Introduction Benzene is an occupational solvent that is used in multiple industries, and is a known human carcinogen (IARC Group 1) that is hematotoxic and causes acute myeloid leukaemia. Further, there is some evidence that occupational benzene exposure is associated with certain lymphoid neoplasms. To follow up these observations, we evaluated the relationship between occupational benzene exposure and levels of immune markers that were measured using a multiplex panel. Methods A Luminex bead-based assay was conducted among 52 factory workers exposed to benzene and 31 unexposed workers that were enrolled in a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study in China. Personal benzene exposure was repeatedly monitored in workers using a 3 M organic vapour passive monitoring badge before phlebotomy. Linear regression was used to evaluate differences in marker concentrations between benzene exposed vs. unexposed workers, and to explore exposure-response trends (unexposed, ≤5 ppm, >5 ppm). Results Multiple markers were significantly altered in benzene exposed workers compared to unexposed workers (P-value < 0.05), including TNF-α (27% increase in exposed workers). Further, eight markers showed evidence of an exposure-response relationship. Among these, BCA-1 (45% reduction overall) and IL-17A (38% reduction overall) were significantly reduced in both lower and higher exposed workers compared to unexposed workers. Conclusions Occupational exposure to benzene was associated with a range of immune perturbations including alterations in markers that regulate B-cell chemotaxis and regulation of cytotoxic T-cell activity. Notably, two of these markers (TNF-α and BCA-1) have previously been associated with risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in prospective studies. These observations provide additional biologic insight into the effects of benzene on the immune system.


Non-performing loans (NPLs) are essentially a product of the irrational allocation of resources. Different from other Asian countries, China's NPL issue resulted primarily from a transitioning economy dominated by the triangular relations of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), state-owned commercial banks (SOBs) and the fiscal system. Even though the total amount of NPLs in 1999 was estimated to be around 30% of the total outstanding loans of SOBs, the NPL problem in China would not lead to an immediate financial crisis as the NPL problem is more a stock problem than a flow one. However, the huge amount of overhanging bad debts has become one of the bottlenecks for China's further reform, particularly, in the banking sector. The establishment of four Asset Management Companies (AMCs) was an innovative approach to provide an instant relief of the bad debt burden of SOBs, to recover distressed assets and to restructure SOEs. Despite facing many challenges, the AMCs have been continuously seeking new NPL workout approaches and made substantial progress. A series of workout approaches have been introduced including debt-equity swap, discounted payoff, loan pool sale and property auction, etc. The process, however, will become increasingly difficult because the high quality assets have been disposed of first and the more troubled ones still remain in the portfolio. Furthermore, if the government cannot make a creditable commitment that the current NPL transfer and debt-equity swap is a once-off policy, new NPLs will be encouraged through soft lending by the SOBs and strategic default by the SOEs. There are also several obstacles ahead to the AMCs including China's immature capital market, the AMCs' internal structural problems as well as China's weak legal enforcement mechanism. Fortunately, the Chinese government has made a great commitment to tackle the NPL issue not only from the surface but also from the fundamental structure, evidenced by the Chinese government's efforts to improve the corporate governance of SOEs and institutional infrastructures. China's accession to the WTO in 2001 will further force the government to seriously reform the banking sector in order to build up the competitive advantage to face the imminent competition from foreign banks. With more international practices introduced and corporate governance improved, China's banking system could be more resilient and healthier in the near future. The AMC scheme would hopefully be a once-off prescription.


Ethiopia lies close to the northernmost limit of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, where even a slight weakening in the strength of the monsoon may lead to rainfall failure. Being located on this sensitive climatic boundary explains in part why the country has such a long and infamous history of drought and famine. Understanding the past variability in the strength of the monsoon is critical to enable the validation of climate forecasting models. Late Pleistocene and Holocene environmental and climatic changes are reconstructed from two contrasting lakes in the highlands of Ethiopia: Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, and Ashenge, one of the northernmost lakes in the eastern Sahel. An 18,700-year record from Tana is examined using mineral magnetic, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and diatom analyses. High-resolution XRF, stable isotope, and diatom analyses are utilised to produce a 17,200-year record from Ashenge. Of particular interest to this study is the timing and nature of the sub-millennial abrupt drought events. This book should appeal to anyone with an interest in African climate change past, present and future, as well as in the history of the Nile.


A simple method to determine the Reed-Muller canonical expansion is described. This method is based on array processing techniques similar to those used for the FFT. A specific advantage of the technique is that it can be used with minor modification to determine the expansion when some or all of the input variables are negated. >


A small team of independent entrepreneurs has developed two Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), in French, on sustainable development that attracted, respectively, 250+ and 150+ participants. This article describes the original intentions and formats of the MOOCs as well as their actual performance. With little publicity, the courses revealed strong buy-in by the participants and resulted in both a high percentage of completion and degree of satisfaction. In conclusion, the author estimates that MOOCs have the potential to provide the impetus needed in initial and vocational training to respond to the challenges of capacity development, highlighted in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and in reflections on Africa like the "Madavo Report" (2005) on capacity buidling in Africa.


BACKGROUND
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is common among women, and surgical interventions have significantly improved patients' symptoms. The long-term effectiveness of these surgeries is increasingly drawing attention, yet it remains sparsely documented in the literature.

OBJECTIVE
To compare the long-term effectiveness and safety of retropubic tension-free vaginal tape (TVT-RP), tension-free vaginal tape-obturator (TVT-O), transobturator tape (TOT), single-incision sling (SIS), Burch colposuspension, and pubovaginal sling (PVS).

METHODS
A comprehensive and systematic literature review was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Medicine, and clinicaltrials.gov from inception to May 2023. Selected trials were evaluated for potential bias using the Cochrane tool. Treatment modalities were compared using network meta-analysis to assess objective success rate, subjective success rate, and complications as outcomes.

RESULTS
A total of 37 studies involving 5,720 patients were included. No significant statistical differences were found among the interventions regarding objective success rate. PVS had the highest surface under the cumulative ranking curve SUCRA value (93.1). For subjective success rate, TVT-RP, TVT-O, and PVS demonstrated superiority over SIS, with PVS having the highest SUCRA value (80.1). SIS had lower overall complication and pain rates compared to other methods, with statistical significance. There were no differences in reoperation rate, exposure rate, and urinary tract infection occurrence among the surgical approaches.

CONCLUSIONS
In terms of long-term effectiveness and safety, TVT-RP and TVT-O appear to be the preferred options for patients opting for synthetic slings, while for patients seeking non-synthetic slings, PVS may represent the optimal choice.


The study was carried out at the Wukari and Jalingo main abattoirs in Taraba State, Nigeria to investigate the contribution of various livestock species as sources of meat and their foetal wastage. A daily visit was paid to these abattoirs to record the total number of animals slaughtered as influenced by species, sex and pregnant females, which lasted over a period of four months (April-July). The data were subjected to analysis of variance and simple descriptive statistics to calculate means and percentages. The results showed that there were significant (P<0.05) differences with respect to the total number slaughtered, number of males and females as well as incidence of foetal wastage (slaughter of pregnant females) among the three species studied in the two abattoirs. The results also revealed that the goat species had the highest (58.0%) contribution, followed by cattle (29.8%) and sheep (12.2%) in terms of their numerical number. There was an established pattern of marketing where large volume of these livestock, especially goats were disposed off during the on set of rains (April to June). Based on these results, it can be concluded that the goat meat/chevon is more cherished in the locality as compared to beef and mutton. Generally, prospect of livestock production is at stake in the area considering the high incidence rate (4.58-17.35%) of slaughtering pregnant females in the name of meat production and supply to the populace. It is therefore suggested that the growing practice of indiscriminate slaughtering of these pregnant animals be check-mated in order to enhance their productivity and to brighten the future of livestock industry in the country.


Introduction: Several genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of alcohol use disorders (AUD). The endogenous opioid system (EOS) is strongly correlated with the development and maintenance of AUD. One of the three major peptides in the EOS is b-endorphin, that binds to m- and d-opioid receptors in the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway, a critical part of the reward system. Very little is known about how ethanol intake and stress in adolescents affect the EOS. Opioid receptor antagonists reduce ethanol intake, but the use of naltrexone in the treatment of AUD is subjected to large individual differences due to both genetics and environmental influences, emphasizing the need of individualized treatments. Aim: To analyze the effect of voluntary ethanol intake and stress on the b-endorphin levels in the brain and pituitary of adolescent rats. Method: Single and group housed adolescent male Wistar rats were subjected to a two-bottle free-choice paradigm with ethanol and water three subsequent days a week for six weeks. The levels of b-endorphin in seven areas of the brain and pituitary were determined by using radioimmunoassay. Results: No difference in ethanol intake was seen between single and group housed animals. An effect of treatment was seen in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, while an effect of housing was seen in amygdala. Significant interaction effects were seen in both nucleus accumbens and cingulate cortex. Conclusion: The study showed that b-endorphin levels, in areas related to addiction processes, are affected by both ethanol intake and stress induced by single housing. More research is needed to fully understand the relationship between adolescent ethanol intake and the EOS and through knowledge of new targets in the brain, better prevention and treatment strategies can be developed for AUD.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Colon cancer is common and can be considered a disease of older adults with more than half of cases diagnosed in patients aged over 70 years. Decision-making about treatment with chemotherapy for older adults may be complicated by age-related physiological changes, impaired functional status, limited social supports, concerns regarding the occurrence of and ability to tolerate treatment toxicity, and the presence of comorbidities. This is compounded by a lack of high quality evidence guiding cancer treatment decisions for older adults. Areas covered: This narrative review evaluates the evidence for adjuvant and palliative systemic therapy in older adults with colon cancer. The value of an adequate assessment prior to making a treatment decision is addressed, with emphasis on the geriatric assessment. Guidance in making a treatment decision is provided. Expert commentary: Treatment decisions should consider goals of care, a patient's treatment preferences, and weigh up relative benefits and harms.


Atherospermine, the major base of Atherosoerma
moschatum, has been shown to be identical with berbamine
and the phenolic group in this base has been placed
unequivocally.
Sodium in liquid ammonia reductive cleavages have
been used to investigate. structural problems which could
not be resolved by standard degradative methods. In
particular the secondary nitrogen group has been placed
in daphnoline and daphnandrine while more information
has been gained concerning the placement of hydroxyl
groups in aromoline, daphnandrine, daphnoline,isochondrodendrine and.chondrocurine. Observations, on
reductive fission experiments on dauricine and
repanduline have been recorded.
Some stereochemical problems associated with
repandine and okyacanthine have been discussed.
Extractions have been performed using modern techniques
and these procedures have revealed the presence of new
compounds in Berberis vulgaris (isotetrandrine, berberine
oxalamide) and Chondrodendron tomentosum (tomentosine,
N-benzylphthalimide). Extractions on the Daphnandras
have revealed further irregularities in their alkaloid
content.
The results of 4 survey of some Tasmanian plants
for alkaloid-bearing species have been tabulated.
Friedelin together with some other non-basic
compounds have been iSolated'from the bark of Takini,
tree nativeto Surinam South America.


ABSTRACT Impact force to a body during walking depends on walking speed, walking steps, the condition of the floors and shoes, and weight. The ground reaction force and the foot pressure can be measured instantaneous force easily, but it's difficult to find out the amount of transferring forces to the body. On the other hand, the acceleration has an advantage for analyzing the amount of transferring forces. However, most of studies about impact forces to the ground reaction during exercise have been limited to analyze instantaneous forces. The important thing is to evaluate characters and the amount of the impact force rather than the magnitude. Therefore, this study analyze the impact force using 3 axis acceleration in three dimensions (x; anterior-posterior, y; left-right and z; longitudinal axis) using three axis acceleration. As working speed increased, impact forces increased significantly. Impact forces on x axis and z axis are higher at lower limb than that of upper limb. However, impact force at the knee is higher than that of other parts on y axis regardless of walking speed significantly. In addition, relations of the impact forces as interaction of experi ment factors as well as effect of each factor are analyzed. Keyword: Impact force, Acceleration, Gait


Abstract : This Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluates the potential impacts on environmental and human resources associated with the proposed construction and operation of an HC- 130P Flight Simulator Facility (FSF) and an Aircraft Corrosion Control Facility (ACCF) at Kirtland Air Force Base (AFB) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and the 58th Special Operations Wing (58 SOW), a unit of Air Education and Training Command (AETC), are the proponents of these actions. This EA also evaluates any reasonable alternatives to the Proposed Actions, including the No-Action Alternative. This document is part of the Environmental Impact Analysis Process set forth in Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 989, which incorporates Air Force Regulation 32-7061 and implements the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the regulations implementing NEPA promulgated by the President s Council on Environmental Quality as Title 40 of the CFR Parts 1500-1508. In addition, Section 1.6.8 of Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, directs federal agencies to consult with and solicit comments from state and local government officials whose jurisdictions would be affected by federal actions (Appendix A). In addition, NEPA procedures and US Air Force policy are intended to ensure that environmental information is available to public officials and citizens before decisions are made and before actions are taken. This EA describing the potential impacts of these Proposed Actions will be made available to the public for 30 days prior to the decision on whether to proceed with the actions.


Ultrasound examination was performed on 66 patients with suspected ectopic pregnancy. Of 23 women who had the diagnosis confirmed at laparotomy, 16 (69.6%) were correctly identified on ultrasound, 4 were reported as unlikely ectopic pregnancies and 3 were undetermined. Two patients with false negative ultrasound reports had positive findings on ultrasound, but the findings were misinterpreted. Correct identification of these would have increased the true positive rate to 78.3% and decreased the false negative rate to 8.8%. There were 5 false positive reports due to ovarian cysts.


It is shown that photopion reactions on nuclei provide a direct probe of the enhancement of the virtual pion field (critical opalescence) which has been invoked to explain anomalies in 1p-shell magnetic form factors. The experimental conditions for best sensitivity are discussed.


A collapsed cone convolution algorithm was applied to a treatment planning system for the calculation of dose distributions. The distribution of beam fluences was determined using a three-source model by considering the source strengths of the primary beam, the beam scattered from the primary collimators, and an extra beam scattered from extra structures in the gantry head of the radiotherapy treatment machine. The distribution of the total energy released per unit mass (TERMA) was calculated from the distribution of the fluence by considering several physical effects such as the emission of poly-energetic photon spectra, the attenuation of the beam fluence in a medium, the horn effect, the beam-softening effect, and beam transmission through collimators or multi-leaf collimators. The distribution of the doses was calculated by using the convolution of the distribution of the TERMA and the poly-energetic kernel. The distribution of the kernel was approximated to several tens of collapsed cone lines to express the energies transferred by the electrons that originated from the interactions between the photons and the medium. The implemented algorithm was validated by comparing the calculated percentage depth doses (PDDs) and dose profiles with the measured PDDs and relevant profiles. In addition, the dose distribution for an irregular-shaped radiation field was verified by comparing the calculated doses with the measured doses obtained via EDR2 film dosimetry and with the calculated doses obtained using a different treatment planning system based on the pencil beam algorithm (Eclipse, Varian, Palo Alto, USA). The majority of the calculated doses for the PDDs, the profiles, and the irregular-shaped field showed good agreement with the measured doses to within a 2% dose difference, except in the build-up regions. The implemented algorithm was proven to be efficient and accurate for clinical purposes in radiation therapy, and it was found to be easily implementable in treatment planning systems.


From 50 normal births blood of mother and child was examined simultaneously at three different times, meant for determination of 13 biochemical parameters. Evaluation of the measured values was done by the multivariate method of discriminance analysis. Basing on the observed data problems of discriminance analysis are dealt with in an introductive way. The perinatal example is used to demonstrate how in the case of a complex problem connections may be better visible by this method, though detailed informations are lost.


In this work, we study distributed sketching methods for large scale regression problems. We leverage multiple randomized sketches for reducing the problem dimensions as well as preserving privacy and improving straggler resilience in asynchronous distributed systems. We derive novel approximation guarantees for classical sketching methods and analyze the accuracy of parameter averaging for distributed sketches. We consider random matrices including Gaussian, randomized Hadamard, uniform sampling and leverage score sampling in the distributed setting. Moreover, we propose a hybrid approach combining sampling and fast random projections for better computational efficiency. We illustrate the performance of distributed sketches in a serverless computing platform with large scale experiments.


The growing popularity of social networks, and their impact on the daily lives of consumers, contributed to news organizations marking their presence on different online platforms. In the case of Facebook, a social network that began as a personal space, it has gradually transformed into a content-sharing space (Oeldorf-Hirsch & Sundar, 2015). Nowadays, Facebook is the second most viewed website in Portugal (Alexa, 2016), and therefore, it has become crucial for Portuguese news agencies to be present on this social network. Although television continues to be the main information source in Portugal, social networks, and specifically Facebook, are increasingly important in news consumption by users (ERC, 2015). This new way of news dissemination, as well as the proliferation that these contents reach in social networks, led to news agencies exploiting these new channels, both to attract new audiences, and to redirect users to their own websites (Castillo, El-Haddad, Pfeffer, & Stempeck, 2014). Thus, it is important to understand how, and what kind of content these agencies put on their Facebook channels, as well as the strategies they use to share these same contents. This study aims to understand how the main news channels of Portuguese TV (RTP3, SIC Noticias, and TVI24) manage and use the social network Facebook to share news contents. To this end, the authors collected quantitative data of all posts placed on Facebook between February 8 and February 14 2016. Approximately 1063 posts were collected and analysed from the three Facebook pages. The results indicate that two of the three channels extensively used their Facebook pages to share and target content to their official websites. Regarding the news sources and type of media used, the three Portuguese TV news channels use similar strategies. However, in what concerns the main themes and quantity of messages per day, as well as the level of redundancy of information, the three channels manage their pages differently. Keywords : TV News Channels, Facebook, News Consumption


Saliva has proven to be a discriminating element in forensic arenas, an effective indicator of acute diseases of salivary glands, and a promising probe for drug monitoring. With the advent of sensitive immunochemical assays, the compositional profile of human salivary secretions has been expanded considerably. Thus, the establishment of a range of "normal values" for a variety of "intrinsic" and "extrinsic" salivary components represented the initial step to use saliva as a diagnostic tool of oral health status. Unfortunately, numerous cross-sectional studies have shown a wide individual variation in the salivary composition of healthy populations, thus precluding its use as a diagnostic chair-side test for the screening of the most common chronic oral diseases (e.g. caries and periodontal disease). A possible explanation may arise from the wide functional versatility of salivary molecules. For instance, it has been recognized recently that in addition to its digestive properties, salivary amylase may modulate bacterial colonization, whereas histatins are not only antifungal but also bactericidal. Thus, low levels of already known antimicrobial salivary molecules (e.g., secretory IgA, lactoferrin, and lysozyme) could be compensated with higher concentrations of other molecules with antimicrobial activity, such as amylase and histatins. Consequently, for caries and periodontal diseases, longitudinal sialochemical studies may yield more insight than cross-sectional studies.


This study discusses the interculturality of St. Paul University Philippines along its educational designs. Utilizing the descriptive research method and integral approach, it relates the convergence and the interaction of the members of the academic community with diverse profile manifested through their cultural backgrounds and faith affiliations. It also demonstrates SPUP's practices along learning environment, policies and regulations, and programs and activities towards intercultural engagement. Lastly, it exhibits the ability of SPUP to foster a cultural experience integral of the Paulinian Core Values, namely: charity, charity, charism, commission, and Christ.


country. We have issued lists of second-hand booksellers, reputable publishers, and at the moment we are engaged in producing a directory of the Socialist Press. We have in mind also the production of a Thesaurus on Labour History terminology. All material we produce is circulated to all members and we hope that the major works will find their way into the national bibliographies. As to the officers of the association: the secretary is elected for five years with a possible extension of another five years. The chairman for the duration of one year is elected at the annual conference and is always the host. Membership fee is £5.00 per annum and there is no charge to members attending the conference.


The following bibliographical research wanted to identify the main factors that influence adherence to treatment in chronic disease. The study focused on patients undergoing hemodialysis, as well as on the support nurses require for the promotion of health education among individuals with low treatment adherence. The identification of bibliographical sources was conducted at Health Virtual Library and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) data bases. Some printed magazines were also used. The results indicated nine factors influencing treatment adherence or non-adherence: team trust, support nets, educational level; accepting disease, treatment side effects, lack of access to medicines, long-term treatment, complex therapeutic approach, and lack of symptoms. It is advisable that nurses take into account these factors when dealing with chronic-disease patients that present low treatment adherence, getting family and multidisciplinary team support seeking treatment adherence.


Metastasis is the most common cause of cancer-related death and, as such, there is an urgent need to discover new therapies to treat metastasized cancers. Cancer cell lines are widely-used models to study cancer biology and test drug candidates. However, it is still unknown to what extent they adequately resemble the disease in patients. The recent accumulation of large-scale genomic data in cell lines, mouse models, and patient tissue samples provides an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate the suitability of cell lines for metastatic cancer research. In this work, we used breast cancer as a case study. The comprehensive comparison of the genetic profiles of 57 breast cancer cell lines with those of metastatic breast cancer samples revealed substantial genetic differences. In addition, we identified cell lines that more closely resemble different subtypes of metastatic breast cancer. Surprisingly, a combined analysis of mutation, copy number variation and gene expression data suggested that MDA-MB-231, the most commonly used triple negative cell line for metastatic breast cancer research, had little genomic similarity with Basal-like metastatic breast cancer samples. We further compared cell lines with organoids, a new type of preclinical model which are becoming more popular in recent years. We found that organoids outperformed cell lines in resembling the transcriptome of metastatic breast cancer samples. However, additional differential expression analysis suggested that both types of models could not mimic the effects of tumor microenvironment and meanwhile had their own bias towards modeling specific biological processes. Our work provides a guide of cell line selection in metastasis-related study and sheds light on the potential of organoids in translational research. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Ke Liu, Patrick Newbury, Benjamin Glicksberg, William Zeng, Eran Andrechek, Bin Chen. Evaluating cell lines andorganoidsas models for metastatic cancer through integrative analysis of open genomic data [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1652.


Abstract Two abiding issues impact the reliability of apatite fission-track analysis and thermal history inversion in particular: reproducibility of track-length measurements and variability of annealing kinetics. In the companion to this paper, we addressed the first by demonstrating that using c-axis projection to normalize track lengths for crystallographic angle improves reproducibility among measurements acquired by Barbarand et al. (2003a, 2003b). We continue here by looking at the effect of c-axis projection on extrapolation of laboratory measurements to geological time scales. We find that c-axis projection improves agreement between predictions of empirical annealing models fit to measurements by Barbarand et al. (2003b) analysts 1 and 3, further corroborating its effectiveness in ameliorating observer bias. Furthermore, these annealing models closely match predictions from the Carlson et al. (1999) annealing data set, which was obtained by a different analyst using a different etching protocol. Normalizing for angle thus allows us to create a single annealing model that encompasses both data sets and etching techniques. By combining the different compositional varieties of apatite in the two data sets, the resulting model provides an improved basis for estimating apatite kinetic properties in unknowns using proxies such as composition, etch-figure dimension, and unit-cell parameters. Predictions from a fanning curvilinear model form accord with conventional expectations of annealing at high and low temperatures, and its use for thermal history inversion will not introduce spurious late cooling events.


Objectives
This study aims to determine whether baseline body mass index (BMI) affects clinical response to tocilizumab (TCZ) after six months of treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Patients and methods
In this prospective study, a total of 52 RA patients (10 males, 42 females; mean age 50.6±12.2 years; range, 23 to 73 years) receiving intravenous TCZ were consecutively recruited and followed-up for six months. BMI was calculated before initiation of TCZ treatment. The primary clinical response criterion was clinical disease activity index (CDAI) low disease activity (LDA) and the secondary clinical response criteria included CDAI remission, disease activity score based on 28 joints (DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) LDA, DAS28-ESR remission, European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) good response, and decreased DAS28-ESR (ΔDAS28-ESR)≥1.2.

Results
The number of RA patients classified as normal weight, overweight, and obese according to baseline BMI was 38 (73.1%), eight (15.4%), and six (11.5%), respectively. Similar baseline BMI median levels were found between RA patients reaching CDAI LDA and non-LDA: 21.11 (18.94-23.72) versus 20.78 (20.03-22.29) (p=0.98), and non-significant difference in the proportion of responders between normal weight and overweight/obese RA patients was found (p=0.47). No significant difference was found when the secondary clinical response criteria were applied.

Conclusion
Our study demonstrates that BMI is not associated with clinical response to TCZ among RA patients and TCZ may be used to treat RA patients regardless of BMI levels.


There has been no general agreement regarding the presence of arachnoid granidations and arachnoid villi in mammals. This seems to have arisen from the fact that various workers have used different criteria in distinguishing between the two terms — 'granula tion' and 'villus'. Luschka (1852) was the first to. define the structure observed macroscopically as an 'arachnoid granulation', while for the microscopic structure he used the term 'arachnoid villus', a definition also used more recently by Turner (1958). It seems, therefore, that the only difference between these two structures is one of size, for it was Hassin (1930) who defined an arachnoid granulation as a hypertrophied villus consisting of several lobules, covered by a membrane and possessing a common stalk. Le Gros Clark (1920) regarded the structures seen with a hand lens also as granulations whereas Cooper (1958) used the term granulation to include all these structures irrespective of size.


Three-dimensional bioabsorbable textiles represent a novel technology for the manufacturing of tissue engineering scaffolds. In the present study, 3D bioabsorbable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) spacer fabric scaffolds are fabricated by warp-knitting and their potential for tissue engineering is explored in vitro. Changes in physical properties and mechanical performance with different heat setting treatments are assessed. To characterize the microenvironment experienced by cells in the scaffolds, yarn properties are investigated prior to, and during, hydrolytic degradation. The differences in yarn morphology, thermal properties, infrared spectra, and mechanical properties are investigated and monitored during temperature accelerated in vitro degradation tests in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution at 58 °C and pH 7.4 for 55 days. Yarn and textile cytocompatibility are tested to assess the effect of materials employed, manufacturing conditions, post processing and sterilization on cell viability, together with the cytocompatibility of the textile degradation products. Results show that the heat setting process can be used to modify scaffold properties, such as thickness, porosity, pore size and stiffness within the range useful for tissue regeneration. Scaffold degradation rate in physiological conditions is estimated by comparing yarn degradation data with PLA degradation data from literature. This will potentially allow the prediction of scaffold mechanical stability in the long term and thus its suitability for the remodelling of different tissues. Mouse calvaria preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells attachment and proliferation are observed on the scaffold over 12 days of in vitro culture by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) fluorescent staining and DNA quantification. The present work shows the potential of spacer fabric scaffolds as a versatile and scalable scaffold fabrication technique, having the ability to create a microenvironment with appropriate physical, mechanical, and degradation properties for 3D tissue engineering. The high control and tunability of spacer fabric properties makes it a promising candidate for the regeneration of different tissues in patient-specific applications.


Global warming is the greatest threat facing our planet, and is causing environmental disturbance at an unprecedented scale. We are strongly positioned to leverage the advancements of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) which provide humanity, for the first time in history, an analysis and decision making tool at massive scale. Strong evidence supports that global warming is contributing to marine ecosystem decline, including eelgrass habitat. Eelgrass is affected by an opportunistic marine pathogen and infections are likely exacerbated by rising ocean temperatures. The necessary disease analysis required to inform conservation priorities is incredibly laborious, and acts as a significant bottleneck for research. To this end, we developed EeLISA (Eelgrass Lesion Image Segmentation Application). EeLISA enables ecologist experts to train a segmentation module to perform this crucial analysis at human level accuracy, while minimizing their labeling time and integrating into their existing workflow. EeLISA has been deployed for over 16 months, and has facilitated the preparation of four manuscripts including a critical eelgrass study ranging from Southern California to Alaska. These studies, utilizing EeLISA, have led to scientific insight and discovery in marine disease ecology.


The condition for high-yield suspension cell line and the precursors of volatile oil synthesis of Curcuma zedoaria (Berg.) Rosc were studied. The results showed that the light yellow particle callus was suitable for establishment of the high-yield suspension cell line. The optimum conditions for cell growth were MS medium added 15-30 g/L glucose and 15-30 g/L sucrose (1:1) as carbon source, the total concentration of 80 mmol/L nitrogen source combined NH4+ with NO3- (1:3), hormones of 3.0-5.0 mg/L 6-BA, 1.0 mg/L 2,4-D and dark culture after 10-15 days light culture. The 229 g/L cell (FW) and 2.11% content of volatile oil were obtained in vitro. The addition of precursors of calcium pantothenate, ammonium acetate and potassium acetate during the middle period of the cell suspension culture enhanced the volatile oil content respectively, and ammonium acetate was most effective among them. The highest yield of volatile oil obtained was 3.11% and 8.27 g/L respectively , which was 1.25 and 1.2 times of the control group.


OBJECTIVE
We evaluated bone loss in women during the peri and post-menopausal period in order to determine the exact effect of menopause on vertebral bone density and biochemical markers of bone remodelling.

METHODS
One hundred fifty-seven women who consulted for menopause and who did not wish to receive substitution therapy were enrolled. Menopause was defined as amenorrhoea > or = 1 year and serum 17-beta oestradiol < or = 20 pg/ml and luteinizing hormone > 30 IU/ml. Precocious or surgical menopauses were excluded. Two groups were formed according to the hormone pattern: a peri-menopausal group (n = 32, mean age 51.2 +/- 2.9 years) and a post-menopausal group (n = 125, mean age 54.3 +/- 3.7, menopause 1 to 11 years at entry). Bone density was measured by biphonotonic absorptiometry and blood chemistry was performed with routine laboratory methods. All tests were repeated at successive consultations and mean follow-up was 32 +/- 12 months.

RESULTS
Annual rate of bone loss was during peri-menopause (-1.8 +/- 1.7%) and the first 4 years of menopause (-1.6 +/- 1.6%), then decreased significantly beyond 4 years. Mean bone loss from 5 to 10 years menopause (-0.60 +/- 1%). Initial serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcine levels were significantly higher during post-menopause than during peri-menopause (P < 0.05). The urinary calcium/creatinine ratio was comparable between the two periods and decrease after 4 years of menopause.

CONCLUSION
This longitudinal study indicated that increased vertebral bone loss begins early during peri-menopause and is temporary since it does not continue beyond 5 years. It is important to consider these findings when developing strategy for the prevention of menopausal osteoporosis.


Abstract Georgia needs to create such a form of modern economy, in which the human capital will be measured qualitatively reasoning on the new nature of human activity. Today, when significance of human capital is significantly increased in the service sector, while developing the informed society, the particular kind of information appears to be key resource, and mentally labors are dominating in the structure of employmees. Human capital must be characterized by exceptional manufacturing capabilities of intellectualmark. Such members of community will create new type of economy in which human capital is considered an intangible technical progress, but it does not change with the increasing importance of technical progress role; at the same time materialized technical progress achieved in production is based on the active participation of human capital. Key words: Human capital; Human recources; Employment; unemployment;


Nowadays  networking  is  not  something  new for  us,  we  have  hear  about  networking  applications  and problems  every  day  at  the  present  time.  We  can  now  easily communicate  with  each  other  despite  the  distance  apart, exchange  data,  audio,  video,  and  information. Network consists of Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network  (WAN).  Local  Area  Network  is  a  computer  network that  covers  only  a  small  area  networks,  such  as  campus computer networks, buildings, offices, homes, or schools. While the Wide Area Network is a data communications network that operates beyond the geographic scope of the LAN. Knowing the applications,  devices,  and  protocols  before  designing  the network is very important to build a reliable and safe network. We  have  designed,  build,  and  simulated  a  network  using EIGRP, VPN, DMZ and IDS/IPS. The result of our simulation shows  the  network  has  a  good  performance,  secure,  and reliable.


Mining activity causes major changes in site topography, soil physical and chemical properties, hydrology, and biological assemblages. Reassembling plant communities in these highly altered environments is dependent on interactions between environmental drivers and management intervention techniques through time, yet the long‐term effects of these interactions have rarely been quantified. This study examined a 19‐year‐old, postmining woodland restoration chronosequence in southwest Australia to understand plant community compositional development in postmine restoration sites. We tested the effects of environmental drivers (rainfall regimes, site aspect, slope) and management intervention techniques (substrate ripping and material properties) in terms of four restoration criteria: species richness, plant density, vegetation cover, and compositional similarity to reference sites. Irrespective of environmental drivers or management intervention techniques, vegetation cover increased through time, while plant density and species richness declined. Bray–Curtis similarity to reference communities remained unchanged. Within these trends, ripping and first‐year rainfall significantly affected restoration criteria outcomes; species richness and plant density were greatest when rainfall in the first winter immediately following site restoration was low but followed by a high summer rainfall. The most effective ripping depth was dependent on rainfall, deep‐ripped sites performed best when rainfall was high, and nonripped sites performed best under low‐mean rainfall conditions. Measured restoration criteria had not reached the levels of the target reference community after 19 years, which may be attributable to the still‐developing vegetation structure. This emphasizes the importance of assessing postmining restoration outcomes over longer time frames (>>5 years) with implications for determining appropriate, time‐dependent completion criteria.


In this paper, we present {\sc Cobras}: a CBR-based Peer-to-Peer bibliographical reference recommender system. The system allows a group of like-minded people to share their bibliographical data in an implicit and intelligent way. The system associates a software agent with each user. Agents are attributed three main skills: a) detecting the associated user hot topics, b) selecting a subset of peer agents that are likely to provide relevant recommendations and c) recommending both documents and other agents in response to a recommendation request sent by a peer agent. The last two skills are handled by two inter-related data-driven case-based reasoning sub-systems. This paper focuses on the design and the implementation of these two sub-systems. An experimental study involving one hundred software agents using real bibliographical data is described. Obtained results assess the validity of the proposed approach.


This study explains how production performance of the multifractured horizontal wells can be divided into two key contributing components: geographical location and completion strategy. Furthermore, we show how to quantify the contribution of these two independent components to production and to understand the variations in key performance drivers across the evaluated field. Being able to differentiate these contributions allows us to compare well performance in a consistent manner and identify potential upside opportunities, such as refracturing candidates, infill well development, and operator benchmarking. Further analysis uses multiple benchmarks to evaluate operator performance and assess how underperforming operators can optimize their completion strategies.
 We use a novel machine learning approach—a combination of XGBoost and Factor Contribution Analysis (FCA)—that not only allows for fieldwide well evaluations, but also provides a quantifiable contribution of each feature to production. Our approach generates a production prediction model and accounts for the completion parameters and geological information for each well. The final model can be used to either predict future performance of a field/well or to understand reservoir and completion characteristics. This study focuses on the latter and provides an approach to understand the main influencing factors behind well performance as a result of location and completion strategies.
 Our study is conducted on three major unconventional plays (Haynesville, Eagle Ford, and Bakken), where we demonstrate how different completion features (e.g. lateral length, proppant volume, and fluid volume) affect production data and what we could expect in terms of production should the well have been completed differently. We show how to combine the effect of individual controlling factors (e.g. location, depth, lateral length, proppant volume, fluid volume, and well spacing) to appropriately characterize the performance of each well in terms of two key components: location and completion. This enables us to quantify what portion of the production is a result of rock quality and how much is due to its completion strategy. This technique also allows us to quantify and relate each of these features, and highlight areas with desirable geological features, as well as good candidates for refracturing jobs. Moreover, we benchmark different operators' performance as it relates to changing rock quality and completion strategies.


In most deep disposal concepts, large amounts of hydrogen are expected to be produced by the anoxic corrosion of massive iron containers. At repository temperatures, hydrogen is quite inert and is not expected to contribute to the redox capacity of the deep groundwaters. In several recent works, a large impact of dissolved hydrogen on the dissolution of the LWR or MOX fuel and UO 2(s) doped with 233U or 238Pu has been observed. For hydrogen concentrations above a certain limit, the dissolution rates of these highly radioactive materials drop to very low values. A discussion of the results obtained with spent fuel or ?-doped UO 2 in the presence of a range of hydrogen concentrations is presented. Typical for all measurements under such conditions are the very low long term concentrations of uranium and other redox-sensitive radionuclides, such as Tc and the minor actinides. The concentrations of U are systematically lower than the values measured during UO2(s) solubility measurements carried out in the presence of strong reducing agents. Measurements of the radiolytic oxygen after long leaching periods result in values below detection limit. The investigation of the surface of spent fuel or UO2(s) pellets doped with 233U by XPS after long periods of testing shows absence of oxidation. The kinetics of the release of non-redox sensitive elements such as Sr and Cs, used to estimate fuel matrix dissolution rates, is also discussed. An attempt is made to propose potential mechanisms responsible for the observed behaviour, based mainly on data from studies on the interaction of water adsorbed on the surfaces of metal oxides or actinide oxides with radiation. Another important effect observed in recent studies is the existence of a threshold for the specific alpha activity below which no measurable influence of the alpha radiolysis on the uranium release from UO2 is observed. The importance of such a threshold for the behaviour of spent fuel under repository conditions encompassing very long time scales will be discussed, as well as the necessity to better investigate the mechanisms of recombination reactions in a thin water layer on the surface of actinide oxides affected by ?- radiolysis.


OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Platelets govern signal-dependent inflammatory responses by leukocytes. Although dysregulated inflammation is common in older adults, platelet-leukocyte signaling events and downstream inflammatory gene synthesis in aging is not known. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Highly-purified platelets and monocytes were isolated from healthy older (age>60, n=27) and younger (age<45, n=36) adults and incubated together in autologous and nonautologous conditions. Inflammatory gene synthesis by monocytes, basally and in the presence of activated platelets, was examined. Next-generation RNA-sequencing allowed for unbiased profiling of the platelet transcriptome in older and younger adults. Differentially expressed candidates in aged platelets were validated and recombinant granzyme A (in the presence and absence of TLR4 and Caspase-1 inhibition) identified putative ligands controlling inflammatory gene synthesis. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: In unstimulated or activated conditions, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) synthesis by monocytes alone did not differ between older and younger adults. However, in the presence of autologous activated platelets, monocytes from older adults synthesized significantly greater MCP-1 (867.150 vs. 216.36 ng/mL, p<0.0001) and IL-8 (41.5 vs. 9.2 ng/mL, p<0.0001) than younger adults. Nonautologous, or switch experiments, demonstrated that aged platelets were sufficient for upregulating MCP-1 and IL-8 synthesis by monocytes. Surprisingly, classic platelet proteins known to signal to monocytes and induce MCP-1 synthesis (p-selectin, RANTES, and PF4) were not increased in platelets from older adults. Using RNA-seq followed by validation via RT-PCR and immunoblot, we identified candidate platelet molecules increased in aging that mediate platelet-monocyte signaling and pro-inflammatory gene synthesis. We confirmed that granzyme A (GrmA), a serine protease not previously identified in platelets, is present in human platelets at the mRNA and protein level. GrmA is secreted by activated platelets in signal-dependent fashion. Moreover, GrmA in platelets is significantly increased in aging (~9-fold vs. younger adults). Blocking GrmA inhibited MCP-1 and IL-8 synthesis in older adults. Finally, we uncovered that platelet GrmA signaling to monocytes is regulated through TLR4 and Caspase-1. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Human aging is associated with reprogramming of the platelet transcriptome. A previously unrecognized protein in platelets, GrmA, is increased in aging and causes increased MCP-1 and IL-8 gene synthesis by target monocytes in a TLR4 and Caspase-1 dependent mechanism. Increased platelet GrmA in aging may contribute to injurious inflammatory responses common in older adults.


In a voting system, voters may adopt a strategic behaviour in order to manipulate the outcome of the election. This naturally entails a game theoretic conception of voting. The specificity of our work is that we embed the voting game into a social context where agents and their relations are given by a graph, i.e. a social network. We aim at integrating the information provided by the graph in a refinement of the game-theotical analysis of an election. We consider coalitional equilibria immune to deviations performed by realistic coalitions based on the social network, namely the cliques of the graph. Agents are not fully selfish as they have consideration for their relatives. The corresponding notion of equilibrium was introduced by Hoefer et al. [12] and called considerate equilibrium. We propose to study its existence and the ability of the agents to converge to such an equilibrium in strategic voting games using well-known voting rules: Plurality, Antiplurality, Plurality with runoff, Borda, k-approval, STV, Maximin and Copeland.


We propose a novel interconnection network using optical datalinking and switching technologies for shared memory multiprocessors. A splitter-combiner space division optical switch using semiconductor optical amplifier gates is a key element. The experimental results show that the scale of a single-stage optical switch with throughput of 10 Gbit/s per a port is extended up to 16/spl times/16. The results of numerical simulations show that the latency is less than 100 ns for the 16/spl times/16 interconnection network. These characteristics are remarkable in that electrical switches have never achieved such large throughput, high scaleability and small latency simultaneously. An interconnection network using optical switching technologies is a novel platform for high performance data communications in shared memory multiprocessors.


BACKGROUND
Sectioning of the nuclei on tissue sections may give an overestimate of monosomy, a feature diagnostic of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma versus renal oncocytoma. The aim of the study was to assess whether or not nuclear sectioning may distort the results obtained from interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) comparing the data obtained from analysis of isolated nuclei derived from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections with histological sections from the adjacent sections from the same tumors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Five chromophobe renal cell carcinomas and five renal oncocytomas were recruited. Sections of 5 μm and 30 μm were cut for FISH to investigate chromosomes 1, 2, 6 10 and 17.

RESULTS
FISH of isolated nuclei from renal oncocytomas showed a mean increase of 3.0% for nuclei with two signals when compared to tissue sections. For chromosomes 2, 6, 10 and 17, isolated nuclei showed a mean increase of 4.9% of fluorescent signals over nuclei from tissue sections. FISH analysis of isolated nuclei from chromophobe renal cell carcinoma showed a similar counts.

CONCLUSION
When a tumor section exhibits a borderline percentage of nuclei with single signals around the cut-off level on tissue sections, the test should be repeated on isolated nuclei to confirm chromosomal loss, diagnostic of chromophobe renal carcinoma.


Controlling friction and adhesion is relevant in nature and in our daily life. Such control can be achieved using stimulus responsive end-anchored polymers forming a brush. These brushes can adapt their physicochemical properties upon changing the surrounding environments, such as temperature, light, pH, electrical and magnetic fields. In this Thesis, we primarily use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the relation between the degree of solvation of the macromolecules in the brush and the friction and adhesion. In general, it is accepted that collapsed brushes promote high friction/adhesion and swollen brushes exhibit low friction/adhesion. However, our results show that brush swelling and adhesion/friction is not necessarily related. We show that the relation between swelling of a brush and its tribomechanical properties is rather complex, and that it can depend on the specific interactions in the contact: chemically identical/different brush-brush or brush-solid counter surface. Switchable adhesion and friction we observed by stimulus-responsive polymer brushes have potential applications in pick up-release system, robots and in biomedical systems.


Measles virus (MV) binding sites of the CD46 gene were sequenced in patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) and in controls. There were 3 novel polymorphisms, including C/T at nucleotide position 38 (C/T38), G/A at position 176 (G/A176), and C/T at position 453 (C/T453), at allele frequencies of.97:.03, .99:.01, and.97:.03, respectively. The G/A176 polymorphism causes an Arg/Gln amino acid change within the essential binding sites of MV, whereas the C/A38 polymorphism causes a Ser/Phe change outside the MV binding sites. The C/T453 polymorphism does not produce an amino acid change. Two of the 40 SSPE patients and 2 of the 32 controls had both C/T38 and C/T453 polymorphisms in heterozygous patterns. One control subject, but no SSPE patients, had the G/A176 polymorphism in a heterozygous pattern. Thus, it is not likely that CD46 gene alteration has a role as a host susceptibility factor in the development of SSPE.


Purpose
Knowledge management (KM) implementation is the ideal solution for enhancing employee's abilities like mental health and performance. This study aims at testing the impact of KM mechanism on personnel's mental health at the Iran University of Medical Sciences.

Design/methodology/approach
The study is a descriptive, correlational and applied one. The library and field studies have been used to collect data through the questionnaire. The proposed model and the data have been analyzed using Smart PLS software. A questionnaire has been conducted by an arbitrary sampling method.

Findings
The results have shown that the main factors of KM have a direct, meaningful positive impact on innovation. Besides, the critical parameters of KM success, strategy and process have a significant and direct positive effect on the tendency for knowledge-sharing behavior. Further, the direct relationship of the trend for knowledge-sharing behavior with the mental health of employees has positively been confirmed. The results have also indicated that psychological empowerment has a positive and significant effect on the mental health of employees.

Research limitations/implications
This study has investigated the four parameters (i.e. key factors for KM success, KM strategy, KM processes and psychological empowerment) impacting the knowledge-sharing intention, conduct of the people and the mental health of the employees. Scholars can investigate other personal and organizational parameters such as probable backgrounds of the knowledge-sharing intention, conduct and the mental health of the employees.

Practical implications
These findings will be essential in the understanding of the interplay among various signals in theory and the understanding of patients' choices in the electronic health (e-health) community in practice. The results have implications for existing health management and e-health literature. The present paper will help policymakers, healthcare executives and project managers to effectively set their operations and make them maintainable, prevent unpredicted obstacles and better allocate their resources. Overall, the result of this paper will guide researchers who are working in the field of e-health.

Originality/value
The findings can develop robust knowledge-sharing platforms and offer insightful suggestions for management practitioners in emerging markets.


Techniques now exist that allow near-surface mechanical and thermal properties of polymers to be measured at very high depth resolution. We review the use of: nanoindentation (hardness, modulus, flow properties, profilometry); force spectroscopy (adhesion, attractive forces and their variation with separation); and scanning calorimetric microscopy (image contrast determined by spatial variation of thermal conductivity, heat capacity, or reversing/non-reversing behaviour, as a function of temperature).


Deals with thermal equilibrium between the particles in argon plasma arcs. The current limit for LTE is experimentally defined as a function of the pressures. Plasma parameters were spectroscopically determined. In particular, the electron temperature and heavy particle temperature were measured. The electron temperature was determined from an absolute continuum strength. Two temperatures were obtained for the heavy particles, one of which was determined from the Doppler component of the Halpha line when argon gas seeded with hydrogen was used. The second was obtained through a kinetic formula using the measured density and temperature of the electron. The results show that the electrons did not equilibrate with the heavy particles at low currents and pressures. The limit value of the current for LTE increased with decreasing gas pressure. It is shown, furthermore, that the measured field strength of the arc was remarkably lower than those calculated at currents less than the above limits.


This study discusses Islamic law in Morocco. The author focuses on the study of the government system and the development of Islamic law there. This study used descriptive qualitative method or so-called literature study /library research. Literature study examines data by exploring, observing, examining, and identifying existing knowledge in the literature to get a conclusion of truth, both philosophical and empirical. This study concludes that Morocco is a Muslim country, the population is more than 98% embraced Islam, the system of government is a democratic, social and constitutional monarchy that is based ongoverned by the 1972 constitution which was amended in 1980, 1992, and in September 1996. It has Mudawwana al-Usrah (2004) which is a contemporary family law in Morocco, family law which was originally still contained in fiqh books has become an implementing law. The legal system in Morocco is divided into two types of judiciary; Shari'a Court and Madaniyah Court (General Court). The existence of the renewal of private law (akhwal syakhsiyah) is guided by three principles, first, the principles and foundations of family law that are applied are the Maliki Mazhhab, second, paying attention to aspects of maslahah mursalah, third, the laws imposed in other Muslim countries The Moroccan government allows abortion for cases of rape and incest or incest or serious defects and incurable diseases of the fetus. last, Morocco is a country that allows polygamy. The issue of polygamy is regulated in the 1958 family law law Article 30 paragraph (1).


To achieve metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with high reliability, it is important to investigate the dielectric breakdown of gate oxide films of MOSFETs. It is known that dielectric breakdown is usually due to the presence of defects in films. Estimating the breakdown electric-field strength while reflecting local structures such as defects is important for investigation of the reliability of gate SiO2 films. In this study, we introduce the "recovery rate", which is a parameter potentially capable of estimating the breakdown electric-field strength while reflecting the local structures of the film. The recovery rate has a strong correlation with the breakdown electric-field strength of bulk Si and Al compounds. Using this correlation, we estimate the breakdown electric-field strength of SiO2 with oxygen vacancies and strains.


The lung lymph fistula preparation in sheep was used to study the influence of localization of blood-borne foreign microparticulates in the lung on lymph flow (Qlym); lymph-to-plasma total protein concentration ratios (L/P); pulmonary transvascular protein clearance (Qlym X L/P); and pulmonary hemodynamics. Test particles small enough to readily pass through capillary beds were infused intraarterially to avoid acute lung vascular injury by macroembolism. In sheep, tissue distribution patterns demonstrated that by 15 min after intravenous infusion of the gelatinized reticuloendothelial (RE) test lipid emulsion (0.8-1.0 micron) or gelatinized colloidal carbon (250 A), 30-35% of the injected particle dose localized in the lung, with approximately 15-22% in RE cell-rich organs such as the liver. Particle infusion resulted in an acute neutropenia in the absence of a decline in platelets. Electron microscopy revealed that the increased particulate localization in the lung reflected particle uptake by marginated phagocytic cells as well as the presence of microaggregates within the vascular space. Lung localization of both particulates resulted in approximately a 200-300% increase in both lymph flow and transvascular protein clearance. The hemodynamic response coupled with the pattern of transvascular protein clearance in relationship to lymph flow suggests that the alterations in fluid and protein flux were due to both an increase in microvascular pressure as well as an increase in lung vascular permeability. Marginated phagocytic cells which rapidly ingest the blood-borne foreign test particles may contribute to the altered lung fluid balance seen with the entrance of foreign or abnormal microparticulates in the blood.


We aim to develop an in situ microfluidic biosensor based on laccase from Trametes pubescens with flow-injection and amperometry as the transducer method. The enzyme was directly immobilized by potential step chronoamperometry, and the immobilization was studied using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrode response by amperometry was probed using ABTS and syringaldazine. A shift of interfacial electron transfer resistance and the electron transfer rate constant from 18.1 kΩ to 3.9 MΩ and 4.6 × 10−2 cm s−1 to 2.1 × 10−4 cm s−1, respectively, evidenced that laccase was immobilized on the electrode by the proposed method. We established the optimum operating conditions of temperature (55°C), pH (4.5), injection flow rate (200 µL min−1), and applied potential (0.4 V). Finally, the microfluidic biosensor showed better lower limit of detection (0.149 µM) and sensitivity (0.2341 nA µM−1) for ABTS than previous laccase-based biosensors and the in situ operation capacity.


The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is a major health burden. Volatile garlic organosulfur compounds, such as the thiol-reactive allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate) exert strong antimicrobial activity against various respiratory pathogens. Here, we investigated the antiviral activity of allicin against SARS-CoV-2 in infected Vero E6 and Calu-3 lung cells. Allicin efficiently inhibited viral replication and infectivity in both cell lines. Proteome analyses of infected Calu-3 cells revealed a strong induction of the antiviral interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) signature (e.g. cGAS, Mx1, IFIT, IFIH, IFI16, IFI44, 2'5'OAS and ISG15), pathways of vesicular transport, tight junctions (KIF5A/B/C, OSBPL2, CLTC1, ARHGAP17) and ubiquitin modification (UBE2L3/5), as well as reprogramming of host metabolism, transcription and translation. Allicin abrogated the ISG host response and reverted the host cellular pathways to levels of uninfected Calu-3 cells, confirming the antiviral and immunomodulatory activity of allicin in the host proteome. Thus, biocompatible doses of garlic could be promising for protection of lung cells against SARS-CoV-2.


An optimization method is proposed to design a dc–dc boost converter, including the differential input filter and the associated control strategy, for embedded applications [aerospace, electric vehicle/hybrid electric vehicle (EV/HEV)], where high power density and high efficiency are strongly required. The problem is treated as a multiobjective optimization, whose purpose is to maximize compactness and efficiency of the converter. In order to find a tradeoff between the two objective functions (volume and power losses), a genetic algorithm was employed (NSGA-II) to generate the most convenient design solutions. The operating conditions includes both steady-state and load power transients of a constant power load (CPL). In order to comply with the specification on the output voltage admitted range in both conditions, the control strategy is discussed and included in the design procedure. The interaction of a differential input filter with a CPL may lead to serious instability issues. A constraint function in the algorithm excludes all the unstable and unfeasible design solutions. A high-efficiency converter ( $\eta =98.5\%$ ) was realized, and experimental tests prove that stability and design specifications are respected.


To better understand the geographic differentiation of the Perilla crops and their weedy types in East Asia, we studied the morphological variation of 60 accessions by examining 22 morphological characters. Var. frutescens (Egoma in Japanese) and var. crispa (Shiso in Japanese) showed significant geographical differences for many characters. None of them, however, individually could discriminate between the two crops as suggested by other studies. Principal component analyses clearly discriminated cultivated var. frutescens from cultivated and weedy types of var. crispa. Seed size, leaf size, plant height, branch number, flower color, leaf and stem color, plant fragrance and degree of pubescence contributed for the classification of var. frutescens and var. crispa. Seed size was the most reliable character for the discrimination between var. frutescens and var. crispa, and between var. frutescens and its weedy type. Most of the characters studied were not different between Korea and Japan, but Chinese accessions were significantly different in many characters from the Korean and Japanese accessions.


Niobophosphate glasses [(xNb2O5(0.5 − x)P2O5)0.5Li2O]: yFe2O3 were prepared by the melt-quenching method and analysed by means of infrared spectroscopy and x-ray powder diffraction. LiNbO3 crystals were detected for high niobium contents samples. The use of both techniques gives new information about the structure of niobium-phosphate glasses and glass-ceramics.


Recent studies on the distribution of labeled endogenous proteins in the experimental neuropathies induced by streoptozotocin diabetes, galactose feeding, zinc pyridinethione, 2,5‐hexanedione, acrylamide, and p‐bromophenylacetylurea (BPAU) have demonstrated an impaired build up of retrogradely transported material derived from the more distal parts of peripheral nerve. In BPAU neuropathy the transport abnormality is strongly related to the degree of muscle weakness; following treatment with acrylamide the extent of the impairment is dose related. In both toxic conditions the transport abnormality is present well in advance of the first clinical signs of neuropathy. We therefore suggest that changes in retrograde axonal transport play an initial and important role in the development of many axonopathies.


Carbonate determination in dental apatites such as dentine and enamel is important for studying the dynamics of dental caries and developmental defects of these tissues. Traditionally, these determinations have been performed by acidic digestion with the subsequent measurement of released carbon dioxide gas. As an alternative, Raman spectroscopy has been used for the determination of carbonate in synthetic carbonated apatites with at least four analytical methods published thus far. However, these methods have not been applied to biological apatites. The aim of this comparative study was to test the suitability of these four methods for the determination of B-type carbonate in human enamel and dentine. A method for determining the A-type carbonate content of enamel using the Raman technique is also presented. Raman spectra were obtained from 10 human enamel and dentine samples and analysed with each of the four methods using either a single or multiple ν1(PO43–) band spectral fitting model. Each of the methods resulted in a different determination for the carbonate content when using the same measurement data. The method that used the full-width-at-half-maximum of the ν1(PO43–) band to determine the B-type carbonate concentration was found to be in best agreement with (i) the results (using the acid digestion method) of teeth collected from the same sample population and (ii) previously reported values for both enamel and dentine. The use of a multiple-band spectral fitting model produced the highest determination precision (particularly in the case of dentine).


North American and European florists import the leaves of various species of palms of the genus Chamaedorea to be used as foliage in floral arrangements and for use in Palm Sunday church services. Chamaedorea harvesting contributes to forest livelihoods in several regions of Mexico, the Peten region of Guatemala, and Belize. Such commercialization of NTFPs has long been advocated (as well as debated) as a means to integrate forest conservation and rural development objectives. Yet, extractive production system models and experience suggest that system dynamics are not sufficiently stable over time and space to reconcile these objectives. This paper considers NTFP certification as an intervention to promote the long-term reconciliation of integrated conservation and development objectives in a working forest context. Specifically, we consider palm harvesting in the community forest concessions of the Maya Biosphere Reserve in order to address the fundamental question: how might certification ensure that NTFP extraction remains an ecologically sustainable and economically viable source of income for communities in working forests? We consider the opportunities and challenges related to NTFP commercialization and certification, provide an overview of existing certification options, and conclude with a modest proposal for a new generation of certifications.


Introduction: Reflux disease develops when gastric content causes esophageal and extra esophageal symptoms and/or complications. The esophageal complications include reflux, reflux esophagitis and Barrett ́s esophagus. The last is a pre-malignant condition characterized by a specialized intestinal metaphase whose importance lies in the knowledge of dysplasia due to its evolution to cancer. Previous investigations determined the prevalence of: dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus 33,3%; non erosive reflux disease 82,70% and erosive 17,30%; esophagitis with endoscopic and morphologic findings 84,37%. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of Barrett ́s esophagus in patients with reflux and reflux esophagitis in the Anatomopathologic Institute of Universidad Central de Venezuela. Method: A descriptive and retrospective study was conducted. There were evaluated the esophageal endoscopic biopsies between 2005-2015, with diagnosis of reflux and reflux esophagitis. The presence or absence of dysplasia was reviewed in the Barrett's esophagus cases, with the respective grade. Absolute and relative frequencies were obtained by a descriptive analysis. Results: 35,85% of cases were reflux and 64,12% were reflux esophagitis, both with women predominance and the average age was 55,2 and 53,1 years respectively. Eighteen cases (8%) with Barrett's esophagus were related to reflux disease. Low grade dysplasia represented 5,55%, indefinite for dysplasia 50% and negative for dysplasia 44,44%. Conclusions: The prevalence of Barrett's esophagus associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease was 8%. The highest frequency was in the female sex with 66,66%, and the ages between 30 and 78 years with an average of 59,25 years. Cuauro Ruíz Gabriela1 Díaz Arreaza Dilia1 Ruíz Gómez María Elena1 Merheb Luttinger Michelle 1 Malpica Pittol Alisson 1


A solvothermal reaction of anhydrous C3N3Cl3 and sodium using cyclohexane as solvent and NiCl2 as catalyst precursor has been carried out to prepare carbon nitride nanotubes successfully at 230℃ and 1.8 MPa. The carbon nitride nanotubes were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), electron energy loss spectrum (EELS) and Raman spectrum. SEM and TEM results indicated that the tubes have a length of 20-30 μm, a uniform outer diameter of about 50-60 nm, an inner diameter of 30-40 nm and are highly ordered assembled as bundles. The EELS measurement indicated that the ratio of N/C was about 1.00. The ED and XRD analyses revealed that the tube may have a new CN crystalline structure. The growth mechanism of nanotubes was discussed.


This paper is to examine the change in the concept and terminology of 'green growth' and 'green tourism`` in Korea. The meaning of green tourism is being changed under current Korean government and the most difficult problem of the new concept of green tourism is that green tourism and green growth are being considered even more broader concepts than those of the sustainable development and sustainable tourism. This is problematic because the goal of green growth is foremost economic development, while the goals of sustainable development include economic and social progress, protection of the environment and use of natural resources. In this regard, this paper proposes that the concept and meaning of the sustainable development and sustainable tourism is superior and broader than green growth and green tourism. It also stands on that the developing of new concept and terminology should be formed from the structure of synchronie and diachronic.


The following researches goal is to cognate damages related to tuition Quran and courses named by gifts from sky on the level of primary schools students of Tehran city. Experimental phenomenology has been used in this project which contains a completion of information related to people who have experienced the phenomena of teaching these courses in class and then it gets to the process of analyzing and reduction of information into important propositions and terms followed by joining these propositions. Secondary it has got to delineation and analysis of others experiment who are related to the subject. The sampling method used for choosing the student was purposive and the teachers who had been chosen for the subject were experienced in teaching primary level and also the student were chosen by their interest into taking the interview. Five main contents of damages related to inappropriate books for teaching the courses, of tuition, damages related to the position of the course in the educational systems, family related damages and the ones related to the lack of the sense of responsibility were extracted from the interviews taken from the teachers. These interviews have also brought 14 tributary content related to the subject which has been mentioned in the following text. These 14 contents were not taking the sub career courses, improper economical states of the teachers, families compulsion to their kids for doing their religion related duties, improper modeling of kids from their portents who have weakness in doing their religions duties, lack of control and evaluation up on these courses, lack of alignment to the other courses, lack of innovation and invention. Deprivation of using modern method: of teaching, lacks of using sub teaching media and accouterment, teacher's dominance and ascendance in tutting methods. Improper hand writes assertion in teaching the regulations. Lack of attention related to contemplation in learning subjects, lack of flexibility. There has been written several narrations for each of the sub contents mentioned in the table 2. Discoveries gathered from the analysis of these contents and the contents gathered from the teachers and instructors were based on an emphasis to tendency of memorization rather than knowledge tendency, accentuation related to memorizing the meaning of Arabic words, students to be passive in the process of tuition or learning and lack of using modern method of instruction. Assertion of using impresa and axiom was one of the damages extracted from this research based on this research, the thing which has to be considered is that as long as the process of increasing knowledge goes on among students, their need for the guide of Quran can be seen enhanced.it has been expected that the educational planners would help the students in the cultural amplification and religious cultivation


Understanding trawling impacts on the benthic ecosystem depends to a large extent on the ability to estimate trawling activity at the appropriate scale. Several studies have assessed trawling at fine spatial scales yearly, largely ignoring temporal patterns. In this study, we analysed these temporal patterns in beam trawl effort intensity at 90 stations of the Dutch continental shelf of the North Sea for a period of 10 years, at a fine temporal (weekly) and spatial (110 × 70 m) scale using Vessel Monitoring by Satellite (VMS) data. Our results show that trawling is aggregated in time and shows clear seasonality, related to the behavior of the fleet and migration patterns of the target fish species. The temporal patterns affect the overall impact on and the recovery of the benthic community, as is illustrated with a benthic population model. Our results imply that trawling impact studies using high-resolution data like VMS should take account of the possibility of temporal aggregation and seasonality in trawling to improve the assessment of the impact of trawling on the population dynamics of benthos.


We report theoretical and experimental work on the development of a Josephson vortex qubit based on a confocal annular Josephson tunnel junction (CAJTJ). The key ingredient of this geometrical configuration is a periodically variable width that generates a spatial vortex potential with bistable states. This intrinsic vortex potential can be tuned by an externally applied magnetic field and tilted by a bias current. The two-state system is accurately modeled by a one-dimensional sine-Gordon like equation by means of which one can numerically calculate both the magnetic field needed to set the vortex in a given state as well as the vortex depinning currents. Experimental data taken at 4.2K on high-quality Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb CAJTJs with an individual trapped fluxon advocate the presence of a robust and finely tunable double-well potential for which reliable manipulation of the vortex state has been classically demonstrated. The vortex is prepared in a given potential by means of an externally applied magnetic field, while the state readout is accomplished by measuring the vortex-depinning current in a small magnetic field. Our proof of principle experiment convincingly demonstrates that the proposed vortex qubit based on CAJTJs is robust and workable.


Background: Acetabular cup orientation plays a key role in implant stability and the success of total hip arthroplasty. To date, the orientation has been measured with different imaging modalities and definitions, leading to lack of consensus on optimal cup placement. A 3-dimensional (3D) concept involving a trigonometric description enables unambiguous definitions. Our objective was to test the validity and reliability of a 3D trigonometric description of cup orientation. Methods: Computed tomographic scans of the pelvis, performed for vascular assessment of 20 patients with 22 primary total hip replacements in situ, were systematically collected. On multiplanar reconstructions, 3 observers independently measured cup orientation retrospectively in terms of coronal inclination, sagittal tilt, and transverse version. The angles measured in 2 planes were used to calculate the angle in the third plane via a trigonometric algorithm. For correlation and reliability analyses, intraobserver and interobserver differences between measured and calculated angles were evaluated with use of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Measured and calculated angles had ICCs of 0.953 for coronal inclination, 0.985 for sagittal tilt, and 0.982 for transverse version. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability had ICCs of 0.987 and 0.987, respectively, for coronal inclination; 0.979 and 0.981, respectively, for sagittal tilt; and 0.992 and 0.978, respectively, for transverse version. Conclusions: The 3D concept with its trigonometric algorithm is a valid and reliable tool for the measurement of cup orientation. Clinical Relevance: By calculating the transverse version of cups from coronal inclination and sagittal tilt measurements, the trigonometric algorithm enables a 3D definition of cup orientation, regardless of the imaging modality used. In addition, it introduces sagittal tilt that, like pelvic tilt, rotates around the transverse axis.


Purpose Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) frequently harbor activating gene mutations in either KIT or platelet-derived growth factor receptor A (PDGFRA) and are highly responsive to several selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In this study, a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay with an Oncomine Focus Assay (OFA) panel was used for the genetic characterization of molecular targets in 30 Korean patients with GIST. Materials and Methods Using the OFA that enables rapid and simultaneous detection of hotspots, single nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertion and deletions (Indels), copy number variants (CNVs), and gene fusions across 52 genes relevant to solid tumors, targeted NGS was performed using genomic DNA extracted from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples of 30 GISTs. Results Forty-three hotspot/other likely pathogenic variants (33 SNVs, 8 Indels, and 2 amplifications) in 16 genes were identified in 26 of the 30 GISTs. KIT variants were most frequent (44%, 19/43), followed by 6 variants in PIK3CA, 3 in PDGFRA, 2 each in JAK1 and EGFR, and 1 each in AKT1, ALK, CCND1, CTNNB1, FGFR3, FGFR4, GNA11, GNAQ, JAK3, MET, and SMO. Based on the mutation types, majority of the variants carried missense mutations (60%, 26/43), followed by 8 frameshifts, 6 nonsense, 1 stop-loss, and 2 amplifications. Conclusions Our study confirmed the advantage of using targeted NGS with a cancer gene panel to efficiently identify mutations associated with GISTs. These findings may provide a molecular genetic basis for developing new drugs targeting these gene mutations for GIST therapy.


The subject of this paper is an analysis of advantages and disadvantages of international investments - foreign direct investment (FDI) with a brief overview of the Republic of Serbia and its level and structure of FDI. Foreign direct investment is an important factor in development, especially in developing countries and countries in transition. Countries in transition, which includes Serbia and all Western Balkan countries feel a lack of capital, so it is important for them to fill the gap with foreign direct investment. For countries with current account deficits, FDI is used to increase exports and alleviate current account deficit problems. Based on experience and theoretical consideration, the paper points out the necessity of changes in our business environment, in order for Serbia to use foreign direct investments (with all its negative characteristics) which can and must give a special contribution and impetus to its economic growth.


A polycaprolactone (PCL)–collagen electrospun mesh is proposed as a novel alternative to the conventional periosteal graft in
autologous chondrocyte implantation. This is the first known attempt in designing a cartilage resurfacing membrane using a
mechanically resilient PCL mesh with a weight-average molecular weight of 139 300 that is enhanced with bioactive collagen.
PCL–collagen 10, 20 and 40% electrospun meshes (Coll-10, Coll-20 and Coll-40) were evaluated and it was discovered that
the retention of surface collagen could only be achieved in Coll-20 and Coll-40. Furthermore Coll-20 was stiffer and stronger
than Coll-40 and it satisfied the mechanical demands at the cartilage implant site. When seeded with mesenchymal stem cells
(MSCs), the cells adhered on the surface of the Coll-20 mesh and they remained viable over a period of 28 days; however, they
were unable to infiltrate through the dense meshwork. Cell compatibility was also noted in the chondrogenic environment as
the MSCs differentiated into chondrocytes with the expression of Sox9, aggrecan and collagen II. More importantly, the mesh
did not induce a hypertrophic response from the cells. The current findings support the use of Coll-20 as a cartilage patch, and
future implantation studies are anticipated.


This paper presents a new numerical approach which models interwell tracer flow paths in transient two-phase flow in heterogeneous porous media. The approach adopted is sequential in that the velocity and pressure fields are solved simultaneously using a mixed finite element approach, the phase saturation is solved by mass balance, and then the tracer is transported and its concentration at the production well is predicted using a random walk model. Mass conservation has been achieved throughout all the numerical procedures. Comparative studies between conventional finite difference methods and the methods presented in this paper show a significant reduction of numerical dispersion by the new method. Effects of physical dispersion, adsorption, two-phase flow and transient state on tracer flow behavior are presented. Tracer test cases for a quarter five-spot pattern with homogeneous permeability and with assumed heterogeneities are analyzed. A multi-well, irregularly shaped reservoir case has also been presented.


The aim was to investigate the effect of infusion of purified FSH alone on follicle development in hypogonadotrophic GnRH agonist-treated gilts. Large-White hybrid gilts (n = 12) were treated during the mid-luteal phase and again after 28 days (day 0) with a potent slow releasing GnRH agonist. On day 3, seven gilts were infused for 168 h with 1.5 S1 units oFSH h-1 (equivalent to 1.5 units of bioactivity of NIH-FSH-S1 standard) and blood samples were collected. Ovaries were then recovered and all follicles > or = 1 mm in diameter were dissected and incubated for 2 h in 1 ml Eagle's minimum essential medium. The ovaries were recovered from the remaining five GnRH agonist-treated gilts on day 10 and also from five cyclic gilts during the late follicular phase (controls). Plasma FSH concentrations in GnRH agonist-treated gilts were lower (P < 0.01) than in follicular phase controls, increased (P < 0.001) after 1 h of FSH infusion and reached a plateau similar (P > 0.1) to that of controls after 8 h. Basal LH concentrations were similar (P > 0.1) between GnRH agonist-treated and control gilts and remained unchanged (P > 0.1) throughout the infusion period. GnRH agonist treatment reduced (P < 0.01) basal oestradiol concentrations compared with control gilts. Infusion with FSH alone increased (P < 0.001) plasma oestradiol concentrations after 96 h compared with those before infusion; when the animals were killed oestradiol concentrations were higher (P < 0.01) in GnRH agonist-treated gilts infused with FSH than in controls. This was also apparent by vulval swelling and behavioural oestrus. There were more follicles > or 1 mm in diameter in the GnRH agonist-treated groups than in the controls (184, 153 and 86 per animal; P < 0.01). Infusion with FSH increased the maximum follicle diameter (GnRH agonist: < 4 mm; FSH infused: < 12 mm; controls: < 10 mm) and tended to increase (P < 0.07) the mean number of follicles > or = 6 mm diameter per animal (FSH infused: 53; controls: 21). Total oestradiol production in vitro by follicles > or = 1 mm was higher (P < 0.01) in GnRH agonist-treated gilts infused with FSH and in follicular phase controls than in animals treated with GnRH agonist alone. However, oestradiol and testosterone secretion in vitro per follicle > or = 6 mm in diameter was lower (P < 0.05) in FSH-infused animals than in controls. In summary, although infusion of FSH alone stimulated the growth of multiple follicles of preovulatory size in GnRH agonist-treated gilts, steroidogenic output by individual follicles was impaired.


Permanent magnet (PM) motor is the best choice in the application to a hybrid vehicle. PM configuration is one of the critical design points for the application. This paper presents the effect of PM shapes on the motor performance, especially sinusoidal induced voltage. The proposed design by finite element method has been confirmed by comparing emf wave form, harmonics, reluctance torque, and rated torque between conventional and models. Quantitative comparison of the characteristics for interior permanent magnet synchronous motor of four models is shown. The four models are lateral magnet, V-shape magnet, modified V-shape magnet, and C-shape magnet.


Surface roughness affects boundary layer transition in several ways, including acting as a receptivity mechanism for transient growth. Several experiments have measured transient growth created by discrete roughness elements; however, very few experiments have studied transient growth initiated by distributed surface roughness. In the present work, transient growth created by streamwise-extended patches of randomly distributed, subcritical surface roughness is measured in a Blasius boundary layer. A deterministic roughness surface was manufactured using rapid prototyping, and detailed measurements of the roughness wake were made using hotwire anemometry. The distributed roughness creates disturbances at multiple spanwise wavelengths that undergo transient growth. These experiments lay the ground work for examining the "shielding" effect, wherein the presence of smaller amplitude distributed roughness may decrease the strength of roughness wakes created by larger roughness peaks.


With the aim to design addressable magnetically‐active carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for cancer treatment, the use of Fe‐filled CNTs (Fe@MWCNTs) as multifunctional scaffolds is reported for exohedrally anchoring a monoclonal antibody (mAb) known to bind a plasma membrane receptor over‐expressed in several cancer cells (EGFR). Comprehensive microscopic (transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy) and spectroscopic (Raman, 57Fe Mossbauer, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X‐ray diffraction) characterizations reveal the efficient confinement of magnetically‐active Fe phases (α‐Fe and Fe3C), while compositional evaluations through XPS, thermogravimetric analysis and gel electrophoresis confirm that mAb immobilization onto Fe@MWCNTs occurs. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), confocal microscopy imaging and western blotting confirm the targeting action toward EGFR‐overexpressing cell lines (EGFR+). In vitro magnetic filtration experiments demonstrate that a selective removal of EGFR+ cells from a mixed population of healthy cell lines could be obtained in very short times (≈10 min). Cytotoxicity evaluations by classic cell staining procedures after application of an electromagnetic radiation inducing magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH), show a selective suppression of the EGFR+ cell line. Molecular dynamics and docking simulations of the hybrid mAb/Fe@MWCNTs conjugates nicely show how the presence of the CNT framework does not sterically affect the conformational properties of the two antigen binding regions, further supporting the biochemical findings.


Decentralized Markov Decision Process (Dec-MDP) provides a rich framework to represent cooperative decentralized and stochastic planning problems under transition uncertainty. However, solving a Dec-MDP to generate coordinated yet decentralized policies is NEXP-Hard. Researchers have made significant progress in providing approximate approaches to improve scalability with respect to number of agents. However, there has been little or no research devoted to finding guarantees on solution quality for approximate approaches considering multiple (more than 2 agents) agents. We have a similar situation with respect to the competitive decentralized planning problem and the Stochastic Game (SG) model. To address this, we identify models in the cooperative and competitive case that rely on submodular rewards, where we show that existing approximate approaches can provide strong quality guarantees ( a priori, and for cooperative case also posteriori guarantees). We then provide solution approaches and demonstrate improved online guarantees on benchmark problems from the literature for the cooperative case.


Lifestyle has a significant collision with anorectal diseases and poor dietary habits. Therefore to find out any relation between pregnancy and fissure-in-ano, the present study was conducted. There is no literature available for the prevalence of fissure in ano In terms of cause and position of the fissure in postpartum females. This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted from January to December 2017, all-female patients visiting OPD were screened. Female patients more than 18 years of age with complaints of a fissure in ano and associated complaints were studied detail history taken in the form of the framed questioner. The diagnosis of enrolled patients was based on clinical findings of anorectal evaluation by digital rectal examination and proctoscopy. Overall, 50 patients were enrolled in the study. Mixed dietary habits and history of constipation were found to be associated with the prevalence of fissure. Similarly, patients with no exercise or physical activity had more prevalence of fissure than patients who exercised regularly (19.87% versus 11.54%). The majority of patients had bleeding and pain (n=326); out of these patients, 89 (27.30%) had an anal fissure. After an assessment of 50 subjects, the chi-square test value is 4.20 (p<0.05), which indicates that the incidence of a fissure in ano among the postpartum women is significant.  The observational study was conducted to find out the position and the cause of postpartum fissure in married women. The result suggested that the incidence of postpartum fissure in women is significant. The factors associated with this high incidence include the age, parity, sleeping and dietary habits.