Syntheses based on physical methods, such as pressure and light, are extremely attractive to prepare novel materials from pure molecular systems in condensed phases. The structural and electronic modifications induced by selective optical excitation can trigger unexpected chemical reactions by exploiting the high density conditions realized at high pressure. The identification of the microscopic mechanisms regulating this reactivity, mandatory to design synthetic environments appealing for practical applications, requires a careful characterization of both structural and electronic properties as a function of pressure. Here, we report a spectroscopic study, by FTIR and Raman techniques, of the ambient temperature photoinduced reactivity of liquid C(2)H(5)OD up to 1 GPa. The results have been interpreted by comparison with those relative to the fully hydrogenated isotopomer. The dissociation along the O-H (D) coordinate is the primary reactive channel, but the different reactivity of the two isotopomers with rising pressure highlights a dramatic pressure effect on the energy surface of the first electronic excited state. Dissociation along the O-H (D) coordinate becomes the reaction rate-limiting step due to an increase with pressure of the binding character along this coordinate.


Abundant evidence suggests that affective stimuli facilitate responses that lead to a compatible change in distance between the affective stimulus and the self (positive → approach, negative → avoidance). A special situation arises, when a barrier blocks the direct way toward or away from an affective stimulus. Recent evidence suggests that in such cases affective stimuli facilitate responses that ultimately lead to a compatible change in distance, even when this requires an initial step in the opposite and thus incompatible direction. The present study investigated whether this is the case even when relatively complex processing is required to recognize the presence of a barrier and, thus, the need for a detour. Employing a stimulus-response-compatibility task, we asked participants to move a manikin along the pathways of a maze toward or away from a positive or negative stimulus. The direct way was possible on half of the trials and blocked by a barrier on the other half of the trials. In the latter case, the manikin had to first be moved in the direction opposite to the position ultimately intended. We manipulated between participants the type of barrier and, thus, the complexity of cognitive processing required to recognize the need for a detour. In the simple condition, a black bar was presented as a barrier on the way. In the complex condition, a blue or yellow bar was presented, and the color indicated whether the bar constituted a barrier (locked gate) or not (open gate). Replicating and extending previous findings, the present study shows that affective stimuli facilitate ultimately (not immediately) compatible approach–avoidance responses, even when relatively complex processing is required to recognize the need for a detour.


What do gingerbread men and college students have in common? Similar to gingerbread men, many of us have spent a large part of our educational careers following the standard "cookie cutter" method of teaching, forcing redundancy and using little imagination. However, a new educational method that attacks this mundane routine has seen scalable implementation in universities over the past few years. This method, called experiential learning, forces students to push their limits and think outside of the box, throwing the cookie cutter methods out the window. Unlike the "monkey see, monkey do" approach some instructors take, experiential learning teaches students invaluable skills through hands-on experience. Rather than attempting to mold every student to the same standard shape, this method directs students to become naturally interested in learning, getting the most out of their educational experiences. Many students lacking this experience fall below the standards most employers expect in the dynamic, fast-paced world we live in. Having the ability to learn on your feet without instruction is a skill any student should have before entering the professional workforce.


THE FAMILIAL incidence of myasthenia gravis is rare, with 52 cases reported in 21 families in the medical literature between 1900 and 1964. In some of these patients the information given was inadequate to establish any diagnosis, while in others the anticholinesterase tests for the conclusive diagnosis of myasthenia gravis were not yet available. It was not until 1935 that M. B. Walker 22 introduced neostigmine bromide (Prostigmin) in the treatment and diagnosis of myasthenia gravis. The following histories of a sister and brother, both suffering from myasthenia gravis, are presented as further contribution to the literature. Reports of Cases Case1.—A 22-year-old single white female public school teacher, was admitted to the Montreal Neurological Institute in July, 1963, complaining of nasal speech and swallowing difficulties of four months' duration. She complained of blurred vision and difficulty in focusing over a period of two weeks in December, 1962, during


The cervical anatomy of the different nerve contributions that constitute the phrenic nerve (phrenic nerve roots and accessory phrenic nerve) were studied in rabbits. In 55 dissections, 6 main root arrangement types were observed. The roots that issued from the fourth and fifth cervical nerves (C4 and C5 roots) were constant. The C4 root was either short or long. The C6 root was at times absent, or sometimes double. An accessory phrenic nerve was present in 43% of the right and 28% of the left dissections. The distribution of the phrenic nerve roots often displayed left-right asymmetry. We conclude that a better knowledge of the cervical anatomy of the phrenic nerve is useful both in physiological studies involving diaphragm denervation and in experimental laryngeal reinnervation.


In the contemporary era of Web 2.0, high-tech consumer culture is increasingly engaged in the production of 'user-generated content' (UGC) for digital multicast. The tension between global homogeneity and the potential of technology to support multiple voices, histories and viewpoints is of central interest. The new DIY craft movement is successfully adopting Internet technologies to go straight to market as the digital generation increasingly engages in analogue craft practice. The swell of interest in craft values, both in objects and in hands-on feel and process exhibited in blogs such as Wonderland and distribution aggregators like Etsy, offers a productive frame that connects the digital and the analogue. Whether this reveals any anxiety about the intangibility of the digital or points to an increased creativity inspired by UGC remains open to question. The 'feedback loop' (to use Schechner's (2002) term for the connection between an individual's behavior and what they observe on street, stage and screen) between digital and real world practice, although far from literal, provides a frame for the dialogue between game form and culture at large. This paper teases out aspects of this feedback loop using examples from Sony's PS3 series Little Big Planet (2008). The argument presented here does not deal with narratological or ludic structures and only tips its hat at the much broader field of fan culture but foregrounds context, style and characterization in its approach to analysis. The rationale for this approach is two-fold; first through the weight Media Molecule, developers of the game, give to visual communication and secondly through the prioritization of the invitation to create over and above the provision of a full triple-A title more typical of a console launch game.


This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between quality factors and palatability of onion by cultivation region and variety. Six onion varieties harvested in four regions were subjected to physicochemical, microbiological, and sensorial evaluation. There were differences in soluble solid content, color, vitamin C, quercetin, total polyphenol, and pyruvic acid contents among the varieties and cultivation regions. Dry weight and pH of onions did not significantly differ. Overall acceptability and palatability did not show any significant differences by variety. From the correlation and regression analysis, palatability was very closely related to Z11 (acridity) of -0.914 and the regression equation for sensorial palatability (Y) was Y=12.3806-0.8284Z10 (sourness)-0.7957Z11 (acridity) with a coefficient of 0.9140.


The macrosomic fetus of a diabetic woman faces increased risk for injury at the time of birth. Cesarean section offers the potential for avoiding trauma to the fetus, but can result in increased morbidity in the mother as compared to vaginal delivery. In this article, the advantages and disadvantages of the 2 routes of delivery for the overgrown fetus of a diabetic mother are discussed. In addition, methods for diagnosing macrosomia by ultrasound are examined, along with the benefits and pitfalls of ultrasonic fetal weight estimation in the setting of diabetes. Finally, management approaches for selecting route of delivery for the macrosomic fetus are described and analyzed.


The commercially pure titanium (cpTi–2) was anodized at high potentials (≥10 V) in an organic solution containing fluoride ions. The morphology of the nanotubular structure (NTs) depends on the applied electric field as evaluated from the scanning electron microscope images. The internal diameter of the NTs increased from ∼26 to ∼150 nm with the increase in potential from 10 to 60 V. The growth of Ti6O NTs along the (110) and (112) crystallographic planes and increase in crystallite size as determined from x-ray diffraction patterns is found to be a function of applied potential during the anodizing process. The electrochemical behavior of these anodized samples was evaluated in 1 wt% NaCl solution through potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test methods. The NTs formed at high potentials (50 and 60 V) represented relatively smaller Tafel slopes (ba and bc) and larger corrosion (icorr) and passive (ip) current compared to NTs developed at low potentials. These results were in support with the improved kinetic response of the Ti6O film, predicted from the simulation of impedance spectra. The p-type semiconductive behavior and an order of magnitude higher charge carrier concentration were also exhibited by NTs formed at potential >40 V as confirmed from Mott Schottky analyses.


In the case of Tresca's yield criterion it is usually convenient to subdivide all possible deformations into two subclasses: deformations corresponding to a face of the yield surface and deformation corresponding to an edge of the yield surface. The present paper deals with the second subclass of deformations under conditions of axial symmetry. In this case the stress equations comprising the equilibrium equation and yield criterion can be investigated independently of any flow rule and the final result is also independent of whether elastic strains are included. It is shown that it is always possible to introduce such a principal line coordinate system (i.e. the coordinate system whose coordinate curves coincide with principal stress trajectories) that the product of the scale factors is equal to unity. Using this result the system of equations for mapping between the principal line coordinate and cylindrical coordinate systems is derived and it is shown that this system of equations is hyperbolic.


With the increase in survival for children with cancer, part of the focus of current research is aimed towards evaluating how these children are adapting psychosocially. Neurocognitive deficits have been well established. However, there are multiple facets encompassing quality of life, including general mental health, lifestyles and health behaviors, and academic and cognitive functioning. The relationship between neurocognitive and psychosocial functioning has yet to be thoroughly evaluated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between neurocognitive and psychosocial functioning in survivors of brain tumors and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Data was collected from existing archival database comprised of patients of the at Cook Children's Medical Center in Texas. The sample consisted of 177 patients between the ages of 3 and 12 who were at least two years post-diagnosis. Measures used included the NEPSY and the Behavioral Assessment for Children. Statistical analyses included a several one-way analysis of variances, an independent samples t-test, a univariate analysis of variance, a hierarchical multiple regression, and odds ratio analyses. Results indicated survivors treated with neurosurgery alone appear to be less at risk for developing behavior problems than other treatment modalities. Also, brain tumor survivors demonstrate more problematic behaviors than survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Visuospatial functioning, diagnosis, and type of treatment were found to be predictive variables of behavior problems. Attention, and perhaps language, deficits may predispose children to more problems in their behavior. It is concluded that there are other factors affecting behavior in this population that were not accounted for in this analysis. It is recommended for future studies to research the individual clinical scales of the Behavior Assessment System for Children, obtain information from multiple informants, study this relationship longitudinally, and research additional factors that may be influencing the relationship between neurocognitive and psychosocial functioning. This provides evidence of risk factors that should be monitored as the child returns home and to school.


Breeding for heat stress tolerance became a priority in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), as projections are showing an increase in frequency, duration, and severity. In this study, 14 heat stress tolerant-donor lines (HSTDLs) sourced from CIMMYT-India (males) were crossed with 15 locally adapted elite lines (females) developed within the CIMMYT-Zimbabwe maize-breeding program using the North Carolina Design II mating scheme. The resultant 175 single crosses were evaluated alongside five commercial hybrids and adjacent to the trial of parental lines used in the crosses across two locations representing heat stress and optimal environments in Zimbabwe. The design II analysis showed significant (p < 0.01) general combining ability (GCA) effects for exotic heat donor lines and specific combining ability (SCA) effects on grain yield under heat stress, optimal conditions, and across locations; demonstrating additive and non-additive genetic inheritance of grain yield. High Baker's ratios observed in this study indicate predominance of additive over non-additive gene effects. Three exotic HSTDLs, namely CAL14138, CAL152, and CAL1440, exhibited significant (p < 0.001) and positive GCA effects under heat stress conditions. The results imply that these exotic lines could serve as valuable genetic resources for introgression of heat tolerant alleles into local maize populations for accelerated yield genetic gains. Single crosses, DJ265-15 × VL1018816 and DJ267-9 × CAL1440, exhibited positive and significant (p < 0.01) and (p < 0.05) SCA effects for grain yield under heat stress conditions, respectively. These crosses can be used for further breeding and can contribute to grain yield performance under heat stress conditions. The exotic HSTDLs, CAL14138, CAL152, and VL109126 showed superior per se performance under heat, optimal conditions, and across environments. Overall data demonstrate the potential of exotic HSTDLs for improving the adaptation of maize to heat stress in sub-tropical breeding programs.


ABSTRACT Introduction In patients with recurrent chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), treatment with targeted agents such as Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors and the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax is rapidly replacing chemo-immunotherapy regimens. Venetoclax has demonstrated efficacy as monotherapy in patients with previously treated CLL and has been evaluated in combination with the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab. Areas covered This review focuses on the activity and toxicity of the time-limited combination of venetoclax plus rituximab for the treatment of relapsed or refractory CLL, presenting clinical trial results and data from correlative studies, with the aim of highlighting the strengths of this treatment approach and discuss weaknesses and possible areas of improvement. Data from PubMed indexed papers as well as from abstracts presented at major international conferences are included. Expert opinion Deep responses with venetoclax-based regimens have been shown to allow time-limited treatment and prolonged remission off-therapy in patients with CLL. The clinical benefit of venetoclax and rituximab over chemo-immunotherapy has been demonstrated in recurrent CLL. Potential advantages of time-limited treatment approaches include avoidance of long-term toxicities, high drug costs, and the selection of resistant subclones.


Rh(I)-Catalyzed decarbonylative direct C–H bond vinylation and dienylation of arenes with readily available acrylic acid and (E)-penta-2,4-dienoic acid under chelation assistance have been developed for the first time. A significant effect of the ligand on the reactivity was observed with the bidentate phosphine ligand being optimal. This protocol was efficient under oxidant-free conditions to access synthetically valuable styrenes and 1-aryl-1,3-butadienes in high yields with a broad substrate scope and good functionality tolerance.


Severe anemia is a lethal complication of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, particularly in children. Recent studies in children with severe P. falciparum anemia have demonstrated elevated levels of E-bound Abs, reduced E-associated complement receptor 1 (CR1) and decay-accelerating factor (DAF), and pronounced splenic enlargement, suggesting a mechanism for E loss involving Abs, complement, and phagocytosis. Motivated by these reports, we have developed an in vitro model in which human E with Abs and complement bound to CR1, DAF, or glycophorin A are incubated with model human macrophages (the THP-1 cell line). Previous work has demonstrated that immune complex (IC) substrates bound to E CR1, either by an Ab or via C3b, are transferred to macrophages with loss of CR1. In this study, we report that IC bound to DAF or glycophorin A by an Ab linkage are also transferred to macrophages. DAF is lost from the E during the transfer of DAF-bound IC, but the transfer of CR1-bound IC does not lead to a significant loss of DAF. Using glycophorin A-bound IC, we observe competition between transfer of IC and phagocytosis of the E: a fraction (≤15%) of the E was phagocytosed, while the remaining E were stripped of IC. We also examined the organization of CR1 and DAF in the presence of E-bound Ab/complement. We find that CR1, but not DAF, colocalizes with IgM mAb-C3b and IC-C3b substrates attached to glycophorin A. We observe that the binding of the IgM mAb-C3b to glycophorin A induces a novel unclustering of CR1.


In conventional C-band implementation with DCF WDM-PON prototype are using bit rate of 20Gb/s for upstream and 20Gb/s for downstream hence power budget chart hold good for both upstream and downstream. This prototype delivers good Q-Factor and tolerable BER for 40Km that is considerably higher than Conventional architecture. Caused by the broadband services, bandwidth demand is growing increasingly and resulting in successive increase in the size of produced traffic in our communication networks. It forces us to implement future admittance network in our zones. This thesis mainly focused and explained the design and formation of a passive optical network (PON). The basic approach of this proposal is to build a invented impression based on simulation approach that will allow us to analyze in deep on fiber to the home systems and optimize the designed system. To design above said system, different elements of the system will be studied after that optical fiber will be studied in detail. FTTx networks along with point-to-point and point-to-multipoint architectures will be followed by theoretical part of the network, moving to escalating at length on PON and accomplish which of its technologies will be the best suitable for future. Finally, simulation tool will meet the project necessities will be selected, the design of PON system will be accomplished and in the simulation results which explain that the network is possible.


We investigated the requirement for and the roles of CD8+ cells and CD4+ cells for islet graft rejection in allogeneic and xenogeneic combinations by in vivo administration of anti-Lyt2 monoclonal antibody (mAb), anti-L3T4 mAb or both to the recipient mice. In BALB/c to B6 (H-2 and non-H-2 incompatible combination), administration of anti-Lyt-2.2(CD8) or anti-L3T4(CD4) mAb resulted in rejection of most of the grafts, although their survival was prolonged significantly. Administration of both mAbs together completely blocked rejection and all allografts survived over 100 days with mAb administration. In B10.A(5R) to B10.A (H-2K and IA incompatible combination) or B10.AQR to B10.A (H-2K incompatible combination), administration of either mAb alone induced indefinite allograft survival. In bm12 to B6 (IA incompatible combination), allografts were not rejected even in nontreated recipients. In rat-to-mouse combinations, administration of anti-L3T4 mAb produced marked prolongation of graft survival and 3 out of 8 survived over 100 days. Administration of both mAbs also led to prolongation of graft survival which was similar to or better than that of anti-L3T4 mAb alone. The present results indicated that CD4+ and CD8+ cells participate in all types of islet graft rejection studied here and that the absolute requirements of CD4+ or CD8+ T cell subsets for islet rejection depend on genetic as well as species disparity.


Aim: Although there are short- and long-term prognostic studies in patients with myocardial infarction (MI), the data that can be used to predict the clinical outcome following discharge is limited. Materials & methods: We analyzed creatinine kinase-MB and troponin related to myonecrosis, suppression of tumorigenicity 2 and NT-pro B-type natriuretic peptide related to myocardial stress, C-reactive protein and procalcitonin related to inflammation in 259 MI patients. Results: Being in the high group for myocardial stress (odds ratio [OR]: 3.45, 95% CI: 1.398-8.547, p = 0.004) and inflammation markers (OR: 4.30, 95% CI: 1.690-10.899, p = 0.001) predicted major cardiovascular adverse events while myonecrosis markers could not (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 0.671-4.306, p = 0.263). Conclusion: Using multimarker risk stratification composed of inflammation and myocardial stress biomarkers improves the prediction of major cardiovascular adverse events in MI survivors.


We explore here, through three complementary experiments on virtual objects, how intimate active relations with multisensory audiovisual and haptics perceptions allow to the cognitive creation of new believable and plausible objects than can be different of the virtual ones objectively implemented. The three experiments are based on "Pebble boxes" and consist in the exploration and the manipulation of multiple moving multisensory objects (the Pebbles). They show how an inferred scene is constructed from experience, as assumed in the cognitive Enactive concept, by means of three complementary strategies: "the Emergent Exploratory Procedures (EEP), the "Dynamic Manipulation Adaptation" (DMA), the "Adaptive Experimental Learning" (AEL). It shows also the complementarity between the ergotic and the semiotic situation on the strategies to infer a believable and plausible scene.


A new mutation in the serine-threonine kinase domain of the transforming growth factor beta type II receptor (TGF beta RII) was found in a case of diffuse, B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the stomach. A missense mutation (ACA to GCA, Thr to Ala) was detected in exon 5, and a wild type allele was also present. This is the first naturally occurring mutation in the kinase domain of this gene identified in human primary lymphoma. The replication error at three loci was negative, and the poly A tract of exon 3, which is frequently a target of mismatch repair genes, was intact. Malignant lymphoma of B cell origin in the stomach is an addition to an expanding catalogue of tumors with TGF beta RII alterations, and the biological sequelae of the change in the functional domain and the clinical characteristics of the patient in this study are intriguing.


Understanding the molecular determinants of enzyme performance is of primary importance for the rational design of ad hoc mutants. A novel approach, which combines efficient conformational sampling and quick reactivity scoring, is used here to shed light on how substrate oxidation was improved during the directed evolution experiment of a fungal laccase (from Pycnoporus cinnabarinus), an industrially relevant class of oxidoreductases. It is found that the enhanced activity of the evolved enzyme is mainly the result of substrate arrangement in the active site, with no important change in the redox potential of the T1 copper. Mutations at the active site shift the binding mode into a more buried substrate position and provide a more favorable electrostatic environment for substrate oxidation. As a consequence, engineering the binding event seems to be a viable way to in silico evolution of oxidoreductases.


The process of cancer metastasis involves a series of sequential and complex steps. Here we give a perspective on recent results regarding noncoding transcription in cancer progression, focusing on the emerging role of long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs). LincRNAs target chromatin modification complexes or RNA-binding proteins to alter gene expression programs. Similarly to miRNAs, lincRNAs exhibit distinct gene expression patterns in primary tumors and metastases. We discuss how lincRNAs can be used for cancer diagnosis and prognosis and serve as potential therapeutic targets.


Apolipoprotein A-1 (apoA-1) in complex with high-density lipoprotein is critically involved in the transport and metabolism of cholesterol and in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We reexamined the thermal unfolding of lipid-free apoA-1 in low-salt solution at pH approximately 7, by using differential scanning calorimetry and circular dichroism. At protein concentrations <5 mg/ml, thermal unfolding of apoA-1 is resolved as an extended peak (25 degrees C-90 degrees C) that can be largely accounted for by a single reversible non-two-state transition with midpoint Tm 57 +/- 1 degree C, calorimetric enthalpy deltaH(Tm)= 200 +/- 20 kcal/mol (1 kcal = 4.18 kJ), van't Hoff enthalpy deltaHv(Tm) approximately 32.5 kcal/mol, and cooperativity deltaHv(Tm)/deltaH(Tm) approximately 0.16. The enthalpy deltaH(Tm) can be accounted for by melting of the alpha-helical structure that is inferred by CD to constitute approximately 60% of apoA-1 amino acids. Farand near-UV CD spectra reveal noncoincident melting of the secondary and tertiary structural elements and indicate a well-defined secondary structure but a largely melted tertiary structure for apoA-1 at approximately 37 degrees C and pH 7. This suggests a molten globular-like state for lipid-free apoA-1 under near-physiological conditions. Our results suggest that in vivo lipid binding by apoA-1 may be mediated via the molten globular apolipoprotein state in plasma.


The acidic N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (EC126.96.36.199) was purified from the porcine semen by ammonium sulfate fractionation,chromatography on DEAE-32 and Sephadex G-100. The specific activity of the enzyme was 1 773.25 U mg-1. The purified enzyme preparation was homogeneous judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weights of two subunits of the purified enzyme were determined to be 129.13×103 and 62.24×103,respectively. The pI value was calculated to be 5.10 by isoelectric focusing. The optimum temperature and pH of the enzyme were 60 ℃ and 5.5. The enzyme was stable in the pH ranges from 3.6 to 9.2 under 37 ℃ and at temperature ranges from 10 to 55 ℃. The Km and Vm values were determined to be 0.455 mmol/L and 17.34 μmol L-1 min-1 at pH 5.6 and at 37 ℃,respectively. The activation energy of the enzyme for hydrolysis of the substrate was 41.70 kJ mol-1. Fig 8,Tab 1,Ref 15


Osteoporosis is a well-known comorbidity of COPD; the increased risk in COPD is related to systemic inflammation, reduced physical activity or low lean muscle mass, corticosteroid use, smoking and age. Obesity in COPD is also increasingly common. We hypothesized that in COPD, obesity is protective against osteoporosis. Aim: To determine the association between COPD, body weight and osteoporosis. Methods: People with COPD (>55years) underwent a multidimensional assessment to measure body mass, bone mineral density (BMD), systemic inflammation (CRP), spirometry and symptoms. Participants were stratified into 2 groups; obese (BMI ≥30kg/m) and non-obese (BMI <30kg/m). Results: We recruited 41 participants, 21 (51%) were female with a mean (SD) age of 70.9 (8.7), BMI of 28 (0.7) and FEV1 % predicted of 51.2 (19). There were 24 (58%) who were obese. The total BMD of the obese group was significantly higher than the non-obese group (1.1 (0.14) versus 0.88 (0.22); p=0.0003). Similarly the total body BMD T score was significantly better in the obese group (-0.008 v -2.186; p<0.0001). There were fewer participants in the osteopenic or osteoporotic range in the obese (9 [37.5%]) compared with the non–obese 15 (88.3) group; p=0.001. Using linear regression analysis, appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM), log CRP and BMI were all positively associated with BMD T Score. In a multiple regression model (r2=0.5692; p=0.001) adjusted for age, gender and BMI, ASMM was the only positive predictor of BMD T score. Conclusion: Obesity is protective of poor bone health in COPD; this may be another key to the understanding of the obesity paradox in COPD. Assessing bone health in COPD patients with normal BMI is important.


The presence of progesterone response element (PRE) in the 5'-flanking region of the human GnRH receptor (GnRHR) suggests the possible regulation of this gene by progesterone (P). In the present study, we examined the effects of P in transcriptional regulation of human GnRHR gene expression at the pituitary and placenta levels since the GnRHR has been detected in both tissues. By the use of transient transfection assays, a differential regulation of human GnRHR promoter activity by P was observed. P treatment resulted in a decrease in promoter activity in the pituitary alphaT3-1 cells, suggesting a P-mediated inhibitory action. Interestingly, P is found to have a stimulatory role at the placental expression of this gene. Addition of RU486 to, or inhibition of endogenous P production by, the placental JEG-3 cells leads to a decrease in promoter activity, which is reversed by the replacement of P. Further studies have identified a putative PRE, namely human GR-PRE (located between -535 and -521, related to translation start site), that may be responsible for the P action since the mutation of these motifs reversed the P-mediated effects. The binding of PR to this element is confirmed by antibody supershift assays. The physiological effects of P are mediated through two PR isoforms, namely PR-A and PR-B. In the present study, overexpression of human PR-A resulted in a decrease in human promoter activity in both pituitary and placental cells. Interestingly, overexpression of PR-B exhibits a cell-dependent transcriptional activity, whereby it functions as a transcription activator in the placenta but as a transcription repressor in the pituitary. In summary, our results demonstrated a differential usage of PR-A and PR-B in transcriptional regulation of human GnRHR gene expression by P at the pituitary and placenta levels.


Eleven genotypes of rice were evaluated for different yield and its attributing characters. Out of these eight parents were chosen as female and three parents were considered as male. These lines and tester were combined following Line × Tester crossing design to estimate combining abilities (gca effect) of Parentts and crosses (sca effect). Line × Tester analysis confirmed the influence of sca variance on most of the yield related characters which predicted that some characters were predominantly controlled by dominance gene actions with substantial amount of epistatic gene interactions. Some genotypes were found to be high general combiners for yield plant-1 with number of yield related characters like number of grains plant-1 and number of grains panicle-1.


Reading Aloud (RA) technique seems to give a new level of emphasis on reading. In 2015, Pimanmas Ninsuwan experimented this technique on twenty English as Foreign Language (EFL) university students of Thailand and found that while fast learners are faster in understanding the context than slow learners who are less able, even primary English level students gain a better grasp of what they read if they do it aloud than silently. RA is not quite a discovery, but the paper's significant contribution to the field is its visible improvement on Thai students' English reading comprehension from June to August 2014, during a time when Thailand is going to join ASEAN, thus entering international relations where English is essential in communication. This paper is interested in reviewing it because the seemingly simple technique has numerous benefits not limited to decreasing students' intimidation on difficult and unfamiliar words, provoking them to understand and analyse what they read, training not just their reading skill but also their listening and speaking skills.


During the Covid-19 pandemic, most governments across the world imposed policies like lock-down of public spaces and restrictions on people's movements to minimize the spread of the virus through physical contact. However, such policies have grave social and economic costs, and so it is important to pre-assess their impacts. In this work we aim to visualize the dynamics of the pandemic in a city under different intervention policies, by simulating the behavior of the residents. We develop a very detailed agent-based model for a city, including its residents, physical and social spaces like homes, marketplaces, workplaces, schools/colleges etc. We parameterize our model for Kolkata city in India using ward-level demographic and civic data. We demonstrate that under appropriate choice of parameters, our model is able to reproduce the observed dynamics of the Covid-19 pandemic in Kolkata, and also indicate the counter-factual outcomes of alternative intervention policies.


The main objective of this contribution is to examine the developments and challenges of African Studies in Poland, with a special focus on the fields of political science and economics. The article demonstrates that the historical development of Polish African Studies has shaped, but also limited, the ongoing debate concerning its nature and objectives. The paper discusses two competing interpretations of the substance of African Studies and deals with the current challenges and hopes of the Polish academic community studying Africa. It argues that while the field of African Studies usually serves as a common denominator and a type of "area" platform where various scholars doing research on Africa can share their findings, this does not necessarily lead to integration within the community and/or to better communication. Quite paradoxically, the diagnosis of Polish African Studies presented almost 50 years ago by Jan Halpern can still be applied today: "Generally speaking, Polish scholars in African subjects feel that the further progress of their work demands, above all, a better coordination of research and closer contact with specialists abroad."


With the increasing resolution of modern CT scanners, analysis of the larger numbers of images acquired in a lung screening exam or diagnostic study is necessary, which also needs high accuracy and reproducibility. Recent developments in the computerized analysis of medical images are expected to aid radiologists and other healthcare professional in various diagnostic tasks of medical image interpretation. This article is to provide a brief overview of some of computer-aided diagnosis schemes in chest CT. (Tuberc Respir Dis 2004; 57:515-521)


In this paper we outline a heuristic algorithm for disambiguating author names of publications via deterministic clustering based on well-defined similarity measures between publications in which their names appear as authors. The algorithm is designed to be used in the construction of a collaboration network, i.e., a graph of author nodes and co-author links. In this context, the goal is to produce a co-authorship graph with network characteristics that are close to those of the "true" collaboration network, so that meaningful network metrics can be determined.

The algorithm we present here is fairly easily comprehended as it does not depend on any sophisticated AI techniques. This is important in the context of policy studies, in which we successfully applied it, as it enables policy makers to judge the soundness of the methodology with considerable confidence. It is also quite fast, making it possible to run large-scale analyses (here, in the order of a hundred thousand publications and in the order of a million names to be disambiguated) on a moderately sized desktop computer within a few days.

The algorithm is, finally, open to improvement via extensions that take into account additional kinds of fields in bibliographic records of publications to provide evidence that two occurrences of similar names belong to the same individual.


Background: Many functions are attributed to amniotic liquid, there is no doubt, after all, about the negative consequences of its alteration. The differentiation between physiological meconium and pathological meconium can modify the perinatal results. Objectives: to determine if the presence of the meconium considered pathological, is significantly related to the morbimortality of the patients. Method: an analytic and prospective study was made, control case type, of 504 newborn children with meconial amniotic liquid, and the same number of newborn children with clear amniotic liquid. Results: the pathological meconial amniotic liquid was associated to a low Apgar percentage, in the first minute of 5,2 %. When the meconial amniotic liquid resulted physiological it was of 0,4 %. The morbility associated to perinatal hypoxia raised from 0,4 % when the meconial amniotic liquid was physiological, and to 4,85 when it was pathological. The necessity of ventilation, associated to the pathological meconial amniotic liquid, was of 3,1 %. There were 3 deaths in the pathological meconial amniotic liquid group, for a 1,3 % of mortality. When the meconial amniotic liquid colour was intensified during delivery labour, it was observed a low Apgar percentage of 11 %. Conclusions: the meconial amniotic fluid is presented in the 23% of the patients in our study increasing its incidence as long as the gestational age and the weight of the patient were higher. Preeclampsia is associated in a very significant way to the presence of meconium which is considered pathological.


The following experiments were carried out on one blastomere at the two-cell stage of the sea-urchin egg: 1. Removal of the nucleus. 2. Removal of the nucleus and surrounding cytoplasm (centrosphere). 3. Attempted removal of the centrosphere only. In cells from which the nucleus had been removed the asters multiplied for up to 7 hours and then disappeared. During the period of aster multiplication, cleavage furrows often appeared between the asters but did not succeed in dividing the cell. After about 8 hours, cleavage into a large number of spheroidal cells occurred. When the nucleus and centrosphere were removed no asters were formed and no cleavage furrows were observed until after about 8 hours, when division into a large number of spheroidal cells occurred. When attempts were made to remove the centrosphere, leaving the nucleus intact, asters were always eventually re-formed Before the re-formation of asters neither the nucleus nor the cytoplasm divided although dissolution of the nuclear membrane, followed by its reappearance, occurred. After re-formation of the asters cleavage appeared to be normal.


"Slim, well-researched, and readable, this is not only a social history of an ethnic community but a gateway into the ancient psyche of the Japanese." The San Francisco Review of Books..". straightforward... informative... " Contemporary Sociology"The Japanese American Experience... will be used with profit by professors and students in sociology and ethnic studies courses, for it is the best general text on Japanese Americans currently in print." The Journal of American History..". a succinct and insightful account of the community's early struggle for survival in a racist society... " American Historical ReviewThis concise history of three generations of Japanese Americans focuses on their collective response to the challenges of discrimination and to the strikingly different historical circumstances each generation has faced."


Iamblichus (245-325), successor to Plotinus and Porphyry, brought a new religiosity to Neoplatonism. This edition of the fragments of Iamblichus' major work on the soul, De Anima, is accompanied by the first English translation of the work and a commentary.


Presidential and congressional campaigns are frustrating times. So much of what is said is misleading. It is easy to see why political advisers are so adept at moving from one campaign to another without skipping a beat or dwelling on any implied discrepancy in their own pattern of support. One can always find a multitude of sins on all sides and in almost all campaigns. It's easier to criticize than come up with constructive solutions, and at campaign time the opportunities are in spades. It's not surprising that campaigns quickly turn negative.


This essay describes the basics of the stock market analysis, gives a survey of simple methods of searching for predictive patterns in returns, as well as lists empirical evidence of such predictability.


Optical absorption spectra are exactly calculated for direct interband transitions in a one-dimensional (1D) electron-hole system within the effective-mass approximation. We employ a modified Coulomb potential between an electron and a hole to avoid the well-known divergence problem in the 1D system. The Sommerfeld factor, which is the absorption intensity ratio of the unbound exciton to the free electron-hole pair above the band edge, is found for the first time to be less than unity for the direct allowed transition in striking contrast to the three- and two-dimensional cases. This feature can be understood in terms of anomalously strong concentration of oscillator strength on the lowest 1D exciton state.


Cytological changes occurring in young oocytes of the mouse, following whole-body x-irradiation, have been examined by light and electron microscopy. Two minutes after a dose of 200 r, a drop occurs in the number of mitochondria per oocyte. The normal number of mitochondria is restored in the next few minutes. Five to 6 hours after a dose of 7 r, and 30 to 45 minutes following a dose of 200 r, all the oocytes are markedly contracted. In the next 2 hours (at a dose of 7 r), some cells shrink further and become pycnotic, while others expand and show signs of karyolysis. Of the expanded cells, some (about 50 per cent of total young oocytes) become morphologically normal. In both pycnotic and karyolytic nuclei, the nucleolus was contracted but without loss of its fibrillar structure. The contracted nucleolus appeared similar to those seen in some nearly mature normal oocytes (these oocytes have a high natural death rate). No other cell type in the ovary was affected by doses of x-rays up to 200 r. Observations on the nucleus of the normal oocyte are included. In the dictyate stage of meiotic prophase the chromosomes were dispersed into bundles of 100 A microfibrils. The main component of the nucleolus was found to be tightly coiled fibrils of 60 to 100 A, which appear to have a close relationship with the microfibrils of the chromosomes.


Traditionally access control models focus on access decisions by the static attributes such as identities, group names, memberships, and so on. Some dynamic outside environment factors are ignored. In this paper, we introduce the EAAC model which extends traditional RBAC to include the notion of both environments and behaviors by introducing a new conception that embodies the dynamic environmental factors. The basic analysis and application of EAAC is discussed in this paper. We bring forward a formalized tool based on Petri net, by which an instance of our prototype is analyzed.


Piezoelectric (PZT) ceramic elements are often subjected to complex loads during in- service lifetime in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems, and debonding of both excitation actuators and receiving sensors have a negative effect on the monitoring signals. A first systematic investigation of debonding behaviors by considering actuators and sensors simultaneously was performed in this paper. The debonding areas of actuators were set in different percentage range from 0% to 70%, and sensors in 0%, 20%, 40% and 60%. The signal-based monitoring method was used to extract the characteristic parameters of both the amplitudes and phases of received signals. Experimental results revealed that as the debonding areas of the actuators increase, the normalized amplitude appears a quick decrease before 35% debonding area of actuators and then a slow rise until 60% of debonding reached. This may be explained that the 35% debonding turning point correspond to the coincidence of the excitation frequencies of peripheral actuators with the inherent frequency of the central piezoelectric sensor, and the 60% be the result of the maximum ability of piezoelectric sensor. The degrees of debonding of actuators and sensors also have significant influence on the phase angle offset, with large debonding of actuators increases the phase offset sharply. The research work may provide useful information for practical monitoring of SHM systems.


Via molecular dynamics simulations, we have studied the kinetics of vapor-"solid" phase transition in an active matter model in which self-propulsion is introduced via the well-known Vicsek rule. The overall density of the particles is chosen in such a way that the evolution morphology consists of disconnected clusters that are defined as regions of high density of particles. Our focus has been on understanding the influence of the above-mentioned self-propulsion on structure and growth of these clusters by comparing the results with those for the passive limit of the model that also exhibits vapor-"solid" transition. While in the passive case growth occurs due to a standard diffusive mechanism, the Vicsek activity leads to very rapid growth, via a process that is practically equivalent to the ballistic aggregation mechanism. The emerging growth law in the latter case has been accurately estimated and explained by invoking information on velocity and structural aspects of the clusters into a relevant theory. Some of these results are also discussed with reference to a model for active Brownian particles.


Osteolysis remains a common reason for revision after total hip arthroplasty (THA). For osteolysis associated with loose cups, revision is indicated. For osteolysis around a well-fixed cup, the decision is more controversial. The data available data support retention of the cupwith lesional treatment, working through screw holes and access channels for debridement and grafting. The choice of graft material to fill defects, if any, remains controversial. Several studies demonstrate good survivorship with cup retention strategies. Complete revision allows more complete debridement of the lesion and better graft fill, and allows implantation of a modern cup, typically with a full line of liners and bearing surfaces available. Additionally, revision allows fine tuning of the orientation of the cup, which may be advantageous for optimising hip stability. The author prefers to retain a well-fixed cup if it meets the following criteria: it is well-fixed to intra-operative testing, it is well-positioned, it is of sufficient size to allow insertion of a new liner with a reasonable head size, new liners are available, and the hip is stable to intra-operative trialing after liner insertion.


While inflammatory phagocytosis of microbial pathogens and non-inflammatory phagocytosis of apoptotic cells have each been studied extensively, the consequences of innate immune recognition of host cells undergoing apoptosis as a direct result of infection are unclear. In this situation, the innate immune system is confronted with mixed signals, those from apoptotic cells and those from the infecting pathogen. Nuclear receptor activation has been implicated downstream of apoptotic cell recognition while Toll-like receptors are the prototypical inflammatory receptors engaged during infection. When the two signals combine, a new set of events takes place beginning with transrepression of a subset of inflammatory-response genes and ending with the induction of a T helper-17 adaptive immune response. This response is best suited for clearing the infecting pathogen and repairing the damage that occurred to the host tissue during infection.


Effects on the hadronic and electromagnetic properties of the two-nucleon system above pion threshold, arising from the interaction of the {Delta} isobar with nucleons, are investigated. The instantaneous nucleon-{Delta} potential is based on the meson exchange. Two-body reactions connecting channels with at most one pion and one photon are studied. Processes leading to a three-body pion-two-nucleon final state are considered in the restricted kinematic domain in which the pion forms the {ital P}{sub 33} resonance with one of the nucleons. The nucleon-{Delta} potential is seen to increase the relative importance of the inelastic strength of two-nucleon spin-triplet states with respect to spin-singlet states, correcting a deficiency common in most existing models. Theoretical predictions are compared with recent experimental data for the various reactions. In particular, the differential cross section and the proton beam asymmetry for {ital pp}{r arrow}{ital n}{Delta}{sup ++} ({ital p}{pi}{sup +}) are calculated, the latter observable being especially sensitive to the nucleon-{Delta} interaction.


Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is now applied with confidence in industrial facilities such as large wind tunnels, yielding data not possible before. Despite the difficulties that arise in such environments, the conventional PIV methods can provide high quality data, especially when dealing with spatial and temporal slowly varying values of the flow magnitudes. Obtaining highly spatially resolved velocity fields is still challenging due to the inherent difficulties in these industrial facilities, such as large velocity gradients, background light and reflections. This work has focused on: (i) the behaviour of conventional PIV when the conventional limits of the processing algorithm are approached or surpassed and (ii) which kind of advanced methods can reduce the main sources of error that are characterized in this paper. The focus is on the description of vortex flows. Group locking, a major source of error, is introduced, modelled and metrologically characterized. The part of the study devoted to advanced methods deals with one that has already shown to be of profit in images from industrial facilities, local field correction PIV (LFC-PIV). This is a robust and an accurate method, able to obtain a high yield of measurements in these environments, without the need of external adjustment to each particular situation. To illustrate this point, some examples of processing of real images are given. The conclusions of this work suggest guidelines about the error figures when measuring flows with embedded vortex using conventional and advanced methods in industrial facilities.


An attractor modelling approach has been shown (Hinwood and McLean, 2015) to simulate the long term evolution and stability of barrier estuary entrances. From this a classification of estuaries, based on the stability of the entrance, may be made. For individual estuaries this modelling approach can be used to investigate system instability under different climate scenarios. Climate change will result in changed river flows and increased sea levels. These changes will affect the behaviour of barrier estuaries, which are frequently vulnerable to entrance instability or closure. To determine the effects of climate change on the entrance stability, extensive sets of simulations were made using a simple model of the estuary entrance dynamics. The model used is based on a two-cell representation of the hydrodynamics and sediment transport in the entrance constriction. The attractors are found by running the model until a limit state is attained, usually about 2,000 tide cycles, for several thousand sets of initial conditions of non-dimensional river flow, Q, and entrance depth, h. The results of the modeling are shown on an "attractor map", which is a plot of Q against the final value of h. The map also shows the attractors, which are lines depicting the states to which the estuary evolves under the assumed conditions of tide, river flow and coastal sediment supply. For entrances where Q is less than a critical value, relatively small changes in river flow or sediment supply can push the estuary into the catchment of the river flow attractor and effectively close the entrance until a higher river flow or erosive wave condition scours the entrance. The Snowy River Estuary is used as an application where we have previous 3D modelling results for similar scenarios. In this paper we use the attractor map to determine the effects of changes in the entrance stability and estuary regime for the pre and post Snowy Mountains Scheme plus predicted climate change scenarios that lead to changes in river flow and/or mean sea level for the years 2035 and 2100. The analyses show that the predicted rise in mean sea level is likely to reduce the stability of the entrances. The predicted reduction in catchment flow is likely to have a small impact on the stability of estuary entrance with the main effect being the rise in sea level which leads to an increase in marine sediment being supplied to the entrance. The attractor approach is shown to provide additional information on the response of an estuary to a range of conditions and can provide guidance on the selection of specific cases for detailed study. The Pre-SMS entrance condition is shown to have been essentially stable but the removal of the upper catchment by the Snowy Mountains Scheme has increased the vulnerability of the entrance to closure. The effects of reductions in catchment flows predicted under climate change appear to have been exacerbated by expected increases in inter-tidal area in the estuary through sea level rise, which will lead to an increase in the influx of marine sand to the entrance. Thus, over the period up to 2100 the entrance will stay well within the vulnerable zone. Attractor modelling has been shown as a useful tool to represent the entrance state and potential trajectory of barrier estuaries with a significant river inflow. The construction of an attractor map for an estuary can provide the basis for management decisions where periodic entrance constriction impacts on the amenity and function of the estuary. Attractor modelling can contribute strongly to the development of a Decision Support Structure that includes projected estuary state, expanding on the reactive measures possible when only monitoring methods are available.


Pedestrian modeling is a tool for designing and optimizing infrastructures. In particular, walking in transportation hubs such as railway stations and airports is the key for an efficient multimodal transport systems. Data collections are needed in estimating the demand for these infrastructures. These data can further be used in destination choice models in order to understand pedestrian behavior and forecast demand for future scenarios. Possible applications: railway stations, airports, music festivals. 3rd prize of the ENAC Research Day 2013 Doctoral poster award


Abstract The author of the article discusses the subject of terminology in the field of cartographic methodology. The general purpose is to propose an internally consistent system of concepts which allows classification of cartographic presentation methods based on unambiguous criteria. For this purpose, in the article the concept of presentation method and the concept of presentation form were differentiated, the cartographic presentation method was divided into stages, and possible data transformation and visualization aspects during application of a method were specified. Then, review of the previous classifications of cartographic presentation methods was conducted which allows differentiation of two fundamental approaches to classification and comparison of the applied criteria. On this basis, the author's classification of cartographic presentation methods was suggested in which three qualitative and four quantitative methods were differentiated. It constitutes a compromise between accepting unambiguous criteria and the possibility to differentiate methods fixed in cartographic convention.


This article describes and compares three computer programs designed to assist in the analysis of narrative text. Ethnograph, GATOR, and Martin were compared in the context of a qualitative study of women and their husbands following mastectomy in order to (a) describe the fit between research purpose and program capabilities and (b) explore the influence, if any, of particular program features on research methods or analysis. The comparison suggests that methodological assistance provided by the programs involves differences in approach sufficient to make prior consideration of theft between program capabilities and research purposes, methods, and style an important research decision. Descriptions of the programs and their application provide guidelines for comparison of these and other computer programs.


Human exposure to carbon black (CB) is inevitable due to its widespread applications in the medical, industrial and consumer sectors. With an ageing population, it is imperative that the effects of (nano)particle exposure in individuals with compromised immunity or infection are considered. Since barrier immunity provides the first line of defence against CB and the human skin and lung pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, this work focuses on studying the impact of CB exposure upon compromised immunity during infection on human skin and lung epithelial cells in vitro. The principal aim of the work was to develop an epithelial cell model to characterise (co-)exposure to CB and S. aureus. The work used two human epithelial cell lines, HaCaT (skin) and A549 (lung), ELISA technology to assess the (pro-)inflammatory response, aseptic microbiology techniques to grow S. aureus and a Zetasizer, EDX spectroscopy, and both scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) to characterise the CB under the conditions used in the study. Physicochemical characterisation of CB confirmed its shape, dramatic polydispersity and potential to aggregate. CB significantly inhibited S. aureus growth, but in a biological media dependent manner. CB did not induce cytokines or antimicrobial peptides from skin and lung epithelial cells, when given alone. In contrast, S. aureus induced a robust interleukin (IL)-8 response in both skin and lung epithelial cells. IL-6 and human beta defensin (hβD)-2 could only be detected when cells were stimulated with S. aureus. However, co-exposure to CB (100µg/ml) and S. aureus resulted in significant inhibition of IL-8 (compared to S. aureus only induced levels). Furthermore, the same co-exposure induced significantly more hβD-2 (compared to S. aureus alone). The ability to detect pathogen responses to particle, in addition to epithelial responses to particle and pathogen is an advance on assessing cell responses under 'healthy' conditions and supports the need for developing exposure models under stressed or immunosuppressed conditions. This model will be useful for studying mechanisms of exposure in at-risk groups, including factory workers, the elderly and immunocompromised. Advanced models, that better represent human pathophysiology are essential for understanding cellular mechanisms of toxicity in the 21st Century.


Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are lightweight security primitives that exploit complex manufacturing variations in integrated circuits to extract secret keys. It is well-established that the unique keys generated by the mux-based arbiter PUF can be predicted accurately using logistic regression (LR), provided a set of challenge-response pairs (CRPs) are known. The integration of 28nm HKMG FeFET with CMOS technology has been shown to neither alter the switching behavior of the FeFET, nor affect the baseline CMOS. In this work, we present simulation results that discuss the possibility of using the FeFET to design "stronger" arbiter PUFs that can be reconfigured at least 6n times, where n represents the number of stages. Results from LR based attacks suggest that the training dataset may need to be updated after every reconfiguration cycle, preventing the adversary from collecting enough training data for each configuration within a reasonable amount of time for a security breach.


Mangosteen is sensitive to low temperature and develops chilling injury (CI) when stored at temperature below 13oC. Postharvest heat treatment has been applied to alleviate CI in various fruits. In this research, induction of CI resistance in mangosteen affected by heat treatment was investigated. Mangosteen was heated with hot air at 35oC for 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours, prior to storage at 7oC. Thereafter, fruit was held for 3 days at 25oC and determined for weight loss, heat injury and CI symptoms. All heat treatments resulted in retarding abnormal ripening. Fruit heated for 3 and 6 hours exhibited smaller extents of browning and shrinkage of calyx and stem after the long-term cold storage, whereas heat treatment for 12 and 24 hours imparted undesirable appearance of calyx and stem, in addition to increased weight loss. The highest extent of pericarp hardening was detected in non-heated and 3-hour-heated fruit after 9-15 days of cold storage. During the cold storage, the lowest electrolyte leakage was found in 6-hourheated fruit. Heat treatment at 35oC for 6 hours effectively delayed CI occurrence, in terms of abnormal ripening, browning and shrinkage of calyx and stem, hardening of pericarp and electrolyte leakage, with smallest extents of weight loss and heat injury.


In recent years, the rapid growth of traffic has become a serious problem of mobile network operators. For effectively mitigating this traffic explosion problem, there have been many efforts to research on offloading the traffic from cellular links to direct communications among users. In this paper, we are motivated by users' sharing activities, and hence propose the framework of Traffic Offloading assisted by Social network services (SNS) via opportunistic Sharing in mobile social networks (MSNs), TOSS, to offload SNS-based cellular traffic by user-to-user sharing. First, a subset of users who are to receive the same content was selected as initial population depending on their content spreading impacts in the online SNSs and their mobility patterns in the offline MSNs. Then users move, encounter and share the content via opportunistic local connectivity with each other, the content via opportunistic local connectivity with each other, e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, Device-to-Device in LTE. Individual users have distinct access patterns, which potentially allow TOSS to exploit the user-dependent access delay between the content generation time and each user's access time for content sharing purposes. The traffic offloading and content spreading among users are analyzed by taking into account various options in linking SNS and MSN traces. Four mobility traces and online SNS trace for evaluation are analyzed. An extended evaluation over a large-scale data set are further carried out, and the effectiveness of TOSS is further proved.


This article investigates the relationship between brain extracellular fluid free phenytoin concentration and plasma free phenytoin concentration in adults with acute brain injury. Daily cerebral microdialysate free phenytoin concentration was measured in eight adults with acute brain injury and compared with simultaneous measurement of plasma free phenytoin concentration. The group data revealed no significant correlation between microdialysate and plasma free phenytoin concentration (r = 0.34, p = 0.41). However, in two patients, with a sufficient number of samples for intra-individual analysis, there was a significant correlation between microdialysate and plasma free phenytoin concentration (r = 0.92, p < 0.001 and r = 0.88, p < 0.01). In vitro microdialysis relative recovery for phenytoin was 2.1%. In the context of acute brain injury, measurement of free plasma phenytoin concentration may not provide an accurate reflection of regional brain extracellular fluid free phenytoin concentration and may have limitations with respect to achieving reproducible brain extracellular fluid free phenytoin concentrations. This has implications for dosing regimens relying on plasma phenytoin levels.


As one of the only described degraders of the recalcitrant metabolite 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM) of the pesticide dichlobenil, Aminobacter sp. MSH1 has been intensively studied for its characteristics with regards to physiology and its use in bioremediation. Two plasmid sequences from strain MSH1 have previously been published, while the remaining genome sequence has been left uninvestigated. We here present the complete genome sequence of this important strain, which consists of a chromosome, two megaplasmids and five smaller plasmids. Intriguingly, the plasmid copy numbers are mostly below one per bacterial chromosome, indicating that plasmids in strain MSH1 are under very unstable conservation. The results of this report improve our understanding of the genomic dynamics of Aminobacter sp. MSH1.


SUMMARY The possibility of foundation rocking of shear wall structures designed to NZS 4203 is discussed. Theory developed by Housner for the free rocking of a rigid block is compared with experimental results from a simple structural model with a number of different foundation conditions. A simple design method for assessing maximum rocking displacements, using equivalent elastic characteristics and a response-spect ra approach is proposed, and compared with results from simulated seismic excitation of the model using an electro-hydraulic shake-table. A typical design example is included.


Purpose: To investigate the demographic, epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics; treatment options; and outcome of human brucellosis with spine involvement at a major hospital in Hulunbuir, a brucellosis epidemic region of China. Patients and methods: A total of 842 patients with human brucellosis treated in the Department of Brucellosis, Hulunbuir People's Hospital from January 2011 to December 2016 were included and analyzed in this study. The results of 67 brucellar spondylodiscitis (BS) cases were compared with those that were negative for spine involvements. Results: The mean age of spinal brucellosis patients was 50.5±10.2 years (43 males and 24 females; age range 29–70). The risk factors for transmission are direct contact with animals, such as working in the farm, and consumption of unpasteurized milk or daily products. Back pain (92.5%), fever (85.1%), sweating (62.7%), and fatigue (52.8%) were the most common symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in all the patients with spondylodiscitis. The sites of involvement were lumbar (81.2%), thoracic (8.7%), cervical (4.3%), thoracolumbar (2.9%), and lumbosacral (2.9%). All isolates from blood culture were identified as Brucella melitensis, with 61% biovar 3 and 39% biovar 1 isolates. The antimicrobial therapy for BS lasted for at least 3 months. In the presence of paravertebral or epidural abscess, longer treatment was conducted to avoid possible sequelae. Conclusion: In endemic areas such as Hulunbuir, BS should be considered in patients with back pain and fever. MRI is a highly sensitive imaging modality that can be used to differentiate BS from other spinal infections. This study will be helpful to establish strategies for prevention, surveillance, and management of spinal brucellosis in China.


New energy solutions are needed to decrease the currently high electricity costs from conventional electricity-only central power plants in Cyprus. A promising solution is a decentralized, hybrid photovoltaic-solid oxide fuel cell (PV-SOFC) system. In this study a decentralized, hybrid PV-SOFC system is investigated as a solution for useful energy supply to a commercial building (small hotel). An actual load profile and solar/weather data are fed to the system model to determine the thermoeconomic characteristics of the proposed system. The maximum power outputs for the PV and SOFC subsystems are 70 and 152 kWe, respectively. The average net electrical and total efficiencies for the SOFC subsystem are 0.303 and 0.700, respectively. Maximum net electrical and total efficiencies reach up to 0.375 and 0.756, respectively. The lifecycle cost for the system is 1.24 million USD, with a unit cost of electricity at 0.1057 USD/kWh. In comparison to the conventional case, the unit cost of electricity is about 50% lower, while the reduction in CO2 emissions is about 36%. The proposed system is capable of power and heat generation at a lower cost, owing to the recent progress in both PV and fuel cell technologies, namely longer lifetime and lower specific cost.


The use of computed tomography (CT) has increased dramatically during the last two decades and contributes today to 80% of the estimated population dose caused by radiological examinations. Recent publications have shown an increased incidence of cancer caused by the irradiation from CT examinations and has led to increased dose awareness. In this study the dose saving potential for a thorax-abdomen/pelvis protocol on a Siemens SOMATOM Definition AS + (Siemens, Germany) was investigated. The main aim was to reduce the dose to the patient while maintaining similar image quality as the current scan protocol. Alternative reconstruction filters and using iterative techniques where applied to lower dose scans of a Catphan 600 phantom (Siemens Germany). Physical and objective image quality parameters, in this case the spatial resolution, noise and noise power spectrum (NPS) curves were measured in the lower dose scans of Catphan 600 and compared to the spatial resolution, noise and NPS measured in the current scan protocol. The parameter settings resulting in similar objective image quality where applied to scans of an anthropomorphic phantom. Signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) where calculated and compared to SNR and CNR of the current scan protocol. The final best lower dose alternatives where presented for experienced radiologists for subjective evaluation. Physical image quality parameters such as spatial resolution, noise level, SNR and CNR were found to be maintained down at 50% dose level. However, the NPS curves revealed some minor shift in spatial distribution of the noise towards coarser graininess at the highest iterative strengths. The experienced thorax radiologist qualified all lower dose alternatives presented as diagnostically acceptable. The experienced gastro radiologist evaluated the scans reconstructed with a higher iterative level than 2 as blotchy and not diagnostically suitable. The observed blotchiness may have a correlation with the minor shift in NPS curves. In conclusion, a dose level of 75% (i.e. 25% lower dose than the current scan protocol) using higher iterative strength was found to be diagnostically acceptable and can be further explored on patients.


Infection with the roundworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the main cause of eosinophilic meningitis worldwide. The underlying molecular basis of the various pathological outcomes in permissive and non-permissive hosts infected with A. cantonensis remains poorly defined. In the present study, the histology of neurological disorders in the central nervous system (CNS) of infected rats was assessed by using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blot and immunofluorescence (IF) were used in evolutions of the transcription and translation levels of the apoptosis-, necroptosis-, autophagy-, and pyroptosis-related genes. The distribution of apoptotic and necroptotic cells in the rat hippocampus and parenchyma was further detected using flow cytometry, and the features of the ultrastructure of the cells were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The inflammatory response upon CNS infection with A. cantonensis evolved, as characterized by the accumulation of a small number of inflammatory cells under the thickened meninges, which peaked at 21 days post-infection (dpi) and returned to normal by 35 dpi. The transcription levels and translation of caspase-2, caspase-8, RIP1 and RIP3 increased significantly at 21 and 28 dpi but decreased sharply at 35 dpi compared to those in the normal control group. However, the changes in the expression of caspase-1, caspase-3, caspase-11, Beclin-1 and LC3B were not obvious, suggesting that apoptosis and necroptosis but not autophagy or pyroptosis occurred in the brains of infected animals at 21 and 28 dpi. The results of RT-qPCR, western blot analysis, IF, flow cytometry and TEM further illustrated that necroptosis and caspase-2-mediated apoptosis occurred in astrocytes and neurons but not in microglia in the parenchyma and hippocampus of infected animals. This study provides the first evidence that neuronal and astrocytic necroptosis and caspase-2-mediated apoptosis are induced by A. cantonensis infection in the parenchymal and hippocampal regions of rats at 21 and 28 dpi but these processes are negligible at 35 dpi. These findings enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of A. cantonensis infection and provide new insights into therapeutic approaches targeting the occurrence of cell death in astrocytes and neurons in infected patients.


Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is one of the most aggressive cancer types worldwide. However, the underlying genomic events of EC are not fully understood. It is becoming evident that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in tumorgenesis, metastasis, prognosis and diagnosis. Accumulating EC-related lncRNAs have been verified to involve in various biological processes through diverse functions including signal, decoy, scaffold and guide. However, the molecular mechanism of lncRNAs in EC has not been fully explored. In this review, we outline the functions and underlying mechanism of EC-related lncRNAs to pave the way for identification of novel potential biomarkers for EC.


Pemphigus is an autoimmune blistering disease characterized by circulating autoantibodies directed against the keratinocyte cell surface. The two variants, pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus vulgaris, can be distinguished at the molecular level by immunochemical studies. The large majority of patients with pemphigus develop the disease spontaneously; however, there is a small group of patients who develop pemphigus after treatment with certain medications, of which penicillamine and captopril are the best documented. Most patients with drug-induced pemphigus have circulating and/or tissue bound epidermal cell surface autoantibodies; however, the molecular specificity of these autoantibodies has not been studied. We performed immunoprecipitation studies utilizing extracts of 125I-labeled suction blister epidermis and the sera of three patients with drug-induced pemphigus foliaceus (two due to penicillamine and one due to captopril) and one patient with captopril-induced pemphigus vulgaris. We found that the three patients with drug-induced pemphigus foliaceus had circulating autoantibodies that are directed against the pemphigus foliaceus antigen complex and that the one patient with drug-induced pemphigus vulgaris had circulating autoantibodies that are directed against the pemphigus vulgaris antigen complex. This study demonstrates that autoantibodies from drug-induced pemphigus patients have the same antigenic specificity, on a molecular level, as do autoantibodies from other pemphigus patients.


Although computers are widely available in schools and their use is supported by public policy, their uptake by teachers is not universal. There is evidence that, even where teachers have access and essential skills, they Iack confidence in their ability to integrate computers in their teaching. Multimedia cases have been developed for the purpose of increasing teachers' self-efficacy beliefs (confidence) for teaching with computers (SETWC). It was important to understand what factors might influence SETWC. This paper reports the results of a study which examined the effect of several variables on SETWC. The most significant influence on SETWC was Ievels of comfort with using


The article presents the method of organization and research of flora at environmental surveys in accordance with general requirements and rules (SP 11-102-97, SP 47.13330.2012). The aim of the work is to form the basic approaches for qualitative research of flora objects in the performance of engineering and environmental surveys based on the analysis of existing normative legal acts in the field of nature protection, using scientific methods. The suggested methodological recommendations and proposals for solving some of the problems associated with the study of vegetation cover based on the personal experience of the authors. As a result, the whole complex of works consists of three steps: step 1 includes work with literary and stock data on the study territory; work with herbarium collections. Selection of topographic maps and remote sensing data, development the plan of actions and expedition route. The implementation period is January — May. In the step 2 — expedition work. Perform geobotanical descriptions. Determine the coordinates of rare and protected species and assess the condition of their cenopopulation. Decode the remote sensing analysis and develop a preliminary legend of the geobotanical map. The implementation period is May-September. Step 3 — desk work. Prepare a report containing the characteristics of the area, methods and results of research: a description of vegetation, an annotated list of plant objects, indicate the coordinates of the location of protected plant objects and develop recommendations for their protection. A large-scale vegetation map (scale 1:10 000 and larger) is compiled, in which the selected natural-territorial complexes of the investigated territory are displayed in detail. The implementation period is September-November. It is note that, due to the laboriousness of individual stages of work, there is a need to attract experienced and qualified specialists. It is specific that the period of expedition work and natural and climatic features of the study area should be take into account in the research work on the study of vegetation in environmental surveys.


The article is focused on analysis of existing understanding of narrative method of teaching by modern scholars, as well as the specific ways and goals of its application in their everyday practice. Particular consideration is given to exploration of narratives in social work education in higher education settings. Detailed description and in-depth analysis is provided on the use of narratives in teaching social work Bachelor program courses at the School of Social Work of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. An analysis is provided for the content of topics of studies where such narratives are used like life history, oral narratives etc. The presented specific cases of narrative use cover the following issues: students' creating and telling the narrative on behalf of the imagined character with the relevant characteristics; using visualization (photos), based on which the narrative is created; creating and delivering the future narrative by participation of the other character; understanding the history narrative; analysis and interpretation of narratives collected by the use of oral narrative or life story. It is claimed that using the narrative promotes students' activization, empowers them for the project work, enables their gaining new experience and experiential learning. Moreover, developing and telling the narratives enhances students' intense communication and creativity as well as their engagement into the education process which is of high importance within the distance learning framework. The narrative is of high value for the social work education and training as this approach ensures developing capacity to listen to the clients' stories, to analyze and to understand their life stories, to assist in changing clients' lives by using success stories.


Abstract Background/Aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and has a poor prognosis. Periodontitis, or tooth loss, is considered to be related to hepatocarcinogenesis and its poor prognosis. This study aimed to explore potential associations and cross-talk mechanisms between periodontitis and HCC. Materials and Methods: Periodontitis and HCC microarray datasets were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and were analyzed to obtain differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs. Functional enrichment analysis was used to detect the functions of these mRNAs. Then, a ceRNA network of periodontitis-related HCC was constructed. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, random forest algorithm, and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) were performed to explore the diagnostic significance of mRNAs in periodontitis-related HCC. Cox regression analyses were conducted to screen mRNAs with prognostic significance in HCC. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT–PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were conducted to validate the expression of these mRNAs in HCC tissues. Results: A ceRNA network was constructed. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the network is associated with immune and inflammatory responses, the cell cycle and liver metabolic function. LASSO, random forest algorithm and SVM-RFE showed the diagnostic significance of DE mRNAs in HCC. Cox regression analyses revealed that MSH2, GRAMD1C and CTHRC1 have prognostic significance for HCC, and qRT–PCR and IHC validated this finding. Conclusion: Periodontitis may affect the occurrence of HCC by changing the immune and inflammatory response, the cell cycle and liver metabolic function. MSH2, GRAMD1C and CTHRC1 are potential prognostic biomarkers for HCC.


Abstract To investigate whether cilostazol (CAS 73963-72-1), a selective phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor, reduces the progression of atherogenic diet-induced atherosclerosis, cilostazol was orally administered twice a day for 4 weeks to male apolipoprotein-E knockout (ApoE KO) mice. In serial sections of the aortic root, the atherosclerotic lesion ratios in the cilostazol-treated groups (32.5 ± 3.3 % for 100 mg/kg, 29.0 ± 2.9% for 300 mg/kg) were significantly and dose-dependently smaller than that of the control group (40.2 ± 3.7%). Cilostazol also significantly reduced the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and monocyte/macrophage accumulation in the aortic root and increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels in plasma. These results suggest that cilostazol suppresses the progression of atherosclerosis in ApoE KO mice by inhibiting adhesion and infiltration of monocytes and reducing cholesterol accumulation in atherosclerotic lesion.


Observation of the time difference due to varying pumping intensities in the stimulated-emission process from fluorescent dye-doped liquid droplets is reported. It is suggested that the time difference is related to the round-trip time required to support lasing in the droplet.


Abstract 'What is politics?' is an omnipresent question in Hannah Arendt's work and one which is broadly explored in countless publications. 'What is law?', in contrast, is a question which has not been of much interest to Arendt scholarship to date. There is a good reason for this: Arendt's engagement with law seems not to be systematic but, rather, episodic and sporadic. However, on the basis of three different discourses – historical, political-theoretical, and legal-philosophical – I shall point out that Arendt's dealing with legal questions takes place on a continuous basis and should be regarded as crucial for a proper understanding of her thoughts. I shall argue that with her shift from the Greek conception of law as nomos to the Roman lex, Arendt seeks to de-substantiate the concept of law and to highlight the relationship-establishing dimension of law. Both attempts are important for overcoming the dichotomy of law and politics within constitutionalism and for paving the way to a different understanding of legal rationality which seeks not to isolate law from the political sphere but rather to interact with it.


Quantitative PCR (qPCR) has numerous applications in biology. In an education setting, qPCR provides students an opportunity to better understand the PCR mechanism by providing both quantitative information about the reactions and also data to troubleshoot PCRs (e.g., melt curves). Here, we present a relatively short (2-h) laboratory activity to demonstrate qPCR to quantify plasmid copy number (CN) by measuring the cycle threshold (CT) values for a genomic gene and a plasmid gene using transformed cells as a template. The activity can be combined with additional laboratory exercises, including bacterial transformation, to create the template to be used in the qPCRs. This lab activity is ideal for undergraduate laboratory courses that include recombinant DNA technology. ABSTRACT Quantitative PCR (qPCR) has numerous applications in biology. In an educational setting, qPCR provides students an opportunity to better understand the PCR mechanism by providing both quantitative information about the reactions and also data to troubleshoot PCRs (e.g., melt curves). Here, we present a relatively short (2-h) laboratory activity to demonstrate qPCR to quantify plasmid copy number (CN) by measuring the cycle threshold (CT) values for a genomic gene and a plasmid gene using transformed cells as a template. The activity can be combined with additional laboratory exercises, including bacterial transformation, to create the template to be used in the qPCRs. This lab activity is ideal for undergraduate laboratory courses that include recombinant DNA technology. (This work was presented at the 2020 Biomedical Engineering Society annual meeting).


A novel approach to the energy conversion aspect of multi-energy system modelling is presented. Derived from the Energy Hubs modelling concept, a framework is proposed which can account for conversion topologies of arbitrary complexity. In particular, no constraint is placed upon the direction of energy flow through a given system and subsequently, terminals of the conversion model can serve as both inputs and outputs. Binary decision variables with mutual exclusivity constraints effectively allow the energy conversion topology to be re-configured to its optimal form, for a given set of system conditions. The proposed approach is systematic and amenable to software implementation as an entire conversion model can be described by a single connection matrix with associated index set. The power and flexibility of the approach is exemplified by way of a case study and associated numerical results. The paper is concluded by discussing future work related to the proposed modelling approach.


Power control techniques are used in wireless communications to reduce interference and save energy. This strategy has particularly interesting applications in a multihop MANET(mobile ad-hoc networks), because the transmission power required for the communication between two nodes is increased exponentially with their distance, and the total power required to transmit a packet via multihop may be less than the energy required to transmit it directly. In this paper, we propose a new power saving mechanism in a tree constructed by TDA (topology discovering algorithm) (Zabian and Bonuccelli, 2005). The idea is the reduction of power consumption in each node (when it is possible) by adjusting the transmission range that allows a significant power saving in all the network. Our results show that, the power consumption in a tree like that constructed by TDA is related to the height of the tree and tightly related to the packet size.


In this paper, we present convergence rates for solving elliptic boundary value problems with singular parameterizations in isogeometric analysis. First, the approximation errors with the L(Ω)-norm and the H(Ω)-seminorm are estimated locally. The impact of singularities is considered in this framework. Second, the convergence rates for solving PDEs with singular parameterizations are discussed. These results are based on a weak solution space that contains all of the weak solutions of elliptic boundary value problems with smooth coefficients. For the smooth weak solutions obtained by isogeometric analysis with singular parameterizations and the finite element method, both are shown to have the optimal convergence rates. For non-smooth weak solutions, the optimal convergence rates are reached by setting proper singularities of a controllable parameterization, even though convergence rates are not optimal by finite element method, and the convergence rates by isogeometric analysis with singular parameterizations are better than the ones by the finite element method.


A 63‐year‐old man presented with bilateral ptosis, and detailed evaluation confirmed ocular myasthenia gravis with three anterior mediastinal masses on computed tomography (CT) of the chest. Extended thymectomy was performed, and pathology revealed two thymic carcinoma and one thymoma. After surgery, the patient is free from recurrence. Synchronous triple thymic carcinomas and thymoma have not been reported. The finding of this case report supports the hypothesis of malignant transformation of thymoma to thymic carcinoma. Thymic carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of multiple thymic tumours, and extended thymectomy should be the treatment of choice.


Functionalization of surfaces as well as the precise generation of metallic components are increasingly required in specific applications, especially in aviation, medical technology and micro tooling industry. The utilization of such parts is not only combined with beneficial properties including, for example, almost no porosity or cracking even on complex shaped parts, but also high flexibility and high robustness in processing. Some applications even require rapid adaptations of the generated geometry, e. g. to satisfy personal requirements of patients in the area of medical parts.By means of strongly reduced melt pool dimensions the generation of miniaturized structures and components can be realized up to a detail resolution within the double-digit micrometer range. This can be reached by the use of suitable laser sources (e. g. fiber and disc lasers). It also requires the implementation of precise powder nozzle systems, modified process equipment and new coating strategies supported by CAD/CAM interfaces. High precision laser cladding yields small heat affected zones and improved near-net shape contours. The interaction of complementary equipment permits a good reproducibility, but typically a rather low deposition rate.The comparison with high productive laser cladding which is characterized by deposition rates up to 15 kg/h shows the huge variability of this process. Hence, there is almost an order of magnitude of three between the smallest and the largest laser cladded weld bead track.Functionalization of surfaces as well as the precise generation of metallic components are increasingly required in specific applications, especially in aviation, medical technology and micro tooling industry. The utilization of such parts is not only combined with beneficial properties including, for example, almost no porosity or cracking even on complex shaped parts, but also high flexibility and high robustness in processing. Some applications even require rapid adaptations of the generated geometry, e. g. to satisfy personal requirements of patients in the area of medical parts.By means of strongly reduced melt pool dimensions the generation of miniaturized structures and components can be realized up to a detail resolution within the double-digit micrometer range. This can be reached by the use of suitable laser sources (e. g. fiber and disc lasers). It also requires the implementation of precise powder nozzle systems, modified process equipment and new coating strategies supported by CAD/CAM interf...


Background Periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are two chronic destructive inflammatory diseases with significant worldwide prevalence. Periodontal disease and RA are characterized by the destruction of articular and periodontal tissue, and they share several biological and pathological features. Objectives Evaluate the effects of conventional drug treatment and anti-TNF therapy in patients with RA on periodontal condition and subgingival microbiota, establishing the association of markers of periodontal infection with indexes of rheumatic activity. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in two groups of RA patients with more than two years of diagnosis. The first group used conventional therapy, and the second group used anti-TNF treatment. An association analysis was performed to observe the relationship between clinical and microbiological markers of periodontal infection, and RA activity. A comparative analysis was performed to assess clinical and microbiological periodontal markers and RA activity. The data were released to STATA v11. Frequencies of nominal variables and means and standard deviations for continuous variables were calculated for sociodemographic, periodontal and rheumatological data. Associations between periodontal status and rheumatological variables by Chi square/Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U tests. The results were considered statistically significant at p≤0.05. The ethics committee of institution approved the study. Results An overall high frequency of periodontal disease 91%, in most cases from moderate to severe, was observed in all subjects. The frequency of periodontal disease was 93.22% in the anti-TNF-alpha group and 88.7% in the conventional treatment group. The percentage of sites with clinical attachment loss ≥4 mm was significantly associated with the group receiving methotrexate and leflunomide p=0.05. Steroid therapy was associated with the presence of teeth p=0.027. Significant associations were observed with the use of more than one DMARD and the presence of P. gingivalis p=0.004. T. denticola was found in the anti-TNF-α therapy group compared to the conventional therapy group p=0.001. Conclusions Different pharmacological treatments for RA affect the clinical condition and sub-gingival microbiota. Patients treated with more than one DMARD promote the increase subgingival microbiota. Therefore, a more strict periodontal monitoring is necessary in these RA patients References Lafaurie Gi, Contreras a, barόn a, et al. demographic, clinical, and microbial aspects of chronic and aggressive periodontitis in Colombia: a multicenter study. J Periodontol. 2007; 78: 629–639. Bingham Co, Moni M. periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis: the evidence accumulates for complex pathobiologic interactions. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2013 25:345–53. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that causes loss of the tooth-supporting apparatus, including periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone. A broad range of treatment options is currently available to restore the structure and function of the periodontal tissues. A regenerative approach, among others, is now considered the most promising paradigm for this purpose, harnessing the unique properties of stem cells. How to make full use of the body's innate regenerative capacity is thus a key issue. While stem cells and bioactive factors are essential components in the regenerative processes, matrices play pivotal roles in recapitulating stem cell functions and potentiating therapeutic actions of bioactive molecules. Moreover, the positions of appropriate bioactive matrices relative to the injury site may stimulate the innate regenerative stem cell populations, removing the need to deliver cells that have been manipulated outside of the body. In this topical review, we update views on advanced designs of biomatrices—including mimicking of the native extracellular matrix, providing mechanical stimulation, activating cell-driven matrices, and delivering bioactive factors in a controllable manner—which are ultimately useful for the regenerative therapy of periodontal tissues.