One of the major problems of water resources management is rainfall forecasting. Different linear and non-linear methods have been used in order to have an accurate forecast. Whilst there are some debates on whether the use of linear or non-linear techniques is better, it was found that rainfall modelling for the short term period is receiving more attention than those for long-term periods. This study gives attention to long-term rainfall modelling since long-term forecasting could provide better data for optimal management of a resource that is to be used over a substantial period of time. Hence, this study is to investigate the effect of linear and non-linear techniques on long-term rainfall forecasting. One of the non-linear techniques being widely used is the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) approach which has the ability of mapping between input and output patterns without a priori knowledge of the system being modelled. The more popular linear techniques include the Box-Jenkins family of models. A feedforward Artificial Neural Network (ANN) rainfall model and a Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) rainfall model were developed to investigate their potentials in forecasting rainfall. The study area is the west mountainous region of Iran. Three meteorological stations among the several stations over the region were chosen as case study. The stations are the Hamedan Foroudgah, Nujeh, and Arak. Three different ANN models with three different input sets were trained. The first model investigated the effect of number of lags on the performance of the ANN. The number of lags varied from 1-12 previous months. The second model investigated the effect of adding monthly average to the inputs, and the third model considered seasonal average as an extra input in addition to the ones in the second model. The effect of the number of hidden nodes on ANN modeling was also examined. The preliminary inputs for SARIMA were found by examining the Autocorrelation and Partial Autocorrelation of the series. The 26 years monthly rainfall of 1977-2002 was used for training the models. The ANN models were trained and simulated using a program written in MATLAB environment (M-file). The SARIMA models were developed using SPSS syntax. The models were tested with one year monthly rainfall of 2003. It was proven that the larger lags outperform the lower ones in ANN modeling. Also, adding the extra monthly and seasonal average to the input set leads to better model performance. The number of hidden nodes was varied from 1-30. It was demonstrated that input nodes have more effect on performance criteria than the hidden nodes. The models were trained based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm with tansigmoid activation function for the hidden layer and purelin activation function for the output layer. Simulation results for the independent testing data series showed that the model can perform well in simulating one year monthly rainfall in advance .The SARIMA models were built using the same set of data as for the ANN. Model selection was done among multiplicative and additive models and the results revealed that additive SARIMA models have the best performance. The simulation results from the ANN and SARIMA model showed that the SARIMA model has a better performance both in training and testing. Thus, it is recommended for modeling rainfall in the region.


Objective Synaptogyrin 1 (SYNGR1) is a transmembrane protein of neurotransmitter-containing vesicle. Recently, suggestive association between SYNGR1 intragenic polymorphisms and schizophrenia has been reported in the Indian population. Furthermore, some rare nucleotide changes with a potential pathogenic effect have been found in Indian and Chinese schizophrenia patients. In this study, we have performed an association study and a resequencing analysis in an Italian sample. Methods Eight polymorphisms of the SYNGR1 gene were typed in a case–control sample consisting of 274 patients and 335 controls. In parallel, a mutational screening covering all SYNGR1 exons was conducted. Results Evidence of association has been found for rs715505 (P = 0.028), a marker already reported to be associated with the disease. Resequencing analysis revealed two novel polymorphisms and several rare variants (13 of 16 as new variants), some of which might have relevance for gene expression and function. Conclusion The results of our association study support a contribution of SYNGR1 to schizophrenia susceptibility. In addition, the resequencing analysis evidenced mutations with a potential functional role at the mRNA and/or protein level. Of particular interest is the p.isoc:S26G missense mutation identified in six patients (0.011) and three controls (0.004) which might be involved in the elimination of a potential protein kinase C phosphorylation site.


Objective: Traditional herbal plants have been in use since ancient times to treat ophthalmic conditions; so, the aim of this study is to evaluate some potent Indian traditional medicinal plants used in ophthalmic diseases in order to summarize their potential effect in ophthalmology along with their mechanism of action. Materials and Methods: Databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase were extensively explored. Additionally, relevant textbooks and literatures were consulted to summarize most of the considerable scientific literature for the review. Search term included ophthalmology, glaucoma, cataract, trachoma, conjunctivitis, traditional medicines, Unani drugs, and ayurvedic drugs were used. Around 80 review articles were consulted from the year 1982 to 2021. Results: The traditional medicinal plants are easily available, cost-effective and have no associated side effects in comparison to current conventional treatments. Moreover, these drugs in oppose to modern medicine, have an inherent potential to accelerate the body's own immunity to fight against any infection. A large volume of scientific studies has reported the beneficial effects of traditional drugs in ophthalmology. Conclusion: This review, therefore, describes the potential benefits and uses of some traditional medicinal plants used in ophthalmic diseases.


BACKGROUND
Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients who achieve viral eradication may still develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Little is known about the impact of dynamic change of serum markers on HCC development.

METHODS
We enrolled 1351 HCV-infected patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR). Laboratory data were collected at least 1 year after IFN-based therapy and to the latest follow-up. Data on α-fetoprotein (AFP) were obtained >6 months prior to HCC development to exclude HCC-related AFP elevation.

RESULTS
HCC developed in 49 patients. Risk factors for HCC in SVR patients were old age, liver cirrhosis, higher pre- and post-treatment AFP and high post-treatment AST-to-platelet ratio index (APRI). Patients with pre-AFP ≥15 ng/mL → post-AFP ≥15 ng/mL (at 1 year, 23.1%; 5 years, 42.3%) and pre-AFP <15 ng/mL → post-AFP ≥15 ng/mL (at 1 year, 25%; 5 years, 50%) had the highest risk of HCC development, followed by pre-AFP ≥15 ng/mL → post-AFP <15 ng/mL (at 1 year, 5.2%; 5 years, 7.6%) and pre-AFP <15 ng/mL → post-AFP ng/mL <15 ng/mL (at 1 year, 0.5%; 5 years, 0.9%) (P < 0.001). The pattern was similar for platelets and APRI (P < 0.001). SVR patients with pre-APRI ≥0.7 → post-APRI ≥0.7 had the highest risk of HCC development, followed by comparable risks among the other three groups.

CONCLUSIONS
SVR patients with a persistently high AFP level (≥15 ng/mL) and a high APRI (≥0.7) before and after treatment had the highest incidence of HCC development. Patients with a reduction of AFP and APRI to the normal range after treatment had a markedly decreased risk of HCC. The risk was lowest for patients who kept persistently normal AFP and APRI before and after treatment.


The migration of inner marginal cells was studied in the Ambystoma gastrula, using scanning electron micrography and time-lapse cinemicrography. Scanning electron micrographs of gastrulae which were fixed while intact revealed that the migrating cells have flattened lamellipodia at their anterior end and a rounded cell body, which can sometimes be seen to be attached to a neighbouring cell by a slender posterior process. Films of opened gastrulae showed actively moving cells, with the same features described above. Details of their movements are reported and discussed in relation to the mechanism of gastrulation.


Outside Double Barrier Options are two-asset options where the payoff is defined on one asset and the barrier is defined on another asset. This paper gives the formulas for Outside Double Barrier Options where the barrier is either plain or partially monitored at the front, rear and middle. Since the corresponding Outside Single Barrier Options prices can be written down by taking the corresponding upper (lower) barrier to infinity (zero), the formulas in this paper can be also used as a reference for Outside Single Barrier Options.


Rubber plantation in the forest area managed by local people is one of their income source. They depend a lot on these rubber trees for their life. The rubber plant is one of the important commodity and has a very large role in the economy sector. Most of the people transmigration of ressetlement unit 1 in Pangmilang Village Singkawang Selatan Subdistrict West Borneo have rubber plantation in forest area. They work as rubber tappers and farmers. The research purpose is to know the income level and factors that influence income level of farmers from rubber in forest plantation area. These factors are : land area (X1), the quantity of trees tapped (X2), the man power of working time (X3), as well as the length of time worked as rubber farmers (X4). The research method used survey technique with descriptive analysis. The results showed that the rubber revenue obtained Rp 1.072.980,--/month. The contribution of this rubber is 39,83% (Rp 1.072.980,--) from total revenue of Rp 2.694.113,--. Four variables have significant effect on the income to the value in which Fhit = 3,45 > F(0,05;4-1)= 2,579 on the level analysis of 95%.
Keywords : Forest plantation community, income analysis, rubber, Singkawang City, survey method.
Keywords : Forest plantation community, income analysis, rubber, Singkawang City, survey method.


The genome of Caenorhabditis elegans contains two metallothionein isoforms and a functional phytochelatin synthase. All three proteins have roles in metal detoxification and metal homeostasis. Although a great deal is known with regards to vertebrate metallothioneins and their transcriptional control, little is understood about C. elegans metallothionein. In addition, phytochelatin synthase was only discovered within the last decade and as a consequence little is known about this enzyme and its product, phytochelatins. The use of green fluorescent protein expressing transgenes C. elegans allows the expression pattern for all genes to be investigated. The GFP transgenic strains were also utilised in the RNA mediated knockdown of a selection of transcription factors to identify two candidate genes involved in metallothionein transcription. The generation of a combination of single, double and triple mutants permitted the investigation into the function of metallothioneins and phytochelatins on elevated and depleted levels of essential and non-essential heavy metals via their phenotypic effects. Metabolomic analysis of these mutants provided an indication that cadmium affected the transsulfuration pathway and ultimately suggested that phytochelatins have a significant role in cadmium detoxification. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that there was minimal compensatory up regulation of metallothionein when one isoform is removed. Conversely, the removal of pcs-1 results in significant up regulation of both MT isoforms following exposure to cadmium. In conclusion, this research was able to demonstrate that C. elegans, phytochelatins play an important and significant role in metal detoxification, possibly more than metallothioneins.


In the event of cancer treatment, photothermal therapy has met successful cancerous cells damage with highly reduced toxicity to normal cells. The prepared GNSs samples have been characterized using transmission electron microscope (TEM), dynamic light scattering, zeta potential and UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy. In-vivo photo-heat conversion of GNSs accumulated in Ehrlich tumor cells inoculated in female balb mice was monitored by measuring tumor tissue temperature as a function of NIR laser exposure time. Resultant heating and therapeutic efficacy were assessed by monitoring tumor growth/regression and tumor cells necrotic percentage. Histopathological examinations for treated and control tumors using light microscope and transmission electron microscopes (TEM) were performed to evaluate the treatment effects. Passively targeted pegylated gold nanoshells were found to have localized photo-heat conversion sufficient to selectively destruct tumor cells. This has been emphasized by the significant decrease in Ehrlich tumor volume for treated groups that administrated either intratumorly (IT) or intravenously (IV) with GNSs. Light microscope examinations revealed high necrotic percentages for both administration routes. TEM images showed degenerated cell membrane and nuclear envelop as well as the appearance of nucleus debris and other cell organelles. This non-invasive protocol showed great promise as a technique for selective cancer photo-thermal therapy.


In a common assumption of the economics of tax evasion, extending beyond the basic Allingham-Sandmo model, the choice of a taxpayer to evade taxes depends upon the perceived fairness of the tax system.The purpose of the paper is to provide a psychological foundation for this assumption by drawing on Hayek's theory of human behavior as a process of rule following.According to the main hypothesis, taxpayers are more compliant with tax laws to which they can in principle give their full consent.A social contract as a basis of tax policy may provide a potent means to combat tax evasion particularly in transition economies that have inherited a deep mistrust of the government from their socialist past.


Change from pine forest towards mixed conifer-broadleaf woodlands is a scenario promoted by forest managers based on the rationale that mixed stands are more resilient. Oak seedlings naturally established in Aleppo pine in the course of succession but this process is long and uncertain. Moreover, the role played by P halepensis on broadleaves seedlings is still debated as some studies have emphasized the negative consequences of Allepo pine forests on spontaneous vegetation.

In order to better assess the influence of Aleppo pine overstorey on the survival and development of oak seedlings in southern France we have designed an experiment in which acorns were sown under different types of pine cover.
We installed twelve 25*25m plots in an area naturally afforested by pine in which we applied one of the three thinning treatments: heavy thinning removing 2/3 of the basal area, moderate thinning removing 1/3 of the basal area and the control (30 m2/ha). In each plot, 104 sowing points of three acorns-half of the points with Quercus ilex, half with Quercus pubescens- were introduced. Survival, growth of the emerged seedlings and development of the ground vegetation around the seedlings were monitored during 3 years. In addition, predawn leaf water potential, fluorescence and soil moisture content were measured at different dates.

Results showed that growth was enhanced in the heavy thinned stands due to higher light availability and Q ilex reached greater dimensions than Q pubescens in all treatments. Growth was positively correlated with shrub cover especially in Q pubescens seedlings. Predawn water potentials were lower in the control and for Q pubescens seedlings. However, soil moisture in the 30-50 cm layer was lower during the summer dry period in the heavily thinned stands than in the other stands in relation with a higher soil temperature and a more developed ground vegetation. Therefore, the better performances of oak seedlings observed during this experiment in the more opened stands will not necessarily persist in the future and the moderately thinned stands could constitute a good compromise.


This study examines modernist grid and boundary in the works of Toyo Ito - two of the most important notions characterizing the development of Toyo Ito as an iconoclast architect. Early in his career, Ito recognized modernist architecture's inherent tendencies to establish homogenous order and divide space by function was alienating people from their context. Ito identified the notions of modernist grid and boundary as the agents of Modernism which inadvertently served to impose this systematic order and severe separation. As a reaction against these tendencies, Ito sought to avoid the use of modernist grid and blur boundary in his architecture. In Ito's career spanning over four decades, he engages in an exhaustive inquiry seeking to modify these two core elements of architecture. This study investigates these two notions in Ito's works and examines the significance of the architect's exploration in the context of Japan's Modernism.


The conversation begins with a discussion of political philosophy, a critique of a priori normativist approaches to that field, and reflections on the distinction between politics and the political. It moves on to clarify the place of the political within an ontology of the social-historical; while the pioneering contribution of Castoriadis to such an ontology is acknowledged, the need for a more elaborate theory of creative action, with due allowance for its involvement in historical processes, is emphasized. After some considerations on the role of ideology and utopia within the social-historical context, the conversation moves back to the questions of autonomy, creativity and the imaginary, and underlines the need to theorize autonomy as an imaginary signification in its own right, rather than merely a new attitude to imaginary significations. Implications of that view for the idea of reflective autonomy are discussed, with particular emphasis on confronting the omnipresent temptation of hubris, the condition of value pluralism and the fundamental fact of uncertainty about the future. The conversation concludes with some comments on diagnoses of our times, and a critique of various "postisms" as well as of the attempts to reduce contemporary societies to a single denominator.


Background Adult onset Still Disease (AOSD) is a systemic inflammatory disease presenting various non-specific symptoms like fever, arthralgia and pharyngalgia. Those symptoms are mimicking common cold, which could lead to the delayed diagnosis. However, little is known about the profiles and development of symptoms in very early phase before diagnosis. Objectives To clarify the clinical course of AOSD symptom development in very early phase and its effect on the diagnosis delay. Methods Consecutive patients with AOSD with enough information in our hospital were enrolled. Initial symptoms before and at diagnosis were investigated in detail. The gradual course from the initial symptoms to the fulfilment of Yamaguchi criteria for AOSD was examined. Results A total of 51 patients were enrolled. The mean age at diagnosis was 45.0±18.9 years old and 41 (80%) were female. All patients were met with the Yamaguchi criteria. The mean duration from the first symptom to diagnosis was 50.4 days. The duration from the first symptom to the first visit to the medical facility including a general physician was 19.1 days, and that from the first medical facility visit to the first blood test was 8.0 days. While the first symptom was arthralgia in 29 (34.1%), fever in 20 (23.5%), and eruption in 20 (23.5%), pharyngalgia in 13 (15.3%), at diagnosis, fever was found in all patients, eruption in 47 (92.2%), arthralgia in 45 (88.2%), pharyngalgia in 34 (66.7%), lymphadenopathy and/or splenomegaly in 35 (68.6%), increased white blood cell (WBC) count in 44 (86.3%), ferritin elevation in 42 (82.4%), liver enzyme elevation in 41 (80.4%), negative rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-nucleolar antibody (ANA) in 30 (58.8%). Arthralgia developed 41.9 days prior to the diagnosis, fever 40.9 days, eruption 29.5 days, pharyngalgia 24.5 days and lymphadenopathy and/or splenomegaly 14.8 days. WBC increase was detected 17.8 days prior to the diagnosis, negative RF and ANA 15.1 days, liver enzyme elevation 14.6 days, and ferritin elevation 10.9 days. At 14 days from the first symptom, 32 (62.7%) met 3 of Yamaguchi criteria, 23 (45.1%) met 4, and 19 (37.3%) met 5. At 28 days, 40 (78.4%) met 3 of Yamaguchi criteria, 32 (62.7%) met 4, and 27 (52.9%) met 5. The duration to diagnosis was significantly shorter in the patients with eruption developing within 7 days since the first symptoms than those without (35.2 vs 74.3 days, p=0.03) Conclusions The mean duration from the first symptom to the diagnosis of AOSD was approximately 50 days, and only a half of the patients met Yamaguchi criteria at 28 days after first symptom. The time of eruption emergence affected the early diagnosis. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy(SERS) can largely boost the Raman signal, and thus broaden the manifold potential applications of SERS. According to the current limitations on generality and efficiency, this work designed and developed a transparent, flexible and freestanding substrate and its preparation, conservation and operation procedures. The substrate consists of a polymer supporter and embedded metal nanostructures, which can be used for direct and on-line measurements of samples in various morphologies and circumstances. The detection limit of a flexible SERS(Ag) substrate is lower than 1 pmol/L.


Introduction: People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) experience various problems after being diagnosed with HIV, both physically and psychosocially. These problems cause PLWHA to close themselves so that they are not known to others because they feel stigmatised. This problem can cause PLWHA to continue stigmatising themselves and transmit HIV again to their partners or other people. This study aimed to develop a Karo culture-sensitive spiritual intervention model to prevent HIV stigma. Methods: Developing an intervention using the PATH (Problem – Analysis – Test – Help) method proposed by Buunk and Vugt (2008). Result: This model was developed based on cultural care theory and input from experts. Before the model development, the researcher had conducted preliminary studies both in qualitative and quantitative studies. The qualitative research established 14 themes, while the multivariant analysis found religiosity prevent HIV prevention dominantly. Conclusion: Developing a Karo culture-sensitive spiritual intervention model produces models, modules and pocketbooks in Karo culture-sensitive spiritual intervention to prevent HIV stigma.


Addressing overconsumption of protein-rich foods from high ecological footprint sources can have positive impacts on health such as reduction of non-communicable disease risk and protecting the natural environment. With the increased attention towards development of ecologically sustainable diets, this systematic review aimed to critically review literature on effectiveness of those interventions aiming to promote protein-rich foods from lower ecological footprint sources. Five electronic databases (Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase and Global Health) were searched for articles published up to January 2021. Quantitative studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported on actual or intended consumption of protein-rich animal-derived and/or plant-based foods; purchase, or selection of meat/plant-based diet in real or virtual environments. We assessed 140 full-text articles for eligibility of which 51 were included in this review. The results were narratively synthesised. Included studies were categorised into individual level behaviour change interventions (n = 33) which included education, counselling and self-monitoring, and micro-environmental/structural behaviour change interventions (n = 18) which included menu manipulation, choice architecture and multicomponent approaches. Half of individual level interventions (52%) aimed to reduce red/processed meat intake among people with current/past chronic conditions which reduced meat intake in the short term. The majority of micro-environmental studies focused on increasing plant-based diet in dining facilities, leading to positive dietary changes. These findings point to a clear gap in the current evidence base for interventions that promote plant-based diet in the general population.


Clinical results of treatment were analyzed in 97 with patients generalized peritonitis. Application of staging hardware controlled laparostomy (HCL) allowed to halve the frequency of wound complication in comparison with semienclosed treatment mode. High clinical efficacy of control and correction of biophysical parameters of abdominal cavity was revealed: lethality from generalized peritonitis decreases in 2.4 times (from 39.3% to 14.3%) as a result of HCL application with monitoring and correction of intra-abdominal pressure in comparison with uncontrolled traditional treatment modes. Construction of the apparatus used for controlled laparostomy allows to open and close abdominal cavity under control of intra-abdominal pressure and tighting force of paravulnar tissues.


LiCoO2 thin films were fabricated using the metal-induced crystallization (MIC) method. The effect of MIC on the microstructural and electrochemical properties of the films was investigated. The crystal structures and surface morphologies of the deposited films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and field emission electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Charge-discharge tests were carried out in order to examine the electrochemical properties of the films. The LiCoO2 thin film fabricated using MIC exhibited better microstructural and electrochemical properties at a lower annealing temperature.


This paper proposes the use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to measure characteristics of gold (Au)-coated membranes and their inherent limitations. In this work, the fabrication of a membrane permeate flow cell is described with the aim of subsequently studying the transport of ions through conductive polycarbonate track etched membrane (PCTE) by interrogating the system using EIS and CV measurements. In particular, we would like to ascertain the voltage range that can be applied to the Au-coated membrane without getting a considerable faradaic activity; the difference between platinum and Au electrode; the effects of different electrolyte concentrations and various applied DC potentials.We extend our previous work done [1] by studying the differences of using a hrydroxyl and methyl terminated self assembled monolayer (SAM). We also extend the quality of the monolayer with respect to the amount of time in which the monolayer is grown. Finally, finding the voltage in which a 'defect free' monolayer transforms from insulative to 'leaky' behavior extends a detailed analysis of the critical voltage of an alkane thiol.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

EphA2 has emerged as an important target for ovarian cancer therapy in recent years. In the present study, we identified miR-520d-3p as an independent favorable prognostic marker for epithelial ovarian cancer patients. We demonstrate that dual targeting of EphA2 in vitro using EphA2-siRNA and miR-520d-3p exhibits synergistic downregulation of EphA2 and inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In vivo treatment using DOPC (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine) nano-liposomes conjugated with miR-520d-3p and EphA2-siRNA showed synergistic therapeutic efficacy and superior inhibition of tumor proliferation and angiogenesis than either monotherapy alone. We also identified that EphA2(low)/EphB2(low)/miR-520d-3p(high) gene signature predicts favorable clinical prognosis for ovarian cancer patients. This study addresses a new concept of RNA inhibition therapy by combining miRNA and siRNA to target oncogenic pathways altered in ovarian cancer.

Citation Format: Maitri Shah, Gabriel Berestein Lopez, Anil Sood, George Calin. Therapeutic synergy between novel tumor suppressor miR-520d-3p and EphA2-targeting siRNA in ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1455. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1455


Local anesthetics have anti‐inflammatory effects in vivo and inhibit neutrophil functions in vitro, but how these agents act on neutrophils remains unclear. Phagocytosis and bactericidal activity of neutrophils are enhanced by exposure to bacterial components such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS); this process is termed priming, which for enhanced release of superoxide (O2−) causes mobilization of intracellular granules that contain cytochrome b558, a component of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. We studied whether local anesthetics affected LPS priming for enhanced release of O2− in response to triggering by the chemotactic peptide N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (fMLP), and we investigated which element in the LPS signaling pathway might be the target of local anesthetics. Neutrophils were incubated with 10 ng/ml LPS and 1% plasma ± local anesthetics, washed, and triggered with fMLP. Local anesthetics all inhibited LPS priming, and 50% inhibition was at 0.1 mM tetracaine, 0.5 mM bupivacaine, 3.0 mM lidocaine, or 4.0 mM procaine. Local anesthetics inhibited LPS‐induced mobilization of specific granules and secretory vesicles. Local anesthetics inhibited LPS‐induced up‐regulation of cytochrome b558 but not LPS‐induced translocation of p47phox. Inhibition of priming by local anesthetics was reversed by washing and incubating for 5 min. Tetracaine alone, but not the other local anesthetics, inhibited LPS activation of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and MAPK kinase 3 (kinases in the LPS signaling pathway). The p38 MAPK inhibitors SB203580 and PD169316 also blocked LPS priming. Thus, tetracaine and the other local anesthetics inhibit by disparate mechanisms, but all the local anesthetics impaired up‐regulation of cytochrome b558 and all impaired priming of NADPH oxidase by LPS.


'Active immobility' (AI) is an independent behaviour that can be characterized by behavioural immobility, an increased muscular rigidity and the sustaining of an unusual posture. In previous studies with cocaine we observed, concomitant with hyperlocomotion and increased rearing activity, an increase in AI in well-habituated animals, which may constitute another 'positive' acute effect of cocaine on behaviour. The contribution of the serotonergic (5-HT) system to AI is well established. However, little information exists about the contribution of particular 5-HT-receptor subtypes. In order to examine a possible role of the 5-HT1A receptor on this effect of cocaine, we systematically re-analysed four previous experiments in well-habituated animals and one in little-habituated animals, focusing on the acute behavioural effects of cocaine on AI. We found that, in well-habituated animals, cocaine at a medium dose (10 mg/kg, i.p.) induces AI behaviour, which, however, does not correlate with cocaine effects on locomotion, rearing or grooming behaviour. However, there was no effect of cocaine (1, 5 or 15 mg/kg, i.p.) on AI in little-habituated animals. The 5-HT1A-receptor antagonist, WAY 100635 [N-{2-(4-2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl}ethyl}-N-(2-pyridinyl) cyclohexane carboxamide trihydrochloride] (0.4 mg/kg, i.p.), potentiated cocaine-induced AI in well-habituated animals, while the 5-HT1A-receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.), attenuated it. The local application of 8-OH-DPAT [8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin] into the nucleus accumbens (0, 1, 10 μmol/l) or hippocampus (0, 0.1, 1, 10 μmol/l) modulated cocaine-induced AI in a complex way. These results showed that cocaine induces AI at a medium dose in well-habituated but not in little-habituated animals. The cocaine-induced AI in well-habituated animals can be potentiated by systemic 5-HT1A-receptor antagonism and attenuated by 5-HT1A-receptor agonism. Two experiments with local activation of postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors revealed that both nucleus accumbens and hippocampal 5-HT1A-receptor populations are involved in the expression of cocaine-induced AI.


Hammer drill and / or percussion hammer in the form of hand-held power tool having an electric motor and gear drive in a housing, by means of which rotatably drives the rotating sleeve and is rotatably driven by means of which the tool holder via a gear, the tool holder the tool can be inserted, and the oscillation drive means may be translated by a drive mechanism disposed inside the rotating sleeve impact. Drive means having a drive gear shaft is formed with a motor pinion gear, which is rotatably driven by the oscillation drive means. A shaft (17) is composed of a hollow shaft (36), the shaft immovably and nonrotatably secured to the shaft and a drive gear with the drive gear is also adjacent to, and may be rotatably disposed on the hollow shaft to a clutch the pivot drive (20). The hand-held power tool can be compact, low-cost structure and can achieve at least manner drilling, hammer drilling, chiseling and variations lock function.


Introduction Vascular thrombosis is one of the most severe complications related to organ transplantation. While immunocomplex presence has been associated with this complication in both kidney and heart transplantation, its etiology in the setting of liver transplantation remains unknown. Objectives To evaluate whether immunocomplexes have an impact in the development of graft vascular thrombosis in liver transplant recipients. Methods We performed a retrospective comparative study, including patients who underwent liver transplantation (n=373) during the study period between March 2000 and June 2013, at the University Hospital "12 de Octubre" (Madrid-Spain). Two groups were defined according to immunocomplex analysis: group 1 with a positive result and group 2 with negative immunocomplex study. Results Mean age was 54±10,5 years in group 1 vs 54 ± 10,5 years in group 2 (p=NS). 75% and 68.5% of patients were male in groups 1 and 2 respectively. There were no statistically significant differences when comparing BMI or average MELD score, which was 15.49 in group 1 and 15.94 in group 2 (p=NS). The rate of hepatocellular carcinoma was 16.1% in group 1 vs 27.6% in group 2 (p 0.007), while HCV infection was 38.5% in group 1 and 54.7% in group 2 (p 0.002). No statistically significant differences were found related to blood product transfusion, ICU or ward stay. Pretransplant portal thrombosis was 13.2% in group 1 vs 16% in group 2 (p 0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences regarding post-transplant arterial thrombosis (4.2% group 1 vs 3.4% group 2; p 0.63) or in relation to post-transplant portal thrombosis, which was 1% in group 1 and 1.1% in group 2 (p 0.95). Actuarial survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years for group 1 were 85.6%, 76.6%, and 71.3% respectively, while for group 2 they were 80.7%, 72.9% and 66.3%, without significant differences identified (p 0.109). Figure. No caption available. Figure. No caption available. Figure. No caption available. Figure. No caption available. Conclusion In our series, immunocomplex presence has not been confirmed to be a relevant factor in the development of graft vascular thrombosis in liver transplantation. Hospital 12 de Octubre.


Smart city as a concept envisions building of smart services in heterogeneous domains like health care, waste management, traffic management by intelligently managing and controlling web of interconnected heterogeneous end systems. Smart city requires development of technology that leverages data generated from Internet of things and also to control these end systems in a smart manner. This paper describes various possible smart city services and adaptation of micro services based architectural approach in building smart services. The Paper further describes security and privacy considerations that need to be addressed in micro services based approach.


Electron-electron interactions and their effects on Landau levels in quantum wires (QWs), subjected to strong perpendicular and parallel magnetic fields, are discussed. For QWs in strong perpendicular magnetic fields, with integral filling factor (p = 1, 2, and 3), the screened Coulomb interactions are assessed by solving the integral equations for the screened potential, both analytically and numerically. Correlation energy strongly smoothens the energy dispersion in the vicinity of the Fermi level. The exchange-correlation contribution [Special characters omitted.] to the Fermi-edge group velocity v g ( k F ) is proved to be nonsingular. The energy dispersion, obtained in the local density approximation (LDA), is in line with the observed strong suppression of the spin splitting (p = 1, 3) and helps in explaining the observed destruction or absence of some quantum Hall states. For QWs in strong parallel magnetic fields, with only the lowest LL occupied, the many-body corrections have a stronger effect on the spin-splitting than in the case of perpendicular magnetic fields.


As a therapeutic agent in thrombosis the fibrinolytic enzymes are of interest and the search for a new enzyme continues. A novel fibrinolytic enzyme was produced from Rhizopus chinensis 120, which was screened from the starter for brewing rice wine in the South of China, by solid fermentation, and purified through ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction, ionic exchange and gel filtration chromatographies. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed fibrin, it cleaved the alpha-, beta- and gamma-chains of fibrinogen simultaneously, and it also activated plasminogen to plasmin. The enzyme hydrolyzed N-Succinyl-Ala-Ala- Pro-Phe-pNA, and Km was 0.23 mmol/L and Kcat 16.36 s(-1). The optimal temperature of the enzyme for hydrolying fibrin was 45 degrees C, and the optimal pH range of 6.8 - 8.8. The isoelectric point of the enzyme estimated by isoelectric focusing electrophoresis was 8.5 +/- 0.1. The enzyme was a glycoprotein. EDTA, PCMB, PMSF inhibited the activety of the enzyme, and SBTI, Lys, TPCK, Aprotinine had none obvious inhibition, which suggested that the activity centre of the enzyme had hydrosulfuryl, metal and serine. The first 12 amino acids of the N-termimal sequence of the enzyme were NH2-Ser-Val-Ser-Glu-Ile-Gln-Leu-Met-His-Asn-Leu-Gly, and had none homology with that of other fibrinolytic enzyme from other microbes. The novel fibrinolytic enzyme from Rhizopus chinensis 12# has potential to become a therapeutic agent in thrombosis.


Flunarizine has been widely used for the management of a variety of disorders such as peripheral vascular diseases, migraine, and epilepsy. The majority of its beneficial effects have been attributed to its ability to inhibit voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in the low micromolar range, albeit non-selectively, as flunarizine has been shown to inhibit a variety of ion channels. We examined the effects of flunarizine on potassium currents through cardiac channels encoded by the human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) stably expressed in CHO cells. In this study, we have characterized the effect of flunarizine on biophysical properties of hERG potassium currents with standard whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques. Notably, flunarizine is a highly potent inhibitor of hERG current with an IC50 value of 5.7 nM. The effect of flunarizine on hERG potassium current is concentration and time dependent, and displays voltage dependence over the voltage range between −40 and 0 mV. At concentrations near or above the IC50, flunarizine causes a negative shift in the voltage dependence of hERG current activation and accelerates tail current deactivation. Flunarizine preferentially blocks the activated state of the channel and displays weak frequency dependence of inhibition. Flunarizine also inhibits KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel current with an IC50 of 0.76 μM.


BACKGROUND: Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is a NAD+-dependent enzyme that has important roles in many biological processes involved in aging, including cell growth and repair, inflammation, and energy regulation. SIRT1 activity is modulated in response to certain nutritional interventions that increase healthspan and longevity in rodents, including calorie restriction (CR) and intermittent fasting (IF). In addition to positively influencing cardiometabolic health, SIRT1 is important for brain health and may be critical in the preservation of memory processes that deteriorate during aging. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of brain-associated SIRT1 expression in the acquisition of fear memory in mice at 45 and 65 weeks of age. METHODS: Mice with brain-specific knock-out or overexpression of Sirt1 were assessed on a fear conditioning paradigm to determine the role of SIRT1 in fear memory acquisition. RESULTS: In the current study, mice lacking the expression of brain SIRT1 could not learn the fear conditioning paradigm during training, context, or cue phases. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study indicate that SIRT1 expression in the brain is critical for the formation of fear memory in male mice at two distinct ages, highlighting the essential role of SIRT1 in fear memory acquisition during aging.


In the mixed reality of the computer installation Presence, which functions as a prototype for a smart space, the visitor is placed in the position of a person in audience with the king. The interaction with a digital avatar is structured according to the rules of social behaviours and following the script of the Shakespeare's play. The paper explains different aspects of the conceptualisation of an interdisciplinary collaboration between artists and computer engineers.


Streptococcus suis (SS) is a zoonotic pathogen that causes severe disease symptoms in pigs and humans. Biofilms of SS bind to extracellular matrix proteins in both endothelial and epithelial cells and cause persistent infections. In this study, the differences in the protein expression profiles of SS grown either as planktonic cells or biofilms were identified using comparative proteomic analysis. The results revealed the existence of 13 proteins of varying amounts, among which six were upregulated and seven were downregulated in the Streptococcus biofilm compared with the planktonic controls. The convalescent serum from mini-pig, challenged with SS, was applied in a Western blot assay to visualize all proteins from the biofilm that were grown in vitro and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. A total of 10 immunoreactive protein spots corresponding to nine unique proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS. Of these nine proteins, five (Manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1-carboxyvinyltransferase, ornithine carbamoyltransferase, phosphoglycerate kinase, Hypothetical protein SSU05_0403) had no previously reported immunogenic properties in SS to our knowledge. The remaining four immunogenic proteins (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, hemolysin, pyruvate dehydrogenase and DnaK) were identified under both planktonic and biofilm growth conditions. In conclusion, the protein expression pattern of SS, grown as biofilm, was different from the SS grown as planktonic cells. These five immunogenic proteins that were specific to SS biofilm cells may potentially be targeted as vaccine candidates to protect against SS biofilm infections. The four proteins common to both biofilm and planktonic cells can be targeted as vaccine candidates to protect against both biofilm and acute infections.


This paper gives an overview of women's political representation in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic after the fall of the iron curtain, framed in the context of the transition from Communism to democracy. It is concerned with both continuity and discontinuity between the old and the new regime regarding the political engagement of women – the persistence of traditional family model and gender stereotypes on one hand, and the radically changed roles of the private and the public sphere on the other. It focuses on the mechanisms disadvantaging women in their access to political power and on public attitudes to the measures which could level the playing field, namely gender quotas for political party candidate lists.


This analysis compared the effectiveness (treatment discontinuation and hospitalization) of depot and oral typical antipsychotics in nonadherent outpatients with schizophrenia. Data from the 3-year, prospective, observational Schizophrenia Outpatient Health Outcome study were used. Time to treatment discontinuation, percentage of patients hospitalized and the mean numbers of hospitalizations were compared for previously nonadherent patients initiating depot typical or oral typical monotherapy. Cox proportional hazards, linear and logistic regression models were used to adjust for differences between the treatment groups at the index visit. Of 1642 nonadherent patients, 431 (26%) started an oral typical (n=169) or depot typical (n=262) antipsychotic and were included in the analysis. After adjusting for index variables, treatment discontinuation was significantly lower in the depot typical cohort (hazard ratio: 0.72, 95% confidence interval: 0.54–0.97, P<0.05). Younger age and more severe positive symptoms were also associated with higher discontinuation. The frequency of hospitalization and the mean number of hospitalizations were both significantly lower for the depot typical cohort at 6 months (P<0.05) compared with oral typicals. In the usual care of outpatients with schizophrenia, treatment continuation among nonadherent patients is longer for depot typicals compared with oral typicals and is accompanied by less hospitalization in the short term.


Step off the lush carpet and push through the swinging door of the butler's pantry to enter the bustling realm of domestic workers at Maymont House from 1893 to 1925. In From Morning to Night, Elizabeth O'Leary takes the reader behind the scenes in the opulent mansion of the Richmond multimillionaire James H. Dooley and his wife, Sallie. Drawing upon personal letters, business and government documents, and numerous oral histories of older Richmonders both black and white O'Leary examines the parallel and divergent viewpoints of server and served in this Virginia version of "Upstairs/Downstairs."Raised in slave-owning households before the Civil War, the Dooleys experienced the transformation of the master/mistress-slave relationship to that of employer-employee. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, they relied on a full complement of domestic servants to maintain their lavish residences and lifestyle. In turn, numerous men and women predominantly African American labored to meet the day-to-day challenges of running an elaborate household. At the same time, they negotiated the era's increasing Jim Crow restrictions and, during precious hours off-duty, helped support families, churches, and the larger black community.By examining the formalities and practices of the Dooleys at home and by giving a presence and voice to their "help," From Morning to Night offers insights into domestic and social systems at work within and beyond the upper-class household in the Gilded Age South."


Context
The Acland Land System overlying the Walloon sandstone coal deposits in southern Queensland is generally marginal for cropping but well suited to grazing, and thus cultivated land is commonly returned to pasture. Rehabilitation of these lands after open-cut coal mining seeks to be safe, stable and self-sustaining to satisfy requirements for ecologically sustainable development.

Aims
The present paper evaluates the sustainability and economic viability of beef production on (a) lands retired from cultivation and then rehabilitated with sown pastures after open-cut coal mining at the New Acland mine site, and (b) similar nearby pasture lands that were not mined but were also retired from cultivation.

Methods
The GRASP grazing systems model was modified and calibrated with short-term (5-year) grazing trial data (soil, pasture and cattle observations), and then used with long-term (60-year) weather data to estimate effects of land type, pasture rundown, climate and grazing pressure on productivity and economic returns. The productivity of three rehabilitated sites and 15 unmined sites were evaluated, including pastures on six commercial properties.

Key results
Estimates of long-term mean annual growth of pastures on unmined lands retired from cultivation on three land types (Mountain Coolibah, Brigalow Uplands and Poplar Box) were 3398, 2817 and 2325 kg/ha respectively. Pasture growth was greater on rehabilitated lands; 3736 kg/ha on the site most typical of rehabilitated lands and a mean of 4959 kg/ha across three sites. Seasonal conditions had large effects on cattle liveweight gain (133–213 kg/head per year during the trial); however, pasture growth was the main driver of beef production and economic returns per hectare. In GRASP, potential nitrogen uptake was used to influence key pasture growth processes and accounted for 64% of variation in observed annual growth. The short-term lift and subsequent rundown in productivity typically associated with sown pastures was estimated to have increased mean annual pasture and cattle productivity during the 2014–2018 trial period by up to 17% and 25% respectively. Estimates of long-term mean annual beef production and economic returns for the unmined lands were less than estimated for rehabilitated lands and were 139 kg/head.year (45 kg/ha.year) and AU$154/adult equivalent.

Conclusions
Rehabilitated lands were found to be sustainable for beef production at grazing pressures up to 30% utilisation of annual pasture growth, and comparable with grazing systems on native and sown pastures in good condition. Pastures on unmined lands retired from cultivation had reduced productivity.

Implications
Overgrazing is a significant and on-going residual risk to sustainable production. Grazing regimes need to continually adjust for changes in novel landscapes, pasture condition and climate. The methods used in the present study could be applied more generally.


Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MIR) injury is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality associated with coronary artery disease, which accounts for approximately 450,000 deaths a year in the United States alone. Chinese herbal medicine, especially combined herbal formulations, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of myocardial infarction for hundreds of years. While the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine is well documented, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this review, we highlight recent studies which are focused on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms using extracted compounds, single herbs, or herbal formulations in experimental settings. These studies represent recent efforts to bridge the gap between the enigma of ancient Chinese herbal medicine and the concepts of modern cell and molecular biology in the treatment of myocardial infarction.


Perspectives in immunosuppressive drug therapy have changed rapidly in the past few years with the appearance on the market of several new entities. Used for organ transplantation, bone-marrow transplantation and more recently in some auto-immune diseases, the usual classical scheme consisting of corticoids, azathioprine (1970) and cyclosporin (1980), with or without an induction period with antilymphocyte antibodies, has varied little except for the monoclonal antibody OKT3. The considerable evolution due to the introduction of cyclosporin almost twenty years ago has reached its limits. The new perspectives offer two aspects: (1) on one hand, the specificity of each compound: tacrolimus, Prograf, Fujisawa; mycophenolate mofetyl (MMF), CellCept, Roche; cyclosporin, Neoral, Novartis; basiliximab, Simulect, Novartis; and dacliximab, Zenapax, Roche; monoclonal humanized antibodies, rapamycine or sirolimus, Rapamune, Wyeth; or its derived form RAD Novartis; (2) on the other hand, all these products represent alternatives to the present scheme in a field where coprescription is the rule. These alternatives encounter one main difficulty: the evaluation and the organization of the different possible combinations have to be done within a small series of patients. It is essential to note that the market authorizations have been given on the basis of a precise scheme of dosage regimen from the pivotal studies and that extrapolation from these conditions, in particular choice of the doses, has required thorough reflection. These recent developments need optimization between an improvement of immunosuppression and a higher risk for infection and malignancy.


Abstract-The capacity of conventional wireless communications systems based upon Direct-Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA) schemes, is mainly limited by Multiple Access Interference (MAI). Therefore, methods aimed at reducing MAI are mandatory solutions to increase the capacity of such systems. Smart Antennas are a promising technology for improving the performance of high capacity mobile communications systems, because they are expected to be able to increase the Signal to Interference plus Noise power Ratio (SINR) of the received signals by dynamically adapting the equivalent array beam pattern in order to track the movements of the users within the cell. In this paper we propose a novel blind adaptive beamforming algorithm tailored for the up-link of multi-code multi-rate DS-CDMA wireless communications systems. Our proposal is based upon a modified Constant Modulus (CM) criterion, whose fundamental feature is the capability to overcome the main drawback of the classic CM algorithm, which lies in its difficulty of ensuring the convergence toward the desired user. The proposed algorithm exploits user-specific information intrinsically known at the receiver, which is the code uniquely associated to each user, without requiring the knowledge of the spatiotemporal propagation channel nor any specific training sequence. Within this paper we present a broadband solution, designed to temporally re-align uncorrelated clusters of multipaths, as well as spatially recombine correlated multipaths belonging to the same cluster. Computer simulations show that our proposed technique can effectively exploit path diversity and multipath correlation, also in the presence of Doppler effect and time-variable propagation conditions.


Nuclear receptors (NRs) regulate gene expression by binding specific DNA sequences consisting of AG[G/T]TCA or AGAACA half site motifs in a variety of configurations. However, those motifs/configurations alone do not adequately explain the diversity of NR function in vivo. Here, a systematic examination of DNA binding specificity by protein-binding microarrays (PBMs) of three closely related human NRs—HNF4α, retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα) and COUPTF2—reveals an HNF4-specific binding motif (H4-SBM), xxxxCAAAGTCCA, as well as a previously unrecognized polarity in the classical DR1 motif (AGGTCAxAGGTCA) for HNF4α, RXRα and COUPTF2 homodimers. ChIP-seq data indicate that the H4-SBM is uniquely bound by HNF4α but not 10 other NRs in vivo, while NRs PXR, FXRα, Rev-Erbα appear to bind adjacent to H4-SBMs. HNF4-specific DNA recognition and transactivation are mediated by residues Asp69 and Arg76 in the DNA-binding domain; this combination of amino acids is unique to HNF4 among all human NRs. Expression profiling and ChIP data predict ∼100 new human HNF4α target genes with an H4-SBM site, including several Co-enzyme A-related genes and genes with links to disease. These results provide important new insights into NR DNA binding.


Panoptic segmentation that unifies instance segmentation and semantic segmentation has recently attracted increasing attention. While most existing methods focus on designing novel architectures, we steer toward a different perspective: performing automated multi-loss adaptation (named Ada-Segment) on the fly to flexibly adjust multiple training losses over the course of training using a controller trained to capture the learning dynamics. This offers a few advantages: it bypasses manual tuning of the sensitive loss combination, a decisive factor for panoptic segmentation; allows to explicitly model the learning dynamics, and reconcile the learning of multiple objectives (up to ten in our experiments); with an end-to-end architecture, it generalizes to different datasets without the need of re-tuning hyperparameters or re-adjusting the training process laboriously. Our Ada-Segment brings 2.7% panoptic quality (PQ) improvement on COCO val split from the vanilla baseline, achieving the state-of-the-art 48.5% PQ on COCO test-dev split and 32.9% PQ on ADE20K dataset. The extensive ablation studies reveal the ever-changing dynamics throughout the training process, necessitating the incorporation of an automated and adaptive learning strategy as presented in this paper.


A total of 535 evaluable febrile episodes in neutropenic patients were randomly assigned to treatment with ticarcillin-clavulanate plus vancomycin (TV), ceftazidime plus vancomycin (CV), or all three antibiotics (TCV). The TCV regimen was significantly more effective than TV, considering all evaluable episodes, documented infections, gram-negative infections, and infections in patients with persistent severe neutropenia (less than 100 neutrophils/mm3). The results with CV were intermediate between TV and TCV. The toxicities were similar with all three regimens and consisted primarily of skin rashes. The TCV regimen is effective for empiric therapy of fever in neutropenic patients and probably should be utilized in preference to CV or TV, although its superiority over CV in this study was inconclusive.


Web logs are files created to store data about users and all accesses made to web pages by various users. It stores various details such as user id and URL accessed. Web usage mining uses these log files to discover user patterns. Web personalisation is personalisation of websites according to user interests. Data collection from log files is the first step to perform personalisation. There are various types of personalisation such as memorisation, guidance, customisation and task performance support. There are various stages of web usage mining amongst them pre-processing is the most important and time consuming stage. It involves removing irrelevant data through data cleaning. It includes identification of users and sessions which is most important for personalisation. In this paper, we would be focusing on memorisation. Memorisation is remembering pages accessed by various users and then personalising pages. User identification is primary step of memorisation. In this paper, we would be identifying users from web logs by creating framework using VB.Net and SQL server. This framework can then be used for memorisation. After user identification, output can then be further used to identify sessions.


The balance-equation theory recently developed for miniband Bloch transport in semiconductor superlattices is extended to systems with a strong lateral confinement. Carrier statistics, electron heating, and realistic scattering mechanisms due to impurities and phonons are included in the force- and energy-balance equations. Impurity- and phonon-limited linear mobilities are investigated as functions of the carrier occupation and temperature. The non-linear behaviour of the drift velocity against electric field for these one-dimensional superlattices, derived from the balance-equation theory, exhibits features different from that of a three-dimensional superlattice, but similar to the predictions of the Esaki-Tsu and Boltzmann theories.


This report summarizes the experimental results on the tern-poral behavior, sincelate 1962, of low-altitude trapped protons, E 57 MeV. These data are interpreted in terms of the time-dependent continuity equation, using a source function that is empirically deduced from the data. The observed changes in the flux of 63-MeV protons between 1963 and mid-1969 are in agreement with those expected from solar-cycle changes in the atmosphere. Preliminary calculations that include semiannual as well as solar-cycle atmospheric density van-ations indicate that, beginning in 1967, semiannual changes in the 60-MeV proton flux should be observable at altitudes below about 350 km. Our flux measurements are consistent with this computational result.


When analyzed statistically, the distribution of verbal elements in some written sources, like that of objects in archeological sites, yields culture-historical data independent of artifacts' intended meaning. A 1559 case study from highland Ecuador uses personal names and their parts to detect cultural differences in aboriginal society and their changing relation to superordinate Inca culture. This can be done even with undeciphered names from an extinct language, suggesting a fortiori that the method is generalizable.


Background. Rectal tumour management depends highly on locoregional extension. Rectal endoscopic ultrasound (ERUS) is a good alternative to computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. However, in Hungary only a small amount of rectal tumours is examined with ERUS. Methods. Our retrospective study (2006–2012) evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of ERUS and compares the results, the first data from Central Europe, with those from Western Europe. The effect of neoadjuvant therapy, rectal probe type, and investigator's experience were also assessed. Results. 311 of the 647 ERUS assessed locoregional extension. Histological comparison was available in 177 cases: 67 patients underwent surgery alone; 110 received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT); ERUS preceded CRT in 77 and followed it in 33 patients. T-staging was accurate in 72% of primarily operated patients. N-staging was less accurate (62%). CRT impaired staging accuracy (64% and 59% for T- and N-staging). Rigid probes were more accurate (79%). At least 30 examinations are needed to master the technique. Conclusions. The sensitivity of ERUS complies with the literature. ERUS is easy to learn and more accurate in early stages but unnecessary for restaging after CRT. Staging accuracy is similar in Western and Central Europe, although the number of examinations should be increased.


Vasopressin and oxytocin are neurohormones of the posterior pituitary lobe released not only into the blood, but also into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Posterior pituitary lobe has central and peripheral noradrenergic innervation; peripheral origins from superior cervical ganglia (SCG) (Alper et al. 1980; Saavedra 1986). It is known, that sympathetic nervous system is involved in vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXY) release from neurohypophysis into the blood (Romeo et al. 1991; Lipinska et al. 1996). The factors which stimulate neurohormones release into the blood do not always cause their release into CSF (Dogterom et al. 1977; Szczepanska-Sadowska et al. 1983). The aim of this study was to elucidate the question whether the stimulation of preganglionic fibers of the SCG could influence the release of AVP and OXY into CSF.


The authors evaluated all available evidence on the use of propofol as an adjuvant for the treatment of resistant alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in comparison to other therapies. A comprehensive PubMed search (1966–December 2015) was conducted using the search terms propofol, alcohol withdrawal, and drug therapy. Articles were cross‐referenced for other citations. Clinical studies, case series, and case reports published in the English language assessing the use of propofol in adult patients for treatment of AWS were reviewed for inclusion. Propofol is a sedative‐hypnotic that exerts its actions through agonism of GABAA receptors at a different binding site than benzodiazepines and reduces glutamatergic activity through N‐methyl‐d‐aspartase (NMDA) receptor blockade. Dosages from 5 to 100 μg/kg/minute reduced AWS symptoms with frequent development of hypotension and requirement for mechanical ventilation. Patients on propofol often experienced longer durations of mechanical ventilation and length of stay, which may be attributed to more‐resistant cases of AWS. When propofol was compared with dexmedetomidine as adjuncts in AWS, both agents showed similar benzodiazepine‐ and haloperidol‐sparing effects. Dexmedetomidine was associated with more numerical rates of bradycardia, while propofol was associated with more numerical instances of hypotension. Dexmedetomidine was used more frequently in nonintubated patients. The available data assessing the utility of propofol for AWS exhibited significant heterogeneity. Propofol may be useful in a specific population of patients with AWS, limited to those who are not clinically responding to first‐line therapy with benzodiazepines. Specifically, propofol should be considered in patients who are refractory to or not candidates for other adjuvant therapies, patients already requiring mechanical ventilation, or those with seizure activity or refractory delirium tremens. In severe, refractory AWS, adjuvant therapy with propofol may be considered but requires further research to recommend its use either preferentially or as monotherapy.


In this report, we derive a utilization bound on schedulability of apriodic tasks with arbitrary arrival times, execution times, and deadlines. To the author''s knowledge, this is the first time a utilization bound is derived for the aperiodic task model. It allows constructing an O(1) admission test for aperiodic tasks. Earlier admission tests are at best O(n). We show that deadline-monotonic scheduling is the optimal fixed-priority scheduling policy for aperiodic tasks in the sense of maximizing the schedulable utilization bound. We prove that the optimal bound is 5/8. Our result is an extension of the well-known Liu and Layland''s bound of ln 2 (derived for periodic tasks). The new bound is shown to be tight. We briefly generalize our results to tasks with multiple resource requirements and multiple processors. Dynamic priority scheduling (EDF) of aperiodic tasks is shown to have the same schedulability bound as for periodic tasks. Our findings are especially useful for an emerging category of soft real-time applications, such as online trading and e-commerce, where task (request) arrival times are arbitrary, task service times are unknown, and service has to be performed within a given deadline. Our result provides theoretical grounds for guaranteeing deadlines of individual aperiodic requests by observing only the aggregate utilization conditions which simplifies achieving real-time assurances in such applications.


Branched nanostructures have attracted considerable interest due to their large surface-to-volume ratio with benefits in photocatalysis and photovoltaic applications. Here we discuss the tailoring of branched structures with a shape of a star based on PbS semiconductor. It exposes the reaction mechanism and the controlling factors that template their morphology. For this purpose, we varied the primary lead precursors, types of surfactant, lead-to-surfactant molar ratio, temperature and duration of the reaction. Furthermore, intermediate products in a growth reaction were thoroughly examined using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering, optical absorbance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results designated a primary formation of truncated octahedral seeds with terminating {100} and {111} facets, followed by the selective fast growth of pods along the 〈100〉 directions toward the development of a star-like shape. The examined intermediates possess a cubic rock salt structure. The observations indicated that small surfactant molecules (e.g. acetate) evolve the branching process, while long-chain surfactants (e.g. oleate) stabilize the long pods as well as mitigate the aggregation process. This study conveys fundamental knowledge for the design of other branched structures, that are attractive for practical use in catalysis, electrochemistry and light-harvesting.


The Aim of this study was to Investigate tooth size and morphology In subjects with unilateral supernU/Ta'ary maxillary lateral Incisor. (SMLI) Materlals a. Methods: The measurements were undertaken retrospectively using orthodontics study casts from archives. To assess tooth size, the mesiodistal and buccopalatal dimensions of central Incisor, lateral Incisor In Involved side (SMLI) and uninvolved side were measurement using digital vernier caliper. Paired T test was used to determine dlffenonce In tooth size, while chi-square tests were used to ........ the association between gender side and shape with midline shift. Results: Mean mesiodistal and buccopalatal width of central and lateral Incisors In the Involved side 9.2Smm, 7.2Smm and 7.17mm, 6.S8mm respectively. Whereas, In the uninvolved side It was 9.7Smm, 7.83mm and 7.S8mm, 7.13mm respectively. Discussion a. Conclusion: Tooth size was reduced In Involved side (SMLI) with statistical significance. Upper central Incisor and lateral Incisor on the Involved side showed greatest reduction In size. Reduced tooth dimensions In the Involved size (SMLI), suggesting a shared genetic balls, and local aetio loglcal factors.


Antigen-stimulated tritiated thymidine ( 3 H-TdR) incorporation by lymphocytes is an in vitro correlate of cellular immunity. The stimulation of this response by hapten-carrier conjugates may be inhibited by free hapten, a finding previously interpreted as evidence for independent hapten-specificity of thymus dependent (T) lymphocyte receptors. We confirm the specific inhibition by dinitrophenyl (DNP)-lysine of DNP-guinea pig albumin (GPA) induced stimulation of lymphoid cell cultures from guinea pigs immunized with DNP-GPA and report a similar specific inhibition caused by DNP-ovalbumin (OVA). Nonetheless, our results indicate that this hapten-specific inhibition is not due to blockade of T cell receptors specific for hapten-carrier conjugates. Thus we show: 1) DNP-OVA must be present before and during "pulse" exposure to DNP-GPA but has no effect if added after such a pulse. 2) Preincubation of macrophage-rich peritoneal exudate cells with DNP-OVA blocks the capacity of these cells to bind low concentrations of DNP-GPA and then to stimulate immune peritoneal exudate lymphocytes to divide. 3) Preincubation of DNP-GPA immune peritoneal exudate lymphocytes in DNP-OVA has no effect on their capacity to subsequently respond to macrophage-associated DNP-GPA. We conclude that the capacity of DNP-OVA to inhibit DNP-GPA stimulation of 3 H-TdR incorporation by lymphoid cell populations from guinea pigs immune to DNP-GPA is due to competition for a hapten-specific cytophilic antibody on the surface of the macrophage and not to competition for a hapten-specific receptor on T lymphocytes.


Abstract A relatively complete skull of Parelasmotherium, a giant elasmotherine rhinocerotid with a huge nasal horn, is described from an early late Miocene locality of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China. Comparing the new cranial material of Parelasmotherium, we confirm that Ningxiatherium belongs to a valid and independent genus. New knowledge concerning the cranial and dental morphology of Parelasmotherium allows insight into the phylogenetic position of this genus among elasmotheres. A sister-group relationship between Parelasmotherium and Ningxiatherium is proposed on the basis of cranial and dental evidence. Shared derived characters that support this relationship include: anterior rims of orbit far behind the level of M3; raised lower rim of orbit; long, wide, fused nasal bones that angle ventrally; a retracted nasal notch at the level of the P4/M1 boundary; broadly separated parietal crests; tooth rows restricted to the anterior half of skull; extremely expanded hypocones of molars; very narrow metalophs; and a lingually elongated protoloph of M3. Parelasmotherium was obviously a grazer, as shown by the high crown, strong wear, massive cement, and wrinkled enamel on its teeth. The coexistence of Parelasmotherium and Ningxiatherium in the Linxia Basin indicates that the ecological differentiation occurred during the early late Miocene. The two genera occupied different ecological niches with distinct diets, grazing grasses for Parelasmotherium and browsing leaves for Ningxiatherium.


Ultrafine particles of paracetamol were produced by Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solution (RESS). The experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of extraction temperature (313–353 K), extraction pressure (10–18 MPa), preexpansion temperature (363–403 K), and postexpansion temperature (273–323 K) on particles size and morphology of paracetamol particles. The characterization of the particles was determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The average particle size of the original paracetamol was 20.8 μm, while the average particle size of paracetamol after nanonization via the RESS process was 0.46 μm depending on the experimental conditions used. Moreover, the morphology of the processed particles changed to spherical and regular while the virgin particles of paracetamol were needle-shape and irregular. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the process parameters. The extraction temperature, 347 K; extraction pressure, 12 MPa; preexpansion temperature, 403 K; and postexpansion temperature, 322 K was found to be the optimum conditions to achieve the minimum average particle size of paracetamol.


West Nile fever epidemiology is complex, and the role of birds in the maintenance, amplification, and dissemination of the West Nile virus (WNV) remains partially unknown. In 2003, a serological study was performed in Senegal, where West Nile infection is considered endemic. The goal was to identify potential reservoirs of WNV among bird species present in the Ferlo area (northern Senegal) and the Senegal River Valley, and to screen the ecological factors possibly related to West Nile infection. Serological data were analyzed using a generalized linear model. Statistical association between ecological factors and the risk of infection were then modeled to derive a species-specific risk. A cross-validation was conducted. The overall observed prevalence rate was 5.5% (n = 422). Thirteen bird species were found positive, from which five were migrating: Lanius senator, Anthus trivialis, Hippolais opaca, Jynx torquilla, and Cercotrichas galactotes. The nesting type in resident birds was positively correlated with the risk of infection (odds ratio [OR] = 11, p = 0.0003); the gregariousness level of birds appeared as a protective factor (OR = 0.3, p = 0.01). The predicted prevalence varied between 1% and 39% for resident species and between 1% and 7% for migrating species. Results of model internal validation were satisfactory at the individual and species level. However, more field and experimental investigations are needed to confirm these preliminary results and help target the future research and surveillance in Senegal.


Background: Although approximately half of myasthenia gravis (MG) patents achieve remission, for the remaining group MG is often a life-long disease. Better understanding of the determinants of Quality of Life (QoL) in MG is needed to optimize treatment goals in chronic cases. Materials and Methods: We performed a single center cross-sectional study in 339 MG adult patients (64.9% women), with ocular or generalized disease. SF-36 and a structured questionnaire was administered, including information on previous and current MG severity, medications, comorbidities, education, occupation and BMI of the patient. Mean disease duration was 7.5 + 9.3 years. Current age was 51.6 + 18.3 years, 55% had Early-Onset (<50 years) MG. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in mean SF-36 subscores between women and men. Worse MGFA class was related to lower QoL in physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) subscore (p = 0.000 for both). Patients with MGFA I-II class had significantly better QoL in physical and mental subscores than patients with more severe MG (p < 0.005). Late-onset MG patients had worse QoL than EOMG in physical score domain PCS (p = 0.049). Overweight and obese patients had lower PCS (p = 0.002) and MCS (p = 0.038) than patients with normal BMI. University education was related to statistically higher PCS (p = 0.015) and MCS (p = 0.006). QoL in currently employed was better in PCS and MCS (p = 0.000), with white collar workers reporting higher PCS (p = 0.049) than the remaining group. Patients living with family evaluated their MCS (p = 0.015) better than living alone. Moderate physical activity (twice a week) improved PCS (p = 0.045). Conclusion: Our study confirmed that greater severity of symptoms, age, age of onset but also BMI, type of work, education status and physical activity affect QoL in MG.


Lancaster General Health is the first institution in the United States to have the next generation CyberKnife made by Accuray Inc., the M6 series (Fig. 1). The CyberKnife utilizes non-invasive stereotactic radiosurgery to deliver precise, high doses of radiation to targets anywhere in the body. Recent studies have shown that stereotactic radiosurgery offers high rates of tumor control with minimal toxicity, which has led to significant growth in its use as an effective alternative to conventional surgery for many small tumors and selected medical conditions. The new M6 series CyberKnife is the most advanced robotic system available today and with its new InCise multileaf collimation will expand indications and the number of patients who may be eligible for CyberKnife treatment. Fig. 1: CyberKnife M6 Series Robotic Radiosurgery System


The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) relationship among Lactobacillus species of the subgenus Streptobacterium Orla-Jensen was assessed by means of DNA/DNA hybridization experiments. High genetic homologies were found among Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei, L. casei subsp. alactosus, L. casei subsp. pseudoplantarum, and L. casei subsp. tolerans; however, there was only a low level of homology between the DNA of L. casei subsp. rhamnosus and the DNA of other subspecies of L. casei. The DNAs of Lactobacterium zeae ATCC 15820 and L. casei subsp. casei ATCC 393 were nearly completely homologous. Although the latter strain has been proposed as the neotype for L. casei, it is not related to any of the other strains within the subspecies of L. casei. Lactobacillus plantarum and strains identified as belonging to L. plantarum subsp. rudensis and L. plantarum subsp. arabinosus formed a fairly homogeneous and easily recognized group. The DNA of Lactobacillus pentosus was unrelated to that of any known streptobacteria, and we therefore advocate the recognition of this organism as an independent species. There is a high degree of homology between Lactobacillus sake and Lactobacillus homohiochi; the name L. sake has priority, and L. homohiochi is very probably a synonym; for the same reason, Lactobacillus yamanashiensis has priority over its later subjective synonym, Lactobacillus mali. The general DNA/DNA homology relationships among Lactobacillus casei, L. plantarum, L. coryniformis, L. curvatus, L. xylosus, L. alimentarius, L. farciminis, and Sporolactobacillus inulinus justify their status as separate species.


A number of papers have recently explored the relation between personality measures and risk aversion. However, research on risk aversion using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality measure is scarce. The relation of various dimensions of the MBTI with risk aversion is at the moment under-researched compared to its use in the business and counseling world. To explore this relation, we carried out an incentivized experiment using 333 business school students. We find that according to our theoretical hypotheses, respondents scoring higher on Introversion, Sensing, Feeling and Judging are more risk averse, with the effect for Sensing and Feeling being non-linear. We also find women, Master students, respondents coming from a quantitative background and respondents that do not follow the stock markets to be more risk averse. The relations highlighted between the MBTI dimensions and risk aversion correspond broadly to the findings already evidenced using the Big 5 in studies using questionnaires or lotteries. This emphasizes the significant overlap between the two personality evaluation methods in relation to risk aversion. Our findings also underscore that the MBTI might be a useful tool in studies on risk aversion using lotteries, given the significant link of its dimensions with the elicited risk aversion in our study.


The consensus that innovation is an essential strategy for firms, which aim to competitively survive over the long term, motivates growing literature to understand the drivers of firms' innovation outputs. It is widely acknowledged that access to financial sources is fundamentally important for the survival of innovative firms. The lack of financial support may prevent the firms from entirely pursuing innovation activity and producing innovative outputs. However, this is rarely addressed in the finance literature. Focusing on both types of financing sources (internal and external), this study investigates their influence on firms' innovation outputs. Leveraging on the spirit in Pecking Order Theory, this study proposes that firms adopt a hierarchy between types of financing from internal or self-financing to external, starting from low risk to risky debts and followed by the issuance of shares on their efforts in financing innovation and producing the outputs. Poisson regression results, using a sample of 113 manufacturing firms listed in JASDAQ market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, revealed that both financing sources (internal and external) are important in driving volume and value of firms' innovation outputs. However, the reliance of firms on self-generated financing conquers. This study, using patent-based data (application, publication, citation) to estimate firms' technology outputs, also finds the complementary power of debt financing as an important financial source, particularly when firms' internal financing source has exhausted. The findings of this study offer support to the assertion in the Pecking Order Theory concerning the risk inherited in the different financing sources.


A maturity model is a widely used tool in software engineering and has mostly been extended to domains such as education, health, energy, finance, government, and general use. It is valuable for evaluations and continuous improvement of business processes or certain aspects of organizations, as it represents a more organized and systematic way of doing business. In this paper, we only focus on college higher education. For this reason, we present a novel approach that allows detecting some gaps in the existing maturity models for universities, as they are not models that address the dimensions in their entirety. To identify these models and their validities, as well as a classification of models that were identified in universities, we carried out a systematic literature review on 27,289 articles retrieved with respect to maturity models and published in peer-reviewed journals between 2007 and 2020. We found 23 articles that find maturity models applied in universities, through exclusion and inclusion criteria. We then grouped these items into nine categories with specific purposes. We concluded that maturity models used in Universities move towards agility, which is supported by the semantic web.


Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a B-lymphoproliferative disease, which consists of the abnormal proliferation of CD19/CD5/CD20/CD23 positive lymphocytes in blood and lymphoid organs, such as bone marrow, lymph nodes and spleen. The neoplastic transformation and expansion of tumor B cells are commonly recognized as antigen-driven processes, mediated by the interaction of antigens with the B cell receptor (BCR) expressed on the surface of B-lymphocytes. The survival and progression of CLL cells largely depend on the direct interaction of CLL cells with receptors of accessory cells of tumor microenvironment. Recently, much interest has been focused on the role of tumor release of small extracellular vesicles (EVs), named exosomes, which incorporate a wide range of biologically active molecules, particularly microRNAs and proteins, which sustain the tumor growth. Here, we will review the role of CLL-derived exosomes as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of the disease.


The paper investigates the stability of feedback systems with one nonlinear element whose input-output characteristic is contained within a sector of the input-output plane. The results are applicable to any nonlinearity within a given sector and the conditions for global asymptotic stability are necessary if the exact analytic description of the nonlinearity is not available. The conditions for asymptotic stability are related to the Routh-Hurwitz and Nyquist stability criteria for linear systems.


Specimens housed in the Australian Museum assigned to the genus Stylopallene are reviewed on the basis of their questionable geographic locations in the tropical waters of north Western Australia. Re-examination of those specimens shows only a superficial resemblance to the genus Stylopallene. The new genus Labrumoides gen. nov. is erected to accommodate those specimens and a new species L. vibrissa sp. nov. is described. Cheilopallene hirta previously assigned to genus incertae sedis is provisionally reassigned to the new genus.


The site lies in a Sphagnum bog close to the Delegate River, which flows through swamp vegetation (low open-forest, thicket or bog) bordered by tall open-forest or open-forest dominated by Eucalyptus species. The pollen diagram covers the period from about 12,000 B.P. to the present and indicates a change of dryland vegetation from an initial alpine herbfield or grassland to forest with a shrubby understorey, similar to that in the area today, by about 8000 B.P. During this time the swamp vegetation changed from swampy heath to sedgeland and then to herbfield. After 8000 B.P. there is no indication of change in the dryland vegetation but, on the swamp, herbfield gave way to Leptospermum and Baeckea riparian vegetation that was later replaced by the present Sphagnum bog community. At about 12,000 B.P. temperatures in the area were probably at least 5°C lower than they are today; rainfall may have been less, but both temperature and precipitation had increased to present levels by about 8000 B.P.


We propose and theoretically demonstrate the extinction ratio (ER) enhanced all-optical tunable wavelength conversion based on cascaded second-harmonic generation and difference-frequency generation (cSHG/DFG) in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide by setting the signal at the quasi-phase matching (QPM) wavelength. The conversion performance including extinction ratio enhancement, conversion efficiency, and tunable bandwidth are analyzed systematically. Both analytical solutions with clear physical insights and detailed simulation results are presented. The proposed cSHG/DFG is compared with the conventional one on the extinction ratio enhancement effect. The analytical expression predicts that the suggested cSHG/DFG can effectively enhance the extinction ratio by two times in dB with a short waveguide. The simulation results show that the extinction ratio enhancement drops off with the increase of the waveguide length due to propagation loss and power depletion. It is easy to perform tunable operation, i.e. the converted idler can be tuned in a wide wavelength range simply by changing the pump wavelength. There is a tradeoff between tunable bandwidth, extinction ratio enhancement, and conversion efficiency. In addition, wavelength multicasting with extinction ratio enhancement is also demonstrated. Moreover, the potential of performance improvement in terms of optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) and Q-factor is also investigated.


This paper is a discussion of computational tools and circuits that deal with the internal and external worlds of the human body. The information processing avenues in the central nervous system (CNS) are an important part of the development.

All sensory channels and the vision system are involved. It clarifies the role of the sensory system in internal coordinate systems and for all activities of the CNS. It includes the inherent redundancy aspects of the motor system as well. The visual system is involved in sports such as soccer and basketball and for being aware of and paying attention to both the internal world and the external reality surrounding the athlete.


The effects of 200-MeV Ag+15 ion irradiation on the optical properties of TiO2 and SnO2 thin films prepared by using the RF magnetron sputtering technique were investigated. These films were characterized by using UV-vis spectroscopy, and with increasing irradiation fluence, the transmittance for the TiO2 films was observed to increase systematically while that for SnO2 was observed to decrease. Absorption spectra of the irradiated samples showed minor changes in the indirect bandgap from 3.44 to 3.59 eV with increasing irradiation fluence for TiO2 while significant changes in the direct bandgap from 3.92 to 3.6 eV were observed for SnO2. The observed modifications in the optical properties of both the TiO2 and the SnO2 systems with irradiation can be attributed to controlled structural disorder/defects in the system.


Levels of inter-male aggression, both in laboratory encounters and in the field, rise dramatically during the breeding season, closely paralleling the seasonal rise in testosterone. However, post-pubertally castrated males also show the dramatic seasonal rise in aggression in laboratory encounters with castrated opponents and show no decrement in fighting ability when paired with intact opponents, clearly demonstrating the independence of seasonal aggression from the proximate modulating effects of testosterone in wood rats.


We have investigated the pre-breakdown ionization processes in a pulsed capillary discharge using a capacitive probe array to measure ionization growth with time and space resolution. The experimental results indicate that pre-breakdown processes in shielded capillary discharges are characterized by the formation of a fast ionization wave. Depending on voltage polarity, the ionization wave can be associated with a mobile virtual anode with characteristic speed 105 m s−1, in the case of positive polarity, or with the propagation of a high speed potential wave, of characteristic speed 107 m s−1, in negative polarity case. The time and space evolution of the ionization waves is closely related with the formation of high energy electron beams, which originate due to the hollow cathode geometry of the open end capillary. A qualitative model based on the hollow cathode effect is proposed to explain the initial formation and later time evolution of the observed ionization waves.


Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury as a result of inflow obstruction is a major cause of morbidity and mortality associated with liver pathologies and surgery. Heat shock proteins, a family of stress-inducible proteins involved in maintaining cell homeostasis and regulating the immune system play a major role in liver regeneration. They serve as crucial indicators of ischemia-reperfusion injury in human liver and influence liver function and recovery. The primary objectives of this article are to review the potential role of heat shock proteins as a diagnostic marker for liver diseases and therapeutic target in critical illness. The review will start by focusing on the essentials of heat shock proteins as an endogenous system as it relates to hepatic injury. It will elucidate the influence of heat shock protein-70 on hepatic diseases and ischemia-reperfusion. It will then look at their potential diagnostic role and finally highlights its activities as a possible therapeutic tool. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(42), 1659-1666.


Synopsis A palaeomagnetic study of material from the lowermost and most fine-grained layers of the Stornoway sediments suggests a late Permian-Triassic age for this formation. This supports recent suggestions that the Stornoway Formation may be an onshore representative of the many deep Mesozoic basins recently discovered in surrounding coastal waters.


Circuit reliability of class-E and class-A power amplifiers is investigated based on a newly developed degradation subcircuit model. Measured degradation characteristics on the fabricated circuits agree well with the simulation predictions. Using this model, we have found that the class-E amplifier degrades faster than a class-A amplifier, due to a much higher stress level during switching. With a drastic decrease of PAE, a shorter lifetime is expected for a class-E amplifier.


Since the French Revolution, street demonstration has symbolized a force that leads to political change. The successes of political movements that have involved public participation and demonstration, such as Salt Satyagraha in India, the March on Washington in the United States, EDSA in the Philippines, and the June Democratic Uprising in South Korea, have transformed street politics into a symbol of democracy and human rights throughout the world. In Thailand, three major street movements led to political change in the 20 th century: those of 14 October 1973, 6 October 1976, and May 1992, which contributed to a stable democratic system through 2006. In the 21 st century, the meaning of "civil society" has changed in many countries. While the referendum is replacing street politics in Europe, North America, and Australasia, street politics remain intact in Asian states that allow it. The Saffron Revolution in Myanmar and Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong represent democratic principles and place street politics at the core of civil society in Asia. Even so, a change within the structure of civil society in Asia is occurring that is contributing to Thai society's ever-changing landscape: the involvement of political parties in civil society can no longer denied. While some parties and politicians in civil societies have long existed, it is a first in Thai history for political parties to be founded and operate in civil society for political advantage. This change in social structure has attracted rival political parties to form movements through political supporters, which is related to this study that will focuses on the leadership and organization of Thai civil society since the start of this century.


Mouse MARCKS is a prominent myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate implicated in brain development, calcium/calmodulin signaling, and membrane cytoskeletal restructuring, and is developmentally regulated in a cell- and tissue-specific fashion. In this study, transcriptional regulation of mouse MARCKS promoter in the neuronally derived immortalized hippocampal cells (HN33) was examined for a portion of 5'-flanking genomic sequence from -993 to +1 relative to the translation start site. Transfection experiments carried out in this neural cell line identified, for the first time, that the distal promoter segment from -993 to -713 plays a crucial role as an enhancer/activator element in the up-regulation of the basal transcription activity driven by MARCKS core promoter sequence. Motif analyses revealed at least 12 overlapping potential transcription factor binding sites in this region, among which a prominent GA-rich sequence centered at -765 has been shown to be functionally important in the binding of Sp1 protein-like complex. Deletion of the GA-rich segment significantly reduced the MARCKS promoter activity. Further, competitive EMSA indicated two additional sites within the -993/-713 that may also interact with Sp1 protein, demonstrating that the activator function of -993/-713 is under control of multiple Sp1 transcription factors. Unlike the distal promoter sequence, the proximal core promoter sequence (-649/-438) contains a GC-rich box and a Z-DNA-forming segment and is critical to basal transcription. The deletion of -649/-438 segment has been shown to drastically impair the promoter activity even in the presence of -993/-713, suggesting that its presence is also important to the function of -993/-713. These data emphasize that the synergistic interaction between distal and proximal promoter sequences is indispensable for the optimal MARCKS promoter function in the immortalized hippocampal cells. The discovery of the activator function of the MARCKS distal promoter region, and its potential interaction with multiple Sp proteins may provide a new clue to the understanding of Macs transcriptional regulation in brain.


The alpha decay and the exotic radioactive emission of heavy ions are assumed to be superasymmetric fission processes. These processes are studied as transitions from Coulomb-excited states of the parent nucleus into excited states of the daughter nucleus. For their description the authors use the superasymmetric fission model and generalise it. Within this generalised model they calculate the cross section for the Coulomb-induced alpha decay in collisions of 238U on 238U below the Coulomb barrier and estimate the cross section for the Coulomb-induced cluster emission. The influence of prompt Coulomb-induced alpha decay is also discussed.


The transformation of the coastal landscape assumes a significant importance, as far as global changes and erosion risks are concerned. The experience at Capo Mele to stage a new approach to the beach, managed by a smart private agent, allows more readings and new possible strategic actions. The initiative promotes the beach area as an active museum, to test and monitor new mechanisms for the use, protection and narration of landscape values, in the various aspects of adaptability, socio-cultural development and enhancement of the potential of the beach as a treasure chest of biodiversity.