Each fruit changes its color in its life span; including stages not ripe, semi ripped, completely ripped or at the end rotten. Hence, we can grade/sort the fruits by processing its color images and then applying pattern recognition techniques on those images. In general, various parameters for grading of a fruit are its' size, ripeness, sweetness, longetivity, diseased/rotten. This paper discusses the research work for automated grading of lemons using multiple pattern recognition techniques applied on color images of lemons. This research is carried out on 150 Lemon fruits of 5 different breeds, collected from varied geographical locations in Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra. System designed can automatically classify a lemon given its color image of 640 × 480 pixel resolution taken inside a special box designed with 430 lux intensity light inside it, by a digital camera. The various pattern recognition techniques used are Nearest Prototype Classification, Edited Nearest Neighbor and Linear Regression. KeywordsPattern Recognition, Color Image Processing, and Automated Fruit sorting.


Deformed TiO2 aggregates (DTA) were synthesized for improving the energy conversion efficiency and used in the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The mesoporous DTA was composed of primary nanoparticles with a particle size of approximately 13.4 nm and had an overall dimension of about 300–600 nm measured by using transmission electron microscope and field-emission scanning electron microscope. TiO2-P25 film (P25), DTA film and DTA-doped TiO2-P25 film (DMP) were fabricated by using doctor-blade technique. The topographies of the photoanode film were also revealed by using scanning probe microscope to provide evidence for the influence of the roughness on the electrochemical interface. The UV–Vis spectra showed that the absorbance of the DMP film was superior to the P25 and DTA film in the region of whole visible wavelengths. The DMP film represented a low interface impedance and a longer electron lifetime, which were indicated from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis. DSSC based on DMP film showed a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 5.34% with a working area of 1.0 cm2 under a standard solar light source of 100 mW/cm2.


A dual catalytic iron/lipase system has been developed and applied in the dynamic kinetic resolution of benzylic and aliphatic secondary alcohols. A detailed study of the Knölker-type iron complexes demonstrated the hydrogen autotransfer of alcohols to proceed under mild reaction conditions and allowed the combination with the enzymatic resolution. Different racemic alcohols were efficiently converted to chiral acetates in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities.


The unique rheological properties of bread wheat dough and the breadmaking quality of its flour are the main factors responsible for the global distribution and utilization of wheat. Recently, interest in the production and expansion of spelt wheat has been boosted due to its significance in the production of healthy food, mostly originated from organic production. The aim of this study was to examine and compare quality parameters (gluten content, Zeleny sedimentation volume, farinograph dough properties), protein content and composition (by the Dumas method, Size Exclusion (SE) and Reversed Phase (RP) High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analyses) of five bread and five spelt wheat varieties grown under conventional and organic production in Hungary and under conventional production in Serbia. Most of the analyzed traits showed significant differences between varieties, wheat species and growing sites. Total protein content was significantly higher in spelt than in bread wheat and under conventional than under organic production. In comparison to spelt, bread wheat showed better breadmaking quality, characterized by a higher amount of glutenins (in particular high molecular weight glutenin subunits) and unextractable polymeric proteins. The proportion of the gliadins was also found to be different under conventional and organic systems. Spelt Ostro and Oberkulmer-Rotkorn and bread wheat varieties Balkan, Estevan and Pobeda proved suitable for low input and organic systems.


Decolorization of methyl orange with live and autoclaved biomass fungi were studied. Sixteen different fungi including Fusarium, Trichoderma, Humicola, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Paecilomyces, Alternaria and Beauveria were evaluated. The highest decolorization activity was observed with Fusarium acuminatum and Humicola fuscoatra. Decolorization efficiencies of live and autoclaved biomasses were compared. In addition, spores of eight fungi showing high decolorization efficiency were inoculated for decolorization ability. The most successful fungi were Penicillium sp. and Fusarium sp. For adsorption studies, methyl orange decolorization with live and autoclaved biomasses were found most suitable with malt extract compared to yeast extract peptone medium.


The carotid body (CB) is the major chemoreceptor for blood oxygen in the control of ventilation in mammals, contributing to physiological adaptation to high altitude, pregnancy, and exercise, and its hyperactivity is linked to chronic conditions such as sleep-disorder breathing, hypertension, chronic heart failure, airway constriction, and metabolic syndrome (1–3). Upon acute hypoxia (PO2=100 mmHg to <80 mmHg), K+ channels on CB glomus cells are inhibited, causing membrane depolarization to trigger Ca+2 influx and neurotransmitter release that stimulates afferent nerves (1–3). A longstanding model proposes that the CB senses hypoxia through atypical mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) metabolism that is more sensitive to decreases in oxygen than other tissues. This model is supported by observations that ETC inhibition by pharmacology and gene knockout activates CB sensory activity and that smaller decreases in oxygen concentration inhibit ETC activity in CB cells compared to other cells (1–5). Determining the composition of atypical ETC subunits in the CB and their specific activities is essential to delineate molecular mechanisms underlying the mitochondrial hypothesis of oxygen sensing. Here, we identify HIGD1C, a novel hypoxia inducible gene domain factor isoform, as an ETC Complex IV (CIV) protein highly and selectively expressed in glomus cells that mediates acute oxygen sensing by the CB. We demonstrate that HIGD1C negatively regulates oxygen consumption by CIV and acts with the hypoxia-induced CIV subunit COX4I2 to enhance the sensitivity of CIV to hypoxia, constituting an important component of mitochondrial oxygen sensing in the CB. Determining how HIGD1C and other atypical CIV proteins expressed in the CB work together to confer exquisite oxygen sensing to the ETC will help us better understand how tissue- and condition-specific CIV subunits contribute to physiological function and disease (6) and allow us to potentially target these proteins to treat chronic diseases characterized by CB dysfunction (7).


This study develops a mathematical inventory model of a cooperative manufactuer-retailer supply chain for deteriorating items which experience continuous decrease in unit price. This invertory model, from the perspective of OEM (original equipment manufacturer) supplier, proposes an efficient replenishment policy for a single supplier-buyer partnership in which the retailer conducts just-in-time through a realization of multiple deliveries. In the system, the contract in the two-echelon supply chain aims to benefit both players through a profit-sharing mechanism. This study maximizes the total profit of the manufacturer using a heuristic search algorithm. A numerical example and snesitivity analysis illustrate the model and its application.


Abstract. A novel method, based on the combination of data assimilation and machine learning is introduced. The new hybrid approach is designed for a two-fold scope: (i) emulating a hidden, possibly chaotic, dynamics and (ii) predicting its future states. The method applies alternatively a data assimilation step, here an ensemble Kalman filter, and a neural network. Data assimilation is used to combine optimally a surrogate model with sparse noisy data. The resulting analysis is spatially complete and can thus be used as a training set by the neural network to upgrade the surrogate model. The two steps are then repeated iteratively. Numerical experiments have been carried out using the chaotic Lorenz 96, a 40-variables model, proving both convergence and statistical skills. The skill metrics include the short-term forecast skills out to two Lyapunov times, the retrieval of positive Lyapunov exponents and the power density spectrum. The sensitivity of the method to critical setup parameters is also presented: forecast skills decrease smoothly with increased observational noise but drops abruptly if less then half of the model domain is observed. The synergy demonstrated with a low-dimensional system is encouraging for more sophisticated dynamics and motivates further investigation to merge data assimilation and machine learning.


The properties of soil organic carbon (SOC) required for carbon sequestration and nutrient availability are contradictory, and the changes in SOC caused by agricultural land use changes remain elusive. Data on the total soil organic carbon (TOC) and labile organic carbon, including easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC), of the soil profile were analysed for four typical agricultural land use scenarios in the Chengdu Plain, China. The impacts of agricultural land use changes on sequestration and nutrient availability of SOC were assessed in this urban agricultural area using the space‐for‐time substitution method. Conversion of land use from a traditional agricultural rotation (rice‐wheat/rapeseed rotation) to afforestation increased the MBC content and decreased the contents of EOC, DOC, and TOC due to the lower input of organic matter, improved aeration of the soil profile, and growth of aboveground biomass. Conversion of a traditional rotation to a rice–garlic rotation resulted in a significant increase in topsoil TOC, slight but insignificant decreases in subsoil TOC, and clear increases in labile organic carbon because of rice planting, rice straw mulch, and reasonable application of chemical fertilizers. In contrast, the conversion of a traditional rotation to a rice–leafy vegetable rotation decreased MBC due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers that consequently increased EOC, DOC, and TOC. We conclude that afforestation on paddy soil has negative consequences for soil carbon sequestration and a rice–leafy vegetable rotation contributes to carbon sequestration but is detrimental to soil fertility. In addition, the MBC ratio in soil could be the optimal indicator for assessing SOC stability and soil fertility, and more attention should be paid to subsoil carbon changes.


In the study described in this article, primary school teachers? pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of technology education was measured with a multiple choice test; the Teaching of Technology Test (TTT). The aim of the study was to explore the latent factor structure of PCK, which is considered to be a crucial and distinctive domain of teacher knowledge. As far as known, it is the first time that PCK is approached in this way. Many different components of PCK have been proposed in an attempt to define the concept, but these components have never been statistically confirmed. Three components were selected as the main knowledge components of PCK for technology education in primary schools: (1) Knowledge of pupils? concept of technology and knowledge of their pre and misconceptions related to technology; (2) Knowledge of the nature and purpose of technology education; (3) Knowledge of pedagogical approaches and teaching strategies for technology education. The results of this study gave useful insights into primary school teachers? PCK of technology education. It appeared that the theoretically predefined knowledge components could be indentified as latent factors. Furthermore, PCK could be characterized as a heterogeneous construct. That is, it consists of many intrinsic elements, which are difficult to unravel. Although measurement of PCK with a multiple-choice test has clear-cut advantages compared to qualitative methods and the results of the TTT are promising, further steps should be taken to reach satisfactory psychometric properties for practical application. This article provides ideas on how to (further) develop a multiple choice test to measure PCK.


Biodiesel is a renewable fuel conventionally prepared by transesterification of pre-extracted vegetable oils and animal fats of all resources with methanol, catalyzed by strong acids or bases. This paper reports on a novel biodiesel production method that features acid-promoted direct methanolysis of cellular biomass of oleaginous yeasts and filamentous fungi. The process was optimized for tuning operation parameters, such as methanol dosage, catalyst concentration, reaction temperature and time. Up to 98% yield was reached with reaction conditions of 70 degrees C, under ambient pressure for 20h and a dried biomass to methanol ratio 1:20 (w/v) catalyzed by either 0.2 mol L-1 H2SO4 or 0.4 mol L-1 HCl. Cetane numbers for these products were estimated to range from 56 to 59. This integrated method is thus effective and technically attractive, as dried microbial biomass as feedstocks omits otherwise tedious and time-consuming oil extraction processes.


Cohesive soils are found all over the world and can cause significant harm to infrastructure and structures. Many innovative ways to improve the strength of cohesive soils are being explored to decrease the negative qualities and make them appropriate for construction applications. The availability of novel materials, in addition to traditional procedures, has boosted the area of soil reinforcement. In the realm of soil stabilisation, the inclusion of nanomaterials is one of the newest creative ideas. In geotechnical engineering, nanotechnology could be viewed as dual methods: the composition of the soil can be found at the nanoscale, and soil modification can be accomplished at the atomic and molecular levels. The goal of this research is to see if it is possible to stabilise cohesive soil using two distinct nanomaterials and to look at the changes in geotechnical parameters. Nanocrystalline magnesium oxide and nano zinc oxide is included in the soil with (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1) w/% and trials were executed to evaluate the optimal percent and strength properties of the mixtures.


Clinical trials are crucial for drug development but are time consuming, expensive, and often burdensome on patients. More importantly, clinical trials face uncertain outcomes due to issues with efficacy, safety, or problems with patient recruitment. If we were better at predicting the results of clinical trials, we could avoid having to run trials that will inevitably fail — more resources could be devoted to trials that are likely to succeed. In this paper, we propose Hierarchical INteraction Network (HINT) for more general, clinical trial outcome predictions for all diseases based on a comprehensive and diverse set of web data including molecule information of the drugs, target disease information, trial protocol and biomedical knowledge. HINT first encode these multi-modal data into latent embeddings, where an imputation module is designed to handle missing data. Next, these embeddings will be fed into the knowledge embedding module to generate knowledge embeddings that are pretrained using external knowledge on pharmaco-kinetic properties and trial risk from the web. Then the interaction graph module will connect all the embeddings via domain knowledge to fully capture various trial components and their complex relations as well as their influences on trial outcomes. Finally, HINT learns a dynamic attentive graph neural network to predict trial outcome. Comprehensive experimental results show that HINT achieves strong predictive performance, obtaining 0.772, 0.607, 0.623, 0.703 on PR-AUC for Phase I, II, III, and indication outcome prediction, respectively. It also consistently outperforms the best baseline method by up to 12.4% on PR-AUC.


The article looks at some examples of the urban regeneration strategies and initiatives in Medellín, Colombia. Being part of the process of regeneration of the country after the decades of the armed conflict the initiatives transform the city at least by creating the discourse that facilitates the social change in the city. The ontological proposal of feminist more-than-humanism focusing on materiality of water, particularly its rhizomatic connectivity, allows rethinking the concept of the city and its regeneration as generation of the inclusive space that provides habitat and life for anyone who wants to live in, around, through, and with the city. The revised initiatives are symbolically divided into two groups: water plans of connection-fragmentation policy and traces of water—mostly grassroots connectivity in response to the dominating power structures. They are not uniform groups and are the products/processes of tension between opposite tendencies. Creative tension is works of water. Water looks at limitations as at the opportunity to create the new. Its regeneration is not re- but generation of the inclusive habitat that provides life for anyone who wants to live in, around, through, and with the city.


Vision systems are a possible choice to obtain sensorial data about the world in robotic systems. To obtain three-dimensional information using vision we can use different computer vision techniques such as stereo, motion, or focus. In particular, this work explores focus to obtain depth or structure perception of the world. In practice, focusing can be obtained by displacing the sensor plate with respect to the image plane, by moving the lens, or by moving the object with respect to the optical system. Moving the lens or sensor plate with respect to each other causes changes of the magnification and corresponding changes on the object coordinates. In order to overcome these problems, we propose varying the degree of focusing by moving the camera with respect to the object position. In our case, the camera is attached to the tool of a manipulator in a hand-eye configuration, with the position of the camera always known. This approach ensures that the focused areas of the image are always subjected to the same magnification. To measure the focus quality we use operators to evaluate the quantity of high-frequency components on the image. Different types of these operators were tested and the results compared.


The purpose of the study examined the observed variables. There are four hypothesis, namely the relationship between ease of use and consumer attitudes, the relationship between usefulness and consumer attitudes, the relationship between perceived risk and consumer attitudes, and last the relationship between consumer attitudes and intention to buy Zalora.The sampling technique that used is convenience sampling method and the execution using questionnaire to collect the data. This method is used because the chosen sample must understand about the research problems. Questionnaire spreaded to 150 online consumers who has intention to buy Zalora at Paragon Mall in Surakarta. The geographical selection based on practical reasons where Surakarta has many online consumers. The 150 usable questionnaires were analyzed with SPSS.In this study, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to analyze the hypothesis of the research. Data processed using AMOS.  The result showed that consumer attitudes increased the intention to buy Zalora.  Consumer attitudes can be formed through the increase of ease of use from buying process, the usefulness of the website, and awarding guarantee to reduce the perceived of risk. Consumer attitudes mediated the causal relationship of ease of use, usefulness, and perceived risk to intention to buy. This provides an understanding for Zalora to observe an increase in ease of use, usefulness and improvement of services to reduce the risks in order to deliver a positive attitudes toward consumers that will lead to an interest in buying.Keywords :Ease of Use, Usefullness, Perceived Risk, Consumer Attitude, Intetionto Buy


ABSTRACT Gram-negative bacteria are inherently impermeable to hydrophobic compounds, due to the synergistic activity of the permeability barrier imposed by the outer membrane and energy dependent efflux systems. The gram-negative, enteric pathogen Vibrio cholerae appears to be deficient in both these activities; the outer membrane is not an effective barrier to hydrophobic permeants, presumably due to the presence of exposed phospholipids on the outer leaflet of the outer membrane, and efflux systems are at best only partially active. When V. cholerae was grown in the presence of bile, entry of hydrophobic compounds into the cells was significantly reduced. No difference was detected in the extent of exposed phospholipids on the outer leaflet of the outer membrane between cells grown in the presence or absence of bile. However, in the presence of energy uncouplers, uptake of hydrophobic probes was comparable between cells grown in the presence or absence of bile, indicating that energy-dependent efflux processes may be involved in restricting the entry of hydrophobic permeants into bile grown cells. Indeed, an efflux system(s) is essential for survival of V. cholerae in the presence of bile. Expression of acrAB, encoding an RND family efflux pump, was significantly increased in V. cholerae cells grown in vitro in the presence of bile and also in cells grown in rabbit intestine.


Background: Propolis is a natural honeybee's product which produced to protect its hive, so, it is anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavengers. This work aimed to study the role of propolis against genotoxic effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on bone marrow chromosomes and DNA content of male albino mice. The mice divided into group1 were a control group, group2 treated with 1g/kg body weight (b.wt.) of MSG, group3 treated with a dose of MSG in addition to 100mg/kg b.wt. of propolis and group4 treated with a dose of propolis. All animals treated daily for two and four weeks and orally of selected doses.

Results: MSG treatment showed a time dependent significant increased (p<0.001)in chromosomal aberrations, these aberrations were centromeric attenuation, deletion, ring, fragment, centric fusion, beaded chromosome and polyploidy. Micronucleus test showed bone marrow cells toxicity which indicated by reduction of the ratio of PCE and showed highly significant increased (p<0.001) in %DNA damage which measured by % DNA tail comet, while the treatment with MSG in addition to propolis significantly decreased (p<0.05) these alternations in chromosomes and DNA.

Conclusion: The present study indicated that MSG treatment induced genotoxic effect on bone marrow chromosomes, DNA content of male albino mice and propolis treatment improved these changes. Therefore, the using of MSG should be restricted to a very narrow range border and may using of propolis in our daily life.


Background and Objectives: Many real-world problems are time series forecasting (TSF) problem. Therefore, providing more accurate and flexible forecasting methods have always been a matter of interest to researchers. An important issue in forecasting the time series is the predicated time interval. Methods: In this paper, a new method is proposed for time series forecasting that can make more accurate predictions at larger intervals than other existing methods. Neural networks are an effective tool for estimating time series due to their nonlinearity and their ability to be used for different time series without specific information of those.  A variety of neural networks have been introduced so far, some of which have been used in forecasting time series.  Encoder decoder Networks are an example of networks that can be used in time series forcasting. an encoder network encodes the input data based on a particular pattern and then a decoder network decodes the output based on the encoded input to produce the desired output. Since these networks have a better understanding of the context, they provide a better performance. An example of this type of network is transformer.  A transformer neural network based on the self-attention is presented that has special capability in forecasting time series problems. Results: The proposed model has been evaluated through experimental results on two benchmark real-world TSF datasets from different domain. The experimental results states that, in terms of long-term estimation Up to eight times more resistant and in terms of estimation accuracy about 20 percent improvement, compare to other well-known methods, is obtained. Computational complexity has also been significantly reduced. Conclusion: The proposed tool could perform better or compete with other introduced methods with less computational complexity and longer estimation intervals. It was also found that with better configuration of the network and better adjustment of attention, it is possible to obtain more desirable results in any specific problem. ====================================================================================================== Copyrights ©2021 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.======================================================================================================


Abstract Although ozone (O3) is a well‐known bactericide and fungicide, the required dose of ozone can depend significantly on the targeted pathogens. The present research evaluates the variation in sensibility to ozone of three fungal species from a single fungal group. The three fungal species selected, Venturia inaequalis, Botrytis cinerea, and Neofabreae alba, belong to the Ascomycota group and attack apples. The fungi were exposed to ozone by bubbling directly into the spore solutions (treatment period ranged from 0.5 to 4 min, ozone concentration in inlet gas ranged from 1 to 30 g/m3). The rates of germination were determined, and the level of peroxidation of the lipid membrane was quantified based on the malondialdehyde (MDA) production. The results indicate that ozone effectively reduces spore development and suggest that the fungi differ in sensitivity. To reduce by 50% the spore germination rate of N. alba, B. cinerea, and V. inaequalis requires ozone doses of 0.01, 0.03, and 0.07 mg/ml, respectively. Spore sensitivity seems to be directly linked to spore surface. For all the fungal species, the MDA level and the level of spore inactivation both increase with ozone dose, which confirms that ozone alters the cell membrane.


Rapid development of wireless and internet communications requires development of new generation high frequency electronics based on new device concepts and new materials. The very high intrinsic velocity of charge carriers in graphene makes it promising new channel material for high frequency electronics. In this thesis, the graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) are fabricated using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene and investigated for high frequency electronics applications. The characterization and simulation of high frequency performance of the state-of-the-art GFETs devices are given. A modified fabrication process is used. This allows for preserving intrinsic graphene properties in the GFET channel and, simultaneously, achieving extremely low graphene/metal contact resistance. As a result, GFETs with state-of-the-art high frequency performance were fabricated and used in further analysis for development of GFETs with continuously improved performance. In particular, the dependencies between the material quality and the highfield high-frequency performance of GFETs fabricated on Si chip have been studied. It was shown, that the low-field carrier mobility can be selected as the material quality parameter. The high-frequency performance of GFETs is characterized by fT and fmax. The surface distribution of the graphene/dielectric material quality across the chip has been exploited as a tool to study the dependencies of GFET high-frequency performance on the material quality. The fT and fmax increase in the range of 20-40 GHz with low-field mobility in the range of 600-2000 cm/V s. The dependencies are analyzed by combining the models of the drain resistance, carrier velocity, saturation velocity and small-signal equivalent circuit. Additionally, this allows for clarifying the effects of the equivalent-circuit parameters, such as contact resistance (Rc), transconductance (gm) and differential drain conductance (gds), on the fT and fmax. The observed variations of fT and fmax are mainly governed by corresponding variations of gm and gds. Analysis allows for identifying a most promising approach for improving the GFET high-frequency performance, which is selection of adjacent dielectric materials with optical phonon energy higher than that of SiO2, resulting in higher saturation velocity and, hence, higher fT and fmax.


The measurement of the spatial attitude of the tube sheet is the basis for automated shield assembly. This paper presents an image processing method for measuring the surface grooves of the tube sheet. The measurement process consists of two processes: target detection and target coordinate measurement. The environmental factors that affect the recognition rate are analyzed and effective recognition coefficients are defined to further improve the method's ability to resist interference from external factors.


The objective of this study is to examine the effect of menstrual cycle phases on aerobic-anaerobic capacity and muscle strength. 10 female kickboxing athletes with an average age of 21.40±2.01 years; average height of 169.60±6.14 cm; average weight of 63.90±5.76 kg and average training age of 7.41±2.10 participated in the study. On the first day, maximal strength (1RM), strength endurance, wingate anaerobic power and capacity test (WAnT) were conducted and aerobic measurements were taken the next day. The measurements were conducted in follicular phase on the days 2-3 rd of menstrual bleeding, in mid-follicular phase on 8-9 th days and in luteal phase on 22-23 th days. The data were analyzed with Friedman repeated measurements variance analysis. According to the results of the study, it was found that kickboxing athletes' aerobic-anaerobic capacity, 1RM, strength endurance and heart rate (HR) were not affected by follicular phase, mid-follicular phase and luteal phase (p>0.005). As a conclusion, it can be said that menstrual cycle does not influence performance parameters such as muscle strength, muscle endurance and aerobic-anaerobic capacity.


Mouse models faithfully simulating human cancer are valuable for genetic identification of potential drug-targets but, among them, the most advantageous for practical use in subsequent preclinical testing of candidate therapeutic regimes are those exhibiting rapid tumor development. Considering that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the deadliest of the major malignancies and an unresolved clinical problem, and that a KRAS mutation (predominantly in codon 12, such as KRASG12D; KRAS*) occurs with high frequency (∼90%) in PDA cases, we sought to develop a mouse PDA model that would exhibit high tumor incidence and short latency by ectopic overexpression of Kras*. This transgenic modification caused by two weeks postpartum the appearance of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), which evolved into invasive PDA within a week later, and resulted in a moribund condition at one month of age. Interestingly, however, this aggressive form of pancreatic tumorigenesis was effectively prevented by genetic ablation of Myc specifically in the pancreas On the basis of this observation, causally demonstrating that Kras* oncogenicity fully depends on unperturbed Myc activity, we tested with positive results the effective treatment of our mouse PDA model by using orally-administered Mycro3, a small-molecule inhibitor of Myc-Max dimerization. PET/CT image analysis demonstrated marked shrinkage of PDA, while immunohistochemical analyses showed an increase in cancer cell apoptosis and reduction in cell proliferation. Tumor growth was also drastically attenuated in Mycro3-treated NOD/SCID mice carrying orthotopic or heterotopic xenografts of human pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, Mycro3 was efficacious in treating xenografts generated either heterotopically or orthotopically (by tail-injection) using a human lung carcinoma cell line (KRASG12D) and also in treating KRAS-driven mouse mammary tumors. These results provide strong justification for eventual clinical evaluation of anti-Myc drugs as potential chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of PDA and other Myc-dependent cancers. Citation Format: Dimitris Stellas, Matthias Szabolcs, Sanjay Koul, Zhe Li, Alexander Polyzos, Constantinos Anagnostopoulos, Zoe Cournia, Constantin Tamvakopoulos, Apostolos Klinakis, Argiris Efstratiadis. A small molecule Myc inhibitor has therapeutic effects on mouse pancreatic and other cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-260. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-260


Background: Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is a major cause of death all over the world. Among patients with coronary artery disease, there are different cardiovascular risk factors which may exhibit their effects on coronary angiographic findings. This work aimed to study the relation of different cardiovascular risk factors with coronary angiographic findings in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Methods: This case-series prospective study involved 220 patients with IHD who underwent coronary angiography in Mosul Cardiac Catheterization Unit in Ibn-Sina Teaching Hospital over a period of five months from April 1st through August 31st 2006. Patients with different coronary risk factors including smoking, positive family history of IHD, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension (HT), dyslipidemia, obesity and physical inactivity who presented with IHD were categorized and compared according to presentations into; ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) ( n = 72), Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and/or unstable angina (n = 98) and chronic stable angina (n = 50) and then the patients were re-grouped according to the number of cardiovascular risk factors into patients with 3 risk factors (n = 95). Results: There were significant associations between the risk factors and the angiographic characteristics in patients with IHD. There were more significantly stenosed lesions among patients with > 3 risk factors compared to patients with < 3 risk factors (p < 0.05). Lesions were more diffused (p < 0.01), with higher incidence of left ventricular dysfunction (p < 0.001) among former patients compared to later ones. Conclusions: Significant findings were observed in the angiographic profile of patients with multiple risk factors. There were more multi-vessels and diffused angiographic findings among patients with chronic stable angina.


Results from empirical studies in bilingual research demonstrate that "code-switching" in bilinguals, i.e., the change from one language to another, comes at a cost. What is still unclear is the exact nature of the cost. In this paper, we develop a connectionist model of Green's Inhibitory Control (IC) hypothesis for a bilingual lexical decision task (Green, 1998, 74), which hypothesizes that the cost of switching between two languages in this task is due to inhibitory forces among different task schema and word forms. We were able to fit the model to the empirical data from Von Studnitz and Green (1997, Experiment 1), thus providing a proof-of-concept model that the IC hypothesis can account for the observed language switching costs and for the L1 language advantage effect in a lexical decision task. More extensive, systematic explorations of the model and its parameters in related but different tasks are, however, required to determine the extent of the IC applicability. Although the IC hypothesis is simple, it advanced earlier hypothesis by suggesting that the major source of language switching costs lies not in the lexico-semantic system but in a task/decision system; this notion is incorporated by Dijkstra and Van Heuven (2002) in their BIA+ hypothesis. By modelling the IC hypothesis, we suggest that not only is it a plausible explanation for the locus of control but also the reasonableness of the BIA+ hypothesis as the basis for further research in code switching and language learning.


Disparity estimation constitutes an active research area in stereo vision, and in recent years, global estimation methods aiming at minimizing an energy function over the whole image have gained a lot of attention. To overcome the difficulties raised by the nonconvexity of the minimized criterion, convex relaxations have been proposed by several authors. In this paper, the global energy function is made convex by quantizing the disparity map and converting it into a set of binary fields. It is shown that the problem can then be efficiently solved by parallel proximal splitting approaches. A primal algorithm and a primal-dual one are proposed and compared based on numerical tests.


Objective : To determine the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms and the impact on quality of life of women in Trat Province. Methods : From September 2003 to February 2004, a population-based cross-sectional survey was performed. A lower urinary tract symptoms-specific questionnaire and incontinence-specific quality of life questionnaire was administered to 1,500 women in Amphor Muang, Trat Province. Demographic data, obstetric history, medical diseases, and score of quality of life were analysed by using Student t-test and ANOVA. P < .05 was considered as a level of significance. Result : A total of 1,128 women, mean age 39.08 ± 13.61 years (range; 15-95 years),completed the questionnaire. Lower urinary tract symptoms was found in 80.2 percent of women in Trat Province. The prevalence of nocturia, stress incontinence, urgency, frequency, and urge incontinence were 73.0 percent, 33.6 percent, 17.4 percent, 11.9 percent, and 11.0 percent, respectively.The results showed that incontinence-specific quality of life was affected by lower urinary tract symptoms in aspects of avoidance and limiting behavior, psychosocial impacts and social embarrassment. Conclusion : Lower urinary tract symptoms was a common problem among women of all ages in Trat Province and it adversely affected quality of life.


BACKGROUND
Microneurographic recordings of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) have shown that sympathetic activation may characterize diabetes mellitus. However, it is recognized that comorbidities and metabolic abnormalities frequently associated with both type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) diabetes affect MSNA, generating potential confounding effects and making the association between sympathetic activation and diabetes mellitus still a controversial matter.

METHODS
The present meta-analysis evaluated 11 microneurographic studies enrolling 314 diabetes mellitus patients and healthy controls, and MSNA was chosen as the main variable of interest. Collection of the data included indirect adrenergic markers such as heart rate and venous plasma noradrenaline, together with hemodynamic, anthropometric and metabolic variables.

RESULTS
A total of 11 microneurographic studies were evaluated including 314 diabetes mellitus patients and controls. Diabetes mellitus displayed MSNA significantly greater than controls (mean difference amounting to 8.1, 95% confidence interval 1.21-15.08, P < 0.05). This difference was ascribed to T2DM, since T1DM patients displayed MSNA values superimposable to controls. In T2DM MSNA was directly related to age (r = 0.83, β = 0.82, P < 0.04) and plasma insulin (r = 1.00, β = 2.25, P < 0.01) but not to other variables.

CONCLUSION
T2DM-related sympathetic activation is detectable even when obesity, hypertension and metabolic syndrome are excluded; not found in T1DM; not associated with anthropometric and hemodynamic variables; and related to plasma insulin.


Abstract This article is an attempt at investigating new meanings and significance of computer-based entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors explore how and to what extent students in Poland have been using electronics for entertainment during the global crisis, what emotions appeared and whether they were able and willing to engage in an auto-reflexive process. The article presents the results of the questionnaire interview designed for the purposes of this particular study. The authors chose to reveal the multi-facetedness of the theme in question, i.e. focus on the possibilities and the future that computer-based etertainment offers, leading to transformations both externally and internally.


We present electrochemical analyses of the catalysis of dioxygen reduction by Thermus thermophilus strain HB27 laccase on ketjen black substrates. Our cathodes reliably produce 0.56 mA cm(-2) at 0.0 V vs Ag|AgCl reference at 30 °C in air-saturated buffer, under conditions of nonlimiting O(2) flux. We report the electrochemical activity of this laccase as a function of temperature, pH, time, and the efficiency of its conversion of dioxygen to water. We have measured the surface concentration of electrochemically active species, permitting the extraction of electron transfer rates at the enzyme-electrode interface: 1 s(-1) for this process at zero driving force at 30 °C and a limiting rate of 23 s(-1) at 240 mV overpotential at 50 °C.


Sean Shesgreen's research in M. H. Abrams's highly revealing Norton archive ("Canonizing the Canonizer: A Short History of The Norton Anthology of English Literature," Critical Inquiry 35 [Winter 2009]: 293–318) casts a vivid light on the complex blend of imitation and rivalry that takes place when publishers seek to gain or maintain a share of a textbook market. The in-house and academic editors alike may well have a sincere desire to offer useful materials and new approaches to students and colleagues, yet the actual construction of an anthology involves something other than a disinterested, Arnoldian selection from the best that has been thought and known. In an established field with large—and profitable—survey courses, market forces play a major role at every level. Any new entry into the market must position itself in relation to existing options, often building on its predecessors even while striving to differ from them, and established texts in turn must adapt to meet the challenges posed by their competitors. In the process, anthologists can find themselves precariously balancing on a slippery slope that extends from innovation to adaptation to outright theft. As Shesgreen says, there has been too little work on the theory and practice of anthologization.1 I know of no substantial discus-


Abstract Thyroid hormones (THs) are required for the growth and development of the fetus, stimulating anabolism, and oxygen consumption from the early stages of pregnancy to the period of fetal differentiation close to delivery. Maternal changes in the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis are also well known. In contrast, several open questions remain regarding the relationships between the placenta and the maternal and fetal TH systems. The exact mechanism by which the placenta participates in regulating the TH concentration in the fetus and mother and the role of TH in the placenta are still poorly studied. In this review, we aim to summarize the available data in the area and highlight significant gaps in our understanding of the ontogeny and cell-specific localization of TH transporters, TH receptors, and TH metabolic enzymes in the placenta in both human and rodent models. Significant deficiencies also exist in the knowledge of the contribution of genomic and nongenomic effects of TH on the placenta and finally, how the placenta reacts during pregnancy when the mother has thyroid disease. By addressing these key knowledge gaps, improved pregnancy outcomes and management of women with thyroid alterations may be possible. Summary Sentence Thyroid hormone transport, action, and metabolism in the placenta have important roles in controlling fetal growth both developmentally and in response to suboptimal maternal environments. Graphical Abstract


The phytotoxicity of glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] on seeds (protected or non-protected with soil) and seedlings of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) was studied in the greenhouse. Percent germination of Italian ryegrass seeds covered with soil was significantly reduced with glyphosate applied at 4 kg/ha. The direct treatment over the seeds on the soil surface was more toxic, reducing the number of established seedlings at dosages of 3 and 4 kg/ha. In the two red clover seed treatments, germination was significantly reduced with 2 kg/ha of herbicide. Even though germination was reduced at intermediate rates of glyphosate, shoot growth and tillering were improved and yields of dry weight were equivalent to that of untreated plants. Postemergence applications of glyphosate were phytotoxic to both species with the effects becoming more pronounced at increasing dosages. However, at equal dosage, red clover was less susceptible than Italian ryegrass. The patterns of foliar absorption and translocation of 14C from 14C-glyphosate was similar in Italian ryegrass and red clover. 14C was translocated throughout the plants and exhibited apoplastic and symplastic movement.


Daresbury Laboratory is currently building an Energy Recovery Linac Prototype (ERLP) that will serve as a research and development facility for the study of beam dynamics and accelerator technology important to the design and construction of the proposed 4th Generation Light Source (4GLS) project. Two major objectives of the ERLP are the demonstration of energy recovery and of energy recovery from a beam disrupted by an FEL interaction as supplied by an infrared oscillator system. In this paper we present start-to-end simulations of the ERLP including such an FEL interaction. The beam dynamics in the high-brightness injector, which consists of a DC photocathode gun and a superconducting booster, have been modelled using the particle tracking code ASTRA. After the booster the particles have been tracked with the code elegant. The 3D code GENESIS 1.3 was used to model the FEL interaction with the electron beam at 35 MeV. A brief summary of impedance and wakefield calculations for the whole machine is also given.


By studying and contrasting the existing PID controller and fuzzy controller, the paper designs and implements a new type of fuzzy-PID temperature controller being used to control programmable heating. This advanced controller has good performance in the condition that the temperature and the heating rate vary widely.


Flexible work time and retirement options are a potential solution for the challenges of unemployment, aging populations, and unsustainable pensions systems around the world. Voluntary part-time workers in Europe and the US are happier, experience less stress and anger, and are more satisfied with their jobs than other employees. Late-life workers, meanwhile, have higher levels of well-being than retirees. The feasibility of a policy that is based on more flexible work arrangements will vary across economies and sectors, but the ongoing debate about these multi-tiered challenges should at least consider such arrangements.


This study set out to investigate the approaches used to empower outsourced employees among the mobile telephone service providers customer care centres in Kisumu, Kenya. A survey design was used and data was collected by means of a questionnaire containing close ended questions on employee empowerment practices. The response of 34 employees out of 35 revealed that outsourced employees in the mobile telephone industry are empowered to achieve performance outcomes that are expected of them. The study was able to identify the practices of employee empowerment that outsourced employees in the customer care centres appreciated in terms of importance based on the frequency of the responses. Sharing information about the organizations strategies and performance was the most important at 91.18%, followed by power to make decisions that influence organizational direction and performance (90.4%). The third most important approach is access to jobrelated knowledge and skills (89.7%) that enable employees to understand and contribute to organizational performance. Last but not the least is performance-based rewards systems (83.81%). Managers should be in the forefront in giving intrinsic motivation to the frontline employees The study suggests that employee empowerment should be a priority of managers of businesses in the mobile telephone industry.


Since its emergence in the late 1990s, sudden oak death has killed mature oak trees and tanoaks in 14 California counties. Treatment options are now available to safeguard these trees from infection by Phytophthora ramorum, the aggressive and exotic pathogen responsible for sudden oak death. We provide an update on current knowledge regarding this emergent disease in California, and present results from three controlled experiments of two chemical treatments to manage the disease in oaks and tanoaks. Phosphonate treatments, legally registered in California to control sudden oak death, were effective in slowing both infection and growth rates for at least 18 months. Conversely, an alternative method consisting of an azomite soil amendment and bark lime wash was always ineffective, and did not reduce either growth or infection rates.


Masking effect is one of the most important perceptual properties that could be modeled by estimating an adaptive threshold known as the just noticeable difference (JND) referring to the maximum difference not perceived by the human visual system (HVS). In this paper, a novel framework to extend 2D-JND models to estimate thresholds for 360-degree images is proposed. The JND is estimated by viewports instead of applying it to the projected format image. Then, the viewport-based JND maps are back-projected to obtain the 360-JND map. To reduce the visible boundaries between viewports an alpha blending process is applied. The validation of the proposed framework is made using subjective experiments. It demonstrates that when applied to 360-degree images, the proposed framework outperforms the 2D-JND models in terms of observers preference at the same noise level.


The Eu 3+ /Ag co-doped rare earth disilicate Y2Si2O7 microcrystal was synthesized by sol-gel method. Through controlling the thermal treatment process of Y2Si2O7:Eu 3+ /Ag precursor, various phases (amorphous, α, β, γ, δ) were prepared. White light emis- sion was observed under UV light excitation in the samples heavily doped with Ag. The white light was realized by combining the intense red emission of Eu 3+ , the green emission attributed to the very small molecule-like, non-plasmonic Ag particles (ML-Ag-particles), and the blue emission due to Ag ions. Results demonstrated that Eu 3+ /Ag co-doped Y2Si2O7 microcrystal could be potentially applied as white light emission phosphors for UV LED chips.


A silylynolate, generated via the carbonylation of lithium silyldiazomethane, was reacted with N-tosyl aziridines to produce various five-membered lactams in good yields. The key step of this reaction involves the ring-opening ketenylation of aziridines by the silylynolate. The reaction proceeded in a highly stereoselective manner, and ketenylation took place at the less hindered carbon. When treated with aldehydes prior to protonation, the alpha-silylated lactam enolates gave alpha-vinylidene gamma-lactams. These reactions represent a unique path to the generation of and for controlling the reactivity of a rare class of reactive intermediates, namely, acyllithium derivatives and ynolates.


This paper is prepared to provide a review of how an automotive manufacturer, ISUZU HICOM Malaysia Co. Ltd. sustained the supply chain management after business process re-engineering in 2007. One of the authors is currently undergoing industrial attachment and has spent almost 6 months researching in the production and operation management system of the company. This study was carried out as part of the tasks in the attachment program. The result shows that delivery lateness and outsourcing are the main barriers that affected productivity. From the gap analysis, the authors found that new business process operation had improved suppliers delivery performance.


Many late complications of diabetes stem from damage to the microcirculation. Changes in the microvascular wall, haemodynamic control and circulating blood may all contribute to impairment of capillary transfer function although the relative importance of the various possible mechanisms is unclear. Early functional disturbance appears more responsive to optimal diabetic control than established disease, and as microangiopathy becomes clinically apparent organ tissue damage is compounded by secondary mechanisms. Until more is learnt of the biochemical and cellular basis of the component pathogenetic mechanisms optimal diabetic control early in the disease remains the sole available primary prevention strategy, although evidence is emerging that manipulation of microvascular haemodynamics may have therapeutic potential.


Abstract Temperature is a critical factor limiting various aspects of the biology of ectotherms. In addition to environmental factors, coloration and body size are two physical properties that influence ectotherms' body temperature (Tb). I compared the influences of these properties on thermal aspects of the two morphs of the color-dimorphic snake (E. quadrivirgata) under experimental conditions. First, I fitted Tb data during heating to the von Bertalanffy equation, but considered parameter values of the equilibrium temperature obtained to be biologically meaningless. Alternatively, I limited the data for comparison of the morphs to Tb≤35°C, which was the Tb at which snakes began to move vigorously in the experiment. The rate of Tb increase was significantly greater in the melanistic morph than in the striped morph. Heating rate was negatively correlated with body size in both morphs. The interaction of body size and heating rate did not significantly differ between the two morphs. The possibility of linkage, due to thermal advantage, between small body size and the prevalence of melanism in the population studied is briefly discussed. Rapid increase of Tb is biologically advantageous because snakes with such ability would be released from various time and environmental constraints associated with thermoregulation under particular environmental conditions.


Todays commercial off-the-shelf computer systems are multicore computing systems as a combination of CPU, graphic processor (GPU) and custom devices. In comparison with CPU cores, graphic cards are capable to execute hundreds up to thousands compute units in parallel. To benefit from these GPU computing resources, applications have to be parallelized and adapted to the target architecture. In this paper we show our experience in applying the NQueens puzzle solution on GPUs using Nvidia's CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) technology. Using the example of memory usage and memory access, we demonstrate that optimizations of CUDA programs may have contrary results on different CUDA architectures. Evaluation results will point out, that it is not sufficient to use new programming languages or compilers to achieve best results with emerging graphic card computing.


Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) rarely manifests in immunocompetent patients. In such cases, these lesions may mimic more common intracranial bleeding or tumors. We present the case of an elderly patient who presented with a presumed chronic subdural hematoma (SDH); upon surgical intervention, an occult mass was discovered with no evidence of associated hematoma. Biopsy and immunohistochemistry demonstrated PCNSL. Literature review identified six other cases of PCNSL in immunocompetent adults that were initially suspected to be SDH but were finally diagnosed with PCNSL. Our literature review highlights the rarity these cases and the importance of distinguishing intracranial bleeds from PCNSL, as the latter can be treated with chemoradiation with good clinical outcomes.


It is interesting to examine fact-finding practices in culturally distant societies. These practices often seem thoroughly permeated by unreason, or else seriously defective in terms of the demands of rational inquiry. But if we look at them more carefully, placing them in their native cultural milieu, it usually emerges that they are not nearly as unreasonable as superficial inspection suggests. Our readiness to see them as tainted by unreason and radically different from our own, springs in large part from the failure to appreciate the degree to which the rationality of proof is culturally determined.' But as soon as the broad cultural perspective is introduced we also begin to wonder whether our own evidentiary arrangements are as free from admixtures of unreason as their theoretical sublimation suggests. The study of exotic forms of proof provides us with yet another benefit: it opens up vistas from which subtle differences among contemporary Western proof systems come into view that are otherwise barely noticeable. By studying culturally distant fact-finding practices and locating ourselves among different cultures, we come to understand somewhat better our own factfinding arrangements.


InGaAs gate-all-around nanowire MOSFETs with channel length down to 50 nm have been experimentally demonstrated by a top-down approach. The nanowire size-dependent transport properties have been systematically investigated. It is found that reducing nanowire dimension leads to higher oncurrent, transconductance, and effective mobility due to stronger quantum confinement and the volume-inversion effect. TCAD quantum mechanical simulation has been carried out to study the inversion charge distribution inside the nanowires. Volumeinversion effect appears at a larger dimension for InGaAs nanowire MOSFET than its Si counterpart.


Barn owls move their heads in very particular motions, compensating for the quasi-immovability of their eyes. These efficient predators often perform peering side-to-side head motions when scanning their surroundings and seeking prey. In this work, we use the head movements of barn owls as a model to bridge between biological active vision and machine vision. The biomotions are measured and used to actuate a specially built robot equipped with a depth camera for scanning. We hypothesize that the biomotions improve scan accuracy of static objects. Our experiments show that barn owl biomotion-based trajectories consistently improve scan accuracy when compared to intuitive scanning motions. This constitutes proof-of-concept evidence that the vision of robotic systems can be enhanced by bio-inspired viewpoint manipulation. Such biomimetic scanning systems can have many applications, e.g. manufacturing inspection or in autonomous robots.


The development of oncology drugs progresses through multiple phases, where after each phase, a decision is made about whether to move a molecule forward. Early phase efficacy decisions are often made on the basis of single‐arm studies based on a set of rules to define whether the tumor improves ("responds"), remains stable, or progresses (response evaluation criteria in solid tumors [RECIST]). These decision rules are implicitly assuming some form of surrogacy between tumor response and long‐term endpoints like progression‐free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS). With the emergence of new therapies, for which the link between RECIST tumor response and long‐term endpoints is either not accessible yet, or the link is weaker than with classical chemotherapies, tumor response‐based rules may not be optimal. In this paper, we explore the use of a multistate model for decision‐making based on single‐arm early phase trials. The multistate model allows to account for more information than the simple RECIST response status, namely, the time to get to response, the duration of response, the PFS time, and time to death. We propose to base the decision on efficacy on the OS hazard ratio (HR) comparing historical control to data from the experimental treatment, with the latter predicted from a multistate model based on early phase data with limited survival follow‐up. Using two case studies, we illustrate feasibility of the estimation of such an OS HR. We argue that, in the presence of limited follow‐up and small sample size, and making realistic assumptions within the multistate model, the OS prediction is acceptable and may lead to better early decisions within the development of a drug.


Abstract The spectrum of effective musculoskeletal (MSK) interventions is broadening and rapidly evolving. Increasing demands incite a perpetual need to optimize services and interventions by maximizing the diagnostic and therapeutic yield, reducing exposure to ionizing radiation, increasing cost efficiency, as well as identifying and promoting effective procedures to excel in patient satisfaction ratings and outcomes. MSK interventions for the treatment of oncological conditions, and conditions related to sports injury can be performed with different imaging modalities; however, there is usually one optimal image guidance modality for each procedure and individual patient. We describe our patient-centered workflow as a model of care that incorporates state-of-the-art imaging techniques, up-to-date evidence, and value-based practices with the intent of optimizing procedural success and outcomes at a patient-specific level. This model contrasts interventionalist- and imaging modality-centered practices, where procedures are performed based on local preference and selective availability of imaging modality or interventionalists. We discuss rationales, benefits, and limitations of fluoroscopy, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging procedure guidance for a broad range of image-guided MSK interventions to diagnose and treat sports and tumor-related conditions.


A new polyvinyl choloride (PVC) membrane sensor for cerium (III) was prepared based on 4,13-didecyl-1,7,10,16-tetraoxa-4,13-diazacyclooctadecane (kryptofix22DD) as an ionophore. The sensor exhibites a linear concentration range of 1.0×10 to 1.0×10 M, with a Nernstian slope of 18.0±1.0 mV/decade, and a detection limit of 9.7×10 M. It has a fast response time (5 s) and can be used for two months without any considerable divergence in its potential. The proposed sensor revealed high selectivity toward Ce ion with respect to some alkali, alkaline earth and transition metal cations. It could be used in a wide pH range of 2.0-11.0. The sensor was successfully used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of Ce ion with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and sodium iodide (NaI) solutions, and in determination of Ce (III) concentration in real samples.


Background The utilization of heterosis has greatly improved the productivity of cotton worldwide. However, a major constraint for the large-scale promotion of F 1 hybrid cotton is artificial emasculation and pollination. This study proposed the potential utilization of F 2 hybrids to improve upland cotton production through a comparative evaluation of hybrid generations. Results Eight upland cotton varieties were analyzed and crosses were made according to NCII incomplete diallel cross-breeding design in two cotton belts of China. Variance analysis revealed significant differences in agronomic, yield, and fiber quality in both generations and environments. The broad-sense heritability of agronomic and yield traits was relatively higher than quality traits. Furthermore, the narrow-sense heritability of some traits was higher in F 2 than in the F 1 generation in both cotton belts. Overall, parental lines Zhong901, ZB, L28, and Z98 were observed with maximum combining ability while combinations with strong special combining ability were ZB × DT, L28 × Z98, and ZB × 851. The yield traits heterosis was predominant in both generations. However, the level of heterosis was altered with trait, hybrid combination, generation, and environment. Interestingly, L28 × Z98 performed outstandingly in Anyang. Its lint yield (LY) was 24.2% higher in F 1 and 11.6% in F 2 than that of the control Ruiza 816. The performance of SJ48 × Z98 was excellent in Aral which showed 36.5% higher LY in F 1 and 10.9% in F 2 than control CCRI 49. Further results revealed most hybrid combinations had shown a low level of heterosis for agronomic and fiber quality traits in both generations. Comparatively, ZB × DT and L28 × Z98 showed hybrid vigor for multiple traits in both generations and cotton belts. It is feasible to screen strong heterosis hybrid combinations with fine fiber in early generations. In the two environments, the correlation of some traits showed the same trend, and the correlation degree of Anyang site was higher than that of Aral site, and the correlation of some traits showed the opposite trend. According to the performance of strong heterosis hybrid combinations in different environments, the plant type, yield and fiber traits associated with them can be improved according to the correlation. Conclusions Through comparative analysis of variance, combining ability, and heterosis in F 1 and F 2 hybrids in different cotton belts, this study proposed the potential utilization of F 2 hybrids to improve upland cotton productivity in China.


In the Deffuant model for social influence, pairs of adjacent agents interact at a constant rate and mix up their opinions (represented by continuous variables) only if the distance between opinions is short according to a threshold. We derive a critical threshold for the Deffuant model on Z, above which the opinions converge toward the average value of the initial opinion distribution with probability one, provided the initial distribution has a finite second order moment. We demonstrate our theoretical results by performing extensive numerical simulations on some continuous probability distributions including uniform, Beta, power-law and normal distributions. Noticed is a clear differentiation of convergence rate that unimodal opinions (regardless of being biased or not) achieve consensus much faster than even or polarized opinions. Hereby, the emergence of a single mainstream view is a prominent feature giving rise to fast consensus in public opinion formation and social contagious behavior. Finally, we discuss the Deffuant model on an infinite Cayley tree, through which general network architectures might be factored in. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 19: 38–49, 2013


Background High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) oxygen is used to deliver heated and humidified mixture of air and oxygen at a flow higher than the patient's inspiratory flow. It reduces respiratory distress and mouth dryness. The greater oxygen flow 'washes out' the end expiratory oxygen depilated gas, meaning with the next breath, the patient inhales more oxygen. This dead space wash out also reduces CO2 rebreathing. Reductions in rates of intubation in infants with bronchiolitis have also been reported following introduction of HFNC therapy; however research remains limited within paediatrics and it has been used in patients with conditions, other than bronchiolitis. In our District General Hospital (DGH), we have a guideline for use of HFNC in patients with bronchiolitis but not for use in other respiratory disease. The use of HFNC for the latter group is at individual consultant discretion after discussion with Paediatric Intensive Care Objectives What were the incidence, indication, demographics, duration and outcome of patients who received HFNC therapy on the Children's ward in Craigavon Hospital over a 6 month period from October 2019 to March 2020? When patients received HFNC therapy outside our current indication, were they discussed with PICU in terms of suitability to initiate or continue therapy in the children's ward? Was there a delay or perceived delay in escalation of treatment to tracheal intubation in those who had treatment failure on HFNC? Methods This was a retrospective chart review. Patient demographics, indication, duration of treatment and outcome are recorded in a pre-designed proforma SHSCT Research Governance team advised this is a service evaluation quality improvement which did not require ethics approval (Appendix 2). Treatment success was defined as 'patient improving on HFNC with successful weaning of respiratory support.' Treatment failure was described as the 'patient deteriorating despite treatment and requiring admission to PICU' Results are tabulated in XCEL format, analysed and conclusions drawn with recommendations Results 28 children required HFNC therapy over a 6 month period with peak activity in November 2019 Male to female ratio was 3.5:1 Commonest indication for use (85% cases) was bronchiolitis Comorbidities were seen in 50% of the cases with commonest being prematurity All patients receiving HFNC outside agreed indications were appropriately discussed with PICU HFNC treatment success rate was 79% Conclusions Our study showed that HFNC has been largely successful in managing patients on the general paediatric ward reducing admissions to Paediatric Intensive Care in 79% cases Most common indication for its use remains Bronchiolitis recommendations and future implications To continue the collaborated approach when initiating HFNC therapy in a DGH particularly when indications are outside the current guidance. This observational study was undertaken in the 'Pre-COVID' period. This year the Royal College of Paediatrics have endorsed a guidance including indications and contraindications, assessment 1 hour post therapy to detect responders and treatment failures and rapid weaning pathway. We plan to undertake a prospective analysis of high flow nasal cannula oxygen use this winter and compare results.


OF THE THESIS Risk Assessment of Methylmercury from Fish Consumption in Oahu, Hawaii Using Hair as a Biomarker of Exposure by Alethea L. Ramos Master of Science in Public Health with a Specialization in Toxicology San Diego State University, 2012 The main purpose of this study was to assess the risk of methylmercury exposure from fish consumption in adults living in Oahu, Hawaii and to determine if demographic variables, fish consumption frequency, and fish parts eaten were associated with methylmercury body burden assessed through hair. The ultimate goal was to inform any guidelines on fish consumption, with consideration of cultural and lifestyle factors for populations that are susceptible to exposure. Persons were recruited at public areas from 5 areas of the island of Hawaii which included 110 adults (57 men and 53 women) during December, 2010 and January, 2011. Hair samples were obtained in order to measure methylmercury body burden concentrations, and a questionnaire assessed their fish consumption, demographic information, and general awareness about methylmercury and fish consumption. Hair samples were analyzed for total mercury through the Milestone Direct Mercury Analyzer (Milestone, Shelton, CT). Older men had the highest hair mercury levels, as compared to younger men and women of all age groups. Men > 45 years had a median hair mercury level of 2.00 ug/g as compared to younger men with a median 0.97 ug/g (p 1.0, indicating that both men and women were potentially at risk. Fish consumption was a significant contributing factor to increased hair mercury concentrations; significant variables included frequency of fish consumption, portion size of fish meal, frequency of fish consumption in conjunction with portion size, amount of fish parts consumed, and whether or not target organs (brain, head, heart) were consumed. This present study addressed methylmercury exposure among a population of healthy adults, which is uncommon for methylmercury studies since usually only susceptible populations, such as women of childbearing age and children, are examined. Although we did demonstrate that women were a susceptible population, as evidenced by values over 1.0 for a third of the women of childbearing age, men also appeared as a susceptible population, with the highest methylmercury values. Recent studies have established that cardiotoxicity is an adverse health effect of methylmercury exposure for the men at body burden levels found in this study. Since fish is an important staple for Oahu residents, proper guidelines for safe fish consumption should include consuming less than 1⁄4 pound of fish per meal at a vi frequency of less than one day per week, along with primarily consuming fish meat and discarding all other organs due to high methylmercury content. The benefits of fish consumption should also be highlighted, and if safe fish consumption practices are followed, residents can reap the health benefits without excessive toxicant exposure.


Abstract In Jamaica, free-living male and female-sized Anolis sagrei are exposed to more natural ultraviolet-B (UVB) from sunlight than male and female-sized Anolis lineatopus. In the laboratory, we tested predictions derived from the hypothesis that Anolis possess a mechanism for behaviorally photo-regulating their exposure to UVB depending on their dietary intake of vitamin D3. Anolis sagrei voluntarily exposed themselves more frequently to visible and UVB light and received higher doses of UVB in an artificial light gradient when fed a low vitamin D3 diet for 6 weeks than when subsequently fed a high dietary vitamin D3 diet for 6 weeks. When we returned the anole's diet to the low vitamin D3 regimen for a third 6-week period, UVB exposure remained lower than in the first 6-week period. This suggests an initial UV photo-regulatory adjustment to high dietary vitamin-D3 but a slow return to greater reliance on UVB-induced endogenous vitamin D3 production. Conversely, while exposing themselves to UVB with similar frequency and doses as A. sagrei over the course of the 18-week experiment, A. lineatopus did not show the same decreased attraction to visible and UVB light in response to increased dietary vitamin D3. The response of A. sagrei in the laboratory to visible light without UVB was similar to their response to visible light with UVB. Therefore, the anoles appeared to be responding primarily to visible light. Anolis lineatopus may be unable to use dietary vitamin D3 to restore low vitamin D status.


Traffic accidents have become an important health and social problem due to the enormous number of fatalities and injuries. The total number of deaths and injuries in the European Union (EU), United States of America (USA) and Japan has been steadily reduced over the last decade. This reduction is mainly attributed to the implementation of a set of road safety measures, such as seat-belt use, vehicle crash protection, traffic-calming interventions and traffic law enforcement. However, the number of accidents has remained uniform due to the increasing number of vehicles and total distance driven (Peden et al., 2004). In addition to passive vehicle safety systems, such as airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESP), new active safety systems have been introduced to improve vehicular safety. To this end, the last decade has witnessed the traffic management industry, engage and promote the integration of information and communications technology (wireless, computing and advanced sensor technologies) into both vehicles and the wider transport infrastructure. These proposals have led to the intelligent transportation system (ITS) concept. At present, different ITS applications have been introduced, such as variable message signs (VMS), located at strategic points (e.g., tunnels and merging highways) or spaced at given distances, to inform drivers about traffic and dangerous situations; automated toll collection systems for highways and parkings; and real-time traffic information broadcasted in the FM radio band. Besides this, onboard ITS applications have improved the assistance and protection mechanisms for drivers: navigation systems, rear and front parking radars, and cameras are extensively used in the vehicle. Vehicles now incorporate sophisticated computing systems, with several sensors interconnected. However, short-range sensors employed in emergency systems, such as forward collision warning and lane keeping assist, are insufficient, specially when these sensors need to extend their communication horizon in emergency cases due to the limitation of their operating range to line-of-sight (LOS) conditions (Vlacic et al., 2001). Therefore, there are safety applications for distance emergency situations, such as blind corners and traffic crossing, where large-range vehicular communication systems are required, e.g., operating rages of about 1000 meters, in both LOS and non-LOS (NLOS) conditions (Gallagher & Akatsuka, 2006). Wireless communications systems which can operate with these constraints are known as cooperative systems on the road. In the cooperative system concept, vehicles and infrastructure exchange safety messages to extend the distance horizon and provide more information in real time to drivers. Cooperative systems involve two


The behavioral experiment presented in this paper investigated deception tasks (both concealment and lying) undertaken in a public space. The degree of risk of deception detection and the demands of self-regulation when deceiving were manipulated. The results showed a significant interaction effect between veracity and risk of deception detection, emerged for the body movement of "hand(s) in pocket(s)". The incidence of "hand(s) in pocket(s)" was found to increase from truth telling to deceiving conditions when the risk of deception detection was higher, and to decrease from truth telling to deceiving conditions when the risk was lower. Higher risk of deception detection was also found in magnifying the "overall negative and controlled impression" displayed by both deceivers and truth tellers, compared to the lower risk of detection condition. We also discussed the possible effects of risk of deception detection and depletion of selfregulation, on deception behavior. Further studies and the connection between this study and the research community of computer vision and multimodel interaction is also


A porous silicon (PSi) based microarray has been integrated with a microfluidic system based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channels circuit, as a proof of concept device for the optical monitoring of selective label-free DNA-DNA interaction. Theoretical calculations, based on finite element method, taking into account molecular interactions, are in good agreement with the experimental results, and the developed numerical model can be used for device optimization. The functionalization process and the interaction between probe and target DNA has been monitored by spectroscopic reflectometry for each PSi element in the microchannels.


A density functional perturbative approximation, which is based on the pair distribution function, has been developed to investigate the influence of attractive and repulsive interactions on the density behaviour of a confined polydisperse fluid. The calculated result shows that the attractive and repulsive interactions in the model potential are strongly affected on the adsorption of a confined polydisperse fluid as well as the cavity size and particle size ratio. The attractive interaction in a polydisperse square-well system increases the pore average mole fraction for small particles in a circular cavity. Whereas a repulsive interaction in a polydisperse square-shoulder system decreases the pore average mole fraction for small particles. The local relative concentration oscillates with a spatial period close to the diameter of a large particle as well as the equilibrium density distribution does.


Two experiments were conducted to study the masking-level difference (SoNo-S pi No thresholds) for 2-128-ms, 500-Hz tones in 32-dB pressure-spectrum level, continuous broadband noise. In Experiment 1 (N = 8) the Békésy tracking procedure was used, whereas in Experiment 2 (N = 3) an adaptive, two-interval forced-choice (2IFC) psychophysical procedure was used. The data from both experiments indicated that as the signal duration was shortened from greater than or equal to 100 to approximately 10 ms the SoNo and S pi No threshold integration functions diverged, thereby producing an increase in the masking-level difference. For signal durations less than 10 ms, however, the SoNo and S pi No threshold functions converged and the masking-level difference decreased. In Experiment 2, the mean masking-level difference decreased significantly by 1.7 dB as the signal duration was shortened from 10 to 2 ms. This new finding, which was not anticipated, has recently been confirmed in another laboratory (Cokely & Hall, 1985).


The temperature rise at a gas-liquid interface due to heat evolution and the relevant enhancement factor for gas absorption rate are analyzed for absorption, with an instantaneous irreversible reaction and with a first-order irreversible reaction allowing for the temperature dependence of the major physicochemical properties. The analysis reveals that, unlike isothermal absorption, the film theory solutions with the replacement of any system parameters do not give a reasonable approximation to the realistic penetration theory solution, except in the case of the physical absorption regime. However, the modified Danckwerts analysis, in which the physicochemical properties are evaluated at the time-averaged interface temperature, is shown to be useful in obtaining the approximate penetration theory solutions with satisfactory accuracy.


A novel and compact dual band planar antenna for 2.4/5.2/5.8-GHz wireless local area network(WLAN) applications is proposed and studied in this paper. The antenna comprises of a T-shaped and a F-shaped element to generate two resonant modes for dual band operation. The two elements can independently control the operating frequencies of the two excited resonant modes. The T-element which is fed directly by a 50 Ω microstrip line generates a frequency band at around 5.2 GHz and the antenna parameters can be adjusted to generate a frequency band at 5.8 GHz as well, thus covering the two higher bands of WLAN systems individually. By couple-feeding the F-element through the T-element, a frequency band can be generated at 2.4 GHz to cover the lower band of WLAN system. Hence, the two elements together are very compact with a total area of only 11×6.5 mm2. A thorough parametric study of key dimensions in the design has been performed and the results obtained have been used to present a generalized design approach. Plots of the return loss and radiation pattern have been given and discussed in detail to show that the design is a very promising candidate for WLAN applications.


Chronic complete occlusions still represents the major technical limitation of percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty, both in peripheral and in coronary vessels. The clinical use of low-speed rotational angioplasty started in 1986 for the peripheral and in 1987 for the coronary vessels, and has already become part of the clinical routine in several centers. Up to now, more than 300 patients with peripheral and more than 200 patients with coronary occlusion were treated in Frankfurt. In the peripheral occlusions the acute success rate was more than 80% if used as the first attempt; after failure of conventional techniques still more than 60% of the vessels could be recanalized successfully. In addition to occlusions of the arteries of the lower limbs, the indication now includes the iliac artery and the subclavian artery. In each of the patients with chronic coronary occlusions an attempt with conventional techniques had failed earlier. Following a learning curve, which was also influenced by a better understanding of morphological preconditions, the acute success rate has now reached 70%. Both in patients with peripheral and those with coronary occlusions no deaths or perforations occurred. First angiographically documented long-term results in both indications are comparable to conventional balloon techniques. It is concluded that the use of low-speed rotational angioplasty (ROTACS) can improve the results of nonoperative invasive treatment, both in peripheral and in coronary arteries.


In 1992, a paper entitled 'The Optimum Time at which to Conduct Survey Interviews' sought to illustrate the economic benefits to market research organisations in structuring the calling pattern of interviewers in household surveys. The findings were based on the Welsh Inter Censal Survey in 1986. This paper now brings additional information on the calling patterns of interviewers from similar surveys in 1997 and 2006 to ascertain whether the calling patterns of interviewers have changed. The results also examine the importance of having a survey response that is representative of the population, and how efficient calling strategies can help achieve this.


The atomic point-charge model used in most molecular mechanics force fields does not represent well the electronic anisotropy that is featured in many directional noncovalent interactions. Sulfur participates in several types of such interactions with its lone pairs and σ-holes. The current study develops a new model, via the addition of off-atom charged sites, for a variety of sulfur compounds in the OPLS-AA and OPLS/CM5 force fields to address the lack of charge anisotropy. Parameter optimization is carried out to reproduce liquid-state properties, torsional and noncovalent energetics from reliable quantum mechanical calculations, and electrostatic potentials. Significant improvements are obtained for computed free energies of hydration, reducing the mean unsigned errors from ca. 1.4 to 0.4-0.7 kcal/mol. Enhanced accuracy in directionality and energetics is also obtained for molecular complexes with sulfur-containing hydrogen and halogen bonds. Moreover, the new model reproduces the unusual conformational preferences of sulfur-containing compounds with 1,4-intramolecular chalcogen bonds. Transferability of the new force field parameters to cysteine and methionine is verified via molecular dynamic simulations of blocked dipeptides. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of using off-atom charge sites to address electronic anisotropy, and provides a parametrization methodology that can be applied to other systems.


Abstract: We review recent results in the study of pulsed laser deposition growth kinetics using real-time surface X-ray diffraction. interlayer transport as the primary driving force behind formation of atomically sharp layers is analyzed quantitatively from the measurements of time constants and shot-to-shot changes in single laser shot time dependent coverages in the growth of the model perovskite srTiO3. The results show that direct deposition into the open layers and very fast interlayer transport driven by energetic species during the arrival of the laser plume are the main components of layer growth per laser shot in both homo-and heteroepitaxy of complex oxides.


In order to investigate the effect of salidroside on inhibiting liver fibrosis and its relationship with CXC chemokine ligand 16(CXCL16) in vivo and in vitro, totally 45 C57 BL/6 J male mice were randomly divided into normal group, model group and salidroside group, with 15 mice in each group. The mice in model group and salidroside group were injected intraperitoneally with 15% carbontetrachloride(CCl_4) olive oil solution to establish liver fibrosis model, and the mice in normal group were injected intraperitoneally with the same dose of olive oil. Salidroside group was given with 100 mg·kg~(-1 )salidroside by gavage, while the normal group and model group received the same amount of double distilled water by gavage. All mice were sacrificed after 5 weeks of intragastric administration. The pathological changes of mouse liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, and the degree of liver fibrosis was observed by sirius red staining. The protein expressions of collagen Ⅰ(ColⅠ), α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), fibronectin(FN), CXCL16, phosphorylated Akt(p-Akt), Akt in liver tissues were detected by Western blot. Hepatic stellate cell line JS 1 was cultured in vitro and divided into control group, model group(100 μg·L~(-1) CXCL16) and salidroside group(100 μg·L~(-1) CXCL16+1×10~(-5) mol·L~(-1) salidroside). Cell migration was detected by cell scratch, the mRNA expressions of ColⅠ and α-SMA were detected by RT-PCR, and the protein expressions of p-Akt and Akt were detected by Western blot. As compared with the normal group, the protein expressions of ColⅠ, α-SMA, FN, CXCL16, and p-Akt in the model group were significantly increased, and salidroside could reduce the expression of these indicators(P<0.05 or P<0.01). In vitro, CXCL16 could promote the migration of JS 1, increase the mRNA expressions of ColⅠ and α-SMA in JS 1, and enhance Akt phosphorylation in JS 1(P<0.05 or P<0.01). As compared with the model group, salidroside could inhibit the migration of JS 1 induced by CXCL16(P<0.05), and reduce the high expression of ColⅠ and α-SMA mRNA and the phosphorylation of Akt in JS 1 induced by CXCL16(P<0.05). In conclusion, salidroside might attenuate CCl_4-induced liver fibrosis in mice by inhibiting the migration, activation and Akt phosphorylation of hepatic stellate cells induced by CXCL16.


. Large scale directed energy offers the possibility of radical transformation in a variety of areas, including the ability to achieve relativistic flight that will enable the first interstellar missions as well as rapid interplanetary transit. In addition, the same technology opens a wide mission space that allows a diverse range of options from long range beamed power to remote spacecraft and outposts to planetary defense to remote composition analysis and manipulation of asteroids, among others. Directed energy relies on photonics, which like electronics is an exponentially expanding growth area driven by diverse economic interests that allows transformational advances in space exploration and capability. In order to begin to fully exploit this capability it is important to understand not only the possibilities enabled by it, but also the technological challenges involved and to have a logical roadmap to exploit this option. This capability is both synergistic with conventional propulsion and offers a road to a future currently not possible with conventional capabilities.


Comprehensive inventory of the bioactive compounds produced by Anadara granosaduring full growth has been established by whole tissue using organic solvents system and subjecting in to gas chromatograp hy mass spectrum (GC-MS) twelve bioactive compounds of which ester, furan, acid and ketone were identified. The most representative bioactive compounds of Anadara granosawere employed in the antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria and the study pertaining to the identification of active principles and the antimicrobial activities.


Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are an increasingly attractive means to bridge the gap between the physical and virtual world. WSNs are envisioned to be used to fulfill complex monitoring tasks. Space and time play a crucial role in wireless sensor networks, since sensor nodes are used to collaboratively monitor physical phenomena and their space-time properties. A number of techniques and distributed algorithms for location estimation and time synchronization have been developed specifically for sensor networks. Time synchronization is a crucial component of WSNs. Time synchronization schemes developed for traditional networks are ill-suited for WSNs and more appropriate approaches should be suggested. There are many similarities in space and time domains. This affects the location estimation and time synchronization, ranging from applications and requirements to basic approaches and concrete algorithmic techniques. The purpose of this paper is to make this close affinity explicit in order to further a better understanding and improving both domains.


: The aim of this paper was to assess the influence of organization structure on the performance of state corporations in Kenya. The study adopted an exploratory survey since it sought to a scertain respondent's perceptions on the determinants of collective bargaining agreement in a structured manner. The target population of this study included all 187 state corporations in Kenya. The unit of analysis was all the State Corporations in Kenya while the unit of observation was the Heads of Human Resources in each corporation. The study used a sample of 95 state corporations and collected primary data using a self-administered questionnaire. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics comprising of mean, standard deviations, frequency distribution, percentages, factor analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling as well as regression analysis; SPSS Version 24 was used. The study established that organizational culture had a significant and positive influence on the performance of state corporations in Kenya, in that it affected the employee productivity and so the firm's performance. The study recommended that firm leaders should embrace an effective and flexible organizational structure in order to promote employee performance.


Gitelman syndrome (GS, OMIM 263800) is a genetic congenital tubulopathy associated with salt loss, which is characterized by hypokalemic metabolic toxicity, hypocalciuria, and hypomagnesemia. GS, which is typically detected in adolescence or adulthood, has long been considered a benign tubular lesion; however, the disease is associated with a significant decrease in the quality of life. In this study, we assessed the genotype–phenotype correlations based on the medical histories, clinical symptoms, laboratory test results, and whole-exome sequencing profiles from pediatric patients with GS. Between January 2014 and December 2020, all 31 consecutively enrolled patients complained of fatigue, salt craving, and muscle weakness. Sixteen patients demonstrated growth retardation, and five patients presented with nocturia and constipation. All patients presented with hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, normal blood pressure, hyperaldosteronism, and a preserved glomerular filtration rate, and 24 of the 31 (77.4%) patients had hypomagnesemia. Homozygous, compound heterozygous, and heterozygous mutations in SLC12A3 were detected in 4, 24, and 3 patients, respectively. GS patients often present with muscle weakness and fatigue caused by hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia. Therefore, early diagnosis of GS is important in young children to reduce the possibility of growth retardation, tetany, and seizures. Next-generation sequencing such as whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing provides a practical tool for the early diagnosis and improvement of GS prognosis. Further whole-genome sequencing is expected to reveal more variants in SLC123A among GS patients with single heterozygous mutations.


The compressible turbulent boundary layer developing over atwo-dimensional bump which leads to a supersonic pocket with aterminating shock wave has been studied. The measurements havebeen made with hot-wire anemometry and Particle ImageVelocimetry (PIV).A method to calibrate hot-wire probes in compressible ow hasbeen developed which take into account not only the ow velocitybut also the inuence of the Mach number, stagnation temperatureand uid density. The calibration unit consists of a small jetow facility, where the temperature can be varied. The hot wiresare calibrated in the potential core of the free jet. The jetemanates in a container where the static pressure can becontrolled, and thereby the gas density. The calibration methodwas verfied in the at plate zero pressure gradient turbulentboundary layer in front of the bump at three different Machnumbers, namely 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7. The profiles were alsomeasured at different static pressures in order to see theinuence of varying density. Good agreement between the profilesmeasured at different pressures, as well as with the standardlogarithmic profile was obtained.The PIV measurements of the boundary layer ow in front ofthe 2D bump showed good agreement with the velocity profilesmeasured with hotwire anemometry. The shock wave boundary layerinteraction was investigated for an inlet Mach number of 0.69.A lambda shock wave was seen on the downstream side of thebump. The velocity on both sides of the shock wave as measuredwith the PIV was in good agreement with theory. The shock wavewas found to cause boundary layer separation, which was seen asa rapid growth of the boundary layer thickness downstream theshock. However, no back ow was seen in the PIV-data, probablybecause the seeding did not give enough particles in theseparated region. The PIV data also showed that the shock wavewas oscillating, i.e. it was moving approximately 5 mm back andforth. This distance corresponds to about five boundary layerthicknesses in terms of the boundary layer upstream theshock.Descriptors:Fluid mechanics, compressible ow,turbulence, boundary layer, hot-wire anemometry, PIV, shockwave boundary layer interaction, shape factor.