Cytotoxic chemotherapy has formed the backbone of cancer treatment for decades. The clinical use of such agents was established using dosing strategies that favored efficacy (optimal tumor regression) coupled with minimal toxicity. Conceptually, little regard was given to mechanisms governing survival circuitry, or the genetic alterations in a given tumor, which we now appreciate, are important prognosticators of clinical response for both cytotoxic drugs and therapies that target aberrant signaling pathways involved in cancer pathogenesis. Pharmacogenomic profiling is focused on characterizing genetic changes in tumor cells that drive malignant growth and render cells 'addicted' to certain pathways for survival and growth. By identifying these genes and the pathways in which they participate, one can devise therapeutic strategies to disable them. An underappreciated fact in cancer therapeutics is that cancer cells respond to and counteract the effects of any drugs that threaten their survival. Signaling pathways have evolved with innate adaptive abilities to form a regulatory circuitry via positive and negative feedback. These adaptive properties present in normal cells are exploited further in cancer genomes due to their genomic instability and the resulting plasticity. The MAPK-RAS-PI3K signaling network is oncogenic in many human malignancies, including NSCLC, though somatic mutations in PI3K are rare in this disease. Efforts to therapeutically target MAPK dysfunction have been focused on RAF and RAS, since their high frequency of mutations in human tumors renders these druggable targets (activating point mutations in K-RAS occur in approximately 30% of lung adenocarcinomas). Therapeutic strategies to inhibit oncogenic RAS alone have not been successful since these have focused on disrupting effectors downstream of the canonical RAS pathway, without perturbing other RAS effectors. One such RAS- binding protein is type I PI3K, which is required for RAS-driven tumorigenesis: therefore, the PI3K / mTOR component is an important target in RAS-mutant tumors. Therapies directed at MEK, a downstream RAS effector, have been in therapeutic development and shown to exhibit optimal singleagent activity in RAF-mutant tumors. However, the enthusiasm for their clinical application in lung cancer is moderated by the low prevalence of RAF mutations/amplifications in the disease and the appreciation that there is significant redundancy in the MAPK-PI3K pathway that mediates acute resistance to these agents. Therefore, like most targeted therapies, the optimal use for this drug will be in combination. The plasticity of cancer cell circuitry is an important consideration in the rational design of drug combinations, particularly those targeting this signaling network. By characterizing the mechanisms that RAS and RAF mutant cancer cells use to escape MEK-inhibitor therapy, one can use combinations of drugs that target addicted pathways and also prevent cancer cells activating secondary pathways to evade death. We have focused on strategies to counteract these mechanisms of resistance and exploit them therapeutically. An example of this is using MEK inhibitors with rapamycin, which is synergistic in a diverse range of NSCLC cell lines and xenograft models. We have identified proteins in the RAS-PI3K network that moderate the therapeutic response to the MEK-rapamycin combination. In addition, other combinations of MEK inhibitors with drugs that target the estrogen receptor and erbB receptor tyrosine kinases, respectively, will be discussed. Citation Information: Clin Cancer Res 2010;16(14 Suppl):IA2-2.


Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) promote inflammation and atherosclerosis progression. NETs are increased in diabetes and impair the resolution of inflammation during wound healing. Atherosclerosis resolution, a process resembling wound healing, is also impaired in diabetes. Thus, we hypothesized that NETs impede atherosclerosis resolution in diabetes by increasing plaque inflammation. Indeed, transcriptomic profiling of plaque macrophages from NET positive and negative areas in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (Ldlr-/-) mice revealed inflammasome and glycolysis pathway upregulation, indicating a heightened inflammatory phenotype. We found that NETs decline during atherosclerosis resolution, which was induced by reducing hyperlipidemia in non-diabetic mice, but they persist in diabetes, exacerbating macrophage inflammation and impairing resolution. In diabetic mice deoxyribonuclease 1 (DNase1) treatment reduced plaque NETs content and macrophage inflammation, promoting atherosclerosis resolution after lipid-lowering. Given that humans with diabetes also exhibit impaired atherosclerosis resolution with lipid-lowering, these data suggest that NETs contribute to the increased cardiovascular disease risk in this population and are a potential therapeutic target.


BackgroundIt is well recognized that risk stratification of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is closely related to tumor size, mitotic index (MI), and primary location. Among these three parameters, tumor size and primary location are easily established, while MI is subjective and its repeatability is poor. It is thus necessary to identify a biomarker to represent the true MI. Expression status and biological or prognostic significance of mitotic marker phosphohistone H3 (PHH3) and cell proliferation marker Ki67 in GIST have not been clearly understood until now. MethodsAn immunohistochemistry experiment was performed to detect the expression status of PHH3 and Ki67 in 125 paraffin-embedded GIST samples. All of the patients were followed up until September 30, 2019. ResultsThe MI determined using stained hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) sections (MI-H&E) and immunohistochemically positive PHH3 index (PHH3-IHC) was compared among groups of different genders, ages, primary locations, and histological subtypes, showing that the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). MI-H&E and the immunohistochemically positive Ki67 index were positively correlated (r=0.273, P=0.001), but the correlation was lower than that with the PHH3-positive index (r=0.705, P=0.000). The PHH3-positive index was also positively correlated with the Ki67 index (r=0.224, P=0.006). MI-H&E were positively correlated with MI quantified using immunohistochemically stained PHH3 sections (MI-PHH3) (P<0.05). After using PHH3 to perform MI quantification, the risk stratification of five GIST cases was changed, where two cases were given a higher risk grade and three cases were given a lower risk grade. Follow-up data were obtained from 98 cases (98/125, 78.4%), including two cases of metastasis and one death. Both metastatic and death cases had high MI-H&E. One metastatic case and one death case had high PHH3-positive indexes, while the remaining metastatic case had a low PHH3-positive index. ConclusionImmunohistochemical PHH3 labeling is a potentially useful tool for risk stratification and prognostic analysis in GIST. Using immunohistochemical PHH3 labeling makes it more convenient for pathologists to determine the MI for GIST. MI quantification with immunohistochemical PHH3 sections can be used as an adjunct tool for risk stratification and prognostic analysis of GIST, but cannot completely replace MI quantification using stained H&E sections. The Ki67 index is positively correlated with MI-H&E, although the efficiency of tumor risk stratification is lower than that of PHH3.


The entrepreneurs are a crucial element to economic development (Schumpeter, 1934). They add value to factor endowment and they exchange produce for other goods and services with greater opportunity costs. In effect, entrepreneurs increase the level of demand, technology, and productivity. The level of economic development, however, varies from one country to another, leading authors to believe that culture plays a critical element in entrepreneurial development. To date, there is no conclusive evidence from studies to identify what constitutes an entrepreneurial environment or to establish the determinants to creating an entrepreneurial personality (Chell et al, 1991). The process of entrepreneurial development is complex and the need to contextualize entrepreneurial behaviors continues a gap in the literature (West and Farr, 1990).


A SMPS(scanning mobility particle sizer) system measures the number size distribution of particles using electrical mobility detection technique. An aerosol charge neutralizer, which is a component of the SMPS, is a bipolar charger using a radioactive source to apply an equilibrium charge distribution to aerosols of unknown charge distribution. However, the performance of aerosol charge neutralizers is not well known, especially for highly charged particles. In this study, the effect of the particle charging characteristics of two aerosol charge neutralizers on the measurement using a SMPS system was experimentally investigated for highly charged polydisperse particles. One has radioactive source of Kr (beta source, 2 mCi) and the other has Po (alpha source, 0.5 mCi). The air flow rate passing through each aerosol charge neutralizer was changed from 0.3 to 3.0 L/min. The results show that the non-equilibrium character in particle charge distribution appears as the air flow rate increases although the particle number concentration is relatively low in the range of 1.5∼2x10 particles/㎤. The low neutralizing efficiency of the Kr aerosol charge neutralizer for highly charged particles can cause to bring an artifact in the measurement using a SMPS system. However, the performance of the Po aerosol charge neutralizer is insensitive to the air flow rate.


This paper charts some of the theoretical inertia in marketing theory by revisiting the contribution of Veblen to consumer research in light of recent movements towards integrating evolutionary concepts from the biological sciences. By outlining the heritage of Darwinism to the social sciences more generally, and the legacy of Veblen in particular, we aim to provide some insights into how and why evolutionism has until recently remained marginal to consumer research and how these concepts can be incorporated into the discipline through existing theoretical discourse. Our account provides some insights into the processes by which disciplinary movements become structured out of and (back) into the mainstream discourses of marketing knowledge. We discuss literatures on evolutionism and consumer behaviour focusing on the work of economist and social analyst Thorstein Veblen.


This study provides the numerical model to assess retrofit and strengthen levels in the dispersal and combat facilities. First of all, it is verified that direct-hitting projectiles are more destructive to the structures rather than close-falling bombs with explosion tests. The protective capacity of dispersal and combat facilities, which are modeled with soil uncertainty and structural field data, is analyzed through finite element method. With structural survivability and facility data, the logistic regression model is drawn. This model could be used to determine the level of the retrofit and strengthen in the dispersal and combat facilities of contact areas. For more reliable model, it could be better to identify more significant factors and adapt non-linear model. In addition, for adapting this model on the spot, appropriate strengthen levels should be determined by hands on staffs associated with military facilities.


Green development is the coordinated development of the economy, society and environment and has become a mainstream development model. This paper evaluates the green water resource utilization efficiency (GWRUE) of 38 regions in the four-city area in central China during 2010–2019 using a super-slacks-based measure (super-SBM) DEA model considering unexpected output. Then, the spatiotemporal variations in GWRUE are analyzed by the standard deviational ellipse method, and the geographical detector method is employed to reveal the dominant impacts and interaction impacts on GWRUE spatiotemporal variations. The results show that (1) from 2010 to 2019, the GWRUE in the four-city area in central China was low, and the difference among regions was obvious, showing a downward trend. (2) From 2010 to 2019, the spatial gravity center of GWRUE experienced a change process from northeast to southwest, and its moving speed showed a "waveform" rising trend. Moreover, the SDE range of each characteristic time point showed a decreasing trend, indicating that the spatial variations in GWRUE tended to be agglomerated. (3) From 2010 to 2019, the influence of each factor on the spatial variations in GWRUE was different each year. In addition, the two-way interactions between different influencing factors were mainly manifested as bivariate enhancement relationships and nonlinear enhancement relationships and were especially affected by multiple factors that produce a nonlinear enhancement interaction. This study can provide a practical basis for realizing water ecological civilization construction and high-quality development in the four-city area in central China.


During the last several years, dilating balloons have been applied in the treatment of stenotic cardiac valves. This interest has recently been extended to stenotic porcine bioprosthetic valves. Part I of this review discusses the pathologic processes responsible for degeneration of porcine prostheses: intrinsic calcification (mineralization), cuspal tears and perforations, and cuspal thrombosis (non‐infective). These changes form the basis of applied balloon valvuloplasty techniques.


To investigate an hypothesized link between unwanted sexual experiences in childhood and later problems with eating, 21 survivors of sexual abuse completed three questionnaires: the Eating Attitudes Test, the Sexual Events Questionnaire, and the General Health Questionnaire. These women scored high on the EAT, and scores were higher for women who reported more sexual experiences. A similar relation was found between number of sexual experiences and depression, and anxiety and insomnia, but not with somatic symptoms. The implications of these findings for intervention in sexual abuse and eating disorder cases are discussed.


Background: Protein-protein interaction (PPI) is vital for life processes, diseases treatment and new drugs discovery. The computational prediction of PPI is well accepted for its inexpensive and efficient nature comparing to the wet-lab experiment. When a new protein comes, one try to find whether there is any PPI relationship between this new protein and existing proteins, the current computational prediction methods usually compare this new protein to existing proteins one by one in pairwise. This is time comsuming. Results: We proposed an more efficient model, Deep Hash Learning Protein-and-Protein Interaction (DHL-PPI) model, to predict all-to-all PPI relationship on a database. First, DHL-PPI encodes a protein sequence into a binary Hash code based on the features extracted from sequences by using deep learning technique. This encoding scheme enables the PPI discrimination problem to be a much simpler searching problem. A protein with a binary code can be regarded as a number. In the prescreen of PPI prediction stage, the string match problem of searching a string against a database with M proteins can be turned into a much more simpler problem: to find a number inside an sorted array with length M. This prescreen process narrows down proteins inside the whole database into a much smaller candidate set for further confirmation. At last, DHL-PPI uses the Hamming distance to determine the final PPI relationship. Conclusions: The experimental results confirmed that DHL-PPI is feasible and effective. Using a dataset with strictly negative PPI examples of four species, DHL-PPI is superior or competitive to the other state-of-the-art methods in terms of precision, recall or F1 score. Furthermore, in the prediction stage, the proposed DHL-PPI decrease the usual time compexity of O(M2 ) to O(MlogM) for predicting all-to-all PPI interactons between any pairs in M proteins on a database. A protein database can be stored in the proposed encoding scheme and waited to be searched, which is a potential novel encoding scheme to cope with current searching problem for a large volume of database.


INTRODUCTION
Cape Verde is a middle-income country benefiting from a health agreement with Portugal. The purpose of this study is to conduct a cost-benefit analysis on the enablement of Cape Verde to perform total hip replacement.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We assessed records from the Orthopaedic Department of Baptista de Sousa Hospital and the Portuguese Directorate-General of Health regarding hip fracture with indication for total hip replacement and hip arthritis cases evacuated to Portugal. We also analysed the direct costs of the treatment, and hypothesised the costs of performing total hip replacement in Cape Verde. We then conducted a cost-benefit analysis.

RESULTS
From 2011 to 2016, 126 patients (135 hips) would have indication for total hip replacement if it was possible to do it in Cape Verde. The performance of the procedure in Cape Verde would have resulted in a global benefit of €80 644.08, and a benefit of €597.36/per patient.

DISCUSSION
Our analysis indicates that the enablement of Cape Verde to autonomously perform total hip replacement on patients with hip fracture and arthritis would have a positive financial return. Total costs were underestimated due to the impossibility to calculate indirect costs. Enabling Cape Verde to perform total hip replacement would provide the recommended treatment for patients and reduce the socio-psychological impact of evacuation.

CONCLUSION
Enabling Cape Verde to perform total hip replacement would represent an expense reduction, and an improvement of the country's quality of healthcare and autonomy.


Neutrophils provide the first line of defense against invading pathogens and have been reported to play a key role in bovine mammary immune. To examine the differential expression of proteins in neutrophils between clinical mastitis and healthy dairy cows, a 2-dimensional electrophoresis gel map with high repeatability was constructed for bovine neutrophils. From this map, seven differentially expressed proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF MS which are believed to be involved in pathways such as cell metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammatory reaction. The differentially expressed proteins identified in this study may provide the basis for bovine mastitis resistance breeding research.


The Cenozoic deformation of SE Asia is classically related to India‐Asia collision and Tibet Plateau rise, supposedly resulting in the southeastward drift of lithospheric blocks bounded by strike‐slip faults with displacements in the order of 1,000 km. Here we report on the paleomagnetism of 44 Triassic‐Cretaceous red bed sites from the northern Simao, Chuandian, and Lanping "blocks," along both sides of the Ailao Shan‐Red River shear zone (north Indochina). In the Simao domain, remagnetization predates folding and subsequent 48–70° clockwise rotation of three 2–5 km wide subblocks separated by two unrotated blocks. A primary magnetization component from the Lanping domain center suggests variably clockwise rotated (up to 95° ± 24°) sites, interrupted by a 2–6 km wide block that is rotated counterclockwise by 27° ± 6°. Thus, the Lanping and Simao "blocks" are far from being rigid, being made of a mosaic of independently deforming subblocks, whose kinematics and association with documented tectonics are speculative. It is unclear whether both folding and widespread remagnetization were synchronous or diachronous across north Indochina, but (considering previously published results) strike‐slip activity along major shear zones, remagnetization, rotations, and crustal shortening overlapped within the 32–15 Ma time window, thus were likely genetically related. As opposed to previous models, we suggest that in early to mid‐Cenozoic times, north Indochina was under the influence of oblique Neo‐Tethys subduction. Collision between the NE corner of Greater India and Indochina at ~30 Ma yielded ENE‐WSW shortening and strike‐slip reactivation of preexisting faults, in turn fragmenting the crust into small, independently rotating, blocks.


As a companion to his previous volume "Night in the Middles Ages", Jean Verdon offers insight into the pitfalls and perils of travelling during medieval times. "Travel in the Middle Ages" is filled with the stories and adventures of those who hazarded hostile landscapes, elements, and people - out of want or necessity - to get from place to place. Verdon contends that a journey in the current sense, suggesting both "the movement of a person who travels to a fairly distant place" and philosophical ideas of distraction and flight from self, did not exist in the Middle Ages. Indeed, he says, "nothing either in the means of communication or in the landscape encouraged travel". And yet, Verdon points out, the world of the Middle Ages was one of unceasing movement. While most journeys involved very short distances (home to market or village to village), longer trips were not uncommon in the Middle Ages. Clergy were frequently called upon to act as ambassadors, messengers, and overseers to the various monasteries and churches within their jurisdiction. Merchants, agents of the king, and pilgrims were also frequently required to travel. While sharing the fascinating stories of these ordinary wayfarers, Verdon also relates colorful tales of the journeys of notable historical figures such as Marco Polo and Columbus. Part I of "Travel in the Middle Ages" addresses the means by which people travelled. This section contains interesting descriptions of modes of conveyance, road systems, sea lanes, tolls, taxes, and even pirates. Knowing the risks involved, why did people brave the uncertainty of travel? Part II of the book addresses this question by identifying five main motivational categories of medieval travel. Part III deals with travel myths, monsters, fictitious journeys of medieval fantasy writers, and ghosts. Verdon concludes with a pithy critique of travel in the modern world.


An adsorption heat pump system may make effective use of low-quality waste heat, but the system's inadequate performance remains a critical issue. Improvements in efficiency and an understanding of the fundamental phenomena of water adsorption and desorption in a silica-gel particle are essential. X-ray transmission imaging was used to observe water adsorption/desorption phenomena in 3.7-mm-diameter silica-gel particles. Although previous studies did not conduct observations inside of the silica-gel particles, we were able to visualize the change in water distribution in silica-gel particles during adsorption and desorption using X-ray transmission imaging. When the silica-gel particles were cooled or heated, the adsorption or desorption proceeded gradually from the outer edge to the center, until the final equilibrium state of uniform water distribution was visible. A quantitative measurement of the water adsorbed in the silica-gel particles indicates that it took 20 min and 10 min to achieve adsorption and desorption equilibrium, respectively, in the silica-gel particle. In the silica-gel packed bed, all silica-gel particles desorbed at the same speed, but the adsorption slowed as the distance from the connection port increased.


Evidence demonstrates that an increase of emotional intelligence levels leads to work productivity and effectiveness. Within this study, emotional intelligence levels were examined for United Kingdom and Indian teacher practitioners. Teacher practitioners were instructed to complete a self-report measure of emotional intelligence following email contact. Results demonstrate that cross-cultural emotional intelligence scores were moderately high for teacher practitioners of the United Kingdom and India. Further, overall scores demonstrated that female practitioners scored higher in emotional intelligence than male practitioners. In relation to gender differences it was also evidenced that male and female Indian practitioners scored higher in emotional intelligence than those from the United Kingdom. In addition, emotional intelligence data for age identified that maturity and experience led to higher scores. The sub-domain of self-awareness was integral to the relationship between increased emotional intelligence and other associated sub-domains. One limitation of the research resonates to the use of a predominant quantitative design. Future research should focus on adopting a qualitative methodology that would enable greater depth and regression analysis.


Union representation requires that some individual interests be sacrificed for the good of the majority. The duty of fair representation however, provides employees with some recourse when the union's actions have gone beyond the permissible standard of conduct in foreclosing arbitration of an employee claim. In the grievance and arbitration process of employment issues, the standard of analysis must balance the interests of the individual employee, the union and the employer. If the standard is set too high it may impair the collective strength of the union, and if set to low it may deny recourse to individuals and minorities that are truly denied valid claims for the good of the majority.This article recommends a model for union decisionmaking that reconceptualizes the duty of fair representation as due process. It suggests unions should be required to determine the merits of an employee's grievance through investigation and fact-finding, and pursue all grievances found to be clearly meritorious. Grievances that are found to be unmeritorious may be dismissed. By focusing on the grievance's merit, the union's decisionmaking will be most in line with the union's duty of fair representation. This model is worked out in each of the categories of fact situations found in cases to date. Such a fair process model brings better process and better justice from the process, as well as satisfaction for the parties concerned. Labor justice and labor peace are after all the goals of federal labor policy.


A novel fabrication process to connect single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)to a silicon substrate based on a mechano–chemical method is proposed. In this method, the single crystal silicon substrate was mechanically scribed in a diazonium solution of benzoic acid using a diamond tip which formed silicon free radicals. These combined covalently with organic molecules of diazonium benzoic acid contained in the solution to form self-assembled films (SAMs). The SAMs were characterized and analyzed by AFM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that the self-assembled films were covalently connected to the silicon substrate by Si–C. In this way, a nano-level benzoic acid coupling layer was self-assembled on the scribed area of the silicon substrate. The ssDNA was further covalently connected to the silicon surface by the coupling layer. Fluorescence microscopy showed that ssDNA had been connected, and the influence of ssDNA concentration on the fixation effect was studied. The fluorescence brightness gradually increased with the gradual increase in ssDNA concentration from 5 μmol/L to 15 μmol/L, indicating that the fixed amount of ssDNA increased. However, when the concentration of ssDNA increased from 15 μmol/L to 20 μmol/L, the detected fluorescence brightness decreased, indicating that the hybridization amount decreased. The reason may be related to the spatial arrangement of DNA and the electrostatic repulsion between DNA molecules. It was also found that ssDNA junctions on the silicon surface were not very uniform, which was related to many factors, such as the inhomogeneity of the self-assembled coupling layer, the multi-step experimental operation and the pH value of the fixation solution.


Following a successful application for a Florence Nightingale Foundation travel scholarship, I completed two observation visits one to New Zealand and one to Denmark to explore models of midwifery care. My focus consisted of three main elements: exploration at a clinical level and lessons we can learn to improve our clinical model of continuity; exploration at a strategic level to learn lessons about sustainability of continuity models, monitoring and regulation exploration at researcher level to explore research priorities and interests and consider topics for further research and potential collaboration. The purpose of the paper is to provide insight into the models of care as observed in my trip to inform discussion and debate within clinical, educational and strategic midwifery fields in relation to continuity of care and future design of midwifery models in the UK.   The New Zealand model is based on a philosophy of trust in both women as consumer and midwives as skilled professionals. At all levels there was a commitment to the value of autonomy; a feeling of safety in people holding the responsibility for their decisions. I was interested that in New Zealand, despite a full commitment to continuity and partnership working with women, the decisions women were making were not necessarily reflective of an increase in normality. The Danish model had adapted the New Zealand philosophy to include continuity of carer models into main stream maternity care and explore making these models of care sustainable for midwives. To maximise benefit from lessons learnt in practice it seems prudent to work together internationally on improvement, innovation and research. I have used the lessons learned from my travels to influence the way we model our maternity care in Powys for a remote and rural population and developed a pilot quality improvement project to test out new ways of working in the community. The trips have reaffirmed my belief in continuity and the importance of building trusting relationships with women. Shared decision making based on a mutual understanding would appear to be important rather than a blind commitment to a woman's choice even when that choice has implications for systems, resources or other women. What seems important is being able to understand each other and choose a midwife with whom a woman can form a connection. What is important when transferring the principles to the UK is to be mindful of sustainability and realistic support for midwives' work life balance and resilient cultures. Powys Maternity Services will explore and evaluate an eighteen month pilot group practice model, working in pairs with women as part of a four midwife group practice type approach. The 18 month pilot will be evaluated. At the same time it is possible that New Zealand will explore a similar model of employed midwives within one Health Board and some collaboration around researching the two pilots could be explored. It would interrest me to visit San Sabastian and extend my exploration of midwifery models of care.


The congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an inherited cardiac disorder characterized by increased QT intervals and a tendency to experience ventricular tachycardia, which can cause fainting, heart failure, or sudden death. A 4-year-old female patient undergoing velopharyngeal correction surgery under general anesthesia suddenly developed Torsades de pointes. Although the patient spontaneously resolved to sinus rhythm without treatment, subsequent QT prolongation persisted. Here, we report a case of concealed LQTS with a literature review.


This paper presents Three-Dimensional Renovation of medical image using fundamental Direct Reformation technique by segmented pentagonal shaped transections. Proposed method describes renovation of three-dimensional model. The method explains concurrent pixel arrangement of the pentagonal transections. The topology of the method describes the relation between the two dimensional pentagonal transections to three-dimensional model in the form of conversion of transections into model representation. The paper also explains the insertion of transections using model based method. The insertion of transections preserve the shape of the original model transections, when the transections have similar shapes. It can also modify the shape of the model when the successive transections do not have similar shapes. The obtained experimental results also demonstrate the concept of image segmentation, image registration, and renovation of three-dimensional images. The results of the method are presented in openGL.


Background The incorporation of nano silver particles (AgNPs) to improve antibacterial properties of dental materials has become increasingly common. The aim of the present study was to compare the antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity effects of different fiber posts: glass fiber post, quartz fiber post, nano fiber post and silver fiber post. Material and Methods The antibacterial activity against S. mutans, S. salivarius and S. sanguis was evaluated by using the agar disc diffusion test (ADT). Four wells of 3x2 mm (one for each material) were made with a punch by removing the agar and filled with the materials to be evaluated. The size of the inhibition zone was calculated. An extract was made eluting the posts in cell culture medium using the surface area-to-volume ratio of approximately 1.25cm²/ml between the surface of the samples and the volume of medium. Cell cultures were then exposed to 100 μL of the extracts medium. After 24 h, cell viability was determined using the MTT assay. Results Silver fiber post was the only material showing a fair antibacterial effect against all the three streptococcal strains. The level of cytotoxicity of all the fiber posts tested was higher than 90% and therefore they were considered not cytotoxic. Conclusions The new silver fiber post reported a fair antibacterial activity. On the other hand all the fiber posts tested (including the post with incorporated AgNPs) proved to be biocompatible, suggesting that their application does not represent a threat to human health. Key words:Antibacterial activity, agar disc diffusion test, biocompatibility, fiber post, MTT test.


It is difficult to get an engineering accuracy answer of bending deflection for the profiled bar roller straightening according to elastic-plastic mechanics theory. In this paper, adequate mechanics model of profiled bar is established, combined with computer and mathematics, the relation between force and bending deflection of the profiled bar roller straightening is deduced. Compared with the traditional and engineering method, it is shown that the analytic solution accords with the production conditions and straightening theory and is a important reference for the establishment of technological parameters.


Internet technology is rapidly changed, so in banking industry the use of computers in carrying out various day to day activities has been increased. The research focuses on the impact of e-banking or on line banking on the customers or bankers. The usage of this technology is to provide the various facilities to the customers like to reduce the cost, work efficiency, less time consuming, anytime usage etc. It also provides the facilities to the bankers also like to reduce the work burden, time saving, a large number of collection of data, less cost etc. But there are some challenges also as those customers who are illiterate, they can't the use of e-banking and some hackers generate the virus & stolen the pin numbers and misused the cards & cites. Thus total and proper knowledge of use of technology and carefully uses are necessary.


In October 2018, Paraguayan security forces successfully foiled two attempts to free "Marcelo Piloto," a local leader of the Brazilian criminal gang Comando Vermelho (CV) from Agrupación Especializada, a military prison in the capital Asuncion. The sophistication of the plots, which included a car bomb and assault rifles,[1] illustrates the evolution of the threat in Paraguay from transnational organized crime.  At the same time, the successful resolution of the attempts, including intervention by the Paraguayan police special forces organization FOPE, illustrates some progress by Paraguayan security forces in addressing the organized crime challenge.


2,4‐Dichlorophenoxyl acetic acid (2,4‐D) and glyphosate are used extensively as a herbicide in vicinity of Antalya, Turkey. Laboratory batch experiments were conducted to investigate the sorption isotherm and sorption‐desorption characteristics of 2,4‐D and glyphosate. Results indicated that degree of sorption of glyphosate was approximately 50 times higher than 2,4‐D (Kd= 34.43 vs. 0.66 L/Kg). The sorption of 2,4‐D and glyphosate was described by linear and rate‐limited processes for soil. Organic carbon content was most likely responsible for sorption behaviour of 2,4‐D and glyphosate. The rapid desorption can be attributed to soft carbon fraction (humic/fluvic acid and lipids) whereas slower desorption can be responsible by hard carbon fraction (black carbon, kerogen) of soils that led to chemically nonideal behaviour (hysteresis). Sorption of 2,4‐D was low due to most likely deactivation of organic carbon surfaces by excess carbonate fraction, whereas strong binding of glyphosate onto organic carbon causing high sorption behaviour.


The quality of data in relational databases is often uncertain, and the relationship between the quality of the underlying base tables and the set of potential query results, a type of information product (IP), that could be produced from them has not been fully investigated. This paper provides a basis for the systematic analysis of the quality of such IPs. This research uses the relational algebra framework to develop estimates for the quality of query results based on the quality estimates of samples taken from the base tables. Our procedure requires an initial sample from the base tables; these samples are then used for all possible information IPs. Each specific query governs the quality assessment of the relevant samples. By using the same sample repeatedly, our approach is relatively cost effective. We introduce the reference-table procedure, which can be used for quality estimation in general. In addition, for each of the basic algebraic operators, we discuss simpler procedures that may be applicable. Special attention is devoted to the join operation. We examine various, relevant statistical issues, including how to deal with the impact on quality of missing rows in base tables. Finally, we address several implementation issues related to sampling.


This paper continues the investigation of the configuration space of two distinct points on a graph. We analyze the process of adding an additional edge to the graph and the resulting changes in the topology of the configuration space. We introduce a linking bilinear form on the homology group of the graph with values in the cokernel of the intersection form (introduced in Part I of this work). For a large class of graphs, which we call mature graphs, we give explicit expressions for the homology groups of the configuration space. We show that under a simple condition, adding an edge to a mature graph yields another mature graph.


INTRODUCTION
Disparities in prostate cancer care have been evidenced and associated with sociodemographic and clinical factors, which establish the time for diagnosis and initiation of treatment.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association of sociodemographic and clinical variables with the onset of prostate cancer treatment.

METHODS
This is a prospective longitudinal cohort study with secondary data with a population of men with prostate cancer attended in the periods 2010-2011 and 2013-2014 at the Santa Rita de Cássia Hospital in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.

RESULTS
The study population consisted of 1,388 men. Of the total, those younger than 70 years (OR = 1.85; CI = 1.49-2.31), nonwhite (OR = 1.30; CI = 1.00-1.70), less than 8 years of schooling (OR = 1.52; CI = 1.06-2.17) and referred by the Unified Health System services (OR = 2.52; CI = 1.84-3.46) were more likely to have a delayed treatment. Similarly, the lower the Gleason score (OR = 1.78; CI = 1.37-2.32) and Prostate-Specific Antigens levels (OR = 2.71; CI = 2.07-3.54), the greater the likelihood of delay for the onset of treatment.

CONCLUSION
Therefore, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics exerted a strong influence on the access to prostate cancer treatment.


Intestinal microbiota have marked metabolic activity and influences the host in both beneficial and harmful ways. In the present study, we developed an apparatus to measure the amount of CO 2 in the gas excreted during defecation and investigated whether this amount of CO 2 can be used as an indicator of the intestinal environment. The apparatus consists of a fan and a commercial CO 2 sensor attached to a toilet stool. Fecal pH, fecal water content, concentrations of short chain organic acids (SCFAs) and intestinal putrefactive products and composition of fecal microbiota were analyzed as indicators of the intestinal environment. The apparatus could measure the amount of CO 2 in the gas with good reproducibility, irrespective of the open area at the top of the toilet stool, position of gas injection and composition of the gas. In a volunteer study, the amount of C0 2 in defecation gas correlated with pH, water content and concentrations of SCFAs and intestinal putrefactive products in the feces, although correlation with the composition of intestinal microbiota was not be observed. The results indicate that the amount of CO 2 in defecation gas can be measured with simple and sanitary procedures and is a good indicator of the intestinal environment.


It is widely recognized that local management of common pool resources can be more efficient and more effective than private markets or top-down government management, especially in remote rural communities in which the institutions necessary for the enforcement of centrally-imposed regulations may be weak or prone to elite capture. In this paper, we explore the propensity for cooperation in the management of local common resources by introducing a variant of a public goods game among remote rural communities in the state of Odisha, in eastern India. We explore various patterns of cooperation, including free riding behavior, unconditional cooperation (altruism), and conditional cooperation, in which individuals' propensity toward cooperation is tied to their beliefs about the level of cooperation among their peers. We find that a significant portion of our sample fall into this latter category, but also that their expectations about the level of contributions among their peers is somewhat malleable, and beneficial activities from external actors such as NGOs can foster increased social cohesion which increases both the level of these expectations and the manner in which these expectations are translated into subsequent cooperative behavior. We also find that cooperation is somewhat fragile, with group heterogeneity and risk in the returns to cooperative behavior posing a threat to the stability of the cooperative system.


A phenomenal increase in the number of wireless devices has led to the evolution of several interesting and challenging research problems in opportunistic networks. For example, the random waypoint mobility model, an early, popular effort to model mobility, involves generating random movement patterns. Previous research efforts, however, validate that movement patterns are not random; instead, human mobility is predictable to some extent. Since the performance of a routing protocol in an opportunistic network is greatly improved if the movement patterns of mobile users can be somewhat predicted in advance, several research attempts have been made to understand human mobility. The solutions developed use our understanding of movement patterns to predict the future contact probability for mobile nodes. In this work, we summarize the changing trends in modeling human mobility as random movements to the current research efforts that model human walks in a more predictable manner. Mobility patterns significantly affect the performance of a routing protocol. Thus, the changing trend in modeling mobility has led to several changes in developing routing protocols for opportunistic networks. For example, the simplest opportunistic routing protocol forwards a received packet to a randomly selected neighbor. With predictable mobility, however, routing protocols can use the expected contact information between a pair of mobile nodes in making forwarding decisions. In this work, we also describe the previous and current research efforts in developing routing protocols for opportunistic networks.


This study concerns an analysis of outpatients seen at a Regional Clinic for Extrapyramidal and Cerebellar Disorders during the period 1974-1984. The main findings to emerge from this study are: 1) a predominance of males; 2) peak attendance figures correlated with precise factors; 3) the geographic origin of patients reflected the distance from the Regional Clinic and the relationship between local physicians and physicians at the Regional Clinic. Lastly, this epidemiological study has led to improvements in specific protocols for the management of the long-term outpatient, and to an increase in the number of patients attending the Center.


Air pollution affects our day to day activities and quality of life. It poses a threat to the ecosystem and the quality of life on the planet. The dire need to monitor air quality is very glaring, owing to increased industrial activities over the past years. People need to know the extent to which their activities affect air quality. This project proposes an air pollution monitoring system. The system was developed using the Arduino microcontroller. The air pollution monitoring system was designed to monitor and analyze air quality in real-time and log data to a remote server, keeping the data updated over the internet. Air quality measurements were taken based on the Parts per Million (PPM) metrics and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. The air quality measurements taken by the designed system was accurate. The result was displayed on the designed hardware's display interface and could be accessed via the cloud on any smart mobile device.


In early fourteenth-century Lucca, one government organ began expanding its activities beyond the maintenance of public works to promoting public hygiene and safety, and in ways that suggest both a concern for and an appreciation of population-level preventative healthcare. Evidence for this shift (which is traceable in and beyond the Italian peninsula) is mostly found in documents of practice such as court and financial records, which augment and complicate the traditional view afforded by urban statutes and medical treatises. The revised if still nebulous picture emerging from this preliminary study challenges a lingering tendency among urban and public health historians to see pre-modern European cities as ignorant and apathetic demographic black holes.


This paper is an examination of the relationship between the Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1838 and the transformation in Ottoman women's dress which took place during the nineteenth century. Until now, there has been a tendency to assume a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the Anglo-Turkish Convention and other economic treaties of the period, and fashion. The argument has been that the substantial increase in the volume of imported textiles and other goods led to a change in clothing styles, and indeed to changes in Ottoman taste generally, but my study of Ottoman women's dress indicates that the situation was much more complex. It is clear that the transformation in dress was well under way by the time of the Anglo-Turkish Convention, proceeding at its own rate, tied to events other than the treaty. In this context, fashion represents one of a whole complex of components of culture which, although affected by economic developments, are primarily social phenomena. Examining an area such as fashion (or painting or theater, for instance) will lead to a richer understanding of the period of the Anglo-Turkish Convention.


White strain of Hypsizygus marmoreus is named as white genius mushroom (WGM) and is a popular food in Taiwan. We have confirmed the cytotoxicity of WGM extracts on human Hep3B liver cancer cells. A total of 8711 significantly differential genes were identified through large-scale transcriptome sequencing. According to the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, autophagy, mitophagy and apoptosis pathways were identified as significant in WGM extracts-treated cells. WGM extracts induced a dose-dependent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and membrane-enclosed vacuoles in Hep3B cells. The inhibition of ROS by the ROS scavengers blocked the induction of cell death and vacuoles formation. We suggested that the cell death and membrane-enclosed vacuoles induced by WGM extracts are dependent on ROS production in Hep3B cells. (2E,6E)-3,7,11,15,19,23,27,31,35-Nonamethylhexatriaconta-2,6,34-triene-1,11,15,19,23,27,31-heptol and (18:2) lysophosphatidylcholine were identified in WGM extracts. In addition to being a very popular edible mushrooms, WGM may be developed into a dietary supplement or dietary chemopreventive agent for the cancer treatment.


The paper reports a technical device used in Bassini's original operation for radical surgery of inguinal hernias. On the basis of results achieved in the treatment of 238 cases, it is thought that this easily and quickly performed device may be taken into consideration particularly in the treatment of direct inguinal hernias.


Alanine chloromethylketone and leucine chloromethylketone were synthesized and their effects on amino acid transport in sarcoma 37 mirone ascites tumor (S37) cells were studied. Alanine chloromethylketone preincubation weakly inhibited system A. Leucine chloromethylketone preincubation strongly inhibited both amino acid transport systems L and A. Leucine chloromethylketone was also a competitive inhibitor of leucine transport. Labeled leucine chloromethylketone was concentrated by S37 cells. Leucine chloromethylketone preincubation inhibition was concentration dependent and partial protection of transport was afforded by leucine. Steady-state retention of amino acids was decreased more than the initial velocity of transport by leucine chloromethylketone preincubation. Glutathione was also depleted. Labeled leucine chloromethylketone was incorporated in a plasma membrane protein fraction comigrating on a DEAE-cellulose column (DE52) with gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activity. There was a modest increase in vital staining after treatment of S37 cells with leucine chloromethylketone, and glucose uptake was also inhibited. Whilst several effects occur during treatment of S37 cells with leucine chloromethylketone, it is suggested than one prominent effect is alkylation of amino acid transport system components.


Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are possible biomarkers for many diseases, but the knowledge of circRNAs in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains limited. This study aimed to assess the expression of circRNAs in PBMCs from patients with SLE and healthy individuals by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Methods In total, 128 circRNAs were significantly differentially expressed including 39 upregulated and 89 downregulated circRNAs in four new-onset SLE patients compared with three healthy controls. After verification of the four candidate circRNAs in 49 patients with SLE and 37 controls using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays, a previously undescribed circRNA with potential translation activity, circPTPN22, was selected to confirm its clinical significance. Results Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that the parent gene of circPTPN22 was protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22), a potent regulator of T cell activation. The downregulation of circPTPN22 in patients with SLE was strongly negatively correlated with their Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) scores. circRNA-miRNA-mRNA co-expression network analysis indicated a correlation between circPTPN22 and the miRNAs and mRNAs related to immunological regulation including the development of SLE. Patients with higher SLEDAI scores had lower circPTPN22 expression levels, and long-term hormone treatment significantly increased circPTPN22 levels. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that circPTPN22 has good diagnostic value for SLE. Conclusion Our data demonstrated the aberrant expression of circRNAs in patients with SLE compared with healthy controls; circPTPN22 might function as a diagnostic and disease severity indicator in SLE.


Corn kernel composition may affect its nutritive value and, thus, pig growth performance and carcass characteristics. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of the chemical and physical traits of corn kernels from different hybrids on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of pigs. A total of 288 crossbred pigs were grown in a 3-phase program from 21 kg of BW until slaughter at 113 kg of BW with 12 pens (4 pigs/pen) per dietary treatment. Target BW for each phase were 20 to 40 kg (grower 1), 40 to 80 kg (grower 2), and 80 to 120 kg (finisher). In each phase, diets were formulated to be marginally deficient in Lys, TSAA, Ca, Na, and nonphytate P to improve the likelihood of detecting differences in performance due to corn hybrid. Each of 6 corn hybrids represented a wide range of kernel chemical and physical traits and was substituted for corn in a common diet formulation on an equal weight basis to make the 6 dietary treatments. Physical and chemical composition of the kernels were analyzed and correlated with performance measures by multivariate ANOVA. Kernel density was correlated with i.m. fat (IMF) content in LM (r = -.35, P < 0.05). Stenvert grinding time was correlated (P < 0.05) with ADG during the grower 1 phase (r = 0.26), ADFI during the grower 2 phase (r = 0.27), final BW (r = 0.27), and IMF (r = -0.36). The amylose content of the cornstarch was correlated (P < 0.05) with ADG during the grower 2 phase (r = -0.28) and with BW at the end of the grower 2 phase (r = -0.27). The NDF content of the kernels was correlated (P < 0.05) with ADG during the finisher phase (r = -0.30), final BW (r = -0.33), and number of days to market (r = 0.31). The ADF content of the kernels was correlated (P < 0.05) with ADG during the grower 1 phase (r = -0.26), final BW (r = -0.26), and IMF (r = 0.31). The correlations of performance measure variation with individual kernel hybrid physical and chemical traits were statistically significant yet not large enough to base corn hybrid selection for feeding pigs on any single kernel chemical or physical trait.


The isoprenoid pathway produces three key metabolites--endogenous digoxin, dolichol, and ubiquinone. Since endogenous digoxin can regulate neurotransmitter transport and dolichols can modulate glycoconjugate synthesis important in synaptic connectivity, the pathway was assessed in patients with dyslexia, delayed recovery from global aphasia consequent to a dominant hemispheric thrombotic infarct, and developmental delay of speech milestone. The pathway was also studied in right hemispheric, left hemispheric, and bihemispheric dominance to find out the role of hemispheric dominance in the pathogenesis of speech disorders. The plasma/serum--activity of HMG CoA reductase, magnesium, digoxin, dolichol, ubiquinone--and tryptophan/tyrosine catabolic patterns, as well as RBC Na+-K+ ATPase activity, were measured in the above mentioned groups. The glycoconjugate metabolism and membrane composition was also studied. The study showed that in dyslexia, developmental delay of speech milestone, and delayed recovery from global aphasia there was an upregulated isoprenoidal pathway with increased digoxin and dolichol levels. The membrane Na+-K+ ATPase activity, serum magnesium and ubiquinone levels were low. The tryptophan catabolites were increased and the tyrosine catabolites including dopamine decreased in the serum contributing to a speech dysfunction. There was an increase in carbohydrate residues of glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans, and glycolipids levels as well as an increased activity of GAG degrading enzymes and glyco hydrolases in the serum. The cholesterol:phospholipid ratio of RBC membrane increased and membrane glycoconjugates showed a decrease. All of these could contribute to altered synaptic inactivity in these disorders. The patterns correlated with those obtained in right hemispheric chemical dominance. Right hemispheric chemical dominance may play a role in the genesis of these disorders. Hemispheric chemical dominance has no correlation with handedness or the dichotic listening test.


The isolated college educated policy expert who would exist in a world devoid of reference books is a relic of the turn of the 20th century. My students have smart phones, Wikipedia, and news feeds. They will not be isolated from information. The pedagogical problem is different now. I do not need to test how much a student can read and retain. I need to test how a student can sift through information to find the elements that are needed for the present purpose, which is to produce a convincing rational argument supported with information.
Including empirical analysis is important for students in the introductory political science classroom. The next generation of civic leaders needs to be able to utilize government statistics and policy reports as they engage in politics. The Introduction to American Politics curriculum can be expanded to include having students build evidence based arguments themselves.


Improper livestock grazing practices in western U.S. riparian areas may reduce the nutrient and pollutant removal function of riparian communities, resulting in degradation of surface water quality. Short duration-high intensity cattle use in 3 x 10 m plots was evaluated in a montane riparian meadow in northern Colorado to quantify livestock effects on sediment movement and filtration under simulated rainfall (approximately equal to 100 mm hour(-1)) plus overland flow (approximately equal to 25 mm hour(-1)) conditions. Four treatments: 1) control, 2) mowed to 10 cm stubble height, 3) trampled by cattle, and 4) cattle grazed plus trampled (grazed) were evaluated. Sixty kg of sediment was introduced to overland flow in each plot. Sediment movement was evaluated using sediment traps positioned in microchannels and on vegetation islands at 5 distances downslope from the upper end of the plots and by sediment front advancement. Most sediment deposition occurred within the first meter downslope from application. About 90% of the applied sediment was filtered from runoff within 10 m in the control and mowed treatments, while approximately 84 and 77% of the applied sediment was trapped in the trampled and grazed treatment plots, respectively. The primary variables that influenced sediment filtration were stem density and surface random roughness. Stem density was the most influential variable that affected sediment filtration. Cattle grazing reduced the stem density by 40%. Monitoring of stem density should aid land managers in regulating cattle use of riparian communities and facilitate the protection of surface water quality from sediment in overland flow. DOI:10.2458/azu_jrm_v55i4_mceldowney


Acute psychiatric provision in the UK is not fit for purpose. Many acute wards are chaotic, untherapeutic and can be intimidating or even dangerous. In this article the authors present a model for organisational and personal change that has had a positive impact on patients and staff, and has done so at reduced financial cost and with reduced clinical risk.


The present research is an experimental investigation of the atomization of a superheated pressurized liquid jet that is exposed to the ambient pressure due to a sudden depressurization. This phenomena is called flashing and occurs in several industrial environments.Liquid flashing phenomena holds an interest in many areas of science and engineering. Typical examples one can mention: a) the accidental release of flammable and toxic pressure-liquefied gases in chemical and nuclear industry; the failure of a vessel or pipe in the form of a small hole results in the formation of a two-phase jet containing a mixture of liquid droplets and vapor, b) atomisation improvement in the fuel injector technology, c) flashing mechanism occurrence in expansion devices of refrigerator cycles etc... The interest in flashing events is especially true in the safety field where any unexpected event is undesirable. In case of an accident, flammable or toxic gas clouds are anticipated in close regions of the release because of the sudden phase change . Due to the non-equilibrium nature of the flow in these near field regions, conducting accurate data measurements for droplet size and velocity is a challenging task resulting in scarce data in the very close area.This research has been carried out at the von Karman Institute (VKI) within the 5th framework of European Commission to fulfill the goal of understanding of source processes in flashing liquids in accidental releases. The program is carried out under name of FLIE (Flashing Liquids in Industrial Environments)(Contract no: EVG1-CT-2000-00025). The specific issues that are presented in this thesis study are the following:a) a comprehensive state of art of the jet break up patterns, spray characteristics and studies related to flashing phenomena; b)flashing jet breakup patterns and accurate characterization of the atomized jet such as droplet diameter size, velocity and temperature evolution through carefully designed laboratory-scale experiments; c) the influence of the initial storage conditions on the final atomized jet; d) a physical model on the droplet transformation and rapid evaporation in aerosol jets.In order to characterize the atomization of the superheated liquid jet, laser-based optical techniques like Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) are used to obtain information for particle diameter and velocity evolution at various axial and radial distances. Moreover, a high-speed video photography presents the possibility to understand the break-up pattern changes of the simulating liquid namely R-134A jet in function of driving pressure, superheat and discharge nozzle characteristics. Global temperature measurements with an intrusive technique such as thermocouples, non-intrusive measurements with Infrared Thermography are performed. Cases for different initial pressures, temperatures, orifice diameters and length-to-diameter ratios are studied. The break-up patterns, the evolution of the mean droplet size, velocity, RMS, turbulenceintensity and temperature along the radial and axial directions are presented in function of initial parameters. Highly populated drop size and velocity count distributions are provided. Among the initial storage conditions, superheat effect is found to be very important in providing small droplets. A 1-D analytical rapid evaporation model is developed in order to explain the strong temperature decrease during the measurements. A sensitivity analysis of this model is provided.


Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory immune-mediated disease characterized by musculoskeletal inflammation (arthritis, enthesitis, spondylitis, and dactylitis), generally occurs in patients with psoriasis. PsA is also associated with uveitis and inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis). To capture these manifestations as well as the associated comorbidities, and to recognize their underlining common pathogenesis, the name of psoriatic disease was coined. The pathogenesis of PsA is complex and multifaceted, with an interplay of genetic predisposition, triggering environmental factors, and activation of the innate and adaptive immune system, although autoinflammation has also been implicated. Research has identified several immune-inflammatory pathways defined by cytokines (IL-23/IL-17, TNF), leading to the development of efficacious therapeutic targets. However, heterogeneous responses to these drugs occur in different patients and in the different tissues involved, resulting in a challenge to the global management of the disease. Therefore, more translational research is necessary in order to identify new targets and improve current disease outcomes. Hopefully, this may become a reality through the integration of different omics technologies that allow better understanding of the relevant cellular and molecular players of the different tissues and manifestations of the disease. In this narrative review, we aim to provide an updated overview of the pathophysiology, including the latest findings from multiomics studies, and to describe current targeted therapies.


Abstract Firm strategic orientations (product, production, selling, marketing, and societal marketing) are routinely discussed in the introductory chapters of marketing management texts. However, to the best of our knowledge, only one empirical paper has been reported to date (Shoham 1999) and this paper was in the context of domestic operations of Israeli firms. Neither the existence of these orientations nor their performance implications have been examined empirically in an exporting context. This research examines orientations of Israeli firms in their export operations. The data suggest that the five orientations have different effects on export performance. The results highlight the need for future research on the relationships between firm orientations, environmental conditions, and performance.


This paper was presented at the international Gender Spring Conference, Setting a New Agenda for Equality Policies (Centre Francesca Bonnemaison, Barcelona, Spain; 25-27 June 2014). The conference was organized by At Gender: The European Association for Gender Research, Education and Documentation


Fiber optic telecommunication systems are susceptible to both natural and man-made stress. national Security/Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) is a function of how durable these systems are in light of projected levels of stress. Emergency Preparedness in 1987 is not just a matter of--can we deliver food, water, energy, and other essentials?-- but can we deliver the vital information to maintain corporate function of our country? "Communication stamina" is a function of "propability of survival" when face with stress. This report provides an overview of the enhancements to a fiber optic communication system/installation that will increase durability. These enhancements are groups, based on their value in protecting the system, such as a Mutltitier Specification is created that presents multiple levels of hardness. Mitagaiton of effects due to high alititude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) and gamma radiation and protection from vandalism and weather events are discussed in this report. This study concludes that the probability of survival can be significantly increased with expeditous use of design and instalation enhancements.


Tabular Expressions (Parnas et al. [20, 28, 32, 33]) are means to represent the complex relations that are used to specify or document software systems. A formal model and a semantics for tabular expressions are presented. The model covers most known types of tables used in software engineering, and admits precise classification and definition of new types of tables. The practical importance of the semantics of tabular expressions is also discussed.


The use of medicinal plants is old as the existence of mankind. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, about 80% of world population are using products based on medicinal herbs. Phytotherapy is based on the use of herbal drugs and medicinal prod- ucts for the purpose of prevention and treatment. Rational phytotherapy is a modern concept of herbal medicines using, which are made of standardized herbal extracts. The quality of each final product is guaranteed by the use of raw materials of a standard qual ity, defined process of production, and validated equipment. Quality control of herbal drugs and herbal isolates (tinctures, extracts, and essential oils) is done according to the requirements of Pharmacopoeia and other relevant regulations. The scope of phy- topreparation quality control depends on its pharmaceutical form. The formulation of a new phytopreparation is a process that has strictly defined phases: from analysis of liter - ature and market, through defining recipes, validation of the production process, quality control of a final product to the preparation of technological and registration documents. The aim of this chapter is to present the process of herbal preparations production from selecting plant raw materials to herbal remedies (on the examples of making tea, tea mix- ture, drops, gels, and capsules).


The paper describes the relationship between the solutions of Maxwell's equations which can be considered at least locally as plane waves and the curvilinear coordinates of geometrical optics; it generalizes the results achieved by Lüneburg, concerning the evolution of surfaces of electromagnetic fields discontinuities. If vectors and are orthogonal to each other and their directions do not change with time t, but may vary from point to point in the domain G, then under some conditions there is an orthogonal coordinate system in which -lines represent rays of geometrical optics, -lines point out -direction and, -lines point out -direction. This coordinate system will be called phase-ray coordinate system. In the article, it will be proved that field under study can be represented by two scalar functions. The article will also specify the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a coordinate system, generated by the solution of Maxwell's equations with the holonomic field of the Poynting vector. It is shown that the class of solutions of Maxwell's equations, as described in this work, includes monochromatic polarized waves, and the Hilbert–Courant solutions and their generalizations.


A network facsimile system comprising a communication terminal and a relay server. The network is configured so that the facsimile communication system terminal can send a picture to a destination outside of the terminal through the relay server network fax system, a communication terminal in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol to send one image to the relay server. The relay server transmits the image to a destination terminal in accordance with a facsimile communication protocol. The communication terminal includes a notification system, the notification system to inform a user operating the communication terminal state information to the relay server in the operating cycle, the operation state information indicates a state of operating a network facsimile system, the relay server is run cycles after completion of transmission of an image from a communication terminal to a relay server and a period before the end of the image sent from the server to the relay network facsimile system outside the destination terminal.


We report one case of "sex-cord stromal tumor" composed by Leydig and Sertoli cells. An epidermoid cyst of the testicle will be described. Finally, a case of scrotal leiomyoma is reported.


Background: Hip and knee arthroplasty procedures are successful surgical procedures, with total hip arthroplasty being named the operation of the 20th century. With there being an estimated rate globally of periprosthetic joint infection of 1% for hips and 2% for knees, this minimal infection rate represents a large global concern. The successful management of periprosthetic joint infection remains controversial with multiple proposed strategies. Our aim is to present our short-term data for a two-stage revision protocol.
Methods: A single centre retrospective review of an existing database starting from January 2013 and including April 2019 was conducted looking at patients having undergone two-stage revision for periprosthetic joint infection. The unit utilised a standard approach to two-stage revisions. Data was collected from the existing database to ascertain short-term success based on the Delphibased international multidisciplinary consensus criteria.
Results: A total of 2 125 entries were reviewed from the database comprising 1 912 primary arthroplasty procedures. From all revision cases 19 patients were identified to have undergone a two-stage revision by our unit. Of these patients we managed to collect sufficient data to gauge treatment success in 12 patients. Of these 12 patients with a mean follow-up of 25.6 months, ten reported complete wound healing, pain improvement and no subsequent surgery. One patient demised from septic complications and one required subsequent arthrodesis which controlled the sepsis.
Conclusion: Our results showed a high infection eradication rate following our two-staged revision protocol despite frequent delays between first and second stages as a result of resource constraints and limitations.
Level of evidence: Level 4


BACKGROUND
The Local Diagnostic Reference Levels (LDRLs) form an efficient, concise and powerful standard for optimizing the radiation protection of a patient.

OBJECTIVES
To calculate the Entrance Surface Doses (ESDs) received by patients undergoing PA chest X-ray examinations in major public hospitals in Addis Ababa, thereby to establish the first Ethiopian LDRLs as part of ongoing dose reduction program.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The entrance dose in air per examination was measured in eight hospitals comprising nine X-ray units and a sample of 192 radiographs. The entrance dose in air was measured using dositime dx X-ray Digital Dosimeter and Exposure Time Meter. The data were analyzedstatistically, and the minimum, median, mean, maximum, and third quartile values of ESDs are reported Finally, the proposed LDRLs are compared with the international reference dose values reported by the Commission for European Community (CEC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB).

RESULTS
The third quartile value of the distribution of mean doses at individual hospitals participating in this survey is found to be 1.08 milligray (mGy). Hospitals mean ESDs for PA chest X-ray examination is found with the range of 0.0.76 to 1.48 mGy. Most of the ESD measured doses were slightly greater than the NRPB, CEC and IAEA reference doses.

CONCLUSION
The results of the present study indicate a need for Quality Assurance (QA) programs to be undertaken to avert considerable cost and high patient doses. The results are useful to national and professional organizations and can be used as a baseline upon which future dose measurements may be compared.


Abstract Nanoscale structural features of amorphous zircon and pyrochlore produced by self-irradiation induced amorphization have been characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Electron density fluctuations were observed in the untreated samples and studied as a function of annealing temperature (up to 1300 °C). In untreated zircon, density fluctuations were found to have a characteristic length-scale of approximately 1 nanometer diameter. A clear scattering maximum develops at ∼3 nm–1 as a function of the degree of damage, but only for amorphous fractions higher than 70%. For the untreated pyrochlore sample such a strong signal was not observed in the scattering function. As annealing temperature increases, phase segregation is observed in zircon with a clear nucleation at 850 °C of zirconia grains. The SAXS contribution, however, points towards a lower nucleation temperature, ca. 700 °C. In the pyrochlore structure, at temperatures as low as 300 °C the appearance of a first crystalline phase, Ca2Nb2O7, is observed, with the subsequent crystallization of TiO2 at 800 °C. Observed electron density variations are compared between the two structures and discussed in terms of nanoscale phase segregation phenomena.


Bacterial genomic DNA has recently been shown to elicit a highly evolved immune defense. This response can be selectively triggered for a wide range of therapeutic applications, including use as a vaccine adjuvant to immunotherapies for allergy, cancer, and infectious diseases. Previously, we identified a low-concentration immune synergistic oligodeoxynucleotide (iSN-ODN, named iSN34) from Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG that has immunosynergistic activity upon costimulation of target cells with ligands of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). Here, we extend that observation by demonstrating the synergistic induction (in mouse splenocytes) of IL-6 by the combination of iSN34 with cell wall components of bacteria and fungi. We observed that splenocytes pretreated with iSN34 and then costimulated with agonists for TLR1/2 (Pam3 CSK4 ), TLR4 (lipopolysaccharide), or TLR2/6 (Zymosan) exhibited enhanced accumulation of IL-6. These results suggested that the combination of iSN34 with TLR1/2, TLR4, or TLR2/6 agonists may permit the induction of a potent immune response.


We consider non-compact branes in topological string theories on a class of Calabi-Yau spaces including the resolved conifold and its mirror. We compute the amplitudes of the insertion of non-compact Lagrangian branes in the A-model on the resolved conifold in the context of the topological vertex as well as the melting crystal picture. They all agree with each other and also agree with the results from Chern-Simons theory, supporting the large N duality. We find that they obey the Schrodinger equation confirming the wavefunction behavior of the amplitudes. We also compute the amplitudes of the non-compact B-branes in the DV matrix model which arises as a B-model open string field theory on the mirror manifold of the deformed conifold. We take the large N duality to consider the B-model on the mirror of the resolved conifold and confirm the wave function behavior of this amplitude. We find appropriate descriptions of non-compact branes in each model, which give complete agreements among those amplitudes and clarify the salient features including the role of symmetries toward these agreements.


Should Islamic Law be introduced into Western legal system? At the heart of the issue is a debate on legal pluralism, which envisions a society where different laws apply to different religious groups. This paper explores question using the British case of Sharia Councils. Building on the author's knowledge of the situation of women in Middle Eastern and Islamic countries, she undertook firsthand analysis of the Islamic Sharia councils and Muslim arbitration tribunals in various British cities. She offers a pointed critique of legal pluralism, highlighting the type of Islamic law being used and its human rights ramifications.


The paper deals with the tales on the origins of Japanese Buddhism from the 11th scroll of the Konjaku monogatari shū (early 12th century). Particular attention is paid to the stories about Saichō (767–822) and Kūkai (774–835), the founders of the Tendai and Shingon schools, thinkers, whose writings have built two versions of the doctrine of the Buddhist ritual aimed at "state protection" and "benefits in this world." From the elements familiar to the Western reader – "lives, opinions and sayings," according to Laertius, – in these stories the first one dominates. Brief information about the doctrines of the famous teachers in Konjaku is embedded in the narrative about their practical activities. The objectives of this activity are, firstly, to adopt in China and root in Japan the Chinese traditions of Buddhist practice, which go back to the Indian models; secondly, to arrange monasteries and monastic orders best suited to serve the country and its inhabitants. The legends about Saichō and Kūkai in Konjaku are placed in context of the narratives about the builders of temples and about the monks who visited the mainland in search of Buddha's Teaching. This context helps to understand the principle of selecting (pseudo)biographical details for each of the sages in Konjaku. The themes of a wonderful birth and early learning successes are common in these stories; the theme of appeasement of kami deities or the treaty with them also sounds in many of these stories. In the legends about Kukai and Saichō, the themes of the arts in its Buddhist meaning (calligraphy, sculpture) and the separation of the school within the Buddhist community are also important: according to the plan of their founders, the "secret" schools, preaching enlightenment for all, follow their own special path of practice.


Bayesian networks are being used in various domains, such as data mining, diagnosis, bioinformatics/computational biology, etc. One problem associated with Bayesian networks is to learn their structures from training data. In this paper, we introduce a new approach to structural learning of Bayesian networks, based on hierarchical clustering. We learn the network in hierarchical stages, learning over a subset of the random variables at each stage. Experiments show that this approach learns Bayesian networks faster as compared to curriculum-based learning methods. We show a comparison of our networks with curriculum based learned Bayesian networks over different evaluation metrics as well. Also, performance of hierarchical clustering vs an existing ordering-based algorithm is observed. CHAPTER


The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the relationship between short-term intakes of Taurine. Amino Acid with neuromuscular fatigue and athletic performance after maximal athletic activity. To serve the purpose of this research, 20 professional squash players (all male, mean age of 25.1 ± 12.24 years, height ratio of 63.4 ± 59.174 cm, weight of 97.8 ± 52.71 kg, BMI of 19.2 ± 40.23 kg per square meter and body fat percentage of 21.1 ± 81.11) volunteered and were divided to two random groups: supplement and placebo, experiencing maximal athletic activity before and after amino acid intake. Both the supplement and placebo (starch) groups were provided with apparently identical 1gram capsules. Volunteers were monitored to take 5 capsules per day for a week. Supplementation was double-blind, and the assistant researcher was the only one who knew about the real content of every capsule. Post-test was conducted immediately after the supplementation period was terminated under exactly the same conditions of pre-test. A paired t-test was organized to determine the changes in groupinternal dependent variables prior and posterior to test, while an independent t-test was performed to observe differences in performance of the experimental and control volunteers. The significance level was set at p <0.05. The results showed that short-term supplementation of taurine amino acid is effective upon reducing neuromuscular fatigue (p=0.002), choice reaction time (p= 0.012) and blood lactate accumulation (p=0.000) after performing maximal athletic activity. The results in this research support the statement that the supplementation of taurine can be suggested to improve performance in fast alternative exercises.


The dynamic and energetic behavior of an initiation site of protein folding (helix I/loop I fragment of barnase) isolated from the tertiary environment of the rest protein is investigated in a 1 ns molecular dynamics simulation. All atom representation, explicit solvent description, and periodic boundary conditions are applied. In the course of the simulation several steps of structural disintegration are observed, followed by events partially rebuilding the initial structure. The phase of disintegration results in a fragment conformation completely lacking hydrogen bonds, with one residue in the center of the helix changed from alpha to beta conformation. The transition state of helix disintegration is characterized by a complete i-->i + 4/i + 5 hydrogen bonding network which undergoes gradual hydrolysis starting at the solvent exposed flank and proceeding towards the interior of the fragment perpendicular to the axis of the helix. Energetic analysis of the helix transitions shows that the i-->i + 4/i-->i + 5 network of hydrogen bonds accommodates one helical residue in beta conformation with only slightly worse hydrogen bonding energy and Van der Waals packing compared to the regular alpha-helix. The stability of the fragment is primarily due to hydrophobic interactions of residues shown to be essential in mutagenesis experiments.


Genotypic × environment (G × E) interactions in 35 indigenous line of elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius Dennst Nicolson) were evaluated for two consecutive years of 2007 and 2008 under four environments in randomized block design (RBD) for yield, plant height, weight of corm, size of corm, dry matter and starch content. Mean squares deviation due to environment and environment linear variations were highly significant for all the traits. Linear component of genotype × environment interaction assumed importance for weight of corm, size of corm and yield. Thus, the prediction of the genotypes in the environments appeared to be feasible for all the characters under study. G × E interaction was found to be significant for dry matter and starch content indicating that these quality contributing traits were highly influenced by the change in environment leading to extension of analysis for estimating stability parameters. All traits significantly observed for environment + (genotype × environment) interaction confirming the influence of environment and suggesting the existence of considerable variation among genotypes as well as environments. On the basis of all three stability parameters (xi, bi and S2di), the genotype NDA-9 possesses high mean, nearer to unit regression and non-significant low deviation from regression. With respect to yield on the basis of all three adaptability parameters, it is evident that the genotype NDA-9 is stable as it possesses high mean, nearer to unit regression and non-significant low deviation from regression. Whereas the highest yielding genotype NDA-35 showed above average sensitivity and low deviation from regression, this genotype could be considered as a suitable for favorable environmental condition.

 Key words: Stability analysis, genotypic × environment interaction, adaptability, yield, quality traits, elephant foot yam.


What does it mean to look at the monstrous? For many people, monstrous embodiment in its many forms arouses discomfort that is more or less successfully managed through the medium of our differential senses. While the creation of an interval between self and other through sight and representation allows for a reassuring self-security, there is also the sense of a certain destabilising 'yuk' factor present. Yet, our persistent fascination with the monstrous speaks to a profound longing that may manifest not just in curiosity about the strange, but as a form of desire. In critical cultural studies, the complications of Freudian and Lacanian desire clearly provide a platform for understanding the seductiveness of the monstrous, but are now more often surpassed by the celebration of a reconfigured and wholly positive desire in its Deleuzian sense. At the same time our longing for the monstrous denotes a desire for the grasp of knowledge and for the domestication of anomaly. As such I want to expand on the familiar uneasiness that showing images of the monstrous potentially provokes and its putative encouragement of an undoubted voyeurism, to engage instead with a Derridean exhortation to preserve the strangeness, and with an reparative reading through Deleuze that offers reasons to be hopeful.


The factor V deficiency is a very rare hereditary disease of the coagulation, which is accompanied by a high hemorrhagic risk in the event of delivery and in the post-partum. We report the case of a woman having a factor V deficiency which had a pregnancy, and which gave birth by Cesarean, as replacement therapy we proposed the transfusion of 20 mL/kg of fresh frozen plasma before surgery and of 5 mL/kg by 12 h during 7 days in post-partum, this attitude allowed to avoid the hemorrhagic complications.


In order to measure refractive errors in infants who cannot be measured by the conventional refractor, we have devised a portable automatic infrared refractor. This device has four unique advantages. The first is that an examiner can measure refractive states at any position. The second is an auto-start system. The third is that this device enables the patient to look at an external fixation object through the half-mirror of the handipiece. The fourth is its portability. From the measurements on 44 infant subjects, a good correlation between this device and the conventional refractor was obtained. The specifications are: minimal pupil diameter, 2.9 mm; measurement range: spherical power +/- 20 D, cylindrical power +/- 7 D. We believe that this device has wide applicability in clinical examination. For example, we can use this device for measurements of refractive states during cataract surgery.


Functional overload and anabolic steroid administration induce signaling pathways that regulate skeletal muscle RhoA expression. The purpose of this study was to determine RhoA and associated protein expression at the onset of disuse and after a brief period of reloading. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to cage control (Con), 3 days of hindlimb suspension (Sus), or 3 days of hindlimb suspension with 12 h of reloading (12-h Reload). The reloading stimuli consisted of 12 h of resumed normal locomotion after 3 days of hindlimb suspension. Plantaris muscle-to-body weight (mg/g) ratio decreased 17% from Con with Sus but returned to Con with 12-h Reload, increasing 13% from Sus. Sus decreased RhoA protein concentration 46%, whereas 12-h Reload induced a 24% increase compared with Sus. The ratio of cytosolic- to membrane-associated RhoA protein was not changed with either Sus or 12-h Reload. RhoA mRNA concentration was decreased 48% by Sus, and 12-h Reload induced a 170% increase from Sus. beta(1)-Integrin protein, a transmembrane protein associated with RhoA activation, was not altered by Sus but increased 155% with 12-h Reload. Although beta(1)-integrin mRNA was not altered by Sus, it increased 70% from Con with 12-h Reload. Rho family member Cdc42 protein associated with the muscle membrane was decreased 60% with Sus, and 12-h Reload induced a 172% increase compared with Sus. In conclusion, decreased RhoA protein expression and mRNA abundance are early adaptations to disuse but recover rapidly after normal locomotion is resumed.


SETTING
An urban out-patient clinic in Durban, South Africa, providing community-based treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB).

OBJECTIVE
To describe concordance between patient report and clinician documentation of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to treatment for multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

DESIGN
ADRs were documented by interview using an 18-item symptom checklist and medical record data abstraction during a cross-sectional parent study with 121 MDR-TB patients, 75% of whom were co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Concordance was analyzed using Cohen's κ statistic, Gwet's agreement coefficient (AC) 1, and McNemar's test.

RESULTS
ADRs were reported much more frequently in patient interviews (μ = 8.6) than in medical records (μ = 1.4). Insomnia was most common (67% vs. 2%), followed by peripheral neuropathy (65% vs. 18%), and confusion (61 vs. 4%). κ scores were very low, with the highest degree of concordance found in hearing loss (κ = 0.23), which was the only ADR not found to be significantly different between the two data sources (P = 0.34).

CONCLUSIONS
Our study showed a lack of concordance between patient report and clinician documentation of ADRs. These findings indicate the need for improved documentation of ADRs to better reflect patients' experiences during MDR-TB treatment. These data have important implications for country-level pharmacovigilance programs that rely on clinician documentation of ADRs for MDR-TB policy formation.


The object of the author in preparing the models, was to employ to advantage a considerable accumulation of local details relating to the structure and contour of this district, and thus to exhibit, in the most instructive form, a faithful representation of a part of the South Welsh Coal Field. To avoid confusion, and to convey a distinct illustration of geological arrangement, as well as of natural features and artificial characters, two models appeared indispensable. One of these, therefore, exhibits the external or pictorial characters of the area selected; the other, which is more immediately interesting to the geologist, develops the internal structure, and the position and inclination of the various mineral and coal strata*. Elevation.—The lowest point shown, is about 350 feet, and the highest 1563 feet above the high-water level of the Usk at Newport. The summit level of the Monmouthshire canal is stated to be 447 feet above the basin at Newport. The Pen Twyn iron-works are situated 179 feet, and the Abersychan furnace 256 feet, higher than the canal summit; and from the latter works to the top of Blaen Sychan the rise is about 900 feet more. The point called Pen Rhiw Ffranch, by spirit level was found to be 890 feet, and by barometrical observation 881 feet, above the canal. The district offers a characteristic specimen, in miniature certainly, of an extensive range of similarly constructed country. Amongst its most striking features are the regular form of the Pens, or promontories, which project


Membrane receptors for the Fc portions of IgG (Fc gamma receptor) and IgM (Fc mu receptor) on leukemic cells in B cell neoplasms in various developmental stages were studied. In 6 out of 7 patients with B-CLL, leukemic cells had both receptors. In macroglobulinemia, leukemic cells had one or the other of Fc gamma and Fc mu receptors. In plasma cell leukemia and plasmacytoma, malignant cells had neither Fc gamma or Fc mu receptors. The disappearance of Fc receptors appears to be associated with B cell differentiation.


Background/Aims: To assess, in a prospective cohort study of 238 renal transplant patients, our hypothesis that elevated ADMA levels may be influenced by physical exercise and obesity. Methods: Blood samples before and after six months were obtained from 116 transplant patients participating in an aerobic exercise (Group I). A control group consisted of 122 matched transplant patients who did not exercise regularly (Group II). Results: There were no significant differences in ADMA levels between both groups before the training program (Group IB vs Group IIB). After six months of exercise, ADMA levels in Group I decreased (Group IB vs Group IA : 3.50 ± 0.45 vs 2.11 ± 0.35μmol/L; p< 0.01) and were lower compared to those in Group II (Group IA vs Group IIA : 2 11 ± 0 23 vs 3 25 ± 0 34μmol/L; p< 0 01) Analysis of our results in obese renal transplant recipients (BMI B 30 kg/m2) confirmed a smaller effect of exercise training (Group IBO vs Group IAO : 3 75 ± 0 52 vs 3 45 ± 0 45; p< 0 05 and Group IAO vs Group IIAO : 3.45 ± 0.45 vs 3.74 ± 0.62; p<0.05). Blood lipids, HbA1C, insulin, and systolic BP were also affected by the training program. Conclusion: Elevated ADMA levels were significantly decreased by early exercise after renal transplantation. The effect of exercise was smaller in obese patients.


Medulloblastoma, once a tumor with a dismal prognosis, is one of the most common primary brain tumors of childhood. As the methods of treatment have been continuously refined, the outcome has improved remarkably during the last few decades. The outcome of 78 medulloblastoma patients, which were managed from 1972 to 1992 at the Department of Neurosurgery of Seoul National University Hospital, were analyzed to calculate the 3-year and 5-year survival rates (3yS and 5yS). Of those, 52 cases which were treated after July 1982 were studied 1) to calculate the 3yS and 5yS, 2) to figure out the prognostic factors of survival, and 3) to investigate the role of adjuvant chemotherapy ('8-drugs-in-a-day' protocol: CCNU, cisplatin, vincristine, hydroxyurea, procarbazine, cytosine arabinoside, methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide). The 3yS and 5yS of the 78 patients were 57.4% and 47.3%, respectively. Of the 52 patients treated after July 1982, the 3yS and 5yS were 67.8% and 64.1%, respectively. The latest recurrence was at 56 months after surgery. All the recurrences were within the risk period of Collins' rule. Of the prognostic factors studied by univariate analysis (age, sex, Chang's classification T- and M-stages, extent of surgical removal, and chemotherapy), Chang's classification M-stage and sex were the statistically significant factors (p = 0.028 and 0.024 respectively). On multivariate analysis, only the M-stage was statistically significant (p = 0.004). Adjuvant chemotherapy had different influences in different patient groups. Only in the 'poor risk' group, did adjuvant chemotherapy have a strong tendency to better outcome (p = 0.069). Further data collection and analysis will lead to better treatment modalities and better outcome for this most common primary malignant brain tumor in childhood.


This paper studies the problem of electing a small number of representatives (council) out of a (possible large) group of anonymous candidates. The problem arises in scenarios such as multicast where, to avoid feedback implosion, a small subset of the receivers is chosen to provide feedback on network conditions. We present several algorithms for this problem and analyze the expected number of messages and rounds required for their convergence. In particular, we present an algorithm that almost always converges in one round using a small number of messages (for typical council size) when the number of hosts is known. In the case where the number of hosts is unknown (and too large to be polled), our algorithms converge in a small number of rounds that improves previous results by Bolot et al. (1994).