited by M. Flammarion. The craters are numbered on the map and a list on the margin gives their names in the order of the numbers. An alphabetic list of names, giving the number alongside, would be a useful supplement. The diameter of the Moon is about 25 English inches. The price of the map is $2.50. E. S. H.


gest possible new techniques for rapidly determining how well a crop is growing a t various times in the season. Measurements of physiological activities of growing plants such as photosynthetic C(x uptake by leaves might be used to detect whether a crop was growing below its maximum potential rate, enabling the farmer to correct an agronomically controllable problem before crop losses were incurred. This report discusses the feasibility of such an approach and presents experimental data on the effects of deficiencies of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and manganese on various physiological attributes of sugar beets.


BACKGROUND
The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether there were changes in HER-2/neu status in newly-developed metastatic lesions following treatment with trastuzumab in advanced breast cancer patients overexpressing HER-2/neu. The utility of serological assays for HER-2/neu in such patients was also studied.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Sixteen patients with HER-2/neu-overexpressing tumors (15 were 3+ by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and one 2+ by IHC and positive by the chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) test) were included in the study. Fourteen patients underwent biopsy and 2 patients fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of newly-developed metastatic lesions following trastuzumab treatment. All samples were assayed for HER-2 by IHC and by the CISH test. Serial serum HER-2/neu (S-HER-2) levels were measured prior to (baseline values) and during trastuzumab-based treatment by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (cut-off point: 10 ng/ml) in all patients. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those with "altered HER-2/neu status" and those with "conserved HER-2/neu status" in the metastatic region.

RESULTS
Six out of the 16 (37%) ("altered HER-2/neu status") newly-developed metastatic lesions lost their HER-2/neu overexpression and scored 0 or +1 by IHC or negative on the CISH test, while in the remaining cases (10/16, 62.5%) ("conserved HER-2/neu status"), the HER-2/neu status was unchanged (+3 by IHC or a positive CISH test). Baseline S-HER-2 levels were elevated in 5 out of 16 patients (3 of "altered HER-2/neu status", 2 of "conserved HER-2/neu status"). The serum HER-2 (S-HER-2) levels declined and returned within the normal ranges in all these 5 patients as a response to trastuzumab treatment. Following the disease progression, the S-HER-2 levels of the 3 patients with "altered HER-2/neu status" remained normal, while those of 2 with "conserved HER-2/neu status" increased. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of chemotherapeutic treatments or the median time of treatment with trastuzumab or chemotherapy between the 2 groups. Time to tumor progression (TTP) was significantly shorter in the "altered HER-2/neu status" patients (median TTP for "altered HER-2/neu status": 9.5 months, and for "conserved HER-2/neu status": 12 months; p <0.001).

CONCLUSION
These data suggest that, for most patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with trastuzumab, the HER-2/neu expression as measured by IHC and/or CISH in newly-developed metastatic lesions was unchanged. However, a remarkable percentage of cases lost HER-2/neu overexpression. It is not clear whether this finding implies resistance or sensitivity to trastuzumab.


BACKGROUND
Clinical guidelines for using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test as a population-based tool vary. This study qualitatively explores the prostate cancer screening practices of African-American primary care physicians.

METHODS
Eight telephone focus groups were conducted with 41 African-American primary care physicians from 22 states. Data were coded on five major topic areas relative to provider screening practices: use of serum PSA and digital rectal examination (DRE), counseling routine, factors influencing screening practices, familiarity with clinical guidelines, and use of educational materials

RESULTS
Almost all (95%) of the physicians routinely recommended and offered prostate cancer screening to their patients, which was universally defined as consisting of both a PSA test and DRE. Most physicians reported offering the PSA test to asymptomatic, non-African-American men beginning around age 50, but African-American men or men with a family history of prostate cancer were offered the PSA test 5-10 years earlier.

CONCLUSIONS
The observed practice patterns for prostate cancer screening among African-American primary care physicians do not evenly reflect both sides of the PSA screening controversy. For most physicians, concerns about prostate cancer in their patients outweighed concerns about the potential limitations of screening and the untoward side effects of treatment. These physicians adopted a more proactive approach toward use of the PSA test in asymptomatic men irrespective of their race or ethnicity.


In terrestrial settings, the Permo-Triassic mass extinction is commonly linked to major changes in sedimentological and climatic conditions that include a switch from meandering to braided fluvial systems and increased aridity. We examined the predominantly terrestrial strata of North China to reveal that, on the contrary, there was little substantial sedimentological change during the Permo-Triassic mass extinction. The crisis level occurs in the upper Sunjiagou Formation, where a range of environments, including low-sinuosity rivers, distally terminating alluvial fans, and mud-dominated coastal plains are recorded. A major sedimentological change occurred slightly higher, within the lowest Triassic, and involved a switch to braided fluvial and shallow lacustrine/fluviodeltaic conditions of the Liujiagou Formation. Later in the Early Triassic, fine-grained, playa lake, and alluvial plain facies became widespread (Heshanggou Formation). Paleosols are present throughout the basin fill and record a transition from Aridisols and Vertisols in the Late Permian to Inceptisols in the Early Triassic followed by gleyed Aridisols, Vertisols, and Inceptisols later in the Early Triassic. Previously reported aeolian facies from Lower Triassic strata were not encountered in this study and were unlikely to have occurred given the prevalence of lacustrine and fluvial conditions at this time. Overall, the North China Basin experienced an increase in seasonal rainfall in the latest Permian and a base-level rise that introduced marine conditions into the southwest of the basin. During the Early Triassic, seasonal or interannual rainfall was frequent, with strong evaporation in a hot climate. Overall, substantial sedimentological changes occurred in the terrestrial Permo-Triassic environments of North China, but despite earlier claims from studies in North China and elsewhere, there was no abrupt transition in fluvial styles around the Permo-Triassic mass extinction.


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory syndrome designated by synovial joint inflammation leading to cartilage degradation and bone damage as well as progressive disability. Synovial inflammation is promoted through the infiltration of mononuclear immune cells, dominated by CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs), together with fibroblast‐like synoviocytes (FLS), into the synovial compartment. Berberine is a bioactive isoquinoline alkaloid compound showing various pharmacological properties that are mainly attributed to immunomodulatory and anti‐inflammatory effects. Several lines of experimental study have recently investigated the therapeutic potential of berberine and its underlying mechanisms in treating RA condition. The present review aimed to clarify determinant cellular and molecular targets of berberine in RA and found that berberine through modulating several signalling pathways involved in the joint inflammation, including PI3K/Akt, Wnt1/β‐catenin, AMPK/lipogenesis and LPA/LPA1/ERK/p38 MAPK can inhibit inflammatory proliferation of FLS cells, suppress DC activation and modulate Th17/Treg balance and thus prevent cartilage and bone destruction. Importantly, these molecular targets may explore new therapeutic targets for RA treatment.


The purpose of this study was to apply a high-power laser blood flowmeter and laser oxygenation monitor to investigate 1) changes during a single isometric contraction and 2) changes after repeated contractions in blood flow (BF), blood volume (THb), and oxygen saturation (StO 2 ) in the human Achilles tendon in vivo . Subjects (n = 17) performed isometric contractions at 10%, 30%, and 50% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) for 1 min. Subjects (n = 10) also performed five sets of 50 repetitions at 70% of MVC for 1 second (s), and remained relaxed for 20 min. During isometric contractions at all torque levels, BF decreased significantly from resting level regardless of torque level, whereas THb during contractions tended to decrease with increases in torque level. After repeated contractions, BF, THb, and StO 2 were higher during the recovery period than resting level. These results show that 1) BF in the tendon was already interrupted during 10% of MVC to the same degree as that during 50% of MVC, whereas THb during contractions slightly decreased with increases in the torque level and 2) blood circulation (BF, THb, and StO 2 ) within the tendon was facilitated further after repeated contractions.


Conjugated polymer actuators are electroactive materials capable of generating force and movement in response to an applied external voltage. Many potential biomedical and industrial applications require these actuators to operate in a liquid environment. However, immersion of uncoated conducting polymer actuators in non-electrolyte liquids greatly reduces their operating lifetime. Here, we demonstrate the use of spray coating as an effective and simple method to encapsulate polypyrrole (PPy) tri-layer bending actuators. Poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (SIBS) was used as an encapsulating, compliant spray coating on PPy actuators. A significant enhancement in actuator lifetime in both air and water was observed by encapsulating the actuators. The change in stiffness and reduction in bending amplitude for coatings of different thickness was studied. A simple beam mechanics model describes the experimental results and highlights the importance of coating compliance for actuator coatings. The model may be used to evaluate other possible encapsulating materials.


Photographic observations on the growth of surface instabilities in a linear pinched discharge are presented, and numerical results on the growth rates are deduced from them. These are discussed with reference to the various theoretical studies made. It is shown that the Rayleigh-Taylor type of instability is likely to be the dominant process and an attempt is made to compare the observed growth rates with those predicted.


1 Plasma levels of levomepromazine and two of its major metabolites N-desmethyl-levomepromazine and levomepromazine sulphoxide were studied in two poisoned patients treated with resin haemoperfusion at a constant blood flow of 200 ml/min. 2 The mean haemoperfusion clearance of levomepromazine, N-desmethyl-levomepromazine and levomepromazine sulphoxide was 114, 123 and 151 ml/min, respectively, in patient no. 1, and 153, 148 and 184 ml/min, respectively, in patient no. 2. Patient no. 2 had also ingested amitriptyline, and the mean haemoperfusion clearance of amitriptyline and its metabolite nortriptyline was 183 and 183 ml/min respectively. 3 Haemoperfusion did not seem to alter the elimination profile of levomepromazine or the two metabolites in either patient. 4 We conclude that haemoperfusion is of little value in removing levomepromazine, N-desmethyl-levomepromazine or levomepromazine sulphoxide from the body. This is probably due to the large apparent volume of distribution and the high intrinsic hepatic metabolic clearance of these compounds.


The article is a response to the arguments by O.B. Koshovets and I.E. Frolov on the emergence of "technoscience". Technoscience is opposed by the authors to the classical science characterized by the dominance of the technological component of research and capitalization of knowledge. The article focuses on two tasks. The first one supposes an appeal to the historical origins of technoscience and demonstrates significant relationship between technoscience and classical science. The second one involves the disclosure of contemporary negative trends of technoscience as creating conditions for their own overcoming. In conclusion it associates the work on the autonomy of science with the constructive dialogue between scientific and non-scientific knowledge.


Thymidylate synthase (TS) is a crucial enzyme for DNA biosynthesis and many nonclassical lipophilic antifolates targeting this enzyme are quite efficient and encouraging as antitumor drugs. We report 3D-QSAR analyses on pyrrolo pyrimidine and thieno pyrimidine antifolates to contemplate the mechanism of action and structure-activity relationship of these molecules. By applying leave-one-out (LOO) cross-validation study, cross-validated q2 value of 0.523 and 0.566 for CoMFA Ligand based (LB) and Receptor based (RB), 0.516 and 0.471 for CoMSIA LB and RB respectively. while the non-cross-validated r2 values were found to be 0.974 and 0.969 for CoMFA LB and RB, 0.983 and 0.972 for CoMSIA LB and RB respectively. The models were graphically interpreted using CoMFA and CoMSIA contour plots. The results obtained from this study were used for rational design of potent inhibitors against thymidylate synthase.


This article seeks to underline the importance of the image of Medusa in Statius' Thebaid. The Gorgon is explicitly introduced in an ekphrasis of a sacred goblet in the program- matic first book. This ekphrasis seems to function as a narrating mechanism that enables the reader to activate Medusa's presence, which may then remain lingering throughout the entire epic poem. Stimulated by echoes of words and scenes, that evoke the ekphrasis, the reader gradually creates his own fictional network in which the Gorgon continuously appears. Her (implicit) presence is illustrated in the passage that describes the marriage of Adrastus' daughters to Polynices and Tydeus in the second book, and in the tragic pas- sage in the fifth book in which Opheltes prematurely dies.