ABSTRACT 2-Oxoglutarate is located at the junction between central carbon and nitrogen metabolism, serving as an intermediate for both. In nitrogen metabolism, 2-oxoglutarate acts as both a carbon skeletal carrier and an effector molecule. There have been only sporadic reports of its internal concentrations. Here we describe a sensitive and accurate method for determination of the 2-oxoglutarate pool concentration in Escherichia coli. The detection was based on fluorescence derivatization followed by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography separation. Two alternative cell sampling strategies, both of which were based on a fast filtration protocol, were sequentially developed to overcome both its fast metabolism and contamination from 2-oxoglutarate that leaks into the medium. We observed rapid changes in the 2-oxoglutarate pool concentration upon sudden depletion of nutrients: decreasing upon carbon depletion and increasing upon nitrogen depletion. The latter was studied in mutants lacking either of the two enzymes using 2-oxoglutarate as the carbon substrate for glutamate biosynthesis. The results suggest that flux restriction on either reaction greatly influences the internal 2-oxoglutarate level. Additional study indicates that KgtP, a 2-oxoglutarate proton symporter, functions to recover the leakage loss of 2-oxoglutarate. This recovery mechanism benefits the measurement of cellular 2-oxoglutarate level in practice by limiting contamination from 2-oxoglutarate leakage.


Otto Warburg described his seminal observation that cancer cells negotiated a switch towards anaerobic respiration from oxidative phosphorylation in return for sustained growth and evasion of normal cellular processes such as cell cycle control and apoptosis. The underlying mechanism that governs this phenomenon has yet to be firmly established. Given the centrality of mitochondria to apoptosis and bioenergetics, we proposed experiments that employed ubidecarenone as an intracellular energy ambassador wherein high-throughput genomic, metabolomic, and proteomic analyses were employed to capture the energetic and molecular signature of cancer cells. Analyses were performed on oncogenic breast, prostate, liver, pancreatic, skin (melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma) and were compared to normal fibroblasts, keratinocytes, hepatocytes, kidney, adipocytes, and human aortic and endothelial cells. The results suggested a hallmark discovery that clearly delineated a differential effect of cancer vs. normal cells under hyperglycemic, hypoxic, and lactate-stressed conditions. A decreased activation of the Pentose Phosphate Shunt was significantly downregulated in cancer cells suggestive of a shift towards utilization of oxygen and glycolysis while Bcl-2 dependent cell death mechanisms were restored. Most notably, cross-talk mechanisms related to p53 and Vegf in the cancer cells and tumor markers and pathology in animal models of melanoma and pancreatic cancer demonstrated efficacy in a topical and intravenous form of Cytotech Labs API 31510, a ubidecarenone based technology that targets the Bcl-2 protein family downstream of a cellular metabolic shift. Conversely, normal cells did not exhibit the aforementioned characteristic indicative of a cancer-specific mechanism. We propose a novel underlying mechanism for the Warburg Hypothesis and demonstrate that pre-clinical work on API 31510 in cancer suggest that it may be a viable agent for control of cancer metabolism and serve as safe, effective anti-cancer agent. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 990. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-990


All the American countries are moving forward from the primitive condition in which medicine was exclusively occupied with the cure of fully developed disease toward that happy state in which well organized and adequately trained specialists will devote their entire time to the government service in community health protection. As the goal is approached the medical practitioners will undoubtedly place more emphasis on disease prevention in the families under their care, which will favorably affect community health, but my remarks will apply primarily to the public health field. For over a quarter of a century the International Health Division of the Rockefeller Foundation has been cooperating with government health officials who wish to speed up progress by investigating troublesome problems, by trying out new methods or by study and observation in other countries. Service with this organization has given me the basis for my comments. The rate of progress in


Building on previous advances in thickness design methodologies for jointed plain concrete pavements, a mechanistic design methodology for use in the structural design of pervious concrete pavements is presented. Although most jointed plain concrete pavement structural design methods include both fatigue (e.g., slab cracking) and erosion (e.g., faulting or surface smoothness) as failure criterion, the proposed pervious concrete pavement structural design includes fatigue as the sole failure criteria due to a lack of evidence that erosion occurs on pervious concrete pavements. To ensure both an optimal structural design and that stormwater management requirements are met, a hydrological design method that varies the subbase/reservoir layer thickness to meet hydrological demand also is presented. These structural and hydrological design methodologies have been combined into software called PerviousPave, a user-friendly tool for the design of sustainable pervious concrete pavements. Example program runs are also provided to demonstrate the ease of use of the program and how the user can design their own pervious concrete pavement. (A) For the covering abstract of this conference see record control number 201111RT334E.


The literature on both the Transformational and Charismatic theories of leadership espouse the importance of communication as part of the leadership phenomena. However, the existing measurement scales (The Multidimensional Leadership Questionnaire, the Conger–Kanungo Charisma Scale, the Followership Scale and the Romance of Leadership Scale) that are used to assess both the Transformational and Charismatic Theories fail to adequately address and measure the communication behaviors that are believed to be a part of charisma. Four-hundred twenty-two respondents completed the standard measurement scales and were asked to define "charisma" and to discuss the communication behaviors of a charismatic leader. Using text analysis and correlations, no relationships were found between the existing scales and the definitions and behaviors associated with charisma. This manuscript suggests the creation of a new leadership measurement that includes charismatic communication behaviors to assist in a proper understanding of these two leadership theories.


We report a case of palatopharyngeal wall perforation during intubation with a GlideScope® laryngoscope. The likely mechanism was advancing and rotating the endotracheal tube against a taut palatopharyngeal fold. This was missed during the initial laryngoscopy, because there is a potential blind-spot in the oropharynx when attention is focused on the GlideScope® monitor. Fortunately, there were no sequelae other than minor bleeding and a mild sore throat and no surgical intervention was necessary. The use of unnecessary force during the endotracheal tube insertion, the use of too large a laryngoscope blade and the use of a rigid stylet could possibly also have been contributory factors to this complication.


Concentrations of air pollutants measured by passive samplers, atmospheric deposition to forest ecosystems, soil water chemistry, nutrient content in the soil and foliage were all measured within a study of the causes of forest decline in Nýdek Forest Range, Jablunkov Forest District (Silesian Beskids). Declining Norway spruce stands are situated in a region of historically high air pollution load, mainly from the Třinec and Ostrava agglomeration. Air pollution significantly decreased in the second half of the 1990s. Forest soils showing the insufficiency of main nutrients remain today as the main factor affecting the forest vitality. The situation in the soil is subsequently reflected in the nutrition level of the assimilation tissues. Simultaneous effects of other stressors (e.g. biotic, meteorological ones) can support a sudden worsening of the stand health and cause serious damage.


The liquid mixing time of a bubble column with a draft tube is experimentally studied. The diameter and height of the column, the diameter and length of the draft tube, and the mode of sparging gas were changed and the liquid mixing time was measured.The lengths of bottom and top clearances have significant effects on the liquid mixing time. The liquid mixing time increases with increasing column aspect ratio of height to diameter. The liquid mixing time of the bubble column with a draft tube is longer than that of a standard bubble column when the column aspect ratio is relatively high. The liquid mixing time has a minimum when the diameter ratio of draft tube to column is 0.5 to 0.6. These effects of equipment dimensions are expressed by an equation. In the experiment using different solutions, the liquid mixing time becomes shorter with increasing liquid surface tension, or with increasing liquid viscosity.


It describes a bezel gesture for the touch display. In at least some embodiments, the bezel of the device is used to extend the accessible functions by the use of a so-called bezel gestures. In at least some embodiments, may be an off-screen motion by using the bezel, making the screen entered by the bezel gesture. Bezel gesture includes bezel gesture one finger, bezel gestures plurality fingers / the same hand, and / or more fingers, the bezel gestures different hands. .FIELD 1


The present invention is in the therapeutic fields of drugs for medical conditions relating to diabetes. More specifically the invention relates to novel acylated derivatives of human insulin analogues. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising such insulin derivatives, and relates to the use of such derivatives for the treatment or prevention of medical conditions relating to diabetes.


Aims: This study compared the effectiveness of prophylactic administration of topical flurbiprofen 0.03% and nepafenac 0.1% in maintaining mydriasis during small incision cataract surgery (SICS). Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind comparative study in adult cataract patients given topical flurbiprofen or nepafenac prior to SICS and capsular bag intraocular lens (IOL) implantation at a tertiary care hospital. Horizontal and vertical diameters of pupil were measured at the beginning and end of surgery, and the mean values were compared across the two groups. Unpaired t-test and Fisher's exact test were used to analyse the results. Results: A total of 70 eyes of cataract surgery patients, 33 males and 37 females, with a mean age of 58.5 ± 11.24 years, were included in the study. The mean horizontal and vertical diameters of the two groups were similar at the start of surgery. Significant differences were seen after IOL implantation, with the nepafenac group having the larger mean diameters in both horizontal (P = 0.03) and vertical (P = 0.04) pupillary measurements. Conclusions: Topical nepafenac has been shown to be a more effective inhibitor of meiosis during SICS and provides a more stable mydriatic effect compared to topical flurbiprofen.


Cytoplasmic virus-specific RNA and polyribosomes from a chronically infected feline thymus tumor cell line, F-422, were analyzed by using in vitro-synthesized feline leukemia virus (Rickard strain) (R-FeLV) complementary DNA (cDNA) probe. By hybridization kinetics analysis, cytoplasmic, polyribosomat, and nuclear RNAs were found to be 2.1, 2.6, and 0.7% virus specific, respectively. Size classes within subcellular fractions were determined by sucrose gradient centrifugation in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide followed by hybridization. The cytoplasmic fraction contained a 28S size class, which corresponds to the size of virion subunit RNA, and 36S, 23S, and 15 to 18S RNA species. The virus-specific 36S, 23S, and 15 to 18S species but not the 28S RNA were present in both the total and polyadenylic acid-containing polyribosomal RNA. Anti-FeLV gamma globulin bound to rapidly sedimenting polyribosomes, with the peak binding at 400S. The specificity of the binding for nascent virus-specific protein was determined in control experiments that involved mixing polyribosomes with soluble virion proteins, absorption of specific gamma globulin with soluble virion proteins, and puromycin-induced nascent protein release. The R-FeLV cDNA probe hybridized to RNA in two polyribosomal regions (approximately 400 to 450S and 250S) within the polyribosomal gradients before but not after EDTA treatment. The 400 to 450S polyribosomes contained three major peaks of virus-specific RNA at 36S, 23S, and 15 to 18S, whereas the 250S polyribosomes contained predominantly 36S and 15 to 18S RNA. Further experiments suggest that an approximately 36S minor subunit is present in virion RNA.


The uninhibited thermal decomposition of diethyl ether was studied from 560 to 620 °C and at pressures ranging from 15 to 320 mmHg . The order of the overall reaction was between 1 and 3/2, the order being greater the higher the pressure. Analytical and kinetic data provide strong evidence that there is a molecular split of diethyl ether into ethanol and ethylene. The reaction leading to acetaldehyde and ethane, on the other hand, is concluded to be almost entirely a free-radical chain process. A detailed chain mechanism is postulated, involving first-order initiation and the reaction between C2H5 and CH2CH2OC2H5 as the chain-ending step. This mechanism is shown to give a steady-state rate equation which leads to first-order kinetics at lower ether pressures and three-halves-order kinetics at higher ones. The kinetic results lead to activation energies which are in satisfactory agreement with values calculated on the basis of the elementary reactions.


.. Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an alarmingly increasing condition from day to day andit is assumed that malnutrition is co-existent in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Malnutrition also occurs in pre-dialysis patients. Such patients have reduced body weight, depleted fat (energy) stores, loss of somatic protein (low muscle mass) and low levels of different plasma proteins like pre-albumin albumin, transferrin, and others. Objective: To ascertain the frequency of malnutrition in dialysis independent patients of chronic kidney disease. Setting: Department of nephrology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi. Duration of study: 6 month from 1 June 2013 – 1 December 2013. Study design: cross sectional study. Subjects and methods: Patients with chronic kidney disease (GFR <60ml/min/1.73m2) on conservative management irrespective of cause and sex were studied. All Patients with CKD stage 3 and onwards i. ecreatinine clearance less than 60ml/ min/1.73m2for more than 6 months were considered. Descriptive analysis of these patients was done by: Calculating mean ± SD for age and duration of disease. Male to female ratio was calculated. Frequency of malnutrition in undialysed patients was calculated. The effect modifier of age, gender, duration of disease was controlled through stratification. Chi square test was applied and p value ≤0.05 was taken as significant. Result: Out of 137 patients, 80 were males and 57 were females and the mean age of patients was 58 ±5.8. Mean duration of disease was 5.2 ±1.05. Moderate malnutrition cases were 58(42.3%) while severe malnutrition was observed in 32(23.35%) cases. Conclusion: Patients of chronic kidney disease were found to be at risk of malnutrition.


This paper presents the results of a series of 10 experiments made in the laboratory with a wooden trough, supplemented by 10 cases taken from actual placer maps. These data give the following concordant results, checking with each other:1. Deposition areas and erosion areas alternate with each other.2. The ore-concentration zones coincide with the erosion areas, whereas the barren zones coincide with the sedimentational areas.3. The ore-concentration zones occur in a logarithmic sequence as established by log-log diagrams.In consequence, a law may be postulated as follows: There is a logarithmic sequence of rich erosion areas alternating with barren sedimentational areas.This will prove useful in the interpretation of placer maps, in the checking of the quality of a prospecting, and in the explanation of irregularities, where interference factors are to be taken into consideration.


Sphere fitting is a common problem in almost all science and engineering disciplines. Most of methods available are iterative in behavior. This involves fitting of the parameters in a least square sense or in a geometric sense. Here we extend the methods of Thomas Chan and Landau who fitted the 2D data using circle. This work closely resemble their work in redefining the error estimate and solving the sphere fitting problem exactly. The solutions for center and radius of the sphere can be found exactly and the equations can be hard coded for high performance. We have also shown some comparison with other popular methods and how this method behaves.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

Autophagy is increasingly an area of high potential therapeutic interest in hematopoietic malignancies, but its precise involvement in the control of leukemic cell growth and survival remain to be defined. We provide evidence that arsenic trioxide (As2O3) targets the BCR-ABL oncoprotein for degradation via autophagy, involving the p62/SQSTM1 and the protease cathepsin B. Utilizing either florescence probes or gold-conjugate antibodies we show co-localization of BCR-ABL and p62/SQSTM1 in autolysosomes. Also, by drug inhibition of either autophagy or cathepsin B, or by molecularly targeting p62/SQSMT1, Atg7 or cathepsin B, we documented reversal of the suppressive effect of As2O3 on BCR-ABL expressing cells, including primitive leukemic precursors from chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients. Altogether, our data indicate that autophagy-induced degradation of BCR-ABL is critical for the generation of As2O3 antileukemic effects. These results raise the potential of targeting the autophagic machinery to enhance the antileukemic properties of arsenic trioxide on leukemia initiating stem cells.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-81. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-81


Current neurocognitive research suggests that the efficiency of visual word recognition rests on abstract memory representations of written letters and words stored in the visual word form area (VWFA) in the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex. These representations are assumed to be invariant to visual characteristics such as font and case. In the present functional MRI study, we tested this assumption by presenting written words and varying the case format of the initial letter of German nouns (which are always capitalized) as well as German adjectives and adverbs (both usually in lowercase). As evident from a Word Type × Case Format interaction, activation in the VWFA was greater to words presented in unfamiliar case formats relative to familiar case formats. Our results suggest that neural representations of written words in the VWFA are not fully abstract and still contain information about the visual format in which words are most frequently perceived.


From 2015 to 2019, the Bunkyo English Communication Center at Hiroshima Bunkyo University conducted end-of-semester speaking exams called Bunkyo English Speaking Tests (BESTs) for all English Communication freshman and sophomore students. During these five years, the Bunkyo English Communication Center learned several test administration best practices. First, in a desire to apply a many-facet Rasch model using the Facets software package (Linacre, 2022a) to provide student fair scores that account for rater leniency and severity, a preventative flaw in the rater schedule was discovered and corrected. Second, the increased complexity of the rater schedule plus a desire to streamline the exam processes necessitated the building of a comprehensive scheduling and testing system in Excel. Finally, the calculation method initially used for converting Rasch measures into student fair scores was based on a faulty assumption and suffered from ambiguity and subjectivity, and a fairer workaround system was discovered and implemented. This paper documents the discovery of these problems and the process of developing and implementing their solutions.


ABSTRACT Trauma patients are often transfused allogeneic red blood cells (RBCs) in an effort to augment tissue oxygen delivery. However, the effect of RBC transfusion on microvascular perfusion in this patient population is not well understood. To this end, we investigated the effect of RBC transfusion on sublingual microvascular perfusion in trauma patients. Sublingual microcirculation was imaged at bedside with a sidestream dark-field illumination microscope before and after transfusion of one RBC unit in hemodynamically stable, anemic trauma patients. The perfused proportion of capillaries (PPC) before and after transfusion was determined, and the percent change in capillary perfusion following transfusion (&Dgr;PPC) calculated. Sublingual microcirculation was observed in 30 patients. Mean age was 47 (SD, 21) years, mean Injury Severity Score was 29 (SD, 16), and mean pretransfusion hemoglobin was 7.5 (SD, 0.9) g/dL. No patients had a mean arterial pressure of less than 65 mmHg (mean, 89 [SD, 17] mmHg) or lactate of greater than 2.5 mmol/L (mean, 1.1 [SD, 0.3] mmol/L). Following transfusion, &Dgr;PPC ranged from +68% to −36% and was found to inversely correlate significantly with pretransfusion PPC (Spearman r = −0.63, P = 0.0002). Pretransfusion PPC may be selectively deranged in otherwise stable trauma patients. Patients with relatively altered baseline PPC tend to demonstrate improvement in perfusion following transfusion, whereas those with relatively normal perfusion at baseline tend to demonstrate either no change or, in fact, a decline in PPC. Bedside sublingual imaging may have the potential to detect subtle perfusion defects and ultimately inform clinical decision making with respect to transfusion.


The behavior and emission spectrum of hybrid- welding arc plasmas are investigated in low-power YAG laser- metal active gas (MAG) arc hybrid-welding process, comparing with simple MAG welding case. The electron temperature and electron density of local arc plasma, deducing, respectively, from the Boltzmann plot method and Stark broadening mechanism, are analyzed in this paper. The conditions of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) of arc plasma and self-absorption of emission spectral lines are discussed. The results indicate that laser- induced attraction and constriction of hybrid arc root are generated in low-power laser hybrid-welding process, and they make the synergy effect between laser and MAG arc increase. Comparing with simple MAG welding case, a zone above laser-heated spot with higher electron temperature and greater electron density is seen in hybrid-welding process. The maximal values of electron temperature and electron density of hybrid arc in this zone are about 1.56 plusmn 0.09 times 104 K and 1.61 plusmn 0.16 times 1017 cm-3, respectively. The welding arc plasmas are in the state of LTE, and none of the lines selected from emission spectrum of arc plasma is affected by self-absorption.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Faced with a limited supply of applicants for faculty positions, increasing demands for residency faculty, and a growing number of programs, our program has increasingly filled ranks with recent residency graduates with broad scope but limited experience and training in academics. These early-career clinicians often require further mentorship as they seek advancement in clinical skills and development of teaching and scholarly activity skill sets.

METHODS
To educate our recent residency graduates in teaching/scholarly activity skills, and to provide a career trajectory, we created a process to guide their maturation with milestones using the six core competencies from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The milestones consist of four levels of clinician/academician maturation. Each competence has goals and activities for each level of development. We validated the milestones using our physician faculty assessing time spent in academic medicine and academic rank.

RESULTS
Faculty of higher academic rank scored higher in all competencies than faculty of lower academic rank. Correlation between systems-based practice and years in academics demonstrated statistical significance, and all other categories showed nonsignificant associations.

CONCLUSIONS
The milestones are consistent with faculty academic development and career progression, and may serve as a guide for career advancement and as a guideline for professional progression for residency clinicians. Further testing for validation in other family medicine programs is necessary, but preliminary findings indicate this milestone project may be of service to our profession.


Examining the biocompatibility of implant materials includes the in vivo investigation of the local tissue response following implantation in experimental animals. By contrast to qualitative and semi‐quantitative approaches often used in this field, a quantitative technique would facilitate a more accurate determination and better comparability of different studies. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the applicability of the free image analysis software ImageJ for fast, easy and reproducible quantification of the tissue response following implantation of titanium samples in rats with subsequent immunohistochemical examination of peri‐implant tissue samples for monocytes and macrophages (ED1) and MHC class II positive antigen presenting cells (OX6). The quantification of positively stained cells in the vicinity of the implant pockets was based on a grid‐supported manual count carried out using two ImageJ plugins (CellCounter, Grid) and resulted in a mean coefficient of variation of 13.8% (ED1) and 19.6% (OX6) between different investigators and 10.0% (ED1) and 13.8% (OX6) for repeated counting by the same investigator. In conclusion, ImageJ was found to be suitable for morphometric evaluation of the tissue response following implantation, particularly the analysis of discrete cellular events at the tissue–biomaterial interface. The procedure which was used is described in detail, and its advantages and disadvantages are discussed.


Purpose of the study. Assessment of the effect of hemostatic materials on concentration of calcium of blood.Materials and methods. The following groups of local hemostatic materials were studied: collagen plate (No. 2), hemostatic sponge from medical gelatin (No. 3), oxidized cellulose material (No. 4), experimental samples of hemostatic sponge developed by the team of authors, based on the sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose with various modifications (groups No. 5-8). In the control group (No. 1), only blood of volunteer donors was used, without introducing the test materials. Evaluation of the effect of hemostatic materials on blood calcium concentration was carried out according to the described method: «Method for comparative investigation of the effectiveness of local hemostatic agents in an in vitro experiment» Russian patent No. 2709 517. According to the results of the study, median, 25 and 75 percentiles were calculated. The validity of differences between groups was determined using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test (p<0.05).Results. In groups using various materials, such as group No. 2 (Tachocomb) by 0.24 mmol/L and group № 4 (Surgicel Fibrillar) by 0.7 mmol/L, the serum calcium level was statistically significantly lower than the control group. Significant differences of calcium level values after blood immersion of volunteer donor samples based on cellulose derivatives were revealed, namely in group No. 5 (Na-CMC + Tranexamic acid pressed) value exceeds that in group No. 4 by 0.58 mmol/l. In other cases, comparisons of calcium concentration values in groups using experimental samples (not introduced into clinical practice) with material widely used in abdominal surgery (group No. 4) were found to be greater: in group No. 6 (Na-CMC + Tranexamic acid unsaturated) by 0.61 mmol/l, in group No. 7 (Na-CMC pressed) by 0.75 mmol/l, in group No. 8 (Na-CMC unsaturated) by 0.5 mmol/l.Conclusion. It should be noted that although there are no significant differences in the groups using experimental samples of local hemostatic agents and the control group, the calcium levels in groups No. 5-6 are close to those in the groups using widely known materials such as Tachocomb (No. 2) and Gelita-Spon Standart (No. 3). Also, among the samples developed by the authors, the greatest effectiveness was identified in group No. 8 (Na-CMC, unpressed), in which the serum calcium levels (2.14 mmol/L) are lower than in groups No. 5-7.


This review addresses the issues on etiopathogenesis of testicular microlithiasis (TM), associated clinical entities, evaluation and follow-up of patients with TM. A literature search of Medline/PubMed was carried out using the keywords 'testicular microlithiasis' and 'testicular calcifications' for published data in English language on TM from 1970 to 2006. TM is an uncommon entity among adult males, resulting from intratubular calcifications. The reported incidence of TM is highly variable. With the increasing frequency of ultrasound examination in scrotal and testicular conditions and with the advent of high frequency transducers, TM is increasingly being reported. TM is associated with many benign and malignant conditions of testes but the possible association of TM with testicular cancer has been a matter of concern. Though a few sporadic cases of testicular malignancies have been reported, it is believed that a conservative approach is warranted in the absence of high risk factors, in view of the low risks for invasive cancers. There is no uniform protocol for the evaluation and follow-up of the patients with TM. Those with high risk factors like contralateral testicular tumour, chromosomal anomalies, gonadal dysgenesis, cryptorchidism and definite ultrasound pattern of TM should be advised to have further evaluation. Incidentally detected asymptomatic TM during ultrasound examination does not warrant aggressive measures and it can be followed with self examination.


Molybdenum sulfide/graphene composites are promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, MoSx /graphene composite film with an ideal 3D porous structure is developed via a facile and straightforward electrochemical route. The MoSx nanoparticles are uniformly anchored on the graphene nanosheets that are randomly arranged, resulting in MoSx /graphene composites with well-developed porous structure. Benefiting from such structure and the synergistic effect from two components, this material shows a high specific capacity over 1200 mA h g-1 , an excellent rate performance, and superior cycling stability. The dominating pseudocapacitive behavior in Li storage contributes to the outstanding rate capacity. Importantly, this kind of novel material can be easily produced as 3D microelectrodes for microscaled LIBs that are highly demanded for autonomous microelectronic systems.


DAZ interacting zinc finger 3 (DZIP3), an RNA-binding RING-type ubiquitin ligase, has been reported to be involved in multiple physiological functions, including the regulation of chemokine- or estradiol-induced gene expression, self-renewal, and maintaining pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells. However, the precise cellular functions of DZIP3 remain elusive. In this study, we report the establishment of DZIP3-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), using the rat medial iliac lymph node method. In immunoblotting analyses, our antibodies detected endogenous human and mouse DZIP3. In addition, immunoprecipitation analyses revealed the availability of these antibodies for human or mouse DZIP3. Thus, these MAbs will be available to elucidate cellular functions of DZIP3.


This study was designed to determine whether preimplantation mouse embryos carrying the MT-neo/MT-β-gal transgene, which contains a neomycin resistance gene (neo) and E. coli β-galactosidase (β-gal) gene, can be selected by incubation in the presence of G-418 prior to transfer to recipients. Mouse 1-cell eggs were injected with MT-neo/MT-β-gal DNA, allowed to develop to the 4-cell stage and then treated for 3 days with 200 μg/ml of G-418, a concentration known to completely inhibit development of normal embryos in vitro. Twenty-eight (15.1%) of 186 4-cell embryos that had been microinjected developed to the blastocyst stage after culture with G-418. Histochemical staining of the resulting blastocysts for β-gal activity revealed that 28.6% (8 of 28) of G-418-resistant embryos were positive for β-gal activity. Of 158 control 4-cell eggs that had been injected with MT-neo/MT-β-gal DNA but not treated with G-418, 55 (34.8%) developed to the blastocyst stage. Four (7.3%) of these 55 blastocysts expressed the β-gal gene. These findings suggest that mouse preimplantation embryos with exogenous DNA after injection can be concentrated approximately 4-fold after selection in the presence of G-418.


Rod-shaped and wire-shaped SnO2 nanowhiskers were synthesized by thermal evaporating of tin powders at 900 °C. Three Raman peaks (474, 632, 774 cm−1) showed the typical feature of the rutile phase of as-synthesized SnO2 nanowhiskers, which was consistent with the result of x-ray diffraction. A relatively low turn-on field of 1.37 V µm−1 at a current density of 0.1 µA cm−2 was obtained. The dependence of emission current density on the electric field followed a Fowler–Nordheim relationship. Our results indicated that SnO2 nanowhiskers had an interesting FE property as a wide band gap semiconductor.


Many educational researchers have established problem-based learning (PBL) as a total approach to education – both a product and a process – from a pedagogical instructional strategy to skills development to assessment. This study provides qualitative evidences from educational practitioners in various professional disciplines, namely, Medicine, Engineering, Dentistry, and Science in Ireland and Hong Kong, on some of the identifiable issues that affect the effectiveness of the PBL process: the actual problem, the assessment, the students' pre-college learning culture and the facilitator's role. Given the increasing level of faculty interest in PBL in higher education, it is evident that training and guidelines must be provided. Moreover, clear understanding of PBL and communications between curriculum developers and PBL facilitators are vitally important for ensuring effectiveness of PBL implementation. Findings also suggest that the pre-college learning culture is least influential on PBL effectiveness, provided that students are given numerous opportunities to work collaboratively from the start of their university studies.


The development, survivorship, longevity and fecundity of Wyeomyia mitchellii (Theobald, 1905) were examined in the laboratory. The eggs hatched within 5–6 days. The larval stage required a total of 33.7 days (4.8, 2.1, 12.3, and 14.5 days for first, second, third and fourth instars, respectively). The length of time to complete the pupal stage was 5–6 days. The egg and pupal stages had higher survival rates (0.82 and 0.95, respectively) than the larval stage (0.33). Among the larval stage, the lowest survival rate was found in the 2nd instar (0.59) and the highest survival rate was found in the 4th instar (0.95). The mean life spans of the adult male and female mosquitoes were 18.6 and 26.4 days, respectively. Pre-oviposition period ranged from 7–8 days. The gross fecundity rate was 25.8 eggs per female. Based on the life history of W. mitchellii, some basic demographic parameters were also estimated. The net reproductive rate (R0) was 3.42 female offspring per female per generation, the mean generation time (T) was 70.5 days, and the intrinsic rate of increase (r) was 0.0174. The result of this study indicates that W. mitchellii is unlikely to build up its population rapidly because of its slow development of the immature stages and the low fecundity of adult.


Hemodynamic and analgesic effects of medetomidine (30 micrograms/kg of body weight, IM), atropine (0.044 mg/kg, IM), and propofol (2 mg/kg, IV, as a bolus, and 165 micrograms/kg/min, IV, for 60 minutes, as an infusion) were evaluated in 6 healthy adult Beagles. Catheters were placed while the dogs were anesthetized with isoflurane in oxygen. Administration of isoflurane was then discontinued, and dogs were allowed to breath oxygen until end-tidal isoflurane concentration was < or = 0.5%. At this time, baseline measurements were recorded and medetomidine and atropine were administered. Ten minutes later, the bolus of propofol was given and the infusion was begun. Analgesia was evaluated with a tail clamp test and by use of a direct-current nerve stimulator. Sinoatrial and atrioventricular blockade developed in all 6 dogs within 2 minutes of administration of medetomidine and atropine, but disappeared within 10 minutes. Apnea did not develop after administration of propofol. Analgesia was strong and consistent throughout the entire 60-minute period of propofol infusion. Medetomidine significantly (P < 0.05) increased systemic vascular resistance and decreased cardiac output, compared with baseline values. Propofol infusion appeared to alleviate medetomidine-induced vasoconstriction. Recovery was smooth and uncomplicated. All dogs were able to walk normally at a mean time (+/- SEM) of 88.2 +/- 20.6 minutes after termination of propofol infusion. It was concluded that medetomidine, atropine, and propofol, as given in the present study, is a safe combination of anesthetic drugs for use in healthy Beagles.


The complexity and the astronomic number of possible chemical mixtures preclude any systematic experimental assessment of toxicology of all potentially troublesome chemical mixtures. Thus, the use of computer modeling and mechanistic toxicology for the development of a predictive tool is a promising approach to deal with chemical mixtures. In the past 15 years or so, physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) modeling has been applied to the toxicologic interactions of chemical mixtures. This approach is promising for relatively simple chemical mixtures; the most complicated chemical mixtures studied so far using this approach contained five or fewer component chemicals. In this presentation we provide some examples of the utility of PBPK/PD modeling for toxicologic interactions in chemical mixtures. The probability of developing predictive tools for simple mixtures using PBPK/PD modeling is high. Unfortunately, relatively few attempts have been made to develop paradigms to consider the risks posed by very complex chemical mixtures such as gasoline, diesel, tobacco smoke, etc. However, recent collaboration between scientists at Colorado State University and engineers at Rutgers University attempting to use reaction network modeling has created hope for the possible development of a modeling approach with the potential of predicting the outcome of toxicology of complex chemical mixtures. We discuss the applications of reaction network modeling in the context of petroleum refining and its potential for elucidating toxic interactions with mixtures.


Abstract This study was conducted to investigate the effect of chestnut inner shell powder on antioxidant activity and the quality characteristics of cookies. Cookies were prepared with different amounts of chestnut inner shell powder(in ratios of 0, 0.5, 1, 3 and 5% to the flour quantity). The antioxidant activity was estimated by DPPH free radical scavenging activity and the total phenol content in chestnut inner shell powder and cookies. For analyzing quality characteristics, bulk density and pH of the dough, spread factor, loss rate, leavening rate, color, texture profile analysis, and sensory evaluations were measured. The spread ratio, a values, total phenol contents and DPPH free radical scavenging activity of cookies significantly increased with increasing chestnut inner shell powder(p<0.001), while the pH of the dough, L values and b values of the cookies significantly decreased with increasing chestnut inner shell powder content(p<0.001). The consumer acceptability score for the 3% chestnut inner shell cookie groups ranked significantly higher(p<0.01) than those of the other groups in overall preference, flavor, taste and color. From these results, we suggest that chestnut inner shell is a good ingredient for increasing the consumer acceptability and the functionality of cookies. Key words: antioxidant activity, chestnut inner shell, cookie, sensory evaluation


IMPROVEMENT in telephone sets has been responsible for significant advances in the transmission art over the years and has always been an important part of the development program. The recent introduction of an improved telephone set known as the 500-type set has probably had greater effect on the methods of designing exchange cable plant than any other set produced since the early 1920's. Even though improvement had been large in previous sets, transmission was, in general, the controlling factor in the design of subscriber cable and for more than 25 years the general design methods had not been greatly changed. In fact, until very recently, principles in use as early as 19281 were still being applied.


The CO(2) adsorption characteristics of prototypical poly(ethyleneimine)/silica composite adsorbents can be drastically enhanced by altering the acid/base properties of the oxide support via incorporation of Zr into the silica support. Introduction of an optimal amount of Zr resulted in a significant improvement in the CO(2) capacity and amine efficiency under dilute (simulated flue gas) and ultradilute (simulated ambient air) conditions. Adsorption experiments combined with detailed characterization by thermogravimetric analysis, temperature-programmed desorption, and in situ FT-IR spectroscopy clearly demonstrate a stabilizing effect of amphoteric Zr sites that enhances the adsorbent capacity, regenerability, and stability over continued recycling. It is suggested that the important role of the surface properties of the oxide support in these polymer/oxide composite adsorbents has been largely overlooked and that the properties may be even further enhanced in the future by tuning the acid/base properties of the support.


This paper proposes a bi-objective model for the facility location problem under a congestion system. The idea of the model is motivated by applications of locating servers in bank automated teller machines (ATMS), communication networks, and so on. This model can be specifically considered for situations in which fixed service facilities are congested by stochastic demand within queueing framework. We formulate this model with two perspectives simultaneously: (i) customers and (ii) service provider. The objectives of the model are to minimize (i) the total expected travelling and waiting time and (ii) the average facility idle-time. This model represents a mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem which belongs to the class of NP-hard problems. In addition, to solve the model, two metaheuristic algorithms including non-dominated sorting genetic algorithms (NSGA-II) and non-dominated ranking genetic algorithms (NRGA) are proposed. Besides, to evaluate the performance of the two algorithms some numerical examples are produced and analyzed with some metrics to determine which algorithm works better.


Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a receptor tyrosine kinase widely expressed in cervical tumors, being correlated with adverse clinical outcomes. EGFR may be activated by a diversity of mechanisms, including transactivation by G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Studies have also shown that platelet-activating factor (PAF), a pro-inflammatory phospholipid mediator, plays an important role in the cancer progression either by modulating the cancer cells or the tumor microenvironment. Most of the PAF effects seem to be mediated by the interaction with its receptor (PAFR), a member of the GPCRs family. PAFR- and EGFR-evoked signaling pathways contribute to tumor biology; however, the interplay between them remains uninvestigated in cervical cancer. In this study, we employed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and cancer cell lines to evaluate possible cooperation between EGFR, PAFR, and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferases (LPCATs), enzymes involved in the PAF biosynthesis, in the context of cervical cancer. It was observed a strong positive correlation between the expression of EGFR × PAFR and EGFR × LPCAT2 in 306 cervical cancer samples. The increased expression of LPCAT2 was significantly correlated with poor overall survival. Activation of EGFR upregulated the expression of PAFR and LPCAT2 in a MAPK-dependent fashion. At the same time, PAF showed the ability to transactivate EGFR leading to ERK/MAPK activation, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) induction, and cell migration. The positive crosstalk between the PAF-PAFR axis and EGFR demonstrates a relevant linkage between inflammatory and growth factor signaling in cervical cancer cells. Finally, combined PAFR and EGFR targeting treatment impaired clonogenic capacity and viability of aggressive cervical cancer cells more strongly than each treatment separately. Collectively, we proposed that EGFR, LPCAT2, and PAFR emerge as novel targets for cervical cancer therapy.


This research explores a novel function of mammalian skin in sensing and responding to a hypoxic environment. Skin plays an essential role in the response and adaptation to environmental stimuli such as heat, that is mediated in part by its remarkable vascular plasticity. Some vertebrates respond to hypoxia in part through the skin; but it is unknown whether this tissue can influence mammalian systemic adaptation to low oxygen levels. We have found that epidermal deletion of the hypoxia responsive transcription factor HIF-1[alpha] blocks erythropoietin (EPO) synthesis, an important aspect of the systemic hypoxic response. Conversely, mice with an epidermal deletion of the von Hippel Lindau (VHL) factor, a negative regulator of HIF, have increased EPO synthesis and polycythemia. We show that nitric oxide (NO), a vasodilator and product of the inducible NO synthase gene (iNOS), a downstream target of HIF, can act on cutaneous vascular flow to increase renal erythropoietin expression through a novel physiological mechanism. The complexity of the regulation of EPO production by the skin is exemplified by data showing that an acute hypoxic response can also reduce renal EPO production by dermal vasoconstriction. These results together demonstrate that in mice, the skin is a critical mediator of systemic responses to environmental oxygen. In the third chapter, I demonstrate the critical importance of skin vasodilation state in thermoregulation and energy balance. We created a mouse model with a deletion of the tumor suppressor gene VHL in the epidermis; this deletion results in up- regulation of the HIF transcriptional pathway of hypoxic response. Because of the increase in HIF-driven gene expression, the mutation gives rise to striking increases in skin vasculature and blood flow. This altered vascular flow in the skin affects the systemic physiology to an unexpected degree; growth is stunted and lifespan severely shortened. This is the result of profound and sustained heat loss though the dilated blood vessels of the skin. Through this mutant mouse we have demonstrated the critical importance of skin blood flow in thermoregulation, and developed the first genetic animal model of hypothermia. In the fourth chapter, I connect the phenotype of NO induced skin vasodilation, described above, to a human phenomenon of clinical importance: septic shock


A few resprouting plants in fire-prone environments have no local seed bank (soil or canopy) when a fire occurs. These species rely on post-fire flowering and the production of non-dormant seeds to exploit favourable post-fire establishment and growth conditions. For two such pyrogenic flowering species (Doryanthes excelsa Correa and Telopea speciosissima (Smith) R.Br.), we examined the timing of seed release, patterns of fruit production, seed dispersal, seed predation and seedling establishment following a fire in the Sydney region of south-eastern Australia. Both species took some 19 months after the fire to flower and the first seeds were released 2 years after the fire. D. excelsa flowered and fruited only once after the fire. For T. speciosissima, plants also flowered at least once more in the subsequent 5 years, but produced seed in only the first three post-fire flowering years. Fruit production differed between species, with fruiting individuals of D. excelsa producing fewer infructescences, similar numbers of follicles, but many more seeds per follicle than fruiting individuals of T. speciosissima. Ultimately, D. excelsa produced approximately six times as many seeds per m2 and four times as many seeds per adult in one flowering season than T. speciosissima did after four flowering (three successful fruiting) seasons. Seeds were passively dispersed from fruits borne 3–4 m (D. excelsa) or 1–2 m (T. speciosissima) above the ground. Most seeds were found within 5 m (D. excelsa) or 3 m (T. speciosissima) of parent plants. The primary seed shadow of both species was a poor predictor of the distribution of seedlings, with more seedlings occurring further from the adults than expected from the distribution of seeds. Seed loss to predators was high in both species in exclusion experiments where mammals had access to clumps of seeds (77–88%). It was variable and generally lower (8–65%) in experiments where seeds were not locally clumped. However, for T. speciosissima, at one site, some 65% of seeds were lost to mammals and invertebrates in these latter experiments. At this site, these losses appeared to influence subsequent recruitment levels, as very low seedling densities were observed. For both species, germination of seedlings first occurred some 2.5–3 years after the passage of the fire. The percentage of seeds produced to seedlings successfully established was low in D. excelsa (2–3%) and more variable across sites and years in T. speciosissima (0–18%). Resultant post-fire seedling densities of D. excelsa (two sites) and T. speciosissima at one site were similar, but they were much lower at the T. speciosissima site that had high levels of seed predation. Both D. excelsa and T. speciosissima are amongst the slowest woody resprouting species to recruit seedlings after fire in south-eastern Australia and lag years behind species with soil or canopy seed banks.


A unique orthonormal 3-frame for each spatial metric is selected using new rotational gauge conditions. In terms of these special frames the Hamiltonian is essentially non-negative and local, thus permitting more than a positive energy proof: a true 'localization' of energy. As these special orthonormal frames are also suitable variables for the initial value constraints they are good parameters for the space of solutions and well represent the true physical degrees of freedom for Einstein's theory of gravity.


This paper investigates the effect of market segmentation on stock prices and returns in emerging Chinese markets. Under the assumption of infinite investment horizon and representative consumer, I formulate an Intertemporal Capital Asset Pricing Model (ICAPM) with restrictions on share ownership. The model posits that cross-section variations in the average excess returns between domestic A -and foreign Bshares depend on systematic risks as measured by shares' own market betas and betas with respect to the international equity markets. After correcting for errors-in-variable problem, I obtain econometric results consistent with the empirical predictions of ICAPM.


Objective: Ceramics have advantages such as optimal esthetics and biocompatibility. However, in the oral environment, they are subjected to high levels of stress due to masticatory forces, saliva, thermal changes and alterations of pH, which increase their risk of fracture. Since replacement of these restorations is costly and time-consuming, composite resin is often used for intraoral repair of these restorations. This study aimed to assess the shear bond strength of two porcelain repair systems by Pulpdent and Ultradent and evaluate the effect of number of silane layers on the shear bond strength. Methods: This invitro experimental study was conducted on 66 porcelain blocks measuring 3×5×8mm. In each kit, samples were randomly divided into three groups of 11. Silane was not used for group one. Groups two and three received one coat and two coats of silane, respectively. After surface preparation, composite was bonded to ceramic surfaces. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. Results: The LSD test showed that application of Ultradent silane significantly affected the shear bond strength (p<0.05) while Pulpdent silane had no such effect (p=0.89). Application of one layer and two layers of silane was not significantly different (p=0.94). Conclusion: Ultradent ceramic repair kit yields higher shear bond strength at the ceramic-composite interface compared to Pulp dent ceramic repair kit. Use of one or two layers of silane does not make


OBJECTIVE
Treatment with anthracyclines may cause cardiac dysfunction, but the sequence of anthracycline-induced heart lesions has been incompletely characterized. NADPH oxidase, a key mediator of oxidative cardiac damage and remodeling, modulates anthracycline clinical cardiotoxicity. Our aim was to determine which cardiac histological lesions are specifically induced by anthracycline treatment and to investigate the role of NADPH functional genetic polymorphisms in their development.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Using a retrospective case-control design, we evaluated cardiac histological lesions and NADPH genotype (polymorphisms rs1883112, rs4673, and rs13058338) in 97 consecutive decedents with a cancer diagnosis (48 treated with anthracyclines).

RESULTS
Myocytolysis (60%), patched myocardial necrosis (19%), and myocardial fibrosis (diffuse and patched; 62% and 23%, respectively) were associated with anthracycline treatment. In patients receiving anthracyclines, NADPH oxidase polymorphism rs4673 protected against focal myocardial necrosis (odds ratio [OR], 0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20-0.63) whereas rs1883112 was strongly associated with cardiac fibrosis (OR, 5.11; 95% CI, 1.59-16.43), which was present in all homozygotes.

CONCLUSION
Anthracyclines induce a cardiac remodeling pattern characterized by interstitial or patched fibrosis. The contribution of the functionally relevant NADPH polymorphisms rs1883112 and rs4673 to anthracycline-related heart lesions provides a plausible explanation for their modulation of cardiotoxicity. If confirmed, these findings may lead to better individualized strategies for early detection and prevention of anthracycline cardiotoxicity.


The authors present the results of selective bronchial and parietal arteriography of pulmonary systemic hypervascularization, in 83 cases. They emphasize the advantages of previous pulmonary venous angiography and overall aortography for the success of selective injections. Failures are evaluated at 6 to 7%. On occasions, a medullary branch was opacified. No medullary accidents were noted. The angiographic appearances of the lesions encountered are described. A comparative study of the angiographic results of non-tumoral acquired lesions was carried out in those patients with hemoptysis and in those who were free from them.


The purpose of this research is to analyze on four 4 assessments: 1. Effect of the perception on employee safety behaviour, 2. Effect of demeanour on employee safety behaviour 3. Effect of knowledge on employee safety behaviour, 4. Effect of workplace on employee safety behaviour. This research has been done with techniques like taking random samples with considerations on the population that is quite huge, because it wasn't possible for the researcher to cover the whole present population, so a representative was formed. Samples in this research are only a part of the whole employee PT. MuliaGlass Container. The result show that test F where the value of significance is 0,000, the coefficient of determination on satisfaction which is shown by r-square is 0,561 that means the customer satisfaction is 56,1% affected by variable of quality of service, price & promotion. Whereas, the rest of the 43,9% is affected because of other variables which were not checked thoroughly by researchers.the factors which not influence safety behaviour was knowledge employee. The result proved the factors which influence safety behaviour were perception, demenour, and workplace.


Nonbinary low-density-parity-check (NB-LDPC) codes, an extension of binary LDPC codes, provide stronger error-correcting capability than binary LDPC codes. However, the performance gain comes together with extraordinary increase on decoding complexity and memory requirement. Many simplification algorithms have been proposed in the literature, and the extended min-sum (EMS) algorithm is the one with minimal performance loss. In this brief, we present an efficient decoder architecture for quasi-cyclic NB-LDPC codes with the EMS algorithm. The throughput is improved by not only the double-throughput elementary check node unit but also overlapped processing for both check node and variable node units (VNUs). To reduce memory usage and computing complexity, edge-message hiding and simplified VNU are proposed as well. With these schemes, the postlayout results of a decoder for a (112, 56) NB-LDPC over GF(64) are presented. The core area occupies 2.24 mm2 and consumes 274 mW with a throughput of 124.6 Mb/s. Compared to prior NB-LDPC decoders with a similar code rate, the proposed decoder achieves better hardware efficiency and energy efficiency.


This study investigated the motivational and social-cognitive foundations (i.e., inequality aversion, in-group bias, and theory of mind) that underlie the development of sharing behavior among 3- to 9-year-old Chinese children (N = 122). Each child played two mini-dictator games against an in-group member (friend) and an out-group member (stranger) to divide four stickers. Results indicated that there was a small to moderate age-related increase in children's egalitarian sharing with strangers, whereas the age effect was moderate to large in interactions with friends. Moreover, 3- to 4-year-olds did not treat strangers and friends differently, but 5- to 6-year-old and older children showed strong in-group favoritism. Finally, theory of mind was an essential prerequisite for children's sharing behavior toward strangers, but not a unique predictor of their sharing with friends.


(See the Major Article by Doyle et al, on pages 724–32).

Antiretroviral therapy prevents human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)–related complications by suppressing viral replication [1]. To forestall virologic rebound and treatment failure, a regimen must reduce the plasma HIV-1 RNA to a threshold below which the virus does not evolve and develop drug resistance. Although this threshold has not been precisely defined, it is probably near the level of quantification for the conventional assays used in the past decade (ie, <50–75 copies/mL), and hence most clinicians have aimed to maintain a viral load that is "undetectable." This goal can easily be achieved with many modern regimens [2, 3]. Recently, the sensitivity of these assays has improved, resulting in a lower threshold for undetectability. This change has led to a clinical quandary: Should patients who have very low but detectable viremia be considered as having failed therapy?

To address this question, Doyle and colleagues performed an analysis of patients on therapy who had viral loads below 50 copies/mL as measured by the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assay [4]. The lower limit of quantification of this test is 40 copies/mL; below this threshold, the assay detects HIV-1 RNA, but only qualitative results (detectable or nondetectable) are reported. Given the lack of clarity regarding the significance of these low RNA levels, the treating clinician was informed only that the patient's viral load was below 50 copies/mL, and, hence, the actual results did not affect the clinician's decision making. Based on their unreported results, patients were retrospectively divided into 3 groups: those with viral load of 40–49 copies/mL, those with a detectable but unquantifiable viral load (RNApos), and those with an undetectable viral load (RNAneg). Of 1247 patients, 19% had an initial viral load of 40–49 copies/mL, 41% had a detectable but nonquantifiable viral load <40 copies/mL, and 40% had a truly undetectable viral load. Most patients who had viral load between 40–49 copies/mL had only recently achieved virologic suppression (median 0.2 years), whereas those who were RNApos and RNAneg had been suppressed much longer (median 1.3 years and 2.8 years, respectively). Among the subset of patients for whom information was available, those who had a viral load of 40–49 copies/mL were significantly less likely to have perfect adherence, as assessed by pharmacy records, than those in the RNAneg group.

So what were the virologic outcomes over the subsequent 12 months? Compared with those who were RNAneg, a higher percentage of patients who had a viral load of 40–49 copies/mL had a subsequent viral load above 50 copies/mL (4% vs 34%). This finding is not surprising; patients who had a viral load just 400 copies/mL), those who had a viral load of 40–49 copies/mL were still more likely to have virologic rebound (13%) than those whose viral load was below 40 copies/mL (3.8% in the RNApos and 1.2% in the RNAneg group). Based on these results, the authors conclude that "the goal of [highly active antiretroviral therapy] may need to be revised to a lower cutoff than 50 copies/mL."

There are reasons to pause before adopting this recommendation. Even though the investigators performed appropriate analytic adjustments, it is difficult to exclude the possibility that the results may have been at least partially affected by survivor bias. Patients who have had virologic suppression for longer periods of time are less likely to have rebound than those suppressed for shorter durations [6, 7]; in this regard, patients in the current study who were RNAneg had been on therapy much longer than those who had a viral load of 40–49 copies/mL. In fact, many if not most of the patients whose viral load was 40–49 copies/mL may have been in the third phase of viral decay, which is estimated to have a half-life of 9–15 months after initiation of therapy [8], and hence not yet at a steady state. Because one would expect all patients to have a low but detectable HIV-1 RNA level during the first several months of suppressive therapy, any successful regimen might be considered as having failed if the test were performed during the third phase of decay. This supposition is borne out by the observation that, in a subanalysis, a substantial proportion of patients who had a detectable initial viral load did not have a detectable viral load when measured 3–4 months later. Moreover, the risk of virologic failure was most clearly associated with persistently detectable viremia: Only patients who had 2 consecutive detectable viral load measurements had a significantly higher hazard ratio for virologic rebound above 400 copies/mL.

So, how low is low enough? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends using a threshold of 200 copies/mL to define virologic success versus failure [9]. This recommendation is based in part on the lack of evidence that HIV-1 replicates and evolves when RNA levels are below this threshold and the observation that virologic failure was uncommon once viremia reached these levels [10]. The findings of the current study suggest that this threshold may be too high for a patient who has quantifiable and persistently detectable viremia, but confirmatory studies are needed. Until such studies are available, a careful assessment of adherence should be the first response to low levels of viremia. Whether treatment for such individuals should be modified or intensified is currently unknown.

Of note, having 2 consecutive low but quantifiable plasma HIV-1 RNA levels was uncommon in this cohort. The more common scenario was having a detectable but unquantifiable viral load. Among individuals who had a single detectable but unquantifiable viral load, the risk of subsequent virologic failure to above 400 copies/mL over the following year was 3.8%; this was only slightly higher than the 1.2% risk among those who had a truly undetectable viral load. Detectable viremia below 40 copies/mL may not be clinically important with regard to risk of subsequent virologic outcomes.

Several factors might contribute to persistent viremia during effective therapy, including release of virus from latent reservoirs or cycles of viral replication. Based on a series of intensification studies [11–14], viral replication is clearly not an important cause of viremia among those with very low plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (ie, below 3 copies/mL). Controlled studies using intensification as a probe may be needed to determine whether viral replication is a cause of low but more readily detectable levels of viremia, as was suggested by a small intensification study of individuals with viremia between 3–23 copies/mL [15]. The results of this latter study—which needs confirmation—are generally consistent with those of the current study.

We believe that the implications of low-level viremia for treatment outcomes—including the extent of immune reconstitution and rates of non-AIDS morbidity—are among the more important issues for clinical research. Until such studies are performed, clinicians and their patients are advised to pay careful attention to adherence and regimen potency if the viral load is consistently detectable and quantifiable using modern sensitive assays. To advance emerging work on HIV-1 eradication, we also need to understand the origin of low-level viremia [16] in treated patients and to determine whether there is ongoing viral replication in tissue reservoirs that might prevent a durable response to those curative interventions now being considered.


In this study, we propose an extremum‐seeking approach for the approximation of optimal control problems for a class of unknown nonlinear dynamical systems. The technique combines a phasor extremum‐seeking controller with a reinforcement learning strategy. The learning approach is used to estimate the value function of an optimal control problem of interest. The phasor extremum‐seeking controller implements the approximate optimal controller. The approach is shown to provide reasonable approximations of optimal control problems without the need for a parameterization of the nonlinear system's dynamics. A simulation example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique.


A 4.2 GHz 0.24-/spl mu/m CMOS VCO for a WLAN 802.11a image reject transceiver is demonstrated. The VCO provides quadrature output through injection locking of two LC-oscillators. Because the injection locking has an impact on the oscillation frequency and Q-factor, a quasi linear model is used to analyze this. Furthermore, as this quadrature VCO is prone to imperfections, an analysis of the static phase error is presented. The phase error is measured to 2.6-3.1/spl deg/ which can be traced back to the coupling from the inductors to the DC-supply connection. The phase noise is at most -109 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz over the entire tuning range from 3.95-4.55 GHz while the power consumption is 21 mW.


Endoglin (CD105, END) is upregulated in proliferating endothelial cells, suggesting potential therapeutic properties. However, it is not clear whether endoglin mediates an enhanced proliferative rate or may be upregulated as part of a negative feedback loop. To gain insights into context-dependent and cell type-dependent regulatory effects of endoglin, we studied its role properties in human ovarian carcinoma-derived endothelial cells (ODMECs). We isolated and cultured primary ODMECs from epithelial ovarian carcinoma tissue. ODMECs had higher expression of endoglin and VEGFR-2, and also exhibited enhanced spontaneous formation of vessel-like structures in vitro. Transfection of siRNA targeting endoglin in ODMECs cells resulted in the reduction of the proliferation and tube formation. These results indicate that a subset of ODMECs display abnormal angiogenic properties and this phenotype was blocked by decreasing endoglin levels, suggesting endoglin is essential for stimulating angiogenesis, and targeting it may be an attractive approach to anti-angiogenesis therapy for ovarian carcinoma.


A new spectrophotometric method for the determination of gentamicin has been developed. The method is based on the aggregation of label-free silver nanoparticles leading to change in absorption spectra and color of the solution. Influence of different factors on the aggregation and analytical performance of the method were investigated. Results showed that the absorption ratio in 510 nm and 394 nm of silver nanoparticles was liner with gentamicin concentration in human urine samples in the range of 0.2-4.5 μg/mL and the detection limit was calculated to be 0.16 μg/mL. The proposed method is a promising mean for the detection of gentamicin in human urine, with the recovery between 97% and 103%. Compared with the reported methods for the determination of gentamicin, the method established in this paper is simple, rapid, cost-effective, intuitive and sensitive.


In the new cache of meteorites recently found in Antarctica, 28 of the 31 discovered are carbonaceous chondrites, a type of meteorite rare for its carbon content. According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the meteorites were discovered at the Pecora Escarpment, the southernmost exposure of rocks of the Pensacola Mountains. Antarctic conditions keep the meteorites nearly free of terrestrial organic contamination, making the meteorites' extraterrestrial organic compounds especially valuable to researchers.

According to NSF, the discoverers termed the recent find 'as good as' the 1977 discovery at Allan Hills, in Victoria Land, of the largest meteorite ever found in Antarctica, one weighing 407 kg.


Exodus by Madurese people to Java, represented one of the resident disseminating process in Indonesia. Besides transfer of human beings, there were also architecture and culture transfer, especially house remain was important shares in human life. The aim of this architecture's research is to know changes of architecture that happened in two cultures in its life pattern. Though culture that goes on it follows local culture, however its architecture's orientation does not stem from the same culture, and so does on the contrary. This matter represent there are values that able to perceive physically on the elements of architecture, and also its influence on its pattern habit of society exist in depth.This research represents a kind of study and object case research, by determining one of the research object and conduct it with in depth study to get required data to analyse. Besides, this research also represents a qualitative research to describe and compare of two architectures. In course of analysis, quantitative data also needed, which obtained from questioner concerning architecture composition. By the existence of existing change and difference gotten after analysis process by compare of two architecture, showed that architecture have a dynamically character. Besides, the change and its dynamically was supported by a very good relationship between architecture, human being and environment where the architecture woke up. Keywords: Madurese architecture, culture, environment


BACKGROUND
The authors investigated the associations between enamel fluorosis, caries and early fluoride use among Norwegian children who received fluoride supplementation under a protocol similar to the current U.S. protocol.

METHODS
Two examiners whose techniques were calibrated examined randomly selected middle-school-aged children living in Bergen, Norway-where the water supply contains less than 0.10 milligrams of fluoride per liter-for both enamel fluorosis and caries by using the Fluorosis Risk Index and modified National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research criteria. The authors ascertained past fluoride exposure via a follow-up questionnaire mailed to parents.

RESULTS
The questionnaire had an 88 percent response rate and 87 percent reliability. Adjusted analyses revealed a strong association between regular supplementation (given in the form of lozenges) and mild to moderate enamel fluorosis (odds ratio [OR], 6.85; P < .05), as well as fluorosis of lesser severity (OR, 3.07; P < .05). No children who had exclusively used only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste (0.1 percent fluoride) had mild to moderate fluorosis. The authors found a 40 percent reduction in caries risk associated with early use of pea-sized amounts of fluoridated toothpaste and a 46 percent reduction associated with regular use of fluoride supplement lozenges.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that both risk of fluorosis development and caries-preventive benefit are associated with regular use of fluoride supplements, and caries prevention was associated with early use of a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
These findings underscore the need for clinicians to consider thoroughly-and discuss with a child's parent or guardian-both the benefit and the potential risk of fluorosis development associated with preventive fluoride agents before introducing them. Clinicians also should emphasize the proper use of such agents.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the altered expression level of type III collagen mRNA in the periodontal ligament of rat molar in response to changes in occlusal force.

METHODS
A model of the rat experimental occlusal trauma was established, in which the occlusal surface on the upper first molar of (250+/-20) g male SD rats was approximately 1 mm elevated unilaterally. Another model was establishde, in which the upper first molar was extracted to remove occlusal force against the lower first molar. The rats were perfusion-fixed at 12 h and on the 3rd, 7th, 14th and 30th day after treatment. The prepared sagittal sections were processed to study the expression of type III collagen mRNA in rat periondontal ligament by in situ hynbridization.

RESULTS
Following the bite-raising,the number and the desity of the positive cells of type III collagen mRNA in the periodontal ligament of the lower first molar increased gradually. The expression of type III collagen mRNA was the strongest on the 7th day (124.03 +/- 14.82). Comparde to the normal rats,the expression level of type III collagen mRNA in the periodontal ligament of the lower first molar significantly decreased on the 14th day (63.07 +/- 5.69). When occlusal force was removed the expression level of type III collagen mRNA in the periodontal ligament of the lower first molar showed a rapid decrease. Subsequently, a gradual increase was recognized. Compared to the normal animal,a more significant increase (154.39 +/- 17.61) was detected on the 7th day after occlusal force was removed.

CONCLUSION
The results suggest that type III collagen may play important roles in the process of periodontium remodeling against different occlusal force.


The surface of stainless steel (SUS316L) was modified by alternating immersion in a solution of human serum albumin (HSA) and solution of a tartaric acid derivative (TAD). The resulting HSA/TAD-immobilized SUS316L was characterized by means of contact-angle measurement, attenuated total-reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectros- copy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A HSA/TAD layer was formed on the surface of SUS316L, the thickness of which increased with increasing numbers of cycles of alternating immersion in the two solu- tions. The HSA/TAD layer on SUS316L was stable to washing in 1 M NaCl or 5 vol% sodium dodecyl sulfate, showing that the layer was immobilized by covalent bonding rather than electrostatic or hydrophobic interaction. The presence of the HSA/TAD layer on the SUS316L suppressed the formation of a fibrin network. Alternating immersion in solutions of HSA and TAD is a useful technique for functionalizing the surfaces of metals.


Nickel tungstate nanoparticles (NiWO4 NPs) that were synthesized by an electrochemical method under various reaction conditions, namely, different tungstate ion concentrations, voltages, temperatures, and stirring rates, were studied here. These NPs were characterized using FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and thermal analysis techniques. The application of the NiWO4 NPs as an excellent photocatalyst was investigated via the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under illumination with UV radiation. The maximum conversion of MO reached about 87% after 100 min. Furthermore, the electrochemical properties were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and continuous cyclic voltammetry (CCV) in 3.0 M H2SO4 as the electrolyte. The electrochemical investigations revealed that an NiWO4 electrode displayed enhanced supercapacitive performance, including a specific capacitance of 468 F g−1 at a scan rate of 2 mV s−1. Furthermore, CCV measurements showed that the NiWO4 electrode retained 102.2% of its initial capacitance after 4000 cycles.


Breast phyllodes tumors (PTs) are uncommon tumors with a biphasic fibroepithelial component, characterized by rapid development in middle-aged women. A correct preoperative diagnosis after Tru-Cut biopsy allows for proper surgical planning. The treatment of choice remains surgery (wide local excision or mastectomy) with or without breast reconstruction, depending on the size and histopathological (HP) nature of the tumor. We reported a case of a 50-year-old woman with a large PT in her left breast, measuring 11/10 cm. Preoperative HP examination revealed biphasic proliferation, with the appearance of benign PT. The patient underwent a left mastectomy, with a favorable postoperative evolution. The final HP diagnosis was borderline PT, with areas of lipomatous metaplasia. After three months, breast reconstruction was performed. The therapeutic management of large PTs continues to be a challenge for pathologists and surgeons. Due to the increased frequency of local recurrence and HP progression to malignancies, the treatment of choice for these patients is mastectomy, without lymphadenectomy.


Although there are various factors that threaten the security of ships, one of the most harmful is corrosion. It is not easy to find corroding areas and the status of corrosion, even though corrosion causes serious problems such as submergence and marine pollution as a result of leaking oil and polluted water. To monitor the corrosion of ships, non?destructive inspection, weight loss coupons, electrical resistance, linear polarization resistance, zero resistance ammeter, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy have been developed. However, these methods require much time to detect corrosion, and most are not appropriate for real time monitoring. Coating, sacrificial anode, and impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) methods have been developed to control corrosion. The ICCP and sacrificial anode methods are the most popular ways to prevent ship corrosion. However, ICCP is only appropriate for the outside of a ship and cannot be used for complex structures such as ballast tanks because these are composed of many separate chambers. Sacrificial anodes have to be replaced periodically. This paper proposes an integrated corrosion monitoring and control system (ICMCS) that can detect corrosion in real time and is appropriate for complex structures such as ballast tanks. Because the system uses titanium for an anode, exhausted anodes do not need to be replaced.


This paper proposes an approach to derive the Jacobian matrix of a hybrid mechanism by applying a velocity operator to the transformation matrix. This Jacobian matrix is capable of deducing hybrid singularities, which cannot be identified by using the screw-based Jacobian or velocity-based Jacobian. The transformation matrix was obtained based on the algebraic geometry approach, and it becomes the key point since it was used to not only formulate the Jacobian matrix, but also to define the motion type of hybrid mechanisms. In this paper, two hybrid mechanisms were investigated, which were composed of two distinct parallel mechanisms mounted in series. Hybrid Mechanisms 1 and 2 were composed of 3-PRP-3-RPS and 3-RPS-3-PRP (the underlined P is an actuated joint), respectively. The motion types of Hybrid Mechanisms 1 and 2 were determined from the product of the transformation matrices of the 3-PRP and 3-RPS parallel mechanisms, and vice versa. The developed method was employed to establish the Jacobian matrix to which the conditioning index was applied. Therefore, the kinematic performances of the two hybrid mechanisms can be compared for a given bone surgery trajectory within the workspace. It turns out that Hybrid Mechanism 1 has superior performance than that of Mechanism 2, which indicates that Mechanism 1 is better at transmitting power to the moving platform.


China's financial market has undergone significant changes since financial deleveraging commenced and regulatory supervision was tightened in 2017. Intensifying China–US trade tensions have further increased the uncertainties of external environments. In this article, we use a Bayesian approach instead of the standard maximum likelihood estimation in the Laubach–Williams model to estimate the natural interest rate by considering financial factors and open conditions, and analyze the relationships among the natural interest rate, economic activities and monetary policies. We find that technological and demographic factors are the main drivers of natural interest rates, while financial factors and open conditions also play important roles. In particular, shocks in the financial markets and the external economic environment in recent years are important reasons for the decline of China's natural interest rate. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen research on the estimation of the natural interest rate to ensure China's transformation into more price‐based monetary policy and high‐quality development.


Graph Neural Networks have drawn tremendous attention in the past few years due to their convincing performance and high interpretability in various graph-based tasks like link prediction and node classification.With the ever-growing graph size in the real world, especially for industrial graphs at a billion-level, the storage of graphs can easily consume Terabytes so that the process of GNNs has to be processed in a distributed manner. As a result, the execution could be inefficient due to the expensive cross-node communication and irregular memory access. Various GNN accelerators have been proposed for efficient GNN processing. They, however, mainly focused on small and medium-size graphs, which is not applicable for large-scale distributed graphs. In this paper, we present a practical Near-Data-Processing architecture based on a memory-pool system for large-scale distributed GNNs.We propose a customized memory fabric interface to construct the memory pool for low-latency and high throughput cross-node communication, which can provide flexible memory allocation and strong scalability. A practical Near-Data-Processing design is proposed for efficient work offloading and bandwidth utilization improvement. Moreover, we also introduce a partition and scheduling scheme to further improve performance and achieve workload balance. Comprehensive evaluations demonstrate that the proposed architecture can achieve up to 27× and 8× higher training speed compared to two state-of-the-art distributed GNN frameworks: Deep Graph Library and P3, respectively.


We study the existence and the role of solitary waves in the instability of a fluid layer flowing down an inclined plane. The approach presented is fully nonlinear. Solitary waves steady in a moving frame are described by homoclinic trajectories of an associated ordinary differential equation. They are searched numerically for a given value of viscosity and surface tension. Several kinds of solitary waves can exist, characterized by their number n of humps. We investigate the stability of these waves by integrating the initial-value problem directly. Solitary waves with more than 1 hump did not appear in the simulation, and moreover a catastrophic behaviour took place for too large a Reynolds number (R [gsim ] R*1) or too large an amplitude, suggesting a finite-time singularity. The long-term evolution is shown to be a very slow relaxation to a steady state in a moving frame. The relation to the experimental observation of localized wavetrains is also discussed.


In Weaving Mestiza Geographies, I use Mexican vernacular textile traditions as the foundation for a self-study focused on my cultural identity. This project departs from my creative pratice and asks: In what ways may the aesthetics of Mexican vernacular textile traditions influence my art making and my teaching as a visual artist trained within Western educational contexts? At a theoretical level, I draw on aspects of feminist epistemologies and geographies, and Mexican history as well as postcolonial theory. I work with a/r/tography, a research methodology that weaves the practices of the artist/researcher/teacher together through a complementary dialogue between image (art) and text (writing). Based on the idea of allegory as a practice that uses symbols to reveal hidden meanings, combining visual and text-based symbols allows me to develop a decolonizing praxis consisting of (un)hiding the Indigenous legacies that form my mestiza (or mixed) identity.
Weaving Mestiza Geographies also addresses issues that relate to contemporary craft theory and practice. I approach the craft object as an embodiment of local, communal, familial, and cultural histories as well as of personal memories. In other words, vernacular textiles become gateways for me to review my relationship to people and places in Central Mexico. In the studio, I reflect on the implications of merging practices of the handmade (weaving, stitching, collaging, assembling) with digital media (photography, digital imaging, printing, and stop motion animation). The knowledge gained when fusing these two ways of working supports the design of three pedagogical strategies (life crafting, digital-craft, and subversive cartography); these are conceived as third spaces in which groups that may have experienced some form of marginalization can access educational experiences that are reflective of their cultural backgrounds and personal histories. Future paths of inquiry will involve participatory art and a/r/tographic action research methodologies with applications in community art and social research that address the identity and body politics framing textile making and other craft practices within the contemporary global economy.


History has shown that residential structures are likely to experience water problems over the life of the building e.g. wind-driven rain, construction failure, design failure etc. Once inside the structure, water can support fungal growth which can potentially lead to structural degradation and mold. Research has shown that ventilation is the best method to remove unwanted water in the home; however, water located inside of residential wall cavities can be difficult to remove. The risks associated with trapped water inside of wall cavities can be minimized by introducing air. In this research, compressed air is attached to the wall cavity of a wall model to create air flow and remove water. Several experiments were conducted to both investigate the response of the wall model to compressed air, and to investigate water loss. Air velocity was monitored to investigate air circulation in the wall model; the results indicate that as the distance from the air source increased, the rate of circulation decreased. A series of water loss tests were also made by placing water in the center cavity, and in direct contact with building materials. Observations indicate that insulation, pressure, and time, influence the amount of water removed. With no insulation in the wall model and at 10 psi, 100 % of the water was removed in four hours. With insulation and at 20 psi, 93 % of the water was removed in four hours, and the remaining water was observed to be at the bottom of the wall model. To increase circulation at the bottom, and remove the remaining water, air tubing was added to the wall model. Eight separate tubing arrangements were chosen to observe water loss at 20 psi, with insulation, and over a four hour period. The results are similar, 93 % of the water was removed at 20 psi; albeit, using a lower volume of compressed air. Finally, a hole was cut out of the wall model to provide a path for water and moist air to escape. Observations were made with insulation at 10 psi, 20 psi, and 30 psi. Results indicate that 95 % of the water was removed from the wall model; furthermore, there was no difference in water loss with respect to pressure. Time was also evaluated for each test mentioned above, and the results are similar: most of the water removed over the four hour period was achieved during the first hour. The results of this research indicate that by introducing air, water can potentially be removed from residential walls, and the risks associated with trapped water can be minimized. More research is needed to investigate a proactive drying system for residential walls.


This is a brief Computing Laboratory report that discusses potential ideas for automating and improving the University of Kent nature trail given the advances in hand-held technology since it was established. The report also seeks to draw some more general conclusions about what information might be captured by the devices and how it could be used to improve tours or other similar applications. This report was written without much prior knowledge of ubiquitous computing and is mainly designed to capture initial thoughts before I read the work of others and become more focussed on concepts arrived at by people already working in the field.


Investment in reactive reserves is one of the attractive methods of improving the electrical distribution system performance. The motivations for providing reactive support in the distribution systems often involves meeting one or several objectives. These include but are not limited to reducing the distribution losses, flattening of voltage profile and improving substation/source power factor. The substation/source power factor correction entails a continuous local supply of the reactive power at the point of common coupling (PCC) to satisfy the local reactive demand of the load, thus eliminating the need of supplying the reactive demand from the source. This type of load compensation also helps in voltage regulation, thus resulting in a well-regulated voltage profile across the distribution feeder. In this paper, a matrix converter topology based distribution static synchronous compensators (D-STATCOM) has been used in low voltage distribution network to compensate the time-varying reactive demand of the load, thereby achieving a unity power factor operation irrespective of the load power fluctuations. To achieve a long service life, energy is stored using inductive chokes instead of electrolytic capacitors. The inductive-loaded D-STATCOM is controlled using finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) to supply reactive power to the distribution network. To verify the proposed approach, experimental studies were performed and the results obtained from a 7.5KVA test prototype showed the effectiveness of the proposed technology in reactive power compensation.


Two four-choice reaction time (RT) experiments used the lateralized readiness potential (LRP) and the limb selection potential (LSP) to assess the effects of spatial S-R compatibility on motor processes. Individual stimuli were presented at one corner of a square centered at fixation, and each response was made with the left or right hand or foot. In Experiment 1, the correct response was determined by stimulus location, whereas in Experiment 2 it was determined by stimulus identity. Horizontal and vertical compatibility affected both RT and response accuracy, but the LRP and LSP results suggested that compatibility had little or no direct effect on the duration of motor processes. In addition, the results suggest that the relatively new LSP measure is a useful index of motor activation processes. Its insensitivity to horizontal stimulus artifacts makes it especially useful for studying the effects of horizontal spatial compatibility.


This paper is devoted to study of higher dimensional plane symmetric solutions in f(R) theory of gravitation. We extend the work in [63] on Plane symmetric solution in f(R) gravity which is in four dimension to higher five dimensions. Using assumption of non-constant and constant scalar curvature, field equations in five dimensions in f(R) theory of gravity are solved and obtained some well-known results which support the recent observations about nature of the universe.


This article investigates the object of faith in the Epistle to the Hebrews, and argues that the object of faith is God and not Jesus. God is the object of faith in Hebrews because God is the one who holds the power of resurrection, the eschatological hope of both the faithful one par excellence (Jesus) and those who follow him. The author of Hebrews expects his persecuted community to place their faith in God in hope of being raised with Jesus, the resurrected faithful one who also placed his faith in God.


Mitotic activity of chorionic villi cytotrophoblast of the 1st trimester at normal and missed pregnancy was studied. Proliferative activity of cytotrophoblast from missed abortions was somewhat increased in vitro. Application of a semidirect method of chromosomal preparation from chorionic villi is more efficient and provides better resolution for cytogenetic diagnostics of missed abortion. Unusual peculiarity in organization and replication of pericentric heterochromatin regions of chromosomes 1, 9 and 16 was detected


Two hundred and fourteen bladder carcinomas were evaluated retrospectively after reclassification of histological specimens according to UICC. Follow-up time was 7 years or longer. Large size but not multiplicity of the primary tumour indicated a poor prognosis. Local infiltration, even if superficial and restricted to the lamina propria, worsened prognosis as well as high grade of the tumour. Late deaths in the present series were generally explained by a progression in stage in patients with high grade tumours at initial assessment. Therefore a close longterm follow-up should be performed in these patients.


The dust properties in the Large and Small Magellanic clouds (LMC/SMC) are studied using the HERITAGE Herschel Key Project photometric data in five bands from 100 to 500 μm. Three simple models of dust emission were fit to the observations: a single temperature blackbody modified by a power-law emissivity (SMBB), a single temperature blackbody modified by a broken power-law emissivity (BEMBB), and two blackbodies with different temperatures, both modified by the same power-law emissivity (TTMBB). Using these models, we investigate the origin of the submillimeter excess, defined as the submillimeter emission above that expected from SMBB models fit to observations <200 μm. We find that the BEMBB model produces the lowest fit residuals with pixel-averaged 500 μm submillimeter excesses of 27% and 43% for the LMC and SMC, respectively. Adopting gas masses from previous works, the gas-to-dust ratios calculated from our fitting results show that the TTMBB fits require significantly more dust than are available even if all the metals present in the interstellar medium (ISM) were condensed into dust. This indicates that the submillimeter excess is more likely to be due to emissivity variations than a second population of colder dust. We derive integrated dust masses of (7.3 ± 1.7) × 105 and (8.3 ± 2.1) × 104 M☉ for the LMC and SMC, respectively. We find significant correlations between the submillimeter excess and other dust properties; further work is needed to determine the relative contributions of fitting noise and ISM physics to the correlations.


Weighted sensitivity minimization is studied within the framework of strongly stabilizing (stable) Hinfin controller design for a class of infinite dimensional systems. This problem has been solved by Ganesh and Pearson, for finite dimensional plants using Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation. We extend their technique to a class of unstable time delay systems. Moreover, we illustrate suboptimal solutions, and their robust implementation.


An 18-year old woman, suffering from thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) disease after taking an oral contraceptive, developed bilateral retinal elevations in the posterior pole with Elschnig spot formation without visual acuity impairment. Clinical and laboratory evaluation combined with intensive medical and surgical therapy (splenectomy) caused regression of the ocular and general findings. We believe that the ocular pathologic findings in this clinical case are due to injury in the choroidal vasculature and the pe layer as a manifestation of the TTP disease.