Transformed nodule and ductal mammary cells were recovered by cell dissociation and transplantation of mammary cells from C57BL/Crgl mice treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene. Four-week-old mice were divided into the following groups: Group A, not treated; Group B, 2 pituitary isografts under the kidney capsule; Group C, 1.0 mg 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene intragastrically at 5 and 6 weeks of age; and Group D, 2 pituitary isografts and 1.0 mg 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene intragastrically at 5 and 6 weeks of age. At 10, 14, 18, and 22 weeks of age, the mammary glands were enzymatically dissociated, and 10(5) cells were injected into the gland-free mammary fat pads of 3-week-old syngeneic mice. After 10 weeks, the outgrowths were examined and classified as ductal, ductal dysplasia, or hyperplastic alveolar nodule. Ductal dysplasias and hyperplastic alveolar nodule outgrowths were recovered from carcinogen-treated mice. Pituitary isografting enhanced the recovery of ductal dysplasia. Five serially transplanted dysplastic outgrowth lines were established and are their fifty and sixth transplant generations. The data demonstrate that transformed mammary gland cells can be removed from carcinogen-treated mice by means of cell dissociation and transplantation.


In this paper we present an approach to quantify the maximum worth of active portfolio management in a multi-period setting. This methodology estimates a hindsight upper bound on active management fees. The methodology is demonstrated in an empirical study for the Energy industry. In this study the BHCM derivative instrument considerably outperforms all other investment opportunities considered, net of management fees. The dominance of the BHCM derivative, net of management fees, is potentially sufficient to offset other investment and trading expenses. This suggests that the BHCM derivative could in fact be the optimal choice for the investor, rather than standard active or passive funds.


The current article presents a new numerical algorithm based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) formulation for a fully coupled solution of the large-scale fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems where the fluid is modeled by the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations and the structure is modeled by the St. Venant-Kirchhoff model. The governing equations of the fluid domain are discretized using an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) formulation based on the side-centered unstructured finite volume method where the velocity vector components are defined at the mid-point of each cell face while the pressure is defined at the element centroid. The present arrangement of the primitive variables leads to a stable numerical scheme and it does not require any ad-hoc modifications in order to enhance the pressure-velocity coupling. The deformation of the solid domain is governed by the constitutive laws for the nonlinear Saint Venant-Kirchhoff material and the classical Galerkin finite element is used to discretise the governing equations in a Lagrangian frame. The time integration method for the structure domain is based on the Newmark type generalized−α method while the first-order backward difference is used in the fluid domain. The resulting large-scale algebraic linear equations from the discretization of fluid and solid domains are solved in a fully coupled form using new monolithic approaches. In order to account for nonlinearity due to unknown position of the solid boundary and the nonlinear constitutive equations for fluid and solid domains, several sub-iterations are performed. The parallel implementation of the fully coupled unstructured fluid-structure solver is based on the PETSc and HYPRE libraries for improving the efficiency of the code. The present numerical algorithm is initially validated for a steady Newtonian fluid interacting with an elastic bar behind a cylinder, a three-dimensional elastic solid in a steady channel flow and vortex induced vibration of a flag attached behind a rectangular rigid body.


Passivation of interface states in the Schottky barrier is an approach to enhance the properties of the Schottky devices. In this work, Au/0.8nm-GaN/n-GaAs Schottky structure is studied electrically in a wide temperature range. With increasing temperature, the reverse current Iinv increases from 1×10-7 A to 1×10-5 A, and the saturation current Is increases from 1×10-32 A to 5×10-7A. The series resistance Rs decreases with increasing temperature from 13.44 Ω to 4.25 Ω. The ideality factor n decreases from 10.64 to 1.15. The barrier height increases abnormally with increasing temperature from 0.54 eV at 80 K to 1.03 eV at 180 K, then decreases to 0.82 eV at 420 K. The abnormal behavior of and the high values of n in low temperature are due to the tunnel mechanisms effects, such as FE and TFE currents. FE mechanism is the dominant process at low temperatures (80-300 K) and TFE mechanism is the dominant one at high temperatures (300-420K). Finally, our structure presents an inhomogeneous barrier height, maybe caused by the thin GaN interface layer.


Native European crayfish conservation was triggered by invasion of crayfish plague disease agent, Aphanomyces astaci, starting 1860s in Northern Italy. Resulting crayfish plague epidemics quickly spread over Continental Europe, then to Finland, Sweden and finally, after running amok around Europe, A. astaci was discovered also in Iberian Peninsula, Norway, Ireland, and United Kingdom in 1970s and 1980s. By that time significant proportion of native crayfish stocks had been lost, and while crayfish plague epidemics were still recorded, also industrialization and waterways construction were causing damage to remaining native crayfish stocks. While alien crayfish introductions, at least Faxonius limosus, already gave rise to first wave of crayfish plague epidemics in late 19th century, later in 1960s it was decided that introductions of alien Pacifastacus leniusculus should be initiated to replace native European crayfish populations. Decisions were based on presumed advantages for fishery, suitable habitat requirements and supposed immunity against A. astaci. Furthermore, conservation of native European crayfish species was sidelined and focus shifted toward alien crayfish stocking routine and consumption. Alien crayfish species introductions resulted in repeated waves of crayfish plague epidemics among remaining native crayfish stocks. It was soon discovered that alien crayfish of North American origin were, as suspected, permanent reservoirs for A. astaci, that some of those alien species were losing their resistance against selected strains of A. astaci and struggled in European aquatic ecosystems. In this article, we introduce numerous motives behind grand mistake of introducing alien crayfish species to Europe and then promoting their stocks instead of focusing on conservation of native crayfish species. We outline how false economical, biological and ecologic assumptions were used to justify a hasty introduction of alien crayfish, which has further devastated native crayfish and also permanently changed European aquatic ecosystems, both with disastrous consequences. Lesson to be learnt is that science-based warnings about alien species damage to native ecosystems and native crayfish must be taken with utmost caution. Protection of native European crayfish should be core issue, not commercial activities. Finally, we summarize main threats and actions needed to protect remaining native freshwater crayfish fauna in Europe.


We give new proofs of a global and a local property of the integrals which compute closed string theory amplitudes at genus zero. Both kinds of properties are related to the newborn theory of single-valued periods, and our proofs provide an intuitive understanding of this relation. The global property, known in physics as the KLT formula, is a factorisation of the closed string integrals into products of pairs of open string integrals. We deduce it by identifying closed string integrals with special values of single-valued correlation functions in two dimensional conformal field theory, and by obtaining their conformal block decomposition. The local property is of number theoretical nature. We write the asymptotic expansion coefficients as multiple integrals over the complex plane of special functions known as single-valued hyperlogarithms. We develop a theory of integration of single-valued hyperlogarithms, and we use it to demonstrate that the asymptotic expansion coefficients belong to the ring of single-valued multiple zeta values.


Objective To investigate the relationship of altered expression of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor 2B(NR2B) and ealcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ (CaMK Ⅱ) to development of vascular dementia in rats. Methods Ninety-six Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group, vascular dementia(VaD) model group and memantine-treated group. The vascular dementia rat model was established by permanent bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries. The changes of the expression of NR2B in hippocampus were measured by RT-PCR and the changes of the CaMK Ⅱ activities were determined by incorporation of r-~(32)P into histone. Results Compared with the sham rats, the level of NR2B in hippocampus increased significantly at 4 weeks after operation (P0.05)and decreased at 8—16 weeks after operation (P0.01). Total CaMK Ⅱ activity in hippocampus increased significantly at 4 weeks after operation (P0.01) ,then dropped at 8 weeks after operation, and decreased significantly at 12, 16 weeks after operation (P0.01). In memantine-treated group, at 4 weeks after operation, no statistical difference in the indexes mentioned above was found compared with the sham group, but at other time points, there were significant differences (P0.05,P0.01);besides, the level of NR2B was higher than that of VaD rats (P0.05,P0.01) at 8,12 weeks after operation, but total CaMK Ⅱ activitiy was similar to that of VaD rats. Conclusion The changes of CaMK Ⅱ activities are mainly mediated by NMDAR. Memantine can improve VaD rats' recognition by modulating the expression of NR2B,but its effect on CaMK Ⅱ activities is limited.


The SRK Regression formula for intraocular lens power calculation was used to predict postoperative emmetropia in two series of routine cataract operations using different posterior chamber lenses. More accurate results were obtained when the intraocular lenses were used in one dioptre steps. Some practical points about the routine use of ultrasound are made.


The Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial pathogen is reputed for its resistance to multiple antibiotics, and this property is strongly associated with the development of biofilms. Bacterial biofilms form by aggregation of microorganisms on a solid surface and secretion of an extracellular polysaccharide substances that acts as a physical protection barrier for the encased bacteria. In addition, the P aeruginosa quorum-sensing system contributes to antibiotic resistance by regulating the expression of several virulence factors, including exotoxin A, elastase, pyoverdin and rhamnolipid. The organosulfur compound allicin, derived from garlic, has been shown to inhibit both surface-adherence of bacteria and production of virulence factors. In this study, the effects of allicin on P aeruginosa biofilm formation and the production of quorum-sensing controlled virulence factors were investigated. The results demonstrated that allicin could inhibit early bacterial adhesion, reduce EPS secretion, and down-regulate virulence factors' production. Collectively, these findings suggest the potential of allicin as a therapeutic agent for controlling P aeruginosa biofilm.


Aptly described by its title, this book is too repetitious for the general reader who might well have preferred a single narrative. It is the usual story of a nineteenth-century mission: early enthusiasm and muddle, heroic and needless death, and then an experienced remnant settling down to work. But in this case missionaries were poured in, seventeen men by 1880, and ten dead by 1883. And they were men of very uneven quality. The editor, a Professor of Tropical Medicine, blames their troubles largely on inexperience in his subject, but their inexperience was more general than that. There are two interesting features, the use ofmechanical skills rather than medicine to commend themselves to King Lobengula, and the Jesuit reaction to LMS missionaries already in the field. Each Jesuit had his own attitude to Protestants, but on the whole they got on surprisingly well together. School ofOriental & Africa1l Studies, London GA VIN WHITE


The  legal act of  buying and selling is one of the legal issues in the land sector. The sellers must submit property rights of the goods to the buyer. The research problem is a basic consideration of the judge ruled on a lawsuit breach of contranct by land of buying and selling in Decision No. 127 / Pdt.G / 2014 / PN.TK. Normatif juridical approach and empirical. Collecting data with literature studies and field studies, qualitative data analysis. The research result shows that the basic considerations in deciding the lawsuit breach of contract  judges buying and selling land  is optimal and meets the principles of justice where the defendant has fulfilled all obligations within the agreed payment. The breach of contract by the Plaintiff is not reasonable because land sales conducted in 2008 was melting giro The new conducted in 2010, and a description of the refusal of Bank BRI KC Telok Betong caused  receiver  EFD  Debit  is  not  accompanied  by  an  acceptance  of  physical  Debit certificate / Debit certificate is lost, not because there are no funds (empty). Suggestions submitted in a civil action must include proof of the original letter.


Bovine leukemia virus (BLV), a retrovirus closely related to the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), induces lymphocytosis and B-cell leukemia/lymphoma in ruminants. Although the provirus undergoes transcriptional silencing during transformation, BLV-infected tumor cells massively express viral miRNAs from internal Pol III promoters. To understand the mechanisms involved, a provirus isogenic to a wild type molecular clone but devoid of miRNAs was inoculated into calves. High-throughput RNA-sequencing and bioinformatic analyzes indicated that BLV miRNAs modulate expression of genes involved in B-cell receptor signaling, apoptosis, cell activation and immune response (GZMA, FOS, PPT1, ANXA1, MAP2K1 and PIK3CG). Direct and indirect interactions within these regulatory pathways were validated by luciferase reporter assays. In vivo, the deletion of BLV miRNAs reduced proviral loads in the natural host, indicating their biological relevance in viral replication and persistence. Furthermore, oncogenesis was abolished in the ovine experimental model. These observations thus show that BLV miRNAs affect key signaling pathways, promote viral replication and drive oncogenesis. Citation Format: Nicolas Gillet, Malik Hamaidia, Alix de Brogniez, Geronimo Gutierrez, Nathalie Renotte, Michal Reichert, Karina Trono, Luc Willems. Bovine leukemia virus small noncoding RNAs are functional elements that regulate replication and contribute to oncogenesis in vivo. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4050.


Since Seoul city supplied `Sangsang Children`s Park`, domestic children`s parks are changing from formal facilities to creative play space recently. From eco-friendly safe playground model development project, the awareness of eco-friendly playground, namely children`s park is increasing and its necessity is magnified. However, we could not know how well most children`s parks aimed at the eco-friendly playground reflect eco-friendly features and whether they are eco-friendly or not because there are not the specific planning guidelines and evaluation standards for making the eco-friendly playground or children`s park. Therefore, in this study we established the environment-friendliness evaluation standards of children`s parks and estimated the environment-friendly features of the 9 parks built on the subject of green among Sangsang Children`s Parks. In the observational survey of the 9 parks, we evaluated the environment-friendliness of these parks in the 8 fields(location and placement, ecological environment, play space, play equipment and facilities, additional facilities, materials and resources, energy saving, environmental load reduction) according to the levels(suitable, partial reflection, unsuitable, non-reflection) of reflection of eco-friendly planning factors. The assessment results showed that 4 items (location and placement, additional facilities, play space, play equipment and facilities) were suitable and others (energy saving, environmental load reduction, ecological environment, materials and resources) were partial reflection or unsuitable. Therefore, on the basis of these results, this study proposed the planning indicators to be considered first and the planning factors that should be complemented and improved in the construction of eco-friendly children`s park in future.


2806 Amplification and overexpression of the proto-oncogene N- myc is an important indicator of aggressiveness in human neuroblastoma tumors. One factor that influences the expression and amplification of N- myc is HuD, one member of the Hu family of neuronal-specific RNA binding proteins. Studies have shown that this protein regulates processing and thereby expression of several mRNA species, including N- myc . Previous work in this laboratory has shown that (1) HuD binds to the first intron of the N- myc transcript as well as the 3' untranslated region, and (2) N-myc mRNA and protein levels are dependent upon HuD expression levels. The studies described here sought to determine how HuD regulates N- myc expression and how such regulation might affect gene amplification. To test the hypothesis that HuD enhances stability of nascent transcripts, we stably transfected a sense HuD construct, or vector alone, into N- myc amplified, non-neuronal LA1-5s neuroblastoma cells - HuD-negative cells with low-level expression of N-myc. Relative to vector controls, nuclear Hu protein levels increased 7-fold and N-myc mRNA and protein levels increased as much as 8-fold in the HuD -transfected LA1-5s cells without changing the non-neuronal phenotype. The increase in N-myc levels is not due to an increase in the half-life of the message or to a difference in the rate of transcription as measured by nuclear run-on assays. However, levels of splice intermediates are increased 2-fold in the HuD transfectants due to the stabilization of N- myc pre-mRNA by HuD. A second line of research has implicated reduced levels of HuD as a selective factor in amplification of the N- myc gene. Previous studies had shown that transfection of HuD into N- myc amplified cells with only one HuD allele decreased N- myc gene copy number. To directly test the involvement of HuD in N- myc gene amplification, we stably transfected N- myc nonamplified SH-SY5Y cells, which have two normal HuD alleles, with an antisense HuD construct regulated by a β-actin promoter. The transfectants retain their neuroblastic phenotype although Hu protein levels are reduced 4-fold and, consequently, N- myc mRNA levels are decreased 2-fold. Analysis of N- myc gene copy number in these cells by semi-quantitative PCR as well as FISH reveals from 2-8 additional gene copies in the antisense- HuD transfected cells. Our studies support a vital role for HuD in N- myc expression and provide evidence that the loss of HuD can lead to amplification of the N- myc gene in human neuroblastoma cells.


For those new to Australian academic culture, particularly international students, the emphasis on the importance of avoiding plagiarism can herald a new concept and a new way of using source material and constructing text, while for those familiar with academic culture the concepts of plagiarism may seem to need no explanation. In this paper I explore the idea that concepts of plagiarism are embedded in Australian academic culture, which explains why university lecturers as members of this academic culture can 'know' what plagiarism is, while new students by contrast can be concerned and confused. I argue that students new to university in Australia are entering 'a high context culture', which means that they are trying to learn from those within this culture whose understandings of some of the complexities of academic culture and academic writing are often implicit and taken for granted. In this paper, attitudes to text in the culture of the English speaking university are reviewed. I also review perspectives from scholars and lecturers working in the area of university learning and teaching. Finally, I suggest some critical ways of teaching about the problem of plagiarism.


In the 1960s, the incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the Kozagawa and Koza areas in Wakayama prefecture was much higher than that in other areas of the world. However, between 1980 and 1993, a gradual decrease in the incidence of the disease in these areas was reported. To ascertain whether the decreased incidence has persisted, we conducted a retrospective epidemiological study, and determined the average annual incidence of ALS in Wakayama prefecture from 1998 to 2002. The number of ALS cases encountered during the period was 134 (male 79, female 55). The crude average annual incidence in Wakayama prefecture in total was 2.50 (male 3.08, female 1.99) per 100,000. In the Kozagawa and Koza areas in Wakayama prefecture, where the senility rate rapidly increased in recent years, the average annual incidence of ALS in the present research was 10.56 (male 14.14, female 7.66). When the crude rate was standardized for both age and sex to the Japanese population in 1990, the expected value was 5.24 (male 7.34, female 3.18), which was lower than that of our previous survey. The prevalence in Wakayama prefecture at 31 December 2002 was 11.31 (male 14.40, female 8.53). In Kozagawa and Koza areas, the crude prevalence was 52.81 (male 70.70, female 38.28). These results indicated that the incidence of ALS in Wakayama prefecture, especially for females, steadily decreased compared to that in previous reports. However, a high incidence of ALS persisted among males in Wakayama prefecture, especially in the Kozagawa and Koza areas. Some environmental factors and gender specificity may be related to the decreased incidence of ALS in focus areas.


In this work, we construct a large-scale dataset for Ground-to-Aerial Person Search, named G2APS, which contains 31,770 images of 260,559 annotated bounding boxes for 2,644 identities appearing in both of the UAVs and ground surveillance cameras. To our knowledge, this is the first dataset for cross-platform intelligent surveillance applications, where the UAVs could work as a powerful complement for the ground surveillance cameras. To more realistically simulate the actual cross-platform Ground-to-Aerial surveillance scenarios, the surveillance cameras are fixed about 2 meters above the ground, while the UAVs capture videos of persons at different location, with a variety of view-angles, flight attitudes and flight modes. Therefore, the dataset has the following unique characteristics: 1) drastic view-angle changes between query and gallery person images from cross-platform cameras; 2) diverse resolutions, poses and views of the person images under 9 rich real-world scenarios. On basis of the G2APS benchmark dataset, we demonstrate detailed analysis about current two-step and end-to-end person search methods, and further propose a simple yet effective knowledge distillation scheme on the head of the ReID network, which achieves state-of-the-art performances on both of the G2APS and the previous two public person search datasets, i.e., PRW and CUHK-SYSU. The dataset and source code available on https://github.com/yqc123456/HKD_for_person_search.


The right to health relevant information derives from the principles of autonomy and self direction and has been recognised in international declarations. Providing accurate health information is part of the basis for obtaining "informed consent" and is a recognised component of business ethics, safety communications, and case and product liability law. Remarkably, anti-tobacco and pro-tobacco sources alike have come to emphasise the message that there is "no safe cigarette" or "no safe tobacco product". We propose that the "no safe" message is so limited in its value that it represents a violation of the right to health relevant information. There is a need to go beyond saying, "there is no safe tobacco product" to indicate information on degree of risks. The "no safe tobacco" message does not contradict, for example, the mistaken belief that so called light or low tar cigarettes are safer choices than higher tar cigarettes. We encourage a kind of "rule utilitarian" ethical position in which the principle of truth telling is observed while trying to produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Although harm reduction approaches to easing the burden of tobacco related diseases are founded on science based comparative risk information, the right to health information is independently related to the need to promote health literacy. This right should be respected whether or not harm reduction policies are judged advisable.


This study assessed the occurrence risk of soil erosion in a mining-dominated landscape in Qazvin Province, northern Iran using the Land Use Impact Model (LUIM) and MPSIAC model. The LUIM employs two concepts for estimating the soil erosion risk: Likelihood and Consequence. Likelihood was estimated spatially by integrating the maps of soil susceptibility to erosion, derived from a simultaneous analysis of slope, runoff curve number, and NDVI maps, and current land use management practices. In turn, Consequence was measured by combining soil sensitivity to erosion (according to soil depth), and the socio-economic and environmental value of different land uses. Likelihood was found to be high over abandoned rainfed and mining lands and low in rangelands. All mining areas and parts of rainfed lands and rangelands, covering 35% of the region, were classified as high in terms of Consequence. According to the final soil risk map, over 60% of the region distributed across all mining areas and parts of rangelands as well as the rainfed and irrigated lands, was found to have a moderate risk of soil erosion. The results showed that the ratio of mining sizes to their relevant hydrological basins size had a significant correlation with specific erosion, and special sediment (p < 0.01). Overall, extensive surface mining activities were found to be a major soil erosion driver requiring effective post-mining rehabilitation plans.


Supplemental dietary arginine has anti-tumor properties but the degree and mechanisms are unclear. In non-tumor-bearing CBA/J mice (n = 60), 1% arginine supplementation significantly enhanced thymic weight, spleen cell mitogenesis, and interferon-activated natural killer cell activity; no further enhancement was observed with 2% or 4% supplementation. Supplemental 1% arginine, when compared with 1.7% glycine, enhanced interferon-induced natural killer cell activity, lymphokine-activated killer cell generation, and macrophage cytotoxicity. In A/J mice (n = 420), bearing either a moderately immunogenic (C1300) or weakly immunogenic (TBJ) murine neuroblastoma, 1% arginine significantly (p less than 0.05) retarded tumor growth and prolonged median survival time compared with glycine or no supplementation. Dietary arginine enhanced T-cell function and significantly increased responsiveness to autologous C1300 tumor in a mixed lymphocyte tumor cell culture (MLTC). The immunomodulatory effects of arginine provide nutritional and immunologic support of the tumor-bearing host and may be helpful when given concommitant with immunotherapy.


Missed opportunities in immunization had been a global public health obstacle to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality by two-thirds by 2015. Studies have also shown that missed opportunities in both routine and supplementary immunization contribute significantly to the low immunization coverage rates in many parts of Nigeria. This study set out to determine the reasons of missed opportunities in routine immunization among under-five year old children in Ilorin metropolis.  This descriptive cross sectional survey was carried out in the second quarter of 2014 among under-five year old children in Ilorin metropolis. A pretested, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to recruit 500 respondents into the study using multistage s ampling method. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. Frequency tables and simple percentages were used to present the descriptive statistics generated. Cross tabulation of important variables was also done. Chi-square test was used to determine the statistical significance of differences in variables observed. The level of statistical significance was predetermined at p-value of less than 0.05 at 95% confidence interval.  Majority of the (95.2%) of respondents were aware of immunization even though, 59.0% of them had actual knowledge of it. The prevalence of missed opportunities was 24.4%. Yellow fever and measles vaccines often missed compared to others. Factors responsible for the missed opportunities included the attitude of the health worker, prolonged time of waiting to receive vaccine, immunization clashing with other schedules and transportation problem. Respondents' level of knowledge on immunization and educational background were significantly associated with the prevalence of missed opportunities.  Missed opportunities in immunization are still widespread in the study area. Female education and women empowerment should be given more attention and priority. Key words: immunization, Ilorin, missed opportunity.


What is molecular plant breeding? Molecular plant breeding is a general term for a series of technologies and strategies that are used to improve crop plant species. This includes not only 'genomic' methods, which exploit information on the whole DNA content of plant species, but also other aspects of the so-called 'systems biology continuum', leading to final expression of a particular agronomic trait or character. As a hypothetical example of events occurring across this continuum, it would be possible to imagine a change in the DNA sequence of a gene leading to increased production of the messenger RNA which is the primary product of gene expression, producing higher activity of a protein enzyme that is translated from the RNA, generating higher levels of a key metabolite produced by the enzyme (such a plant alkaloid compound), that is critical for a key physiological process that underpins an adaptive trait (such a toxicity to herbivorous animals). The whole process is critically dependent on capacity in bioinformatics (the science of biological information management), because of the scale of the datasets that are generated. The key objectives of molecular plant breeding projects are typically to enhance crop yield and product quality; to improved tolerance to biotic stresses (pathogens, pests, plant competitors) and abiotic stresses (drought, salinity etc.); and to improve environmental sustainability.


This small valuable posthumous volume is a succinct account of the place which history occupies in the therapeutic process. The "second look" refers, of course, to the retrospective (as well as to the anterospective) view of past history and its impact on the individual's present. Ordinarily such a review of the past from the vantage point of the ongoing transference neurosis of the present is to be found in the process which we call "reconstruction," says Novey. In this sense the job of the historian and that of the analyst and psychiatrist are quite similar. It is not some special facts alone which constitute history, but the creative overview of individual and collective experience which gives us the meaning of those facts in the course of one or of several lives. Novey, therefore, speaks of the function, philosophy, and meaning of history in general, and of


In the present study the phylogeny and the biogeography of the genus Lilium L. section Liriotypus Asch. et Graebn. were investigated and divergence times for the section Liriotypus were calculated. The study group covers Lilium species from Europe, the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, Anatolia, and the Caucasus. Plastid DNA sequence data (the trnC-petN intergenic spacer and petN gene) and nuclear DNA ITS sequence data were used to infer the phylogenetic history of the section Liriotypus. Molecular phylogenetic dating using the molecular clock hypothesis with sequences of nrDNA ITS region was used to calculate the time of diversification within the section Liriotypus and with other members of the genus Lilium. The phylogenetic reconstruction based on combined analysis of plastid and nrDNA ITS sequence data shows that all of the analysed species of section Liriotypus form a well-supported monophyletic clade. However, there are some incongruences between the analysis made by plastid DNA alone and with a combined dataset regarding the positions of L. monadelphum M.Bieb., L. szovitsianum Fisch. & Ave-Lall., L. ciliatum P.H.Davis, and L. akkusianum R.Gamperle. Our molecular dating analysis based on nrDNA ITS sequence data showed that members of the section Liriotypus were separated from the rest of the genus Lilium approximately 9 million years ago and within this section, speciation increased in the last 6 million years.


There is an argument based on sentences that describe pictures in favor of a viewpointcentered possible worlds semantics for pictures, over a propositional semantics (J. Ross 1997). The argument involves perspectival lexical items such as "front". We show that when a projective possible worlds semantics for pictures is employed, there is a problem with the argument coming from propositional contents being strong. The argument is reconstructed in a model modal space involving linear worlds, and it is shown that it works there, by computing the possible worlds semantics. The construction involves propositions and centered propositions that are regular sets of strings. Finally, by manipulating the marking parameter in a projective semantics for pictures, the argument is reconstructed also for 3D models.


This research was conducted to determine the forage quality of alfalfa during grazing season in artificial pasture from the years 2010 to 2012 in Isparta. The mixture of the pasture used were Medicago sativa L. (15%) + Onobrychis sativa Lam. (15%) + Agropyron cristatum L. (35%) + Bromus inermis L. (35%). Forage samples were collected from grazing and non-grazing areas once every 15 days during the grazing seasons. The crude protein (CP), acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) contents, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) ratios were determined on the alfalfa forage samples. According to results of this research, the CP, IVDMD, Mg, P and K contents decreased throughout the grazing season, while ADF, NDF and Ca contents increased in grazing and non-grazing areas. The ADF, NDF, Ca, Mg contents of alfalfa in non-grazed areas were higher than the grazed areas, while CP, IVDMD, P and K contents of grazed areas were higher than non-grazed areas. It can be concluded that the harvesting at the late stages caused a reduction in forage quality of alfalfa in grazing and non-grazing areas.


There is already a modest body of research on structural properties of online social networking websites. However, there seems to be a big gap when it comes to important questions related to underlying network forces that create that structure. Drawing from empirically grounded theories of off-line communication networks, hypotheses about the biases (forces) creating the friendship structure in educational online social networking websites are set up, for dyadic and triadic levels of analysis. Hypothesized micro forces are then empirically investigated by building probabilistic models from the data of an online educational social network, using recent reformulations of a biased net modeling approach. In addition, magnitudes of forces are investigated longitudinally, based on five observations of a network. Results indicate the existence of all the hypothesized micro structural forces. Reciprocity is by far the strongest force acting in the network, followed by transitivity, similarity and lastly, closure. Reciprocity is shown to increase with the time, whereas transitivity and similarity decrease. Closure bias first decreases, and then steadily increases.


Abstract Background: Lipoaspirate contains noxious substances derived from liposuction. Therefore, extensive washing is recommended before the lipoaspirate is processed further for culture or fat grafting. Washing a small amount of lipoaspirate may not pose a problem, but washing a large volume of lipoaspirate may be cumbersome, time consuming, and requires a lot of phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Objective: To introduce a simple method for lipoaspirate washing using fine-mesh stainless-steel tea or coffee filter, a small tea spoon, and a porcelain bowl. Methods: The filter was used to collect the adipose tissue fragments. Further washing of the fragments was achieved by soaking the adipose tissue containing filter in a PBS containing porcelain bowl and stirring using a small tea spoon to transfer the contaminating materials to the PBS. Enzymatic processing to dissociate the cells from the tissue and primary cultures was conducted as usual in MesenCult. Results: Using the equipment mentioned above, the adipose tissue fragments were readily separated from the blood, free lipids, anesthetics, and other noxious material in the liquid portion. This simple method saves time and PBS compared with previously described methods. Further enzymatic processing produced sufficient cells to be cultured, and culture results showed plastic adherent cells on day 2 that became confluent on day 6. Conclusion: Lipoaspirate washing using a fine mesh stainless steel filter is time saving and produced cells that grow well in MesenCult.


Background: Tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures in pediatric patients. The tonsillar retractor, which is routinely used during a tonsillectomy, applies high pressure to the patient's tongue and can lead to various complications. Aims: This study aimed to explore tongue edema induced by the pressure applied by tonsillar retractor, using ultrasonography in pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy surgeries. Materials and Methods: Sixty-one patients were included in the study. The tonsillectomy group included 31 patients who underwent tonsillectomy surgery, while the control group included 30 patients who underwent inguinal hernia and circumcision surgery. Submental coronal plane ultrasonography examinations of the tongue were performed twice for each patient. In the tonsillectomy group, the first examination of tongue area (TA1) was done immediately after intubation but before the placement of tonsillar retractor. The second examination (TA2) was done at the end of the tonsillectomy surgery after the removal of the tonsillar retractor but before extubation. In the control group, the first examination (TA1) was done immediately after intubation, whereas the second examination (TA2) was done at the end of the surgery before extubation. These results were compared with those for the control group. Results: Groups were similar in terms of demographics and intubation duration. Groups did not significantly differ in terms of TA1 (P = .212), but they significantly differed in terms of TA2 (P = .000). They also significantly differed in terms of tongue edema defined as TA2 − TA1 (P = .000). Conclusions and Significance: Tonsillar retractor does cause tongue edema in tonsillectomy surgeries. This tongue edema seems to be a result of the pressure applied by the tonsillar retractor. This study is the first to demonstrate the possible role of ultrasonography examination in determining the tonsillar retractor–induced tongue edema in pediatric patients.


Epigenetic regulation plays a significant role in gliomas. However, how methylation and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) cooperates to regulate gliomas progression is largely unknown. In this investigation we showed that the downregulation of MEG3 expression due to hypermethylation of MEG3 was observed in gliomas tissues. Treatment of glioma cells with the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AzadC) decreased aberrant hypermethylation of the MEG3 promoter and prevented the loss of MEG3 expression. In addition, DNMT1 was involved in MEG3 promoter methylation, and was inversely correlated with MEG3 expression in gliomas. The inhibition of DNMT1 repressed the proliferation, clone formation, and induced apoptosis in glioma cells. Importantly, the inhibition of DNMT1 contributed to the activation of p53 pathways in gliomas cells. These results suggest that DNMT1-mediated MEG3 hypermethylation caused the loss of MEG3 expression, followed by the inhibition of the p53 pathways in gliomas.


Recent advances in Neural Machine Translation (NMT) show that adding syntactic information to NMT systems can improve the quality of their translations. Most existing work utilizes some specific types of linguistically-inspired tree structures, like constituency and dependency parse trees. This is often done via a standard RNN decoder that operates on a linearized target tree structure. However, it is an open question of what specific linguistic formalism, if any, is the best structural representation for NMT. In this paper, we (1) propose an NMT model that can naturally generate the topology of an arbitrary tree structure on the target side, and (2) experiment with various target tree structures. Our experiments show the surprising result that our model delivers the best improvements with balanced binary trees constructed without any linguistic knowledge; this model outperforms standard seq2seq models by up to 2.1 BLEU points, and other methods for incorporating target-side syntax by up to 0.7 BLEU.


We evaluated the extent to which anatomic barriers to vector penetration might influence the distribution of successful in vivo gene transfer into the normal arterial wall. A double-balloon catheter technique with infusion pressures of 100 to 400 mm Hg was used to infuse microscopic tracer particles of the size range of liposomes and viral vectors into normal elastic arteries of sheep. Localization of the tracer particles in tissue sections by light, fluorescence, and electron microscopy suggested that vector-sized particles were delivered to the intima by direct infusion and to the adventitia via the arterial vasa vasorum. Particles were virtually absent from the arterial media. To test the predictions made from the particle studies, we repeated the infusion protocol with high-titer adenoviral vectors. Gene transfer occurred at high levels in the intima and along the adventitial vasa vasorum but again was virtually absent within the media. The ability of medial smooth muscle cells to be transduced was established in separate experiments with a high-pressure (5 atm) porous balloon infusion catheter. We conclude that (1) the anatomy of the normal elastic arterial wall imposes significant limitations on the penetration of particles in the size range of most gene-transfer vectors and (2) the distribution of in vivo gene transfer with adenoviral vectors is correctly predicted by the distribution of inert tracer particles. These findings have important implications for the design of arterial gene-transfer and gene-therapy protocols.


This paper presents GoPose, a 3D skeleton-based human pose estimation system that uses WiFi devices at home. Our system leverages the WiFi signals reflected off the human body for 3D pose estimation. In contrast to prior systems that need specialized hardware or dedicated sensors, our system does not require a user to wear or carry any sensors and can reuse the WiFi devices that already exist in a home environment for mass adoption. To realize such a system, we leverage the 2D AoA spectrum of the signals reflected from the human body and the deep learning techniques. In particular, the 2D AoA spectrum is proposed to locate different parts of the human body as well as to enable environment-independent pose estimation. Deep learning is incorporated to model the complex relationship between the 2D AoA spectrums and the 3D skeletons of the human body for pose tracking. Our evaluation results show GoPose achieves around 4.7cm of accuracy under various scenarios including tracking unseen activities and under NLoS scenarios.


The dentate gyrus is the main input to the hippocampal formation and
target of the majority of entorhinal cortex afferents that make contact
on granule cell dendrites and convey sensory information from multiple
modalities. Presumably nociceptive information reaching the hippocampal
formation is processed in the dentate gyrus, and changes in neuronal
activity, could reflect the the response induced by a noxious stimulus
(EN). We studied the changes in neuronal discharge of gyrus dentate,
induced by the application of an EN, before and after pretreatment with
acetylcholine (ACh), atropine and lidocaine, using conventional
extracellular electrophysiological methods in rats anesthetized with
urethane. Our findings suggest that in the dentate gyrus, the
nociceptive information processing involves the modulation of neuronal
populations that discharge in opposite directions. This process seems
to be mediated in part by a cholinergic mechanism, which could involve
at least two types of cholinergic receptors. One muscarinic, producing
an inhibitory effect in a given neuronal population, and can be blocked
by the non-selective antagonist atropine and another non-muscarinic
receptor. Moreover, the effect induced by local injection of lidocaine
into the dentate gyrus, seems to depend on cholinergic mechanisms.
These observations provide evidence of the critical role played by the
dentate gyrus in pain perception.


Texas singer/songwriter Vince Bell's story begins in the 1970s. Following the likes of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Bell and his contemporaries Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, and Lucinda Williams were on the rise. In December of 1982, Bell was on his way home from the studio (where he and hired guns Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Johnson had just recorded three of Bell's songs) when a drunk driver broadsided him at 65 mph. Thrown over 60 feet from his car, Bell suffered multiple lacerations to his liver, embedded glass, broken ribs, a mangled right forearm, and a severe traumatic brain injury. Not only was his debut album waylaid for a dozen years, life as he'd known it would never be the same. In detailing his recovery from the accident and his roundabout climb back onstage, Bell shines a light in those dark corners of the music business that, for the lone musician whose success is measured not by the Top 40 but by nightly victories, usually fall outside of the spotlight. Bell's prose is not unlike his lyrics: spare, beautiful, evocative, and often sneak-up-on-you funny. His chronicle of his own life and near death on the road reveals what it means to live for one's art.


In this paper, a model that assists developers to evaluate and compare alternative reuse scenarios in software product line (SPL) development systematically in proposed. The model can identify basic activities (abstracted as operations) and precisely relate cost and reliability with each basic operation. A typical reuse mode is described from the perspectives of application and domain engineering. According to this scheme, six reuse modes are identified, and alternative industry reuse scenarios can be derived from these modes. A bi-objective 0-1 integer programming model is developed to help decision makers select reuse scenarios when they develop a SPL to minimize cost and maximize reliability while satisfying system requirements to a certain degree. This model is called the cost and reliability optimization under constraint satisfaction (CROS). To design the model efficiently, a three-phase algorithm for finding all efficient solutions is developed, where the first two phases can obtain an efficient solution, and the last phase can generate a nonsupported efficient solution. Two practical methods are presented to facilitate decision making on selecting from the entire range of efficient solutions in light of the decision-maker's preference for man–computer interaction. An application of the CROS model in a mail server system development is presented as a case study.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Purpose: Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody inhibiting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is approved for use in the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC).  However, studies of cetuximab were performed with HPV-negative cells, clinical trials were performed without regard to HPV status, and current studies on HPV+ HNC treatment with cetuximab are contradicting. This study was performed to determine whether HPV+ HNC responds to cetuximab and to examine the mechanisms through which cetuximab affects HPV+ HNC.

Methods: Four HPV+ cell lines were assessed for EGFR expression by immunoblot. Sensitivity to cetuximab was tested by examining cell proliferation and colony formation. Apoptosis was measured by caspase activation, flow cytometry for Annexin V, and immunoblot. Cell cycle was assessed by immunoblot and flow cytometry for propidium iodide stained cells.  HPV+ HNC subcutaneous flank cell line xenografts and patient-derived xenografts were placed in immunocompromised mice treated with cetuximab, tumor size was measured twice weekly.

Results: Cetuximab treatment resulted in significant delay in cell proliferation and significant decrease in colony formation. Cetuximab caused an increase in apoptosis in all methods measured. Also, as previously seen in HPV- cell lines, cetuximab resulted in a G1 cell cycle arrest. Using both cell line and patient-derived xenograft models of HPV+ HNCs, cetuximab resulted in significant tumor growth delay (median time to tumor quadrupling: 15 vs. 24 days, and 42 vs. 89 days, respectively).

Conclusions: Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition by cetuximab is effective in slowing proliferation and inducing apoptosis in HPV+ HNC. The proposed mechanism of action appears to be similar to that shown in HPV- HNC. These results suggest that cetuximab may play a role in the management of patients with HPV+ HNC.

Citation Format: Alexandra D. Torres Law, Grace C. Blitzer, Molly A. Smith, Eric A. Armstrong, Randall J. Kimple. EGFR inhibition causes growth delay and induces apoptosis in HPV-positive head and neck cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4243. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4243


With the highest magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant (Ku) among practical magnetic materials, SmCo5 could be a very attractive candidate for future high areal density magnetic recording. However, its corrosion resistance is always a concern in recording media applications. In this paper, the chemical stability and microstructures of highly (0001) textured Sm(CoCu)5 thin films with and without a 3 nm Ta capping layer were reported. For Sm(CoCu)5 thin films without a capping layer, the coercivity decreases significantly (from 8kOe to 1kOe) within one month. Sm(CoCu)5 thin films capped with a thin Ta layer (3 nm) behave differently. Even exposed to a laboratory environment (25 °C) over 3 years, the Ta-capped Sm(CoCu)5 thin films are stable in terms of structural and magnetic properties, i.e., there were no changes in X-ray diffraction peaks and vibrating sample magnetometer hysteresis loops. Microstructure of Ta-capped Sm(CoCu)5 thin films showed that Sm(CoCu)5 formed a domelike particle assembly structure on a smooth Ru underlayer and were well covered by partially oxidized Ta capping layer, as shown by TEM cross-section micrographs. Accelerated corrosion treatment (130 °C, 95% relative humidity, 6 h) was performed on Ta-capped Sm(CoCu)5 thin films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed that no Co was detected on the sample surface before the corrosion treatment, but strong XPS signals of CoOx and Co(OH)x were observed after treatment. Therefore, none of our Sm(CoCu)5 thin films can pass the accelerated corrosion test. Hcp-phased CoPt-alloys are proposed as better capping materials for Sm(CoCu)5 thin films in future high-density magnetic recording applications.


The conventional autocorrelation method (AM) to estimate the blood velocity for color flow imaging (CFI) is based on the phase estimation of the autocorrelation function. In this paper, a new extended autocorrelation method (EAM) that uses both phase and magnitude of the two dimensional (depth and temporal direction) autocorrelation function for estimating the blood velocity is presented. It is shown that the EAM has similar performance as the cross-correlation method (CCM). Both of them have smaller estimation variance than the AM and have the ability to estimate velocities beyond the Nyquist velocity, but the EAM is more computationally efficient than the CCM. A 2-D blood flow signal with rectilinear velocity including the transit time effect has also been simulated and the results are presented in this paper. For comparison, the EAM and the CCM have been applied to the simulated signals in which the flow velocities are up to four times the Nyquist velocity. The EAM has been further verified by experimental RF data from the subclavian artery.


Every student has a right to access the general curriculum to realize the aims of education for sustainable development. Accessing the general curriculum remains a critical component in the teaching and learning process of learners with learning disabilities and difficulties. Existing literature indicates that teachers must use suitable strategies to accommodate curriculum needs for students with learning disabilities and difficulties. This paper analyses how curriculum access for students with learning disabilities and difficulties has been promoted and achieved in the context of Botswana. The focus of this paper is therefore to outline the progress made so far towards enhancing curriculum access to the general education curriculum for learners with disabilities and difficulties.


Elevational gradients have proven to be useful to examine key factors shaping species diversity patterns. Th is study examines the eff ects of elevation, area, geometric constraints, habitat type, environmental factors and land-use intensity on terrestrial gastropod diversity patterns in Val M u stair, an alpine region infl uenced by diff erent types of agricultural land use in the eastern Alps, Switzerland. Gastropods were sampled using a standardized method in 180 sites spanning an elevational range from 1215 to 2770 m and covering 11 diff erent habitat types. A total of 11 102 specimens representing 70 species were recorded. Observed species richness, statistically estimated true richness (Chao) and geographically interpolated observed richness were used as measures of local species richness. Th e comparison of three alternative models (environmental, geometric constraints and gastropod abundance models) revealed that the environmental model explained most of the variation in all measures of local diversity. Th e best model combining the predictors of all three models showed that elevation, soil pH and habitat type aff ected all measures of local species richness. Similar analyses conducted at the level of 150-m elevational bands showed that elevation was again the best predictor of species richness, while the area of the elevational band did not have any infl uence. However, in one out of the two measures of band species richness, the best model indicated that geometric constraints may also contribute to the observed pattern. At both spatial scales, all measures of species richness decreased with increasing elevation. An analysis of species-specifi c life-history traits showed that adult shell size of land snails decreased with increasing elevation. Most species with large shells were confi ned to lower elevations. Th e results indicate that environmental factors might be most important in shaping the observed patterns.


[1] A regional-scale Observing System Simulation Experiment was used to examine the impact of water vapor (WV) sensitive infrared brightness temperature observations on the analysis and forecast accuracy during a high impact weather event across the central U.S. Ensemble data assimilation experiments were performed using the ensemble Kalman filter algorithm in the Data Assimilation Research Testbed system. Vertical error profiles at the end of the assimilation period showed that the wind and temperature fields were most accurate when observations sensitive to WV in the upper troposphere were assimilated; however, the largest improvements in the cloud and moisture analyses occurred after assimilating observations sensitive to WV in the lower and middle troposphere. The more accurate analyses at the end of these cases lead to improved short-range precipitation forecasts compared to the Control case in which only conventional observations were assimilated. Equitable threat scores were consistently higher for all precipitation thresholds during the WV band forecasts. These results demonstrate that the ability of WV-sensitive infrared brightness temperatures to improve not only the 3D moisture distribution, but also the temperature, cloud, and wind fields, enhances their utility within a data assimilation system.


In the present paper, seventh order Caudrey-Dodd-Gibbon (CDG) equation is solved by Lie symmetry analysis. All the geometry vector fields of seventh order KdV equations are presented. Using Lie transformation seventh order CDG equation is reduced into ordinary
differential equations. These ODEs are solved by power series method to obtain exact solution. The convergence of the power series is also discussed.


Introduction Cardiac arrest happening outside the hospital, specifically in rural regions that are more distant from health centers, is a crucial issue in the health of individuals in those regions. Therefore, the ability of residents in those regions to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is very important in preventing death among people. This study aimed at determining the effect of basic CPR training on the adults' knowledge and performance in rural areas. Methodology This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 92 adults from rural areas of Shouraab Kohmareh-Sorkhi in Fars province, Iran, in September and October 2018. The samples were selected and divided into two groups using the simple random method. The data were collected using a demographic information form, knowledge questionnaire, and an observational checklist of CPR performance devised by the researcher. Basic teaching of CPR for the intervention group included two hours of oral teaching using lecture and question and answer as well as two hours of practical teaching using demonstration, practice on a manikin, provision of feedback, and correction of errors. The data were entered into the SPSS statistical software, version 21 and were analyzed using descriptive statistical tests, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, independent t-test, chi-square test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Mann–Whitney test. Findings The study results revealed that the intervention group's mean score of knowledge was significantly greater after the intervention (6.78±1.23) compared to that at baseline (2.78±1.74) and compared to the control group (3.24±1.84) (p<0.001). Additionally, the intervention group's mean score of performance was significantly greater after the intervention (8.22±1.65) than that before the intervention (0.8±0.77) and compared to the control group (1.17±0.71) (p<0.001). Conclusion According to the study findings, the villagers' performance and knowledge could be enhanced by teaching basic CPR techniques. Trial Registration Number IRCT20150714023199N3; date registered: 2018-05-06.


Recent progress in the algorithm as well as the processor power have made the dynamics simulation of complex kinematic chains more realistic in various fields such as human motion simulation and molecular dynamics. The computation can be further accelerated by employing parallel processing on multiple processors. In fact, parallel processing environment is becoming more affordable thanks to recent release of multiplecore processors. Although several parallel algorithms for the forward dynamics computation have been proposed in literature, there still remains the problem of automatic scheduling, or load distribution, for handling arbitrary kinematic chains on a given parallel processing environment. In this paper, we propose a method for finding the schedule that minimizes the computation time. We test the method using three human character models with different complexities and show that parallel processing on two processors reduces the computation time by 35–36%.


A horseshoe kidney (HSK) is a urological malformation that is typically found incidentally after a traumatic injury due to its asymptomatic nature. We present a 25-year-old male with multiorgan injuries secondary to blunt abdominal trauma caused by a gunshot wound. We report the courses of action taken that led to the identification of the HSK and other associated intra-abdominal injuries and the subsequent surgical management. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is an improving minimally invasive technique that was used to control hemorrhage in the early preoperative stages and during surgical repair of the injuries. Multiorgan injuries that involve an HSK are uncommon. Our interest in the case relies on the rarity and unique aspects of the injuries and the recovery of the patient following the use of REBOA.


Dale Willerton is the founder of The Lease Coach and Jeff Grandfield recently joined him as partner. Dale and Jeff are commercial lease consultants who work exclusively for tenants, and are also professional speakers and co-authors of Negotiating Commercial Leases and Renewals For Dummies. Got a leasing question? Need help with your new lease or renewal? Call 1-800-738-9202, email firstname.lastname@example.com, or visit www.TheLeaseCoach.com. For a copy of our free CD, Leasing Dos & Don'ts for Commercial Tenants, please email your request to firstname.lastname@example.com.


Numerous studies have shown the high level of influence interscholastic coaches' yield at their respective campuses (Cote & Fraser-Thomas, 2007; Fredericks & Eccles, 2006; Greendorfer, 2002). This influence is not confined to athletes only, but extends to a large portion of the general student body as well. Coaches, especially interscholastic coaches, can become centers of influence (COI) for physical fitness and physical activity participation throughout the entire student body. This often unsolicited influence can have dramatic effects on how non-participants view initiatives and opportunities encouraged by "their" coach. For example, coaches can personally recruit new athletes, provide mentoring, and/or encourage participation in after-school activities.


Medical data is routinely collected, stored and recorded across different institutions and in a range of different formats. Semantic harmonization is the process of collating this data into a singular consistent logical view, with many approaches to harmonizing both possible and valid. The broad scope of possibilities for undertaking semantic harmonization do lead however to the development of bespoke and ad-hoc systems; this is particularly the case when it comes to cohort data, the format of which is often specific to a cohort's area of focus. Guided by work we have undertaken in developing the 'EMIF Knowledge Object Library', a semantic harmonization framework underpinning the collation of pan-European Alzheimer's cohort data, we have developed a set of nine generic guiding principles for developing semantic harmonization frameworks, the application of which will establish a solid base for constructing similar frameworks.


A hierarchical of 160-bit ID space is constructed based on the node's location information (network heterogeneous) and the node's processing capability (node heterogeneous) etc. The problem of the topology consistency is solved by making the hierarchical ID space compatible with that of the physical network. The relay of weighed reputation method is used to realize the storage and collection of the "key data" in the P2P system. This method is also used to select the super nodes providing the service functions and to choose the "lawful" data objects dynamically.


A slat track, structural component of an aircraft wing that transfers the aerodynamical loads, excited by operational forces can result in excessive displacement levels if not properly designed. The design parameter values are not always precisely known but can contain a level of uncertainty to some extent due to, for example dimensional variation. During the different optimization approaches, the slat track geometry is optimized in order to limit the maximum vertical displacement, taking into account the variability of the design parameters. Application and comparison of different optimal, robust and generalized optimization approaches is presented and applied on the slat track finite element model, making use of mean and variance response functions to model the uncertainty on the finite element displacement values. Next to validating different objective function statements, a comparison is also made on the level of accuracy and practicability concerning the different response function models, based on regression techniques and Monte Carlo simulations, optimization and transmissibilities and regressive techniques and vibration reduction over a frequency range. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Subject. The article addresses relationship between qualitative characteristics of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and internal socio-economic factors of the IFRS Foundation.
Objectives. The study aims to assess relationship between internal socio-economic factors of the IFRS Foundation and the quality of standards under development; to formulate practical proposals for improving the IFRS, taking into account the emergence of new industries, global products and services, requiring high-quality methodological support.
Methods. The study employs methods of grouping, the comparative, structural, and logical analysis, synthesis, modeling, and expert assessment.
Results. The relationship between the quality of standards under development and individual internal socio-economic factors of the IFRS Foundation is characterized by close correlation, expressed through the effect of predictive influence of such factors on the quality of standards. The highlighted properties and the nature of this relationship determine the role and significance of internal factors and underlie the possibility and expediency of quality management in standards development through controlled changes in the parameters of corresponding internal factors.
Conclusions. The correction of the IFRS Council composition, which increases the degree of compliance of the synthesized professional potential of this management body with the assigned management functionality, can contribute to improving the quality of standards under development. The findings may be useful for representatives of authorized State bodies in this field and in the area of international relations, taking into account the global expansion of IFRS and rapid formation of new industries.


A 50-year-old male presented with erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (ER) endocarditis of the mitral valve, severe mitral regurgitation, and heart failure. The ER endocarditis destroyed the native mitral annulus therefore a new annulus was created for the suspension of the mitral bioprosthesis. Postoperative neoannulus dehiscence and leak prompted to redo surgery where transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) played an important role in pointing out the exact location of perineoannular leaks for repair.


This note investigates the possibility of converses of the Weyl the- orems that two conformally related metrics on a manifold have the same Weyl conformal tensor and that two projectively related connections on a manifold have the same Weyl projective tensor. It shows that, in all relevant cases, counterexamples to each of Weyl's theorems exist except for his conformal theorem in the 4-dimensional, positive definite case, where the converse actu- ally holds. This (conformal) 4-dimensional problem is then solved completely for the other possible signatures.


Tettey CND, Anderson RS, Kyerematen R. 2020. Rapid assessment of butterfly diversity of two proposed Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs) in the Western North Region of Ghana: Implication for conservation. Biodiversitas 21: 3699-3706. Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs) are non-reserved land masses with local communities living in them that contain important components of biodiversity and are open to free access. Biodiversity in these off-reserve areas in Ghana is fast depleting due to unsustainable anthropogenic activities. The Rapid Biodiversity Assessment (RBA) method was conducted in the proposed Manzan and Yawmatwa CREMAs in Sefwi-Debiso; in the Western North Region of Ghana using butterflies as indicator taxa to estimate species richness and diversity in two proposed CREMAs to prioritize these rapidly diminishing forest areas for conservation. A total of 1,352 individual butterflies were recorded at the end of a two-week rapid assessment; with 83 species belonging to five families (Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, and Hesperiidae). The findings of the study revealed that 38.5% of the butterfly population belongs to species associated with severe forest disturbance; indicating that these ecosystems are gradually being threatened by ongoing anthropogenic activities. Management efforts aimed at butterfly conservation should be geared towards protecting these proposed CREMAs from excessive human disturbances.


The metabolism of the chromophore of rhodopsin in the cytosol compartment of isolated intact cattle rod outer segments was used as an indicator for changes of the cytosolic Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentration upon changes of the external Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentration. The reduction of retinal to retinol upon photolysis of rhodopsin in situ in intact rod outer segments was critically dependent on the availability of cytosolic Mg2+. The latter is necessary as chelator of endogenous adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP). Lowering the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration beneath 10(-7) M resulted in an inhibition of the rate of retinol formation. This is presumably due to a light-activated process, which competes with retinol formation for the supply of high-energy phosphate from a common pool. These results led to the following conclusions. Changes of the external Mg2+ concentration are only followed by substantial changes of the cytosolic Mg2+ concentration when the ionophore A23187 is present. Changes of the external Ca2+ concentration are followed by parallel changes of the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration either when external Na+ is present or in the presence of A23187. Li+ and K+ could not substitute for Na+ in the former case, but K+ diminished the effectivity of Na+ at low Na+ concentrations and enhanced it at high Na+ concentrations. It is concluded that the control of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in isolated intact rod outer segments is predominantly provided for by Na-Ca exchange, i.e., by coupled fluxes.


The 2021 SOSORT guidelines stipulated that braces be prescribed for adult scoliosis with chronic pain and progressive curve. Yet, there have been no objective protocols relating to the prescription of the brace. Therefore, this review investigates if there are any objective criteria or generally agreed on protocols for brace prescription in adult scoliosis patients.

 Relevant papers were searched in PUBMED. Only articles that are in English and cover the clinical aspect of adult scoliosis bracing are included.

 A total of twelve papers were identified. They include different adult scoliosis braces, ranging from elastic belts to rigid braces. The treatment protocol varied tremendously. No objective criteria were found concerning the prescription of a brace, daily wearing time, duration of the intervention, and weaning protocol. The brace treatment was primarily employed to manage low back pain.

 Our search showed no objective criteria and clear indications for bracing and no consensus concerning the prescription of braces, daily wearing time, and duration of the intervention for patients with adult scoliosis.
 The authors proposed prescription of a brace be based on more objective radiological criteria and severity of low back pain. Brace prescription should depend on the flexibility of the curve and can range from accommodative to rigid braces of corrective design. "Corrective" brace has to be worn at least 14 hours daily for six months or until the low back pain subsides to the extent that permits daily activities with minimal discomfort. "Accommodative" brace can be worn when required.


The economically important black shale facies contains several discrete chemical groupings in visually similar rocks. We examined the elemental compositions of more than 300 black shales and anoxic sediments in order to understand the relation of their chemical variability to the depositional environment. The low calcic shales were found to contain at least four discrete groupings (1-4) whose depositional and early diagenetic redox conditions are suggested by their Fe, Mn, and V concentrations. The calcic shales (72 Paleozoic, 50 Mesozoic, and 42 Cenozoic; >50,000 ppm AL, >4,000 ppm Ca) were examined in terms of the four thermodynamic groups previously defined for the low calcic shales. The Ca/Mn ratios of the calcic black shales fall into four (I-IV) discrete clusters (as opposed to a continuum). This differentiation reflects the stability of Mn minerals in overlying and interstitial waters under varying redox conditions. One cluster (Ca/ Mn I) from a period of glaciation (Ordovician-Silurian boundary) has high Mn concentrations and falls on the line: [Mn] = 0.065[Ca] + 1,280 (ppm) (r = 0.95, n = 7). A second group (Ca/Mn II) from many different localities and ages falls on a line with a lower slope: [Mn] = 0.038 [Ca] + 187 (ppm) (r = 0.92, n = 21). The third group (Ca/Mn III) falls on the line: [Mn] = 0.011 [Ca] + 152 (ppm) (r = 0.95, n = 19). The greatest number of samples (Ca/Mn IV) fall on the line: [Mn] = 0.0027 [Ca] + 144 (ppm) (r = 0.85, n = 69). In order to establish the depositional environment associated with each of the groups, more modern sediments whose depositional settings are better defined were explored. As a result, the samples from both Ca/Mn I and II can be associated with deposition under oxic water, those from Ca/Mn I remained oxic during early diagenesis. After deposition, Ca/Mn II samples became anoxic, releasing Mn to interstitial waters. The Ca/Mn III and IV group samples were deposited under anoxic waters. In order to establish the thermodynamic environment of the shale component of the calcic shales, it is necessary to extrapolate to the no calcium intercept to determine the Mn content, then apply the rules determined for the low calcic shales. This study demonstrates the wide variety of black shale depositional environments from oxic to methanogenic. Accordingly, black shales can not all be assigned to anoxic, sulfidic environments without additional chemical analysis and interpretation. The proper environmental assignment should be useful in assessing the economic potential of particular black shale deposits.


The Addition of a compound that lowers the intestinal uptake of fat and cholesterol might be an interesting strategy to reduce the risk of vascular disease. Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) has been shown to have this effect in healthy volunteers after intake of a yogurt drink with 3 to 6% PHGG. In the present study a yogurt drink with 3% sunflower oil and 4% egg yolk was tested with 3% and 6% PHGG, and compared to a control without PHGG. Experiments were performed in a multi-compartmental model of the gastrointestinal tract, equipped to study the digestion and availability for absorption (bioaccessibility) of lipids. The results show that PHGG decreases the bioaccessibility of both fat and cholesterol in a dose-dependent manner. The bioaccessibility of fat was 79.4±1.7%, 70.8±2.5% and 60.1±1.1% for the control experiments and the experiments with 3% and 6% PHGG respectively. The bioaccessibility of cholesterol was 82.2±2.0%, 75.4±1.2% and 64.0±4.3% for the control and the experiments with 3% and 6% PHGG respectively. Additional experiments indicated that PHGG reduces bioaccessibility through the depletion flocculation mechanism. Depletion flocculation antagonizes the emulsification by bile salts and thus decreases lipolytic activity, resulting in a lower bioaccessibility of fat and cholesterol. Depletion flocculation with polymers might be an interesting mechanism, not described before, to reduce fat and cholesterol absorption.


Long range (LoRa) wireless networks have been widely proposed as a efficient wireless access networks for the battery-constrained Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In many practical search-and-rescue (SAR) operations, one challenging problem is finding the location of devices carried by a lost person. However, using a LoRa-based IoT network for SAR operations will have a limited coverage caused by high signal attenuation due to the terrestrial blockages especially in highly remote areas. To overcome this challenge, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a flying LoRa gateway to transfer messages from ground LoRa nodes to the ground rescue station can be a promising solution. In this paper, the problem of the flying LoRa (FL) gateway control in the search-and-rescue system using the UAV-assisted LoRa network is modeled as a partially observable Markov decision process. Then, a deep meta-RL-based policy is proposed to control the FL gateway trajectory during SAR operation. For initialization of proposed deep meta-RL-based policy, first, a deep RL-based policy is designed to determine the adaptive FL gateway trajectory in a fixed search environment including a fixed radio geometry. Then, as a general solution, a deep meta-RL framework is used for SAR in any new and unknown environments to integrate the prior FL gateway experience with information collected from the other search environments and rapidly adapt the SAR policy model for SAR operation in a new environment. The proposed UAV-assisted LoRa network is then experimentally designed and implemented. Practical evaluation results show that if the deep meta-RL based control policy is applied instead of the deep RL-based one, the number of SAR time slots decreases from 141 to 50.


Next to acute respiratory diseases accounting for about 80% of all cases of notifiable infectious diseases acute gastrointestinal diseases with 12% are the group second in importance. Since many years the number of reported cases with diarrhoea is increasing. The aetiology of merely a small part of these cases (less than 5%) is being determined. Next to the Salmonellae at present Campylobacter species are detected most frequently. The percentage of viral gastroenteritis is under-estimated considerably on account of insufficient diagnostics. Most important for improving the situation is the improvement of hygienic conditions in kindergartens, crèches and nursing homes; in food processing plants and kitchens as well as the reduction of human pathogens-particularly Salmonellae and Campylobacter-spreading in livestock.


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Trithuria is the sole genus of Hydatellaceae, a family of the early-divergent angiosperm lineage Nymphaeales (water-lilies). In this study different arabinogalactan protein (AGP) epitopes in T. submersa were evaluated in order to understand the diversity of these proteins and their functions in flowering plants.

METHODS
Immunolabelling of different AGPs and pectin epitopes in reproductive structures of T. submersa at the stage of early seed development was achieved by immunofluorescence of specific antibodies.

KEY RESULTS
AGPs in Trithuria pistil tissues could be important as structural proteins and also as possible signalling molecules. Intense labelling was obtained with anti-AGP antibodies both in the anthers and in the intine wall, the latter associated with pollen tube emergence.

CONCLUSIONS
AGPs could play a significant role in Trithuria reproduction, due to their specific presence in the pollen tube pathway. The results agree with labellings obtained for Arabidopsis and confirms the importance of AGPs in angiosperm reproductive structures as essential structural components and probably important signalling molecules.


The executive suite and the board are closely bound to each other through their fiduciary responsibility to same shareholders. With CEOs' prominent role in both governing bodies, their independence from CEOs' self-serving behavior might be related to each other. We explore the interdependence using an external shock increasing board independence. The shock weakens executive suite independence by increasing CEO connectedness within executive suites through appointments and pre-existing social ties. We also uncover interesting dynamics between the two governing bodies: (1) the spillover does not occur when treated firms increase CEO-independent director social ties, suggesting CEO-executive connections and CEO-director connections are substitutes; (2) consistent with theories of board independence, when information environment calls for dependent boards, increasing CEO-executive connections, which helps negate the shock effect on the board, has positive marginal effects on firm performance. Our findings are not driven by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and are robust to a battery of other tests. We conclude that independence in the board and executive suite are inversely related; inferring the overall independence from board independence alone can be highly misleading.


Recently, the discontinuous armature PM-LSM (DPM-LSM) is proposed as a driving source in the transportation systems. This system has arranged the armature to the ground side at discontinuity. Moreover, the armature is made for every unit. However, the armature has an outlet edge on structure. A generated thrust, an induced voltage and an self-inductance change at the outlet edge. An old study is not performed about the control system which considered this outlet edge and the gap between armatures. The closed loop control needs to design a simulation model in consideration of a motor constant. This paper reports the motor model of DPM-LSM, and verifies the influence of the gap between armatures.


Background: Despite the recent developments in physically and chemically based analysis of atmospheric particles, no models exist for resolving the spatial variability of pollen concentration at urban scale. Objectives: We developed a land use regression (LUR) approach for predicting spatial fine-scale allergenic pollen concentrations in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland, and evaluated the performance of the models against available empirical data. Methods: We used grass pollen data monitored at 16 sites in an urban area during the peak pollen season and geospatial environmental data. The main statistical method was generalized linear model (GLM). Results: GLM-based LURs explained 79% of the spatial variation in the grass pollen data based on all samples, and 47% of the variation when samples from two sites with very high concentrations were excluded. In model evaluation, prediction errors ranged from 6% to 26% of the observed range of grass pollen concentrations. Our findings support the use of geospatial data–based statistical models to predict the spatial variation of allergenic grass pollen concentrations at intra-urban scales. A remote sensing–based vegetation index was the strongest predictor of pollen concentrations for exposure assessments at local scales. Conclusions: The LUR approach provides new opportunities to estimate the relations between environmental determinants and allergenic pollen concentration in human-modified environments at fine spatial scales. This approach could potentially be applied to estimate retrospectively pollen concentrations to be used for long-term exposure assessments. Citation: Hjort J, Hugg TT, Antikainen H, Rusanen J, Sofiev M, Kukkonen J, Jaakkola MS, Jaakkola JJ. 2016. Fine-scale exposure to allergenic pollen in the urban environment: evaluation of land use regression approach. Environ Health Perspect 124:619–626; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509761


This paper aimed at developing an index, called sleep index, to assess the quality of sleep in normal and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) subjects. The sleep index was designed to be directly proportional to the summation of product of the number seconds spent in each stage of sleep and the selected weighting coefficient of each sleep stage. It was also inversely proportional to the product of total number of sleep stage shifts and the total number of seconds spent in all stages of sleep. In order to test the proposed index, data from eleven previously diagnosed sleep apnea subjects (6 females and 5 males; age: 50 plusmn 8.94; body mass index (BMI): 31.70 plusmn 6.97) and 14 normal subjects (8 females and 6 males; age: 46.43 plusmn 9.61; BMI: 25.541 plusmn 3.061) were used. All the subjects underwent nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG) at an accredited sleep center. Statistical testing of the sleep index showed that its mean was significantly different for normal and OSA subjects (p<0.04). The sleep index values were higher for normal subjects than for sleep apnea subjects. This was in part due to the higher number of sleep stage shifts in OSA subjects compared to normal subjects. Therefore, higher sleep index values reflect better sleep quality. The number of sleep stage shifts should be higher for sleep apnea subjects as they frequently experience sleep arousal and sleep continuity is impaired, resulting in daytime sleepiness. Thus, the sleep index may be a useful discriminator of sleep in the samples tested


A 22-year-old woman was referred to our respiratory outpatient clinic to undergo a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), following presentation with a 2-year history of progressive unexplained exertional dyspnoea (ED). Specifically, she described dyspnoea precipitated by walking or running, which gradually improved with rest. She denied chest pain, cough, asthenia or muscular weakness. Until the age of 20, she practised regular non-competitive physical activity.

The patient had at term natural childbirth and normal psychophysical development. Menstrual period, started at the age of 14 years, was regular; no pregnancy, nor miscarriage. She was a lifelong non-smoker with no history of illicit substance use or occupational exposure (university student). Her past history included multinodular euthyroid goitre for which she was prescribed regular levothyroxine (75 μg/100 μg on alternate days). She also reported intermittent gastrointestinal discomfort, which had been ascribed to lactose intolerance for which, however, she was not prescribed a lactose-free diet. Her family history revealed an uncle deceased during childhood for 'cardiac arrhythmia'.

Cardiorespiratory and neurological examination was unremarkable. She was normotensive (blood pressure (BP) 100/60 mm Hg, heart rate (HR) 98 bpm in sinus rhythm), not tachypnoeic (respiratory rate 16 breaths/min) and had preserved oxygen saturation (SatO2 98%). Her body mass index was 19.3.

Pulmonary function tests showed normal flow indices (FVC 3.52 L—88% of pred; FEV1 3.35 L—96% of pred; Tiffeneau index FEV1/FVC 0.95) and preserved lung volumes and gas transfer (total lung capacity 3.94 L—90% of pred; diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide, 96% of pred). A high-resolution chest tomography showed no sign of lung disease.

Cardiological (including rest, stress and Holter ECG, as well as cardiac ultrasounds) and neurological (including electromyography) exams showed no abnormalities.

Routine blood tests (cell count, glucose and electrolyte levels, iron and ferritin profile, lipid screening, kidney and liver function), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C reactive protein and muscular enzyme …


Let G be a finite group and let k be an algebraically closed field of characteristic 2. We develop the theory of kG-modules with symmetric G-forms using the notion of an involutary G-algebra. In particular we investigate orthogonal decompositions, induction from subgroups and relative projectivity by adapting as far as possible the theory of G-algebras. Fong's Lemma asserts that each nontrivial self-dual irreducible module has a symplectic geometry. We show that in addition to its vertex, such a module has a symplectic vertex.


This paper describes the number of fires, area burned, causes and seasonality of fires over a ten year period from 2002-2012 and investigates different fire management strategies and their effectiveness in the Afram headwaters forest reserve in Ghana. Data were collected from interviews of stakeholders in two communities adjacent to the reserve, and from 2002-2012 fire reports of the Ghana National Fire Service and Forest Service Division. For the period studied, nearly all fires were human-caused, and most arose through land use activities such as farming (19 percent) or hunting (15 percent) or from other activities such as charcoal production (10 percent) carried out in the forest. We also found out that, at least six fire incidences affected an area averaging approximately 31 hectares annually between 2002 and 2012. Nearly all fires occurred during the dry season (November-April) with the highest number of fires as well as largest area burnt occurring in January and February. Fire management efforts were more directed towards fire prevention than pre-suppression and suppression. However, other factors limited the effectiveness of fire management, including a lack of incentives for people to help put out fires and an absence of protective and suppression equipment. We recommend that there should be continuous education and capacity building, alternative farming methods, enforcement of wildfire laws, intensive patrols and inspection, maintenance of fire breaks, provision of lookout towers and other detection systems, provision of suppression equipment and collaboration between stakeholders.


In this article we are going to define the overall customer relationship management (CRM) and Data mining, Factors between the techniques and software to "data mining" in "CRM" and the interaction between two concepts. For this purpose and after that in past studies and reports on issues of "data mining" and "CRM" took place between them. The effect of "data mining" and extract latent information from large databases of valuable customer has made their determination, and maintenance in order to attract customers through its taken a step forward and ultimately achieve profitability and efficiency are good.


Storage-as-a-Service offered by cloud service suppliers (CSPs) could be a paid facility that permits organizations to source their sensitive information to be hold on remote servers. During this paper, we tend to propose a cloud-based storage theme permits} the info owner to learn from the facilities offered by the CSP and enables indirect mutual trust between them. The planned theme has four vital features: (i) it permits the owner to source sensitive information to a CSP, and perform full block-level dynamic operations on the outsourced information, i. e. , block modification, insertion, deletion, and append, (ii) it ensures that licensed users (i. e. , those that have the proper to access the owner's file) receive the most recent version of the outsourced information, (iii) it allows indirect mutual trust between the owner and also the CSP, and (iv) it permits the owner to grant or revoke access to the outsourced information. we tend to discuss the protection problems with the planned theme. Besides, we tend to justify its performance through theoretical analysis and a model implementation on Amazon cloud platform to judge storage, communication, and computation overheads.


Neither the general research community nor the educational research community has often spoken with common voice in recent years. The number of voices has nearly equalled the number of groups or individuals taking an interest in any given matter. The editorial reprinted below in its entirety from the October 29, 1976 issue of Science reflects a notable exception to this situation. The educational research community can identify readily and fully with the position expressed. The fact that industrial research in education is virtually nil in no way diminishes the applicability of the concerns to all extant segments of the educational research community. RICHARD E. SCHUTZ


Tamoxifen citrate (TAM), is widely used for treatment of breast cancer. It showed a degree of hepatic carcinogenesis. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the antioxidant capacity of green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract (GTE) against TAM-induced liver injury. A model of liver injury in female rats was done by intraperitoneal injection of TAM in a dose of 45mg Kg(-1) day(-1), i.p. for 7 successive days. GTE in the concentration of 1.5 %, was orally administered 4 days prior and 14 days after TAM-intoxication as a sole source of drinking water. The antioxidant flavonoid; epicatechin (a component of green tea) was not detectable in liver and blood of rats in either normal control or TAM-intoxicated group, however, TAM intoxication resulted in a significant decrease of its level in liver homogenate of tamoxifenintoxicated rats. The model of TAM-intoxication elicited significant declines in the antioxidant enzymes (glutathione-S-transferase,glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase) and reduced glutathione concomitant with significant elevations in TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance) and liver transaminases; sGPT (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase) and sGOT (serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase) levels. The oral administration of 1.5 % GTE to TAM-intoxicated rats, produced significant increments in the antioxidant enzymes and reduced glutathione concomitant with significant decrements in TBARS and liver transaminases levels. The data obtained from this study speculated that 1.5 % GTE has the capacity to scavenge free radical and can protect against oxidative stress induced by TAM intoxication. Supplementation of GTE could be useful in alleviating tamoxifen-induced liver injury in rats.


The rates of fatality and injured persons of elderly people are gradually increasing in automotive accidents in Japan. In particular, elderly female occupants are most susceptible to injuries, especially on thorax and head-neck regions, based on previous studies using automotive accident data. This study developed a finite element (FE) model of 5th percentile female (AF05) with multiple muscles, and applied it to investigation on the injury mechanisms of elderly female occupants. Individual muscle models of whole body with passive and active properties were integrated with an AF05 FE model that the authors developed previously. Material properties of skeletal parts with low strength of elderly people and smaller physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) of each muscle of elderly females were obtained from the literature and commercially available image data, and were inputted to the model. Smaller PCSA of each muscle in elderly females would generate less muscular forces than younger males while less stiff bone properties of elderly females would generate more bone fractures than younger males. The developed elderly AF05 model without muscle activation was firstly validated against some cadaver test data on frontal impacts for the thorax and abdomen, and head-neck responses during a low-speed rear-end collision, and were compared with young adult 50th percentile male (AM50) model with multiple muscles that the authors developed previously. The simulation results of the elderly AF05 model generally showed good agreement with test data. The elderly AF05 model was secondly used for investigation on effect of muscle activation to thoracic deformation in frontal impact situations with belt and hub loadings, and head-neck response in a low-speed rear impact situation. In the simulations on the thoracic deformation, a bracing condition was assumed and an activation level of 20% was assumed for all muscles in the trunk. Simulation results showed that the maximum thoracic deflections of the elderly AF05 model without muscle activation were two times and three times larger than those of young adult AM50 model with muscle activation in belt and hub loadings, respectively. From comparison between the elderly AF05 model and the young adult AM50 model, lower strength of bones and smaller PSCA of each muscle in the elderly AF05 model could increase thoracic deflection. In the simulation on the head-neck response, activation level of each muscle during a low-speed rear impact was estimated using a controller of multiple muscles with reinforcement learning (RL) that the authors developed previously. Simulation results showed that the maximum head angular velocity of the elderly AF05 model was larger than that of the young adult AM50 model, especially in considering muscle activation. The elderly AF05 could not prevent the head from rotating rearward due to their weak muscular forces. Although the elderly AF05 model has some limitations on lack of experimental data for validations and estimation of muscle activation, it has the potential for better understanding of injury mechanisms of elderly female occupants.