Glutathione status and its relationship to protein synthesis during water deficit and subsequent rehydration have been examined in the drought-tolerant moss, Tortula ruralis. During slow drying there is a small decrease in total glutathione but the percentage of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) increases. During rapid drying there is little change in total glutathione but a small increase in GSSG. On rehydration of slowly dried moss, GSSG rapidly declines to normal level. But when rapidly dried moss is rehydrated, there is an immediate, sharp increase in GSSG as a percentage of total glutathione. After 2 hours of rehydration GSSG starts declining and reaches a normal level in about 6 hours. When an increasing degree of steady state water deficit is imposed on the moss tissue with polyethylene glycol 6000, there is a progressive decrease in protein synthesis but an increase in oxidized glutathione. When 5 millimolar GSSG is supplied exogenously during rehydration of rapidly dried or slowly dried moss, protein synthesis is strongly inhibited. In vitro protein synthesis supported by moss mRNA is also inhibited by more than 85% by 150 micromolar GSSG. The role of glutathione status in water deficit-induced inhibition of protein synthesis is discussed.


The telecentric camera has found extensive application in microscopy imaging due to its remarkable attributes of maintaining constant magnification and minimal distortion within its depth of field. In telecentric imaging technology, the accuracy of measurements frequently hinges upon the calibration precision of the telecentric camera. In real-world scenarios, the shallow depth of field characteristic of telecentric cameras often leads to out-of-focus targets during the capturing process, which in turn results in the inability to accurately extract pixel coordinates of feature points, making it difficult for optimization algorithms to converge to the optimal value. We propose a nonlinear optimization algorithm based on pixel coordinates of optimized feature points for bitelecentric cameras. Incorporating pixel coordinates into the optimization process yields the theoretically optimal solution based on bitelecentric camera model. The obtained pixel coordinates are used for second initial value estimation, followed by the optimization of all parameters. Compared to existing methods, the proposed approach significantly reduces reprojection errors under both blurry and clear target conditions. Experimental results demonstrate superior performance in processing blurry defocused images.


The presence of oil-pressboard interface has been associated with creepage discharge in large power transformers. Creeping discharge or surface discharge is considered as a serious fault condition that can lead to catastrophic failure under normal operating conditions. The studies on this fault condition are normally on the inception and extinction voltage under AC voltages. Recently, there are interest on the white marks formation and leakage current during the surface discharges. On the other hand, most studies related to creepage discharges under lightning impulse (LI) voltages focused on the pre-breakdown streamer propagation. The use of LI voltages is important in standard material breakdown test such as multiple-level method in IEC 60060-1. This paper investigates the partial discharge (PD) behaviour in the bulk oil and at the oil-pressboard interface from accumulative effect of breakdown test by using different configurations of electrodes. A point-plane electrode is used to study the PD behaviour in the oil bulk, whilst two setup of needle-bar electrode, i.e. needle placed in parallel with the pressboard surface and needle place at an angle close to the horizontal of pressboard are used to study the creepage discharge behaviour at the oil-pressboard interface. In addition, the PD behaviour under certain level of negative LI voltage that less than the statistical withstand voltage (SWV) is also studied by measuring the PD current using radio frequency current transformer (RFCT).


ABSTRACT Eukaryotic elongation factor 1 alpha 2 (eEF1A2) is a transforming gene product that is highly expressed in human tumors of the ovary, lung, and breast. eEF1A2 also stimulates actin remodeling, and the expression of this factor is sufficient to induce the formation of filopodia, long cellular processes composed of bundles of parallel actin filaments. Here, we find that eEF1A2 stimulates formation of filopodia by increasing the cellular abundance of cytosolic and plasma membrane-bound phosphatidylinositol-4,5 bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]. We have previously reported that the eEF1A2 protein binds and activates phosphatidylinositol-4 kinase III beta (PI4KIIIβ), and we find that production of eEF1A2-dependent PI(4,5)P2 and generation of filopodia require PI4KIIIβ. Furthermore, PI4KIIIβ is itself capable of activating both the production of PI(4,5)P2 and the creation of filopodia. We propose a model for extrusion of filopodia in which eEF1A2 activates PI4KIIIβ, and activated PI4KIIIβ stimulates production of PI(4,5)P2 and filopodia by increasing PI4P abundance. Our work suggests an important role for both eEF1A2 and PI4KIIIβ in the control of PI(4,5)P2 signaling and actin remodeling.


In this talk I review theoretical predictions for CP violation in non-leptonic hyperon decays in the Standard Model and models beyond. In the Standard Model the CP violating observable $A$ in the polarization asymmetries of $\Lambda \to p \pi^-$ and $\Xi^- \to \Lambda \pi^-$ decays are predicted to be in the ranges $(-0.61\sim 6.8)\times 10^{-5}$ and $-(0.1\sim 1)\times 10^{-5}$, respectively. These ranges are below the sensitivity of $1.4\times 10^{-4}$ for $A(\Lambda^0_-)+A(\Xi^0_-)$ for E871 experiment at Fermilab. When going beyond the SM, such as, Supersymmetric and Left-Right symmetric models, $A$ can be as large as $10^{-3}$ and a few times of $10^{-4}$, respectively. Studies of hyperon decays can provide important information about CP violation.


Visual tracking in the real world is challenging with unavoidable background interference, target orientation variations and scale changes. Spatial information needs to be exploited to increase robustness; however, current methods such as "Spatiogram" suffer from the large complexity of spatial covariance calculation. Recently, joint distribution representation has been used to estimate target orientation and scale, but this representation is at the expense of losing position localization information. A new framework is proposed for target model representation by employing multiple kernel centers (MKC) within the kernel window. By employing MKC, spatial information is implicitly embedded. Steepest gradient ascent is used to track the target position, orientation and scale simultaneously. Using an adaptive stepsize in the gradient ascent iteration, the proposed method inherits the desirable properties of the mean shift approach and shows a fast convergence rate. The experimental results in several challenging scenarios demonstrate its robustness and superiority to previous technique.


Primary, secondary, and tertiary reinforcement contribute to the maintenance of smoking behaviour and may influence the efficacy of different cessation treatments. This analysis examined these relationships in a large general population sample and investigated how previous experiences of the different reinforcement mechanisms impacted future quit attempts. Random digit telephone dialing was used to recruit a sample of Canadian adults who smoked and were interested in being part of a hypothetical program that would provide nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches free by mail and half of the eligible participants were randomized to actually receive a five-week supply of NRT patches. During the interviews, reasons for relapse to smoking during previous quit attempts were collected and coded by two reviewers (disagreements were settled by a third reviewer). Binary logistic regression was used to determine if type of reinforcer moderated the intervention effect of the patches. Participants who made cessation attempts in the past year were more likely to report negative (p = .039), secondary (p = .041), and tertiary (p = .010) reinforcers and less likely to report positive reinforcers (p = .016) compared to those who did not attempt to quit. Logistic regressions revealed no significant conditional effects of the intervention on the relationship between reinforcer type and quit attempts or 30-day smoking abstinence. Analysis including all three reinforcers showed negative reinforcers decreased but tertiary reinforcers increased the odds participants reported a cessation attempt before the baseline interview and between baseline and 8-weeks. Understanding the different ways nicotine reinforces smoking behaviour could help guide individuals to more effective treatment options.


The writing of Maria Sandel, Sweden's first female working class writer, is centering on the working class women and children in the major Swedish cities during the first decades of the twentieth century. The moralistic ideal of good character, especially when it comes to sex, that permeates her stories can be traced to the Social Democratic working class movement's strive to approach the bourgeois middle class as a method of struggle in order to lift the working class. Here, the women and their roles as housewives came into focus. In controlling the women, the bourgeois thought that they, through them, also could control their husbands and sons and prevent them from joining revolutionary mass movements. Sandel draws a clear line between the women that succeed in living a moral and sexually abstinent life, and those who live out their sexuality. One of her explanations of the coarsening of the working class was the conditions they were working under in the factories. The work, but also the public life, is described as the antipode to the normative life at home. Another explanation is the parents' failure in raising their sons and daughters to be responseble, hard working and class-conscious members of the working class. Even though Sandel's stories can be read as an attempt to form a working class identity
that would be an alternative to that of the bourgeois, fact is, there are many similarities between the two. The conclusion of this thesis is that it is not possible to find a single solution to the "problem of sexuality", as it is described in Sandel's five novels and one collection of short stories. Instead, three possible alternatives are tried. Even though Sandel highlights the abstinent matriarchy as well as the sexual affirmation as two possible solutions, fact is that most of the portrayals revolve around the marriage and the heterosexual, bourgeois nuclear family.


Ewing sarcoma (EWS), the second most frequent bone cancer, is an aggressive primitive neuroectodermal tumor that occurs primarily in children, adolescents and young adults. A pathognomonic translocation involving the EWS gene on chromosome 22 and the ETS-type gene FLI1 on chromosome 11 occurs in about 85% of cases. The EWS/FLI1 fusion protein product of this translocation is a potent transcription factor that functions as an oncoprotein. The current study uses complementary approaches of high-throughput siRNA mediated RNAi and Investigational Agents screening to identify new therapeutic strategies for Ewing sarcoma. For RNAi screening the TC32 cell line, a well-characterized EWS cell line that expresses the EWS-FLI1 fusion transcript, was assayed for cell viability (CellTiterGlo, Promega) 72 hrs post siRNA transfection using a library of siRNAs corresponding to the genes encoding proteins with kinase function, three siRNA per gene (Ambion). Fifteen kinase genes were identified as inducing a significant decrease in the survival of TC32 cells when silenced by RNAi. These genes were chosen for validation in further EWS lines and two non-EWS cell lines. Using a cut off of a 40% or greater decrease in cell viability induced by two or more siRNAs per gene in at least at one EWS cell line eleven genes of interest were identified: PLK1, AURKB, AKT1, CDC2L1, CRKRS, ATP6VOB, CDC2L5, AURKA, CHEK1, NRBP2 and CDK4. The importance of several of these kinases in the survival of EWS cell lines was confirmed by an independent high-throughput screen of 63 human pediatric and adult sarcoma lines, including 19 EWS lines, with the Approved Oncology Drugs (AOD) library of compounds and an Investigational Agents library (350 agents) using inhibition of proliferation as an endpoint. Cells were exposed to compounds at varying concentrations (10μM to 1.5nM) for 96 h and the effect of compound on cell viability was monitored using Alamar Blue. The IC50 (50% growth inhibitory) concentrations of each agent on the cell lines were determined using curve fitting algorithms. Compared to the other sarcoma lines, the EWS lines were: more sensitive to eight Aurora kinase inhibitors (IC50 ∼0.05 µM) (IC50 ∼2.5 µM);more sensitive (IC50 ∼0.1 µM) to five checkpoint kinase (CHK) inhibitors (IC50 about 1.3 µM); and more sensitive to eight polo-like kinase (PLK1) inhibitors. These results demonstrate the power of integrating RNAi and compound inhibition studies to identify molecular targets for specific cancer types. We are currently further evaluating the inhibition of the mitosis-associated proteins identified by these complementary screening approaches as a strategy for the treatment EWS. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):C222. Citation Format: Amy McCalla, Patrick Grohar, Scott Martin, Eugen Buehler, Suntae Kim, Natasha Caplen, Joel Morris, Mark Kunkel, David Evans, Anne Monks, Beverly Teicher, Lee Helman. The identification of kinase targets in Ewing sarcoma cell lines using RNAi and high-throughput investigational agents screens. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C222.


Much progress has been made in nuclear medicine that involves the use of radionuclides for both diagnosis and therapy. Because of this qualitative and quantitative growth, the adoption of a set of established radionuclides for various applications, the methods of nuclide production need to be addressed and consideration given to other, emerging radionuclides that are judged to be developing in importance. The methods involved are characterized by the transmutation of isotopes by neutron-induced reactions and decays. Therefore, newly evaluated cross sections, fission yields and decay characteristics of relevance to the reactor production of those therapeutic radionuclides have been reviewed. Considerations of the decay schemes of all the nuclides involved are also included.


The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is the world's largest Phanerozoic accretionary orogen and is the most important site for juvenile crustal growth in the Phanerozoic. In this work, we employed U-Pb zircon geochronology to identify the early and middle Mesozoic intraplate granitic intrusive events in the Chinese Altai segment of the southern CAOB in order to better understand the crustal architecture of the CAOB. We also used whole-rock geochemical, Sr-Nd isotopic and zircon Hf isotopic data to constrain the generation for these granitic rocks and to evaluate the implications for vertical crustal growth in this region. The Early Mesozoic granitic intrusions were emplaced between 220 and 200 Ma in the central Altai "microcontinental terrane" (also widely referred to as Units 2 and 3). The granites have shoshonitic and high-K calc-alkaline affinities and show the characteristics of differentiated I-type granite. The whole-rock initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7058-0.7128) and εNd(210) values (−0.6 to −4.3), as well as the zircon εHf(t) values (−4.0 to +5.0) and two-stage Hf model ages (0.94-1.52 Ga), suggest that the granitic magmas were produced from a mixed source with both mantle-derived and recycled crustal components. The middle Mesozoic granites were emplaced at ∼150 Ma in the southern Altai "accretionary terrane" (Units 4 and 5). They show A-type characteristics with the REE tetrad effect and have positive εNd(151) whole-rock values of +1.0 to +5.2 and two-stage Nd model ages (TDM2) of 0.6 to 1.0 Ga. Zircon Hf data show positive zircon εHf(151) values of +1 to +8 and two-stage Hf model ages of 0.6 to 1.2 Ga. The Nd-Hf isotopic data suggest that the granitic magmas were derived from short-lived juvenile mantle-derived materials. Thus, the isotopic signatures of all the Mesozoic granites from the central (old terrane) and southern (young accretional terrane) Altai suggest that the basement of both terranes has retained its original nature. The data further imply that the Altai orogen has kept its original architecture of Paleozoic horizontal accretion during Mesozoic time, as commonly observed in accretionary orogens where horizontal tectonics are dominant. All the early Mesozoic intrusions in the Altai were emplaced in an intraplate anorogenic setting; hence are distinguished from the contemporaneous syn- or post-orogenic magmatism in the eastern CAOB. We conclude that the early Mesozoic granites in the CAOB were emplaced in a variety of tectonic settings.


Review Essay "Drug Use and Responses to it in History" David T. Courtwright. Forces of Habit: Drugs and the Making of the Modern World. Richard Davenport‐Hines. The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics. Africa and the Middle East Ch. Didier Gondola. The History of the Congo. The Americas Kenneth R. Bowling and Donald R. Kennon, eds. The House & Senate in the 1790s: Petitioning, Lobbying, and Institutional Development. Anne M. Boylan. The Origins of Women's Activism: New York and Boston, 1797–1840. Sherri Broder. Tramps, Unfit Mothers, and Neglected Children: Negotiating the Family in Nineteenth‐Century Philadelphia. Thomas E. Chávez. Spain and the Independence of the United States: An Intrinsic Gift. Christopher H. Evans and William R. Herzog II. The Faith of 50 Million: Baseball, Religion, and American Culture. Hugh E. Evans. The Hidden Campaign: FDR's Health and the 1944 Election. Max Evans. Madam Millie: Bordellos from Silver City to Ketchikan. Paul Foos. A Short, Offhand, Killing Affair: Soldiers and Social Conflict During the Mexican‐American War. Michael J. Gonzales. The Mexican Revolution, 1910–1940. Barry Gough. Fighting Sail on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay: The War of 1812 and Its Aftermath. Wilbert L. Jenkins. Climbing Up to Glory: A Short History of African‐Americans During the Civil War and Reconstruction. Clayton E. Jewett. Texas in the Confederacy: An Experiment in Nation Building. Marjoleine Kars. Breaking Loose Together: The Regulator Rebellion in Pre‐Revolutionary North Carolina. Sarah A. Leavitt. From Catharine Beecher to Martha Stewart: A Cultural History of Domestic Advice. Mitchell B. Lerner. The Pueblo Incident: A Spy Ship and the Failure of American Foreign Policy. Tim Maga. America Attacks Japan: The Invasion That Never Was. James M. McPherson. Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam. Rusty L. Monhollon. "This Is America?": The Sixties in Lawrence, Kansas. Edmund S. Morgan. Benjamin Franklin. Iwan Morgan. Nixon. Alexander Nemerov. The Body of Raphaelle Peale: Still Life and Selfhood, 1812–1824. Thomas C. Parramore. First to Fly: North Carolina and the Beginnings of Aviation. Donald J. Pisani. Water and American Government: The Reclamation Bureau, National Water Policy, and the West, 1902–1935. Sarah J. Purcell. Sealed with Blood: War, Sacrifice, and Memory in Revolutionary America. David Rock. State Building and Political Movement in Argentina, 1860–1916. Hal Rothman. Neon Metropolis: How Las Vegas Started the Twenty‐First Century. Jeffrey Sklansky. The Soul's Economy: Market Society and Selfhood in American Thought, 1820–1920. Gene Smiley. Rethinking the Great Depression. John Stauffer. The Black Hearts of Men: Radical Abolitionists and the Transformation of Race. Julia E. Sweig. Inside the Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro and the Urban Underground. Conevery Bolton Valencius. The Health of the Country: How American Settlers Understood Themselves and Their Land. Thomas L. Whigham. Causes and Early Conflict. Volume I of The Paraguayan War. Asia and the Pacific Kenneth Hammond, ed. The Human Tradition in Premodern China. Donald Keene. Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852–1912. Andrei Lankov. From Stalin to Kim Il Sung: The Formation of North Korea, 1945–1960. Hajime Nakamura. History of Japanese Thought. B. R. Nanda. In Search of Gandhi: Essays and Reflections. Maurizio Peleggi. Lords of Things: The Fashioning of the Siamese Monarchy's Modern Image. Europe Jan Assman, Andrew Jenkins trans. The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs. Roman Brackman. The Secret File of Joseph Stalin: A Hidden Life. Victor Brombert. Trains of Thought: Memories of a Stateless Youth. Robert Bartlett, ed. Life and Miracles of St. Modwenna. Arne Sø Christensen. Cassiodorus, Jordanes, and the History of the Goths: Studies in a Migration Myth. Barbara Evans Clements, Rebecca Friedman, and Dan Healey. Russian Masculinities in History and Culture. Jamie H. Cockfield. White Crow: The Life and Times of the Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich Romanov, 1859–1919. Steve Craig. Sports and Games of the Ancients. J. A. Everard. Brittany and the Angevins: Province and Empire, 1158–1203. David Garrioch. The Making of Revolutionary Paris. Lawrence Goldman. Science, Reform, and Politics in Victorian Britain: The Social Science Association, 1857–1886. Erich S. Gruen. Diaspora: Jews amongst Greeks and Romans. Catherine Hall. Civilising Subjects: Metropole and Colony in the English Imagination, 1830–1867. Jill Harsin. Barricades: The War of the Streets in Revolutionary Paris, 1830–1848. Ronald Hayman. A Life of Jung. Feiwel Kupferberg. The Rise and Fall of the German Democratic Republic. A. E. MacRobert. Mary, Queen of Scots and the Casket Letters. Peter Marshall. Beliefs and the Dead in Reformation England. Raymond Mentzer and Andrew Spicer, eds. Society and Culture in the Huguenot World, 1559–1685. Fergus Millar. Hannah M. Cotton and Guy M. Rogers, eds. The Roman Republic and the Augustan Revolution. D. Alan Orr. Treason and the State: Law, Politics, and Ideology in the English Civil War. Constantine Pleshakov. The Tsar's Last Armada: The Epic Journey to the Battle of Tsushima. Paul Robinson. The White Russian Army in Exile, 1920–1941. Michael Shermer and Alex Grobman. Denying History: Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It? Jessica Warner. Craze: Gin and Debauchery in an Age of Reason. Diana Webb. Medieval European Pilgrimage. General, Comparative, Historiographical Donald E. Davis and Eugene P. Trani. The First Cold War: The Legacy of Woodrow Wilson in U.S.‐Soviet Relations. Eric M. Freedman. Habeas Corpus: Rethinking the Great Writ of Liberty. Azar Gat. A History of Military Thought: From the Enlightenment to the Cold War. Peter Karsten. Between Law and Custom: "High" and "Low" Legal Cultures in the Lands of the British Diaspora: The United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, 1600–1900. Henryk Kierzkowski. Europe and Globalization. Alan Krell. The Devil's Rope: A Cultural History of Barbed Wire. John A. Lynn. Battle: A History of Combat and Culture From Ancient Greece to Modern America. Patrick Wright. Tank: The Progress of a Monstrous War Machine.


Dialysis catheters continue to play a vital role in the delivery of hemodialysis to patients for both temporary vascular access, serving as a bridge to permanent access, and for long-term access for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). During the past decade, there has been an emergence of technological advancements in the design of dialysis catheters in an attempt to reduce catheter malfunction, decrease infection rates, and improve their long-term efficiency. New improvements in catheter design are aimed at translating into improved catheter performance. This review article summarizes some of the novel catheter designs developed within the last decade.


The in vivo effects of ethanol on lipid synthesis in Escherichia coli have been examined. Under conditions which uncoupled fatty acid synthesis from phospholipid synthesis, ethanol decreased the amount of saturated fatty acids synthesized but had little effect on the selectivity of their incorporation into phospholipids. In the absence of fatty acid degradation and unsaturated fatty acid synthesis, E. coli was still able to adapt its membrane lipids to ethanol, while the inhibition of total fatty acid synthesis eliminated this response. During growth in the presence of ethanol, strain K1060 (an unsaturated fatty acid auxotroph) incorporated an increased amount of exogenous heptadecanoic acid (17:0) to compensate for the reduction in palmitic acid (16:0) available from biosynthesis. Thus, our results indicate that the reduced levels of saturated fatty acids observed in the phospholipids of E. coli following growth in the presence of ethanol result primarily from a decrease in the amounts of saturated fatty acids available for phospholipid synthesis.


It is a very generally accepted view that financial support received from the European Union generates a large growth surplus. The potential effects of the structural funds calculated in model simulations carried out by the European Commission support these positive expectations. However empirical studies of the real effects of the funds are few and far between measuring the growth surpluses attributed to the process of catching up with richer EU economies. The aim of the present paper is to remedy this contradiction, on the following logical basis. First of all the paper examines the processes and types of evaluation that have developed in the EU; it then examines some of the lessons to be drawn concerning the methods of analysis through a closer look of case studies, model simulations and econometric analyses employed. We can state that examinations based on computable general equilibrium models and input-output analyses predict greater growth effects than studies using regression analysis. This is primarily due to the fact that while the results of the model simulations estimate an upper limit for the expected effects – the result that is to be expected if the funds are used appropriately and efficiently –, the results of the econometric analyses reflect the imperfections of real events. The estimates from the first type of study are expected to be higher than the estimates of the second. The differences are not necessarily inconsistent. Rather, the various results are complementary: the potential impact can be set against the actual impact. To bridge the gap is of course the challenge of future reforms of cohesion policy. The conclusion that emerges is that the regional policy intentions are only partly realised, for various reasons, including the crowding out effect of the financial aid, rentseeking behaviour and the moral hazard of the governments involved.


The Bandeiraea simplicifolia lectin I (BSA-I) conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate was used as a histochemical reagent to study the mouse embryos from fertilization to early somitogenesis. No lectin binding could be detected on the embryonic cells in the preimplantation embryo. Lectin labeled intensely the zona pellucida. In the implanting embryos lectin binding was detected along the subtrophectodermal and Reichert's membrane, in the cytoplasm of the parietal and visceral endoderm, and the trophoblastic giant cells, but not in the ectodermal cells. Studies on explanted blastocyts cultured in vitro disclosed that the cytoplasmic BSA-I binding sites in trophoblastic cells develop gradually. In the 9-day somitic embryo BSA-I reacted with epithelial cells of the yolk sac, but not with the mesenchymal cells. A continuity between the lectin-reactive endoderm and the foregut epithelium could be demonstrated. These data indicated that BSA-I lectin can be used as a histochemical probe for endodermal (yolk sac) and trophoblastic differentiation in the peri-implantational mouse embryo.


Several approaches have been introduced in the last few years to tackle the problem of interpreting model-based performance analysis results and translating them into architectural feedback. Typically the interpretation can take place by browsing either the software model or the performance model. In this paper, we compare two approaches that we have recently introduced for this goal: one based on the detection and solution of performance antipatterns, and another one based on bidirectional model transformations between software and performance models. We apply both approaches to the same example in order to illustrate the differences in the obtained performance results. Thereafter, we raise the level of abstraction and we discuss the pros and cons of working on the software side and on the performance side.


Self-dual cyclic codes (Mathematics Subject Classification, 2000: 94B15)form an important class of linear codes due to their significance in coding theory and decoding theory. Recently, there are some papers on cyclic codes over rings, these codes caught the attention of researchers. A. Hammons et al. (1994; 301-319) studied some results on codes, and they have shown a relationship between non-linear binary codes and linear codes. Linear codes over the matrix ring have been studied in the survey of F. Oggier et al. (2012: 734-746). The advantage of matrix rings is that they are non-commutative. On structures of cyclic codes and their dual codes over non-commutative finite rings forms an important and new topic in coding theory in the works of modern scientists within the field (Luo and Parampalli, 2018: 1109-1117; Bhowmick et al., 2018; Alahmadi et al., 2013: 2837-2847; Pal et al., 2019). R. Luo and U. Parampalli (2018: 1109-1117) studied cyclic codes over . Some optimal cyclic codes over  were obtained. S. Bhowmick, S. Bagchi, R.K. Bandi (2018) studied the structures of the ring and then focused on algebraic structures of cyclic codes and self-dual cyclic codes over. A. Alahmadi, H. Sboui, P. Sol´e, O. Yemen (2013) characterized cyclic codes and self-dual cyclic codes over the matrix ring . J. Pal, S. Bhowmick, B. Satya (2019) studied some results on cyclic codes over .
Motivated by R. Luo and U. Parampalli (2018: 1109-1117) and Bhowmick et al., (2018), in this paper, we study self-dual cyclic codes over the matrix ring . The rest of this paper is organized as follows. In section 2, we review some results on the matrix ring, give a Gray map from this ring to. In section 3, we study the dual codes of cyclic codes over . A necessary and sufficient condition for cyclic codes to be self-dual is given. As an application, some self-dual codes over  are obtained by the Gray map.


A description of a detector-based realization of the unit of luminous flux (lumen) at the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) is presented. The realization is based on the absolute integrating-sphere method developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with some modifications. The measurement set-up consists of a 1.65 m integrating sphere, two photometers, a precision aperture and an external luminous-flux source. The characterization and maintenance of the measurement system are described and the uncertainty budget of the realization is presented. The uncertainty analysis indicates a relative expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of 4.7 × 10−3 for the realization. According to the results of an earlier bilateral comparison between the HUT and the NIST, the ratio of the measured luminous flux value of HUT to that of NIST was 1.0006 with an expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of 10 × 10−3, including uncertainties due to realization of the units. Another indirect test measurement indicated a corresponding ratio of 0.9984 with the luminous flux measurements of BIPM with an expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of 11 × 10−3, including uncertainties due to realization of the units.


There is a complex correlation among the data of scientific papers. The phenomenon reveals the data characteristics, laws, and correlations contained in the data of scientific and technological papers in specific fields, which can realize the analysis of scientific and technological big data and help to design applications to serve scientific researchers. Therefore, the research on mining and searching the association relationship of scientific papers based on deep learning has far-reaching practical significance.


The Frieda River prospect is located between the Frieda and Lagaip fault zones, two major structural features of the New Guinea Mobile Belt in the West Sepik District, Papua New Guinea. The prospect can be subdivided into three spatially and geologically different areas: Frieda Complex, Mianmin area, and Nena Diorite area. The Frieda Complex is the remnant volcanic edifice of an island stratovolcano interstratified in the mid-Miocene Wogamush Formation. Intrusive and volcanic units in the complex are texturally similar andesitic hornblende-plagioclase porphyries and are probably comagmatic. Pyritic replacement copper-gold and porphyry copper deposits are associated with early and late phases, respectively, of extensive district-scale advanced argillic alteration along the central axis of the Frieda Complex. The Mianmin area is a separate, unmineralized volcanic center that contains igneous rocks similar to those of the Frieda Complex. The Nena Diorite, a composite, holocrystalline, intermediate to mafic body, intrudes Upper Cretaceous- to Eocene-age basement rocks. It is located north of, and separated from the Frieda Complex by, the Frieda Fault.Igneous activity in the Frieda River prospect extended over an interval of at least 4 m.y. On the basis of field relations and K-Ar ages, this igneous activity is subdivided into early intrusion (17.3 to 16.8 m.y. ago), main intrusion (16.3 to 13.1 m.y. ago), and late alteration (about 12.8 to 11.2 m.y. ago) events. K-Ar ages on alunite appear to be too young to be those of formation of this mineral, and the oldest (13.0 + or - 0.4 m.y.) is interpreted as a minimum age for the Nena pyritic replacement copper-gold deposit. Geothermal activity, which caused district-scale alteration, extended from earlier than 14.0 + or - 0.4 m.y. until about 11.2 + or - 0.2 m.y. ago. The discordance of about 2 m.y. between K-Ar ages of coexisting hornblende and biotite in two diorites is thought to register the cooling history of the hydrothermal system. A K-Ar age of 13.6 + or - 0.4 m.y. was obtained on hornblende from a sample of Horse microdiorite, regarded as the progenitor of porphyry copper mineralization. This age is interpreted as near that of emplacement and provides an older limit for the age of vein-controlled transitional alteration associated with most porphyry copper mineralization. The primary biotite apparent K-Ar age of 11.5 + or - 0.2 m.y. from the same sample is accepted as a younger limit for the age of porphyry copper mineralization.K-Ar ages from the Mianmin area and the Nena Diorite area are very similar to those found for dioritic intrusions in the Frieda Complex.Intrusive and volcanic rocks of the Frieda River prospect exhibit limited compositional variation; they are all of andesitic composition and belong to a normal K calc-alkaline suite. The three geologically distinct areas of the prospect are distinguishable on the basis of rock and mineral chemical differences. Textural and chemical features of the Freida Complex and Mianmin area igneous rocks are compatible, with much of their diversity in lithology and dispersion in chemistry being due to their representing cumulate-melt mixtures. They are thought to have crystallized from hot (>900 degrees C), oxidized magmas which were emplaced at a shallow level in the crust (P total


1. Three thymus 'buds' can be originally distinguished in trout, in the thickened epithelium above the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gill-arches, at the junction of ectoderm and endoderm. 2. Differentiation spreads almost immediately into the ectoderm between the original buds, and a continuous differentiating area is formed which is partly ectodermal and partly endodermal. 3. Repeated division of the epithelial cells, beginning a few days before hatching, gives rise to the small thymus cells. The latter are not derived from immigrating lymphocytes, as has been stated by Hammar and Maximow. 4. Emigration of thymus cells may take place at all ages. 5. Immigration of connective tissue and vascular elements from the mesoderm begins just before hatching, but such immigration is not active till a week later. 6. The large elements in the adult thymus are mesodermal, with the exception of the epithelial cells at the edges, and a few mucus gland-cells, similar to those occurring in the ordinary epithelium. 7. In both male and female trout the thymus undergoes almost complete involution, when the fish is between 2 and 2½ years old. There is no evidence that the time of involution is connected with the time of sexual maturity. The work was done in the Department of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, University Museum, Oxford. My thanks are due to Professor E. S. Goodrich, F.R.S., for reading this paper and making suggestions, and for laboratory facilities, and also to Mr. D. F. Leney of the Surrey Trout Farm for supplying and fixing material. A grant towards the expenses of the work was made by the Christopher Welch Trustees.


Introduction Conclusions References Tables Figures Back Close Full Screen / Esc Printer-friendly Version Interactive Discussion EGU Abstract A pseudotachylyte bounded by a carbonate-matrix implosion breccia was found at a fossilized out-of-sequence thrust in the Shimanto accretionary complex, Japan. This occurrence resulted from the following events: first implosion of host rock due to inter-stitial fluid pressure increase and asymmetric fracturing; second, CaFe -Mg carbonate 5 precipitation; and third, frictional melting. The rock-record suggests that these events took place in a single seismogenic slip event. Resulting from abrupt drop in fluid pressure after implosion, hydro-fracturing and fluid escape, recovered high effective friction promoted melting during fault movement. Coexistence of fluid implosion breccia and pseudotachylyte has never been reported from continental pseudotachylyte, but might 10 be characteristic from hydrous seismogenic faults in subduction zone.


The impact of Moscow Domodedovo Airport wastewater on nearby surface water bodies, nameless streams which are tributaries of the Gnilusha and Muranikha rivers was investigated. Water quality was assessed by 16 indicators, the Specific Combinatorial Water Pollution Index (SCWPI) was also calculated. The quality degree of the studied reservoirs was determined.


Radio astronomy forms an interesting application area for array signal processing techniques. Current synthesis imaging telescopes consist of a small number of identical dishes, which track a fixed patch in the sky and produce estimates of the time-varying spatial covariance matrix. The observations are distorted by RFI, e.g., radio, TV, radar and satellite signals. We describe some of the tools that array signal processing offers to filter out the interference, based on eigenvalue decompositions and factor analysis, a more general technique applicable to partially calibrated arrays. We consider spatial filtering techniques using projections, and discuss how a reference antenna pointed at the interferer can improve the performance. We also consider image formation and its relation to beamforming. Finally, we briefly discuss some future radio telescopes, which will consist of distributed phased arrays with 10,000s to 100,000s of elements.


Background: In clinical practice, different chemotherapy schedules for NSCLC have potential impacts on overall survival, but not specific in NCCN guidelines. Although some meta-analyses have been conducted to identify the influencing factors, the results are limited by method. Our study is helpful to supplement the NCCN Guidelines.Methods: In order to evaluate and quantify the potential relationship between demographic characteristics, disease characteristics, etc. and overall survival as well as their impact on objective response rate and safety, we developed parametric proportional hazard regression models to describe the overall survival of advanced NSCLC patients first-treated with the paclitaxel-platinum regimen. Results: The principal finding of this research was that race significantly affected hazard of dying. Hazard of dying was 1.4 times higher in non-East Asians than in East Asians, and the hazard ratio of the OS curve was 0.71(95%CI: 0.65-0.78). The median survival time in East Asians and non-East Asians were estimated as 12.2 (95%CI: 10.5, 14.4) and 8.4 (95%CI: 6.5. 11.0) months, respectively. The ORR was 37% (95%CI: 32, 41) and 28% (95%CI: 25, 32) in East Asians and non-East Asians, respectively. Conclusions: Paclitaxel-platinum regimen had different efficacy in two racial groups. The developed model suggests that the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel-platinum regimen can vary between different racial populations because of differences in influencing factors (doses, platinum type, cycles, etc.)


The aim of this in vitro comparative study was to evaluate and compare the effect of different methods of prophylaxis and conditioning of enamel, in the adhesiveness of a light-curing pit and fissure sealant. The coronal portion of 50 extracted premolars were sectioned into two halves (buccal and lingual) and embedded in acrylic blocks. The samples were divided into five groups according to the methods of prophylaxis: no prophylaxis, pumice powder, chlorhexidine gluconate, fluoridated paste and air prophy; and enamel conditioning techniques: etching acid with 37% phosphoric acid and self-etching adhesive. The sealant adhesion strength was measured using an Instron® machine for a tensile test. The results showed no significant differences in tensile strength according to the enamel conditioning techniques used. Regarding the methods of prophylaxis under study, a significant difference in groups treated with fluoridated paste and air prophy was observed


Highly dispersive surface waves resulting from the combination of strong lateral seafloor heterogeneities, shallow water depths and hard sea bottom severely degrade seismic reflection data quality. Considering that seismic signals are nonstationary and surface waves have various spectra over time, we proposed S-transform-based time frequency wavenumber analysis technique which allows the dynamic analysis of spectrum over time. The data is first transformed from the time-space domain to the time-wavenumber domain through one-dimensional Fourier transform over the spatial variable, then the variable-factor S-transform is applied over time. Nonstationary filtering is then designed to identify and separate surface waves in complex wavefields, based on its low frequency and low velocity properties, in the time-frequency-wavenumber (TFK) domain. Application to field data illustrates that with this technique, not only is the surface wave effectively suppressed, but also the reflective signals are enhanced, which confirm the validity of the method.


Electronic networking is becoming a familiar tool in higher education
and research. Because the cost of telecommunications is decreasing,
while the power of electronic networks and related computing resources
is increasing, the resources and systems of electronic networks can now
be used more easily. Access to the new global system of electronic
networking has a great potential for the development of information
services in South Korea. The principal aim of the research presented
here is to determine what campus-wide and nation-wide information
system will enable academic and research institutions in South Korea to
share their information resources in an effective and efficient way via
high-speed networks.
The situation in South Korea has been modelled using Checkland's soft
systems methodology. Data have been collected via both
questionnaires and interviews, using a stratified sample of six South
Korean universities as the main source. The factors at work have been
examined, and the implications for the university system and for
electronic networking in South Korea are considered.


In the past decade, deep learning-based networks have achieved unprecedented success in numer-ous tasks, including image classification. Despite this remarkable achievement, recent studies have demonstrated that such networks are easily fooled by small malicious perturbations, also known as adversarial examples. This security weakness led to extensive research aimed at obtaining robust models. Beyond the clear robustness benefits of such models, it was also observed that their gradients with respect to the input align with human perception. Several works have identified Perceptually Aligned Gradients (PAG) as a byproduct of robust training, but none have considered it as a standalone phenomenon nor studied its own implications. In this work, we focus on this trait and test whether Perceptually Aligned Gradients imply Robustness . To this end, we develop a novel objective to directly promote PAG in training classifiers and examine whether models with such gradients are more robust to adversarial attacks. Extensive experiments on CIFAR-10 and STL validate that such models have improved robust performance, exposing the surprising bidirectional connection between PAG and robustness.


In previous studies, we found that truncated rotavirus VP4* (aa 26-476) could be expressed in soluble form in Escherichia coli and confer high protection against rotavirus in the mouse mode. In this study, we further improved the immunogenicity of VP4* by polymerization. The purified VP4* was polymerized through incubation at 37 ℃ for 24 h, and then the homogeneity of the particles was analyzed by HPLC, TEM and AUC, while the thermal stability and antigenicity was analyzed by DSC and ELISA, respectively. Finally, the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the polymers analyzed by a mouse maternal antibody model. The results showed that VP4* aggregated into homogeneous polymers, with high thermostability and neutralizing antibody binding activity. In addition, VP4* polymers (endotoxin <20 EU/dose) stimulated higher neutralizing antibodies and confer higher protection against rotavirus-induced diarrhoea compared with the VP4* trimers when immunized with aluminium adjuvant. In summary, the study in VP4* polymers provides a new strategy for the development of recombinant rotavirus vaccines.


Abstract Current estimates suggest that one-fifth of all reptiles are currently threatened with extinction because of anthropogenic activity, and that if nothing is done to mitigate these impacts, massive extinctions will occur over the coming decades. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) can be used to develop ex vivo conservation programs to ensure species survival until environmental deficiencies can be corrected. Geckos represent one of the most diverse groups of reptiles on earth and need protection; however, to date, no ART have been developed for these animals. Exogenous human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is routinely used to alter reproductive hormones of vertebrates and are integrated in ART. The purpose of this study was to determine if a single dose of hCG could increase plasma testosterone concentrations in the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) within 24 h of administration. The study was performed in September, which is considered the nonbreeding season for this species in the northern hemisphere. Twelve captive-bred, adult, male leopard geckos were randomly divided into three treatment groups and administered an intramuscular injection of hCG (50 or 100 IU) or saline. Whole blood was collected prior to injection (baseline) and 12 and 24 h after injection. Plasma testosterone concentrations were measured using an enzyme immunoassay kit. There was no significant difference (P = 0.195) in testosterone concentrations between treatment groups. Because there was no difference, an observed testosterone range (61.0 ± 42.5, 5.5–149.0) for September was calculated. These results suggest that captive leopard geckos may be in a recrudescence phase in September in the northern hemisphere.


Background: Pulmonary vein (PV) antrum isolation with ganglionated plexi (GP) ablation is a novel atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation technique. The aim of this study was to evaluate acute changes in left atrial and PV flow velocities following PV antrum isolation with GP ablation using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Methods: TEE was performed before and after PV antrum isolation with GP ablation in 88 consecutive patients. All four PVs, when possible, were analyzed with regard to peak systolic and diastolic pulsed‐wave Doppler flow velocities. Left atrial appendage emptying velocities were also obtained. PV stenosis was defined as a peak PV Doppler flow velocity of ≥110 cm/sec with spectral broadening (turbulence). Results: All but four right inferior and four left inferior PVs were visualized. Compared to preablation values, both PV systolic and diastolic velocities increased after ablation (P < 0.05 for each of the four PVs). However, the systolic to diastolic ratio decreased significantly after ablation in all PVs (1.3 ± 0.6 to 0.9 ± 0.4, P < 0.0001, 1.2 ± 0.7 to 0.9 ± 0.4, P < 0.0001, 1.2 ± 0.6 to 1.0 ± 0.6, P = 0.035 and 1.1 ± 0.5 to 0.9 ± 0.5, P = 0.0001, for left superior, left inferior, right superior and right inferior PV, respectively). Left atrial appendage emptying velocities showed a trend towards higher values following ablation (62.7 ± 26.1 cm/sec vs. 67.5 ± 23.2 cm/sec, P = 0.07). Asymptomatic PV stenosis occurred in seven patients (seven PVs). Conclusions: PV antrum isolation with GP ablation acutely increased PV flow velocities and altered the pattern of PV Doppler flow signal, likely correlating with increased left atrial pressures, but did not appear to adversely impact on left atrial appendage physiology. (Echocardiography 2011;28:775‐781)


Sexually inappropriate behaviour in a patient with dementia can be a problem for caregivers. Little research has been done concerning treatment for this behavioural disorder. The hormone medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is a known, but infrequently used, treatment option. We describe a series of 5 cases in which MPA was used successfully to control inappropriate sexual behaviours in men with dementia.


In this publication we describe a novel two-dimensional approach for automatic music genre classification. Although the subject poses a well studied task in Music Information Retrieval, some fundamental issues of genre classification have not been covered so far. Especially many modern genres are influenced by manifold musical styles. Most of all, this holds true for the broad category "World Music", which comprises many different regional styles and a mutual mix up thereof. A common approach to tackle this issue in manual categorization is to assign multiple genre labels to a single recording. However, for commonly used automatic classification algorithms, multilabeling poses a problem due to its ambiguities. Thus, we propose to break down multi-label genre annotations into single-label annotations within given time segments and musical domains. A corresponding multi-stage evaluation based on a representative set of items from a global music taxonomy is performed and discussed accordingly. Therefore, we conduct 3 different experiments that cover multi-labeling, multi-labeling with time segmentation and the proposed multi-domain labeling.


This study provides baseline data and analytical methods to assist in the evaluation of apigenin, a plant flavonoid with promising chemopreventive activity against skin cancer. Apigenin was freely soluble in dimethylsulfoxide (> 100 mg/mL), but it had low solubility (0.00135-1.63 mg/mL) in all the other solvents and surfactants tested, especially in highly hydrophilic or nonpolar solvents. The partition coefficient (log K) calculated from the solubility ratio of apigenin in n-octanol and water was 2.87. Apigenin strongly absorbed UV light, with three maximum absorption wavelengths at 212, 269, and 337 nm (epsilon = 29,800, 19,020, and 18,930 M-1 cm-1, respectively). Using quercetin as the internal standard, a reversed-phase HPLC method was developed to quantitatively analyze apigenin in epidermal cells obtained from SENCAR mice. Apigenin was labeled at position 6, 8, 3', and 5' with tritium by a platinum-catalyzed proton-tritium exchange as confirmed indirectly by 1H NMR analysis of the deuterated apigenin. The tritium label was stable in aqueous environments, especially under acidic and neutral conditions, so [G-3H]apigenin was considered suitable for subsequent absorption and metabolic studies.


Few studies address the proper extent of the preoperative testing in patients referred for consideration of antireflux surgery. Our aim was to perform a thorough gastroesophageal evaluation and determine its influence on the therapeutic decisions of such patients. We evaluated 107 consecutive patients in a combined GI/Surgery clinic for severe or refractory gastroesophageal reflux. The patients had an EGD, esophageal manometry, and 24-h ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring. Only patients with gastric symptoms had gastric testing. Nineteen patients were excluded, 12 refused further evaluation and seven were felt to be unfit for antireflux surgery because of medical or psychological reasons. Eighty-eight patients completed the required studies. Fifty-four patients (61%) had typical reflux symptoms and erosive esophagitis on EGD. All these patients had an abnormal pH study. Five of the 34 patients without esophagitis had a normal pH study and did not have surgery. Ten patients had poor peristalsis by esophageal manometry prompting a subtotal fundoplication. One patient had severe delayed gastric emptying, requiring pyloroplasty in addition to the fundoplication. Eighty of 83 patients had good or excellent surgical results. EGD and esophageal manometry are indispensable in the preoperative evaluation. Manometry may identify abnormalities altering surgical decisions in roughly 10% of patients. Routine ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring is of marginal benefit, except in patients without esophagitis or in those patients where the diagnosis is in doubt. Clinically significant gastric abnormalities are rare, and routine testing of gastric function is not indicated.


Cuisine, broadly food culture, has evolved greatly in the past ten thousand years, following the domestication of plants and animals which greatly increased the food supply and led to villages, cities and civilizations. Major factors in the evolution of cuisines have been the existing biota, soils, fuel for cooking and climates, followed by new technologies, exploration and trade. These provide the context of the world's amazing variety of cuisines, but not the understanding of why cuisines developed as they have, in particular why China has the world's greatest cuisine. There is evidence that the diet of older women in Zhejiang province meets the recent WHO guidelines for the prevention of chronic disease, consistent with reported longevity in the province. But current changes with the industrialization and globalization of cuisines are associated with increases in chronic diseases, and point to much greater increases in the future.


Plasma antidiuretic hormone (ADH) was assayed before and after surgery for lung cancers. The results showed that the plasma ADH in the control group was 11.6 +/- 4.8 pg/ml in contrast to higher levels in the lung cancer patients. The ADH level was highest in patients with small cell anaplastic cancer (SCAC), and in decreasing order, adenocarcinoma, mixed cell type carcinoma and lowest in squamous cell carcinoma. The ADH levels in all patients were reduced postoperatively from one week to three months when they approached the control level. One year later, ADH became elevated again in those who developed recurrence as compared with those clinically free of the disease. The difference was most significant in patients suffering from SCAC (P < 0.05-0.001). The authors believe that ADH assay may be useful in the diagnosis, assessment of treatment and monitor or prognosis in lung cancers.


Starting with a reading of a translated text from an Islamist website, this essay looks at the underlying cultural and literary traditions that have influenced the translator's strategy. The author suggests that the horizon of expectation of the potential readership has been shaped by centuries of textual anxiety about Central Asia, a region perceived as a cradle of savagery and anti-modernity since the Middle Ages. From the creator of the C13th Mappa Mundi who added a note to the effect that all kinds of horrors were to be found in the region, through the age of the Tamburlaine, then through the Afghan wars that triggered the start of the Great Game to Umberto Eco's most recent novel similar negative representations of the region can be found. The veracity of traveller's accounts is mediated through the mythical construction that continues today in reporting on the region and in the language selected by translators. Underpinning the essay is the question posed by translator scholars concerning the ethics of acculturation as a textual strategy. The author argues that there are historical, extra-textual reasons that determine the choices available to translators in this context


Previous studies have documented reduced fetal growth and developmental impairment resulting from exposure to environmental toxicants such as tobacco smoke. Now researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health implicate another pre-natal exposure in causing health effects, demonstrating for the first time that exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in utero may affect cognitive development during childhood [EHP 114:1287–1292; Perera et al.].

PAHs are introduced into the environment by combustion––car, truck, or bus exhaust, power generation, and cigarette smoking are just a few sources—and are transferred across the placenta. Urban populations have greater exposure to PAHs and therefore may be especially at risk for subsequent adverse health and developmental effects.

As part of the broader multiyear Mothers and Children Study, the researchers studied a cohort of 183 children of nonsmoking women living in the Washington Heights, Central Harlem, and South Bronx neighborhoods of New York City. They obtained demographic, residential, health, and environmental exposure information by administering a questionnaire during the mothers' last trimester of pregnancy. They also monitored the mothers' personal air exposures during the third trimester using backpack monitors.

Umbilical cord blood was collected and analyzed for cotinine, heavy metal, and pesticide content. Lead concentration was analyzed in a subset of 135 subjects. During postnatal follow-up interviews, the research team recorded any changes in residence, tobacco smoke exposure, or other conditions. The children's cognitive and psychomotor development was assessed at 1, 2, and 3 years of age using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development–Revised; the mothers also answered questionnaires on their children's behavior.

Although they noted no significant effect on behavior or cognitive or psychomotor development at ages 1 or 2, the Columbia investigators found that the 3-year-olds who had higher prenatal exposure to PAHs scored on average 5.69 points lower on cognitive tests than the less-exposed children, even when controlling for other exposures and socioeconomic factors. The higher-exposed children also had twice the odds of developmental delay, suggesting an increased risk for performance deficits in language, reading, and math in the first years of school.

The authors acknowledge some limitations of the study, including small sample size, lack of air monitoring data for all three trimesters, and lack of postnatal data for personal air PAH concentrations and lead exposure. They conclude that additional studies should be conducted to confirm their results, especially since limited performance in the early school years can provide an indication of future suboptimal school performance.


In this reaearch, the finite element method is used to investigate the steady-state wire drawing process for strain-rate sensitivity materials. A series of simulations on the wire drawing using the program DEFORM-2D were carried out. The influences of the process parameters such as drawing speed and strain-rate sensitivity index of the wire material on the drawing die stress, the separation force, the effective strain-rate distribution, and the effective stress distribution of the drawing die were examined.


OBJECTIVE: To compare neutrophil Fc receptor (Fc gamma R) and CD59 signalling responses in normal healthy subjects and patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Intracellular free calcium concentrations were measured in neutrophils loaded with the fluorescent calcium indicator fura-2, using a spectrofluorimeter. RESULTS: Basal intracellular calcium ion concentrations were similar in both groups when no primary antibody, CD59, or CD32 (Fc gamma RIII) antibody was added. When CD16 (Fc gamma RIII) antibody was added, there was a significantly greater basal calcium concentration in the patient group compared with the control group. Transient cytosolic calcium ion fluxes were observed after binding Fc gamma RII, Fc gamma RIII, or CD59 with specific monoclonal antibodies and cross linking with the F(ab)2 fragment of sheep antimouse IgG. Peak concentrations of intracellular free calcium, [Ca2+]i, after cross linking each of the three receptors, were comparable between normal healthy donors and patients with RA. The lag period between addition of cross linking antibodies and the increase in calcium was also similar between normal individuals and patients. CONCLUSION: Contrary to previous reports, these results demonstrate that Ca2+ signalling responses of cross linked Fc receptors in blood neutrophils from patients with RA are identical to those in neutrophils of normal subjects. Signalling responses of cross linked CD59 are also unaltered.


Conceptualising consumer experience as a rite of passage holds the potential for designing products entailing stronger attachment. We integrate theoretical perspectives from three disparate research areas: sociological theories of rituals, models of consumer's rituals and those on the value of objects for the sense of self, to explore the ritual types and objects which consumers engage in throughout they key life transitions. We report on secondary data analysis of six qualitative studies on consumer's rites of passage. Our contributions include an initial framework integrating the lifecycle perspective with the typology of consumer's rituals and objects, and implications to better support consumer's experience in rites of passage.


With growing evidence of deep learning-assisted smart process planning, there is an essential demand for comprehending whether cyber-physical production systems (CPPSs) are adequate in managing complexity and flexibility, configuring the smart factory. In this research, prior findings were cumulated indicating that the interoperability between Internet of Things-based real-time production logistics and cyber-physical process monitoring systems can decide upon the progression of operations advancing a system to the intended state in CPPSs. We carried out a quantitative literature review of ProQuest, Scopus, and the Web of Science throughout March and August 2021, with search terms including "cyber-physical production systems", "cyber-physical manufacturing systems", "smart process manufacturing", "smart industrial manufacturing processes", "networked manufacturing systems", "industrial cyber-physical systems," "smart industrial production processes", and "sustainable Internet of Things-based manufacturing systems". As we analyzed research published between 2017 and 2021, only 489 papers met the eligibility criteria. By removing controversial or unclear findings (scanty/unimportant data), results unsupported by replication, undetailed content, or papers having quite similar titles, we decided on 164, chiefly empirical, sources. Subsequent analyses should develop on real-time sensor networks, so as to configure the importance of artificial intelligence-driven big data analytics by use of cyber-physical production networks.


In the culturally diverse Middle Eastern Arabian world, there are incompatible ideas about and definitions of "inclusion" and "inclusive education," which result in these terms being multifaceted and complex. The issues surrounding policies, the legislative frameworks—but also the attitudes and practices and their implications for individuals with Special Educational Needs and Disorders (SEND)—are explored in this paper, starting with some consideration of the official guidelines for providing inclusive education and how these are enacted according to the social or local conceptualizations that influence practice. Around the world, the tendency is to support special needs in mainstream classes with other children at all school levels in order to prevent marginalization, labeling, and social stigmatization. However, in the process of developing effective educational policies that benefit students with SEND in practice, it is useful to consider whether inclusion actually serves their needs. Though some progress has been reported in the social integration and inclusion of individuals with SEND, more light needs to be shed on whether, under current circumstances inclusion does indeed benefit people with special needs and disabilities. An analysis of the necessary parameters for supporting a learning environment for the benefit of all children in an inclusive mainstream class is necessary. The examination of inclusion-based practices can help to dispel the misconceptions that consistently surround the practice of educating students with disabilities in any inclusive environment. Recommendations are made for community-oriented sensitization programs and education campaigns but also school-based disability awareness programs and teacher training that could be promoted by governmental organizations, human rights bodies, and other stakeholders in the Arab world to support and empower people with disabilities.


Pupils' interest has been one of the major concerns in science education research because it can be seen as a gateway to more personalised forms of interest and motivation. However, methods to investigate situational interest in science teaching and learning are not broadly examined. This study compares the pupils' observed situational interest and their expressed situational interest. One class of Finnish fourth-graders (N = 22, age 9–10 years) participated in a heat transfer lesson. The lesson encompassed an interactive demonstration with a thermal camera, teacher-led discussions and the conduct and presentation of a collaborative inquiry task. Pupils expressed their interest levels (scale: 1 = very boring, 5 = very interesting) by using an electronic response system called a 'clicker'. The measurement took place 15 times during the lesson, with 1 measurement being just a rehearsal. The lesson was video recorded, and visible aspects of interest at the measurement time points were analysed. Reported and observational data were compared. In most cases, the observations did not yield data compatible with the pupils' own evaluations, indicating that most pupils' expressed interest is not easily interpreted through observation of their facial expressions and behaviour. In general, the interest of the group as a whole seems to diminish during the lesson. We argue that in order to maintain and increase pupils' interest, their evaluations should be taken into account in lesson planning. Video-based research might also be further enriched and validated by employing the participants' own expressions. The clicker is a suitable means of collecting primary pupils' experiences concerning their interest levels.


The present study determined whether a developmental increase in placental low density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake occurred in baboon pregnancy, which was related to the increasing concentrations of estrogen typical of advancing gestation. LDL uptake was determined on collagenase-dispersed placental trophoblast cells purified via 50% Percoll gradient centrifugation and obtained from baboons between days 55-178 of gestation (i.e. the last two-thirds of gestation; term = 184 days). The majority of cells in the 50% Percoll-isolated fraction used to determine LDL uptake were syncytiotrophoblasts at all stages of gestation examined, as determined by immunohistochemical staining for syncytiotrophoblast-specific placental lactogen and pregnancy-specific-beta 1-glycoprotein. Placental LDL uptake, as determined by Scatchard analysis, increased progressively during the last two-thirds of gestation and was correlated (r = 0.87, P less than 0.001; curvilinear regression) with gestational age. Mean +/- SE LDL uptake early in pregnancy on days 55-58 was 1.9 +/- 0.2 ng/micrograms cell protein (n = 3). Placental LDL uptake (ng/microgram cell protein) at midgestation on days 94-104 (2.8 +/- 0.2; n = 5) increased to a value late in gestation on days 159-178 (14.6 +/- 1.0; n = 13), which was approximately 5-fold greater (P less than 0.001) than at midgestation, whereas uptake on days 128-138 was intermediate in value (8.3; n = 2) between the latter two periods. The apparent dissociation constant for placental LDL uptake was lower (P less than 0.01) at midgestation (0.33 micrograms/ml) than late in gestation (0.81 micrograms/ml). Placental LDL degradation, which depends on uptake, also increased with advancing stages of pregnancy, and was correlated (r = 0.74, P less than 0.01; curvilinear regression) with gestational age. Overall mean peripheral serum LDL cholesterol concentration was 46.5 +/- 1.7 mg/dl between days 50-170 of gestation. However, there was no significant change in serum LDL levels during this period. Maternal peripheral serum estradiol concentrations increased from 0.3 ng/ml on day 55 to an initial peak of approximately 3.5 ng/ml on days 70-80, then declined to approximately 1.0 ng/ml at midgestation. Estradiol then increased progressively throughout the remainder of pregnancy to maximal values of over 6 ng/ml late in gestation. In summary, there was a progressive increase in placental LDL uptake with advancing stages in the last two-thirds of baboon pregnancy, which was associated with a concomitant rise in maternal serum estradiol concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution is a source of water quality impairment, and demonstrates widely varying spatial and temporal pollution potential. Many efforts to protect water quality are based on seasonal and annual estimates of pollutant loss potential (NRCS 590 nutrient management standard, P-Index) that inadequately address the hydrologic processes driving NPS pollution. One barrier to adopting practices that address NPS pollution is a lack of tools capable of transferring information at sufficient spatial and temporal resolution so that end-users can make informed decisions. We introduce a web-based system displaying distributed hydrologic forecasts using free and open source software. The system consists of three primary components: (1) a hydrology model that provides short-term distributed forecasts; (2) a data structure capable of re-structuring large, high resolution rasters; (3) an interface employing adaptive map-viewing technology that allows end-users to interact with the data to avoid high-risk areas when planning agricultural practices.


Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) combine an antigen recognition domain of a specific antibody with a intracellular signaling domains into a single engineered protein. CD19 is an ideal target for CARs since expression is restricted to normal and malignant B cells. In preclinical studies, inclusion of the CD137 (4-1BB) signaling domain results in remarkable antitumor activity and in vivo persistence of anti-CD19 CARs. We have previously reported dramatic in-vivo expansion, persistence and anti-tumor activity of CAR modified autologous T cells targeted to CD19 (CART19 cells) in 3 patients with CLL with relatively short follow up (Porter, et al NEJM 2011; Kalos et al Sci Trans Med 2011). Currently, 11 patients have been treated with CART19 cells. There were 9 adults (median age 65 years (range 51-78)) treated for relapsed, refractory and high risk CLL and two pediatric cases treated for relapsed refractory pre-B cell ALL. CLL patients had received a median of 5 prior regimens excluding single agent rituxumab (range 2-10) and all had active disease at the time of cell infusion. The pediatric patients with ALL had chemotherapy refractory relapse, and one was resistant to allogeneic transplantation and CD19 directed blinotumomab. A median of 7.5 x 10^8 total cells (range 1.7-50) corresponding to 1.45 (range 0.14-5.9 x 108) genetically modified cells were infused. In the patients in complete remission, CAR modified CART19 cells are detectable in the peripheral blood by flow cytometry at the most recent follow up for at least 2 years. All patients in CR have B cell aplasia. No patient with CR has progressed.

Citation Format: Carl H. June. Engineered T cell therapies for cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology: Multidisciplinary Science Driving Basic and Clinical Advances; Dec 2-5, 2012; Miami, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(1 Suppl):Abstract nr IA16.


Experimental Trichinella zimbabwensis infections were established in three baboons (Papio sp.) and four vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) and the clinical-pathological manifestations assessed. The infected animals showed clinical signs ranging from fever, diarrhoea, periorbital oedema and muscular pain in varying degrees. One baboon became blind due to the infection. Levels of creatinine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase increased to reach a peak on Day 42 post-infection (pi) for both baboons and monkeys. Blood parameters such as packed cell volume, levels of red blood cells and white blood cells did not change significantly from the normal ranges except for the levels of eosinophils which peaked above the normal ranges at Day 28 and 56 pi in baboons and at Day 56 pi in monkeys. Two baboons and two monkeys died during the course of the experiment. They were emaciated and showed lesions such as ascites, hydropericardium, congested liver and enlarged gall bladder. Histopathological findings of various muscles included a basophilic transformation of muscle cells, the disappearance of sarcomere myofibrils and basophilic sarcoplasm with the presence of Trichinella larvae in the sarcoplasm. These changes were mainly in the massetter and were of various intensities in the tail, gastrocnemius and biceps muscles. Five consecutive treatments with an oxfendazole-levamisole combination on surviving animals failed to clear the infection whereas ivermectin cleared the infection after one treatment in two monkeys and after two treatments in a baboon.


Background Predicting the long-term disability outcomes of multiple sclerosis (MS) cases is challenging. Objective We prospectively analysed our previous MS cohort with initial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomics data to reveal disability markers after 8.2±2.2 years of follow-up. Methods Patients with regular follow-up visits were assigned into two groups: those with an age-related MS severity (ARMSS) score ≥5 (unfavourable course group, N = 27) and ARMSS score <5 (favourable course group, N = 67). A machine learning-based algorithm was applied to reveal candidate poor prognosis-associated initial CSF proteins, which were measured in an independent MS cohort (verification group, N = 40) by ELISA. Additionally, the correlation of initial clinical and radiological parameters with long-term disability was analysed. Results CSF alpha-2-macroglobulin (P = 0.0015), apo-A1 (P = 0.0016), and haptoglobin (P = 0.0003) protein levels, as well as cerebral lesion load (>9 lesions) on magnetic resonance imaging, gait disturbance (P = 0.04), and bladder/bowel symptoms (P = 0.01) were significantly higher in the unfavourable course group than in the favourable course group. Optic nerve involvement evident on initial magnetic resonance imaging (P = 0.002) and optic neuritis (P = 0.01) were more frequent in the favourable course group. Conclusion The herein identified initial CSF protein levels, in addition to the clinical and radiological parameters at disease onset, have predictive value for long-term disability in MS cases.


Geogebra is software designed to solve geometry, calculus and algebra material as well as applications for designing spaces and buildings. The purpose of this research is to produce teaching material products through Geogebra software in mathematics courses that can be utilized in learning. The stages in this research include: (1) the stage of developing teaching material products, (2) the testing phase of teaching materials products (3) the analysis of increasing student's independence. Product development and level of practicability of teaching materials is validated by material experts, media experts, lecturers as users, and trials of teaching material products. Qualitative data is used as a consideration in teaching material products to make revisions while quantitative data is analysed by statistical tests to see an increase in student self-independence. Based on the test results of experts teaching materials developed for trials in the field. Experts recommendations about teaching materials are appropriate for use and revision. After the revision is issued, try the field that involving students, the results of the test items about the reliability level of 0.734 so that teaching materials could be used for research instrumentts. The average value and standard deviation of the normalized gain values for the experimental class are 0.812 and 0.139 while the control class are 0.731 and 0.198. The analysis result of the questionnaire is that there is an increase in self-independence in study of the students in Architecture Study Program, Engineering Faculty, Malikussaleh University.


We report the first case published in Spain of a palliative anatomic correction associated with aortic arch repair in a neonate with (S,D,L)-transposition of the great arteries, multiple ventricular septal defects, and severe hypoplasia of the right ventricle with subaortic obstruction and hypoplasic aortic arch with coarctation. A one stage palliative surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass was performed with reconstruction of the aortic arch and an arterial switch procedure which obtained a satisfactory result. The principle of this operation is to switch the subaortic obstruction into a subpulmonary obstruction and reconstruct a large natural aortic root from the principal ventricle. The right ventricle-pulmonary artery continuity may promote growth of the right ventricle with the possibility of a future biventricular repair. We conclude that this operation, when used by surgical teams experienced with arterial switch surgery, is the best treatment for the complex newborn group with single ventricles or severe ventricular disbalance, ventriculoarterial discordance and stablished subaortic stenosis.


The significant frequency of thyroid dysfunction in women with pre-gestational DM calls for evaluation of thyroid function in these people during pregnancy. Thyroid dysfunction was present in both pregnant women with GDM and healthy pregnant women, but in 27% of them, TPO Ab titers were positive, indicating the need for additional testing for postpartum thyroiditis and dysfunction. Therefore, it can be concluded from the findings that women with gestational diabetes mellitus were more likely than healthy pregnant women to have thyroid dysfunction, which is manifested as hypothyroidism with high anti-TPO levels.


The paper starts with an overview of the state of the art in technology mediated service in the e-learning field about payments in the e-Commerce market. With the fast grow of distance learning technologies it is important to think about some innovations in the pedagogic strategies to improve education. The students have different learning styles and the tutor needs to support those needs, to ensure the quality of learning and keep them motivated. As an answer to a lack of organized information in this field we create a module about different modalities of payment in e-Commerce as a formative mediated technology service using the platform BlackBoard coursesites to deliver and mediate the instruction, supported in different types of communication (synchronous and asynchronous).


Lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV) is the causative agent of lymphocystis disease. The viruses have been divided into three genotypes (genotype I for LCDV-1, II for Japanese flounder isolates, and III for rockfish isolates) on the basis of major capsid protein (MCP) gene sequences. In this study, we developed a multiplex PCR primer set in order to distinguish these genotypes. We also analyzed the MCP gene of a new LCDV isolate from the sea bass (SB98Yosu). Comparison of sequence identities between SB98Yosu and eight Japanese flounder isolates, revealed identity of more than 90.1% at nucleotide level and 96.5% at deduced amino acid level, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on the MCP gene showed that SB98Yosu belongs to genotype II, along with Japanese flounder isolates. Multiplex PCR based on the MCP gene allowed us to identify these genotypes in a simple and rapid manner, even in a sample that contained two genotypes, in this case genotypes II and III.


While recent advances clarified the molecular and cellular modes of action of antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs), their link to suppression of dynamical arrhythmia mechanisms remains only partially understood. The current classifications of AADs (Classes I, III, and IV) rely on blocking peak Na, K and L-type calcium currents (ICa,L), with Class II with dominant beta receptor blocking activity and Class V including drugs with diverse classes of actions. The discovery that the calcium and redox sensor, cardiac Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) enhances both the late Na (INa-L) and the late ICa,L in patients at high risk of VT/VF provided a new and a rational AAD target. Pathological rise of either or both of INa-L and late ICa,L are demonstrated to promote cellular early afterdepolarizations (EADs) and EAD-mediated triggered activity that can initiate VT/VF in remodeled hearts. Selective inhibition of the INa-L without affecting their peak transients with the highly specific prototype drug, GS-967 suppresses these EAD-mediated VT/VFs. As in the case of INa-L, selective inhibition of the late ICa,L without affecting its peak with the prototype drug, roscovitine suppressed oxidative EAD-mediated VT/VF. These findings indicate that specific blockers of the late inward currents without affecting their peaks (gating modifiers), offer a new and effective AAD class action i.e., "Class VI." The development of safe drugs with selective Class VI actions provides a rational and effective approach to treat VT/VF particularly in cardiac conditions associated with enhanced CaMKII activity such as heart failure.


We investigate an experimentally feasible intracavity coupled down-conversion scheme to generate quadripartite entanglement using concurrent nonlinearities. We verify that quadripartite entanglement is present in this system by calculating the output fluctuation spectra and then considering violations of optimized inequalities of the van Loock-Furusawa type. The entanglement characteristics both above and below the oscillation threshold are considered. We also present analytic solutions for the quadrature operators and the van Loock-Furusawa correlations in the undepleted pump approximation.


Joseph Larmor (1857-1942) was one of the most distinguished British mathematical physicists of the late-nineteenth century. He introduced both the electron and the so-called Lorentz transformations into physics. His book of 1900, Aether and Matter1, helped to establish a research school that guided the development of mathematical electromagnetic theory in Cambridge until the end of World War I. Today, however, Larmor is widely remembered by scientists for just two formulae and one theorem which, although correctly attributed to him, have been seen by historians of science as tangential to his main research interests. Indeed, none of the recent scholarly studies of Larmor's scientific work even mention the now famous formulae and theorem.2 In this essay I review Larmor's contribution to post-Maxwellian electromagnetic theory and explain the origin of the specific results upon which his reputation now rests.


Antibodies cross-reactive with type C viral p30 were concentrated from 105 samples of human plasma by affinity chromatography using Sepharose beads to which disrupted Simian sarcoma associated virus (SSAV) had been coupled. Eluates obtained from the affinity beads were tested for anti-p30 activity by performing radio-immunoprecipitations with 125I-labeled SSAV p30 and Rauscher murine leukemia viral (R-MuLV) p30. Forty six percent of the eluates were found positive when tested against SSAV p30. From 44 positive eluates for anti SSAV p30 activity, 20 (45%) were also found to be positive for anti-R-MuLV p30 activity. No significant difference was found in anti-p30 activity in eluates from normal controls and from patients with various kinds of malignancy.


Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy with dismal prognosis. Hypoxia is one of characteristics of cancer leading to tumor progression. For ACC, however, no reliable prognostic signature on the basis of hypoxia genes has been built. Our study aimed to develop a hypoxia-associated gene signature in ACC. Data of ACC patients were obtained from TCGA and GEO databases. The genes included in hypoxia risk signature were identified using the Cox regression analysis as well as LASSO regression analysis. GSEA was applied to discover the enriched gene sets. To detect a possible connection between the gene signature and immune cells, the CIBERSORT technique was applied. In ACC, the hypoxia signature including three genes (CCNA2, COL5A1, and EFNA3) was built to predict prognosis and reflect the immune microenvironment. Patients with high-risk scores tended to have a poor prognosis. According to the multivariate regression analysis, the hypoxia signature could be served as an independent indicator in ACC patients. GSEA demonstrated that gene sets linked to cancer proliferation and cell cycle were differentially enriched in high-risk classes. Additionally, we found that PDL1 and CTLA4 expression were significantly lower in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group, and resting NK cells displayed a significant increase in the high-risk group. In summary, the hypoxia risk signature created in our study might predict prognosis and evaluate the tumor immune microenvironment for ACC.


Bovine veterinarians are needed to protect food animal protein supplies, prevent losses due to disease, and protect public health: society needs these services. It is also important that economic incentives exist for, and are understood by, practitioners that serve the food animal industry. Surveys of American Association of Bovine Practitioners members were examined to explain variation in bovine veterinary earnings in private practice. We estimate the systematic variation in earnings due to practitioner characteristics.  Results communicate expected earnings levels and variation across bovine veterinarians in private practice based on observable individual attributes and characteristics. These results communicate, in context of the survey questions, what the market for bovine veterinary services values. Bovine veterinarians are compensated more for specializing in a species within the food animal industries and owning their practice. The volume of animals seen is important, and bovine veterinarians should look to practice in areas with large concentrations of animals. Numbers of clients attained are not important, whereas numbers of animals serviced are. Further, gaining experience is more important than additional education or certifications beyond the doctor of veterinary medicine degree. However, there remains a large unexplainable variation in earnings models. This unexplained variation is likely due to unobserved and unmeasured ability/effort effects within each individual and it is thought, but not tested, that higher quality veterinarians earn more. Future salary surveys need to attempt to measure these deep human capital attributes.


Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) causes a foliar disease in onion (Allium cepaL.) that results in a reduction in bulb size. Currently, no IYSV-tolerant or -resistant cultivar exists and a genetic source for tolerance or resistance has not been identified. Because other disease control methods are limited, host plant resistance offers the best hope to combat this disease. In this study, 13 winter-sown onion entries were screened for iris yellow spot (IYS) symptoms during the 2007 and 2008 cropping seasons. Twenty plants from each plot were observed and rated weekly during the growing seasons for straw- colored, necrotic lesions, typical of IYSV infection. Collected plant samples were assayed for IYSV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Visual rating was doneusingascale of 1to 9with1 representing no symptomatic tissue and 9 representing more than 50% tissue damage. Two different plant sampling methods were used in disease rating to determine their effect on mean severity and to correlate disease severity with absorbance values. Of the entries tested, plants of NMSU 05-33-1 exhibited a delay in symptom expression and lower IYSV levels relative to plants of other entries. Plants of 'Denali' and 'Gelma' appeared to be more susceptible to IYSV than plants of other entries. Plant selection within the plot over time did not influence disease rating values. When the same plants were rated and sampled for IYSV using ELISA, there was a strong, positive correlation between rating and absorbance values.


We propose a general matrix-valued multiple kernel learning framework for high-dimensional nonlinear multivariate regression problems. This framework allows a broad class of mixed norm regularizers, including those that induce sparsity, to be imposed on a dictionary of vector-valued Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces. We develop a highly scalable and eigendecomposition-free algorithm that orchestrates two inexact solvers for simultaneously learning both the input and output components of separable matrix-valued kernels. As a key application enabled by our framework, we show how high-dimensional causal inference tasks can be naturally cast as sparse function estimation problems, leading to novel nonlinear extensions of a class of Graphical Granger Causality techniques. Our algorithmic developments and extensive empirical studies are complemented by theoretical analyses in terms of Rademacher generalization bounds.


completed on four subjects to date. Methods: Each subject had his/her body composition determined by three methods: the BodPod, an air plethysmorgraphy previously shown to correlate very highly with underwater weighing for normal subjects, an infrared meter and skinfold calipers at eight body sites. Equations to calculate percent body fat from 7-site, 4-site, 3-site and 2-site skinfold measurements were also used. Data Analysis : Data collection is currently incomplete. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients will be used to determine the relationship between each measure of body composition. Results: Preliminary results indicate that the skinfold and BodPod measures relate closely, while the infrared measure is more variable between subjects. Conclusion : The three methods of assessing body composition range from very quick to very time-consuming, but the estimation of body fat by each method appears fairly close. It appears that patients with cystic fibrosis can use the BodPod to substitute for underwater weighing with little difficulty. However, the infrared meter appears to correlate much less well with skinfold and BodPod measures in persons with cystic fibrosis. As data collection concludes, actual correlations will be determined and recommendations for clinical measurement of body composition will be made. Clinical Relevance : The use of skinfold calipers to measure body composition in patients with cystic fibrosis appears to give a close approximation of a more sensitive instrument, the BodPod. The use of an infrared meter does not appear to give a valid indication of body composition. Since nutritional status directly impacts the survival and health of these patients, it is important to use a valid measure of body composition to assess nutrition yet retain ease of use for clinical measurement.


This article focuses on Pages d'exil (1898), Émile Zola's journal recounting his escape from France after being sentenced to prison following the Dreyfus Affair and his eleven-month exile in Britain. Inspired by Edward Said's writings on exile and recent scholarship in museum studies examining migration, exile, and relocation, the article argues that Pages d'exil can be considered a "suitcase narrative." It performs an object-focused reading centering on items of dress—things typically contained in a suitcase—to illuminate the conditions that Zola faced during these tumultuous months and their impact on his creative production. It posits that Pages d'exil is a personal crisis narrative taking form across modes of expression, including the journal, Zola's correspondence, and his photographs. As such it holds a unique place within Zola's works, provides compelling insights into the textual-visual turn of the author's late years, and anticipates characteristics of twentieth-century modernist literature.


Tracheostomy remains the primary method of treatment of acute airway obstruction due to malignant invasion and compression of the trachea. However, the development of tracheal stents has provided an alternative effective treatment modality. This case report and literature review highlights the benefits of intra-luminal stenting, including resolution of distressing obstructive symptoms, and subsequent improvement in quality of life.


Reconstructive surgery using the free jejunum flap for locally advanced head and neck cancer is effective in preserving the swallowing function; however, it does not allow normal oral intake in all patients. A total of 47 patients underwent surgery at Nara Medical University between Jan 2010 and Dec 2019. The patients' ages ranged from 48 to 86 years. Sites were the hypopharynx (33 cases), larynx and cervical esophagus (5 cases each) and oropharynx (4 cases). Swallowing function was assessed using videofluorography, from the start of oral intake to discharge, as well as meal form at discharge. Lateral-retropharyngeal-lymph node dissection (LRPLND), preoperative radiation therapy, extended resection to the nasopharynx and incidence of stenosis in the jejuno-esophageal anastomosis were examined. Significant differences were revealed in the scores of pharyngeal residues of contrast medium and pharyngeal contraction, with and without preoperative radiotherapy. LRPLND did not affect swallowing function; dissection group cases had lower scores for soft palate elevation. Overall, resection extended to the nasopharynx, and the anastomosis method did not affect scores of swallowing function.


The mechanical properties of Cu–7m.%Ag–0.05m.%Zr-alloys have been improved by optimised thermo-mechanical treatments. After processing the conductor material shows an ultimate tensile strength of more than 1.1 GPa, a yield strength of about 1 GPa, a plastic strain of 0.7%, and a conductivity of 60 %IACS (at room temperature). The yield strength of a cold deformed Cu – 7m.%Ag – 0.05m.%Zr-alloy has been assessed on the basis of different hardening mechanisms: solid solution, grain boundary, precipitation and dislocation hardening. The critical shear stress which is determined from the experimentally observed critical shear strength by Schmid's law is between a linear and a quadratic superposition of its individual contributions and hence is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction.


Although demographic aging does not remain restricted to industrialized countries, the medical challenge arising from the aging population will be distinct in the developing world. This is particularly true with respect to infectious diseases, which have a distinct spectrum in the elderly population, as well as a greater overall relevance in the developing world. Tropical diseases have a specific presentation and epidemiology in elderly patients. Infectious diseases with a worldwide distribution impact elderly patients in the developing world in a specific manner, which is most obvious with respect to human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis but is also true with respect to "trivial" manifestations of infection, such as diarrhea and pneumonia. Malnutrition contributes in a major way to the immunodeficiency of elderly patients in the developing world. Poorly controlled use of antimicrobial drugs leads to multidrug-resistant microorganisms, which, together with the limited resources available for drug treatment, makes appropriate treatment of infections in elderly patients in developing countries very difficult. Infections in elderly patients will have an increasing impact on the public health and economy of developing countries.