The rate performance of lithium-ion secondary batteries depends critically on the kinetic transport of Li within the anode material. Here we use first-principles theoretical calculations to study the diffusion of Li in the low-concentration limit, using model electrodes of crystalline and four-fold coordinated bulk amorphous silicon. We identify Li diffusion pathways that have relatively low energy barriers ( 1 nm) distances depends on the atomic-scale features of the silicon host. We find that both the energy barriers for diffusion and the topology of the atomic structure control the diffusion. We estimate the diffusion rate in amorphous Si anode to be comparable to the rate in crystalline Si anodes. These findings shed light on the wide range of reported experimental results for Li diffusion in Si anodes.


The theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles was recently confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle, by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. In his Nobel lecture, F. Englert gives an overview of this research which has led to the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2013 which he shared with Peter W. Higgs.


Infection of legumes by rhizobia may occur by immediate intercellular penetration of root cells (crack entry) as an alternative mode to the more elaborate infection through infection threads. The intercellular spreading mode of infection is exemplified through a comprehensive description of root infection by Bradyrhizobium and nodule organogenesis in Arachis hypogaea (groundnut). The role of axillary root hairs and the processes of plant penetration and intercellular spreading, of internalization and intracellular multiplication, and of bacteroid differentiation are described. Then flavonoids and phytoalexins, Nod factors, lectins, and surface poly(oligo)saccharides pass in review. The roles of these various (macro)molecules in the chemical communication between the two symbionts are discussed. Attention is given to special features of groundnut nodules; the presence and functions of oleosomes and other bodies, the presence and functions of nodule lectins, and the evidence for the export of amides from the nodules are discussed. Finally, a speculative model for the groundnut infection process is presented.


Objective of the research was to investigate the level, structure and
 variability of realized differences between average values of body condition
 scores in high-yielding cows during most critical phases of production cycle.
 Realized differences were used as criterion for assessment of changes
 occuring in the cows' energy status through the level of increase or decrease
 of body condition. Realized average values of body condition scores, for
 individual and all body regions, within all studied phases of production
 cycle, deviated statistically very significantly (p≤0,01) from target values.
 Differences between average values of body condition scores according to
 phases of production cycle, for individual and all body regions, were
 statistically very significant (p≤0,01). Optimum body condition in dry period
 was realized by 48,76% cows, at calving 53,61%, in the lactation peak 24,41%
 and in mid lactation 21,12%. Average value of body condition scores at
 calving was higher by 0,18 (-0,01 to 0,72) units compared to beginning of dry
 period, whereas at the lactation peak it was by -1,26 (-2,75 to - 0,41) units
 lower compared to calving, and in mid lactation compared to lactation peak it
 was higher by 0,18 (-0,94 to 0,85) units. Within the distribution of achieved
 differences in body condition scores in the time from the beginning of dry
 period to calving in 346 cows or 96,11% of total number of animals (n=360)
 increase of body condition score was realized ranging from ≤ 0,25 units.
 Distribution of differences in body condition scores between calving and
 lactation peak showed that 243 cows or 71,48% of total 340 cows realized loss
 of body condition score of >1,00 units. Within distribution of differences in
 body condition scores between the lactation peak and mid lactation, 261 cows
 or 81,06% of total number of scored animals (n=322) increased the body
 condition score in value of ≤ 0,25 units. Study showed that, except in the
 dry period, changes of the body condition during other phases of production
 cycle weren't within the limits of optimum values. Realized results clearly
 showed the possibility of incidence of various production disorders, health
 issues and reproduction problems. Consequences are reflected also on
 longevity, life production and genetic progress. Realzied differences in
 average values of body condition scoreswere important basis for anticipation
 of potential problems. In that regard, there are significant reserves in
 improvement of efficiency of management of body energy reserves in high
 yielding cows.


Gallbladder cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the biliary tract, and this condition has a rather dismal prognosis, with an extremely low five-year survival rate. To improve the outcome of unresectable and recurrent gallbladder cancer, it is necessary to develop new effective treatments and drugs. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of cordycepin on human gallbladder cells and uncover the molecular mechanisms responsible for these effects. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays revealed that cordycepin affected the viability and proliferation of human gallbladder cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis showed that cordycepin induced S phase arrest in human gallbladder cancer cell lines(NOZ and GBC-SD cells). Cordycepin-induced apoptosis was observed using an Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) double-staining assay, and the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, western blot analysis revealed the upregulation of cleaved-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-9, cleaved-PARP and Bax and the downregulation of Bcl-2, cyclin A and Cdk-2 in cordycepin-treated cells. Moreover, cordycepin inhibited tumor growth in nude mice bearing NOZ tumors. Our results indicate that this drug may represent an effective treatment for gallbladder carcinoma.


A comparison study of the Kuo and Grell cumulus parameterizations schemes (CPSs), was conducted using the Brazilian Regional Modeling System (BRAMS), for to evaluate this role in severe storms simulation. In this context, we analyzed a cold front case on Brazil south region, occurred on December 11, 2003. The experiments are identical, except from the CPSs difference: the SCKUO experiment uses the Kuo scheme and the SCGRELL experiment uses the Grell scheme. The evaluation of the simulated precipitation focuses on comparison of two aspects: Intensity and areal coverage. Also we analyzed the convective parameters simulation conceived to identify atmospheric environments favorable for the severe convection. The accumulated precipitation simulated from SCKUO underestimated the observed data, but better represented the areal coverage. The accumulated precipitation simulated from SCGRELL better represented the rain intensity, but overestimated the observed data. Therefore, the better option, for this convection case, is the Grell Parameterization. Both experiments simulated the convective parameters with good approximation, with emphasis in Grell scheme. This result showed that the mesoscale model is a useful tool in the identification of atmospheric environments favorable for the development of severe convective storms, with great CPSs contribution.


Root and foot diseases severely impede pea (Pisum sativum) cultivation worldwide, and therefore a valuable protein source and important crop in low-input farming systems. Breeding lines with resistance against individual pathogens exist, but these resistances are often overcome by the interaction of multiple pathogens in the field. Moreover, resistance depends on the interactions between the plant associated microbial community and the host, and there is increasing evidence for the existence of genetic variation in the regulation of plant–microbe interactions that can be exploited by plant breeders. In order to acknowledge the entire native soil microbiome as a key element of plant resistance we designed a resistance screening experiment on naturally infested field soil. In a first step, DNA from diseased roots and rhizosphere soil from infected plants was isolated. Sequencing of the fungal ITS region in the roots and rhizosphere showed the presence of several know pea pathogens along putative antagonists. Subsequently, 261 pea lines were grown under controlled conditions and evaluated after three weeks. Along significant genotypic differences, moderate to high heritabilities could be revealed for root rot resistance and growth performance traits. Relating different resistance traits allowed to distinguish between highly susceptible, tolerant and resistant lines and between resistance at different time points in plant development (i.e. emergence and young plant stage). The evaluation of a subset of pea lines on two field sites with moderate and high root-rot potential, respectively, confirmed the resistance ranking obtained under controlled conditions. Furthermore, we used quantitative real-time PCR targeting selected fungal pathogen species to show that the pathogen DNA detected in the roots differs among resistant and susceptible pea genotypes, respectively. Our results indicate the replicability and usefulness of naturally infested field soil based screening systems. Such systems will allow to pursue research on plant-microbiome interactions and on the role specific pathogen species or potential beneficial microbes play in plant disease resistance.


The incidence of early rejection after intestinal transplantation correlates with heightened risk of graft loss and mortality. Many different induction or pre‐conditioning protocols have been reported in the last 10 yr to improve outcomes; however, sepsis remains prevalent and diminishes long‐term results. We recently began a "2‐dose" alemtuzumab trial protocol – 15 mg at day 0 and 15 mg repeated on day 7 – with the hope of reducing our infection rate. We compared three different protocols used at our institution (daclizumab, conventional "4‐dose" alemtuzumab, and "2‐dose" alemtuzumab). There was a significantly lower rate of early rejection with the "2‐dose" alemtuzumab protocol in our study group of mainly (88%) intestinal grafts without accompanying liver engraftment with its protective immunologic effect. Sepsis remained low. Longer follow‐up will be required to evaluate the effects of this new protocol on longer‐term outcomes.


Deicer has been generally used for prevention of a road freezing in winter, and the usage amount is increasing every year. However, deicer may induce the decrease of bond strength, surface scaling, and environmental pollution. In this study, the field test was performed to investigate the deterioration of concrete road structures used for 17 years. And, the corrosion resistance characteristics were compared for the existing deicer and eco-friendly deicer. According to the field test results, the penetration depth of limit chloride amount was about 40mm, and the average concentration of chloride was at the surface of structures. On the contrary, the carbonation depth was slight. The penetration depth of eco-friendly deicer was less than the existing deicer, and the corrosion resistance of eco-friendly deicer was higher.


In this paper, we present an interest point detector and descriptor for 3D point clouds and depth images, coined SURE, and use it for recognizing semantically distinct places in indoor environments. We propose an interest operator that selects distinctive points on surfaces by measuring the variation in surface orientation based on surface normals in the local vicinity of a point. Furthermore, we design a view-poseinvariant descriptor that captures local surface properties and incorporates colored texture information. In experiments, we compare our approach to a state-of-the-art feature detector in depth images (NARF). Our descriptor achieves superior results for matching interest points between images and also requires lower computation time. Finally, we evaluate the use of SURE features for recognizing places.


Objective: Churna is similar to powder formulations available in allopathic system of medicine. In the present work, a Churna called Surya Shakti Churna was procured from the market. The main objective of the present work is to screen the phytochemical constituents present in the selected Churna and to detect the heavy metals and trace elements in the same. Method: Chemical test was performed for the screening of phytochemical constituents and atomic absorption spectroscopy was performed for the detection of heavy metals and trace elements. Result: The Churna contains alkaloids, Glycosides, Terpenoids, Flavonoids, Saponins and the test for other constituents reported negative. The heavy metal content and trace elements present in the Churna was found to be within the limits. Conclusion: From the results, the churna was standardized and its quality has been ensured for safety and efficacy.


In the first stasimon of Trachiniae, l. 526 there is an issue related to textual criticism which has not been solved yet. It is hard to understand the term μάτηρ noted in manuscripts, hence this fact leads to various assumptions. The most relevant was made by Zielinski, noting θατήρ. The interpretation given to Zielinski's assumption causes several difficulties as it takes into account how the Chorus is depicted in the plot. This paper supports Zielinski's assumption as it shows how it is related with a relevant source of information about the past events of women such as the iconography.


The molecular structure of the title complex, [Ni2(C11H13NO3)2]·CH3OH, contains two NiII atoms and two doubly deprotonated 6-methoxy-2-{[(3-oxidopropyl)imino]methyl}phenolate ligands. The NiII atoms are each four-coordinated in a distorted square-planar geometry by three O atoms and one N atom derived from the phenolate ligands. The solvent molecule is linked to the complex molecule by two O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.


The ratio of the donor and acceptor components in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells is a key parameter for achieving optimal power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, it has been recently found that a few BHJ blends have compositional tolerance and achieve high performance in a wide range of donor to acceptor ratios. For instance, the X2:PC61BM system, where X2 is a molecular donor of intermediate dimensions, exhibits a PCE of 6.6%. Its PCE is relatively insensitive to the blend ratio over the range from 7:3 to 4:6. The effect of blend ratio of X2/PC61BM on morphology and device performance is therefore systematically investigated by using the structural characterization techniques of energy‐filtered transmission energy microscopy (EF‐TEM), resonant soft X‐ray scattering (R‐SoXS) and grazing incidence wide angle X‐ray scattering (GIWAXS). Changes in blend ratio do not lead to obvious differences in morphology, as revealed by R‐SoXS and EF‐TEM. Rather, there is a smooth evolution of a connected structure with decreasing domain spacing from 8:2 to 6:4 blend ratios. Domain spacing remains constant from 6:4 to 4:6 blend ratios, which suggests the presence of continuous phases with proper domain size that may provide access for charge carriers to reach their corresponding electrodes.


Abstract In turbulent times of crisis the variability of both EBIT and operating revenue increase in comparison to a relatively stable post crisis period. The main aim of this paper is to investigate this relationship across these two periods. The hypothesis is that the degree of operating leverage (DOL) is significantly higher during the crisis period (2007-2010) than in the post-crisis period (2011-2015). Additionally the authors checked whether there were significant differences across defined industries and also verified whether all industries had responded in the same way to Financial Crisis as far as DOL is concerned. The main findings are: (a) The Financial Crisis of the years 2008‑2009 significantly influenced the DOL of Polish stock companies; (b) There are substantial differences of the DOL across industries; (c) The DOL in the case of all industries investigated changed in the same direction when comparing two selected subperiods.


This paper examined the boundary discord between Ethiopia and Eritrea over the region around Badme which started as a result of artificial boundaries created by the Italian imperialists. The study depicts the evolution of Italian colonialism in Ethiopia between 1936 and 1941. It exposes the differentials existing between the Muslim lowlanders and Christian highlanders. This paper further showcased the activities of armed resistance movements that emerged such as Eritrean Liberation Front (EFL) and Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The paper discussed the root causes of the war, unlawful expulsion and destruction of houses of Eritreans. The paper concluded with the quest for peace to bring an end to the border discord between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Keywords: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Border Politics, Colonialism, Conflict Resolution


Background: Patients with schizophrenia show abnormal spontaneous oscillatory activity in scalp-level electroencephalographic (EEG) responses across multiple frequency bands. While oscillations play an essential role in the transmission of information across neural networks, few studies have assessed the frequency-specific dynamics across cortical source networks at rest. Identification of the neural sources and their dynamic interactions may improve our understanding of core pathophysiologic abnormalities associated with the neuropsychiatric disorders. Methods: A novel multivector autoregressive modeling approach for assessing effective connectivity among cortical sources was developed and applied to resting-state EEG recordings obtained from n = 139 schizophrenia patients and n = 126 healthy comparison subjects. Results: Two primary abnormalities in resting-state networks were detected in schizophrenia patients. The first network involved the middle frontal and fusiform gyri and a region near the calcarine sulcus. The second network involved the cingulate gyrus and the Rolandic operculum (a region that includes the auditory cortex). Conclusions: Schizophrenia patients show widespread patterns of hyper-connectivity across a distributed network of the frontal, temporal, and occipital brain regions. Results highlight a novel approach for characterizing alterations in connectivity in the neuropsychiatric patient populations. Further mechanistic characterization of network functioning is needed to clarify the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases.


A patient with a 3 by 4 cm ulcerated lesion on the nose and upper lip in whom previous antibiotics and antifungal treatments for a "mixed infection" were of no avail is presented. Her history revealed that she has had pulmonary and pharyngeal tuberculosis and subsequently scrofuloderma of cervical lymph nodes. She eventually responded well to isoniazid, rifampin, and pyridoxine therapy.


The problem of microscopic nuclear structure theory in large single particle basis systems is reviewed. Several approaches are discussed, which attempt to approximate the large model spaces numerically inaccessible in complete shell model expansions of the nuclear wavefunctions. All of them use symmetry projected Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov quasiparticle configurations as basic building blocks of the theory. They differ, however, in the degree of sophistication of the variational procedures which are used to determine the corresponding mean fields as well as the configuration mixing, up to a level, on which the construction of the configuration space itself is entirely left to the dynamics of the considered system. The mathematical formalism underlying these models is briefly summarised and the steps towards a numerical realisation are discussed. In several examples the possibilities and the power of the models are demonstrated and their limitations are shown. The models may provide a powerful tool for the analysis of experimental data as well as for predictions in still unexplored regions. On the other hand they may lead to a much better theoretical understanding of effective nuclear interactions as well as the underlying fundamental forces.


In this paper, we propose an optimization framework to design a network of positive linear systems whose structure switches according to a Markov process. The optimization framework herein proposed allows the network designer to optimize the coupling elements of a directed network, as well as the dynamics of the nodes in order to maximize the stabilization rate of the network and/or the disturbance rejection against an exogenous input. The cost of implementing a particular network is modeled using polynomial cost functions, which allow for a wide variety of modeling options. In this context, we show that the cost-optimal network design can be efficiently found using geometric programming in polynomial time. We illustrate our results with a practical problem in network epidemiology, namely, the cost-optimal stabilization of the spread of a disease over a time-varying contact network.


OBJECTIVE
Pain is one of the most frequent physical complaints worldwide. Empirical data on the prevalence of chronic pain is considerable. However, compared with the large number of epidemiological studies published in North America, Great Britain and particularly in Scandinavia, there has been relatively little equivalent research in Germany to date.

METHODS
In two separate population-based cross-sectional studies conducted in 1975 (n=1.597, 18-60 years) and 1994 (n=2.148, 18-60 years) using the Giessen Subjective Complaints List (Giessener Beschwerdebogen GBB), data was collected on current pain in various parts of the body (limbs, back, neck, head, stomach).

RESULTS
The frequency scores for pain varied according to localization between 32.4% (stomach pains 1975) and 67.3% (headaches 1994). Between the two measurement dates there was an increase in overall prevalence particularly for pains in the neck, head and limbs. At the same time we found a decrease in the proportion of severe pain symptoms. There were also considerable variations in pain experience according to age and gender: the frequency of pain increases with age (especially in limbs, back and neck). Women register more pain than men (particularly in head and neck), although the influence of gender decreases from 1975 to 1994. There are other sociodemographic variables like marital status, educational level, occupation or living in East/West Germany which influence the pain prevalence.

CONCLUSIONS
Pain in differing parts of the body is a serious problem in the German population. However, the prevalence of pain is strongly dependent on sociodemographic factors (especially age, gender and living in East/West Germany), the localization of pain in the body and the grading of pain. Future epidemiological research should take these differential aspects into account.


At any given moment, we experience a perceptual scene as a single whole and yet we may distinguish a variety of objects within it. This characteristic of perception instantiates two general properties of phenomenological experience: integration and differentiation. While integration is the property of experiencing a collection of objects as a unitary percept, differentiation is the property of experiencing these objects as different percepts. Little is known about how these two phenomenological properties are dynamically indexed by the brain in terms of information processing. Here we evaluated the dynamics of neural information underlying phenomenological integration and differentiation in bistable perception. Participants listened to auditory bistable stimuli, a sequence of tones experienced either as a –single– integrated percept (phenomenological integration) or as two –parallel– differentiated percepts (phenomenological differentiation). We computed neurophysiological indices of information integration and information differentiation with electroencephalographic and direct cortical recordings in human participants. We focused specifically on the gamma-band dynamics within the frontoparietal network, commonly implicated in conscious processing. In electrical recordings at the scalp and intracranially, the phenomenologically integrated percept generated an increase in neural information integration and a decrease in differentiation between frontal and parietal regions, whereas the opposite pattern was observed for the phenomenologically differentiated percept. This effect was not observed in the auditory control task. Furthermore, this dissociation was not observed when computing traditional measures of neural oscillatory integration (phase synchronization) within the same frontoparietal network and frequency range. However, this frontoparietal phase synchrony was able to distinguish between a stable perceptual window and the transitional period between the two percepts. These theoretically-motivated neural indices of information dynamics dissociated phenomenological integration and differentiation that indices of oscillatory dynamics did not. By incorporating theoretically motivated measures of information theory in the characterization of perceptual content, we contribute to the construction of a testable framework to investigate the neuroscience of conscious experience.


With the passing of the survivors of the Holocaust and the aging of the second generation, new agents and initiatives are transforming the commemorative landscape of Holocaust remembrance. This article examines the impact of this generational transition on the production of collective memory of the Holocaust with focus on a new remembrance project in Israel, known as Memory in the Living Room. While some attention has been paid to its innovative structure and anti-paradigmatic components, none has focused on its agents and their mnemonic agenda. This paper argues that an examination of this agenda and an exploration of the wider structural contexts within which it developed are crucial to a deeper understanding of its overall significance. Based on 20 in-depth interviews the article argues that the emergent commemorative agenda is a hybrid version of transnational memory informed by concepts and practices drawn from a global digitalized culture.


1 Scope of the Chapter This chapter is concerned with two techniques – correlation analysis and regression modelling – both of which are concerned with determining the interrelationships among two or more variables. Other chapters of the NAG Fortran Library which cover similar problems are Chapters E02 and E04. Chapter E02 routines may be used to fit linear models by criteria other than least-squares, and also for polynomial regression; Chapter E04 routines may be used to fit nonlinear models and linearly constrained linear models. 2 Background to the Problems 2.1 Correlation 2.1.1 Aims of correlation analysis Correlation analysis provides a single summary statistic – the correlation coefficient – describing the strength of the association between two variables. The most common types of association which are investigated by correlation analysis are linear relationships, and there are a number of forms of linear correlation coefficients for use with different types of data. 2.1.2 Correlation coefficients The (Pearson) product-moment correlation coefficients measure a linear relationship, while Kendall's tau and Spearman's rank order correlation coefficients measure monotonicity only. All three coefficients range from À1:0 to þ1:0. A coefficient of zero always indicates that no linear relationship exists; a þ1:0 coefficient implies a 'perfect' positive relationship (i.e., an increase in one variable is always associated with a corresponding increase in the other variable); and a coefficient of À1:0 indicates a 'perfect' negative relationship (i.e., an increase in one variable is always associated with a corresponding decrease in the other variable). Consider the bivariate scattergrams in Figure 1: (a) and (b) show strictly linear functions for which the values of the product-moment correlation coefficient, and (since a linear function is also monotonic) both Kendall's tau and Spearman's rank order coefficients, would be þ1:0 and À1:0 respectively. However, though the relationships in figures (c) and (d) are respectively monotonically increasing and monotonically decreasing, for which both Kendall's and Spearman's non-parametric coefficients would be þ1:0 (in (c)) and À1:0 (in (d)), the functions are nonlinear so that the product-moment coefficients would not take such 'perfect' extreme values. There is no obvious relationship between the variables in figure (e), so all three coefficients would assume values close to zero, while in figure (f) though there is an obvious parabolic relationship between the two variables, it would not be detected by any of the correlation coefficients which would again take values near to zero; it is important therefore to examine …


We propose PeTra, a memory-augmented neural network designed to track entities in its memory slots. PeTra is trained using sparse annotation from the GAP pronoun resolution dataset and outperforms a prior memory model on the task while using a simpler architecture. We empirically compare key modeling choices, finding that we can simplify several aspects of the design of the memory module while retaining strong performance. To measure the people tracking capability of memory models, we (a) propose a new diagnostic evaluation based on counting the number of unique entities in text, and (b) conduct a small scale human evaluation to compare evidence of people tracking in the memory logs of PeTra relative to a previous approach. PeTra is highly effective in both evaluations, demonstrating its ability to track people in its memory despite being trained with limited annotation.


At the Westinghouse Research Laboratories we have recently re‐examined four questions which scientists have asked many times: (1) What does a corporation expect of a central research and development activity?; (2) Why carry out basic research in industry?; (3) Are scientific objectives and the profit motive compatible?; (4) What support should management provide the research scientist? The answers to these questions are important to us because they are important to our scientists. We have sought, therefore, to ask ourselves these and similar questions as directly as the scientists themselves would put them and then to seek answers in language just as understandable.


Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) expressing the dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) or D2 receptor (D2R) are a major component of the striatum. In the ventral striatum, D1R-MSNs are involved in rewarding behavior, while D2R-MSNs are involved in aversive behavior. Stimulation of D1R activates protein kinase A (PKA) through Golf to increase neuronal activity, while D2R stimulation inhibits PKA through Gi. In addition to dopamine, adenosine signals also regulate MSNs. The adenosine A2a receptor (A2aR) coupled to Golf is highly and selectively expressed in D2R-MSNs. However, how dopamine and adenosine co-operatively regulate PKA activity remains largely unknown. Here, we measured Rap1gap S563 phosphorylation to monitor PKA activity and examined dopamine and adenosine signals in MSNs. We found that a D1R agonist increased Rap1gap phosphorylation in striatal slices and in D1R-MSNs in vivo. The A2aR agonist CGS21680 increased Rap1gap phosphorylation, and pretreatment with the D2R agonist quinpirole blocked this effect in striatal slices. The A2aR agonist showed minimal effects on Rap1gap phosphorylation in vivo, whereas the D2R antagonist eticlopride increased Rap1gap phosphorylation in D2R-MSNs, and pretreatment with the A2aR antagonist SCH58261 blocked this effect. These results suggest that adenosine positively regulates PKA activity in D2R-MSNs through A2aR, but this effect is blocked by dopamine in basal conditions in vivo. Computational model analysis revealed that the balance between dopamine and adenosine signals regulates Rap1gap phosphorylation in D2R-MSNs. Because adenosine levels are relatively stable in the striatum, a shift from D1R-MSNs to D2R-MSNs or the inverse effect appears to depend on a decrease or increase in dopamine concentration.


ABSTRACT Background Knowing which theoretical constructs work best to design effective interventions is essential for populations with increased disease burden. African American women (AAW) experience a greater prevalence of chronic diseases and fewer benefits from weight loss interventions compared to White women. Purpose To examine how theoretical constructs were associated with lifestyle behaviors and weight outcomes in the Better Me Within (BMW) Randomized Trial. Methods BMW used a tailored diabetes prevention program implemented in churches among AAW with BMI ≥ 25. Regression models assessed relationships between constructs (self-efficacy, social support, and motivation), and outcomes (physical activity (PA), calories, and weight). Results Among 221 AAW, mean (SD) age 48.8 years (11.2); mean weight 215.1 pounds (50.5), several significant relationships were found including an association between change in motivation for activity and change in PA (p = <0.01), and weight loss self-efficacy and weight at follow-up (p = <0.01). Discussion The clearest relationships emerged for PA with motivation for activity and weight management social support demonstrating significance in all models. Translation to Health Education Practice Self-efficacy, motivation, and social support show promise to promote changes in PA and weight among church-going AAW. Opportunities to keep engaging AAW in research are essential for eliminating health inequities in this population.


Aurora kinases are required for orderly progression of cells through mitosis. Inhibition of these kinases by siRNA or a small molecule inhibitors results in aberrant endoreduplication and cell death. SCH 1473759 is a novel Aurora inhibitor with potent mechanism based cell activity. The compound is active against a large panel of tumor cell lines from different tissue origin and genetic backgrounds. We found that asynchronous cells require 24 hour exposure to SCH 1473759 to induce maximal endoreduplication and cell kill. However, following a taxane or KSP inhibitor mitotic arrest, less than 4-hour exposure was sufficient to induce endoreduplication. This finding correlated with the ability of SCH 1473759 to accelerate exit from mitosis in response to taxane and KSP induced arrest, but not that of a nocodazole arrest. SCH 1473759 demonstrated single agent biomarker and anti-tumor activity in A2780 ovarian xenograft models. Further, efficacy was enhanced in combination with taxotere and found to be most efficacious when SCH 1473759 was dosed 12-hours post taxotere. These findings could have clinical implications for the development of Aurora inhibitors. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1648.


Deregulated RAS signaling plays an important role in the molecular pathogenesis of myeloid leukemias, and strategies which target RAS signaling pathways are therapeutically promising. Inhibition of RAS post-translational modification (e.g. by farnesyltransferase inhibitors = FTIs) is one strategy to impede oncogenic RAS function in vivo and FTIs are currently being tested in clinical trials in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this study, we tested the anti-leukemia effects of FTI L-778,123 in myeloid leukemia cell lines (HL-60, Kasumi-1, K562) and primary myeloid leukemia cells (n=6). FTI L-778,123 substantially inhibited myeloid leukemia cell proliferation as quantified by MTS assays with IC50 values ranging from 0.2 μM–1.8 μM for cell lines and 0.1 μM–161.8 μM in primary samples. Inhibition of HL-60 (FAB M2) cell proliferation was found to be caused by cell cycle arrest at the G1/S interface as demonstrated by FACS analysis of propidium iodide stained cells. We observed no induction of apoptosis in L-778,123-treated HL-60 cells as quantified by FACS analysis following annexin-V incubation. In contrast, L-778,123 induced a G2M blockade followed by apoptosis in NB-4 (FAB M3) cells. Western blotting demonstrated that blockade of RAS protein prenylation by L-778,123 was both time- and concentration-dependent. H-RAS prenylation in HL-60 cells was almost completely inhibited within 12 hours of treatment with 0.1, 0.5 or 1 μM L-778,123, and by 6 hours with 5 μM of the drug. N-RAS prenylation was strongly inhibited within 3 hours with all four FTI concentrations. Interestingly, an accumulation of unprocessed N-RAS protein was observed after 6 hours of FTI treatment. K-RAS prenylation was only partially blocked after 48 hours incubation with 10 to 20 μM of the drug. This finding probably reflects the 10–20-fold higher affinity of K-RAS for farnesyltransferase, as compared to the other RAS isoforms. Western blotting and FACS analysis showed that L-778,123 also inhibited phosphorylation of MEK-1/2 and MAPK-1/2, down-stream components of the RAS-to-MAPK signaling cascade. Treatment of HL-60 cells with L-778,123 (5 μM, 24 hours) led to approximately 40–50% lower levels of intracellular phosphorylated MEK-1/2. Similarly, L-778,123 treatment caused both time- and concentration-dependent reduction of activated, diphosphorylated MAPK-1/2 levels. Higher L-778,123 concentrations (0.5, 1 and 5 μM) potently decreased diphosphorylated MAPK-1/2 levels within 6 to 12 hours, while a lower drug concentration (0.1 μM) elicited similar effects after 36 to 48 hours. In summary, our data demonstrate that L-778,123 inhibits multiple components of the RASto-MAPK signaling cascade and exhibits impressive activity against myeloid leukemia cell proliferation. Interestingly, L-778,123 displayed differential cell cycle effects in two different myeloid leukemia cell lines (namely, G1 arrest in HL-60 and G2M arrest in NB-4), indicating that this drug may employ leukemia-sub-type-specific activities.


This study determined the effect of comprehensive health education programme on the home management of malaria in under fives by caregivers in Ede North Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. The study design was a quasi-experimental Pre and Post study, which was carried out in three phases. Samples were selected by multistage random sampling technique in the North and South axis of the local government. Results revealed that the respondents had good knowledge of how malaria was transmitted- 75.8% in the experimental group and 73.3% in the control group. Their knowledge about the indirect causes of malaria was poor- 39.2% in experimental group and 41.7% in control group respectively. Knowledge scores on signs and symptoms of malaria were fair as 73.3% in experimental group and 83.3% in control group were able to mention between three and four signs of malaria fever in children. However, the respondents had poor knowledge of prevention of malaria. Although the level of awareness of insecticide treated net (ITN) was fair, 60.8% and 47.5% in experimental and control groups respectively, majority of the respondents in the two groups did not know when to re-treat the ITNs. As regards treatment practices, the respondents in both groups used both modern and traditional methods. The most frequently used modern drug was chloroquine, but they had poor knowledge of the dose and duration of its treatment regimen as only 15.3% in the experimental group and 23.7% in the control group got the correct dose prior to intervention. After the health education intervention, the experimental group became (a) more knowledgeable about the direct and indirect causes of malaria (b) more knowledgeable about signs and symptoms and prevention of malaria (c) more aware of ITN and its treatment (d) more knowledgeable about the dose and regimen of chloroquine drug and (e) had a better attitude towards the management of malaria. The study recommended the need for health care providers to utilize all possible interaction between caregivers and health facilities as an avenue for increasing the level of awareness to the treatment of malaria especially in the vunerable age group. Keywords : malaria, health education, caregivers, under-fives Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 49(4) 2006: 72-81


Fresh ejaculates of bonnet monkeys were separated into fractions rich with highly motile and sluggishly motile spermatozoa. The motility, ability to fertilize zona-free hamster eggs, and distribution of testosterone-binding sites on spermatozoa were assessed to determine the relation between these sperm functions. Two parameters of objective assessment of motility--velocity and degree of flagellar bending--were significantly correlated with the ability to form pronuclei in zona-free hamster eggs. Only spermatozoa with good motility could form pronuclei, which might be important for assessment of the fertilizing ability. The motility was directly related to the distribution of testosterone-binding sites; the fraction having mostly motile spermatozoa was distributed over the sperm surface. The technique is simple and may be used to evaluate semen of nonhuman primates.


The baited hoop-net is one of the most heavily used sampling tools for monitoring freshwater turtle populations. In the past several years, we have published a series of studies that tested potential biases associated with this sampling method. For this paper, we used a new experiment to directly test the influence of trap-mouth opening size on both captures and escapes. We also summarized the results from previous studies to direct future research on this topic and provide a useful guide for managers and researchers using this sampling device. In our experiment during May 2013 in Texas, USA, we found that traps with larger mouth-openings were more efficient at capturing turtles, while escapes were minimal for both mouth sizes. Thus, at least within the boundaries we tested here, increasing mouth-opening size is an effective way to increase captures without introducing biases caused by differential escape probabilities. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.


Preface Dorothy Fragaszy and Susan Perry 1. Towards a biology of traditions Dorothy Fragaszy and Susan Perry 2. What the models say about social learning Kevin N. Laland and Jeremy R. Kendal 3. Relative brain size and the distribution of innovation and social learning across the non-human primates Simon M. Reader 4. Social learning about food in birds Louis Lefebvre and Julie Bouchard 5. The cue reliability approach to social transmission: designing tests for adaptive traditions Gwen Dewar 6. 'Traditional' foraging behaviors of Brown and Black rats (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus) Bennett G. Galef Jr. 7. Food for thought: social learning and feeding behavior in Capuchin monkeys: insights from the laboratory Elisabetta Visalberghi and Elsa Addessi 8. Traditions in mammalian and avian vocal communication Vincent M. Janik and Peter J. B. Slater 9. Like mother, like calf: the ontogeny of foraging traditions in wild Indian Ocean Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) Janet Mann and Brooke Sargeant 10. Biological and ecological foundations of primate behavioral tradition Michael A. Huffman and Satoshi Hirata 11. Local traditions in orangutans and chimpanzees: social learning and social tolerance Carel P. van Schaik 12. Developmental perspectives on Great Ape tradition Anne E. Russon 13. Skilled foraging actions by Brown Capuchins in Suriname: are these socially supported and transmitted behaviors? Sue Boinski, Robert P. Quatrone, Karen Sughrue, Lara Selvaggi, MaLinda Henry, Claudia M. Stickler and Lisa M. Rose 14. Traditions in wild White-faced Capuchin monkeys Susan Perry, Melissa Panger, Lisa Rose, Mary Baker, Julie Gros-Louis, Katherine Jack, Katherine C. MacKinnon, Joseph Manson, Linda Fedigan and Kendra Pyle 15. Conclusions and research agendas Susan Perry Further reading Index.


This thesis presents the synthesis, coating and characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) with properties especially designed for the ultimate simultaneous MRI detection and hyperthermia treatment of lymph node metastases, a combination called theranostics. This demanding aim requires to fulfill two different challenges at the same time: (i) synthesis of IONPs with exceptional properties for MRI and hyperthermia obtained with a synthesis method transferable to manufacturing facilities, and (ii) coating of IONPs with molecules, which simultaneously allow their dispersion and ideally have higher affinity to lymph node metastases than to other tissues. We therefore developed a novel simple aqueous method to synthesize IONPs by combining the standard co-precipitation method with a hydrothermal treatment. We studied the influence of the synthesis parameters, especially the hydrothermal treatment duration, on the IONPs' size, morphology, structure, crystallinity, as well as their magnetic, relaxometric and heating properties. As a result, we were able to control simultaneously the studied properties and to obtain IONPs with optimal properties for both MRI and hyperthermia. Subsequently, IONPs were coated in aqueous conditions with nine different molecules considered as biocompatible and non-toxic. In order to preserve the high relaxometric and heating properties of IONPs, we used small molecules to reduce the coating to a minimum. In that case, dispersion of IONPs with the chosen molecules were obtained by electrostatic stabilization. One of the major constraints was to obtain coated IONPs with hydrodynamic diameters smaller than 100 nm and with negative surface charges, both needed to access and be retained in the lymphatic system that is required for the targeting of lymph node metastases. In order to avoid to further enlarge the coating, we also used the available active groups of the coating molecules to target lymph node metastatic cells. In order to confirm the possibility to target such cells, we investigated the uptake of coated IONPs in four tumor cell lines from different cancer stages. Finally, the platform with optimal properties necessary for the targeting, detection and treatment of lymph node metastases was found to be IONPs coated with folic acid or adenosine triphosphate, which are targeting the prostate specific membrane antigen receptors or the highly metabolic nature of tumor cells, respectively. In the last part of this thesis, the interaction of IONPs with blood and lymph, especially the formation of the protein corona around IONPs, was investigated. Our study took into account the complex environment, which IONPs are subjected to in vivo. So far unconsidered in vitro conditions were examined, such as the dynamic variations of the flow or the transition of IONPs from one body fluid to the other.


Communication is the basis of the development of civilization, and advances in communication techniques are both a cause and an effect of developments in science and technology. Probably something similar also applies in the humanities, whereas the arts in themselves represent significant forms of communication. The Industrial Revolution was itself certainly expedited by developments in communication technology, and progress since has been similarly conditioned. The rate at which communications technology can be advanced both from the point of view of techniques and of related hardware will certainly constitute a major factor in the continuing progress of the so‐called developed countries and of the rate at which the developing countries progress. Such advances also impact directly on the standards of living of the communities concerned, but at the same time introduce increasing complexities into the everyday lives of the communities, their social structure and everyday work, and many, if not most, of the problems that arise in this complex social structure stem from failures of communication. An industrial dispute is certainly nothing more than a failure of communication between the parties concerned, and the speed with which differences can be settled is dependent, materially, on the speed and level at which communication can be re‐established. Of course the technology of communication is an important factor—such as the radio, telephone and written communication but these are only a concomitant to the realization that good communication means good human relations.


In 1857, an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 occurred on the San Andreas fault, starting at Parkfield and rupturing
in a southeasterly direction for more than 360 km. Such a unilateral rupture produces significant directivity
toward the San Fernando and Los Angeles basins. The strong shaking in the basins due to this earthquake
would have had significant long-period content (2-8 s), and the objective of this study is to quantify the impact
of such an earthquake on two 18-story steel moment frame building models, hypothetically located at 636 sites
on a 3.5 km grid in southern California. End-to-end simulations include modeling the source and rupture of a
fault at one end, numerically propagating the seismic waves through the earth structure, simulating the damage
to engineered structures and estimating the economic impact at the other end using high-performance computing.
In this prototype study, we use an inferred finite source model of the magnitude 7.9, 2002 Denali fault
earthquake in Alaska, and map it onto the San Andreas fault with the rupture originating at Parkfield and
propagating southward over a distance of 290 km. Using the spectral element seismic wave propagation code,
SPECFEM3D, we simulate an 1857-like earthquake on the San Andreas fault and compute ground motions at
the 636 analysis sites. Using the nonlinear structural analysis program, FRAME3D, we subsequently analyze
3-D structural models of an existing tall steel building designed using the 1982 Uniform Building Code (UBC),
as well as one designed according to the 1997 UBC, subjected to the computed ground motion at each of these
sites. We summarize the performance of these structural models on contour maps of peak interstory drift.
We then perform an economic loss analysis for the two buildings at each site, using the Matlab Damage and
Loss Analysis (MDLA) toolbox developed to implement the PEER loss-estimation methodology. The toolbox
includes damage prediction and repair cost estimation for structural and non-structural components and allows
for the computation of the mean and variance of building repair costs conditional on engineering demand
parameters (i.e. inter-story drift ratios and peak floor accelerations). Here, we modify it to treat steel-frame
high-rises, including aspects such as mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, traction elevators, and the
possibility of irreparable structural damage. We then generate contour plots of conditional mean losses for the
San Fernando and the Los Angeles basins for the pre-Northridge and modern code-designed buildings, allowing
for comparison of the economic effects of the updated code for the scenario event. In principle, by simulating
multiple seismic events, consistent with the probabilistic seismic hazard for a building site, the same basic
approach could be used to quantify the uncertain losses from future earthquakes.


Twenty-eight (8 ruminally cannulated) lactating, multiparous Holstein cows were blocked by DIM and randomly assigned to 7 replicated 4 x 4 Latin squares (28-d periods) to investigate the effects of different dietary ratios of alfalfa silage (AS) to corn silage (CS) on production, N utilization, apparent digestibility, and ruminal metabolism. The 4 diets contained (dry matter basis): A) 51% AS, 43% rolled high-moisture shelled corn (HMSC), and 3% solvent soybean meal (SSBM); B) 37% AS, 13% CS, 39% HMSC, and 7% SSBM; C) 24% AS, 27% CS, 35% HMSC, and 12% SSBM; and D) 10% AS, 40% CS, 31% HMSC, and 16% SSBM. Dietary crude protein contents were 17.2, 16.9, 16.6, and 16.2% for diets A, B, C, and D. All 4 diets were high in energy, averaging 49% nonfiber carbohydrates and 24% neutral detergent fiber. Intake of dry matter, yield of milk, 3.5% fat-corrected milk and fat, milk fat content, and apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber all decreased linearly when CS replaced AS. Effects on fiber digestion and milk fat may have been due to increasing fluctuation in ruminal pH and time the pH remained < 6.0 when CS replaced AS. Milk protein content increased linearly with increasing CS, but there were no differences in protein yield. There were linear increases in apparent N efficiency and decreases in N excreted in urine and feces when CS replaced AS. Production was depressed on the diet highest in CS. Quadratic analysis indicated that milk and protein yields were maximal at dietary AS:CS ratios of, respectively, 37:13 and 31:19. No diet minimized N excretion without negatively affecting production. Diet C, with an AS:CS ratio of 24:27, was the best compromise between improved N efficiency and sustained production. Because CS is complementary with AS, it is recommended that CS be fed in AS-based diets to maintain milk yield while improving N utilization.


This case explores the value of a two-hour experiential activity that elicits the perceptions, and examines the anxiety and com-fort levels, of students entering a doctoral program, with a view toward students' successful completion of the program. The Hero's Journey, an archetypal myth articulated most popularly by Joseph Campbell, was used as the substrate for the experien-tial activity. A pre-test question asked: How excited are you to be getting started? On a Likert Scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being not excited at all and 10 being quite excited, most people were in the range of 5 to 10. This suggests that they were looking forward to getting started. A second question asked: How anx-ious are you, as you get started? Using the same scale, most people were in the 1 to 5 range. This suggests there was a pal-pable amount of anxiety. Students were then shown a short vid-eo explaining the essence of the Hero's Journey. A series of questions guided participants through the early phases of the Hero's Journey and encouraged them to reflect upon what called them to doctoral study and what they felt must be shifted in their lives to make room for such an undertaking. This pro-cess helped normalize the notion that challenges might yet oc-cur, and that they could be dealt with effectively. A post-test revealed that the level of excitement about beginning the jour-ney had moved up from 5/10, on a Likert Scale, to 7/10.


This note attempts to reconcile a range of primary methods for dealing with price asymmetry, such as the approaches proposed by Tweeten and Quance (1969), Wolffram (1971) and Houk(1977). Using Wolffram's stylized example, we first illustrate that the notion of asymmetry can be captured in a straightforward and highly intuitive manner in terms of first differences. While this asymmetry definition is more readily interpretable than the alternatives proposed by Wolffram and Houk, we demonstrate that, theoretically, these definitions are equivalent. This conclusion also turns out to be true for Wolfframs's stylized example. Using data on coffee consumption, however, we illustrate that, in practice, these approaches may yield divergent conclusions with respect to asymmetry. We argue that in such situations the asymmetry notion based on first differences should be preferred.


The gamma radiolysis of liquid 2,2,4-trimethylpentane and 2,2,5-trimethylhexane at room temperature was investigated under vacuum, at different doses. The effect of some additives and impurities (iodine, diphenilpicrylhydrazyl, oxygen and water) was also investigated. The fragmentation products, some of the recombination products, and the alkyl iodides formed by reaction of the primary radicals with the scavenger iodine were identified and measured. The yield (G) of formation of the products and the yield (G) of rupture of the different bonds of the molecules were calculated and correlated with the molecular structure.


Four patients with acute renal failure due to myeloma (IgG with lambda, lambda, lambda, IgG with kappa) were studied; serum creatinine was 4.7, 5.9, 4.25, 10.8 mg%, and proteinuria 2.1, 2.8, 5.2, 4.2g/24h respectively. Renal biopsy specimens (3 patients) showed interstitial fibrosis, oedema, infiltration of mononuclear cells, tubular atrophy or dilatation with many 'myeloma kidney' casts. The patients were treated with plasmapheresis (2-4 exchanges) and methylprednisolone pulses (three to four 1g pulses). Maintenance therapy included prednisone, vincristine, melphalan and cyclophosphamide. After a follow up of 26, 17, 8, 6 months respectively, serum creatinine levels are 1.7, 2.4, 1.8, 4.2mg% respectively. Proteinuria disappeared after three months of therapy in 3 patients, and then remained absent for the successive follow up.


Summary

The genetic diversity and relationships of 48 Lolium temulentum accessions derived from eight countries (Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Italy, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Nepal and Japan) were analysed using seven microsatellite and 44 AFLP polymorphic loci to investigate the origin and distribution of genetic variation. Cluster analysis was performed using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) based on the simple matching coefficient of similarity. Nei's gene diversity (h) and the coefficient of gene differentiation (Gst) were calculated. The results from microsatellite analysis indicated that accessions from the same country did not always cluster together, probably because of the limited number of loci used. In contrast, AFLP clearly separated clusters between countries and/or regions; Pakistan–Nepal complex, the Mediterranean region, Ethiopia and Japan. The h value was much higher for microsatellite than for AFLP analysis, indicating that microsatellites are the more variable markers. For AFLP analyses, h values were highest in accessions from Pakistan–Nepal complex, and from the Mediterranean region. These are in agreement with proposals that the origin of L. temulentum lies between the South-western Asia and the Mediterranean basin. The clear groupings of accessions from each country and/or region with high Gst (0.688) indicate that exchange of seeds between them is limited.


In Peru the terms Indian and serrano (technically, a person from the hills or the mountains) are used as synonyms, and are frequently considered insults. But it wasn't always like that. In colonial times the term Indian was not associated with any geographical region in particular. Indians could be found anyplace: on the coast, in the foothills or in the mountains. However, at some moment toward the end of the eighteenth century, and most of all during the course of the nineteenth century, the term Indian came to be intrinsically associated with the mountains, and the word serrano acquired a derogatory connotation. Based on literary, historical and visual sources this article aims to describe the process by which the concept of Indian came to be closely associated with serrano, and how the adjective serrano became a substantive and, finally, how that term ended up in Peru as an insult.


ABSTRACT Individual recognition is a social behavior that occurs in many bird species. A bird's ability to discriminate among familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics is critical to avoid wasting resources such as time and energy during social interactions. Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) are able to discriminate individual female and male chick-a-dee calls, potentially male and female tseet calls, and male fee-bee songs. In the current study, we used an operant discrimination go/no-go paradigm to determine whether female and male chickadees could discriminate between fee-bee songs produced by individual female chickadees as well as test which song component(s) enable this discrimination. Birds trained on natural categories—the songs of different females—learned to respond to rewarded stimuli more quickly than birds trained on random groupings of female songs and were able to transfer this learning to new songs from the same categories. Chickadees were also able to generalize their responding when exposed to the bee note of the fee-bee song of rewarded individuals; they did not generalize to fee notes. Our results provide evidence that Black-capped Chickadees can use female-produced fee-bee songs for individual recognition. However, the acoustic features underlying individual recognition require further investigation. LAY SUMMARY The current study used an operant conditioning paradigm to test whether Black-capped Chickadees can distinguish between the songs of individual female Black-capped Chickadees. Research on female song in Black-capped Chickadees has shown that female song differs from male song in sound and perception, and chickadees can distinguish between male and female song. We found that male and female chickadees can distinguish between females by listening to their song, and can do so using the whole song and only part of the song. A chickadee's ability to distinguish song by sex as well as by the individual female suggests that female song does serve a function in Black-capped Chickadees.


We present a method to recognize the presence of lung cancer in individuals by classifying the olfactory signal acquired through an electronic nose based on an array of MOS sensors. We analyzed the breath of 101 persons, of which 58 as control and 43 suffering from different types of lung cancer (primary and not) at different stages. In order to find the components able to discriminate between the two classes 'healthy' and 'sick' as best as possible and to reduce the dimensionality of the problem, we extracted the most significative features and projected them into a lower dimensional space, using Non Parametric Linear Discriminant Analysis. Finally, we used these features as input to several supervised pattern classification techniques, based on different k-nearest neighbors (k-NN) approaches (classic, modified and Fuzzy k-NN), linear and quadratic discriminant classifiers and on a feedforward artificial neural network (ANN). The observed results, all validated using cross-validation, have been satisfactory, achieving an accuracy of 92.6%, a sensitivity of 95.3% and a specificity of 90.5%. These results put the electronic nose as a valid implementation of lung cancer diagnostic technique, being able to obtain excellent results with a non invasive, small, low cost and very fast instrument.


During embryo implantation, crosstalk between the endometrial epithelium and the blastocyst, especially the trophoblasts, is a prerequisite for successful implantation. During this crosstalk, various molecular and functional changes occur to promote synchrony between the embryo and the endometrium as well as the uterine cavity microenvironment. In the past few years, growing evidence has shown that endometrium‐derived exosomes play pivotal roles in the embryonic‐maternal crosstalk during implantation, although the exact mechanism of this crosstalk has yet to be determined. The presence of metalloproteinases has been reported in endometrium‐derived exosomes, implying the importance of these enzymes in exosome‐based crosstalk. Thus, in this review, we describe the potential roles of the metalloproteinases of endometrium‐derived exosomes in promoting embryo attachment and implantation. This study could provide a better understanding of the potential roles of exosomal metalloproteinases in embryo implantation and pave the way for developing novel exosome‐based regulatory agents to support early pregnancy.


Of 231 patients with chronic urticaria, eight presented with arthritis. All had elevated sedimentation rates, five had depressed complement (CH50) and two elevated serum immune complexes (IC). Skin biopsies were abnormal in only four patients, unrelated to abnormalities of CH50 or IC. No single diagnostic test was consistently abnormal.


This paper describes the introduction of engineering design into a freshman level course using projects in toy design. Toy design was chosen because the course must motivate and educate students with limited technical backgrounds and diverse interests. Real-world, hands-on toy design projects aim at simulating a professional design environment. To familiarize students with concept generation and evaluation, on-line peer evaluations were conducted several times throughout the semester, which also encouraged students to share ideas and improve their own design concepts. To further interest students, the course was developed as a paperless studio, with everything from lecture notes to projects and evaluations performed and accessible on-line. This approach is highly portable, cost-effective, and emphasizes written communication and presentation skills. Overall, the course was a success in a number of ways: (a) since its introduction as a toy design course, it has attracted enrollment from many students with nontechnical majors who otherwise would be unable to participate in traditional engineering design courses; (b) student participation improved significantly as a result of peer evaluations; and (c) professional toy designers who reviewed student work were impressed with the quality of student projects. Further improvements are underway to randomize the peer evaluation process to reduce possible student bias, increase the number of design iterations, and improve online course material.


Objective: To describe the function of Fec, CA5A and CLSTN2 genes during ovulation in ewes.
Design/methodology/approach: A search and analysis of scientific information related to Fec, CA5A and CLSTN2 genes in sheep was performed.
Results: Fec, CA5A and CLSTN2 genes are involved at the ovarian level; ewes carrying the first gene were found to have increased ovulation rate, folliculogenesis and granulosa cell differentiation. CA5A stimulates an increased follicular rate and plays an important role in pre-implantation. While CLSTN2 has activity in ovarian development and growth; it also has the ability to interact with other genes involved in follicular maturation, granulosa cell differentiation and development of the ovarian follicle.
Limitations on study/implications: Ewes carrying these genes increase the prolificacy rate in the flock.
Findings/conclusions: The expression of these genes acts synergistically in the ovulatory process, enhancing the ovulatory response by contributing to endocrine, paracrine and molecular synchronisation, so that the maturation of the oocyte occurs, leading to ovulation.


Professor Friedman restates his three reasons for adding credit to the list of intermediate targets for monetary policy: (1) policymakers should broaden their sources of information to include observations on both the asset and liability sides of the public's balance sheet; (2) the domestic nonfinancial credit aggregate (DNF) bears as close a relationship to nonfinancial economic activity as does any conventional monetary aggregate; and (3) ultimately this credit measure can be controlled by the Federal Reserve with about as much precision as any conventional monetary aggregate. In our response to Friedman we will focus on the second point since it is the major theme of our paper.


Context. Most stars form in clusters and thus it is important to characterize the protostellar disk population in dense environments to assess whether the environment plays a role in the subsequent evolution. Specifically, it is critical to evaluate whether planet formation is altered with respect to more isolated stars formed in dark clouds.
Aims. We seek to investigate the properties of the protostellar disks in the GGD 27 cluster and compare these with those obtained from disks formed in nearby regions.
Methods. We used ALMA to observe the star-forming region GGD 27 at 1.14 mm with an unprecedented angular resolution, 40 mas (∼56 au), and sensitivity (∼0.002 M⊙).
Results. We detected a cluster of 25 continuum sources, most of which likely trace disks around Class 0/I protostars. Excluding the two most massive objects, disks masses are in the range 0.003–0.05 M⊙. The analysis of the cluster properties indicates that GGD 27 displays moderate subclustering. This result, combined with the dynamical timescale of the radio jet (∼104 years), suggests the youthfulness of the cluster. The lack of disk mass segregation signatures may support this as well. We found a clear paucity of disks with Rdisk >  100 au. The median value of the radius is 34 au; this value is smaller than the median of 92 au for Taurus but comparable to the value found in Ophiuchus and in the Orion Nebula Cluster. In GGD 27 there is no evidence of a distance-dependent disk mass distribution (i.e., disk mass depletion due to external photoevaporation), most likely due to the cluster youth.
There is a clear deficit of disks for distances <0.02 pc. Stars can only form larger and more massive disksfor distances >0.04 pc. This suggests that dynamical interactions far from the cluster center are weaker, although the small disks found could be the result of disk truncation. This work demonstrates the potential to characterize disks from low-mass young stellar objects in distant and massive (still deeply embedded) clustered environments.


Substation primary plant and instrument transformers generally remain inservicefor many years and are only renewed when physically or mechanicallylife-expired. However, substation protection and control systems, also known assecondary systems, are changed more frequently, especially electronic orcomputer based systems. One way to overcome the lifecycle-coordinationproblem is to develop a new architecture for substation secondary systems bydeploying new technology such as standard interface modules, the bay processbus and IEC 61850 communication protocol.IEC 61850-9-2 ?process bus? has proposed an Ethernet based communicationnetwork to replace traditional hardwiring and cabling, for communication ofanalogue and binary signals with Ethernet messages. The application of processbus in substations is able to reduce the life-time cost of the secondary systemsand improve flexibility and functionality. Sufficient confidence must bedemonstrated in the application of this new technology.This thesis describes the design and performance evaluation of a prototypeprotection scheme suitable for application on a corner of a mesh transmissionsubstation of the type used in the UK on the transmission network.


The space-time characters of the pion-emitting sources produced in the heavy ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) energies are investigated in a granular source model of quark-gluon plasma droplets. The results of two-pion interferometry indicate that the longitudinal interferometry radius is sensitive to the initial breakup time of the system. For a larger breakup time the values of the longitudinal interferometry radius for the LHC source are larger than that of the source produced in the collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider's (RHIC) top energy. However, the values of the longitudinal radius are smaller if the source fragments at a smaller breakup time with a higher initial temperature of the droplets. The values of the transverse interferometry radius in the "side" direction for the LHC sources are larger than those for the RHIC source. The imaging analyses for the characteristic quantities of the granular sources are consistent with the interferometry radii.


The anaerobic selector of the A/0™ process offers many advantages over conventional activated sludge processes with respect to process performance and operational stability. This high-rate, single-sludge process has been successfully demonstrated in full-scale operations for biological phosphorus removal and total nitrogen control in addition to BOD and TSS removal. This process can be easily utilized in upgrading existing treatment plants to meet stringent discharge limitations and to provide capacity expansion. Upgrades of two full-scale installations are described and performance data from the two facilities are presented.


Intestinal infections in piglets are the main causes of morbidity before and after weaning. Studies have not explored approaches for combining pre-weaning and post-weaning nutritional strategies to sustain optimal gut health. The current study thus sought to explore the effects of early-life nutrition interventions through administration of synthetic milk on growth performance and gut health in piglets from 3 to 30 days of age. Twelve sows were randomly allocated to control group (CON) and early-life nutrition interventions group (ENI). Piglets were fed with the same creep diet from 7 days of age ad libitum. Piglets in the ENI group were provided with additional synthetic milk from Day 3 to Day 30. The results showed that early-life nutrition interventions improved growth performance, liver weight, spleen weight, and reduced diarrhea rate of piglets after weaning (P < 0.05). Early-life nutrition interventions significantly upregulated expression of ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin4, GALNT1, B3GNT6, and MUC2 in colonic mucosa at mRNA level (P < 0.05). Early-life nutrition interventions reduced activity of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) in serum and the content of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in plasma (P < 0.05). The number of goblet cells and crypt depth of colon of piglets was significantly higher in piglets in the ENI group relative to that of piglets in the CON group (P < 0.05). The relative mRNA expression levels of MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8, and the protein expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 in colonic mucosa of piglets in the ENI group were lower compared with those of piglets in the CON group (P < 0.05). Relative abundance of Lactobacillus in colonic chyme and mucosa of piglets in the ENI group was significantly higher relative to that of piglets in the CON group (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that abundance of Lactobacillus was positively correlated with the relative mRNA expression levels of ZO-1, Claudin4, and GALNT1, and it was negatively correlated with the level of MCP-1 in colonic chyme and mucosa. In summary, the findings of this study showed that early-life nutrition interventions improved growth performance, colonic barrier, and reduced inflammation in the colon by modulating composition of gut microbiota in piglets. Early-life nutrition intervention through supplemental synthetic milk is a feasible measure to improve the health and reduce the number of deaths of piglets.


In RPL routing protocol, the destination advertisement object (DAO) control messages are announced by the child nodes to their parents to build downward routes. A malicious insider node can exploit this feature to send fake DAOs to its parents periodically, triggering those parents, in turn, to forward the fake messages upward to the root node. In this letter, we show how this behavior can have a detrimental side effect on the performance of the network, increasing power consumption, latency, and reducing reliability. To address this problem, a new scheme is introduced to mitigate significantly the effect of the DAO attack on network performance.


Adipose tissue and liver from vitamin B6-deficient rats have an increased lipogenic capacity. Whether this phenomenon is accompanied by changes in the activities of certain enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrate and lipid, or by altered transport of glucose into adipocytes, has been studied. Five glycolytic enzymes (hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase, phosphofructokinase, aldolase, and pyruvate kinase), two pentose phosphate pathway enzymes (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase), malic enzyme, and ATP citrate lyase were measured in the epididymal adipose tissue, livers and kidneys of vitamin B6-deficient and control rats. Vitamin B6 deficiency did not significantly affect the glycolytic enzyme levels in the tissues studied, or the dehydrogenases measured in adipose tissue and kidneys. Liver glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and adipose tissue and liver malic enzyme were significantly lowered in deficient rats compared to ad libitum and pair-fed controls. Adipose tissue and liver ATP citrate lyase activities were also significantly decreased by vitamin B6 deficiency. In the presence of insulin, the uptake of glucose and 3-O-methyl glucose, a non-metabolizable sugar, by fat pads from deficient rats was greater than uptake by fat pads from control rats. These observations suggest that the increased glucose utilization by adipose tissue and liver of vitamin B6-deficient rats is not directly related to changes in the enzymes studied, but in the case of adipose tissue, may be explained, at least in part, by enhanced glucose uptake.


An understanding of the spatial dimension of economic and social activity requires methods that can separate out the relationship between spatial units that is due to the effect of common factors from that which is purely spatial even in an abstract sense. The same applies to the empirical analysis of networks in general. We are able to distinguish between cross-sectional strong dependence and weak dependence. Strong dependence in turn suggests that there are common factors. We use cross unit averages to extract common factors and contrast this to a principal components approach widely used in the literature. We then use a multiple testing procedure to determine significant bilateral correlations (signifying connections) between spatial units and compare this to an approach that just uses distance to determine units that are neighbours. We apply these methods to real house price changes at the level of Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the USA, and estimate a heterogeneous spatiotemporal model for the de-factored real house price changes and obtain significant evidence of spatial connections, both positive and negative.


We examine optimal policy in an open-economy model with uncertainty and learning, where monetary policy actions affect the economy through the real exchange rate channel. Our results show that the degree of caution or activism in optimal policy depends on whether central banks are in coordinated or uncoordinated equilibrium. If central banks coordinate their policy actions then activism is optimal. In contrast, if there is no coordination, caution prevails. In the latter case caution is optimal because it helps central banks to avoid exposing themselves to manipulative actions by other central banks.


The paper describes a new medical technique--halo-aerosol therapy, the main acting factor of which is dry highly dispersed aerosol of sodium chloride in natural concentration. Halo-aerosol therapy represents a new trend in aerosol medicine. It includes two methods: halotherapy and halo-inhalation. Biophysical and pathophysiological foundations of the new method, how it can be realized are outlined. Clinical reasons are provided for application of halo-aerosol therapy for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with respiratory diseases. Characteristics and differences of the two halo-aerosol therapy variants are analysed.


wlicil inhliabit tho dlarL aanid ill-ventilated dwellings of northernl climates. (2) It is chlrIoic; that is, individliuaal experi-etce of it weakens ratheer than stre'ngthens powers of resistance, arnd therefore it is of inidefiniite duration; the individual (not the race) canniiot become inmutile, or acclimatizeI," to it. (3) In. Englanid its bacteria are so prevalent that probably nio one eseapes illness uiniless naturally imminile, or (leatlh unl-ess highly r'esis-tant. (4) Individ-uials vary in powerIs of resistance; some do niot contract thle disease nven in the slumlils of great northier cities; sonme recover more or' less quickly, some jierish slowly, solle oe so unrespstaut that thpyporish swiftly. (5) Powers of resistance tenid to runi in families; th.at is, they are iliher;itable; this -is best seen wuheln we compare individuals of 'differenit races-for exam-tiple, Polyniesiaiis anid Englishmlen. If inidividuials vary in thieir powers of resisting tuberculosis, if these variations tenid to be tranismitted to their descelidanits, anid if tubercle bacilli choose for death thei more susceptible, and for life the more resistant, then this is that natural selection whiich " slhook the thought of the civilized world " nearly three-quarters of a century ago, which a nmajoritv of naturalists accepts oni grounids of coinmnloi sense, bu'iW whichi a minority rejects because " no man lias seeni natural selectionl at work." Naturalists Si]P05ose that " mani has escaped fromii natural selection." " Ther-e is no veil like th-e veil of famliliarity." We are ulable to perceive natural selectioni amonog wild animals and( p)lanits because we canimot observe closely enough the vital variationis of individuals or watcll their careers from 'bilrth to deathi. But natural selection among men is as manifest as that artificial selection which has created our donmesticated aniimals alid cultivated plants. Its results al,so are maiiifest; for, as I say, every race is resistanit to Pverey lethaI aInd prIevalenlt dlisease inl prol)ortionl to the? length and severity of its past experience of that disease. Wheni diseases are niot prevalenlt or not lethal (for example, c(illomn cold anw c1iicken-pox) tlhen anicestral expelrience (loes niot increase l)owCls of resistance. 'We deal here with nmatters of more thani aca(lemic interest. The social and political conisequienices are tremiienlldous. Natural e'volution is very Islow. Herc we lhave forces enorious, uincontrolled, unlcontrollable, uinirecogniized, working toward§ immiiense conclusionls. No race cani becone civilized whiclh has not evolved gra(lually againlst the crowd diseases. Man anid his diseases appear to have origiinated at a very remote period in the easterni hemisphere. Wlheni Columbus broke the age-long isolation b)etveen the E'ast andl tlhe West hie took w-ith hiim not only imeni hiighly resistanit to tlhe Old Worl(d diseases, but also the diseases theemselves. Then began tlle greatest tragedy in human history. The races of half the world commenced to displace those. of the otlher half. The New WVorld bega'n to be s'wept by imimiensely destiuctive epideiics. Smallpox, measles, wvhooping-couigh, anid the like, piled the earth withi the (lead. Wheni all were stricken, faniine followed. Whlole tribes were exterminiated. The worlk of tuberculosis, though1 slowel, --as more thiorouogh. It came not like airhorine disease as a swiftly spreading epideiic, but when it caine it st-ay-ed, and. exterminated. Thie Spanislih anid Por tu1guiese, then powerful maritime niationls and first iii the field, elbowed the British anid Freiieln to> the seeiniigly inhliospitable North. But the forests of the Southi velre defenided by malaria, w-hich rendered true colonization difficult. Such coloniizationi as there was hlad to lie acconiplished by mealis of niegro slaves. Btit North America, was utinpriotected, and intO tie vast void created by imiiported disease the British and Fr enich po'inre(l. Tlie formier won the battle of Quiebec; Frlelln ininmigration ceased; ai(l all the Northl fell ilito the grasp of thie Aniglo-Saxoni, giving their race almost illimilitable room01 for exlansioii, and finally establishing it as the greatest oih earth. Quite uniconsciously anid almost l)eaceftiliv thie process conitinues ini Austrialasia anid Polynesia. Thle British hold conquiests in. the East, where tlheir wars h1ave beenl miore buloodyv thanl inl the, West. Buit they hzave intrio(luedflo n.)lew dliseases and the niatives mllltiply+. If historyteahel s any tr'uth w-ith certaiiity, it is thiat conlrguest is nlevX 1erl)em'anenit wvithlout thie exterlminiationl of the abloriginles. Thins thle Roinlanls, wh-lo conlqueredl but did not destrov, lhave gone fromii Brita.in, and(i tlho Nornans alre absorbed. Bu-t the descendants of the Saxons, who' exterIminated, still inherit the lanid. British coniqtiests inl thle \\Vest, with thie niatives gonie, withl found(lationis (dug dee') by bactelia., are apparently as permanentt as the lulls; for civilizedpeol)les dlo iiot exterminate witlh the sword, ali(l (liseases have reachlied their limits;. But all precedent inidicates that.their c;Mnquests in the East ale onlY temporary. Is it niot remiarkable how thle sionlifict.111( of tllese monstrous evenits has} escaped the. attention of thle learned colleernt}e(l-miled(icall l men, aturalists, ait h ropolfogists, historians? Theme is nio veil like time veil of the exeessively obvious.-I amii, etc.,


Nanocrystalline SrTiO3 was prepared by a stearic acid sol-gel technique. X-ray measurements showed that the sample obtained is of good quality and the grain sizes range from 26 to 120 nm. One blue photoluminescence (PL) band at around 470 nm was observed at room temperature. Investigation of the dependence of the visible emission band on annealing temperatures and grain sizes showed that the effects of grain size and dielectric confinement play important roles, and that oxygen vacancies may act as the radiative centres responsible for the observed visible emission band. The mechanism for the luminescence is explained within the framework of self-trapped excitons.


Chronic renal dysfunction is common in non‐renal solid organ (SOT) and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients and is commonly attributed to calcineurin inhibitor toxicity, often without renal histopathologic evaluation. Polyomavirus nephropathy (PVN) is an important cause of allograft dysfunction in kidney transplant recipients but has rarely been reported in native kidneys of non‐renal transplant recipients. We report the clinical, pathologic and virologic features of PVN in native kidneys of two allograft recipients. In both, severe renal dysfunction was accompanied by histopathologic evidence of PVN, including characteristic viral inclusions by routine stains, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. High levels of BK virus (BKV) DNA were detected in kidney tissue of patients using BKV‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In 1 patient, high levels of BKV DNA were detected in plasma and urine, and administration of low‐dose cidofovir was associated with clearance of BK viremia. These results extend the populations in which PVN has been documented in native kidneys to include heart and stem cell transplant recipients, and suggest that cidofovir has activity against BKV in vivo. Studies to define the incidence and potential contribution of PVN to chronic renal dysfunction commonly attributed to calcineurin inhibitor toxicity in non‐renal transplant recipients are warranted.


Several natural disasters and the appearance of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created stressful situations to many health-care workers in the Philippines. New health-related challenges surfaced, and health-care workers felt lost since many of the challenges were either directly or indirectly caused by the fast-spreading coronavirus infections and its variants. Further, the way people die also changed, causing confusion and influencing the Filipino grief and bereavement processes. In response to the need of the health-care workers, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) through its education portal created and offered free webinars, aimed to help health-care workers understand and make sense of what was happening, thus empowering them with knowledge on how to manage the challenges and provide better care to the patients and the community as well. This article relates the process of planning and implementing online webinars during the era of social distancing and COVID-19 pandemic.


BACKGROUND
The English Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is widely used as a measure of deprivation. However, similarly ranked areas can differ substantially in the underlying domains of deprivation. These domains contain a richer set of data that might be useful for classifying local authorities. Clustering methods offer a set of techniques to identify groups of areas with similar patterns of deprivation.

METHODS
Hierarchical agglomerative (i.e. bottom-up) clustering methods were applied to domain scores for 152 upper tier local authorities. Advances in statistical testing allow clusters to be identified that are unlikely to have arisen from random partitioning of a homogeneous group. The resulting clusters are described in terms of their subdomain scores and basic geographic and demographic characteristics.

RESULTS
Five statistically significant clusters of local authorities were identified. These clusters only partially reflect different levels of overall deprivation. In particular, two clusters share similar overall IMD scores but have contrasting patterns of deprivation.

CONCLUSION
Hierarchical clustering methods identify five distinct clusters that do not correspond closely to quintiles of deprivation. This approach may help to distinguish between places that face similar underlying challenges, and places that appear similar in terms of overall deprivation scores, but that face different challenges.


The preparation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles doped with nitrogen for application as a photocatalyst in the decomposition of azo dyes was optimized by factorial planning. Five variables were evaluated and the results showed that the stirring method of the reaction medium, the nitrogen source and the calcination temperature are the determining parameters that affect the photocatalytic activity. With this methodology, it was possible to obtain an optimized photocatalyst (K1) with high surface area and high mineralization efficiency (100%) of the dye Ponceau 4R under solar irradiation. K1, its non-doped version and the worst photocatalyst obtained by the factorial planning (K2) were characterized by several techniques to rationalize the different behaviors. The observed mineralization rate constants under artificial UV-A radiation were in the order of 10−2, 10−4 and 10−3 min−1, respectively, for K1, K2 and the non-doped oxide. As shown by N2 sorption isotherms, the powders exhibited large variations in porosity as well as in the specific surface area, with values ranging from 63.03 m2 g−1 for K1 to 12.82 m2 g−1 for K2. Infrared spectra showed that the calcination of the doped oxides between 300 and 500 °C leads to considerable loss of the nitrogen content, which is corroborated by XPS measurements that also indicate the presence of oxygen vacancies on their surfaces. Nanosecond transient absorption measurements show that the electron–hole half-lifetime in K1 is 870 ns, ca. two times longer than that observed for the other photocatalysts. Additionally, dye degradation studies under solar radiation reveal that K1 is ca. 28% faster than the non-doped TiO2 under similar conditions. This higher photoactivity for K1 is attributed to its extended visible light absorption and the optimized morphological and electronic properties.


Over the last decade, the growing amount of uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) mobile data traffic has been characterized by substantial asymmetry and time variations. Dynamic time-division duplex (TDD) has the capability to accommodate to the traffic asymmetry by adapting the UL/DL configuration to the current traffic demands. In this work, we study a two-tier heterogeneous cellular network (HCN) where the macro tier and small cell tier operate according to a dynamic TDD scheme on orthogonal frequency bands. To offload the network infrastructure, mobile users in proximity can engage in device-to-device (D2D) communications, whose activity is determined by a carrier sensing multiple access (CSMA) scheme to protect the ongoing infrastructure-based and D2D transmissions. We present an analytical framework for evaluating the network performance in terms of load-aware coverage probability and network throughput. The proposed framework allows quantification of the effect on the coverage probability of the most important TDD system parameters, such as the UL/DL configuration, the base station density, and the bias factor. In addition, we evaluate how the bandwidth partition and the D2D network access scheme affect the total network throughput. Through the study of the tradeoff between coverage probability and D2D user activity, we provide guidelines for the optimal design of D2D network access.


Adrenarche, which occurs earlier than gonadarche in normal children, is marked by increases in plasma dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate (DHAS). Adrenarche and gonadarche can be dissociated in various situations, e.g. central precocious puberty, indicating that they are controlled by independent mechanisms. This report concerns 2 children with central precocious puberty secondary to hypothalamic hamartoma. Their plasma basal DHAS values, compared to other cases with central precocious puberty not secondary to hamartoma, remained low for chronological age and bone age over a follow-up of 6.3 (case 1) and 9.2 9.2 years (case 2): in case 1 (boy), DHAS was 9 micrograms/dl at chronological age 7.7 and bone age 13 years; in case 2 (girl), DHAS was 11 micrograms/dl for chronological age 10.5 and bone age 13.5 years. GH secretion was normal. Basal plasma cortisol levels as the levels during hypoglycemia and after corticotropin stimulation were all normal. These data suggest that hypothalamic hamartoma may affect the central control of adrenarche. They may also contribute to the diagnosis of hypothalamic hamartoma.


We commend Jung et al. [1] on their noteworthy effort to describe the clinicopathological features, risk factors, and outcomes of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patients with desmoid tumors (DTs). In this regard, we would like to stress a particular and disturbing aspect of this disease, which is the potentially ambiguous role of surgery towards young FAP patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). In fact, in these patients, the post-surgical development of massive intra-abdominal DTs represents a fatal event in the vast majority of cases, as discussed in more detail hereafter.

Recently, we performed total proctocolectomy in a 28-year-old nulliparous FAP-girl (APC mutation 3′ to codon 3238) who developed a cancerous polyp of the rectum. The patient did well after the intervention until, after 6 months, she developed a pregnant looking abdomen, even though she was not pregnant. A computed tomography scan showed a solid mass of the mesentery measuring 28 cm×21 cm, which occupied the entire abdominal cavity encasing the superior mesenteric vessels and both common iliac arteries: a radiological diagnosis of giant mesenteric DT was notched (Fig. 1). Due to the irresectable nature of the lesion, the patient was referred to a specialized center for intestinal and multivisceral transplantation, but, during evaluation she became rapidly aggravated until death.

Fig. 1.

Coronal (A) and sagittal (B) view of the stage IV intra-abdominal desmoid tumor occupying the entire abdominal cavity and encasing vital vascular structures

Despite being extremely rare in the general population, intra-abdominal DTs (also known as mesenteric fibromatosis) represent the most frequent cause of death in patients affected with FAPhaving undergone total proctocolectomy [2]. Although histologically benign and clinically non-metastasizing, these monoclonal myofibroblastic proliferations can show a highly aggressive local behavior, achieving massive size, infiltrating major vessels and causing severe complications, such as bowel ischemia and obstruction, fistulae with peritonitis, bleeding and venousthromboembolism [2]. Young nulliparous women using contraceptives with history of colectomy are at higher risk of development [2]. Pathobiology is poorly understood: consequently, their behavior is unpredictable and there is no standardized medical orsurgical treatment [1]. A valuable measure in management of this kind of lesion was provided in 2005 by Church et al. [3] who proposed a clinical staging system based on tumorsize, growth and the presence ofsymptoms and complications. While stage I, II, and III are amenable to several modalities of treatment (antiestrogens, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor, chemotherapy, and surgical resection),stage IV tumors (larger than 20 cm, rapidly growing and severely symptomatic such as our case) are characterized by higher morbidity and mortality rates: indeed, any medical treatmentseemsto be in vain astoo much time is required for any type of benefit and surgical resection is often impossible for the encasement of vital vessels [1]. Currently, advanced unresectable mesenteric DTs are the fourth most common indication for intestinal transplant intervention worldwide [4]. However, not all of these patients arrive at transplantation (as in our case) and the 5-year survival rate does not exceed 70% [2]. Greater knowledge of giant inoperable mesenteric DTs is needed, and, in particular, young FAP patients should be thoroughly informed on the risk of this ominous event when undergoing colectomy for CRC and carefully followed-up.


Performance of floor heating systems with latent heat thermal energy storage was evaluated by numerical simulation. After phase change material (PCM), disodium hydrogenphosphate dodecahydrate, is melted by solar heat or off-peak electric power during the daytime or the nighttime, the sensible heat of PCM in the liquid phase is used for floor heating of the first heat demand in the evening or in the morning. The PCM keeps supercooled during the nighttime or the daytime. The latent heat of PCM is used for the second heat demand in the morning of the next day or in the evening. The result of the calculation shows that the system can save about 13 % of additional heat demand of auxiliary heaters in the second heat demand.