Abstract Evidence suggests that bio-activation of drugs to generate chemically reactive metabolites (RM) that act as haptens to form immunogenic protein conjugates may be an important cause of immune-mediated drug hypersensitivity reactions (IDHR). Although many drugs that form RMs raise concerns about producing IDHR, standard non-clinical testing methods are rarely able to identify compounds with the potential to produce IDHR in humans. The objective of this study was to develop a predictive assay for IDHR that involves: (1) the use of an in vitro drug-metabolizing system to generate the RM that is captured by GSH, (2) conjugating the RM-GSH conjugate to mouse serum albumin (MSA) by using a chemical cross-linker, (3) immunization of mice with RM-GSH-MSA adducts, and (4) ex vivo challenge with RM-GSH-MSA adduct and measurement of lymphocyte proliferation to determine if the RM is immunogenic. The predictivity of the assay was evaluated by using drugs that produce RM and have been strongly, weakly, or not associated with IDHRs in the clinic. While this method requires additional validation with more drugs, the results demonstrate the feasibility of identifying drugs strongly associated with IDHR and the utility of the assay for rank ordering drugs with respect to their potential to cause IDHR.


Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores were recently proposed to be used as design criterion for thermal processes of acid fruit products. This microorganism has been found in commercial pasteurized acid fruit juices, such as orange and apple. Although being non-pathogenic and not easy to detect visually, it is responsible for off-flavours development. On the other hand, the first thermal inactivation kinetic studies confirmed that these spores are much more resistant than the usual spoilage microorganisms in acid foods. Therefore, in 2000 it was firstly proposed to be used in the design of hotfilling and continuous pasteurization conditions of a tropical fruit pulp and juice, respectively. This work presents a critical review on inactivation kinetics of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores. The available studies were obtained under thermal treatments, and studied the effects of temperature, pH and soluble solids. Those effects were quantified in terms of decimal reduction time (first order model) and z-values (Bigelow model). Furthermore, they were obtained under isothermal conditions. Future challenges in this field are to quantify the inactivation kinetics behaviour under dynamic conditions, using thermal and non-thermal treatments, such as ozonation, ultrasonication or high pressure. These alternative treatments have the advantage of minimizing quality attributes degradation and improving products. Moreover, predictive microbiology skills are suggested as a valuable tool for process design and optimization.


The formation mechanism for the icosahedral central structure of the He1+13 cluster is proposed and its total energy curve is calculated by the method of a Modified Arrangement Channel Quantum Mechanics. The energy is the function of separation R between two nuclei at the center and an apex of the icosahedral central structure. The result of the calculation has shown that the curve has a minimal energy -37.5765 (a.u.) at R = 2.70ao. The binding energy of He+13 with respect to He+ + 12He was calculated to be 1.4046 a.u. This means that the cluster of He+13 may be formed in an icosahedral central structure with strong binding energy.


In the context of adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) for cancer treatment, it is crucial to generate in vitro large amounts of tumor-specific CD8 T cells with high potential to persist in vivo. PD-1, Tim3, and CD39 have been proposed as markers of tumor-specific tumor-infiltrating CD8 T lymphocytes (CD8 TILs). However, these molecules are highly expressed by terminally differentiated exhausted CD8 T cells (Tex) that lack proliferation potential. Therefore, optimized strategies to isolate tumor-specific TILs with high proliferative potential, such as Tcf1+ precursor exhausted T cells (Tpe) are needed to improve in vivo persistence of ACT. Here we aimed at defining cell surface markers that would unequivocally identify Types for precision cell sorting increasing the purity of tumor-specific PD-1+ Tcf1+ Tpe from total TILs. Transcriptomic analysis of Tpe vs. Tex CD8 TIL subsets from B16 tumors and primary human melanoma tumors revealed that Tpes are enriched in Slamf6 and lack Entpd1 and Havcr2 expression, which encode Slamf6, CD39, and Tim3 cell surface proteins, respectively. Indeed, we observed by flow cytometry that CD39– Tim3– Slamf6+ PD-1+ cells yielded maximum enrichment for tumor specific PD-1+ Tcf1+ OT1 TILs in B16.OVA tumors. Moreover, this population showed higher re-expansion capacity upon an acute infection recall response compared to the CD39+ counterparts or bulk PD-1+ TILs. Hence, we report an enhanced sorting strategy (CD39– Tim3– Slamf6+ PD-1+) of Tpes. In conclusion, we show that optimization of CD8 TIL cell sorting strategy is a viable approach to improve recall capacity and in vivo persistence of transferred cells in the context of ACT.


Soil properties have a significant impact on the performance of ground heat exchangers. Exchangers cooperating with heat pumps are a reliable and efficient source of renewable energy. In the article U-shaped vertical ground heat exchanger are analysed, which are the most common applications cooperating with heat pumps. Soil and ground properties have great  importance during sizing the system, i.e.: determining the length, configuration and deployment of ground heat exchangers. Typical length of the vertical ground heat exchangers used in systems dedicated to residential buildings is about 20 to 100 m. With the depth the soil/ground type and its properties can change significantly. In addition, occurrence of a ground water can influence physical and thermal properties. Determination of soil type present at different depths in a specific location is possible by performing a soil profile. The article presents an analysis of the impact of several soil profiles on the efficiency of the vertical ground heat exchanger. The analysis was performed based on the model of a single heat exchanger made using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) program. The model is divided into two parts: model of heat exchanger together with grout filling the borehole, second axially symmetric model of the ground surrounding the exchanger. Both models are coupled by second-type boundary condition. Simulations of ground heat exchanger work are made for a full heating season period. The calculation results were compared to reference one with uniform ground profiles. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3846/enviro.2017.253


The background of this research by making the learning process during the construction of objects is very far from what is expected, where the teacher is not able to present the learning that can promote the involvement of students actively and creatively in the learning process. This causes lower student creativity. The purpose of this study was to describe the increase in kretivitas students create object construction with constructivism approach grade 4 elementary school. Conducted research is classroom action research that consists of 4 stages step, namely; planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. Data was collected using observation sheet, and field notes and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The results showed that the constructivism approach proved effective in increasing the creativity of students in grade 4 elementary school. It can be seen from the increase in students' creativity in making the construction of objects generated at each meeting in each cycle. Increase students' creativity in making objects construction impact on increasing the value of the process and the work he made.


This study examines calcification in planulae and polyps of the hydroid Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. We observed that established colonies produce a crystalline mat on their substratum and that crystals visible by polarized light microscopy occur in the vacuoles of the gastrodermal cells of both polyps and planulae. The crystalline mat was found by infrared spectroscopy to contain calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite. The composition of the vacuolar crystals and the cellular mechanisms for manufacturing them were explored by alteration of calcium levels in the environment and by the use of pharmacological agents (acetazolamide, caffeine, DIDS, diltiazem, nifedipine, procaine, Ruthenium Red, ryanodine and verapamil) that affect cellular uptake and transport of calcium and bicarbonate. The results indicated that the crystals in the vacuoles contained calcium carbonate. The gastrodermal cells are hypothesized to serve as a physiological sink for excess calcium that enters the organism during motility, secretion and metamorphosis of the planula, and to create a crystalline substratum for the colony of polyps.


Serum uric acid , trigly c eride and c holestero l l e vel s were measured in 851 healthy adults in Tehe ran , I r a n . Careful l aboratory and clinical e v a l ua t ion wa s undertaken to exclude any medical problems. Onl y 65% were on iddeal weigh t .The mean uric a c i d v a l ues were 6.1 f or male s and 5 . 1 f or f emale s under 30 years of age. Uric acid l ev e ls above 6mg in females and 7rng in males were obs e rved i n 17% and 27% of subj ects, respectively. Uri c acid values were higher in the studied population compared t o the Nort h American and Europ ean studie s-Increased body weight had t he best cor rel a tion with e leva t ed uric acid l evels. There was s tati s t i cal ly s ignif i c a nt small positive cor rel a t i o n between uric acid and triglyceride, chol esterol and triglyceride, but there was no such correlation between uric acid and c ho l est e rol . Exclusion o f o v - erweight subj ects d i d not abolish t he association of high uric acid wi th h jo~pr ~ r191yceri de l evels. This study a lso provided s ome c r ter i a f or normal va l ue s o f s erum uric acid ,cholesterol, and triglyceride of healthy subjects in our c ountry.


Epidemiological evidences indicate that there is an inverse association between olive oil intake and bladder cancer risk and several data suggest that a key role to support these beneficial effects is played by its phenolic fraction. Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers in Western countries. In particular, the transitional cell carcinoma histotype shows an aggressive behavior and the current therapies are ineffective. The anti-proliferative effects of an Extra Virgin Olive Oil phenolic Extract (EVOOE) has been investigated on RT112 and J82, two human bladder cancer cell lines employed as models of superficial and invasive bladder cancer, respectively.EVOOE reduces cell viability in both cell lines triggering different processes. In RT112 cells, EVOOE triggers a non-protective autophagic response, evidenced by vacuoles formation and LC-3 lipidation (45%) causing a delay in cell growth (132microg/ml induces 30% reduction). Instead, in J82, the invasive transitional cell carcinoma, EVOOE treatment induces a rapid and remarkable decrease of cell viability (33 microg/ml for 24 h induces 40% reduction) triggering an apoptotic process, evidenced with Annexin V positivity and the increased activity of caspases 3 and 9. EVOOE exerts an antioxidant activity in both cell lines reducing ROS (30% in J82 and 15% in RT112) and increasing GSH level (20% in J82 and 40% in RT112). However, comparing the effects of EVOOE with those of other well-known antioxidants, the absence of correlation between antioxidant effects and reduced cell viability was evidenced. Moreover, using an inhibitor of GSH synthesis, we demonstrated that EVOOE acts independently from GSH modulation.Data presented show that EVOOE possesses pleiotropic activities that intercept different pathways resulting in anti-proliferative effects independently of its antioxidant property


Open Information Extraction (Open IE) serves for the analysis of vast amounts of texts by extraction of assertions, or relations, in the form of tupleshargument 1; relation; argument 2i. Various approaches to Open IE have been designed to perform in a fast, unsupervised manner. All of them require language specific information for their implementation. In this work, we introduce an approach to Open IE based on syntactic constraints over POS tag sequences targeted at Spanish language. We describe the rules specific for Spanish language constructions and their implementation in EXTRHECH, an Open IE system for Spanish. We also discuss language-specific issues of implementation. We compare EXTRHECH's performance with that of REVERB, a similar Open IE system for English, on a parallel dataset and show that these systems perform at a very similar level. We also compare EXTRHECH's performance on a dataset of grammatically correct sentences against its performance on a dataset of random texts extracted from the Web, drastically different in their quality from the first dataset. The latter experiment shows robustness of EXTRHECH on texts from the Web.


Oil-bearing fluid inclusions trapped within authigenic K-feldspar in Late Jurassic reservoirs throughout the UK Atlantic margin are evidence for an early oil migration event from Late Jurassic source rocks in the Faeroe-Shetland Basin. Previous compound-specific isotope studies confirm the hydrocarbon provenance. Temperature-composition-time data show that the Late Jurassic source rocks were oil mature 113 ± 3.5 Ma (2σ). This new 40Ar/39Ar authigenic K-feldspar age shows that the Late Jurassic source rocks were oil mature 30–40 m.y. prior to current estimates.


Abstract Primary spontaneous coronary artery dissection is an unusual occurrence. There have been less than 150 cases reported in world literature. This process frequently occurs in relatively young women, particularly in the peripartum or early postpartum period. This article reports the clinical course of one patient with primary spontaneous left main coronary artery dissection who was treated with coronary artery bypass grafting. To our knowledge, it is the second case to be treated with the use of left internal mammary artery.


Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women worldwide and these deaths are mostly attributed to metastasis and tumour recurrence following initially successful therapy. Metastasis refers to the development of invasive disease, wherein malignant cells dissociate from primary tumours, infiltrating other organs and tissues to give rise to secondary outgrowths. Previously, metastasis was thought to be initiated in advanced tumours, but breast cancer cellsh with metastatic potential have now been shown to disseminate very early from the primary site via largely unknown mechanisms. These early interactions of tumour cells with their cellular micro-environment and normal neighbours
also results in early tumour cell heterogeneity and must therefore be elucidated such that we can prevent metastatic spread in the patient situation and better treat the resulting heterogenous tumours. However, studying tumour initiation is not possible in patients because it happens on a cellular level not detectable by current technology. Tumour recurrence is another major cause of breast cancer related death and is believed to be caused by residual disease cells that survive initial therapy. These are a reservoir of refractory cells that can lay dormant for many years (sometimes decades) before resulting in relapse tumours. They are also difficult to obtain from human patients, since they are very few and cannot be detected easily, and thus their molecular mechanisms have not
been fully explored.
In addition to the unavailability of human tissue, mouse models of breast cancer also fall short in helping us study early cancer initiation, because they allow oncogenic expression in all cells of the tissue instead of initiating cancer like in the human situation|one neoplastic
transformed cell proliferating unchecked in a normal epithelium. To address this issue, we used primary organoids from an inducible mouse model of breast cancer and lentivirally transduced single cells within these organoids to express oncogenes. We further optimized parameters for long term imaging using light sheet microscopy and developed big data analysis pipelines that lead us to discern that single transformed cells had a lower chance at establishing tumorigenic foci, when compared to clusters of cells. Thus, we postulate a proximity-controlled signalling that is imperative to tumour initiation within epithelial
tissues using the first ever in vitro stochastic breast tumorigenesis model system. This new stochastic tumorigenesis system can be further used to identify the molecular interactions in the early breast cancer cells.
Our group has already revealed distinct characteristics, such as dysregulated lipid metabolism, of the residual disease correlate obtained from an inducible mouse model.
As survival mechanisms invoked by residual cells remain largely unknown, we analysed the dynamic transcriptome of regressing tumours at important timepoints during the
establishment of residual disease. Key molecular players upregulated during regression {like c-Jun and BCL6 { were identified and the inflammatory arm of the Nf-kB cascade was
found to be dysregulated among others. Further validation of these molecular targets as potentially synthetic lethal interactors remains to be performed so that they can be used
to limit the residual disease reservoir and eventually tumour recurrence.


Detailing the ways drugs of abuse physically change dopaminergic circuits would provide new mechanisms for explaining addictive behaviors, future targets for therapeutic intervention, and insights into the nature of synaptic plasticity. We combine recent advances in genetic labeling with large volume serial electron microscopy to detail how normal dopaminergic (DA) axons interact with putative targets and how those interactions change in mice briefly exposed to cocaine. We find that while most DA boutons are devoid of obvious signs of synapses (i.e. synaptic vesicles or synaptic densities) many DA boutons physically interdigitate with both dendrites and excitatory and inhibitory axons. After a brief exposure to cocaine, we find evidence of large-scale structural remodeling: extensive axonal branching and frequent occurrences of axonal blind-ended "bulbs", filled with mitochondria, reminiscent of axonal retraction in the developing and damaged brain. The number of physical interdigitations and vesicle filled boutons between DA axons and targets scales linearly with the length of axon whether in controls or cocaine exposed animals and the size or the type of interaction (i.e. axo-axonic or axo-dendritic) does not change. Finally, we find significant cell-type and sub-cellular specific increases in mitochondrial length in response to cocaine. Specifically, mitochondria in dopamine axons and local Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) dendrites are ~3.5 times and 2 times longer, respectively, in cocaine treated mice than controls. These results show for the first time the effects of cocaine on remodeling of dopamine circuitry and reveal new details on how dopamine neurons physical associate with downstream targets.


Rape cases reveal core conflicts in the space where evidence, law, and ethics intersect. Such conflicts include the tension between victim protection and the rights of the accused, the challenges attorneys face trying to negotiate the demands of sensitive and emotionally difficult cases, and the role of the law in counteracting stereotypes and bias.In this essay, I will begin by presenting the cultural milieu surrounding rape allegations, briefly reviewing attitudes towards perpetrators and victims. Next, I will attempt to capture the legal zeitgeist concerning rape, focusing on two recent phenomena: the reversal of false rape convictions based on DNA evidence and the advent of big-media rape trials involving various celebrities. After establishing this groundwork, I will turn to three separate issues of ethics and evidence that arise regularly in rape trials: (1) naming the victim, (2) shielding the victim's sexual history, and (3) civil settlements of rape charges. I will use the fairly recent case of Kobe Bryant, a famous basketball player accused of rape, to illustrate the evidence and ethical issues in all three of these discrete categories.My examination of the intersection between evidence law and ethics in rape trials demonstrates the limits of the law to effectuate practical change or to transcend, let alone improve, social attitudes. Many have observed that the legal solutions to problems inherent in rape trials, such as rape shield laws and rules against disclosing victims' names, have had only limited effect. Because the issues raised here implicate entrenched social attitudes, legal solutions are bound to be incomplete. Such beliefs are filtered through a legal system that is structured around competition and legal gamesmanship. Therefore, the defense lawyer's strategy must be understood within the context of social beliefs about rape as transmitted by the adversary system. We can limit evidence, but we cannot legislate attitudes, and playing upon prejudices, particularly those of the American juror, is the trial attorney's bread and butter. Therefore, to analyze the role of evidence and ethics in a rape trial, we must understand rape myths and the cultural baggage that comes with our notions of rape. Also, we must analyze assumptions about victims and perpetrators, men and women, and the chaste and the deviant.


How is the children's psychological development post tsunami? Have they experienced Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
(PTSD)? A field study on the children of tsunami victim carried out in March 2006 in the village of Krueng Anoi,
Kota Baro, Aceh Besar, Nangro Aneh Darussalam indicated that, first, more than 90% of the children did not indicate
symptoms of PTSD, second, less that 10% of the children with PSTD syndrome in fact was caused more by long term
conflict in Aceh including the involvement of Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM).


In this paper, we present simulation results and analysis of 3-D magnetic flux leakage (MFL) signals due to the occurrence of a surface-breaking defect in a ferromagnetic specimen. The simulations and analysis are based on a magnetic dipole-based analytical model, presented in a previous paper. We exploit the tractability of the model and its amenability to simulation to analyze properties of the model as well as of the MFL fields it predicts, such as scale-invariance, effect of lift-off and defect shape, the utility of the tangential MFL component, and the sensitivity of MFL fields to parameters. The simulations and analysis show that the tangential MFL component is indeed a potentially critical part of MFL testing. It is also shown that the MFL field of a defect varies drastically with lift-off. We also exploit the model to develop a lift-off compensation technique which enables the prediction of the size of the defect for a range of lift-off values.


We show that the lineshape and size of the detected signal in ultra-high-resolution stimulated Raman spectroscopy computed from a general expression of the modulated signal are in good agreement with the experimental results. Using the theoretical expression of the signal, we analyze the resolving power and the sensitivity of our Raman spectrometer. We show that a second harmonic detection in high-frequency transfer modulation generates a lineshape without modulation broadening. A 2.6-kHz-wide resonance has been obtained with iodine, mainly limited by both the transit time and collisions.


The bankruptcy of Enron Corp. has evolved into a scandal of enormous proportions involving allegations of fraud, corruption and unethical practices on the part of Enron's corporate executives, members of its board of directors, external auditors, and high government officials in the USA. No doubt there will be many articles written about various aspects of the Enron scandal. The focus of this paper is on the relationships between Enron's business model and the deregulatory phase of the American economy during the 1980s and 1990s. It is the argument of this paper that deregulation in the US electricity and natural gas industries fostered the creation of the Enron business model, and that this model was unsustainable, resulting in the demise of Enron Corp. Furthermore, while Enron can be viewed as an example of capitalistic excess, the paper reveals how the Enron business model developed as an American form of a public private partnership, similar to the types of public private partnerships that have been created in recent years in the UK. Investigating Enron as a public private partnership may help us to better understand the role of public private partnerships in contemporary capitalism and shed some light on the advisability of deregulatory schemes and the unintended consequences that can result from such schemes.


A review of the histology of atherosclerotic aneurysms shows that all are accompanied by adventitial inflammation and fibrosis, usually slight. Severe degrees of this periaortic inflammation are visible macroscopically and give rise to the conditions variously known as inflammatory aneurysm or perianeurysmal retro‐peritoneal fibrosis. The disease appears identical to most cases of idiopathic retro‐peritoneal fibrosis, except that in this condition the aorta is not dilated. Less commonly similar adventitial inflammation and fibrosis are seen around coronary arteries. The appearances suggest that all these forms of inflammation are essentially identical and probably due to hypersensitivity to antigens in the atheromatous plaque.


Wild Miombo woodlands mushrooms are a largely ignored nutrition-boosting food and source of income among rural communities of Southern Africa. A survey was conducted in the Gweru, Kwekwe, Shurugwi and Mvuma districts of Zimbabwe to establish the importance of this natural resource in household poverty reduction.Gathered quantities and sales realized were recorded through structured personal interviews targeting two thirds of gatherers with equal numbers of male and female respondents and one key informant in each site. Results showed that of 14 gathered mushroom species (orders Cantharellales, Amanitales and Termitomycetes) across all sites, five species were of varying commercial value. Amanita loosii was the most traded and the only one with available data on sales. Ranked according to their gathered volumes by percent respondents per gathering occasion were A. loosii (97.48%), Termitomyces le-testui (72.94%) (non-mycorrhizal), Cantharellus heinemannianus (62.96%), Lactarius kabansus (46.72%) and C. miomboensis (37.04%). Average selling prices for A. loosii ranged from US$0.10 to US$1.00 per litre (about 600 grammes) across all sites. Average sales per site for a gathering occasion ranged between 20 and 400 litres per vendor across the sites, although up to 800 litres was recorded at Blinkwater for three gatherers. Principal Components Analysis biplots showed Blinkwater and Sebakwe sites had strong associations with high sales volumes and high sales value of A. loosii. It was concluded that, A. loosii, in particular, contributed to an important food and income source in the studied sites, with some communities having a large potential to raise these incomes beyond their current levels provided gathering and marketing methods were improved.


BACKGROUND/AIMS Out of an estimated 90 000 visually impaired people in Scotland, 509 make use of a guide dog. Initial research in Northern Ireland suggests that the ophthalmic profile of guide dog owners (GDOs) is highly specific. The aim of this study was to compare the ophthalmic and visual characteristics of Scottish GDOs with other groups of visually impaired people. METHODS A random sample of GDOs from central and northern Scotland (n=82) underwent a detailed assessment of residual vision (distance and near acuity, visual fields, contrast, and glare sensitivity). Comparative data were obtained from two populations of visually impaired non-GDOs—one group attending hospital ophthalmic and low vision clinics (n=50) the other social services rehabilitation clients (n=35). All participants completed a questionnaire to elicit ophthalmic history, age, and registration details. RESULTS GDOs were found to be significantly younger and more profoundly visually impaired than non-GDOs. The main causes of visual impairment were retinitis pigmentosa (23%), optic atrophy (15%), and retinopathy of prematurity (7%). Ninety nine per cent of GDOs were registered blind and had been visually impaired for an average of 39 years. Only 31% were totally blind. CONCLUSION GDOs represent a unique minority of the visually impaired population. Epidemiological registration trends would suggest that the numbers of young profoundly visually impaired people are unlikely to increase relative to their elderly counterparts. This has implications on the future demand for guide dog ownership.


Over the past 50 years, single-reference coupled-cluster theory has emerged as a cornerstone of quantum chemistry. While it is an accurate methodology for the calculation of the properties of the electronic states of many systems, there are still many strongly-correlated (multireference) systems which cannot be adequately treated with single-reference coupled-cluster theory. Hence, in the past four decades, there have been significant efforts to develop multireference generalizations of coupled-cluster theory to treat such systems. In this work, we review some of the major developments in single-reference and multireference molecular electronic structure theory. We discuss the details of the Multireference Equation of Motion (MR-EOM) coupled-cluster approach, developed in the Nooijen group, and introduce a new variant which makes use of a Hermitizing transformation. The MR-EOM methodology constitutes a transform and diagonalize approach to electronic structure theory, that is applicable to both ground and excited states. A major topic of this thesis concerns the development of an automatic code generation tool, that has been used to implement the MR-EOM approach in the ORCA quantum chemistry software package. The implementation in ORCA is employed for the characterization and calculation of the excitation energies of transition metal complexes. We also introduce an orbital selection scheme which can be used to extend the applicability of the MR-EOM approach to larger systems for the calculation of excitation spectra. A variety of MR-EOM approaches are then considered in benchmark applications to organic molecules and the various approximations, introduced in the ORCA implementation of MR-EOM, are studied for several transition metal complexes. Finally, we discuss how the implementation in ORCA might be improved in the future, in order to push applications to larger systems and larger active spaces.


GOTTLOB FREGE. The thought: A logical inquiry. English translation of XVIII 93(1) by A. M. and Marcelle Quinton. Mind, n.s. vol. 65 (1956), pp. 289-311. This paper, first published in 1919, expands remarks about "thoughts" which are scattered throughout Frege's earlier writings. He argues at great length that thoughts cannot be subjective, as in that case there would be nothing both interpersonal and describable as 'true', and therefore no interpersonal science; he elaborates the notion of a third realm, e.g. in his remark that a thought may change in, and only in, respect of its "inessential" properties (i.e., those which follow from its being apprehended), so that there are intelligible senses in which a thought may be called both 'timeless' and 'operative in history'; unchangingness of truth-value is defended by an explicit avowal that a complete thought can be only partly expressed by a sentence containing such words as 'this,' ' I , ' 'today,' 'here,' etc., the rest of the expression of the thought being performed by gestures, or by the circumstances of speaker or of time or place of utterance, etc. Though some emphases are different, the doctrines of truth, judgment, and assertion offered here add nothing to, and contradict nothing in, the more familiar, earlier writings. On proper names: Frege says that the same thought is expressed by 'Dr. Lauben is wounded' if this is uttered by two speakers who hold just the same beliefs about Dr. Lauben, and the same thought is not expressed if they share no belief about him. (The reviewer is unable, on the basis of Frege's discussion, to strengthen this uninteresting result to a biconditional, without resorting to Frege's vague talk about "how whatever [the name] refers to is presented.") He adds that everyone is presented to himself in a way he is presented to no-one else, but that T' can also be used to mean 'he who now speaks' and can thus be used in the communication of thoughts. Frege's preoccupation with the possibility of a third realm leads him here into some distressing, and one or two mystifying, epistemological remarks. These, however, are concerned with the defence of "thoughts" against idealism, and are of no interest to the logician who is interested in the line of battle, if not the precise choice of weapons, represented by, say, Church's XXII 205. For a brief, interesting historical note on the paper, readers are referred to Dummett's Frege's "The thought", Mind, n.s. vol. 66 (1957), p. 548. The same writer's XIX 238(6) contains a remark suggesting a much higher valuation of The thought than the present reviewer would be prepared to defend.


Traumatic events always lead to aversive emotional memory, i.e., fear memory. In contrast, positive events in daily life such as sex experiences seem to reduce aversive memory after aversive events. Thus, we hypothesized that post‐traumatic pleasurable experiences, especially instinctive behaviors such as sex, might modulate traumatic memory through a memory competition mechanism. Here, we first report that male rats persistently expressed much lower fear responses when exposed to females, but not when exposed to males, for 24 h immediately after contextual fear conditioning. Remarkably, this effect of sexual behavior was blocked by either systemic or intrahippocampal injection of the dopamine D1/D5 receptor antagonist R(+)‐7‐chloro‐8‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐2,3,4,5‐tetrahydro‐1H‐3‐benzazepine hydrochloride (SCH23390) and was mimicked by systemic but not intrahippocampal injection of the D1/D5 receptor agonist R(+)‐1‐phenyl‐2,3,4,5‐tetrahydro‐1H‐3‐benzazepine‐7,8‐diol hydrochloride (SKF39393). Furthermore, as a candidate mechanism underlying contextual fear memory, the impaired induction of hippocampal long‐term potentiation (LTP) elicited by conditioned fear was rescued in male rats immediately exposed to female but not male rats for 24 h. Systemic injection of the dopamine D1/D5 receptor antagonist SCH23390 or agonist SKF38393 prevented or mimicked the effect of sexual behavior on the impaired induction of hippocampal LTP. Thus, our finding suggests that dopaminergic functions may, at least partially, govern competition between contextual fear and enjoyable memories through the modulation of hippocampal LTP. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The recombination of CF(2)Cl with CH(2)Cl and CFCl(2) with CH(2)F were employed to generate CF(2)ClCH(2)Cl* and CFCl(2)CH(2)F* molecules with 381 and 368 kJ mol(-1), respectively, of vibrational energy in a room-temperature bath gas. The unimolecular reactions of these molecules, which include HCl elimination, HF elimination, and isomerisation by interchange of chlorine and fluorine atoms, were characterized. The three rate constants for CFCl(2)CH(2)F were 2.9×10(7), 0.87×10(7) and 0.04×10(7) s(-1) for HCl elimination, isomerisation and HF elimination, respectively. The isomerisation reaction must be included to have a complete characterization of the unimolecular kinetics of CFCl(2)CH(2)F. The rate constants for HCl elimination and HF elimination from CF(2)ClCH(2)Cl were 14×10(7) and 0.37×10(7) s(-1), respectively. Isomerisation that has a rate constant less than 0.08×10(7) s(-1) is not important. These experimental rate constants were matched to calculated statistical rate constants to assign threshold energies, which are 264, 268, and 297 kJ mol(-1), respectively, for isomerisation, HCl elimination, and HF elimination for CFCl(2)CH(2)F and 314, 251, and 289 kJ mol(-1) in the same order for CF(2)ClCH(2)Cl. Density functional theory was used to evaluate the models that were needed for the statistical rate constants; the computational method was B3PW91/6-31G(d',p'). Threshold energies for the unimolecular reactions of CF(2)ClCH(2)Cl and CFCl(2)CH(2)F are compared to those for CF(2)ClCH(3) and CFCl(2)CH(3) to illustrate the elevation of threshold energies by F- or Cl-atom substitution at the beta carbon atom (identified by C(H)). The DFT calculations systematically underestimate the threshold energy for HCl elimination.


Artificial agents today can answer factual questions. But they fall short on questions that require common sense reasoning. Perhaps this is because most existing common sense databases rely on text to learn and represent knowledge. But much of common sense knowledge is unwritten - partly because it tends not to be interesting enough to talk about, and partly because some common sense is unnatural to articulate in text. While unwritten, it is not unseen. In this paper we leverage semantic common sense knowledge learned from images - i.e. visual common sense - in two textual tasks: fill-in-the-blank and visual paraphrasing. We propose to "imagine" the scene behind the text, and leverage visual cues from the "imagined" scenes in addition to textual cues while answering these questions. We imagine the scenes as a visual abstraction. Our approach outperforms a strong text-only baseline on these tasks. Our proposed tasks can serve as benchmarks to quantitatively evaluate progress in solving tasks that go "beyond recognition". Our code and datasets are publicly available.


This article presents some dimensions of inter-sectoral action aimed at improving working and living conditions of workers in the sugarcane and alcohol industry. The dynamics of the implementation of certain forms of given intersectoral practices established in a region of the State of São Paulo are analyzed. The important role played by sectors of the Labor Prosecution Office and the Legislative Authority in the articulation of institutional actors and civil society is stressed. They give greater impetus to the work of each public sector responsible for addressing the issues of workers'healthcare. This study was produced from analysis of documents and material provided by institutions and discussion forums with proposals for intervention. The results show that the appropriation of strategic knowledge produced by researchers of the sugarcane industry in the instrumental resources used in legal actions, monitoring and surveillance generates important advances in the health of workers and the environment.


Heterogeneous graph neural networks (HGNNs) can learn from typed and relational graph data more effectively than conventional GNNs. With larger parameter spaces, HGNNs may require more training data, which is often scarce in real-world applications due to privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR). Federated graph learning (FGL) enables multiple clients to train a GNN collaboratively without sharing their local data. However, existing FGL methods mainly focus on homogeneous GNNs or knowledge graph embeddings; few have considered heterogeneous graphs and HGNNs. In federated heterogeneous graph learning, clients may have private graph schemas. Conventional FL/FGL methods attempting to define a global HGNN model would violate schema privacy. To address these challenges, we propose FedHGN, a novel and general FGL framework for HGNNs. FedHGN adopts schema-weight decoupling to enable schema-agnostic knowledge sharing and employs coefficients alignment to stabilize the training process and improve HGNN performance. With better privacy preservation, FedHGN consistently outperforms local training and conventional FL methods on three widely adopted heterogeneous graph datasets with varying client numbers. The code is available at https://github.com/cynricfu/FedHGN.


This paper surveys the algorithms and hardware implementations of the multi-pattern matching. Firstly, two commonly used multi-pattern algorithms, Aho-Corasick's automata based algorithm and Wu-Manber's hash based suffix matching with skipping algorithm are introduced. And then, some improving ways are referred. Next, time and space complexity of these algorithms are analyzed, and the experimental results show their performances. Further, several hardware based implementations are taken as examples to demonstrate the general methods and strategies for the implementation on hardware. The developing trend is predicted in the end.


This research proposes a conceptual framework (called anylayer routing) to investigate routing approaches needed by the evolving Internet. The emerging content based routing, directory based routing, and service based routing in the Internet are thus discussed through the framework. In addition, the effects of the framework on the internetworking are evaluated, which relates to network planning, network operations, and service provision.


INTRODUCTION
Paracoccidioidomycosis is an endemic systemic mycosis caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a thermally dimorphic fungus that in tissues and cultures at 37°C grows as a yeast while at lower temperatures (less than 24°C) it becomes a mold; however the genes that rule these processes and their expression are poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE
This research focused on the kinetic expression of certain genes in P. brasiliensis throughout the dimorphic process, one that involves the transition from the mycelium to yeast forms and the germination from the yeast to mycelium form.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was optimized to measure the expression of ten genes connected with diverse cellular functions including cell synthesis and wall structure, oxidative stress response, heat shock response, metabolism, proteins' processing, solute transport across the cell membrane and signal transduction pathways at different time points during the mycelia to yeast transition, as well as in the yeast to mycelia germination processes.

RESULTS
Genes involved in cell synthesis and wall structure, metabolism and signal transduction were differentially expressed and highly up-regulated during the yeast to mycelia germination process; on the other hand, genes involved in heat shock response, cell synthesis and wall structure were highly up-regulated during the mycelia to yeast transition process. The remaining genes were differentially regulated during both processes.

CONCLUSION
In this work the up-regulation of certain genes involved in the morphological changes occurring in P. brasiliensis yeast and mycelia forms were confirmed, indicating that these biological processes play an important role during the host-pathogen interactions, as well as in the fungus adaptation to environmental conditions.


Changes in the market place new requirements for creating and delivering satisfaction to customers. Customers' expectations about the quality of the delivered products are also changing. That is why the purpose of this article is to analyze logistic processes for customer service at Würth Polska. This will be preceded by a review of modern definitions of logistics and logistic processes. The paper also describes the results of the present author's research focusing on the operation of the enterprise in questions and the opinions of customers relating to service quality. The internal materials of the investigated enterprise and the results of the research have shown the need to introduce improvements in the process of delivery of the ordered goods. This is necessary even despite the company's extensive experience and brand recognition on the market. Therefore, it is also an interesting research question whether similar problems also occur in other companies of this type operating on the Polish market.


Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) have been shown to have an increased capacity for superior cervical sympathetic nerve activity which may protect against stroke (Mueller et al: Stroke 13: 115, 1982). Sympathetic nerve activity has never been examined in the stroke-prone substrain of SHR (SP). In this study we measured superior cervical sympathetic nerve activity during rest and during a maximal sympathetic response in SHR, SP, and their normotensive controls, Wistar-Kyoto (WKY). The resting superior cervical sympathetic nerve activity of SP was significantly less than SHR (p less than 0.02) but not different from WKY. During central ischemia, used to induce maximal sympathetic response, the increase in SP sympathetic nerve activity was significantly less than SHR (p less than 0.001) but was not different from WKY. This diminished capacity for elevated superior cervical sympathetic nerve activity in stroke-prone SHR may relate to their increased predisposition to stroke because sympathetic hyperactivity cannot protect cerebral vessels during acute hypertension.


We previously demonstrated that amounts of Cat1 RNA in developing immature maize (Zea mays L.) embryos change in parallel with endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) content. In excised immature embryos, addition of ABA leads to a large increase in Cat1 RNA accumulation. The Cat1 transcript, however, also accumulates to high amounts in scutella of germinating embryos, where ABA content is low and decreasing. Here we show that application of ABA to germinated embryos no longer results in the up-regulation of the Cat1 transcript accumulation that is seen during embryogenesis. This suggests that factors other than ABA control Cat1 expression at this developmental stage. Using band-shift and southwestern analyses, we show that the change in sensitivity to ABA is paralleled by changes in nuclear proteins binding to a 28-bp region of the Cat1 promoter in vitro. One protein (CAT1BP-20) shows increased accumulation in the absence of ABA, suggesting that a repressor-mediated mechanism accounts for at least a portion of the ABA regulation of Cat1.


In this applicative study, the ratio of active and inactive filler loadings was the prime factor for determining the dynamic–mechanical behaviour of ethylene–propylene–diene monomer rubbers. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the structure of reinforced dense and microcellular elastomeric materials. The effects of filler and blowing agent content on the morphology of composites were investigated. Microcellular samples cured in salt bath show smaller cells and uniform cell size compared with samples cured in hot air. Dynamic–mechanical thermal analysis showed appreciable changes in the viscoelastic properties by increasing active filler content, which could enable tailoring the material properties to suit sealing applications.


Auxin and its homeostasis play key roles in many aspects of plant growth and development. Cadmium (Cd) is a phytotoxic heavy metal and its inhibitory effects on plant growth and development have been extensively studied. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of the effects of Cd stress on auxin homeostasis is still unclear. In the present study, we found that the root elongation, shoot weight, hypocotyl length and chlorophyll content in wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis seedlings were significantly reduced after exposure to Cd stress. However, the lateral root (LR) formation was markedly promoted by Cd stress. The level and distribution of auxin were both greatly altered in primary root tips and cotyledons of Cd-treated plants. The results also showed that after Cd treatment, the IAA content was significantly decreased, which was accompanied by increases in the activity of the IAA oxidase and alteration in the expression of several putative auxin biosynthetic and catabolic genes. Application of the auxin transport ateral root inhibitor, 1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and 1-naphthoxyacetic acid (1-NOA), reversed the effects of Cd on LR formation. Additionally, there was less promotion of LR formation by Cd treatment in aux1-7 and pin2 mutants than that in the WT. Meanwhile, Cd stress also altered the expression of PINs and AUX1 in Arabidopsis roots, implying that the auxin transport pathway is required for Cd-modulated LR development. Taken together, these findings suggest that Cd stress disturbs auxin homeostasis through affecting auxin level, distribution, metabolism, and transport in Arabidopsis seedling.


A real-time 3-D full-field shape measurement technique based on a generalized fringe projection profilometry is presented. The technique has the following features: high accuracy, realtime measurement, low cost, and easy implementation.


Child abandonment, which is a form of child abuse, is a common happening in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Other forms of child abuse include physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and sexual abuse. Some babies are sighted abandoned in gutters, by the riverside, on debris, or in pit latrine! Most of these babies are products of unwanted pregnancies which are usually from early sex. Abandoned babies generate enormous interest but very little academic or systematic study. The psychological state of these mothers is not studied because access to them is restricted or unavailable. However, Finders are usually emotionally moved. Pregnancy, though a physiologic state, is associated with a lot of risks such as haemorrhage, pregnancy induced hypertension or death from various complications of pregnancy and delivery. Considering the risks associated with pregnancy, its supposed to be difficult for a mother, after carrying a baby to term, to dump her newborn baby. Against this background, we hereby present a successful outcome of a nearly 4/7 old term female neonate found in a polythene bag already infested with maggots with decaying placenta. The baby was successfully managed and discharged to the Ministry of Social Welfare.


Summary Latex particle agglutination (LPA) was used to detect specific bacterial capsular antigen in sera collected at the time blood samples were taken from children with suspected bacteremia. Capsular polysaccharide antigens tested for were Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hi b), Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp), Streptococcus agalactiae (Sa) and Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) groups A and C. An adequate volume of serum was available for 1085 of the blood culture sets received. Antigenemia was detected in 47 children; 36 children from whom the homologous microorganism was isolated from the associated blood culture and 11 children who had prior antibiotic therapy and whose blood culture grew no microorganism. Antigenemia was not detected in 46 children whose blood culture yielded a bacterium for which a homologous LPA reagent was available. Fifty children had positive blood cultures with microorganisms considered significant to which no LPA reagent was available. LPA was of value as a rapid diagnostic test in the identification of the etiological agent in severe infectious disease in children.


International climate negotiations have thus far eschewed efforts to incorporate trade restrictions, but they have also failed to achieve their objective of reducing global emissions. Because of this failure, some countries are now inclined to act unilaterally and minilaterally, in many cases by imposing trade restrictions against third parties. Such actions are likely to invite retaliation. They could even ignite an escalating trade war. The best way to avoid such conflicts is not to limit the use of trade restrictions, but to make international climate negotiations effective. Ironically, success in addressing climate change multilaterally may require incorporating trade restrictions in a new kind of climate agreement. Trade restrictions have been used successfully in other international agreements. But in these agreements, the primary purpose of the restrictions has been to encourage participation. That is, their primary purpose has been to enforce the agreement. This is the role trade restrictions ought to play in a new climate treaty. But for them to play this role, the design of climate treaties must change. If climate treaties are designed strategically, the threat to restrict trade will suffice to enforce the agreement; and if the threat to restrict trade is credible, and the punishment associated with the restriction severe, trade restrictions will not actually have to be used. By incorporating trade restrictions in this way, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced without putting at risk the gains from multilateral cooperation in trade.


The technique of Brightness Temperature Difference (BTD) between 11 and 12 μm separates yellow sand dust from clouds according to the difference in absorptive characteristics between the channels. However, this method causes consistent false alarms in many cases, especially over the desert. In order to reduce these false alarms, we should eliminate the background noise originated from surface. We adopted the Background BTD (BBTD), which stands for surface characteristics on clear sky condition without any dust or cloud. We took an average of brightness temperatures of 11 and 12 μm channels during the previous 15 days from a target date and then calculated BTD of averaged ones to obtain decontaminated pixels from dust. After defining the BBTD, we subtracted this index from BTD for the Yellow Sand Index (YSI). In the previous study, this method was already verified using the geostationary satellite, MTSAT. In this study, we applied this to the polar orbiting satellite, MODIS, to detect yellow sand dust over Northeast Asia. Products of yellow sand dust from OMI and MTSAT were used to verify MODIS YSI. The coefficient of determination between MODIS YSI and MTSAT YSI was 0.61, and MODIS YSI and OMI AI was also 0.61. As a result of comparing two products, significantly enhanced signals of dust aerosols were detected by removing the false alarms over the desert. Furthermore, the discontinuity between land and ocean on BTD was removed. This was even effective on the case of fall. This study illustrates that the proposed algorithm can provide the reliable distribution of dust aerosols over the desert even at night.


Abstract:Through an appraisal of neuroscience viewpoints on nonconscious mind with respect to white racial bias, this article shows how Freud's philosophical approach to unconscious mentality assists insights into white privilege and complements the model neuroscience provides. The article addresses four areas: Freud's concept of displaced affect, a link between American white people's self-reported egalitarianism and suppressed prejudice, how studies linking automatic race bias with the amygdala correlate nonconscious race-bias with fear response, and how race bias develops from two brain bases involving conscious and nonconscious processes. This article concludes that white individuals will be better positioned to embrace a principle of social fairness if widespread racism, racial bias and their psychic denial by whites, are made clearer to people. Combining a Freud-informed and experimentally empirical approach can help.


As tobacco black shank epidemics caused by Phytophthora nicotianae occurred in central Italy in the late 1990s, fungal antagonists of the pathogen were searched in the rhizosphere of tobacco plants. Isolates of Aspergillus sydowii, Fusarium chlamydosporum, Gliocladium roseum, Penicillium brevicompactum, P. chrysogenum, Scopulariopsis candida and Trichoderma harzianum were recovered. Antagonism of these isolates toward P. nicotianae was evaluated in vitro: even if no hyphal interactions were observed in dual cultures, aberration in mycelial growth and morphology of sporangia occurred in most cases. Unlike those of T. harzianum, concentrated culture filtrates of A. sydowii, F. chlamydosporum, G. roseum, P. brevicompactum, P. chrysogenum, inhibited growth of all P. nicotianae isolates tested, while culture filtrates of S. candida caused aberrant mycelial growth.


BACKGROUND
There are thousands of fitness-related smartphone applications ("apps") available for free and purchase, but there is uncertainty if these apps help individuals achieve and maintain personal fitness. Technology usage attrition is also a concern among research studies on health technologies.

METHODS
Usage of three fitness apps was examined over 5 months to assess adherence and effectiveness. Initially, 64 participants downloaded three free apps available on Android and iOS and 47 remained in the study until posttest. With a one group pre-posttest design and checkpoints at months 1, 3, and 5, exercise and exercise with fitness apps were examined in the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) using a validated survey. Apps were selected based on their function from the Functional Triad. Perceived fitness was also measured. T-tests, sign tests, Fisher's exact tests, and linear and logistic regression were used to compare pre to posttests and users to non-users of the apps.

RESULTS
Forty-seven participants completed both pre and posttests. Individual item scores indicated no significant change pre to posttest except for decreases observed in usefulness of using apps for exercise (attitude) (-0.78, P<0.01), peer influence on exercise (subjective norm) (-0.51, P<0.05), peer influence on exercise with apps (subjective norm) (-1.02, P<0.01), perceived difficulties in exercising with apps (perceived behavioral control) (-1.29, P<0.001), and the expected frequency of exercise with apps over the next 2 weeks (behavioral intention) (P<0.0001 in a sign test). Subscale total scores indicated significant decreases in subjective norm regarding exercise (-0.72, P<0.05), subjective norm regarding exercise with apps (-1.72, P<0.01), and perceived behavioral control over exercising with apps (-2.56, P<0.01) between pre and posttest. When comparing app users (n=32) to non-users (n=15), there was only a significant difference in subscale total scores at posttest for attitude toward exercising using apps, which was significantly more favorable among users than non-users (32.3 vs. 27.6, P<0.05). Fitness perception did not change over 5 months regarding cardiovascular fitness, strength, endurance, flexibility, or body composition. Technology usage attrition was desirable at 31.9%.

CONCLUSIONS
App usage and effectiveness appears to have a connection to usefulness (attitude) and to perceived difficulties of exercising using apps (perceived behavioral control). Exercise and exercise using apps are not influenced by peer influence (subjective norm). Intention to exercise using these particular apps decreased (behavioral intention). Those who utilized the apps were more likely to have a positive attitude about the apps. Usefulness and perceived difficulties in particular should be considered with future app development. App usefulness and ease of use may be facilitated by using health behavior theories to guide development.


The United States has one of the safest drug supply chains in the world. However, its security is threatened by new challenges such as counterfeit, diverted, and illegally imported drugs. To counter the new challenges, the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) was signed into law by President Obama on November 27, 2013, with a 10-year implementation timeframe. As a result, companies in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, including drug manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers, are challenged to fully comply with the DSCSA by 2023. The compliance with the DSCSA will enable companies to operate and manage the risks of their supply chains more efficiently. Industry consortiums, such as the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA), and the industry leaders have recommended various interoperable data exchange models for the implementation of the compliance. However, domestic and international complexities make it difficult to pick the optimal model for the industry. In this research, we start with categorizing the known data exchange models that can be potentially used by the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. Second, we develop a scorecard methodology based on a framework that considers various factors across the entire supply chain. Next, we examine the categorized models using this scorecard methodology. Lastly, we conclude with recommendations on the data strategy decision for the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Andre Carrel Title: Postdoctoral Associate, Center for Transportation & Logistics


Background Incidence of biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy is relatively high and overall survival can be poor. Debate exists whether tumour volume predicts BCR and when treatments should be administered. In this study, we aimed to i) assess the impact of tumour volume percentage (TVP) as a predictor for BCR, ii) determine TVP cut-off point for BCR and iii) evaluate single and composite predictors of BCR. Methods From March 2000 to December 2013, 1777 patients underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer. None received neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. One hundred and forty-six patients experienced BCR (range 3 months-10 years). Using D'Amico classification, 146 matched controls without BCR were compared. Liu cut-point analysis was used to identify TVP with optimal sensitivity and specificity. Single and composite BCR risk predictors were analyzed using Cox hazards regression in cases and controls. Results Median TVP was 10% (range 1–90%). Most of BCR peaked after 3 years of follow-up. TVP ≥8% was an independent predictor of BCR with HR 1.6 (p= 0.001, 95% CI= 1.11–2.48). TVP of 8% was associated with the highest accuracy: sensitivity 74% and specificity 53% (ROC curve= 0.7). At TVP ≥8%, pathological stage pT3 was associated with 1.7-fold higher risk of BCR compared to T2. Lymph node invasion was associated with 1.4-fold higher risk of BCR compared to no invasion. Combining TVP ≥8%, pT3 and lymph node invasion, HR jumped to 3.73 (p< 0.001, 95% CI= 2.27–6.14), whereas combining TVP ≥8%, positive surgical margin and lymph node invasion, HR was 2.68 (p= 001, 95% CI= 1.50–4.77). Conclusion TVP can be used as an independent predictor of BCR after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. TVP cut-point of ≥8% allows the best discrimination. TVP should be considered in combination with other clinico-pathological factors to improve prediction of long-term oncological outcomes and to stratify BCR risk.


In the context of global R&D, we connect literature on knowledge management to a network-based theoretical framework helpful to explain the impact of R&D globalisation on innovation performance. This framework is applied to two case companies, both global leaders within their respective industries, in order to analyse the extent to which their strategic globalisation of R&D activities, from Scandinavia to China, has contributed to increased innovation performance. Our findings suggests that close interaction and cross-fertilisation with local knowledge networks are of eminent importance for newly established R&D offsprings to improve overall innovation performance. Pack Tech illustrates this through a collaboration-intensive approach to university competitions in China.


Introduction. Valid and feasible measures to properly assess the most impaired areas of functioning in various groups of patients with mental disorders would allow the development and evaluation of interventions designed to modify the specific environmental barriers that contribute to patients´ disability. Objective. This article seeks to evaluate the internal consistency and construct and convergent validity of the Spanish version of the World Health Organization's Disability Assessment Schedule WHODAS 2.0, as well as its relationship with sociodemographic variables and symptomatic severity in Mexican patients with and without psychotic symptoms. Method. The WHODAS 2.0 and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale SOFAS were administered to 153 patients with any of the following diagnoses: affective disorders, anxiety disorders, stress-related disorders, and psychotic disorders. Results. The WHODAS 2.0 showed high internal consistency in patients with psychotic symptoms (Cronbach's alpha = .92) and without psychotic symptoms (Cronbach's alpha = .89). Nevertheless, only in patients without psychotic symptoms, was a significant negative correlation between WHODAS (disability) and SOFAS (functioning) total scores observed, together with significant differences in WHODAS scores between those with mild and severe symptomatology. Discussion and conclusion. The WHODAS 2.0 is an adequate measure of disability in patients without psychotic symptoms. It could be used as a complementary measure of disability in those with psychotic symptoms. Further studies are required to determine other psychometric properties of the WHODAS 2.0, particularly those related to temporal stability and sensitivity to change.


The concept of Horizontallly Weak Compatibility of mappings is introduced and common xed point theorems for two pairs of mappings are proved in dislocated fuzzy metric space using horizontally weak compatibility condition. Our results extends and generalises many existing xed point theorems.


ABSTRACT Introduction Aerobic fitness is an important predictor that contributes to the preservation of functional independence during the aging process. Its measurement represents a fundamental tool in the identification of multiple health problems. Objective To compare the aerobic capacity of adults and elderly subjects through international studies and to develop percentiles by age group using the LMS method. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 1146 subjects (437 men and 709 women). The age group of the sample ranged from 50 to 84 years. The subjects evaluated came from the physical activity programs offered by the National Sports Institute (IND) and by the city council of Talca (Chile). Body mass, stature, oxygen saturation (SatO2), six-minute walk test, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were assessed. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated for both sexes. The LMS method was used to propose the percent distribution. Results Aerobic capacity decreases with age (28.5% for men and 29.9% for women). There was a negative relationship between age and the six-minute walk test (men r = -0.13 and women r = -0.39). There was a discrepancy between the elderly subjects in the current study and those from international studies. The normative data for the classification of aerobic fitness were expressed in percentiles (p3, p5, p10, p15, p25, p50, p75, p85, p90, p95 and p97). Conclusion The aerobic performance of elderly subjects diminishes as they age; in addition, the current results differ from international studies, which motivated the development of percentiles to classify aerobic fitness in everyday situations, especially in places with few resources and particularly where field tests are considered a priority for large-scale physical evaluation. Level of evidence II; Diagnostic studies – investigation of diagnostic test.


A well-centered, adequately sized continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) is a prerequisite for successful cataract surgery. A perfect capsulorhexis ensures safe and effective performance of various steps of surgery as well as a correctly positioned intraocular lens (IOL) with optimal rotational stability. Ganesh and Grewal (GG) cystitome maker is a step toward standardizing the creation of a cystitome to reduce variations and complications associated with the crucial step of CCC in cataract surgery. We conducted a study to measure the repeatability and precision of cystitomes made by the GG cystitome maker versus those made manually with a needle holder. The results showed that the cystitomes made with GG cystitome maker had a lesser degree of variation. This indicates a more repeatable cystitome, which will inadvertently help in reducing the error caused by the instrument in making a good CCC during cataract surgery.


Uveal melanoma is the most frequent primary tumor of the eye. It is molecularly clearly distinct from cutaneous melanoma and shows a different pattern of driver mutations. The influence of sunlight UV-exposure on the etiology of uveal melanoma is matter of debate. The recent identification of driver mutations in the promoter of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene with UV induced cytidine-to-thymidine transitions in cutaneous melanoma prompted us to investigate whether these mutations also occur in uveal melanoma. We also analyzed the frequency of other recently discovered uveal melanoma specific mutations in the genes GNAQ, GNA11, BAP1, SF3B1, and EIFAX1, and we analyzed the association of these mutation with histopathological and clinical features including progression free survival. Finally, we analyzed TERT expression in these tumors. The mutation frequencies observed confirmed the prevalence of GNAQ mutations in cases with disomy of chromosome 3 that have a better prognosis whereas GNA11 was more frequent in monosomic cases. Together these two mutations account for more than 85% of the cases. BAP1 mutations are associated with chromosome 3 monosomy but not with progression free survival. SF3B1 and EIF1AX mutations occur in 10.3 and 22.5% of uveal melanomas, in disomic cases only. We detected a TERT mutation in only one case of a 57-year old white male with clinical and histo-pathological features typical for uveal melanoma. The tumor showed mutations in GNA11 and EIF1AX. No mutations were detected in GNAQ, BAP1, and SF3B1. Both copies of chromosome 3 were retained. Several tumors among which the one carrying the TERT promoter mutation showed elevated TERT expression. These data indicate that TERT mutations are rare in uveal melanoma, consistent with a reduced etiological influence of sunlight. No conclusion can be drawn on the potential influence of TERT mutations on tumor progression. Citation Format: Adriana Agnese AMARO, Marina Gualco, Maria Dono, Ulrich Pfeffer, Irena Maric, Carlo Mosci. TERT promoter mutations are rare in uveal melanoma. [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 3420. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3420


In Japan, over 6,000 workers commit suicide every year, and the Japanese government has taken several countermeasures to prevent Karoshi (death due to overwork) and mental health disorders among workers. Risk factors for suicide among workers include long working hours, adverse psychosocial job characteristics, economic recession or financial crisis, job insecurity, and workplace harassment. Depressive symptoms are supposed to play a vital role in mediating mechanisms. Owing to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, economic crises continue and seemingly deepen, and the risk of unemployment increases. Workers with low socioeconomic status and who do not enjoy occupational health services are considered vulnerable, and essential workers (including health care workers) require special attention. Little evidence prevails with respect to workplace suicide prevention measures in a population approach, and hence, suicide prevention should be integrated into the existing workplace mental health activities. Although evidence of secondary prevention, such as screening for depression, is scarce for workplace mental health, such measures, including regular psychological counseling, should be applicable during this crisis. Research is thus crucial for preventing suicide in the workplace using surrogate outcomes, such as suicidality, help-seeking, stigma, access to means, and improving workplace support. Prevention of suicide among temporary workers, freelancers, foreign workers, and self-employed individuals who lack support from regional and occupational healthcare domains remains an untackled issue.


The study was focused on the responses of tobacco plants to salt stress. The changes in antioxidant enzymes, photosynthetic pigments, anatomy traits in root and stem tissues under the impact of different concentration of NaCl (25 and 50 mM L−1) were investigated. It was shown that low and high concentrations of NaCl differently effected on plant growth, and root and stem anatomy. The salt stress activated antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GPX, APX), and increased chlorophyll and carotenoid content. In roots salt stress causes the increase of total and cortex diameter and cell wall thickness in xylem tissues. The same NaCl concentrations cause stronger changes in roots than in shoots.


This special issue offers a series of takes—from scholars at various stages of their careers—on the promotion and tenure process in an environment of turmoil in higher education and the wider world. As Norman Denzin and others have pointed out, qualitative inquiry is under fire. In matters of promotion and tenure, this problem comes into sharp focus.


Objectives: The aim of this study was to find out any Changes in renal function test following kidney donation.
Materials and Methods: A Hospital based prospective study was conducted in the Department of Urology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh from April 2011 to September 2012. Investigations included specific gravity and urinary microalbumin, serum creatinine. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria a total of 37 donors were enrolled in this study. Subsequent follow up were taken at the end of three months, six months and nine months. Data were evaluated by Paired t-test, Significance was defined p value<0.05.
Results: The age range varied from 25 to 39 years and 45.9% of patients belonged to 25- 30 years and male to female ratio was 1:2.4. The mean baseline specific gravity was 1016.97±8.03, serum creatinine 1.03±0.24. The baseline urinary micro albumin was found nil and subsequent 1st, 2nd, and 3rd follow up were also nil. The mean difference of specific gravity, urinary micro albumin, and serum creatinine (mg/dl) were almost consistent between baseline and the subsequent follow-up, no statistical significant (P>0.05) was found between baseline and the subsequent follow-up.
Conclusion: Renal function test of the remaining kidney in living donors does not significantly change after donor nephrectomy.
Bangladesh Journal of Urology, Vol. 18, No. 1, Jan 2015 p.3-7


This paper proposes ReAdapt–a reconfigurable datapath architecture for scaling the energy-quality trade-off of adaptive filtering at runtime. The ReAdapt can dynamically select four adaptive filtering algorithms for gradating complexity levels during runtime by reconfiguring the processing flow in its datapath and by blocking the switching activity (e.g., reducing the CMOS dynamic power) of unused modules with data-gating. The ReAdapt proposal can scale the energy-quality trade-off by choosing the following four different levels of filter algorithms complexity: 1) least mean square (LMS); 2) partial update normalized LMS (PU-NLMS); 3) set-membership normalized LMS (SM-NLMS); 4) normalized LMS (NLMS). The ReAdapt architecture reuses common modules of each adaptive filter, resulting in a compact VLSI hardware implementation. The ReAdapt architecture operation is implemented in a case-study for interference mitigation for electroencephalogram (EEG) signal processing. The hardware synthesis results show an increase of 6.80 times in throughput and at least a reduction of 2.84 times in energy per operation compared with the state-of-the-art adaptive filters. This paper also investigates the benefits of dynamically reconfiguring the four ReAdapt operating modes at runtime for different levels of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the processed signals. We also demonstrate that dynamically reconfiguring the ReAdapt operating modes during runtime results in an optimal energy-quality trade-off which is advantageous over the conventional single static mode.


In the late 1980s, a new hypervirulent and epidemic form of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) infection appeared in North America. A similar but sporadic syndrome was later reported in Europe. To compare the pathogenic characters of the North American and European hypervirulent strains, we inoculated BVDV naïve calves with BVDV strains isolated from haemorrhagic syndromes originating in Belgium, France and the USA. The experimental procedure comprised daily clinical examination and measurement of blood and virological parameters. The American BVD890/256 strain induced severe thrombocytopaenia, profuse diarrhoea and pneumonia in all calves, indicating that hypervirulent BVDV could be the primary infectious agent of pneumonia. Interestingly, a strong correlation was observed between the intense viraemia and a decreased platelet count. None of the European strains tested induced significant pathological signs, although isolated from cases presenting haemorrhagic syndrome.


In recent years, the construction of foundation elements from large-volume reinforced concrete is becoming increasingly common. This implies a potential increase in the risk of cracks of thermal origin, due to the heat of hydration of cement. Under these circumstances, these concrete elements need to be treated using the mass concrete theory, widespread in dam construction, but little used when designing buildings. This paper aims to present a case study about the procedures and problems involved in the construction of a spread footing with a volume of approximately 800m³ designed for the foundation of a shopping center in Sao Paulo, Brazil.


Abstract The protective action of mild irritants has been established. However, the mechanisms as to how they antagonize the injurious action produced by the subsequent challenge with an ulcerogenic stimulus are still unclear. The present study examined the different protective mechanisms of an oral administration of the three mild irritants, 20% ethanol, 0.3 mol/L HCl or 5% NaCl against the gastric injurious actions of absolute ethanol in rats. In an attempt to clarify the pathways and mediators involved in the adaptive cytoprotection, [d‐Pro2, d‐Trp7,9]‐substance P (substance P antagonist), Nw‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐Name), indomethacin, capsaicin, lidocaine, atropine or hexamethonium was given. The protective action of 20% ethanol but not the other two mild irritants, was antagonized by l‐Name, indomethacin and capsaicin, which are the inhibitors of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandins (PG) synthesis, and afferent sensory neuron blocker, respectively. Substance P antagonist, lidocaine or atropine given alone, prevented mucosal damage; however, only substance P antagonist enhanced the anti‐lesion action of 20% ethanol, while atropine and lidocaine increased the protective effect of NaCl and HCl. The three mild irritants increased the residual gastric secretion. Only 20% ethanol and 5% NaCl but not 0.3% HCl significantly increased the basal adherent mucus and also attenuated the mucus depletion by absolute ethanol. It is concluded that the cytoprotective action of either ethanol or NaCl seems to be mediated through the increase of residual gastric secretion and adherent mucus. In the ethanol‐treated group, these actions could act through the afferent sensory fibres, with NO and PG as the possible mediators. The antilesion action of HCl is partly contributed by the increase of residual gastric secretion through its dilution action. However, the protective factors and mediators involved in this action need further investigations.


Nature has not been uniform in its creations, producing a spectrum of variances wherever possible. Some have wealth while others are poor, few have attractive physical features while others have ugly faces. Similarly there are variations in human sex resulting into possibilities that cannot be clearly partitioned into either of the sexes. It's this intermediate sex that is the subject of this study - the people known as Hijra or Chhakka. The other names labeled to them by the society are Khadra, Khusra, Zanana, Murat, K-2, third-sex, or third world. The researcher has adopted a qualitative approach for the study and has conducted informal interviews with the respondents while referring to secondary data wherever required. The researcher contacted respondents belonging to various localities of Karachi, practicing various religions (Muslims, Christians). The researcher has avoided the use of the names of these respondents and refers to them simply as respondents. The aim of the study is to understand the different aspects of the life of these people, from their perspective. They usually live as a community. The research has been carried out with the hope of letting the society understand their differences, lifestyle and the reasons behind their peculiar way of living.


The present study has been conducted to investigate the effects of Reynolds number on heat/mass transfer and pressure drop characteristics in a rotating smooth two-pass duct. For stationary cases, the heat/mass transfer and pressure drop Is decreased on turning region of both leading and trailing surfaces as Reynolds number increases. For rotating cases, increment of Reynolds number affects differently the heat/mass transfer and pressure drop on the leading and trailing surfaces. In the first pass, for example, the heat/mass transfer on the leading surface is greatly increased, though the heat/mass transfer on the trailing surface is almost the same. The reason is that effect of the main flow is more dominant than effect of secondary flow. In particular, it gave decrement of the heat/mass transfer and the pressure drop at turning region and upstream region of second pass for both non-rotating and rotating cases.


The sigma field is a branch of mathematics that refers to the gathering of subsets includes sample space. It is useful in establishing a formal mathematical probability definition. The sets that occur in the sigma field are responsible for constituting various events in the presence of available sample space. In this paper, we focus on sigma fields. The main aim of this paper is to define the sigma field. Different types of sigma fields, along with the basic mathematics and examples, are also elaborated upon.


INTRODUCTION
The neuromuscular system is able to quickly adapt to exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD), such that it is less affected by subsequent damaging exercise, a phenomenon known as the repeated bout effect (RBE). Circulating muscle-specific microRNAs (myomiRs) may be able to potentially predict the long-lasting maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque deficit (>24h), an indicator of EIMD.We aimed to investigate:(1) how plasma myomiR levels are modified by the RBE and (2) whether plasma myomiRs can predict the long-lasting MVC torque deficit.

METHODS
Nineteen participants performed two identical bouts of loaded downhill walking separated by two weeks.MVC torque, creatine kinase (CK) activity, myoglobin (Mb) concentration, and myomiR levels were measured before and up to 48h after exercise.Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the ability of these markers to predict the largest MVC torque loss beyond 24h post-exercise.

RESULTS
Similar to MVC torque, CK activity, and the Mb concentration, the relative abundance of certain myomiRs (hsa-miR-1-3p, hsa-miR-133a-3p) were less affected after the second bout of exercise relative to the first bout.The CK activity, Mb concentration and level of several myomiRs (hsa-miR-1-3p, hsa-miR-133a-3p, hsa-miR-206) correlated with long-lasting MVC torque loss.Multiple regression showed that the best combination of markers to predict the long-lasting deficit of MVC torque included several myomiRs, Mb, and CK.

CONCLUSION
Certain myomiR levels increased less after exercise bout 2 than after exercise bout 1, indicating the presence of the RBE.The measurement of myomiR levels in combination with Mb concentrations and CK activity could improve the prediction of the long-lasting MVC torque deficit.


Aberrant expansion of the hexanucleotide GGGGCC (or G4C2) repeat in the human C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic factor found behind amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. The hypothesized pathways, through which the repeat expansions contribute to the pathology, involve one or more secondary structural forms of the DNA and/or RNA sequences, such as G-quadruplexes, duplexes, and hairpins. Here, we study the structures of DNA and RNA duplexes formed by G4C2 repeats, which contain G(syn)·G(anti) base pairs flanked by either G·C or C·G base pairs. We show that duplexes formed by G4C2 repeats contain alternately two types of G·G pair contexts exhibiting different syn-anti base flipping dynamics (∼100 ms vs ∼2 ms for DNA and ∼50 ms vs ∼20 ms for RNA at 10 °C, respectively) depending on the flanking bases, with the slow-flipping G·G pairs being flanked by a guanine at the 5'-end and the fast-flipping G·G pairs being flanked by a cytosine at the 5'-end. Our findings on the structures and dynamics of G·G base pairs in DNA and RNA duplexes formed by G4C2 repeats provide a foundation for further studies of the functions and targeting of such biologically relevant motifs.


From the Publisher:

Get artistic inspiration and practical techniques in one full-color, example-packed volume: The Painter 7 Wow! Book. The definitive guide to this popular paint program is back—thoroughly revised to include a plethora of new tips, step-by-step techniques, and illustrations that make deciphering this new version a breeze. Author Cher Threinen-Pendarvis shows you how to get the most out of Painter 7's improved interface and tools, including its awesome natural-media brushes and effects. Plus, she's added new projects and galleries as well as special Primer sections to cover Painter 7's new Water Color and Liquid Ink media layers and brushes.
The Painter 7 Wow! Book strikes the perfect balance between hands-on, step-by-step instruction and visual inspiration. You'll find thorough coverage of the basics—Painter's tools, functions, and preferences—as well as plenty of real-world examples from print, multimedia, and the Web. Best of all, the book's galleries feature work from a top-notch cast of fine artists, designers, photographers, and illustrators who use Painter to illuminate books and magazines, CD-ROMs, gallery walls, and the Web. On the accompanying CD-ROM you'll discover loads of custom brushes, papers, patterns, and scripts created by the author; goodies shared by contributing artists; high-resolution stock photographs and video clips; and a demo of Painter 7. Novices and pros alike will be creating digital master works in no time with Painter 7 on their computers and this dazzling guide at their side.


We compared the change in left ventricular ejection fraction during rest and exercise in 14 patients with angina pectoris and 14 patients with silent ischaemia. All patients had ischaemia defined as reversible defects at an exercise thallium myocardial scintigraphy. In the patients with angina pectoris the ejection fraction decreased from 44.0% (+/- 1 SD 13.4) at rest to 39.5% (+/- 1 SD 11.2) during exercise (p = 0.044). In the patients with silent ischaemia the ejection fraction decreased from 43.5% (+/- 1 SD 14.0) to 39.8% (+/- 1 SD 13.9) (p = 0.045). The fall in left ventricular ejection fraction in the two groups was almost identical (p = 0.77). This study confirms with a sensitive detection of transient ischaemia that silent ischaemia is accompanied with a fall in ejection fraction during exercise.


One of the main goals of online competitive games is increasing player engagement by ensuring fair matches. These games use rating systems for creating balanced match-ups. Rating systems leverage statistical estimation to rate players' skills and use skill ratings to predict rank before matching players. Skill ratings of individual players can be aggregated to compute the skill level of a team. While research often aims to improve the accuracy of skill estimation and fairness of match-ups, less attention has been given to how the skill level of a team is calculated from the skill level of its members. In this paper, we propose two new aggregation methods and compare them with a standard approach extensively used in the research literature. We present an exhaustive analysis of the impact of these methods on the predictive performance of rating systems. We perform our experiments using three popular rating systems, Elo, Glicko, and TrueSkill, on three real-world datasets including over 100,000 battle royale and head-to-head matches. Our evaluations show the superiority of the MAX method over the other two methods in the majority of the tested cases, implying that the overall performance of a team is best determined by the performance of its most skilled member. The results of this study highlight the necessity of devising more elaborated methods for calculating a team's performance- methods covering different aspects of players' behavior such as skills, strategy, or goals.


Background: Delayed detection of congenital heart diseases in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) contributes to the poor outcome of infants with cardiac anomalies. Fetal echocardiography (FE) can detect heart defects in-utero as early as the 18 th gestational week (GA), giving parents and medical professionals time to prepare for the baby's delivery and appropriate treatment. University College Hospital, Nigeria, is one of the few centres in Nigeria where FE is performed. Objectives: To examine the indications for referral for FE and the diagnoses made in our first four years of performing FE. Methods: FE was performed in the antenatal clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, using the GE Voluson P6 machine with a 2-6-RS probe. Demographic information was obtained from the antenatal clinic records of the women who had FE using a semi-structured questionnaire. FE diagnoses were retrieved from the FE register. Results: A total of 129 women whose records were available were studied. The mean age of the women was 31.7±5.5 years. Forty-two women (32.6%) were referred because of echogenic foci, making this the most common indication for FE. Twenty-nine (22.5%) fetuses had structural heart defects, the most common being Ventricular Septal Defect. Conclusion: There is a need for Obstetricians and Paediatricians to be aware of the indications for fetal echocardiography and refer women appropriately.


16 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing global COVID-19 pandemic 17 since 2019 has led to increasing amount of research to study how to do fast screening and diagnosis to 18 efficiently detect COVID-19 positive cases, and how to prevent spreading of the virus. Our research 19 objective was to study whether SARS-CoV-2 could be detected from routine nasopharyngeal swab 20 samples by using attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy 21 coupled with partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The advantage of


Contents: Preface. N.A. Bernstein, Part I: On Dexterity and Its Development. Introduction. What Is Dexterity? On Motor Control. On the Origin of Movements. On the Construction of Movements. Levels of Construction of Movements. On Exercise and Motor Skill. Dexterity and Its Features. From the Author. Part II: Commentaries. I.M. Feigenberg, L.P. Latash, N.A. Bernstein: The Reformer of Neuroscience. M.L. Latash, The Bernstein Problem: How Does the Central Nervous System Make Its Choices? G.J. van Ingen Schenau, A.J. van Soest, On the Biomechanical Basis of Dexterity. M.T. Turvey, C. Carello, Dynamics of Bernstein's Level of Synergies. P.J. Beek, A.A.M. van Santvoord, Dexterity in Cascade Juggling. K.M. Newell, Change in Movement and Skill: Learning, Retention, and Transfer. E.S. Reed, B. Bril, The Primacy of Action in Development.


Robot positioning is an important function of autonomous intelligent robots. However, the application of external forces to a robot can disrupt its normal operation and cause localisation errors. We present a novel approach for detecting external disturbances based on optic flow without the use of egomotion information. Even though this research moderately validates the efficacy of the model we argue that its application is plausible to a large number of robotic systems.


Abstract This paper is a conversational reassessment of George MacDonald, the Victorian fantasist who so profoundly shaped such writers as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Primary research challenges the common portrayal of MacDonald as an accidental novelist, revealing instead his clear trajectory and vocation as a devoted literary scholar. Clarifying the definition of mythopoeic as applied by the Oxford Inklings to MacDonald draws attention to their conviction that attentive response to one's literary roots is what engenders novel literature with transformative potential. Further research proves this to be in keeping with the work and legacy of MacDonald and his mentor A.J. Scott. An intentional participation in this relational nature of literary tradition is a crucial element of the work and legacy to which the Inklings and their successors are heirs.


Analytical models are presented for: (1) monolayer composite fabrication, (2) consolidation of monolayer composites into plates, and (3) composite deformation under transverse compression. Upper-bound solutions of the models are developed by using the limit analysis of plastic theory. These solutions depend on (1) the flow stress of the matrix material, and (2) frictional coefficients for the fiber-matrix and for the matrix-die interfaces. They were determined experimentally from compression ring tests. The analytical predictions of the average consolidation pressure are in good agreement with experimental results for an aluminum matrix from room temperature to 750°F (399°C). Transverse compression deformations were examined by several methods including scanning electron microscopy for aluminum-steel wire, aluminum-Borsic, and aluminum-nickel unidirectionally solidified composites. The analytical predictions for flow line directions from a proposed strip compression model agree with the experimentally determined angles.


Specific pancreatic oncofetal proteins have been discovered in man and a species of hamster using polyclonal antisera against fetal pancreatic extracts. Two main components in the Mr range of 80 kDa and 58 kDa (hamster) and 110 kDa and 58 kDa (man) were detected in pancreatic fetal extracts, by the "Western blot" technics. Two monoclonal antibodies, namely J28 directed against the human 110 kDa component (FAP protein) and B4 directed against the hamster 58 kDa component (FP protein) have been prepared. The B4 cross-reacts with the homologous human antigen. These monoclonal antibodies have shown that both proteins are antigenically unrelated, although they share common properties such as association to development of exocrine pancreas and high tissue specificity. The expression of both proteins increases in the case of pancreatic cancer but localisation varies. FAP protein is found in peritumoral acinar tissue, whereas FP protein is expressed in transformed cells. FAP protein is a serum marker for pancreatic pathologies and combined with CA 19-9 antigen assay it provides a serum test which is almost specific for cancer of the pancreas with near 100% sensitivity.


The spectra of Auger electrons are measured for the cascade decay of the photoexcited 1s-13p resonance in Ne. Angular distributions of the Auger electrons for the prominent peaks of the spectra are determined. It is shown that in the first step of the cascade which corresponds to the spectator (shake-modified spectator) transitions 1s-13p→2s-12p-13p(4p) and 1s-13p→2s-23p(4p) the electrons are emitted almost isotropically. In contrast, the majority of the second-step transitions 2s-12p-13p(4p)→2p-2 and 2s-23p(4p)→2s-12p-1 shows strong anisotropy. A qualitative explanation of the observed results is given.


In the present study, dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) was developed for preconcentration and determination of phenytoin in real samples by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Several experimental variables were investigated such as the extraction solvent, disperser solvent, salt effect, extraction time, centrifuge time, centrifuge speed and sample volume. Firstly, an orthogonal array design (OAD) was applied to choose the significant variables. Then, the significant factors were optimized using the central composite design (CCD). The variables were optimized with the aid of the response surface methodology. Chloroform and ethanol were selected as extraction and dispersive solvents, respectively. In this method, a linear range of 0.01–24 μg mL−1 and the relative standard deviation from 1.7 to 12.35% were obtained for water samples. Also, for urine samples, the linear range of 0.2–24 μg mL−1 and the relative standard deviation from 1.41 to 9.3% were obtained. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitative (LOQ) were 0.94 and 2.84 and also, 1.63 and 4.94 μg mL−1 for water and urine samples respectively.