Optical design of a small reflecting telescope for use in a 1U CubeSat mission is reported in this study. A Ritchey-Chretien with field correction lens type telescope for earth observation techniques is adopted in this design. The primary mirror and secondary mirror are circular apertures with 70-mm and 21-mm in diameter. The effective focal length is 390-mm operated at 600-km altitude. A commercial 2560 × 2160 CCD image sensor CIS2521 with a pixel size of 6.5 μm is applied, which capture a 25km swath area. The ground resolution is better than 10m for CubeSat application. The MTF is expected to be about 0.3 at Nyquist frequency at 77lp/mm. The tolerance analysis is performed for further understanding on fabrication and assembly errors. In order to reduce the telescope size, the optical system uses a reflective optical system, and the circuit board is arranged behind the system and above. The telescope envelope size(all contained) is less than 96mm × 90mm × 90mm and the weight is approximately 600g. At present, the aspherical primary mirror has completed the processing and assembly.


Giving remission to corruptors is an irrelevant policy. The effectiveness of measuring justice against extraordinary crimes (corruption) cannot be interpreted as a tool to reduce punishment or change the sentence that has been determined by the court so that remissions are not immediately given to prisoners in corruption cases. Then, the arrival of Covid-19 impacted economic difficulties for all elements of Indonesian society; however, sadly, in this Covid-19 disaster situation, there were elements of the political elite who smuggled the social assistance funds. So, granting remissions to corruptors should be removed because it affects the community at significant, human rights that are closely related to prisoners, one of which is the provision of remissions, the provisions of Article 14 paragraph (1) of Law Number 12 of 1995 concerning Corrections states that one of the rights of the convict is to get a reduction in the criminal period (remission). The method that will be used is the normative juridical research method and the research materials used in this research by using studies on laws and regulations, books, journals, news, and relevant information that discusses the effectiveness of measuring justice against corruption cases in social assistance during a pandemic. Covid-19. The results of this study are: The concept of justice for officials who have committed corruption Social Assistance Funds (BANSOS) is an extraordinary crime that impacts the sustainability of the community and should not be given remission for officials who misuse the aid funds.


Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) frequently have short stature. We propose that alterations in the IGF-I axis are involved in their growth failure. We investigated the IGF-I axis in children with SCA and height below the 25th percentile (n = 15) and compared it with that of children with SCA and height above the 50th percentile (n = 7). IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels were assessed by RIA. IGFBP-3 proteolysis was assessed by a protease activity assay and by Western immunoblots. IGF-I and IGFBP-3 SDS were low for both groups. In the short statured patients, IGF-I SDS correlated with height velocity SDS (p = 0.018). IGFBP-3 SDS, when corrected for bone age, decreased with age (p = 0.0054). IGFBP-3 was proteolyzed in both groups although the short statured patients had lower levels of absolute intact IGFBP-3 when compared with the normally growing group (p = 0.028). We demonstrated that children with SCA have abnormalities in the IGF-I axis, which worsen with age.


Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease in its own capacity, but it is also regarded as both a cardiovascular risk factor as well as a cardiovascular disease due to its propensity to progress to a stage of cardiovascular co-morbidity. The pathophysiology of cardiovascular complication in diabetes has been consistently reported to involve hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress. The erythrocyte has an array of endogenous antioxidants involved in quenching both oxidant production and the exponential chain reactions in diabetes. When the erythrocyte is oxidatively stressed, evidenced by depleted level of reduced glutathione and/or increased malondialdehyde in the erythrocyte membrane, the risk of diabetes progression and its cardiovascular sequelae including atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease become exacerbated. Virtually all studies that determined erythrocyte malondialdehyde and glutathione in diabetes have shown consistent increased and reduced levels respectively. Furthermore, cardiovascular complication of diabetes has been reported to commence at the prediabetes stage. Current coronary artery disease screening programs based on the presence of two or more risk factors being present are failing to identify optimal numbers with increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular complications, thereby limiting early interventions. Screening that includes erythrocyte oxidative stress determination may provide an additional marker for both preclinical and advanced disease. In this review, a concise description of erythrocyte oxidative stress involvement in diabetes mellitus and its cardiovascular sequelae is presented. Antioxidant action and interaction within the erythrocyte is also described with emphasis on why current coronary artery disease screening markers do not extrapolate to the erythrocyte oxidative stress markers.


In [4] we extended an interesting theorem of Medvedeva [5] pertaining to the embedding relation H ω ⊂ ΛBV, where ΛBV denotes the set of functions of Λ-bounded variation, which is encountered in the theory of Fourier trigonometric series. Now we give a further generalization of our result. Our new theorem tries to unify the notion of ϕ-variation due to Young [6], and that of the generalized Wiener class BV (p(n) ↑) due to Kita and Yoneda [3]. For further references we refer to the paper by Goginava [2].


Patterned magnetic media promises areal densities in excess of 1 Tbit/in2 for data storage. However, current imperfect patterning techniques result in a variation in the dimensions and distribution of the fabricated islands. As a result, this variation introduces jitter in the replay waveform that makes data recovery difficult. In this paper, we investigate the use of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and iterative decoding for mitigating the effects of lithography jitter and improving the read channel performance in patterned media storage systems. In addition, we show that the adoption of LDPC coding techniques permits an increase in the data storage capability of the medium to approximately 1.6 Tbit/in2 with acceptable bit-error-rate performance.


The multivehicle covering tour problem (m-CTP) is a transportation problem with different kinds of locations, where a set of locations must be visited while another set must be close enough to planned routes. Given two sets of vertices V and W, where V represents the set of vertices that may be visited and W is a set of vertices that must be covered by up to m vehicles, the m-CTP problem is to minimize vehicle routes on a subset of V including T, which represents the subset of vertices that must be visited through the use of potential locations in V. The variant of m-CTP without a route-length constraint is treated in this paper. To tackle this problem, we propose a variable neighborhood search heuristic based on variable neighborhood descent method. Experiments were conducted using the datasets based on traveling salesman problem library instances.


The main objective of this study is to investigate factors affecting the current use of ICTs in public and private selected secondary schools in the Gulele sub-city, Addis Ababa. The objectives of the study were: to review the literature on issues affecting usage of ICTs in the teaching-learning processes in high schools and best practices from countries similar to Ethiopia, to explore current usage of ICTs in the teaching-learning process, to assess challenges encountered in using ICTs in the teachinglearning process, to identify factors that enable or hinder the usage of ICTs in secondary schools, and to put forward recommendations to improve the current usage of ICTs in the studied secondary schools. The use of ICTs has become a major driving force in transforming the education system throughout the world. The usage of ICTs in Ethiopia has also increased from time to time. In this paper, a literature review regarding the challenges that affect the current use of ICTs in education was provided. The researcher used a descriptive survey research design in this study. The targeted population was 1669 teachers and students within the two secondary schools in the Gulele sub-city. Purposive sampling followed by random sampling was used to select 28 teachers, 473 students, 2 school directors and 2 ICTs experts from the 2 purposively selected schools because mainly the study targeted schools that had used some computers and internet for either administrative or teaching and learning purposes. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview and observation. The data collected was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics was used to present the results of the study this involved tabular, frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation and the qualitative data were analyzed in a narrative way. The study findings revealed that inadequate number of computers, power supply interruption, slow internet connection or access, lack of time or limited to time to use ICTs, workload of teachers, lack of technical support (lab technician), the incentives given by the government, lack of training, lack of ICTs policies and strategic plan. Even though teachers supported the use of ICTs in teaching, but, majority of the teachers (mathematics, English and history) rarely used ICTs except chalk and blackboard. The results of this research suggest the government should ensure reliable power supply in all schools, trainings should be given for teachers and students, All ICTs tools should be available in the computer lab, school administration should familiarize themselves with national ICTs policies to develop school ICTs policy and strategic plan etc.


An assessment of the links between market chain participation and food security is hampered by a scant empirical literature, mostly based on case studies. Our goal is to deal with this issue by providing a sound identification strategy using the WB LSMS-ISA panel data 2009-12 for Uganda and controlling for self-selection. We show that both the level and the variability of Ugandan maize farming households' food consumption is affected by market choice. However, contrary to common wisdom, intermediaries do not play a major role in farmers' welfare. This empirical evidence is consistent with the theoretical prediction that also in Sub-Saharan Africa modern food chains tend to reinforce vertical coordination across actors and the enforcement of contracts, thus reducing the market power of intermediaries.


Steep streams with massive sediment supply are among the most complex systems to study, even in the laboratory. Their shallow sediment‐laden flows create self‐adjusting bed geometries that evolve rapidly. Often, morphological changes and flow processes cannot be dissociated. Because these very shallow and unstable flows cannot be equipped with measurement sensors, image analysis techniques, such as photogrammetry (e.g., structure‐from‐motion, SfM) and large‐scale particle image velocimetry (LSPIV), are interesting options for capturing the characteristics of these systems. The present work describes a complete procedure using both techniques to measure spatially distributed surface velocity and bed properties (deposit patterns, channel slope, and local roughness). The velocity data are used to assess the local flow directions along which the channel slope and roughness are extracted from the SfM digital elevation models. Fergusons "variable power equation" friction law, having been previously validated by comparison with approximately 100 local flow depth measurements, was used in a second step with the collected data to reconstruct a complete mapping of the depth‐averaged flows, thereby enabling a comprehensive analysis of the hydrogeomorphic system where shallow water equations apply. The assumptions, details, use of the friction law with roughness standard deviation rather than diameter as parameter and limitations of the procedure as well as possible sources of errors are discussed here, along with possibilities for improvements. This affordable and simple‐to‐implement procedure can provide a large amount of data, allowing for a more comprehensive analysis of complex hydraulic systems.


Four urinary metabolites of the cytostatic drug cyclophosphamide were tested for mutagenicity in the Ames Salmonella assay: nornitrogen mustard (NM), 4-ketocyclophosphamide, 3-(2-chloroethyl)oxazolidone (OZ), and N,N'-bis(2-chloroethyl)piperazine. All four acted as direct base substitution mutagens although 4-ketocyclophosphamide showed an increase in mutagenicity after metabolic activation with S-9 rat liver fraction. Of the four compounds tested, NM was the strongest mutagen while all the others had weak mutagenic activity, with OZ being the weakest. We observed that, under conditions which facilitate the conversion of NM to OZ (presence of HCO-3 at neutral pH), the former lost both mutagenic and alkylating activities. Our findings, taken together with other reports in the literature, indicate that NM could be a major cause of secondary bladder carcinoma since it is a potent mutagen ad seems to be present in high levels in the urine of cyclophosphamide-treated patients. The fact that it can be detoxified to the weak mutagen OZ in the presence of HCO-3 suggests the possibility that, by increasing the concentration of HCO-3 in the urine of patients, that undesirable side effect of cyclophosphamide treatment can be alleviated.


In mechanized timber harvesting, it is common practice to build brush mats from logging residues on skid trails. Protective effects of brush mats against soil compaction are documented by several studies. On the other hand, a large quantity of nutrients is concentrated on the skid trail. Fully mechanized harvesting has been criticized frequently for this reallocation of nutri- ents. Is there really a risk of nutrient leaching below skid trails or imbalances? Are the nutrients redistributed through nutrient uptake by roots of adjacent trees? Effects of fully mechanized thinning on soil, water and nutrient balance were examined in a seventy years old spruce stand on a nutrient poor site in Bavaria. Sections of the trails were covered with brush mats, while other sections remained uncovered. For five replications, soil physical properties, soil chemistry, matter and water balances and the density of fine roots were measured in the middle of the trail, under the tire tracks, at the transition of trail and stand and inside the stand over a period of two years. Logging operation caused soil compaction. The macropore volume decreased and both hydraulic conductivity and air permeability were severely reduced. The nutrients were largely kept in the forest ecosystem. Results of the soil moisture monitoring indicate that, within the sections covered by a brush mat, tree roots extracted water from the soil between the tracks. Without cover, the trees scarcely extracted water from this area. Hence, building a brush mat can facilitate water availability and thus enable redistribution of nutrients.


In the last decade, it has become apparent that toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling can play an important role in ovarian cancer (OC) progression. Interestingly, TLR activation in immune cells can help activate an anti-tumor response, while TLR signaling in tumor cells themselves is often associated with cancer-promoting inflammation. For example, it has been shown that TLR activation in dendritic cells can result in more effective antigen presentation to T cells, thereby favoring tumor eradication. However, aberrant TLR expression in OC cells is associated with more aggressive disease (likely due to recruitment of pro-tumoral leukocytes to the tumor site) and has also been implicated in resistance to mainstream chemotherapy. The delicate balance of TLR activation in the tumor microenvironment in different cell types altogether help shape the inflammatory profile and outcome of tumor growth or regression. With further studies, specific activation or repression of TLRs may be harnessed to offer novel immunotherapies or adjuvants to traditional chemotherapy for some OC patients. Herewith, we review recent literature on basic and translational research concerning therapeutic targeting of TLR pathways for the treatment of OC.


In many intervention analysis applications, time series data may be expensive or otherwise difficult to collect. In this case the power function is helpful, because it can be used to determine the probability that a proposed intervention analysis application will detect a meaningful change. Assuming that an underlying autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) or fractional ARIMA model is known or can be estimated from the preintervention time series, the methodology for computing the required power function is developed for pulse, step, and ramp interventions with ARIMA and fractional ARIMA errors. Convenient formulas for computing the power function for important special cases are given. Illustrative applications in traffic safety and environmental impact assessment are discussed.


We propose a method that aids in the calculation of strain in blood vessels. The calculation of strain is used in the medical community to relate heart disease with factors such as diabetes and blood vessel calcification. Traditional methods of calculating the strain involve photography, film development, large-scale photograph development, and digitization using a flatbed tablet. These processes are labor intensive and time consuming, in the order of days. We use image analysis and processing techniques to provide a solution in calculating strain efficiently and consistently. To ensure portability, a JAVA-based application is developed which is designed for a semi-automatic operation in calculating a strain value.


In contrast to many other environmental problems, noise pollution continues to grow and it is accompanied by an increasing number of complaints from people exposed to the noise. The growth in noise pollution involves direct, as well as cumulative, adverse health effects. It also adversely effects future generations, and has socio-cultural, aesthetic and economic effects. Therefore, the concept of noise annoyance needed to be broaden to an integrated environmental, psychosocial, and socioeconomic assessment of the community situation to reach a more realistic basis for environmental impact and health risk assessments. Soundscape research represents a timely paradigm shift in that it combines physical, social and psychological approaches and considers environmental sounds as a 'resource' rather than a 'waste' to satisfy human needs and wants. Moreover, balancing between the expertise from people living in respective areas and acoustic measurements, architectural planning will lead to a new understanding of ...


The coastal protection system of the Dutch low-lying hinterland is under increasing pressure due to growing population and high economic value combined with climate change and a rising sea level. Supplying sand to dunes, beach and shoreface by means of nourishments is a widely applied technique to increase coastal safety. Climate change and a rising sea level lead to higher water levels and higher and longer waves at the North Sea. These increased loads cause a heavier impact on the Dutch coast and therefore, wave boundary conditions have been revised by the Dutch Government. After a reassessment of the coastal protection system in 2003, several parts of the Dutch coast did not comply with the safety standards and were appointed 'Weak Links'. The Hondsbossche and Pettemer sea defence was one of the weak links. The Hondsbossche Dunes nourishment provided the desired solution to improve coastal safety and at the same time maintain, and where possible, improve environmental quality. The design of the nourishment is of a magnitude that is unprecedented. It covers a stretch of approximately twelve kilometres of coast. In contrast to traditional nourishments that typically consist of about 1-2 million m3 of sand, the Hondsbossche Dunes nourishment contains a volume of 35.6 million m3 of sand. The implementation of nourishments modifies the topography of the bed and impacts the nearshore coastal regime. After the nourishment is constructed, the cross-shore profile evolves towards an equilibrium shape, and the shoreline planform adjusts via alongshore spreading. As a result, increased erosion rates are often observed in the first period after completion of nourishments. To improve the design of future nourishments, it is essential to understand and quantify the processes that govern the initial morphological evolution of recently completed nourishment projects. Twelve months after completion of the nourishment, sand losses at the Hondsbossche Dunes nourishment appeared to be large. This study focuses on understanding the processes that govern these large initial volume losses. Bathymetric data obtained from monthly monitoring surveys during and after construction, combined with wave forcing data are used to analyse morphological evolution and hydrodynamic forcing. Furthermore, a process-based cross-shore sediment transport model is applied to assess the relative contribution of several hydroand morphodynamic factors on the initial morphological development of the nourishment in more detail. The results show that after twelve months 2.5% of the initially nourished sediment volume is lost from the project area. The high losses are mainly due to energetic wave forcing in the first twelve months after construction, with an average net northward transport potential that is 2.5 times higher compared to the long term yearly average. Morphological response is an event-driven process, such that large morphological changes coincide with months with energetic waves. About 60-80% of the volume changes occur over a period of only three months, during the Northern Hemisphere winter. Compared to long term natural variation in wave forcing, relatively more and higher waves approach from South-Western direction during the first year after construction. This results in severe erosion


Bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor frequently co-occur, a clinical syndrome known as parkinsonism. Because this syndrome is commonly seen in Parkinson's disease, symptoms are often attributed to cell loss in the substantia nigra. However, parkinsonism occurs in several other neurological disorders and often fails to correlate with nigrostriatal pathology, raising the question of which brain region(s) cause this syndrome. Here, we studied cases of new-onset parkinsonism following focal brain lesions. We identified 29 cases, only 31% of which hit the substantia nigra. Lesions were located in a variety of different cortical and subcortical locations. To determine whether these heterogeneous lesion locations were part of a common brain network, we leveraged the human brain connectome and a recently validated technique termed lesion network mapping. Lesion locations causing parkinsonism were functionally connected to a common network of regions including the midbrain, basal ganglia, cingulate cortex, and cerebellum. The most sensitive and specific connectivity was to the claustrum. This lesion connectivity pattern matched atrophy patterns seen in Parkinson's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and multiple system atrophy, suggesting a shared neuroanatomical substrate for parkinsonism. Lesion connectivity also predicted medication response and matched the pattern of effective deep brain stimulation, suggesting relevance as a treatment target. Our results, based on causal brain lesions, lend insight into the localization of parkinsonism, one of the most common syndromes in neurology. Because many patients with parkinsonism fail to respond to dopaminergic medication, these results may aid the development of alternative treatments.10.1093/brain/awy161_video1awy161media15815555971001.


Flexfet is a new SOI IDG-CMOS technology with a damascene metal top gate and an implanted JFET bottom gate that are self-aligned in a gate trench. The independent top and bottom gates are contacted at opposite sides of the channel by a local interconnect that is embedded in the isolation region between devices. A simple analytical dynamic threshold voltage model is developed and verified by extensive device simulation. Optimization of the topgate oxide thickness, silicon thickness, and gate work functions for a 35 nm long NMOSFET is achieved by device simulation. Ideal 1.0V/V dynamic threshold control of this device is achieved.


In one aspect, the present invention provides particles containing an insulating material comprising an airgel-containing particles and mixing the phase change material, a binder and forming the object of holding the matrix of the mixed particles. Another aspect, the present invention provides a method of forming the insulator, comprising a first and a second coating fluid on a substrate; the first fluid and the second fluid comprises an adhesive comprising a particulate material containing airgel; and simultaneously coated on the substrate phase change material.


In this paper we study a stochastic network model introduced recently in the analysis of neural networks. In this model the interaction between the nodes of the network is local : to each node is associated some real number (the inhibition in the language of neural networks) which is decreasing linearly with time. When this number reaches 0, it sends out some random input to its neighbors (a spike) and restarts with some random value. We are interested in the asymptotic behavior of the network, that is under which conditions the nodes do not die (i.e. their inhibition is not converging to infinity). When these conditions are not satisfied, we analyze the set of nodes which are likely to die. We consider networks with a finite number of nodes and two kind of topologies, the fully connected network and related graphs and the linear network where the nodes are located on a line. A quantity p is associated to this network and the stability properties of the network depend only on it. For the fully connected network, we give the necessary and sufficient condition for the stability of the network (p < 1) as well as the explicit expression for the invariant measure of the Markov process associated to this model. For the stability of the linear network of size N, we prove that the critical value for p is 1/2 if N is odd, otherwise it is the constant.F(1;2cos p/(N+1)). When the network is not stable, the set of possible asymptotic states is analyzed.


Objective: To determine the types and frequencies of complications associated with acute meningoencephalitis (ME) among children admitted  to hospitals in Aden, Yemen.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 60 children (1 month – 14 years of age) admitted to AL-Wahda Teaching Hospital in Aden with acute ME (viral or bacterial) over the period from January to June 2010. Data were collected using a pre-designed questionnaire, and data were presented as frequencies and percentages and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Differences or associations between categorical variables were considered statistically significant at P values <0.05.
Results: ME complications were significantly higher among children aged less than one year compared to those aged one year or older (58.8% vs. 38.5%, respectively) and among those with bacterial ME compared to those with viral ME (79.2% vs. 30.6%, respectively). The complications were also significantly higher among children with history of illness for three or more days before their admission compared to those having been ill for less than three days (65.8 vs. 22.7%, respectively). In addition, children aged less than two years not exclusively breastfed were more prone to ME complications compared to those exclusively breastfed (93.5% vs. 50.0%, respectively). Increased intracranial pressure (ICP), anemia and hypoglycemia were the three most frequent ME complications among children admitted to Al-Wahda Teaching Hospital, being observed in 53.3%, 50.0% and 43.3% of patients, respectively. Increased ICP was significantly higher among children aged five years or older compared to those aged less than five years (88.9% vs. 47.1%, respectively). In contrast, anemia and hyperglycemia were significantly higher among children aged less than five years (56.9% and 49.0%, respectively) compared to those aged five years or older (11.1% each).
Conclusions: ME complications are significantly higher among children aged less than one year, infected with bacterial ME, with history of illness for three or more days before their admission and not exclusively breastfed. Increased ICP, anemia and hypoglycemia are the three most frequent ME complications, particularly among children with bacterial ME in Aden, followed by focal neurological deficits seizures and cranial nerve palsy. Although increased ICP is significantly higher among children aged five years or older, anemia and hyperglycemia are significantly higher among children aged less than five years. Active measures to promote immunization and exclusive breastfeeding along with early diagnosis and proper treatment are highly recommended. Further large-scale studies are required to study the pattern of complications following acute ME among Yemeni children.
Keywords: Meningoencephalitis, Complication, Intracranial pressure, Seizure, Focal neurological sign, Cranial nerve palsy, Yemen.


This article develops a novel compositional and abstraction-based approach to synthesize edit functions for opacity enforcement in modular discrete event systems. Edit functions alter the output of the system by erasing or inserting events in order to obfuscate the outside intruder, whose goal is to infer the secrets of the system from its observation. We synthesize edit functions to solve the opacity enforcement problem in a modular setting, which significantly reduces the computational complexity compared with the monolithic approach. Two abstraction methods called opaque observation equivalence and opaque bisimulation are first employed to abstract the individual components of the modular system and their observers. Subsequently, we propose a method to transform the synthesis of edit functions to the calculation of modular supremal nonblocking supervisors. We show that the edit functions synthesized in this manner correctly solve the opacity enforcement problem.


One-dimensional parallel arrays of Josephson junctions have the ability to perform as oscillators tunable by magnetic flux. We have designed and tested an array impedance matched to a detector junction load. The amplitude and frequency of the array are controlled by the independent variables of magnetic field and current bias. We report on the array's characteristics and compare them to the results predicted by nonlinear simulations and a linear circuit model. This confirms the accuracy of the circuit model, both for impedance matching and in describing the dynamics of the array, even in a multiple-frequency regime.


Pseudopsyra is a genus of Phaneropterinae katydid (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), currently comprising of four species - two species each from southern China and Peninsular Malaysia (Hebard, 1922; Liu & Kang, 2006; Tan & Kamaruddin, 2013, 2014). The revision of Pseudopsyra by Liu & Kang (2006) provided a redescription of the genus, a new diagnosis and a key to known species. Subsequently, more surveys were conducted in Peninsular Malaysia and yield another species, representing the lowest latitudinal limits of this genus thus far (Tan & Kamaruddin, 2013). Continued surveys between the upper and lower latitudinal limits of the genus yield a new species: Pseudopsyra taksini sp. nov. from the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, Thailand. The orthopteran diversity at Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve remains understudied with numerous new species described recently, including other genus of Phaneropterinae (Tan & Artchawakom, 2014; Tan et al., 2015). With emphasis of using sexual parts for evidence of reproductive isolation in species delimitation, the discovery of a new species of Pseudopsyra also represents the first record of the genus from Thailand. It is not surprising that more undescribed species of Pseudopsyra can be found across the Indo-China region.


Abstract : The first part of this paper will outline the conception of the testing apparatus (Figure 1), along with its operation and preliminary results. The second part of the paper will discuss a new methodology used to correlate the dependence of crack growth rate for strain crystallizing natural rubbers in terms of tearing energy. The tearing energy which depends on the type of elastomer, geometry and stress strain behavior of a particular specimen demonstrates a direct correlation with the crack growth rate at different R-ratios (= min tearing energy/max tearing energy).


High-pressure behaviour of bismuth orthosilicate (Bi4Si3O12) is investigated in a diamond anvil cell up to a pressure of 20 GPa using Raman spectroscopy. A new broad peak observed in the Raman spectra above 6 GPa is assigned to resonantly excited photoluminescence from self-trapped Frenkel excitons. Two phonons are found to have negative Gruneisen parameter, suggesting instability of the structure at high pressure. Broadening and disappearance of most of the Raman lines suggest amorphization of this system above 16 GPa. Amorphization is found to be reversible, unlike the case of Bi4Ge3O12, where it is irreversible. In light of a recent model of pressure-induced amorphization it is argued that amorphization in bismuth orthosilicates and germanates arises due to kinetic hindrance of decomposition into mixtures of daughter compounds with dense-packed structures.


Microchannels have been extensively studied for electronic cooling applications ever since they were found to be effective in removing high heat flux from small areas. Many configurations of microchannels have been studied and compared for their effectiveness in heat removal. However, there is little data available in the literature on the use of pins in microchannels. Staggered pins in microchannels have higher heat removal characteristics because of the continuous breaking and formation of the boundary layer, but they also exhibit higher pressure drop because pins act as flow obstructions. This paper presents numerical results of two characteristic staggered pins (square and circular) in microchannels. The heat transfer performance of a single phase fluid in microchannels with staggered pins, and the corresponding pressure drop characteristics are also presented. An effective specific heat capacity model was used to account for the phase change process of PCM fluid. Comparison of heat transfer characteristics of single phase fluid and PCM fluid are made for two pins geometries for three different Reynolds numbers. Circular pins were found to be more effective in terms of heat transfer by exhibiting higher Nusselt number. Circular pin microchannels were also found to have lower pressure drop compared to the square pin microchannels.Copyright © 2010 by ASME


The hypothesis that, after receiving reward and nonreward, rats excrete differential odors perceptible to other rats was tested by making the correct turn in a T-maze contingent on discrimination of any such odors. Clear evidence for an "odor of nonreward or frustration" was obtained, and there was the suggestion of a transistory odor after early reward trials.


The development of an effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of COVID-19, is a global priority. Here, we compared the protective capacity of intranasal and intramuscular delivery of a chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored vaccine encoding a pre-fusion stabilized spike protein (ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S) in Golden Syrian hamsters. While immunization with ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S induced robust spike protein specific antibodies capable or neutralizing the virus, antibody levels in serum were higher in hamsters immunized by an intranasal compared to intramuscular route. Accordingly, ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S immunized hamsters were protected against a challenge with a high dose of SARS-CoV-2. After challenge, ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S-immunized hamsters had less weight loss and showed reductions in viral RNA and infectious virus titer in both nasal swabs and lungs, and reduced pathology and inflammatory gene expression in the lungs, compared to ChAd-Control immunized hamsters. Intranasal immunization with ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S provided superior protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and inflammation in the upper respiratory tract. These findings support intranasal administration of the ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S candidate vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, disease, and possibly transmission.


Iron-sulfur proteins acquire their clusters by posttranslational assembly. To identify components involved in this process an in vitro assay for holoprotein formation was established using the [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin of the cyanobacteriumSynechocystis as a model. Conversion of apoferredoxin to the holo- form was observed in an anaerobic reaction medium containing Fe(NH4)2(SO4)2,l-cysteine, glutathione, and catalytic amounts ofSynechocystis extract, specifically depleted of endogeneous ferredoxin. An approximate 2500-fold purification of the converter activity yielded a monomeric, 43-kDa, pyridoxal phosphate-containing enzyme, which catalyzed the breakdown of l-cysteine to yield sulfide (assembled in ferredoxin), pyruvate, and ammonia; 1 mol of [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin was formed per 2 mol of cysteine utilized. The purified enzyme also catalyzed the β-elimination reaction with cysteine in the absence of apoferredoxin. An increased reactivity was found with cystine instead of cysteine, which should yield cysteine persulfide as the primary product. These results provide a function-based identification of a cysteine/cystine C-S-lyase as a participant in ferredoxin Fe-S cluster formation. A substrate-derived cysteine persulfide could be involved in this reaction.


: Using morphometry of ungulate pellets to determine sex and age is the preferred method in field studies on ecological differences between two sexes, especially sexual segregation of ungulates. This study examined the morphometry of 4,006 pellets from ≤ 145 Eld's Deer ( Cervus eldi hainanus ) collected in Hainan Datian National Nature Reserve in March 2006. The deer were divided into five sex-age categories as adult male, adult female, sub-adult male, sub-adult female, and calf. They were analyzed using four direct measurement indices (dry weight, length, width, and volume) and two indirect indices (length-to-width ratio, and ellipsoid-shape index) by use of step-wise discriminant and fuzzy cluster analyses. Discriminant analysis could correctly distinguish 76.17% of adult males, 42.22% of adult females, 34.94% of sub-adult males, 40.46% of sub-adult females, and 79.34% of calves. Fuzzy clustering analysis enabled to correctly distinguish 19.48% of adult males, 20.02% of adult females, 37.37% of sub-adult males, 42.82% of sub-adult females, and 91.50% of calves. Therefore, it is more credible to determine calves and secondarily adult males by use of pellet morphometry. We advise that pellet morphometry should be used for determining sex and age categories in surveys at the population level rather than at the individual level.


10 long-term schizophrenic patients with tardive dyskinesia were studied over 14 weeks and maintained on their usual neuroleptic medications while anticholinergic antiparkinson drugs were employed and then discontinued, and the cycle then repeated. Discontinuation of anticholinergic medications resulted in improvement in dyskinetic movements and vice versa. Estimation of haloperidol equivalents in serum at four times suggested that changes in severity of tardive dyskinesia were not caused by changes in blood levels of neuroleptics. Levels of pituitary hormones were also estimated at four times. Prolactin levels tended to diminish in men over the course of the experiment. Growth hormone and thyrotropin values were mainly stable. However, the growth hormone levels peaked during the final 'off anticholinergic' condition and thyrotropin levels were consistently elevated.


In recent years, walking training has been widely developed due to the increasement of patients with lower extremity motor dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury and stroke. Robotic gait-orthosis is a complex system and gait planning algorithm is an important aspect of it. Gait-orthosis should have the characteristics of naturalness, comfort and safety. In view of the importance of gait safety, this paper proposes gait by a method called security redundancy gait pattern generator (SRGPG). The SRGPG gait algorithm insures the safety of gait from two aspects, namely, gait parameter calculation and gait planning. On one hand, the gait parameter calculation is based on bionics principle and users' physical condition. On the other hand, in the gait planning, the whole gait is divided into three sub stages and the motion of all joints is planned in each sub stage. The SRGPG are tested by the simulation and experiment with XKF-01 robotic gait-orthosis. By comparing SRGPG and CGA gait results, the similarity between SRGPG gait curve and normal people's walking trajectory is verified. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that the lower limb rehabilitation gait algorithm based on SRGPG is feasible and safe.


Abstract Aim: To evaluate the developmental pattern of fetal hand movements and facial activity and expression during the second and third trimester of pregnancy by four-dimensional ultrasound (4D-US). Subjects and methods: A total of 25 fetuses in uncomplicated pregnancies were analyzed; 15 fetuses at 13 to 16 weeks and 10 fetuses at 30 to 33 weeks of gestation were studied with abdominal 4D-US. After standard assessment in two dimensional (2D) real-time B mode, a 4D mode was switched on. Further examination lasted a maximum of 15 minutes. Results: Isolated hand movement and subtypes of hand movements were easily recognized by 4D-US. The subtypes of hand to head movement are: hand to head, hand to mouth, hand near mouth, hand to face, hand near face, hand to eye and hand to ear. All subtypes of hand to head movement can be seen from 13 weeks of gestation, with fluctuating incidence. Facial activities and different forms of expression are easily recognized by 4D-US. Among these, two types can be easily differentiated: smiling and scowling. Conclusions: 4D-US is superior over real-time two-dimensional ultrasound (2D-US) for qualitative, but inferior for quantitative analysis of hand movements. Thus 4D-US makes it possible to determine exactly the direction of the fetal hand, but the exact number of each type of hand movements can still not be determined. 4D-US is superior over two- and three-dimensional sonography in the evaluation of complex facial activity and expression. Among facial activities observed by 4D-US, simultaneous eyelid and mouthing movements dominate between 30 and 33 weeks of gestation. Pure mouth movements such as mouth opening, tongue expulsion, yawning and pouting are present, but at a significantly lower incidence. Facial expressions such as smiling and scowling can be precisely observed using 4D-US.


In this paper we present dRAP-Independent, an algorithm for independent distributed mining of first-order frequent patterns. This system is based on RAP, an algorithm for finding maximal frequent patterns in first-order logic. dRAP-Independent utilizes a modified data partitioning schema introduced by Savasere et al. and offers good performance and low communication overhead. We analyze the performance of the algorithm on four different tasks: Mutagenicity prediction -- a standard ILP benchmark, information extraction from biological texts, context-sensitive spelling correction, and morphological disambiguation of Czech. The results of the analysis show that the algorithm can generate more patterns than the serial algorithm RAP in the same overall time.


Our paper analyzes the links between liberalization of trade and investment policies and economic growth in Cameroon within 1980-2004. Two main trade policy reforms toward liberalization (989-1993 and 1994 to date) and three respectively more liberal investment policy reform are identified (1984, 1990 and 2002). During the period under study, other important related trade and investment reforms are implemented in the agricultural, industrial and services sectors in view to open them to competition. Thanks to the commitments of the UR and trade preferences granted to DCs, market access conditions have significantly improved. As stakeholders of those reforms, the public institutions who are suppose to act in coordination, supervision, monitoring, dispute settlement, institution and follow-up of rules and regulations arbitrates more than coordinates. The private sector which is expected to facilitate the synergy and development of consensual reforms is relatively disorganized and exert no meaningful influence at the national level, in the contrary of the regional and multilateral institutions (CEMAC, ACP group, WTO, Franc Zone, Commonwealth, etc.).

As result of that trade and investment policy environment, growth has been moderate and volatile since 1980, with an average annual growth of 3.7% between 1980 and 2004. However, between 1980 and 1982, real GDP recorded a sustained average annual growth of 6.3% boosted by agricultural and oil exports. As from 1983, the combined negative effects of unsuitable domestic policy options and poor international market conditions gradually dragged the country into the economic crisis that lasted from 1987 to 1994. The economic recovery started in 1994 and continued till 2004 thanks to the combined efforts of authorities to implement prudential economic, trade, fiscal and monetary policy reforms. This recovery could have been greater, if the country took full advantage of the market access opportunities offered. However, it will still lose preference margins if those opportunities are eliminated.

It was not easy to clearly identifying the costs of the reforms. Some theoretical hypotheses driven for the 'infant industry' theory were confirmed (worsening of the deficit of the current account balance) while others were not (losing of jobs, lowering of wages). The positive evolution of consumption, export and import differentiation, and growth comforts the theoretical expectations of long term effects superior to the related adjustment costs of the reforms. However, the effects on investment are still awaited. The complementary measures to maximize the benefits of trade and investment policy reforms, reduce their costs, and fully reveal their expected theoretical effects identified are those likely to help uplift the remaining institutional and economic constrains mainly related to the shortcomings of consultation, coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, the effective enforcement of the investment law and the creation and effective functioning of all related institutions, and improving of the business environment and competitiveness of the economy. The growth determinant forecast model results shows that, these reforms will play key role in production growth in Cameroon, though in a different manner in each of the production sectors, according to their specificities.


Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated that intranasal administration of inactivated (fixed) Francisella tularensis (iFt) live vaccine strain (LVS) in conjunction with the mucosal adjuvant, cholera toxin B (CTB), provides full protection against subsequent lethal challenge with Ft LVS and partial protection against the more virulent Ft SchuS4 strain. Understanding the mechanisms of CTB-induced immune stimulation that confer protection against Ft will be valuable to the development of an effective vaccine against this highly virulent fatal pathogen. In this study, an in vitro system was utilized to further elucidate the immunologic adjuvant effect of CTB when administered with the fixed bacterial immunogen iFt. Methods: The murine macrophage cell line (RAW264.7) was treated with combinations of iFt and CTB. The treated RAW264.7 cells and their supernatants were collected and assessed for cell surface marker expression and cytokine secretion. In addition, the ability of RAW264.7 cells to present bacterial antigens (iFt or LVS) to an Ft-specific T-cell hybridoma cell line, following exposure to CTB, was analyzed. Results: We found that RAW264.7 cells responded to treatment with iFt + CTB by an increased secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor α and upregulation of the surface expression of toll-like receptor 4 and the costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86. Furthermore, the experimental vaccine treatment iFt + CTB enhanced the ability of macrophages to present iFt antigens to an FT-specific T-cell hybridoma cell line, although they failed to do so with LVS. Conclusion: The adjuvant CTB administered in conjunction with iFt showed evidence of enhancing an antigen-specific proinflammatory response in vitro. These observations allow us to define, in part, the mechanisms of immune activation conferred by mucosal administration of iFt + CTB against lethal F. tularensis challenge.


This paper presents experience with the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension by means of a thiazide diuretic (cyclopenthiazide), a small dose of a beta adrenergic blocking agent (Oxprenolol) and progressively increasing doses of a vasodilator (hydrallazine). Satisfactory control of blood pressure was achieved in 38 of 41 cases without the production of distressing effects. This treatment regime was acceptable to patients and appears more promising than other currently available methods for blood pressure control.


1.Panulirus argus in full sea water differs from most other marine isosmotic decapods by regulating Cl− levels in the haemolymph slightly below those in sea water and by having haemolymph K+ levels similar to those in sea water. The species is typical in regulating haemolymph Na+ and Ca2+ above, and Mg2+ and SO42- below, sea-water levels of these ions. Its haemolymph Mg2+ and SO42- concentrations are amongst the lowest reported in marine decapods. 2.The antennal glands contribute to this regulation of Mg2+ SO42- and Cl− by producing urine with markedly, and approximately equally, elevated Mg2+ and SO42- levels, and slightly elevated Cl− levels, compared with those in the haemolymph. The antennal glands show a small tendency to conserve water. Note: Freshwater Institute, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N6.


Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of flexible loads in providing frequency response services. However, uncertainty and variability in various weather-related and end-use behavioral factors often affect the demand-side control performance. This work addresses this problem with the design of a demand-side control to achieve frequency response under load uncertainties. Our approach involves modeling the load uncertainties via stochastic processes that appear as both multiplicative and additive to the system states in closed-loop power system dynamics. Extending the recently developed mean square exponential stability (MSES) results for stochastic systems, we formulate multiobjective linear matrix inequality (LMI)-based optimal control synthesis problems to not only guarantee stochastic stability, but also promote sparsity, enhance closed-loop transient performance, and maximize allowable uncertainties. The fundamental trade-off between the maximum allowable (critical) uncertainty levels and the optimal stochastic stabilizing control efforts is established. Moreover, the sparse control synthesis problem is generalized to the realistic power systems scenario in which only partial-state measurements are available. Detailed numerical studies are carried out on the IEEE 39-bus system to demonstrate the closed-loop stochastic stabilizing performance of the sparse controllers in enhancing frequency response under load uncertainties; as well as illustrate the fundamental trade-off between the allowable uncertainties and optimal control efforts.


The number of sheep flocks in Brazil is increasing. It is known that lambs must be slaughtered when young for producing quality meat. The current study evaluated the inclusion of protected methionine, protected lysine, lysophospholipid and amylolytic enzymes in a diet to lambs and their effects on weight gain and quantitative carcass traits at slaughtering. Eighty non-castrated male crossbred Dorper x Santa Inês lambs, 20.57 ± 4.33 kg live weight, were used. The feedlot lasted 64 days and 60 animals were slaughtered. There were no differences for live weight, daily feed intake, feed conversion and average daily weight gain at the first 28 days of feedlot. From the 28th day lysophospholipid treatment presented the highest live weight. Lysophospholipid and amylolytic enzyme presented the best performance in average daily gain, followed by protected methionine, control and protected lysine. Lysophospholipid treatment presented higher daily feed intake rates than protected lysine and protected methionine. Feed conversion was lower for amylolytic enzyme and higher for control. No changing in carcass traits was reported due to additives. Better performance may be achieved with feedlot lambs fed on diets with the addition of amylolytic enzyme and lysophospholipid at the finishing phase.


In today's urban transportation networks, traffic is regulated by traffic signals which control vehicle flows in road intersections and other road spaces. Generally, controllers follow a fixed-cycle schedule which is previously designed. Under heavy or changing conditions, these standard methods may prove insufficient, and it is where adaptive traffic signaling at intersections can be the solution. This thesis examines a part of Helsinki's city center network to verify theories of traffic flow and tests the performance of the Max-Weight algorithm under different scenarios. Traffic simulations are accomplished using PTV Vissim, which is a microscopic traffic simulator, whereas MATLAB R2018b executes the algorithms, the filter, and plots the results. The analysis led to the following conclusions: the Max-Weight algorithm control outperforms the traditional fixed and cyclic control under rush hour situation in Helsinki. Nevertheless, under noisy measurements, the tested filtered Max-Weight algorithm control did not make such a difference, compared with the non-filtered noisy control. Further investigations are proposed referring to the particle filter.


The type of coupling in a fibre laser array phase locked with the help of an external mirror located at the focal distance from the plane of output ends of individual lasers is studied analytically. The explicit expression is derived for the eigenvalue of the resonator and the restriction on the width of the tuning range in which laser array phase locking is preserved is determined. The influence of the spread in the optical lengths of fibres on the phase-locking efficiency is considered. The phase-locking efficiency is analysed for the spread of optical lengths of fibres considerably exceeding the radiation wavelength.


Author(s): Brown-Altvater, F; Antonius, G; Rangel, T; Giantomassi, M; Draxl, C; Gonze, X; Louie, SG; Neaton, JB | Abstract: © 2020 American Physical Society. ©2020 American Physical Society. Organic molecular crystals are expected to feature appreciable electron-phonon interactions that influence their electronic properties at zero and finite temperature. In this work, we report first-principles calculations and an analysis of the electron-phonon self-energy in naphthalene crystals. We compute the zero-point renormalization and temperature dependence of the fundamental band gap, and the resulting scattering lifetimes of electronic states near the valence- and conduction-band edges employing density functional theory. Further, our calculated phonon renormalization of the GW-corrected quasiparticle band structure predicts a fundamental band gap of 5 eV for naphthalene at room temperature, in good agreement with experiments. From our calculated phonon-induced electron lifetimes, we obtain the temperature-dependent mobilities of electrons and holes in good agreement with experimental measurements at room temperature. Finally, we show that an approximate energy self-consistent computational scheme for the electron-phonon self-energy leads to the prediction of strong satellite bands in the electronic band structure. We find that a single calculation of the self-energy can reproduce the self-consistent results of the band gap renormalization and electrical mobilities for naphthalene, provided that the on-the-mass-shell approximation is used, i.e., if the self-energy is evaluated at the bare eigenvalues.


Abstract Under the omnipresence of surveillance, control and fear of the state as ontological signifiers, not only agency but also subjective and collective memories of people become unspeakable, hidden and veiled. This paper aims to underline the difficulties of doing ethnographic research on the secular Turkish state formation and its diverse apparatuses with a particular focus on the single-party regime that started in 1923 and ended in 1950. This work claims that fear of the state, inaccessibility of the state archives, the inscription of protective laws such as lèse-majesté for founding figures of the state, and the senility of survivors result in muteness, the emergence of politics of forgetting and remembering that diminish the possibility of studying relations between the authoritarian secular state and its Muslim subjects. It is argued that the hegemony of emotions of fear of the state and insecurity have turned historical and ethnographic research on the subject matter into a difficult one. Based on a recently conducted large-scale oral history study in different parts of Turkey, this paper also analyzes the resistance, resilience, and silence of mass Muslim population towards diverse forms of state-sponsored authoritarian secular politics along with western and Turkish nationalist top-down regulations of the new regime.


− Studies of arm movement have suggested that the control of stiffness may be important for maintaining stability during interactions with the environment. Here we have examined the voluntary control of stiffness in the human jaw. The goal was to determine whether changes in jaw stiffness might be used to maintain jaw position in the face potentially destabilizing mechanical loads. A series of force pulses was applied to the jaw using a robotic device. The loads were designed to disrupt the ability of subjects to maintain a static jaw posture. In all cases, subjects increased the magnitude of jaw stiffness in order to maintain jaw position. A clear effect of the magnitude of the destabilizing load was observed — greater increases in stiffness were observed when larger forces were applied. Moreover, subjects were able to differentially modify stiffness in the direction of the destabilizing load in the case of loads in the vertical direction. The observed change in the relative magnitude of stiffness in different directions indicates some ability to control the pattern of stiffness of the jaw. The results indicate that jaw stiffness can be adjusted voluntarily, and thus may play a role in maintaining stability. Stiffness regulations may similarly provide a means to achieve the differential precision requirements of speech.


Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and nephropathy are two major complications of diabetes mellitus carrying significant morbidity and mortality. In this study DR was investigated in different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to find out possible association of these two devastating complications.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 150 diabetic patients having CKD in BIRDEM. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <60ml/min/1.73m2and/or urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) >30 mg/day in at least two occasions in 3 months apart. Retinopathy was assessed by direct fundoscopic examination and confirmed by color fundus photography. Severe DR (SDR) included proliferative diabetic retinopathy, severe non-proliferative DR and maculopathy; whereas microaneurysm regarded as non-severe retinopathy.Results: Majority (68%) of the respondents had some form of retinopathy (38.35% SDR and 29.65% nonsevere). There was strong association between different levels of albuminuria (UAER) and DR (p<0.0001). On the contrary DR did not correspond with stages of CKD (P=0.349). Hypertension (79.5%) and dyslipidaemia (59%) were common co-morbidities.Conclusion: This study concluded that DR prevalence was more in nephropathy along with significant association with UAER. Whereas different stages of CKD was not associated with stages of DR . This finding focused the necessity of regular retinal examination irrespective of the stage of renal involvement.Birdem Med J 2018; 8(3): 210-214


This proposal combines ethnographic techniques and discourse studies to investigating a collective of people engaged with audiovisual productions who collaborate in Curta Favela's workshops in Rio de Janeiro's favelas. 'Favela' is often translated simply as 'slum' or 'shantytown', but these terms connote negative characteristics such as shortage, poverty, and deprivation referring to favelas which end up stigmatizing these low income suburbs.
Curta Favela (Favela Shorts) is an independent project which all participants join to use photography and participatory audiovisual production as a tool for social change and raising consciousness. As cameras are not affordable for favelas dwellers, Curta Favela's volunteers teach favela residents how they can use their mobile phones and compact cameras to take pictures and make movies, and afterwards, how they can edit the data using free editing video software programs and publish it on the Internet. To record audio, they use their mp3 or mobile phones.
The main aim of this study is to shed light not only on how this project operates, but also to highlight how collective intelligence can be used as a way of fighting against the lack of basic resources.


Two distinct families of neuropeptides are known to endow platyhelminth nervous systems – the FMRFamide-like peptides (FLPs) and the neuropeptide Fs (NPFs). Flatworm FLPs are structurally simple, each 4–6 amino acids in length with a carboxy terminal aromatic-hydrophobic-Arg-Phe-amide motif. Thus far, four distinct flatworm FLPs have been characterized, with only one of these from a parasite. They have a widespread distribution within the central and peripheral nervous system of every flatworm examined, including neurones serving the attachment organs, the somatic musculature and the reproductive system. The only physiological role that has been identified for flatworm FLPs is myoexcitation. Flatworm NPFs are believed to be invertebrate homologues of the vertebrate neuropeptide Y (NPY) family of peptides. Flatworm NPFs are 36–39 amino acids in length and are characterized by a caboxy terminal GRPRFamide signature and conserved tyrosine residues at positions 10 and 17 from the carboxy terminal. Like FLPs, NPF occurs throughout flatworm nervous systems, although less is known about its biological role. While there is some evidence for a myoexcitatory action in cestodes and flukes, more compelling physiological data indicate that flatworm NPF inhibits cAMP levels in a manner that is characteristic of NPY action in vertebrates. The widespread expression of these neuropeptides in flatworm parasites highlights the potential of these signalling systems to yield new targets for novel anthelmintics. Although platyhelminth FLP and NPF receptors await identification, other molecules that play pivotal roles in neuropeptide signalling have been uncovered. These enzymes, involved in the biosynthesis and processing of flatworm neuropeptides, have recently been described and offer other distinct and attractive targets for therapeutic interference.


H-atom incorporation was studied for Mg-doped GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. H-atom incorporation was found to increase linearly with Mg concentration, suggesting the formation of simple complex between Mg and H atoms in GaN. Decrease of H-atom concentration was observed after thermal treatment in Ar, supporting the hypothesis that H-atom extraction plays an important role in obtaining low-resistivity p-type conduction.


As the animal moves in its environment, the brain detects and learns the structure of the surrounding stimuli, independently of the immediate relevance this has for the animal. This experience influences subsequent learning in a manner quantified using paradigms such as latent inhibition or stimulus preconditioning, which measure the effect that unsupervised (not-reinforced) learning has on subsequent reinforced learning. Despite our understanding of the behavioural consequences of prior neutral experience, there is little understanding about the influence of this previous experience on neuronal plasticity. Using latent inhibition, we have shown in mice that learning a two tone discrimination is slower in mice that have had previous neutral exposure to the same or similar tones (<2/3 octave away). Neutral exposure thus elicits profound changes in the brain that influence subsequent learning. To study how previous experience influences experience-dependent plasticity, and better understand the interactions between experience, learning, and plasticity, we recorded sound evoked responses in the auditory cortex of exposed and trained mice. We studied both changes in response magnitude and changes in sensory dynamics, and related both to the differential behavioral effects of different pre-exposure conditions. Here we describe the neuronal changes that paralleled the behavioral findings. We found that discrimination learning led to stronger initial sound-evoked responses and a long-lasting increase in response adaptation and an increase. The first effect was delayed in animals that showed latent inhibition, paralleling behavioural learning. Overall our data reveal that slow changes in behaviour that accompanied learning, paralleled the slow dynamics of experience-dependent plasticity in auditory cortex.


Financial data science and econometrics are highly complementary. They share an equivalent research process with the former's intellectual point of departure being statistical inference and the latter's being the data sets themselves. Two challenges arise, however, from digitalisation. First, the ever-increasing computational power allows researchers to experiment with an extremely large number of generated test subjects (i.e. p-hacking). We argue that p-hacking can be mitigated through adjustments for multiple hypothesis testing where appropriate. However, it can only truly be addressed via a strong focus on integrity (e.g. pre-registration, actual out-of-sample periods). Second, the extremely large number of observations available in big data set provides magnitudes of statistical power at which common statistical significance levels are barely relevant. This challenge can be addressed twofold. First, researchers can use more stringent statistical significance levels such as 0.1% and 0.5% instead of 1% and 5%, respectively. Second, and more importantly, researchers can use criteria such as economic significance, economic relevance and statistical relevance to assess the robustness of statistically significant coefficients. Especially statistical relevance seems crucial, as it appears far from impossible for an individual coefficient to be considered statistically significant when its actual statistical relevance (i.e. incremental explanatory power) is extremely small.


Mechanical cues from the environment influence cell behavior. Mechanisms of cellular mechanosensation are unclear, partially due to a lack of methods that can reveal dynamic processes. Here, we present a new concept for a low-cost, magnetically-driven device that enables high-magnification imaging of cells during stretch. Using this device, we observed that nuclei of mouse embryonic skin fibroblasts underwent rapid but divergent responses to strain magnitude, showing area increase and chromatin decompaction during 5% strain, but area decrease and chromatin condensation during 20% strain. Only responses to low strain were dependent on calcium, while actin inhibition abrogated any nuclear response and increased stretch-induced DNA damage. Stretch-activation revealed a shift in actin filaments away from (5% strain) or towards (20% strain) the nuclear periphery. Our findings suggest that different pathways control strain level-dependent cell behavior and that mechanical confinement of nuclei through actin may be a protective mechanism during high strain loads.


Background Methotrexate (MTX) is an anchor drug in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We previously performed a cross-sectional, observational study and reported an association between the gene expression level of the drug transporter ABCG2/BCRP (breast cancer resistance protein) and RA disease control in patients receiving MTX. Methods We designed a prospective study in two medical centers in Japan to confirm the association of ABCG2 gene expression level with the clinical response to MTX in MTX-naive patients with RA. The primary endpoint of this study was good response based on the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria by Disease Activity Score using 28-joint count (DAS28). We evaluated the association between the baseline expression of six genes involved in the intracellular pharmacokinetics of MTX, including ABCG2, as well as their temporal changes, and the clinical response at week 12 from the initiation of MTX. Results Based on the clinical response at 12 weeks after the initiation of MTX, a total of 24 patients were classified into the good responders (n = 9) and non-good responders (n = 15; 10 moderate responders and 5 non-responders) groups. A univariate logistic regression analysis of baseline gene expression levels for the prediction of the EULAR good response at week 12 showed a significant association with ABCG2 alone, and the rate of baseline expression of ABCG2 mRNA above the cut-off value determined by a receiver operating characteristic curve was higher in good responders than in non-good responders (p = 0.012). Moreover, ABCG2 expression decreased in almost all good responders, but not in non-good responders, after MTX treatment for 12 weeks (median -76% versus +41% from baseline, respectively; p = 0.011). The ABCG2 gene expression level did not correlate with DAS28 at baseline or at week 12, and neither did the rate of change in ABCG2 gene expression level. Conclusions We have confirmed the association between the gene expression level of the drug transporter ABCG2 and the clinical response to MTX in patients with RA.


Staphylococcus aureus represents a notorious opportunistic pathogen causing various infections in biofilm nature, imposing remarkable therapeutic challenges worldwide. The catabolite control protein A (CcpA), a major regulator of carbon catabolite repression (CCR), has been recognized to modulate S. aureus biofilm formation, while the underlying mechanism remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, the reduced biofilm was firstly determined in the ccpA deletion mutant of S. aureus clinical isolate XN108 using both crystal violet staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy. RNA-seq analysis suggested that sak-encoding staphylokinase (Sak) was significantly upregulated in the mutant ∆ccpA, which was further confirmed by RT-qPCR. Consistently, the induced Sak production correlated the elevated promoter activity of sak and increased secretion in the supernatants, as demonstrated by Psak-lacZ reporter fusion expression and chromogenic detection, respectively. Notably, electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that purified recombinant protein CcpA binds directly to the promoter region of sak, suggesting the direct negative control of sak expression by CcpA. Double isogenic deletion of ccpA and sak restored biofilm formation for mutant ∆ccpA, which could be diminished by trans-complemented sak. Furthermore, the exogenous addition of recombinant Sak inhibited biofilm formation for XN108 in a dose-dependent manner. Together, this study delineates a novel model of CcpA-controlled S. aureus biofilm through direct inhibition of sak expression, highlighting the multifaceted roles and multiple networks regulated by CcpA.


We study the generation of surface waves on water as a bifurcation phenomenon. For a critical wind-speed there appear traveling wave solutions. While linear waves do not transport mass (in the mean), nonlinear effects create a shear-flow and result in a net mass transport in the direction of the wind. We derive an asymptotic formula for the average tangential velocity along the free surface. Numerical investigations confirm the appearance of the shear-flow and yield results on the bifurcation picture.


This paper contains a theory of elimination and extension to compute varieties symbolically, based on using {\em coordinates} from $(\mathbf{P}^1(\bar{\mathbf{F}}))^n$ and disjoint {\em parts} of varieties (defined by both equality and inequality constraints), leading to a recursive algorithm to compute said varieties by extension at the level of {\em parts} of a variety. {\sc Macaulay2} code for this is included along with an example. This is a first step in the author's project of giving a purely algebraic theory of desingularization of function fields, in that that project relies heavily on using this type of coordinates for function field elements and on partitioning a set of valuations into disjoint sets similarly.


Five transplantable suspension lymphblastoid cell cultures from haematopoietic organs of baboons with malignant lymphoma were obtained, designated as KMPG-1, SPG-1, 2, 3, 4. The cells of these suspension cultures contain HVP virus belonging to herpes-type according to morphological (electron-microscopic) investigation, but differing from infectious viruses of this group and closely related to Epstein-Barr virus as evidenced by its characteristics. In conformity with the preliminary data the isolated HVP virus is oncogenic for M. arctoides monkeys.


Abstract Waist girth is recognised as a better predictor of obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, compared to other measures. Although several protocols for waist girth exist, arm position is either ignored, or not specified in unambiguous terms. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if arm position influenced anthropometric waist girth measurement. Waist girth was measured in 92 adults (19 males, 73 females) with arms relaxed, abducted, horizontal, folded across the chest (three variations) and raised vertically. Duplicate measures, in all positions, were recorded by a single International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK)-trained technician to a precision of 0.2% technical error of measurement (TEM). Arm position had a significant effect (P < 0.001) on waist girth. Male participants had greater waist girth than females (P < 0.001) and the waist girth differences across the varying arm positions exhibited a significant position-by-gender interaction (P < 0.001). The arm position-by-body mass index (BMI) category interaction was also significant (P = 0.016) with greater differences observed at higher BMI. These findings suggest caution in comparing results of different studies where arm position is not specified and indicate that the arm position corresponding to the ISAK protocol has the lowest error and is therefore recommended.


Radiological abnormalities are often seen at the pubic symphysis in rheumatic disorders. In a radiological study of 120 patients with rheumatic diseases osteitis pubis with erosive and sclerotic changes was a feature of ankylosing spondylitis. Irregularity and subluxation were not related to osteitis pubis or diagnostic group but were common in females and had a possible association with previous pregnancy.


The sonographic findings in nine cases of agenesis of the corpus callosum examined before and after birth are reported. Agenesis of the corpus callosum was suspected in utero due to a typical configuration of the lateral ventricles, which included enlargement of the atria and occipital horns and marked separation of the bodies. In three cases pregnancy was terminated because of severe associated anomalies. In the remaining six cases postnatal ultrasound examination allowed a certain diagnosis by demonstrating the abnormal configuration of the lateral ventricles, varying degrees of enlargement, and upward displacement of the third ventricle and absence of the corpus callosum.


In this study, streptozotocin-induced severely diabetic rats and streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced mildly diabetic rats were established to compare their characteristics and to investigate the hypoglycaemic effects of antidiabetic drugs. Results show that in streptozotocin-induced severely diabetic rats, the pancreatic insulin content decreased to approximately 10% of that in normal rats. These severely diabetic rats also exhibited marked hyperglycaemia and impaired glucose tolerance due to insulin secretory deficiency. In contrast, the pancreatic insulin content was approximately 50% of normal levels in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced mildly diabetic rats. These mildly diabetic rats exhibited moderate hyperglycaemia and impaired glucose tolerance due to loss of early-phase insulin secretion. Voglibose (alpha-glucosidase inhibitor), metformin (biguanide), glibenclamide (sulfonylurea), sitagliptin (dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor) and insulin significantly improved glucose tolerance in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced mildly diabetic rats. In contrast, in streptozotocin-induced severely diabetic rats, voglibose, metformin and insulin significantly improved glucose tolerance, but no significant effect was observed for glibenclamide and sitagliptin due to a decreased insulinotropic effect. These results suggest that streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced mildly diabetic rats, which exhibit a mild decline in glucose tolerance due to loss of early-phase insulin secretion, are sensitive to the hypoglycaemic effects of insulinotropic agents and have many pathological features resembling type 2 diabetes, which may be useful in the pharmacological investigation of numerous antidiabetic drugs.


In patients with heart failure (HF), the neuroendocrine systems of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) and the arginine vasopressin (AVP) system, are activated to various degrees producing often-observed tachycardia and concomitant increased systemic vascular resistance. Furthermore, sustained neurohormonal activation plays a key role in the progression of HF and may be responsible for the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the perpetuation of the pathophysiology and worsening of the HF signs and symptoms. There are biomarkers of activation of these neurohormonal pathways, such as the natriuretic peptides, catecholamine levels and neprilysin and various newer ones, which may be employed to better understand the mechanisms of HF drugs and also aid in defining the subgroups of patients who might benefit from specific therapies, irrespective of the degree of left ventricular dysfunction. These therapies are directed against these neurohumoral systems (neurohumoral antagonists) and classically comprise beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers and vaptans. Recently, the RAAS blockade has been refined by the introduction of the angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) sacubitril/valsartan, which combines the RAAS inhibition and neprilysin blocking, enhancing the actions of natriuretic peptides. All these issues relating to the neurohumoral activation in HF are herein reviewed, and the underlying mechanisms are pictorially illustrated.


Abstract The Indian Supreme Court has long enjoyed an almost mythic reputation for progressive and creative jurisprudence, but a series of recent scandals is beginning to erode this well-settled authority. One of the most troubling of these incidents has been an allegation of sexual harassment and intimidation by a Court staffer against then sitting Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi. This article draws on media analysis and ethnographic research conducted in the immediate aftermath of the "CJI Scandal" to explore what it means for judges and judging in contemporary India. I argue that the justices' response to the allegations are part of a broader shift in Indian judging. Far from being the product of an institution imbued with mythic qualities, judging in India is increasingly coming to represent an example of mythos, or "an assertive discourse of power and authority … something to be believed and obeyed."


The amplitude modulation waveforms of linearly polarized electromagnetic waves due to the scattering by slowly rotating metal plates are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The nature of the modulation waveform depends on the orientation and dimensions of the object, its rotation speed, and very strongly on the incident and receiving (or scattering) directions. For a rectangular metal plate rotating in its own plane, the modulation is independent of time in the specular and forward directions. Near the specular and forward directions the modulation waveform is a sinusoidal function having a frequency equal to twice the rotation frequency of the plate. Further away from these directions, the waveform is a sinc-pulse type repeating at twice the rotation frequency. Similar results are also discussed for a rotating skewed metal plate. The observed waveforms are found to be in good agreement with theoretical results.


Objective: To understand how maternal and child home-visiting programs are adapted, enhanced, and expanded to meet the unique needs of rural communities. Design: We explored factors shaping the role of home visiting with data from a 2013-2015 statewide evaluation of Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting–funded programs. Features unique to a rural experiences were mapped onto the Community Capitals Framework. Setting: Individual, semistructured interviews were conducted at 11 of 38 home-visiting sites across Pennsylvania. Participants: Program administrators, home visitors, and clients. Main Outcome Measure: Program adaptation. Results: Our analysis represents 150 interviews with 11 program sites serving 14 counties. We document how rural home-visiting programs address community-wide limitations to maternal and child health by adapting program content to better meet the needs of families in rural areas. Data demonstrate how rural home-visiting program's provision of economic and social services reach beyond maternal child health care, building the capacity of individual families and the broader community. Conclusions: Home-visiting programs should be viewed as a vehicle for improving community well-being beyond health outcomes. These programs have become an integral part of our public health framework and should be leveraged as such.


Abstract A lead borate with the composition Pb6B12O21(OH)6 was synthesized through a hydrothermal synthesis, using lead metaborate in combination with sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate. The compound crystallizes in the trigonal, non-centrosymmetric space group P32 (no. 145) with the lattice parameters a = 1176.0(4), c = 1333.0(4) pm, and V = 0.1596(2) nm3. Interestingly, the data of Pb6B12O21(OH)6 correct the structure of a literature known lead borate with the composition "Pb6B11O18(OH)9". For the latter compound, nearly identical lattice parameters of a = 1176.91(7) and c = 1333.62(12) pm were reported, possessing a crystal structure, in which the localization and refinement of one boron atom was obviously overlooked. The structure of Pb6B12O21(OH)6 is built up from trigonal planar BO3 and tetrahedral BO4 groups forming complex chains. The Pb2+ cations are located between neighboring polyborate chains. The here reported compound Pb6B12O21(OH)6 and "Pb6B11O18(OH)9" were, however, produced under different synthesis conditions. While "Pb6B11O18(OH)9" was synthesized via a hydrothermal synthesis including ethylenediamine and acetic acid, the here reported lead borate Pb6B12O21(OH)6 could be obtained under moderate hydrothermal conditions (240°C) without the addition of organic reagents.


The morphological analysis of blood smear slides by haematologists or haematopathologists is one of the diagnostic procedures available to evaluate the presence of acute leukaemia. This operation is a complex and costly process, and often lacks standardized accuracy owing to a variety of factors, including insufficient expertise and operator fatigue.

This research proposes an intelligent decision support system for automatic detection of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) using microscopic blood smear images to overcome the above barrier.

The work has four main key stages. (1) Firstly, a modified marker-controlled watershed algorithm integrated with the morphological operations is proposed for the segmentation of the membrane of the lymphocyte and lymphoblast cell images. The aim of this stage is to isolate a lymphocyte/lymphoblast cell membrane from touching and overlapping of red blood cells, platelets and artefacts of the microscopic peripheral blood smear sub-images. (2) Secondly, a novel clustering algorithm with stimulating discriminant measure (SDM) of both within- and between-cluster scatter variances is proposed to produce robust segmentation of the nucleus and cytoplasm of lymphocytic cell membranes. The SDM measures are used in conjunction with Genetic Algorithm for the clustering of nucleus, cytoplasm, and background regions. (3) Thirdly, a total of eighty features consisting of shape, texture, and colour information from the nucleus and cytoplasm of the identified lymphocyte/lymphoblast images are extracted. (4) Finally, the proposed feature optimisation algorithm, namely a variant of Bare-Bones Particle Swarm Optimisation (BBPSO), is presented to identify the most significant discriminative characteristics of the nucleus and cytoplasm segmented by the SDM-based clustering algorithm. The proposed BBPSO variant algorithm incorporates Cuckoo Search, Dragonfly Algorithm, BBPSO, and local and global random walk operations of uniform combination, and Levy flights to diversify the search and mitigate the premature convergence problem of the conventional BBPSO. In addition, it also employs subswarm concepts, self-adaptive parameters, and convergence degree monitoring mechanisms to enable fast convergence. The optimal feature subsets identified by the proposed algorithm are subsequently used for ALL detection and classification. The proposed system achieves the highest classification accuracy of 96.04% and significantly outperforms related meta-heuristic search methods and related research for ALL detection.


"Introduction: Mortality data from hospitalized patients reflect the causes of major illness and care seeking behaviour of the community as well as standard of care being provided. Record of vital events like death constitutes an important component of the health information system. This study was conducted to find out the causes of mortality of inpatients in tertiary care hospital admitted during 2007-2011.
Methodology: A retrospective analysis was conducted with medical record department in tertiary care hospital of Bhopal over a 5 years period. Death was classified using a standard system of ICD-10 (international classification of diseases).
Results: Total 1619 death more 24% (723) were in the group of 45 years and above followed by 16-30 years of age 21% (336). Males were more (56%) than females (44%). The leading cause of death in last five years was septicaemia (24%), followed by heart diseases (14.63%) and pulmonary tuberculosis (10.31%). Least common cause of mortality was poisoning 2.1% and cancer 2.4%.
Conclusion: Most common cause of overall mortality was septicaemia, cardiac and pulmonary disease. Steps are needed to be taken to educate the people and also to provide better treatment facilities at grass root level. An urgent reorientation of the health delivery system is required to enable the implementation of evidence-based strategies that can address this new challenge of non-communicable conditions.
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This article analyzes the historical data of two earthquakes that caused a strong impact in Bogota, occurred on July 12, 1785 and August 31, 1917. Besides the implications for seismic hazard in Bogota, these events are interesting because preliminary researches have located their epicenters in areas where there is no evidence of recent tectonic activity. The new historical documentary records found in this study contain data related to damage and effects in different towns, and were organized and analyzed to obtain intensity registers. The resulting intensity distribution, superimposed with the seismogenic sources, suggest new epicentral areas for these earthquakes.


"International labour migration involves 20 million workers from 'middle income' and 'Third World' countries. The article reviews both theoretical propositions and empirical evidence on its effects on regional disparities in labour exporting countries. It shows the variety of ways in which the departure of emigrants affects the uneven development of rural and urban areas there by changing the volume and nature of production as well as welfare conditions. Regional patterns of production and welfare are further modified by the impact of emigrants' remittances and their eventual return."


The vacuum–ultraviolet ~ VUV ! absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy of CF 2 X 2 (X 5 H, Cl, Br) in the range 190–690 nm is reported. Tunable vacuum–UV radiation in the range 8–22 eV from synchrotron sources at either Daresbury, U.K. or BESSY1, Germany is used to excite the titled molecules. Fluorescence excitation spectra, with undispersed detection of the fluorescence, were recorded at Daresbury with a resolution of 0.1 nm. VUV absorption spectra at a resolution of 0.08 nm, and dispersed emission spectra with an optical resolution of 8 nm were recorded at BESSY1. Action spectra, in which the VUV energy is scanned with detection of the fluorescence at a specific wavelength, were also recorded at BESSY1 with a resolution of 0.3 nm; appearance energies for production of a particular emitting state of a fragment are then obtained. Using the single-bunch mode of BESSY1, lifetimes of all emitting states that fall in the range ; 3–80 ns have been measured. The peaks in the VUV absorption spectra of CF 2 X 2 are assigned to Rydberg transitions. For CF 2 H 2 below 11 eV, there is good agreement between the absorption and the fluorescence excitation spectra, whereas above 11 eV and for the whole range 8–22 eV for CF 2 Cl 2 and CF 2 Br 2 there is little similarity. This suggests that photodissociation to emitting states of fragment species represent minor channels. In the range 8–15 eV, emission is due mainly to CF 2 A˜ 1 B 1 – X˜ 1 A 1 and weakly to CFX A˜ 1 A 9 2 X˜ 1 A 8 . These products form by photodissociation of Rydberg states of CF 2 X 2 , and the thresholds for their production, therefore, relate to energies of the Rydberg states of the parent molecule. For CF 2 H 2 below 11.18 eV CF 2 A˜ 1 B 1 can only form with H 2 , whereas for CF 2 Cl 2 and CF 2 Br 2 it is not possible to say whether the other products are 2X or X 2 . For energies above ; 15 eV, emission is due to diatomic fragments; CF B 2 D and A 2 S 1 , CCl A 2 D , CH B 2 S 2 and A 2 D , Cl 2 and Br 2 D 8 2 3 P g , and possibly CBr A 2 D . From their appearance energies, there is evidence that with the exception of CF B 2 D /CF 2 H 2 where the ground state of HF must form, the excited state of CF, CCl, or CH forms in association with three atoms. Our results yield no information whether the three bonds in CF 2 X 2 * break simultaneously or sequentially. We suggest that the anomalous behavior of CF 2 H 2 , in forming H–H or H–F bonds in unimolecular photofragmentation processes, relates to the small size of the hydrogen atom, and hence, the unimportance of steric effects in the tightly constrained transition state. In no cases is emission observed from excited states of either the CF 2 X free radical or the parent molecular ion, CF 2 X 2 1 .


data further on the basis of these phenotypes to better delineate the effect of arterial stiffness on the development of hypertension. Moreover, because reference values are available for aortic stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [CFPWV]), it would be interesting to know whether an abnormal baseline CFPWV in normotensive persons could predict the incidence of hypertension by phenotype. Aortic stiffness underlies isolated systolic hypertension and is also a major factor in the poor response of systolic blood pressure to antihypertensive drug treatment. Therefore it is of major clinical importance to explore these issues further to determine whether to incorporate CFPWV in future early prevention strategies.


Dysregulation of the innate immune system drives lung injury and its systemic sequelae due to breakdown of vascular barrier function, harmful hyperinflammation and microcirculatory failure, which contribute to the unfavourable outcome of patients with severe pneumonia. A variety of promising therapeutic targets have been identified and numerous innovative therapeutic approaches demonstrated to improve lung injury in experimental preclinical studies. However, at present specific preventive or curative strategies for the treatment of lung failure in pneumonia in addition to antibiotics are still missing. The aim of this mini-review is to give a short overview of some, but not all, adjuvant therapeutic strategies for pneumonia and its most important complications, sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, and briefly discuss future perspectives. A review of preclinical and clinical research on adjuvant therapies for pneumonia http://ow.ly/OeiN3


Cytoskeletal proteins belonging to the spectrin family have an elongated structure composed of repetitive units. The three-dimensional solution structure of the 16th repeat from chicken brain alpha-spectrin (R16) has been determined by NMR spectroscopy and distance geometry-simulated annealing calculations. We used a total of 1035 distance restraints, which included 719 NOE-based values obtained by applying the ambiguous restraints for iterative assignment (ARIA) method. In addition, we performed a direct refinement against 1H-chemical shifts. The final ensemble of 20 structures shows an average RMSD of 1.52 A from the mean for the backbone atoms, excluding loops and N and C termini. R16 is made up of three antiparallel alpha-helices separated by two loops, and folds into a left-handed coiled-coil. The basic unit of spectrin is an antiparallel heterodimer composed of two homologous chains, beta and alpha. These assemble a tetramer via a mechanism that relies on the completion of a single repeat by association of the partial repeats located at the C terminus of the beta-chain (two helices) and at the N terminus of the alpha-chain (one helix). This tetramer is the assemblage able to cross-link actin filaments. Model building by homology of the "tetramerization" repeat from human erythrocyte spectrin illuminates the possible role of point mutations which cause hemolytic anemias.


This paper on labour relations in the power-loom industry of the south Indian town Kumarapalayam (Salem district, Tamilnadu) explores the dynamics of this practice of 'ask ing for and giving baki', employers' advances to their labourers, which has now become a widespread custom within this capitalist, industrial and urban setting. The introduction of this practice is related to the manufacturer-employers' search for a stable, skilled and disciplined workforce, the entry of a non-traditional weaving caste (Vellalar Gounder) into this industry, and the exclusion of particular groups on the basis of caste, gender and skill. The effects of giving advances on labour relations and labour turnover, however, reveal the problematic nature of this practice. Although employers have undoubtedly attempted to reintroduce through debt a form of labour attachment within this small-scale power-loom industry, the effectiveness of this strategy is highly paradoxical as labourers continuously escape bonds by moving to other employers, factories and even towns. It is suggested that a study of the dynamics and dialectics of imposing bonds and escaping ties may further our understanding of how labour bondage and its contestation take shape in an urban, industrial context.