The article deals with the analysis of the challenges for the Latin American left-wing governments throughout the electoral campaigns of 2014-2015. Up to the moment these electoral campaigns and their results were not researched and analyzed in the scientific literature. However, it was not the only aim of the article. The authors consider necessary to explain how the achievements made by the Left-Wing political forces may affect and determine the general political situation and international panorama of the region. Consequently, the special attention is paid to the analysis of the electoral rallies in some key countries for the Left-Wing block as whole. These countries are Brazil, Uruguay, Chile and Salvador as they represent different patterns of Left-Wing turn in the region. As almost all of them form part of some Latin American subregional integration groups, the authors also make some prospects about the possible shifts in the system of international relations in the region as a consequence of these electoral campaigns. Within the marks of the article the authors analyze possible transformations of South American Common market (MERCOSUR) and the Bolivarian Alliance for Americas (ALBA) and explain how the results of elections of 2014 would affect the envolvement of some Leftist governments into these integration groups. According to authors' criteria, the Pirric triumph in Salvador should inevitably put in question the plans of Salvadoran close envolvement into the ALBA. Additionally, the visible weakening of Leftist government in Brazil will bring the redetermining of its relationship with the USA and can also affect Brazil's leading role in the Mercosur. The authors confront the statistical data and the results of elections with the known facts of political behavior of Left-Wing governments in respect of the economical and political integration and relationship with the USA, China and Russia. The main object of the research was to measure the priorities for the foreign policy of Uruguay, Salvador and Brazil with a purpose to conclude the shape of their future political and economical participation in blocs and groups. As the official political declarations not always correspond to the real behavior of many governments, we also often confront them with the political remarks made by some politicians and governmental officials trying to understand the authentic line of their foreign policy determined by different factors.


When design lines in complex topography area such as mountain areas, the selection of route schemes are usually restricted by the geological conditions because of complex terrain. According to the characters of line-selection design in complex topography areas of mountain areas, from the perspective of geological line selection, built the evaluation model of route schemes in complex geological area using the analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy optimization algorithm to solve the comprehensive evaluation problem having multilevel indices of line-selection multi-scheme from bottom to top and realized selection and decision of line schemes based on virtual geographic environments. Examples show that the established evaluation model reduced decision makers subjective influence on the results, made human-computer interaction content reduce to a minimum, and improved the accuracy and reliability of the decision.


E-learning's quality has become an issue of increasing importance in both researchers' and practitioners' communities. Involvement, Preparation, Transmission, Exemplification, Application, Connection, Evaluation and Simulation (IPTEACES) is an e-learning framework, primarily developed through a pedagogical benchmarking. It addresses an assorted social-demography and geographically dispersed variety of attendees. Fundacão Dom Cabral (FDC) is a prestigious Brazilian business school with international standards and procedures. This study reports the application of the IPTEACES e-learning framework in higher education in Fundação Dom Cabral's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. An experiment has been put into place to measure 'quality' through the assessment of the effectiveness of the e-learning program using IPTEACES e-learning framework, and more specifically, (i) to evaluate how the IPTEACES e-learning framework can promote students' learning; (ii) to assess its effectiveness and determine specific quality improvement measures'; and (iii) to evaluate how the IPTEACES e-learning framework enhances organizational learning approach for enhanced knowledge sharing. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were utilized to collect the data to address the research questions proposed in this study. Results showed that the application of the IPTEACES e-Learning framework to this new course has reached high effectiveness.


Low-frequency electromagnetic plasma excitations in the presence of an extra specie, are investigated. The stationary spectra of the low-frequency electromagnetic excitations and the relevant transport coefficients are found. It is conjectured that intrusion of an adiabatically distributed component decreases the level and additional nonlinear broadening of the convective spectrum. The anomalous electron heat conductivity associated with the short-wave motions, is reduced due to the presence of a third specie. The dope also affects anomalous diffusion relevant to the long-wave perturbations in the plasma periphery.


Data collection techniques in wireless sensor networks (WSN) suffer from heavy congestion particularly at nodes closer to the sink node. In order to combat this problem, either complex MAC layer protocols have been proposed or non scalable data collection solutions have been designed. We propose a novel cross layer optimization approach that assumes a very simple MAC protocol and makes use of both routing and MAC layers information to reduce congestion, improve delivery ratio, and optimize energy usage. The proposed approach uses multiple disjoint collection trees, rooted from sink, with non overlapping duty cycles. At the MAC layer, we exploit the fact that nodes that are on different data collection trees need not to communicate with each other, hence the SMAC based wake up and sleep schedule for each tree is different. Existing multiple tree based data collection protocols have been designed primarily for fault tolerance or load balancing. For MAC layer part of our protocol, we have modified the SMAC code available in ns-2.28 to simulate our data collection scheme. Our scheme improves the data delivery ratio up to 40% for regular traffic, and reduces energy consumption by 30%.


Background Acral melanoma occurs on glabrous skin or the nail apparatus and is distinct from ultraviolet-related melanoma due to differing genetic alteration patterns. Although the pathogenesis of acral melanoma is not well understood, mechanical stress is thought to induce acral melanoma. The incidence of gene mutation and promoter methylation has been reported in tumors from acral melanoma; however, an association between genetic/epigenetic alterations and mechanical stress in acral melanoma remains unclear. Objective To investigate the relationship between clinical/genetic factors and mechanical stress in acral melanoma. Methods A retrospective review of 52 patients diagnosed with acral melanoma was performed. We reviewed the clinical characteristics of patients, tumor status, and tumor location. Mutations in BRAF, NRAS, and the TERT promoter, along with KIT amplification and PTEN promoter methylation were analyzed in the tumors. Results The heel (34/52, 65.4%) was the most common anatomical tumor site. Mutations in BRAF (6/48, 12.5%), NRAS (6/49, 12.2%), and the TERT promoter (4/33, 12.1%), along with KIT amplification (3/37, 8.1%) and PTEN promoter hypermethylation (12/48, 25.0%) were observed in the tumors. On the forefoot, heel, and hallux, PTEN promoter hypermethylation was significantly associated with Breslow thickness (p=0.001) and ulceration rate (p=0.042). On the midfoot and lesser toes, there was no significant difference in Breslow thickness or ulceration rate regardless of PTEN promoter hypermethylation (p>0.05). Conclusion PTEN promoter hypermethylation is associated with Breslow thickness and tumor ulceration on the forefoot, heel, and hallux in acral melanoma in Korean patients.


A comprehensive programme of treatment and home care was shown to be effective in greatly reducing dental caries, improving oral cleanliness and controlling gingivitis in handicapped patients. Maintenance required less than half the time and approximately one-third of the cost of initial restoration.


The structural analysis of macromolecular functional protein assemblies by contemporary high resolution structural biology techniques (such as nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray crystallography, and electron microscopy) is often still challenging. The potential of a rather new method to generate structural information, native mass spectrometry, in combination with ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS), is highlighted here. IM-MS allows the assessment of gas phase ion collision cross sections of protein complex ions, which can be related to overall shapes/volumes of protein assemblies, and thus be used to monitor changes in structure. Here we applied IM-MS to study several (intermediate) chaperonin complexes that can be present during substrate folding. Our results reveal that the protein assemblies retain their solution phase structural properties in the gas phase, addressing a long-standing issue in mass spectrometry. All IM-MS data on the chaperonins point toward the burial of genuine substrates inside the GroEL cavity being retained in the gas phase. Additionally, the overall dimensions of the ternary complexes between GroEL, a substrate, and cochaperonin were found to be similar to the dimensions of the empty GroEL-GroES complex. We also investigated the effect of reducing the charge, obtained in the electrospray process, of the protein complex on the global shape of the chaperonin. At decreased charge, the protein complex was found to be more compact, possibly occupying a lower number of conformational states, enabling an improved ion mobility separation. Charge state reduction was found not to affect the relative differences observed in collision cross sections for the chaperonin assemblies.


To develop a potential gene therapy strategy for the treatment of hemophilia A, we constructed several retroviral vectors expressing a B-domain-deleted factor VIII (FVIII) cDNA. We confirmed previous reports that when the FVIII cDNA is inserted into a retroviral vector, the vector mRNA is decreased resulting in significantly (100- to 1,000-fold) lower vector titers. In an attempt to overcome this inhibition we pursued two independent strategies. First, site-directed mutagenesis was employed to change the structure of a putative 1.2-kb FVIII RNA inhibitory sequence (INS). Second, the FVIII gene was transcribed from a retroviral vector containing a 5' intron. Results demonstrated that the intron increased FVIII expression up to 20-fold and viral titer up to 40-fold but conservative mutagenesis of the putative FVIII INS region failed to yield a significant increase in FVIII expression or titer. Using the improved FVIII splicing vector, we transduced a variety of cell types and were able to demonstrate relatively high FVIII expression (10-60 ng of FVIII/10(6) cells/24 hr). These results underscore the usefulness of these transduced cell types for potential in vivo delivery of FVIII.


High density lipoprotein (HDL) particles and HDL cholesteryl esters are taken up by both receptor-mediated and non-receptor-mediated pathways. Here we show that cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) participate in hepatic lipase (HL)- and apolipoprotein (apo) E-mediated binding and uptake of mouse and human HDL by cultured hepatocytes. The HL secreted by HL-transfected McA-RH7777 cells enhanced both HDL binding at 4 °C (∼2–4-fold) and HDL uptake at 37 °C (∼2–5-fold). The enhanced binding and uptake of HDL were partially inhibited by the 39-kDa protein, an inhibitor of low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP), but were almost totally blocked by heparinase, which removes the sulfated glycosaminoglycan chains from HSPG. Therefore, HL may mediate the uptake of HDL by two pathways: an HSPG-dependent LRP pathway and an HSPG-dependent but LRP-independent pathway. The HL-mediated binding and uptake of HDL were only minimally reduced when catalytically inactive HL or LRP binding-defective HL was substituted for wild-type HL, indicating that much of the HDL uptake required neither HL binding to the LRP nor lipolytic processing. To study the role of HL in facilitating the selective uptake of cholesteryl esters, we used HDL into which radiolabeled cholesteryl ether had been incorporated. HL increased the selective uptake of HDL cholesteryl ether; this enhanced uptake was reduced by more than 80% by heparinase but was unaffected by the 39-kDa protein. Like HL, apoE enhanced the binding and uptake of HDL (∼2-fold) but had little effect on the selective uptake of HDL cholesteryl ether. In the presence of HL, apoE did not further increase the uptake of HDL, and at a high concentration apoE impaired or decreased the HL-mediated uptake of HDL. Therefore, HL and apoE may utilize similar (but not identical) binding sites to mediate HDL uptake. Although the relative importance of cell surface HSPG in the overall metabolism of HDL in vivo remains to be determined, cultured hepatocytes clearly displayed an HSPG-dependent pathway that mediates the binding and uptake of HDL. This study also demonstrates the importance of HL in enhancing the binding and uptake of remnant and low density lipoproteins via an HSPG-dependent pathway.


Despite China's extraordinary economic prosperity, not all are benefiting: Tibet is a case in point. The Tibetan areas of China exhibit massive socioeconomic inequality. When comparing jobs, wealth, and education statistics, significant disparities between Tibetans and Chinese surface, with Tibetans faring poorly. This results in a Tibetan sense of dispossession and marginalization that was, in part, a cause of the social unrest exhibited by the 2008 protests, and, more recently, the wave of self-immolations and protests over the practices of certain companies. With Tibet's further economic opening through new infrastructure networks to China — and thus the world — private sector involvement in Tibet's markets will increase, not only for Chinese companies (State-owned and private) but also in the form of foreign direct investment. These business opportunities hold the potential for great value, so long as they are pursued in a way that does not continue to exclude Tibetans from the fruits of economic growth. Unless a new development strategy is created that allows for the needs and views of Tibetans to be addressed and integrated, feelings of dispossession and marginalization will only worsen with more Tibetan protests, uprisings and self-immolations to follow, thus undermining China's highly desired social stability and companies' ability to operate free from protests. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) — the business practice of integrating respect for international human rights and environmental sustainability laws and norms into company decisions and core operations — offers a potential solution in which Tibetans can take advantage of much-needed and wanted socioeconomic development and business can flourish amid new markets and opportunities. The end result is the possibility of a win-win solution in which the interests of Tibetans, the business community, and, by extension, the Chinese government can all be served.


Nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) was evaluated in a laboratory treatability study and subsequently injected as an interim measure to treat source area groundwater impacts beneath a former dry cleaner located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (the site). Dry cleaning operations resulted in releases of tetrachloroethene (PCE) that impacted site soil at concentrations up to 2,700 mg/kg and shallow groundwater at concentrations up to 41 mg/L. To achieve a design loading rate of 0.001 kg of iron per kilogram of aquifer material, approximately 725 kg of NanoFe™ (PARS Environmental) was injected over a two-week period into a saprolite and partially weather rock aquifer. Strong reducing conditions were established with oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) values below –728 mV. pH levels remained greater than 8 standard units for a period of 12 months. Injections resulted in near elimination of PCE within one month. cis-1,2-Dichloroethene accumulated at high concentrations (greater than 65 mg/L) for 12 months. MAROS software (Version 2.2; AFCEE, 2006) was used to calculate mass reduction of PCE and total ethenes at 96 percent and 58 percent, respectively, compared to baseline conditions. Detections of acetylene confirmed the presence of the beta-elimination pathway. Detections of ethene confirmed complete dechlorination of PCE. Based on hydrogen gas generation, iron reactivity lasted 15 months. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Background: Residential exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is increasing. There is conflicting evidence on the association between VOC exposure and the risk of developing or exacerbating asthma and allergy. Aims: To investigate the effect of residential VOC exposure on asthma/allergy in development or exacerbation. Methods: A systematic review of studies relating VOC exposure measurements in home settings to asthma/allergy outcomes was carried out. Observational studies were critically assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project quality assessment tool, and interventional studies were assessed using the Cochrane Effectiveness and Practice Organisation Care guidelines. Results: 53 eligible studies were identified: 1 randomised controlled and 1 controlled-clinical trials; 6 controlled before-after; 6 cohort; 11 case-control and 28 cross-sectional studies. The role of VOCs in disease aetiology was investigated in 30 studies; established disease in 5 and 18 studies examined both aetiology and established disease. Aromatic VOCs and Formaldehyde were the most commonly investigated VOCs with fewer studies looking at alkanes, terpenes, esters and alcohols. Conclusions: There is equipoise of evidence relating residential VOC exposure to asthma/allergy development, or increased symptoms in those with established disease. The available epidemiological evidence is weak; exposure assessment is generally carried out over short time periods with few studies measuring personal exposures, and there is a lack of standardisation of assessment of health outcomes. Prospective, well-designed cohort or randomised controlled trials are required.


The most established methods for development of transgenic animals are the microinjection of DNA into the fertilized eggs, but it is still a procedure of certain complexity and high cost. Therefore, the idea of using sperm as a vehicle to carry exogenous DNA into eggs is very attractive, and there have been some successful reports. Though the methods are rather simple they sometimes have low reproducibility. To improve the technique we transinfected the spermatozoa in testicular duct, not in vitro, to produce mice which expressed human tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in mammary gland. The results demonstrated that: (1) 5 transinfected mice mated 10 female mice in 10 days after operation, (2) 79 founders were developed and 42 survived, (3) using PCR to detect foreign DNA integrated into the genome of founders, 7 out of 42 founders were positive (16.67%), (4) The expression level of tPA was 48-80 ng/ml in the milk of 5 PCR positive founders and (5) the foreign DNA integrated into the genome was detected in 2 out of 4 1st offspring by PCR technique.


In multi-hop wireless ad-hop networks, designing energy-efficient routing protocols is critical since nodes are power-constrained. However, it is also an inherently hard problem due to two important factors: First, the nodes may be mobile, demanding the energy-efficient routing protocol to be fully distributed and adaptive to the current states of nodes; Second, the wireless links may be uni-directional due to asymmetric power configurations of adjacent nodes. In this paper, we propose a location-aided power-aware routing protocol that dynamically makes local routing decisions so that a near-optimal power-efficient end-to-end route is formed for forwarding data packets. The protocol is fully distributed such that only location information of neighboring nodes are exploited in each routing node. Through rigorous theoretical analysis for our distributed protocol based on greedy algorithms, we are able to derive critical global properties with respect to end-to-end energy-efficient routes. Finally, preliminary simulation results are presented to verify the performance of our protocol.


Developments and innovation in the areas of mobile information technology, digital media and social networks foster new reflections on computer-mediated communication research, especially in the field of self-presentation. In this context, the selfie as a self-portrait photo is interesting, because as a meaningful gesture, it actively and directly relates the content of the photo to the author of the picture. From the perspective of the selfie as an image and the impression it forms, in the first part of the research we explored the distinctive characteristics of selfie pictures; moreover, from the perspective of the potential reflection of a selfie image on the personality of its author, in the second part we related the characteristics of selfie pictures to various personality constructs (e.g., Big Five personality traits narcissism and femininity-masculinity). Important aspects of selfies especially in relation to gender include the tilt of the head, the side of the face exhibited, mood and head position, later related also to the context of the selfie picture. We found no significant relations between selfie cues and personality constructs. The face-ism index was related to entitlement, and selfie availability to neuroticism.


Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA

Chromothripsis is the massive but highly localized chromosome rearrangements within a one-step catastrophic event rather than a series of subsequent and random alterations. Chromothripsis occurs commonly in various human cancers and it is thought to be associated with increasing malignancy and oncogenesis. However the causes and consequences of chromothripsis remain unclear. Therefore, to explore mechanisms of chromothripsis, we investigated whether chromothripsis was artificially induced by irradiation. We elicited DNA double-strand breaks in the oral cancer cell line HOC313, or its highly metastatic subline HOC313-LM by The Single Particle Irradiation system to Cell (SPICE), a focused vertical micro-beam system designed to irradiate the nuclei of adhesive cells. We established irradiated monoclonal sublines and analyzed the copy number variations (CNVs) and SNPs using SNP array. Chromosomal alterations, induced by irradiation including CNVs, were detected in some monoclonal sublines. Interestingly SNP array analysis showed that one subline named LM200-#25 had multiple chromosomal alterations which happened locally in chromosome 7. Moreover, we detected several chromosomal alterations such as t(12;7;11) translocation in LM200-#25 subline by Multi-Color FISH analysis. These results suggested that chromothripsis might be induced by irradiation in LM200-#25 subline.

Citation Format: Maki Morishita, Tomoki Muramatsu, Shin Hayashi, Momoki Hirai, Yumiko Suto, Teruaki Konishi, Keiji Moriyama, Johji Inazawa. Exploration of mechanisms for chromothripsis by irradiation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3869. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3869


Unmanned Aerial vehicles are currently becoming a widely used technology that provides support to a set of different applications. However, specific levels of confidence and robustness in the performance of these devices are required for the safe integration of these technologies within the National Airspace. This paper describes efforts towards the development of flight control architectures based using precision and way-point control strategies for autonomous operations. Moreover, a performance analysis of the integration of the specified control architectures over UAV vehicles being operated within urban canyons is presented based on simulations results obtained by using a virtual environment built in Gazebo. The simulation environment uses a built GNSS model with typical signal degradation sources for GNSS accessibility such as muti-path, signal obstruction and shadowing, evaluated within the virtual world. Results are presented in terms the Cross track errors, probabilities of collisions within the defined mission parameters as well as GPS metrics as it is the Dilution of Precision (DOP), along its distribution within the 3D map, in order to correlate the impact of GNSS degradation into each control strategy and therefore, the navigation performance and operation safety.


Pleiotrophin (PTN) is a kind of heparin binding growth factor closely related to tumor progression. This study aimed to discuss the significance of the expression of PTN in benign and malignant lung cancer tissues, especially small cell lung cancer. Lung cancer samples were collected for study and lung tissue samples with benign lesions were taken as controls. The expression of PTN was detected using tissue chip combined with the immunohistochemical method, and the differences of small cell lung cancer with non-small cell lung cancer and benign lesion tissue were compared. It was found that PTN expression was mainly located in the cytoplasm and membrane of cells; PTN expression in the lung cancer group was higher than that in the control group (p < 0.01), and PTN expression in the small cell cancer group was higher than that in the squamous carcinoma group and glandular cancer group (p < 0.05). In addition, PTN expression quantity in patients with lung cancer were in close correlation with TNM staging, pathological type and tumor differentiation degree (p < 0.05). PTN was found to express abnormally high in lung cancer, especially small cell lung cancer tissue. PTN is most likely to be a new tumor marker for diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer.


Experimental and theoretical studies of the influence of oil supply pressure on the friction torque in plain bearings have been carried out. The focus of the work has been the reduction in bearing friction that might be achieved by reducing oil supply pressure and the mechanisms by which the changes in friction occur, with potential applications to reducing bearing friction in internal combustion engines.
A single bearing test rig has been used to investigate the impact of feed oil pressure on the extent of cavitation and the role of increased film cavitation on friction under light, steady loads for a bearing with a 180° groove, using an SAE 5W-30 oil. Film visualization shows that cavitation area increases when the oil feed pressure is reduced and the extent of the full width film reduces primarily as the angle of film reformation is retarded. Both load and speed increases reduce the full width film extent.
At constant film viscosity, friction torque was reduced by up to 20% by increased cavitation which reduced the film area and the eccentricity ratio. The latter reduces the surface shear stress in the load-bearing region of the film and overall, the circumferential average. As load increases, the reduction in film area accounts for an increasing proportion of the friction torque reduction.
The effect of load, speed, lubricant formulation and clearance on bearing friction and film pressure has been investigated. Increases in load led to increases in friction and peak film pressures with smaller percent reductions in friction torque as the supply pressure was reduced. Bearing friction torque was found to show a linear dependence on oil viscosity in the hydrodynamic regime where friction could be substantially reduced by using low viscosity oils. The effect of increased clearance was to reduce bearing friction and increase peak film pressures.
The effects of reduced oil supply pressure on friction in crankshaft main bearings during cold-start warm-ups have been investigated. Friction reductions have been found to be most significant during cold running conditions at light loads. The thermal coupling between the bearing films and engine structure influences the film warm-up. Initially there is a rapid rise in film temperatures after which the warm-up is held back by the temperature of the surrounding metal. In addition to reducing bearing friction, reducing oil supply pressure also reduces the oil pumping work required; this represents an additional benefit which can be particularly significant under cold operating conditions.


Determining the positions of facilities, and allocating demands to them, is a vitally important problem. Location-allocation problems are optimization NP-hard procedures. This article evaluates the ordered capacitated multi-objective location-allocation problem for fire stations, using simulated annealing and a genetic algorithm, with goals such as minimizing the distance and time as well as maximizing the coverage. After tuning the parameters of the algorithms using sensitivity analysis, they were used separately to process data for Region 11, Tehran. The results showed that the genetic algorithm was more efficient than simulated annealing, and therefore, the genetic algorithm was used in later steps. Next, we increased the number of stations. Results showed that the model can successfully provide seven optimal locations and allocate high demands (280,000) to stations in a discrete space in a GIS, assuming that the stations' capacities are known. Following this, we used a weighting program so that in each repetition, we could allot weights to each target randomly. Finally, by repeating the model over 10 independent executions, a set of solutions with the least sum and the highest number of non-dominated solutions was selected from among many non-dominated solutions as the best set of optimal solutions.


The lateral medullary reticular formation (RF) is the source of many preoromotor neurons and is essential for generation of ingestive consummatory responses. Although the neurochemistry mediating these responses is poorly understood, studies of fictive mastication suggest that both excitatory and inhibitory amino acid receptors play important roles in the generation of these ororhythmic behaviors. We tested the hypothesis that amino acid receptors modulate the expression of ingestion and rejection responses elicited by natural stimuli in awake rats. Licking responses were elicited by either intraoral (IO) gustatory stimuli or sucrose presented in a bottle. Oral rejection responses (gaping) were elicited by IO delivery of quinine hydrochloride. Bilateral microinjection of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist d-[(3)-2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl]-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (D-CPP) suppressed licking and gape responses recorded electromyographically from a subset of orolingual muscles. Likewise, infusion of the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) significantly reduced licking and gape responses but was accompanied by spontaneous gasping responses. Rats still actively probed the bottle, indicating an intact appetitive response. Neither D-CPP nor CNQX differentially affected ingestion or rejection, suggesting that the switch from one behavior to the other does not simply rely on one glutamate receptor subtype. Nevertheless, a glutamate receptor-mediated switch from consummatory behavior to gasps after CNQX infusions suggests a multifunctional substrate for coordinating the jaw and tongue in different behaviors. Bilateral infusions of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline or the glycine receptor antagonist strychnine enhanced the amplitude of IO stimulation-induced oral responses. These data suggest that the neural substrate underlying ingestive consummatory responses is under tonic inhibition. Release of this inhibition may be one mechanism by which aversive oral stimuli produce large-amplitude mouth openings associated with the rejection response.


Tissues of 236 sows, obtained at slaughter in Xenia, Ohio, were examined microscopically after trypsin digestion. Sarcocystis bradyzoites were found in eight of 236 (3.4%) pigs (in 8 diaphragms, 7 esophagi, and 1 heart) and in three of 101 tongues. After these infected porcine tissues were fed to three dogs and three cats, none of the animals shed Sarcocystis sporocysts in their feces.


We studied whether the occurrence of seizures in childhood affected intellectual performance. We compared the full-scale IQs at seven years of age of children who had experienced one or more nonfebrile seizures with the IQs of their seizure-free siblings who were tested at the same age in a large longitudinal study. Among 98 children with seizures, the mean score on IQ tests at seven years was not significantly different from the mean score of their siblings. Mental retardation was more common among the children with seizures, but the excess was accounted for by children who had neurologic abnormalities before the first seizure. We also examined the IQ before and after the onset of seizures in 62 children whose first seizure occurred in the interval between psychometric examinations given at four and seven years of age. The IQ at seven years in the children with seizures did not differ significantly from that in controls matched for IQ (as determined at the four-year assessment), sex, race, and socioeconomic status. Thus, in both the sibling-control comparison and the comparisons made between controls and subjects before and after the onset of seizures, the occurrence of nonfebrile seizures was not associated with a significant change in full-scale IQ.


Justicia gendarussa Burm. f (Acanthaceae) is often used as folk medicine for many purposes in Indonesian indigenous tribes. Preclinical studies on J. gendarussa leaves indicated that the extract possessed the activity of male contraception. Gendarusin A was found to be the compound responsible for the activity. The purpose of this study was to prove that poloxamer 188 can increase the dissolution rate of gendarusin A in Justicia gendarussa Burm. f ethanolic extract granule (JEG) matrix, in an effort to find male contraceptives phytopharmaceutical product. In this research, we had made three JEG matrix types, which were type 1 (without the addition of surfactant poloxamer 188); type 2 (with the addition of 1% surfactant poloxamer 188), and type 3 (with the addition of 2% surfactant poloxamer 188). The three types of JEG matrix then examined by dissolution test to obtain the dissolution rate of gendarusin A. HPLC instrument was utilized to analyse the concentration of gendarusin A from dissolution mediums. The results showed that the gendarusin A in JEG matrix type 3 dissolved much faster compared to JEG matrix type 1 and type 2. The score of dissolution efficiencies of gendarusin A in JEG matrix type 1, type 2, and type 3 were 15,72%; 24,22%; and 31,83% respectively. It can be concluded that poloxamer 188 addition can increase the dissolution rate of gendarusin A in JEG matrix.


Among the known aromatic nitrogen heterocycles, pyrrole represents a privileged aromatic heterocycle ranging its occurrence in the key component of "pigments of life" to biologically active natural products to active pharmaceuticals. Pyrrole being an electron‐rich heteroaromatic compound, its predominant functionalization is legendary to aromatic electrophilic substitution reactions. Although a few excellent reviews on the functionalization of pyrroles including the reports by Baltazzi in 1963, Casiraghi and Rassu in 1995, and Banwell in 2006 are available, they are fragmentary and over fifteen years old, and do not cover the modern aspects of catalysis. A review covering a comprehensive package of direct functionalization on pyrroles via catalytic and non‐catalytic methods including their translational potential is described. Subsequent to statutory yet concise introduction, the classical functionalization on pyrroles using Lewis acids largely following an ionic mechanism is discussed. The subsequent discussion follows the various metal‐catalyzed C−H functionalization on pyrroles, which are otherwise difficult to implement by Lewis acids. A major emphasize is given on the radical based pyrrole functionalization under metal‐free oxidative conditions, which is otherwise poorly highlighted in the literature. Towards the end, the current development of pyrrole functionalization under photocatalyzed and electrochemical conditions is appended. Only a selected examples of substrates and important mechanisms are discussed for different methods highlighting their scopes and limitations. The aromatic nucleophillic substitution on pyrroles (being an electron‐rich heterocycle) happened to be the subject of recent investigations, which has also been covered accentuating their underlying conceptual development. Despite great achievements over the past several years in these areas, many challenges and problems are yet to be solved, which are all discussed in summary and outlook.


Objective: In order to give an alternative explanation for the phenomena described by 'theory of mind', this topic is approached firstly by an examination of literary productions and then by reference to psychoanalysis. Conclusions: In literature there are many references to the apprehension of the other in terms of a mirror image of the self. The difficulty of grasping the other is described in a passage by the author Ian McEwan as 'the unbearable idea of other minds'. The notion that this difficulty can in part be overcome through both spoken and written language is also salient in the novels examined here. The concept of an entrapment within one's image of oneself was elaborated by Freud in his notion of narcissism. Lacan further developed this notion as foundational in one's relation to the other, but clarified that such mirroring relations to others are always imbued with jealousy and rivalry. Lacan's notion of "paranoid knowledge", an imagined knowledge of what the other is thinking, is precisely a 'theory of mind' that is able to account for the way one subject attempts, and ultimately fails, to read the mind of another.


Specialist predators are generally negatively impacted by habitat change. Predators that inhabit transformed areas are usually forced to diversify their diet and this departure away from traditional resources can have negative consequences for fitness and demographic parameters. We consider this relationship as it applies to Verreaux's eagles Aquila verreauxii, which is typically considered to be a highly specialised predator of hyraxes (Procavia and Heterohyrax spp.). We investigate diet in relation to land cover in two adjacent areas of South Africa and explore the links between diet diversity, the percentage of hyrax consumed, and the breeding performance of eagles. We also examine these same patterns using data from other studies. We found that diet diversity was greater in the agriculturally developed Sandveld region compared to the natural Cederberg region. Proportions of the three main prey types were correlated with the proportion of agriculturally developed land around the nest site. Breeding performance was correlated with the diet, but not in the manner expected, with breeding productivity being greater in regions with large diet diversity and a small proportion of hyrax in the diet. We found similar patterns when placing our results into a broader geographical context using other dietary studies of Verreaux's eagles, suggesting our results were not unique to our study system. Thus, our results suggest that diet diversification does not necessarily impinge on breeding performance in the presence of adequate alternative prey resources. This research adds to the growing number of studies suggesting that some predators may be adaptable up to a threshold level of habitat transformation. These results have implications for predicting changes on such species by anthropogenic habitat transformation and highlight the potential for agriculturally developed areas to maintain a conservation value when habitat heterogeneity is maintained.


The x-ray attenuation of the renal cortex of dogs, as determined by computed tomographic (CT) scanning, was measured over a three-day period after an intravenous bolus of 600 mg I/kg of iotrol or iopamidol. A slightly higher density observed 24 hours after injection of iotrol was not considered significant, and was not considered sufficient to warrant clinical application of iotrol for specific, prolonged renal enhancement.


Diabetes mellitus is known to adversely affect the immune system. Immune dysfunction is also associated with the etiology of diabetes mellitus. Immune dysfunction is associated with diminished chemotactic, phagocytic and monocyte activity. There is also increased T-cell activity. All these are associated with acute hyperglycemia. We investigated the cellular arm of the immune system of patients with diabetes mellitus using intradermal reactions (IDR) to purified protein derivative (PPD). Both groups high blood glucose [HBG] vs. low blood glucose [LBG]) were homogeneous in terms of size and sex and average age (24. vs. 22.; 21 F vs 25 M; 56.5yrs. vs. 54.5 yrs.). The LBG had a greater average duration of diabetes (13.6 yrs vs. 9.3 yrs), which suggests an increased tendency to complications of diabetes mellitus. The results showed an average blood glucose and IDR (HBG vs. LBG) of 235.8 +/- 46.5 mg/dl vs. 144.3 +/- 26.7 mg/dl and 18.5 +/- 8.5 mm vs. 12.2 +/- 7.0 mm respectively. These results showed that IDR is significantly affected by hyperglycemia. This increased IDR may be a consequence of the synergy between interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor alpha which is a significant factor in diabetes. Also, there is an accentuation of this synergy following injection of PPD. It appears to be clear that IDR to PPD may be influenced by the diabetic state, especially acute hyperglycemia. However, it also appears that IDR to PPD may not be an adequate method for assessing cutaneous cell-mediated immunity.


An 18-year-old female with pauciarticular juvenile chronic arthritis is described who has developed a profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The association of sensorineural hearing loss with juvenile chronic arthritis has not been reported before.


A virtual reality (VR) experiment with 96 participants was carried out to provide recommendations on the design of flashing lights on emergency exit portals for road tunnel emergency evacuation. The experiment was carried out in a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) laboratory at Lund University. A set of variables has been investigated, namely 1) Colour of flashing lights, 2) Flashing rate, 3) The type of light source, 4) the number and layout of the lights on the portal (1 light on top of the exit door, 3 lights of which 1 on top and 2 on the sides of the exit door, or 2 bars on the sides of the exit door). An additional portal design variable has also been investigated, i.e. 5) the use of a window vs a painted running man on the exit door. Participants were immersed in a VR road tunnel emergency evacuation scenario and they were then asked to rank different portal designs using a questionnaire based on the Theory of Affordances. Results show that green or white flashing lights perform better than blue lights in the emergency exit portals. Flashing rate of 1 Hz and 4 Hz performed better than flashing rates at 0.5 Hz. A LED light source performed better than single and double strobe lights. Although the three layouts of the lights under consideration performed similarly, the use of a higher number of lights is deemed to be beneficial. If the door is visible (i.e., if no smoke is taken into consideration in the emergency scenario), the scenario with the running man painted on the door provides equal results than a door with a window. Nevertheless, the use of the window is recommended since it allows seeing behind the door (including the possibility to see the traffic), and reduce people's hesitation. (Less)


This article concerns the ways in which the enumeration of in vitro fertilization (IVF) births emerges as a practice that is simultaneously associated with a socialist nationalist project and post-Ðổi mới market reform. It explores the brief history of and changes in the ways in which recently introduced assisted reproductive technologies and IVF births come to be enumerated by state authorities and by female infertility patients. Focusing on changes in infertility treatment, the article suggests that in the process of making sense of the rapid social, economic, and political changes that have occurred in Vietnam over the past twenty-five years, individuals and institutions continue to draw on socialist orientations as they encounter market changes, leading to practices and subjectivities that are neither clearly socialist nor neoliberal. Rather, they are at once partial and incomplete, yet dynamic, temporally contingent on understandings of experienced pasts, and new opportunities of the current moment.


Twenty-one U.S. Navy divers were given several standard visual tests, the Purdue Peg-board, the Bennett Hand Tool Dexterity Test, and the Wechsler Memory Scale while breathing air or 30% nitrous oxide. The results showed that visual function, fine and gross motor performance, and long-term memory were normal under nitrous oxide, while learning and short-term memory were significantly impaired. The subjective effects of breathing nitrous oxide were similar to those experienced during compressed air narcosis. The selective impairment of short-term memory suggests that divers might be able to perform useful work at depths deeper than those currently authorized, provided the tasks were well learned and practiced.


By the method of artificial freezing, this paper made a comparative study on the cold hardiness of Pinus ponderosa, P. banksiana and P. tabulaeformis, with their inherent mechanisms approached. The results showed that the cold hardiness of these three species was in the sequence of P. banksiana > P. tabulaeformis > P. ponderosa. P. banksiana had high bound water/free water ratio (7.0) and ABA content (164.3 microg x g(-1) FW) but low K+ (2450 microg x g(-1) DW) and soluble sugar (12.0%) , P. tabulaeformis had higher contents of ABA (95.8 microg x g(-1) FW), K+ (4538 microg x g(-1) DW) and soluble sugar (18.68%) but low bound water/free water ratio (2.58), while P. ponderosa had high soluble sugar content (18.05%) but low bound water/free water ratio (2.18) and K+ (2275 microg x g(-1) DW) and ABA (63.3 microg x g(-1) FW) contents. These differences might be the reasons resulting in the different cold hardiness of these three species. Low chlorophyll content and high carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio might also contribute to the cold hardiness of P. banksiana. Therefore, though the test species are all of cold hardiness, their inherent mechanisms may be different.


We studied the bibliometric indexes referring to production and scientific output published in ARCHIVOS de BRONCONEUMOLOGIA. All issues published between 1993 and 1994 were studied with the exception of monógraphic or supplementary numbers. For each article we recorded article type, number of authors, authors' place of work, specialty, time until acceptance, time until publication, type of references, language of references, journal and year of references. For each year we calculated the productivity index and the cooperation index, or index of signers per work. We also determined the citation period for references, the Price index, and the insularity index. Productivity index was 1.97 in 1993 and 2.05 in 1994. The cooperation index for the two years reached 4.5 +/- 1.9 (1-10). Authors were widely distributed by provinces and by specialties, although "nuclei" of production could be identified. The citation half-life period was 5.67 years for references in 1993 and 5.94 years in 1994, and the Price index surpassed 40%. The insularity index was very low at 7.76%. In conclusion, the bibliometric indicators for production, readership and obsolescence for the two years analyzed indicate that ARCHIVOS de BRONCONEUMOLOGIA occupies an intermediate position in the ranking of Spanish medical journals.


Roselle petals can be made into extracts as a source of raw material for food products and other products. Previous research states that the use of pectinase and cellulase enzymes can increase the yield including the anthocyanin content. This study aims to optimize the extraction conditions of roselle flower petals  (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) using pectinase and cellulase enzymes by using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The treatment conditions were using pectinase and cellulase enzyme (1: 1) with concentrations in the range between 500-1500 ppm, extraction temperature between 35-65 oC and extraction time between 30-90 minutes. Analysis of the best treatment was carried out on the yield level, anthocyanin content and total dissolved solids tested using central composite design, obtained R2 values for the three responses of 0.6. The results showed that based on the surface response, the optimum conditions of the best  extraction of the rosella at the addition of enzyme concentration of 1000 ppm, extraction temperature of 50 oC and extraction time of 10 minutes. In this condition, the yield of dried extracts of rosella was 84,20%, anthocyanins content 479,70 mg/L and total soluble solid 2,13 oBrix.


This study was carried out from June to October 2008 in Nansi Lake. Based on the data collected from five sampling stations, phytoplankton taxonomic composition, abundance, temporal variations and spatial distribution were examined. About 94 species, including 48 species of Chlorophyta, 22 species of Bacillariophyta, and 1 water bloom causative species were identified. Average phytoplankton diversity index and evenness values were 1.59 and 0.58, respectively, revealing moderate biodiversity of phytoplankton biocoenosis. The phytoplankton abundance averaged 1.52×10 7 cells/L, and was much higher than previous investigation carried out in the same months in 1995. The species of Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta dominated phytoplankton community. The main dominant species were Scenedesmus dimorphus, Chlorella vulgaris, Synedra acus, Aulacoseira granulata, Merismopedia tenuissima and Monallantus brevicylindrus. Concerning nutrient stoichiometry, it was suggested that the higher TN: TP ratio indicated potential P-limitation for phytoplankton growth in Nansi Lake. The environmental conditions of water quality and phytoplankton community composition indicated that Nansi Lake was eutrophic in summer.


A team of staff and students at the Portsmouth School of Art, Design and Media came together to research the potential for interactive multimedia in museum programs to contribute to community regeneration. The project was part of the exhibition Play Up Pompey! which celebrates the centenary year of Portsmouth Football Club. The School's contribution was The Team in the Stand, a visitor-authored multimedia environment, as a newly created site of the cultural history of the supporters who have shaped the life of the city. Throughout the duration of the exhibition period the supporters' memories, everyday experiences and memorabilia were digitized as the multimedia objects on public display to create a living history archive in an immersive sound environment. The aims of the exhibition were to build new audiences amongst the large sector of the city's population for whom the museum affords little or no significance and to provide public access to new technologies within the context of New Labor's widening participation policy to make lifelong education available to under-represented and disadvantaged groups. National studies on the social impact of the arts have informed the exhibition and the three month outreach program.


In this paper, a clustering algorithm based on Fuzzy Black-hole Entropy is purposed. A Fuzzy Black-hole Entropy based on fuzzy similarity is introduced. The algorithm automatically computes the number of clusters and their initial positions. It assigns cluster center to a point in the database with minimum entropy. A cluster is formed using above cluster center by considering all points having similarity with center. This process continues till all points are clustered. Since cluster centers are formed sequentially, there is possibility of misclassifications. To further improve the clustering, data points are reconfigured to cluster centers using similarity measure. In this way, we get better clusters. Cluster centers are again aligned to mean of each clusters by reassigned it to mean point of the cluster. In this method, there is no need to revised entropy value for each data point after cluster center is determined. Comparison of the proposed algorithm with existing algorithms, shows that it performs better than many such algorithms.


ABSTRACT Gamma interferon responses of spleen cells in mice were examined during postchemotherapy relapse of intraperitoneally induced latent tuberculous infection. The mycobacterial extract RUTI, which prevented the relapse, significantly enhanced the immune responses to secreted and structural recombinant mycobacterial antigens, suggesting that RUTI-mediated protection was mediated by activated T cells.


This study is concerned with the region of Oresund and the aspects of work commuting in particular. The purpose is to investigate attitudes and opinions towards the region among work commuters and then apply them to various theories relevant for the questioning, such as globalization, regionalization, ethnicity, nationalism, culture and identity. To investigate the attitudes towards the region we have done a number of interviews with commuters, using qualitative and semi-structured questions. The analysis is divided into three different parts; In Body and in Mind, Us and Them, the Future; and consists of a discussion of our informants' answers related to the theoretical aspects of the earlier mentioned theories. Our results show that our informants feel a geographical connection to the region but that more common cultural references are needed to be able to speak of a mental connection within the region of Oresund.


Resource-based view (RVB) of the firm suggests that intangible resources which are rare, valuable, inimitable and scarce are definitely the cornerstone of the sustained competitive advantage. The knowledge-based view of the firm proposes that among all firm's resources organizational knowledge has become the strategic resource for sustained competitive advantage. Organizational knowledge has become the strategic resource in today's dynamic competitive environment. Its properties, such as uniqueness, path-dependency, social complexity and others, make it so important for firm's competitive advantage. Following Bierly and Chakrabarty's study, the author applies their typology of generic knowledge strategies to the Spanish manufacturing industry. The aim of our empirical research was determining generic knowledge strategies in the Spanish manufacturing industry. Firstly we designed a survey questionnaire covering different areas: organizational knowledge management, organizational learning and organizational performance.


An algorithm for image noise-removal based on local adaptive window size filtering is developed. Two features for use in local spatial/transform-domain filtering are suggested. First, filtering is performed on images corrupted not only by additive white noise, but also by image-dependent (e.g. film-grain noise) or multiplicative noise. Second, the used transforms are equipped with a varying adaptive window size obtained by the intersection of confidence intervals (ICI) rule. Finally, we combine all estimates available for each pixel from neighboring overlapping windows by weighted averaging these estimates. Comparison of the algorithm with the known techniques for noise removal from images shows the advantage of the new algorithm, both quantitatively and visually.


ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the role of CBLL1 in pan-carcinoma and tumor immune infiltrates. MethodsDownload mRNA expression, mutation and clinical data in UCSC database, to analyze the relationship between CBLL1 expression and clinicopathological vlaue, and immune microenvironment in pan-cancer. CIBERSORT was used to analyze the relationship between CBLL1 expression and the infiltration of pan-carcinoma immune cells. The mRNA expression data of UCSC database were used to analyze the correlation between CBLL1 expression and pan-cancer immunomodulations, checkpoints and receptor molecules. ResultsThe levels of CBLL1 mRNA expression in pan-cancer tissues were abnormal. The level of CBLL1 is related to the age, race, clinical stage and treatment effect of patients with pan-carcinoma and associated with the prognosis of patients with KIRC, LUSC, THCA, THYM, MESO, PRAD, STAD, and UVM. Univariate COX regression analysis showed that expression of CBLL1 was a risk factor for poor prognosis in patients with KICH, KIRC, LAML, THYM, KIRC, PCPG, OV, PRAD, STAD, GBM and UVM. The expression level of CBLL1 was correlated with BLCA, BRCA, COAD, LAML, LGG, LUAD, LUSC, SARC, STAD, THCA, THYM and UVM tumor mutational burden, and with ACC, BRCA, CESC, COAD, DLBC, HNSC, PRAD, READ, SARC, STAD, TGCT, THCA and UCEC microsatellite instability. The expression level of CBLL1 was correlated with cancer stromal cells and immune cells. The expression of CBLL1 is related to pan-cancer immunomodulators, checkpoints and receptor molecules. ConclusionCBLL1 is abnormally expressed in patients with pan-carcinoma, which is expected to be a biomarker for prognosis, mutation and immune infiltration in patients with pan-carcinoma.


The presented text relates ambivalent concepts, fleeting propositions and notions of crossing through for thinking the process for creating the work of art. We will present borders, illusions, tricks and foolishness as the Jester's operational tactics, who construct utopias as artistic process. Articulating opposing pairs as high and low, past and future, and true and lie, utopian thinking is valued here as one who faces the present time instead of been indefinitely projecting forward. Thus, we intend to situate utopia in the suspension of the present to guarantee the lie as poetic truth and, therefore, the construction of improbable routes as artistic practice.


This research estimated the pathogenic exposure levels and associated baseline bio-risks in edible terrestrial snails ( Achachatina marginata ) sold in the Nigerian markets in an attempt to ascertain the probable contribution of contaminated snails to the burden of foodborne illnesses in Nigeria. Identification of bacterial pathogens in the edible snails was performed with phenotypic methods. Baseline probability (risk) of a case of illness caused by the identified pathogens was quantified with the United States FDA-iRisk version 4.0 stochastic software. Findings from this research revealed that there were gross contaminations of the meat surfaces of fresh snails (exposed foot of a snail) with bacterial indicators of hygiene [median viable (TAVC) and enterobacteria (TEC) counts = 7.23 log 10 CFU/g and 5.07 log 10 CFU/g respectively] and food safety [median presumptive Staphylococci (TSC) count = 4.71 log 10 CFU/g]. The unsafe profile of the meat surface was further confirmed by the presence of high concentration (exposure level) of coagulase-positive Staphylococci pathogen [median concentration = 4.17 log 10 CFU]. Unlike the meat surface, concentrations of haemolytic (group B) Enterococci pathogen isolated from the viscera of snails were insignificant [median concentration of pathogen = 0 log 10 CFU]. Therefore, snail meat surfaces were the main sources of significant risks to potential consumers. This probable significant health consequence was further corroborated by a predicted significant baseline risk which indicated that in the absence of adequate microbial mitigation protocols, 1750 potential human consumers above the age of 3 years were most likely to fall ill per 10000 potential consumers. Thus, there is a need for increased advocacy to ameliorate the baseline risks associated with edible fresh snails sold in Nigerian markets or exported to other markets around the world. Keywords: Bio-risk, Coagulase-positive Staphylococci , Group B Enterococci , FDA-iRisk software


Virtual Harlem is a virtual reality reconstruction of Harlem, New York, during the 1920s. It was designed to immerse students of the Harlem Renaissance directly in the historical context of the literature of that period. The goal of this prototype is to develop rich, interactive, and narrative learning experiences to augment classroom activities for students in the humanities. This paper describes a semester-long user study using Virtual Harlem in an English literature course and discusses our experiences of integrating virtual reality technology in the classroom.


Tremendous strides are being made in the development of applications for high performance computing systems. One of the factors limiting further applications has been the lack of small, rugged, embeddable systems to support embedded airborne, shipboard, and landbased installations. Litton Guidance and Control Systems, with MasPar Computer Corporation, and support from the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), Computer Systems Technology Office (CSTO), are addressing this problem. Together, we are repackaging MasPar's highly successful, commercial, massively parallel processing system to minimize size and maximize survivability in severe environments. The resulting rugged high performance massively parallel processing system is software transparent with the commercial systems.


A 72-year-old man presenting with difficulty of urination, was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia and transurethral resection of prostate (TUR-P) was performed. However, pathological diagnosis of 40% of the TUR-specimen was of malignant lymphoma. Immunohistochemical examination revealed B-cell origin, diffuse and medium-cell type, according to the LSG classification. Then we performed chemotherapy with a combination of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine and prednisolone. Trans-rectal biopsy specimens of the prostate after 3 courses of chemotherapy, revealed no cells of malignant lymphoma.


This study investigates difficulty-generating item characteristics (DGICs) in the context of basic arithmetic operations for numbers up to 100 to illustrate their use in item-generating systems for learning progress monitoring (LPM). The fundament of the item-generating system is based on three theory-based DGICs: arithmetic operation, the necessity of crossing 10, and the number of second-term digits. The Rasch model (RM) and the linear logistic test model (LLTM) were used to estimate and predict the DGICs. The results indicate that under the LLTM approach all of the three hypothesized DGICs were significant predictors of item difficulty. Furthermore, the DGICs explain with 20% a solid part of the variance of the RM's item parameters. The identification and verification of the DGICs under the LLTM approach provide important insights into how to address the challenges in the development of future LPM tests in mathematics.


On 28 March 1982, El Chichon, a volcanic peak located in southern Mexico, began an eruptive phase of activity. Four major eruptions occurred within the next eight days, culminating in a cataclysmic eruption on 4 April. When the dust had settled, an estimated 200 million tons of ash blanketed more than 200 square kilometers of southern Mexico and neighboring Central American countries. Forty thousand villagers were left homeless and several thousand people may have lost their lives. Fifty thousand head of cattle were destroyed outright with many more succumbing to lack of water and pasture. Millions of hectares of crops were destroyed (Figure 1).


The advent of silica-based low-cost standard single-mode fibers revolutionized the whole communication industry. The deployment of optical fibers in the networks induces a paradigm shift in the communication technologies used for long-haul information transfer. However, the communication using the optical fibers is affected by several linear and nonlinear effects. The most common linear effects are attenuation and chromatic dispersion, whereas the dominant nonlinear effect is the Kerr effect. The Kerr effect induces a power-dependent nonlinear distortion for the signal propagating in the optical fiber. The detrimental effects of the Kerr nonlinearity limit the capacity of long-haul optical communication systems. Fiber Kerr nonlinearity compensation using digital signal processing (DSP) techniques has been well investigated over several years. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive tutorial, including the fundamental mathematical analysis, on the characteristics of the optical fiber channel, the origin of the Kerr nonlinearity effect, the theory of the pulse propagation in the optical fiber, and the numerical and analytical tools for solving the pulse propagation equation. In addition, we provide a concise review of various DSP techniques for fiber nonlinearity compensation, such as digital back-propagation, Volterra series-based nonlinearity equalization, perturbation theory-based nonlinearity compensation, and phase conjugation. We also carry out numerical simulation and the complexity evaluation of the selected nonlinearity compensation techniques.


ABSTRACT Scedosporium apiospermum and Scedosporium prolificans are fungal pathogens that can cause severe human infections, including disseminated mycosis in immunocompromised patients. Two real-time PCR (RT-PCR) assays for the diagnosis of these species were developed and validated for the classification of clinical strains and for the detection of DNA in clinical samples by use of a murine model of invasive infection. A total of 14 clinical strains and 141 samples, including blood, serum, and lung samples from infected CD1 mice, were analyzed. Each RT-PCR methodology used a species-specific molecular beacon probe targeting a highly conserved region of the fungal ribosomal DNA gene. Results showed 100% specificity and a detection limit of 10 fg of DNA for both assays. The sensitivities for the S. prolificans-specific PCR assay were 100% for cultured clinical strains, 95.5% for lung tissues, 85% for serum, and 83.3% for blood. For S. apiospermum, the sensitivities were 100% for clinical strains and 97.2%, 81.8%, and 54.5% for lung tissues, serum, and blood, respectively. Both techniques can be useful for clinical diagnosis, and further studies are warranted.


Diurnal and semi-diurnal fluctuations in the troposphere and lower stratosphere during the 1986 summer and 1986/87 winter, deduced from data of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts, are documented. In general, the tidal fluctuations are consistent with the results of previous investigators based on station data. It thus suggests the adequacy of the data generated by the analysis-forecast system for presenting the global structure of tidal fluctuations in the troposphere.

The semi-diurnal fluctuations in ECMWF data are consistent with the predictions of tidal theory. The diurnal fluctuations, which are more sensitive to local factors such as the sea-land contrast and topography, exhibit a complicated geographical dependence. It appears that the current tidal theory, by neglecting the lower boundary effects and zonally varying factors, is incomplete for explaining the diurnal tidal motions in the troposphere.


Log correlations, biostratigraphical results and seismic data were combined to show that from Late Triassic Norian to Early Cretaceous Aptian times, the Euphrates area (Eastern Syria) was part of a huge saddle-like northeast-trending ridge (the Hamad Uplift) characterized by a prolonged stratigraphic hiatus. This uplift, developed in the Late Triassic, was multiply reactivated during the Mesozoic, particularly in the Early Cretaceous Aptian-Albian times, during a major reorganization phase of the Neo-Tethyan rift system. This uplift marked the separation between two regions with distinctive tectono-sedimentary evolutions: an eastern isolated and starved region (Euphrates Graben) and a western region that was mainly influenced by the sedimentary dynamics of the westerly Bishri Trough, linked to the Palmyrides Basin. The Hamad Uplift broke-up into a N140°E-oriented graben system in late Albian times. This early NE-trending extensional stage was accompanied by volcanic activity and introduced the main phase of horst-and-graben development within the Euphrates Graben in the Late Cretaceous Senonian times.


Background The rapid development of genetics has brought an increasing knowledge of the molecular bases of diseases, which in turn has allowed for the development of accurate diagnostic test – DNA analysis. The goal of DNA analysis in medicine is to detect genetic changes which by molecular logic is the most accurate way to confirm the presence of genetic disease. Conclusions In the article we try to highlight the complexity of the use of genetic testing, as, besides the importance of indicating the appropriate analysis, correct interpretation of any results, an understanding of the limits of testing and its specificity, there are many legal and ethical implications connected with genetic testing. It therefore follows that genetic counseling should be an integral part of the process of genetic testing. At the end of the article we describe the organization of genetic testing in Slovenia and try to give some recommendations regarding the use of genetic testing in clinical medicine.


An observation strategy is described that uses the Moon to monitor the radiometric stability of Earthorbiting remote-sensing instruments without requiring precise lunar-radiance measurements over the full range of lunar cycles. The Moon can be used as a constant irradiance reference for monitoring on-orbit shifts in instrument responsivity if (i) the Moon is observed at equivalent phase angles, (ii) the Moon is observed at equivalent sensorMoon libration angles, (iii) the Moon is observed at equivalent Sun-Moon libration angles, and (iv) the Moon is observed at equivalent scan rates and aspect angles. Irradiance changes due to changes in Sun-to-Moon and Moon-to-sensor distance can be precisely computed from ephemerides using inverse square scaling. A preliminary model of libration effects being developed by the United States Geological Survey from Clementine lunar-orbiter measurements was used to evaluate the effects of lunar libration in the 400 nm to 1000 nm spectral region. If the satellite platform can be rotated to view the Moon from a position in the orbit that exactly provides the required lunar phase angle, lunar-irradiance levels for 48 of the 75 lunar cycles in the 1994-1999 epoch examined can be matched to within 0.1 %. All lunar cycles in the epoch have at least one match to within 0.27 %. A pixel integration procedure that minimizes calibration uncertainties due to sensor pointing and optics contamination is presented and evaluated for the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The total combined relative uncertainties between suitable lunar reference pairs are expected to be less than 1 %.


Purpose. To summarise the spinal cord injury (SCI) specific profile of three cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVD): fasting dyslipidaemia, postprandial lipidaemia and vascular inflammation and to summarise exercise prescriptions that may attenuate each. Method. NA. Results. NA. Conclusions. At least three CVD risk factors have unique profiles in the SCI population. Fasting dyslipidaemia is characterised in the SCI population by depressed HDL cholesterol and normal or low total cholesterol. In the post-prandial state, persons with SCI exhibit an exaggerated triglyceride rise and delayed clearance compared to non-disabled persons. Finally, vascular inflammation, as indexed by C-reactive protein, is markedly elevated in SCI. Exercise may improve each, although the specific prescriptions differs. Fasting dyslipidaemia responds to 8 weeks of moderate intensity aerobic exercise performed 5 days weekly for 30 min daily. Post-prandial lipaemia treatment requires daily moderate or vigorous aerobic exercise, as the effect dissipates day by day. The daily exercise duration is proportional to fitness level, with total caloric expenditure emphasised rather than time. Finally, attenuating vascular inflammation in non-disabled persons requires moderate or vigorous exercise performed for ≥12 months, 5 days weekly for ≥45 min; with aerobic exercise plus resistance training more effective than aerobic exercise alone.


We have previously demonstrated that an exon splicing silencer (ESS) is present within human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)tat exon 2. This 20 nucleotide (nt) RNA element acts selectively to inhibit splicing at the upstream 3'splice site (3'ss #3) flanking this exon. In this report, we have used in vitro splicing of mutated RNA substrates to determine the sequences necessary and sufficient for the activity of the ESS. The activity of the ESS within tat exon 2 maps to a 10 nt core sequence CUAGACUAGA. This core sequence was sufficient to inhibit splicing when inserted downstream from the 3'ss of the heterologous Rous sarcoma virus src gene. Mutagenesis of the interspersed purines in the polypyrimidine tract of the tat exon 2 3'ss to pyrimidines resulted in a significant increase in splicing efficiency indicating that 3'ss#3 is suboptimal. The ESS acts to inhibit splicing at the optimized 3'splice sites of both the HIV-1 tat and RSV src constructs but with a reduced efficiency compared to its effect on suboptimal 3'splice sites. The results indicate that both the ESS and a suboptimal 3'splice site act together to control splicing at the 3'splice site flanking at exon 2.


Abstract. Current theories for water flow in porous media are valid for scales much smaller than those at which problem of public interest manifest themselves. This provides a drive for upscaled flow equations with their associated upscaled parameters. Upscaling is often achieved through volume averaging, but the solution to the resulting closure problem imposes severe restrictions to the flow conditions that limit the practical applicability. Here, the derivation of a closed expression of the effective hydraulic conductivity is forfeited to circumvent the closure problem. Thus, more limited but practical results can be derived. At the Representative Elementary Volume scale and larger scales, the gravitational potential and fluid pressure are treated as additive potentials. The necessary requirement that the superposition be maintained across scales is combined with conservation of energy during volume integration to establish consistent upscaling equations for the various heads. The power of these upscaling equations is demonstrated by the derivation of upscaled water content-matric head relationships and the resolution of an apparent paradox reported in the literature that is shown to have arisen from a violation of the superposition principle. Applying the upscaling procedure to Darcy's Law leads to the general definition of an upscaled hydraulic conductivity. By examining this definition in detail for porous media with different degrees of heterogeneity, a series of criteria is derived that must be satisfied for Darcy's Law to remain valid at a larger scale.


Two cases of severe corneal oedema occurred after the use of intraocular pilocarpine. Experimental investigations were conducted with cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells exposed for 5 minutes to 1% pilocarpine solutions of varying composition. Cells were destroyed in solutions not isotonic with aqueous humour, and calcium-free ionic solutions caused loss of cell adhesion without loss of viability. Low pH or the presence of 1% pilocarpine had no detectable effects; 1% acetylcholine chloride in 5% mannitol (Miochol) also caused cell destruction, and this preparation was found to be considerably hypertonic. The minimum requirements for the formulation of intraocular miotics are discussed.


Semantic Web society initially focused only on data but has gradually moved toward knowledge. Recently rule beyond ontology has emerged as a key element of the Semantic Web. All of these activities are obviously aiming at making data and knowledge on the Web sharable and reusable between various entities around the world. If one of ultimate visions of the Semantic Web is to increase human's decision making quality assisted by machines, there is a missing but important part to be shared and reused. It is knowledge about constraints on data and concepts represented by ontology which should be emphasized more. In this paper, we propose Semantic Web Constraint Language (SWCL) based on OWL and show how effective SWCL can be in representing and solving an internet shopper's decision making problem by an implementation of a shopping agent in the Semantic Web environment.


In the framework of the current development of offshore wind energy exploitation, an accurate evaluation of the wind potential is crucial for siting windmills. There is a strong need for accurate statistical data from non-intrusive means, such as spaceborne radar data. This paper deals with the methodology developed to provide accurate offshore wind potential statistics. The method developed to obtain accurate wind maps from ERS SAR (synthetic aperture radar) images is presented. Then, considering the need of dense statistical information for evaluating the wind potential, a data fusion methodology is exposed.


Background: Fructose malabsorption is commonly diagnosed by the hydrogen fructose (H2) breath test. However, the mechanisms behind fructose malabsorption in humans are not well understood and the clinical relevance of this test is considered controversial. Hence, the main aim of this study is to evaluate the predictive value of the H2 breath test. Methods: Regarding exclusion criteria, the study enrolled 562 consecutive patients, enlisted to a gastroenterology clinic between 2009 and 2011 for testing malabsorption. In the final data analysis, 246 patients were included. Ecotrophologists used 3 categories to rate dietary success: complete response, partial response and no response to the diet. They also rated the occurrence of abdominal pain, diarrhoea and bloating during the H2 breath test. Ordinal regression analysis using SPSS was performed to evaluate whether H2 breath test results – measured as the maximum H2 level, the maximum increase in H2, and the area under the curve (AUC) – predicted dietary success or failure. Correlation analyses were applied to test whether symptoms of fructose malabsorption correlated with the H2 breath test measures. Finally, we evaluated whether cut-off-values of 40 or 60 parts per million (ppm) serve better than the test measure of 20 ppm to diagnose fructose malabsorption. Results: When a fructose-free diet was administered it was found that 103 patients (41.9%) were complete responders, 116 (47.2%) were partial responders and 27 (11%) were non-responders. The H2 breath test with the 20 ppm cut-off-value, that is, the maximum H2 level, the maximum increase in H2, and the AUC did not predict dietary response (all 95% CI ns). This was also the case when using 40 or 60 ppm as cut-off-values (all 95% CI ns). Abdominal pain during the test correlated significantly with the AUC. Diarrhoea and bloating correlated significantly with the AUC, the maximum H2 level and the maximum increase in H2 (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The H2 breath test produced no predictive value for the fructose-free diet outcomes; its value as a predictive test is therefore questionable. However, the symptoms of fructose malabsorption correlated significantly with the H2 breath test measures, and this is an indication that there is at least a degree of validity of the H2 breath test beyond the simple detection or exclusion of fructose malabsorption.


After School Astronomy clubs are an important method of exposing students to astronomy at the critical middle school age when sparking an interest can inspire a lifelong career or hobby. We know that teachers complain that they can spend little time on astronomy in the classroom since they must teach to the test and the curriculum requirements do not have very extensive astronomy coverage. We also know that space is a very popular subject with students that can motivate them to join an after school club. One of the problems with after school astronomy clubs is that they don't often have a chance to observe the night sky. We propose to train club mentors on how to do daytime solar observing so students fulfill the IYA goal of looking through a telescope. We propose to provide a half day workshop for elementary and middle school teachers on starting and maintaining After School Astronomy clubs with special emphasis on observing the Sun not only in the visible spectrum but with radio waves and other parts of the spectrum as well. We will use NASA-oriented or NASA-funded educational materials and websites to bring a variety of ideas to the mentors and a broad knowledge of astronomy to the students. Attendees will be given an overview of the science of the Sun and how it can affect us on the Earth. They will be shown the dynamic nature of the Sun and what to look for to track the events happening there. The educators will be shown simple approaches to directly observing the Sun such as pinhole cameras, use of projection techniques with telescopes or binoculars, etc. They will be acquainted with sunspotter scopes and the advantages and disadvantages (such as expense) they pose for getting students involved. We will also point out the possibilities of using regular telescopes with solar filters and the specialized solar viewing telescopes such as the Coronado. Once the educators are comfortable with the simple approaches to viewing the Sun we will expose them to advanced topics such as remotely viewing the Sun using telescopes available on the web. Resources such as the Sun-Earth Viewer will allow them to study near real-time images of the Sun in multiple wavelengths. They will also be shown how they can monitor the Sun at radio wavelengths via remote telescopes or even how to purchase and build their own radio telescopes for hands-on monitoring of the Sun and other radio sources. We will conduct a brief evaluation of the participants knowledge of the Sun as they come into the workshop. We will also ask them to complete a brief knowledge survey at the end to determine if their knowledge and comfort level with solar science has improved significantly.


Abstract We prove two results about nonunital index theory left open in a previous paper. The first is that the spectral triple arising from an action of the reals on a ${{C}^{*}}$ -algebra with invariant trace satisfies the hypotheses of the nonunital local index formula. The second result concerns the meaning of spectral flow in the nonunital case. For the special case of paths arising from the odd index pairing for smooth spectral triples in the nonunital setting, we are able to connect with earlier approaches to the analytic definition of spectral flow.


Schools and teachers nowadays face new difficulties and challenges as a result of the fast growth of cyberbullying. The aim of the study is to examine the perceptions, beliefs and concerns about cyberbullying, as well as the needs, of a professionally diverse group of teachers. Three-hundred and twenty-eight teachers (88.4% female, 11.6% male) from different types of schools and professional foci were randomly selected and completed a cyberbullying questionnaire regarding their perceptions of cyberbullying and about their personal experiences in relation to cyberbullying. They also provided background information. FINDINGS indicate that teachers noted that cyberbullying is a problem in their school, suggesting that urgent attention be paid to three aspects: policy making, enhancing awareness of the school team and coping strategies for parents. About half the teachers reported that students complain of harassment through the mobile phone and Internet, and some teachers were themselves cyberbullied. It was found that the teachers' gender, education level and the age of the students they taught affected their level of concern about cyberbullying, and therefore how credible they found the school's commitment to act on it. Female teachers expressed more concern than male teachers, as did teachers of younger children. Special education teachers were more concerned than mainstream teachers and were more likely to believe that the cyberbullying must be confronted. The results contribute to our understanding of the teachers' perceptions, beliefs and concerns about cyberbullying, which could serve as a basis for developing policy guidelines in schools as well as establishing programs for school teachers to cope with cyberbullying. Language: en


This paper reports a case of spontaneous indirect carotid cavernous fistula that presented with pulsatile tinnitus, left-sided temporal headache and left-sided ptosis. The pulsatile tinnitus, its aetiology and investigation are discussed. The importance of pulsatile tinnitus is highlighted, with a discussion of carotid-cavernous fistulas. This case illustrates that clinically silent cavernous sinus thrombosis can give rise to spontaneous indirect carotid cavernous fistula. Magnetic resonance imaging angiography was used in diagnosis. Treatment ranges from observation, as in our case, to transvenous endovascular techniques.


Our article presents some of the challenges of the surgical treatment of T4 (>15 cm) retroperitoneal liposarcomas (up to 65/56/30 cm, 25.5 kg) series of cases treated by the Department of Surgical Oncology, Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca (IOCN), Romania, with illustrations, insisting on important blood vessels and nerves dissection and preservation and discussions of strategies with references to important articles from the last 10 years specialty literature. Challenges do not come only from intraoperative difficulties but also from establishing the right attitude from the extent of resection and oncological safety point of view, the role of the pathologist being very important because histological subtype and completeness of the resections are the most important prognostic factors for such tumors. Despite all today available aids in decision making, like nomograms or high-resolution imagery, sometimes this decision is to be taken intraoperative based on surgeon's expertise and skills. That is why is strongly advised that such cases to be treated in high-volume specialized tertiary centers of surgical oncology.


Sensor-enabled geogrid (SEGG) technology has been introduced by the authors in the past few years as a new category of geogrid products that possess embedded strain-sensing capability in addition to their conventional reinforcement/stabilization function in geotechnical and transportation applications. In this technology, the strain-sensing function of modified geogrids (SEGG products) arises from their tensoresistivity, which is the sensitivity of the polymer composite electrical conductivity to tensile strain. An SEGG product is filled with a target concentration of conductive fillers such as carbon blacks and carbon nanotubes. The authors' previous studies on SEGG to date were focused on the in-isolation performance of the unitized SEGG and the coating of yarn-type SEGG samples. In the continuation of a long-term study, this paper reported the latest findings on both the in-isolation and in-soil tensoresistivity performance of polyethylene terephthalate (polyester) yarn SEGG specimens that were coated with a strain-sensitive carbon black-filled PVC composite. The formulation of the coating composite was presented and the influences of the soil confining pressure and loading (i.e., strain) rate on the tensoresistivity and tensile strength of SEGG specimens were investigated. It was found that greater confining pressures and strain rates both result in a reduction in the tensoresistivity of the SEGG samples. However, both the magnitude and reproducibility of the measured tensoresistivity in the in-soil tests carried out in this study were judged to be acceptable for civil engineering applications, given that the accuracy of strain distributions in geogrids can be improved by increasing the number of strain data points in each reinforcement layer at a significantly lower cost compared to the conventional methods. It was thus concluded that the SEGG technology holds promise to serve as an alternative to conventional instruments for the performance monitoring of geotechnical structures.


Reflectance spectra (RS) of semiconductor quantum wells (QWS) have been measured with Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTS) from 77 K to room temperature. Room temperature excitons and higher lying energy transitions have been successfully detected in various types of QWS. The result demonstrates that the measurement of RS by FTS is very useful for investigating excitonic transitions in QW structures.


The fruiting capacity of grapevines in a given climatic region is largely determined by their total leaf area and by the percentage of the total leaf surface area that is exposed to full sunlight, provided other factors are not limiting growth and the initiation of fruit primordia. A wide range of leaf area/crop weight ratios were investigated by pruning to different levels of buds per vine, by different degrees of defoliation, and/or by cluster thinning of grape cultivars Thompson Seedless, Tokay, Chenin blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon located at Davis or Oakville, California. For single-canopy (SC) type trellis-training systems, the leaf area/crop weight ratio required for maximum level of total soluble solids, berry weight, and berry coloration at harvest ranged from 0.8 to 1.2 m2/kg, whereas for horizontally divided-canopy (DC) type trellis-training systems (GDC, lyre, wye), this ratio was reduced to 0.5 to 0.8 m2 leaf area per kg fruit. Optimal crop yield/pruning weight, pruning weight (kg) per m canopy length, leaf area (m2) per m canopy length, and leaf area density (m2/m3) for SC systems ranged from 4.0 to 10, 0.5 to 1.0 kg/m, 2 to 5 m2/m, and 3 to 7 m2m−3, respectively. Similarly, for DC systems these ratios ranged from 5.0 to 10, 0.4 to 0.8 kg/m, 2 to 4 m2/m, and 3 to 6 m2m−3, respectively. Grapevines with ratios that fell within the ranges given above for each of these five parameters were considered well balanced and capable of producing high-quality fruit and wines.


Concentration levels in U.S. agriculture are high and rising. As downstream competition declines, marketing opportunities for producers are constrained to—in some cases—a single buyer. Processors in thin markets (those with few purchasers, low trading volume, and low liquidity) could use informational advantages to depress farm-level prices for commodities (compared to a competitive market). Moreover, the low volume of trading in thin markets makes it difficult for participants and observers to gather market information and assess market performance. At the same time, many markets are moving away from traditional cash markets to bilateral contracts and vertical integration, which offer more opportunities for coordination and may foster efficiency gains that ultimately benefit producers. Both methods resolve information problems not addressed by the cash market, and forward-looking processors in many thin markets pay producers high enough prices to ensure a stable input supply. Thin market producers who can successfully enter and maintain contracts with these processors can achieve returns that meet or exceed their longrun costs. Attempting to impose greater competition on naturally thin markets can have adverse consequences for producers, processors, and consumers. However, small producers face new challenges in a thin market environment.


An experimental band keratopathy was produced in rabbits by local injection of egg albumin and vitamin D intoxication. Histological sections have been studied by two methods of analytical microscopy: Electron Probe X rays Microanalysis (EPMA) and Secondary Ion Emission Microanalysis (SIEM). The components and early distribution of calcic precipitations were studied. Calcium, Sulphur and Phosphorus elements were observed. Despite of the highly sensitive techniques used gradual or slope precipitations were not observed any where in the cornea.


Over 400 e-learning grant applications from Australian primary schools were analysed to determine the nature of the proposed ICT-based projects in Literacy and Numeracy. Three key dimensions emerged from the teacher descriptions: ICT Infrastructure, Motivation and ICT Use, and Pedagogy and Innovation. The three dimensions, and the interactions between the dimensions, provide a means for understanding the complex factors within an individual school that determine the nature of ICT use and the potential for innovation. This paper focuses on the types of pedagogy identified and the nature of the innovation in these schools. The majority of schools (73%) described their innovative e-learning projects and approaches to teaching and learning with the view that ICT is a pedagogical tool for improving learning outcomes in Literacy and/or Numeracy. In 14% of the schools teachers described using technology in more innovative ways and exploring new pedagogical approaches that in turn, create new learning environments.


A finite element method (FEM) formulation for the detection of unknown steady boundary conditions in heat conduction and linear elasticity and thermoelasticity continuum problems is presented. The present FEM formulation is capable of determining displacements, surface stresses, temperatures, and heat fluxes on the boundaries where such quantities are unknown or inaccessible, provided such quantities are sufficiently over-specified on other boundaries. Details of the discretization, linear system solution techniques, and sample results for 2-D problems are presented.


In this paper, an ARS-EKF based motion counting algorithm for repetitive exercises such as calisthenics is proposed using a smartwatch. Raw sensor signals from accelerometers and gyroscopes are widely used for conventional smartwatch counting algorithms based on pattern recognition. However, generated features from raw data are not intuitive to reflect the movement of motions. The proposed motion counter algorithm is composed of navigation based feature generation and counting with error correction. The candidate features for each activity are velocity and attitude calculated through an ARS-EKF algorithm. In order to select those features which reveal the characteristics of each motion, an exercise frame from the initial sensor frame is introduced. Counting processes are basically based on the zero crossing method, and misdetected counts are eliminated via simple classification algorithms considering the frequency of the counted motions. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm efficiently and accurately counts the number of exercises.


Rationale: Although gastrostomy tubes have shown to be of limited benefit in patients with advanced dementia, they continue to be used to deliver nutritional support in critically ill patients. The epidemiology and short-term outcomes are unclear. Objectives: To quantify national practice patterns and short-term outcomes of gastrostomy tube placement among the critically ill over the last two decades in the United States. Methods: Using the U.S. Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample, we evaluated trends in annual population-standardized rates of gastrostomy tube placement among critically ill adults from 1994 to 2014; we also quantified trends in length of stay, in-hospital mortality, and discharge location. We conducted sensitivity analyses among mechanically ventilated patients, survivors, and decedents of critical illness, and in a critically ill population excluding patients with dementia. Results: From 1994 to 2014, population-based rates of gastrostomy tube use in critically ill patients increased from 11.9 to 28.8 gastrostomies per 100,000 U.S. adults (peak in incidence in 2010), an increase of 142% (31,392-91,990 gastrostomy tubes in critically ill patients; P < 0.001). Patients receiving gastrostomy tubes during critical illness occupied a growing proportion of all gastrostomy tube placements, accounting for 19.6% of all gastrostomy tubes placed in 1994 and 50.8% in 2014. The rate of gastrostomies in critically ill patients remained roughly stable, from 2.5% of critically ill patients in 1994 to a peak of 3.7% in 2002 before declining again to 2.4% in 2014. Hospital length of stay and in-hospital mortality decreased among gastrostomy tube recipients (28.7 d to 20.5 d, P < 0.001; 25.9-11.3%, P < 0.001; respectively), whereas discharges to long-term facilities increased significantly (49.6-70.6%; P < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses among mechanically ventilated patients revealed similar increases in population-based estimates of gastrostomy tube placement. Conclusions: The incidence of gastrostomy tube placement among critically ill patients more than doubled between 1994 and 2014, with most patients being discharged to long-term care facilities. Critically ill patients are now the primary utilizer of gastrostomy tubes placed in the United States. Additional research is needed to better characterize the long-term risk and benefits of gastrostomy tube use in critically ill patients.