Graphene oxide is regarded as a major precursor for graphene-based materials. The development of graphene oxide based derivatives with new functionalities requires a thorough understanding of its chemical reactivity, especially for canonical synthetic methods such as the Diels-Alder cycloaddition. The Diels-Alder reaction has been successfully extended with graphene oxide as a source of diene by using maleic anhydride as a dienophile, thereby outlining the presence of the cis diene present in the graphene oxide framework. This reaction provides fundamental information for understanding the exact structure and chemical nature of graphene oxide. On the basis of high-resolution (13) C-SS NMR spectra, we show evidence for the formation of new sp(3) carbon centers covalently bonded to graphene oxide following hydrolysis of the reaction product. DFT calculations are also used to show that the presence of a cis dihydroxyl and C vacancy on the surface of graphene oxide are promoting the reaction with significant negative reaction enthalpies.


Size and shape are fundamental features of organisms. Ideally, the methods used to describe size and shape must be sensitive enough to detect small differences, and at the same time provide interpretation that is visually satisfying. I compared shape of wings among Eptesicus fuscus, Myotis lucifugus, Pipistrellus hesperas , and Tadarida brasiliensis using three methods of morphometric analysis; principal-components analysis on traditional measures of lengths and areas, principal-components analysis of interlandmark distances, and relative-warp analysis. These species were chosen to test the efficacy of each morphometric analysis at discovering and describing differences in both size and shape. Although principal-components analyses provided similar aggregations of species based on variable loadings, only relative-warps analysis provided clear pictures as to how species differ. The molossid bat, T. brasiliensis , had narrower wings than the vespertilionid bats; this shape was not due to compression of the entire wing, but to a complicated rotation around the fifth digit. The vespertilionid bats were difficult to discern based on wing shape alone, but the warp analysis showed that P. Hesperus and M. lucifugus are more similar in shape of wing than either is to E. fuscus . Each method of analysis of shape has strengths, but relative-warp analysis provided both the power to discriminate among minor differences in shape of species within families, and the graphical capability to display those differences in a visually pleasing way.


Orthodox Diplomatic History, with its focus on government sources, aims to piece together the decision-making reasoning of policy-makers and the apparatuses and outcomes of foreign policy implementation. In contrast, New Diplomatic History looks to broaden and deepen the analysis of international interactions along three planes: spatially, in the sense of granting more importance to the role of individuals and non-governmental institutions; temporally, since the examination of a wider field of diplomatic 'actors' challenges the standard periodisations; behaviorally, in that the very nature of diplomatic practice and the role (indeed the very notion) of the diplomat is being transformed in an ever-more-dynamic global context of multilateral agreements and transactions. Once the frame of 'diplomacy' is altered, so the kinds of actors who become visible change with it – and the designations 'diplomacy' and 'diplomat' become more fluid. The articles collected in this special issue of New Global Studies examine the input and influence of particular individuals in international relations who were able to pursue their own agendas either in alliance with, separate from, or sometimes against the interests of states. Such 'private international relations' opens up a rich research field highly relevant in the context of increasing global flows of people and ideas.


The level of beta-carotene and vitamin A was studied in the blood plasma of the calves of the Bohemian Spotted breed (heifers, n = 24) and in the blood plasma of their mothers (n = 24). The experimental animals were divided according to the date of birth or parturition into two groups: from the 0th to the 7th day and from the 8th to the 14th day after birth or parturition. All the animals showed no manifest signs of disease, the over-all health condition of the herd was good. Examinations were performed in the period from September to October. The composition of calf feed ration guaranteed the supply of beta-carotene to the organism. The average vitamin A level in the cows 0 to 7 days after parturition was 66.0 mug per 100 ml and the average level of beta-carotene in the same animals was 950.9 mug per 100 ml of plasma. In calves 0 to 7 days after birth the average level of vitamin A reached 16.7 mug per 100 ml and that of beta-carotene 87.5 mug per 100 ml of plasma. The mentioned average values are higher than levels considered as deficient. The levels of both substances increased in calves with the time of sucking: hence an average vitamin A level of 29.8 mug per 100 ml of plasma and beta-carotene level of 280.1 mug per 100 ml of plasma were found in the calf category from the 8th to the 14th day after birth. In this age category the level of vitamin A in blood plasma was still highly significantly lower than in the blood plasma of their mothers; however, in beta-carotene the difference was not statistically significant. While the levels of vitamin A and beta-carotene in calf plasma increased with the time of sucking, the level of both substances in the plasma of their mothers decreased. However, the drop of the level of vitamin A in cow plasma 8--14 days after parturition is not statistically significant; on the other hand, the drop of beta-carotene was found significant. This suggests that the reserve of these substances, especially of beta-carotene, in the cows decreases in the post-partal period which would justify, in breeding practice, an increased supply of vitamin A and beta-carotene, both with respect to calf nutrition and with respect to the biological value of milk used for human consumption.


While polarity-specific after-effects of monopolar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on corticospinal excitability are well-documented, modulation of vital parameters due to current spread through the brainstem is still a matter of debate, raising potential concerns about its use through the general public, as well as for neurorehabilitation purposes. We monitored online and after-effects of monopolar tDCS (primary motor cortex) in 10 healthy subjects by adopting a neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)/tDCS combined protocol. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) together with vital parameters [e.g., blood pressure, heart-rate variability (HRV), and sympathovagal balance] were recorded and monitored before, during, and after anodal, cathodal, or sham tDCS. Ten MEPs, every 2.5-min time windows, were recorded from the right first dorsal interosseous (FDI), while 5-min epochs were used to record vital parameters. The protocol included 15 min of pre-tDCS and of online tDCS (anodal, cathodal, or sham). After-effects were recorded for 30 min. We showed a polarity-independent stabilization of cortical excitability level, a polarity-specific after-effect for cathodal and anodal stimulation, and an absence of persistent excitability changes during online stimulation. No significant effects on vital parameters emerged both during and after tDCS, while a linear increase in systolic/diastolic blood pressure and HRV was observed during each tDCS condition, as a possible unspecific response to experimental demands. Taken together, current findings provide new insights on the safety of monopolar tDCS, promoting its application both in research and clinical settings.


We investigated the total phenolic contents in eight plant foods used as traditional vegetables and fruits and well-known as sources of antioxidant. Total phenolic contents ranged from 0.87 to 7.02 mg gallic acid/g dw in Alocaccia indica and Solanum indicum, respectively. The plant foods possess valuable antioxidant properties for culinary and possible nutritive use.


A new species of the palaemonid shrimp genus Typton Costa, 1844, Typton fapespae sp. nov., is described based on several specimens collected in Ubatuba and São Sebastião, northern coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Most specimens were found in association with sponges, including Mycale (Zygomycale) angulosa (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (Demospongiae: Mycalidae); however, one paratype from Ubatuba was extracted from a colony of the bryozoan Schizoporella errata (Waters, 1878) (Gymnolaemata: Schizoporellidae). In T. fapespae sp. nov., the posterodorsal margin of the sixth abdominal segment bears a strong median tooth, a feature shared with T. hephaestus Holthuis, 1951, T. holthusi De Grave, 2010 and T. spongicola Costa, 1844. However, the new species can be separated from each of these three species by at least two morphological features.


124 patients with cerebrovascular ischemic disease were studied, 67 of them with irreversible neurological deficits, and the EEG-findings of patients with (50) or without cardiac arrhythmia (74) were compared. Moreover, the EEG-diagnoses of these patients were compared with 40 controls without cerebrovascular ischemic disease. Patients with irreversible neurological deficit had significantly more often cardiac dysrhythmia (51%) than patients with reversible neurological symptoms (28%). In patients with reversible neurological symptoms and in the control group no difference between patients with or without disturbance of the heart rhythm could be found. But in patients with irreversible neurological deficit in presence of cardiac dysrhythmia significantly more pathological EEG-findings could be found with significantly more pronounced EEG changes especially in presence of atrial fibrillation.


A unified mathematical description of phenomena leading to short arc re-ignition is presented. Computational results for a 2 mm long post-arc channel appearing at current zero after the burning of a 900 A arc on silver electrodes are discussed. The analysis concerns both cathode and anode electrode layers, for which computations were run simultaneously. For silver electrodes representing non-refractory materials, the dominant role of the cathode sheath in the re-ignition process has been proved analytically. Some mathematical simplifications, which may be used depending on the process dynamics, are proposed to decrease computation time but whilst still realizing acceptable accuracy.


Optoelectronics
Guiding and controlling the movement of electrons in solid-state systems is crucial for applications such as ultrafast electronics and the generation of high-harmonic light. Although such electronic control is readily achieved in semiconductors, metals and small-bandgap materials can pose more of a challenge. Heide et al. show that they can control the trajectory of electrons within the two-dimensional plane of graphene using a double pulse from a laser. Tuning the relative polarization between the two pulses by carefully varying the time delay between them allows the direction electron flow to be manipulated on femtosecond time scales. Such an optical technique offers a relatively simple route to study the electronic and topological properties of other two-dimensional materials on ultrafast time scales.

Phys. Rev. Lett. 121 , 207401 (2018).


Preparing a high fluidity paste is a major step in ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) development with respect to its self-compacting ability as well as its ultra-high strength. In this regard, some experiments have been carried out in order to study various superplasticizer (SP) addition methods and times. Among these procedures, stepwise and delayed methods seem to be more efficient compared to direct addition of SP with or immediately after water addition. However, few studies regarding water addition time and method have been conducted since now. In this research work, the effects of water and SP addition methods on the fluidity of paste were investigated. The results demonstrated that stepwise and delayed water beside delayed SP addition remarkably reduce the flow time. This maximum fluidity was achieved after totally 15 minutes of mixing including 3 minutes after 70% of water addition to powder, as first-part water, 6 minutes after SP addition and finally an extra 6 minutes after second-part water which is 30% of the total water. Based on this procedure, the opportunity for developing self-compacting and durable UHPC could be accessible. Furthermore, using higher content of aggregates and supplementary cementitious materials would be possible due to higher fluidity of the paste which finally results in an eco-efficient UHPC.


Sacrifice seems to belong to a religious context of the past. In Sacrifice in Modernity: Community, Ritual, Identity it is demonstrated how sacrificial themes remain an essential element in our post-modern society. The shaping of community, performing rituals and the search for identity, three main characteristics of traditional sacrifice, are dynamics of our modern times as well which cannot be understood without sacrificial awareness. This is demonstrated in such areas as the German poet Holderlin, Harry Potter, martyrdom, the Twilight Saga, the Japanese writer Endo, Tarkovsky, movies and more.


On purpose to study the radioassay of serum vitamin B12 and folic acid using non boil methods in with these two vitamins were released from their endogenous binding proteins with alkaline denaturation and separated the bound vitamins from the free ones with the magnetic iron particles coated these vitamin binders (purified hog intrinsic factor and beta-lactoglobulin from cow milk) were evaluated on precision and accuracy, compared with boil radioassay. 1. The reproducibilities of non boil method were 4.5 +/- 2.5% on vit. B12 and 3.5 +/- 0.2% on folate (n = 10), respectively. 2. The recovery test of the two serum vitamins with the use of cyanocobalamin and pteroylglutamic acid (J.P.) were finely showed the rations of 95.2-99.0% for vit. B12 and 101.0-108.0% for folic acid. And that of folic acid use of 5-methyl-tetrahydro-pteroylglutamic acid was showed the ratios of 101.0-104.0%. The values of folic acid measured by this method were found slightly higher than non boil method using conventional standard. 3. The correlation coefficient between non boil method and boil method were 0.987 and regression equation was showed y = 0.97x + 73.59 for vit. B12 (n = 75) and r = 0.932, y = 1.02x-0.08 (n = 78) for folic acid. 4. Normal range of serum total vit. B12 concentration was 210-920 (484 +/- 160 pg/ml, n = 259) and that of folic acid was 2.5-9.2 (5.2 +/- 1.4 ng/ml, n = 257), as well as boil method. 5. Accordingly it was considered that non boil (new standard) method was excellent for estimation of vitamin B12 and folic acid clinical status.


A detailed description is given of the anatomy and histology of the blood systems of the maldanid polychaetes Clymenella torquata (Leidy) and Euclymene oerstedi (Claparede) (=Caesicirrus neglectus Arwidsson,1911–12). The systems are similar in many ways to that of the arenicolids. All the longitudinal vessels are contractile. Enlarged cells which contain chloragosomes, glycogen, and iron, are associated with the greater part of the ventral vessel and with the plexus of capillaries surrounding the oesophagus. A gut sinus is associated with the stomach and intestine. Intravasal tissue is present in the dorso-lateral regions of the gut sinus in the tail of Clymenella but not of Euclymene.


A method based on ASTM E96/E96M-05 is described for testing the comparative effect of seams and closure types on the water vapor transmission properties of low permeance materials typically applied as moisture vapor retarders. The baseline performance of two materials with water vapor permeance values at 23°C around 5 and 50 ng⋅Pa−1⋅s−1⋅m−2 was measured at both 23°C with 50 % relative humidity and 38°C with 90 % relative humidity. Seams and closures of various types were imposed on both materials including simple overlap, C-fold, lap joint closed with double-sided tape, gap covered by single-sided tape, and lap joint closed with sealant. Testing at 23°C with 50 % relative humidity was repeated using seam widths of 20, 40, and 60 mm. Samples with seam widths of 40 mm were additionally tested at 38°C with 90 % relative humidity. The method gave comparative results indicating that tape and sealant closures are the more effective types in limiting leakage and that seam width can have a significant influence on water vapor transmission through the seam.


This thesis reports the first observations of currents, temperature and salinity beneaththe McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica. They are reviewed and discussed here in conjunctionwith results of a numerical modelling study used to simulate current flow and to investigatelocal sediment deposition. The McMurdo Ice Shelf lies behind Ross Island off theVictoria Land coast of Antarctica, and represents the northwest corner of the much largerRoss Ice Shelf. The site will be drilled by the ANDRILL consortium in 2006, passingthrough the ice shelf, the water column, and 1000 m into the sea floor, to obtain a recordof ice shelf and climate history in this area.
This study stems from a site survey carried out in early 2003, for which access holeswere melted at two locations on the McMurdo Ice Shelf. Current meters surveyed multipledepths simultaneously during spring tides, and profiles of temperature and salinitywere collected through a diurnal tidal cycle at each site. Maximum currents were recordedin the boundary layer at the base of the ice shelf, reaching 0.22 m s−1 during the flood tide.
The salinity and temperature profiles were similar at the two sites, with greater temporalvariability observed at the site closer to the open water of McMurdo Sound. Supercooling,due to the pressure-dependence of the in-situ freezing temperature, was observed at oneof the sites. At the second site, where the draft of the ice shelf was deeper, temperaturescorresponding to basal melting were observed.
At a third site on the sea ice at the northwestern edge of the McMurdo Ice Shelf, acurrent meter surveyed the water column to 320 metres below sea level for 23 days. Thisallowed comparison of current behaviour through spring and neap tides, and between subseaice and sub-ice shelf environments in the same season. Net throughflow over springtides at each of the three sites was consistent with transport eastwards from McMurdoSound along the channel defined by local bathymetry. Profiles of temperature and salinityfrom beneath the ice shelf were likewise consistent with McMurdo Sound being the sourceof the observed water masses.
Flow along the sub-ice shelf channel was further investigated using an adaptation of atwo-dimensional thermohaline ocean model. Year-long profiles of temperature and salinityfrom southern McMurdo Sound were used to seasonally force the model, resulting in annual variation in all parameters. The rate of melting decreased monotonically from∼0.6 m yr−1 at the deep end of the ice shelf, into a region of freezing associated withsupercooling closer to the McMurdo Sound end of the domain. This change in regimemirrored the observations from the boundary layer beneath the McMurdo Ice Shelf.
Sediment transport and deposition were investigated, with settling velocities used to representsediment sizes ranging from biogenic pellets and fine sand through algal flocs to finemud, particle types known and described from the present day environment. This methodof incorporating sedimentation processes gave results similar to observations from surfacesediment cores collected beneath the ice shelf. The larger grains were preferentially depositedclose to the open water McMurdo Sound source, whereas fine-grained materialwas entrained into the general circulation and deposited by regions of down-welling. Asettling velocity of ∼1x10−4 m s−1, corresponding to a grain size of ∼5 μm, defined theboundary between these depositional behaviours.
Characteristics of the water beneath the ice shelf suggest that it had been transportedfrom McMurdo Sound, being modified through interaction with the base of the ice shelf.
This pattern of throughflow was also seen in the current meter data, with a strong tidalsignal throughout the water column superimposed on the net transport eastward fromMcMurdo Sound and under the ice shelf. This net flow pattern was supported by theresults of the longer-term simulation experiments.


The relative flow technique, utilizing helium as a cross section standard, has been applied to measure absolute elastic differential cross sections for electron scattering from nitric oxide (NO). The present elastic measurements were conducted at nine energies in the range 1.5-40 eV, which represents an important extension to the only previous study of this system by Kubo and co-workers (1981). Furthermore, the uncertainties in the present data are significantly reduced in comparison to those quoted in the earlier work. The current elastic differential cross sections were measured at the Australian National University over an angular range 10 degrees -130 degrees . We also report the first measurements of absolute differential cross sections for rovibrational (0 to 1, 2, 3, 4) excitation of the NO ground electronic state. These were conducted at six energies in the range 7.5-40 eV and were measured at Flinders University over the angular range 10 degrees -90 degrees . The differential cross sections for both the elastic and inelastic processes are compared with the results of the recent Born-closure Schwinger variational method calculation of Mu-Tao Lee and colleagues (1992).


In education, it is common to hear that we need to close the gap between research and practice. Less common is a consideration of what it means to close this gap. A lot of policy, research and professional learning assumes that research should inform teacher practice by providing evidence about 'what works' for students' learning. However, there are other important ways that we can understand the relationship between research and practice. In this paper, I discuss one possibility for understanding this relationship by looking at the research of Max van Manen and his work in phenomenological pedagogy. Phenomenology provides a way for teachers to reflect on their practice by prioritising the meaning and significance of lived experience. As I describe, phenomenology is a valuable way for research to inform practice; but its value lies not in being able to tell us 'what works', but in its power to do something with us.


Computerized impedance plethysmography (CIP) and phlebography were performed on 165 consecutive outpatients with clinical suspicion of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and on 220 consecutive asymptomatic patients hospitalized for hip fracture. Ninety-two asymptomatic patients were examined also with real-time B-mode US. In orthopedic patients CIP sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values were 19.4%, 90.5%, 64.4%, 53.8% and 66.3%, respectively, for proximal and distal DVT, versus 19.7%, 88%, 77.5%, 77% and 86% for proximal DVT. In symptomatic patients CIP sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values were 83%, 87%, 85%, 87% and 82%, respectively, for proximal and distal DVT, versus 91%, 88%, 89%, 82% and 94% for proximal DVT. CIP had great diagnostic utility in symptomatic DVT, whereas its diagnostic efficacy was low in asymptomatic patients. In orthopedic patients US sensitivity, specificity positive and negative predictive values were 44%, 99.2%, 95.7% and 81.6%, respectively. US diagnostic value was relatively high, but further investigation is needed. To date, phlebography seems to be the only effective method in the diagnosis of DVT in asymptomatic high risk patients.


Background Evidence on tobacco use among indigenous communities is scarce with available literature based either on a specific region or a particular tribe. Considering the large tribal population in India, it is pertinent to generate evidence on tobacco use among this community. Using nationally representative data, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of tobacco use and assess its determinants and regional variations among older tribal adults in India. Methods We analysed data from Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), wave-1 conducted in 2017–18. A sample of 11,365 tribal individuals aged ≥ 45 years was included in this study. Descriptive statistics was used to assess the prevalence of smokeless tobacco (SLT), smoking, and any form of tobacco use. Separate multivariable regression models were executed to assess the association of various socio-demographic variables with different forms of tobacco use, reported as adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval. Results The overall prevalence of tobacco use was around 46%, with 19% of smokers and nearly 32% smokeless tobacco (SLT) users. Participants from the lowest MPCE quintile group had a significantly higher risk of consuming (SLT) [AOR: 1.41 (95% CI: 1.04–1.92)]. Alcohol was found to be associated with both smoking [AOR: 2.09 (95% CI: 1.69–2.58)] and (SLT) [AOR: 3.05 (95% CI: 2.54–3.66)]. Relatively higher odds of consuming (SLT) were associated with the eastern region [AOR: 6.21 (95% CI: 3.91–9.88)]. Conclusion This study highlights the high burden of tobacco use and its social determinants among the tribal population in India, which can help tailor anti-tobacco messages for this vulnerable population to make tobacco control programs more effective.


ABSTRACT Phosphogypsum (CaSO4) is produced as a waste by-product during phosphoric acid production in the fertilizer industry. Only 15% of worldwide phosphogypsum production is recycled, while 85% is stored in the vicinity of factories as huge piles resulting in environmental and health hazards. An extensively studied biotransformation of phosphogypsum to calcium carbonate or calcite (CaCO3) using sulfate reducing bacteria (SRBs) is a prolonged process and results in the formation of extremely hazardous H2S gas. Here we report for the first time a novel approach for biotransformation of phosphogypsum to CaCO3 using urease producing Lysinibacillus sphaericus strain GUMP2. The strain could effectively transform phosphogypsum to crystalline, bead-shaped CaCO3 precipitates. In a batch reactor with the PG loading rate of 60 g/L, 100% biotransformation was observed within seven days. After calcite recovery, the ammonium sulfate formed in the supernatant was recovered by precipitation. Urease-producing L. sphaericus strain GUMP2 could be used to remove the hazardous phosphogypsum from the environment by converting it to the industrially useful CaCO3 and ammonium sulfate, a valuable agricultural fertilizer. This novel and sustainable approach could be a promising solution for the hazardous phosphogypsum in the phosphoric acid industries. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Blood–brain barrier (BBB) leakage is an important cause of the exacerbation of pathological features of cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI). However, the specific mechanism of BBB leakage is not clear. It was found that the CIRI resulted in RIPK1 activation and subsequent RIPK1-dependent apoptosis (RDA). Inhibition of RIPK1 significantly reduced BBB breakdown and brain damage. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanism of RIPK1 in the BBB leakage during CIRI. It was discovered by proteomics that autophagy activation resulting from ischemia and reperfusion significantly downregulated the level of A20 protein. A20 is an important protein that regulates RIPK1 and RDA. It was hypothesized that activation of autophagy caused by ischemic reperfusion led to a decrease in A20 protein, which, in turn, caused the activation of RIPK1 and the occurrence of RDA, leading to leakage of the BBB. The findings in this study revealed the role of RIPK1 in the cell death and BBB leakage upon cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury, and these findings provide a novel perspective for the treatment of ischemic reperfusion.


Objectives: The anterior cingulate is thought to be essentially involved in impulsivity and affect regulation and in the pathogenesis of depression as well as of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. At the same time alterations in glutamatergic neurotransmission in the frontal forebrain have been found in imaging studies in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and in depressive patients. Therefore we hypothesized that glutamate/glutamine (Glx) signals in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of depressed ADHD patients might differ from that in non-depressed patients. Methods: Fourteen male adult patients with ADHD were included into the study. Chemical Shift Imaging of ACC was performed. Subgroups were defined based on scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and ratios of metabolites were compared between groups. Additionally correlation analyses of BDI scores with metabolite ratios were calculated. Results: Significantly lower Glx signals and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) signals were found in the left anterior cingulate cortex of depressed ADHD patients. The Glx/Cr and NAAX/Cr ratios in the left ACC correlated significantly with BDI-scores. Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the first report about a relationship between depressive symptoms and metabolite disturbances in ACC of adult patients with ADHD. Our preliminary data produce first evidence for a putative link between neurochemical alterations in the ACC and depressive symptoms. They should be controlled for in further studies.


Coupling spin models to complex external fields can give rise to interesting phenomena like zeroes of the partition function (Lee-Yang zeroes, edge singularities) or oscillating propagators. Unfortunately, it usually also leads to a severe sign problem that can be overcome only in special cases; if the partition function has zeroes, the sign problem is even representation-independent at these points. In this study, we couple the N-state Potts model in different ways to a complex external magnetic field and discuss the above mentioned phenomena and their relations based on analytic calculations (1D) and results obtained using a modified cluster algorithm (general D) that in many cases either cures or at least drastically reduces the sign-problem induced by the complex external field.


OBJECTIVE
To study the different proportions of intermediate epithelial cells in human prostate cancer tissue and their clinical significance.

METHODS
We performed immunohistochemical staining for Cytokeratin 5 (CK5) and Cytokeratin 8 (CK8) on 60 samples of human prostate cancer, determined the proportions of intermediate epithelial cells in the cancer tissue, and classified the samples into 2 types, one with a majority of intermediate epithelial cells (CaP-INT, n = 32), and the other composed mostly of luminal epithelial cells (CaP-LUM, n = 28). Then we compared the 2 types of prostate cancer in the expression of the androgen receptor (AR), age of the patient, serum t-PSA, prostate volume, Gleason score, clinical stage, androgen resistance, and incidence of distant metastasis.

RESULTS
CaP-INT showed a significantly lower expression of AR ([24.42 +/- 11.41] %) and a higher incidence of distant metastasis (n = 14) than CaP-LUM ([77.21 +/- 10.22] % and n = 4) (P < 0.05). In the CaP-INT group, 6 of the 26 endocrinologically treated cases developed into androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC), while in the CaP-LUM group, only 1 out of 23 (P < 0.05). The former also showed remarkably higher clinical stages than the latter (P < 0.05), but no significant differences were found in age, serum t-PSA, prostate volume and Gleason score between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION
A higher proportion of intermediate epithelial cells may lead to increased invasiveness and metastasis of human prostate cancer.


Aims: To determine the relation of the inhalation and dermal exposure routes and mutagenic activity in the urine of rubber workers (n = 105). Methods: Mutagenic activity of ambient total suspended particulate matter (TSPM), surface contamination wipes, and Sunday and weekday urine samples was assessed with S typhimurium YG1041 in the presence of a metabolic activation system. Each subject was grouped into one of two exposure categories for dermal exposure (high (≥25 revertants/cm2), low (<25 revertants/cm2)) based on the mutagenic activity detected on likely skin contact surfaces and into two airborne mutagenic exposure categories (high (≥210 revertants/m3), low (<210 revertants/m3)). The potential influence of skin aberrations and acetylation status (NAT2) on urinary mutagenicity levels was also evaluated. Results: A non-significant increase of +1605 revertants/g creatinine in urinary mutagenicity during the workweek relative to levels observed on Sunday was observed for the total population. Subsequent multivariate regression analyses, with the subjects' weekday urinary mutagenicity levels as the dependent variable, revealed associations with environmental and mainstream tobacco smoke exposure, with the level of mutagenic contamination on surfaces with which the subjects had likely contact, with the subjects' inhalable particulate exposure level, with observed mild skin aberrations, and when the subjects had a slow acetylation phenotype. Similar associations, although weaker were observed with Sunday urinary mutagenicity levels as well, except for the association with slow acetylation phenotype. Based on measured exposure levels it could be estimated that a high potential for exposure to surface contamination with mutagenic activity increased weekday urinary mutagenicity by about 62% when compared to low exposed workers, while high inhalable particulate exposure levels increased weekday urinary mutagenicity levels by about 21%. Subjects with mild skin aberrations had an additional, non-significant, increase in weekday urinary mutagenic activity compared to subjects without any skin aberrations. Discussion: Results suggest that the dermal exposure route may contribute more to the level of genotoxic compounds in urine of rubber workers than the inhalation route. Although the study was limited in size, the results warrant further investigation in the importance of and ways to effectively control the dermal exposure route in the rubber industry.


Morrison, M. J., Frégeau-Reid, J. A. and Cober, E. R. 2012. Genotype and environment influence gamma aminobutyric acid concentration in short-season soybean. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 1093-1100. Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a four-carbon, non-structural protein found ubiquitously in life forms on the planet. In plants, it is produced in the cytosol in response to stresses, via the α-decarboxylation of glutamate by the enzyme glutamate decarboxylase. In studies, foods made from soybean (Glycine max L. Merr), with high GABA concentration, have reduced high blood pressure. Our objective was to determine if there were genotypic differences for GABA concentration among a series of short-season soybean cultivars. A historical series of 16 cultivars released from 1934 to 2000 was grown in a randomized complete block design with four replications across 3 yr at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Canada. Seed was harvested for yield and a sample taken to determine seed weight, protein, oil, L-glutamate (L-Glu) and GABA concentrations. There were significant differences among cultivars for all parameters and significant differences among years for all parameters except L-Glu. GABA was positively correlated with protein concentration, L-Glu and seed yield. There was a threefold difference in GABA concentration between the highest and lowest cultivars, but no clear relationships to weather parameters were identified. GABA concentration was determined to be moderately heritable (44%) indicating that new cultivars with higher concentrations could readily be developed. Soybean cultivars with higher GABA concentration, as part of the diet, may provide a means to reduce or prevent hypertension.


This article has three main interconnected aims. First, I illustrate the historiographical conceptions of three early analytic philosophers: Frege, Russell and Wittgenstein. Second, I consider some of the historiographical debates that have been generated by the recent historical turn in analytic philosophy, looking at the work of Scott Soames and Hans-Johann Glock, in particular. Third, I discuss Arthur Danto's Analytic Philosophy of History, published 50 years ago, and argue for a reinvigorated analytic philosophy of history.


High blood pressure is present in more than one billion adults worldwide and is the most important modifiable risk factor of death resulting from cardiovascular disease. While many factors contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension, a role of the immune system has been firmly established by a large number of investigations from many laboratories around the world. Immunosuppressive drugs and inhibition of individual cytokines prevent or ameliorate experimental hypertension, and studies in genetically-modified mouse strains have demonstrated that lymphocytes are necessary participants in the development of hypertension and in hypertensive organ injury. Furthermore, immune reactivity may be the driving force of hypertension in autoimmune diseases. Infiltration of immune cells, oxidative stress, and stimulation of the intrarenal angiotensin system are induced by activation of the innate and adaptive immunity. High blood pressure results from the combined effects of inflammation-induced impairment in the pressure natriuresis relationship, dysfunctional vascular relaxation, and overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system. Imbalances between proinflammatory effector responses and anti-inflammatory responses of regulatory T cells to a large extent determine the severity of inflammation. Experimental and human studies have uncovered autoantigens (isoketal-modified proteins and heat shock protein 70) of potential clinical relevance. Further investigations on the immune reactivity in hypertension may result in the identification of new strategies for the treatment of the disease.


Optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding is very important for their health, growth and development. The impact of long term nutrition education intervention on child feeding in underprivileged community is not well documented. Therefore, this study was designed to document the effect of nutrition education intervention on knowledge, attitude and practice of mothers/caregivers towards optimal infants and young child feeding in Shabelle Zone of Somali Region. With regards to the materials and the methods, a randomized controlled trial study was conducted in August, 2015. Data were collected from 404 participants, after eight months of nutrition education intervention. SPSS version 20 software were used. A Chi-square and Fishers exact tests for categorical variables, and t-test for continues variables were used. Out of the total 415 participants assessed at baseline study, 404 were secured in the post intervention study. The majority (>80%) of the participants in both groups were illiterate, and housewives. The intervention group had shown statistical significant improvement in knowledge, attitude and practice of the mothers/caregivers ( p <0.05) compared to control group in all tests; independent sample t-test mean score difference of the difference ( p <0.001), and paired sample t-test mean score in intervention group ( p <0.001). At the end, the nutrition education intervention was found effective in improving mothers/caregivers behaviours related to child feeding practices. Therefore, nutrition education intervention should be further scaled up and adapted to other areas in the Region.


Abstract Pain continues to be a significant issue for people with haemophilia (PWH), whether it is acute pain from a joint bleed, a needle stick when receiving clotting factor treatment, or chronic pain from chronic synovitis and arthritic changes. In the US, there has been controversy and uncertainty regarding the use of oral medications and opioids for the management of chronic pain, including haemophilia pain. Both PWH and their clinicians have started to explore nonpharmacologic options for managing pain, with many PWH trying to limit their use of oral pain medication and using alternative methods. There is little research around the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for pain management in the haemophilia community. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive literature review of current English language research on the use of therapies that fall into four distinctive domains of CAM in PWH. English language articles were obtained via searches in Medline, Embase and CINAHL using the target search words "haemophilia" or "bleeding disorders" in combination with other search terms relating to CAM. All references were considered regardless of year. Twenty-three CAM articles that included PWH or other bleeding disorders were identified; ten were evidence based while the remainder provided case reports and descriptions of CAM use in PWH. This indicates that there is limited current research in the area of CAM use for pain management in PWH. Evidence of the benefit of CAM is seen in studies of its use to treat pain in other conditions and health-related circumstances. Additional evidenced-based CAM research is needed so that alternative pain management therapies can be utilised in a safe and beneficial manner in PWH.


Resonance Raman spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations were used to investigate the molecular origin of the large redshift assumed by the electronic absorption spectrum of astaxanthin in alpha-crustacyanin, the major blue carotenoprotein from the carapace of the lobster, Homarus gammarus. Resonance Raman spectra of alpha-crustacyanin reconstituted with specifically 13C-labeled astaxanthins at the positions 15, 15,15', 14,14', 13,13', 12,12', or 20,20' were recorded. This approach enabled us to obtain information about the effect of the ligand-protein interactions on the geometry of the astaxanthin chromophore in the ground electronic state. The magnitude of the downshifts of the C==C stretching modes for each labeled compound indicate that the main perturbation on the central part of the polyene chain is not homogeneous. In addition, changes in the 1250-1400 cm(-1) spectral range indicate that the geometry of the astaxanthin polyene chain is moderately changed upon binding to the protein. Semiempirical quantum chemical modeling studies (Austin method 1) show that the geometry change cannot be solely responsible for the bathochromic shift from 480 to 632 nm of protein-bound astaxanthin. The calculations are consistent with a polarization mechanism that involves the protonation or another interaction with a positive ionic species of comparable magnitude with both ketofunctionalities of the astaxanthin-chromophore and support the changes observed in the resonance Raman and visible absorption spectra. The results are in good agreement with the conclusions that were drawn on the basis of a study of the charge densities in the chromophore in alpha-crustacyanin by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. From the results the dramatic bathochromic shift can be explained not only from a change in the ground electronic state conformation but also from an interaction in the excited electronic state that significantly decreases the energy of the pi-antibonding C==O orbitals and the HOMO-LUMO gap.


Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have attracted considerable interest in sensing of weak magnetic fields, such as those created by biological systems. Detecting such feeble signals requires near-surface NV centers, to reduce the distance between NVs and sources. Moreover, dense ensembles of NVs are highly desirable to reduce measurement time. However, robust charge state switching is often observed in these systems, resulting in a complex interplay between charge and spin dynamics that can reduce the attainable level of spin polarization, and consequently, sensitivity. Understanding the mechanisms behind charge state switching is, therefore, crucial to developing NV based sensors. Here, we demonstrate a novel method to selectively measure charge dynamics in an ensemble of NVs by quenching the spin polarization using an off-axis magnetic field. Utilizing this technique, we show that, in nanodiamonds, charge state instability increases with increasing NV density. In the case of bulk single crystal diamond, we show that NV centers located near the surface are more stable in the neutral (NV$^{0}$) charge state, while the negatively charged (NV$^{-}$) form is more stable in bulk.


Purpose
This paper aims to explore the career aspirations of individuals belonging to the Gen Z cohort, i.e. born between 1995 and 2012.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a systematic review of the literature. The authors accessed four databases to collect literature for review. The databases included were Academic Search Ultimate, Business Source Ultimate, ERIC and Google Scholar. Keywords used to conduct the search process were as follows: career development, career aspiration, generation Z, Gen Z and iGen. The authors imported all articles to RefWorks, read article abstracts and decided on whether to include or exclude the article in the review.

Findings
Based on this systematic review, the authors found that intrinsic and extrinsic factors determine Gen Z's career aspirations. Further, based on past studies' predictions, the authors concluded that Gen Z has well-defined career expectations and career development plans.

Research limitations/implications
Gen Z is the newest generation to enter the workforce. With limited research on this cohort, this study synthesized the existing knowledge of Gen Z students' career aspirations and their future employers' expectations. All research around Gen Z is currently focused on students, and hence, it is challenging to predict their workplace behavior. In this work, the authors provided organizations and practitioners guidelines to be prepared with Gen Z's expectations as they enter the workplace.

Originality/value
This systematic literature review synthesizes empirical research from around the world on career aspirations related to Gen Z.


A common feature in almost all Western countries over the last 40 years has been the steady decline in trade union membership and subsequently a decline in the power and influence of unions. Moreover, in many countries trade union strength has relied upon longlasting relationships with social democratic parties or, in a minority of cases, communist parties. The trend over the last decades has been a weakening of traditional 'working-class' coalitions. The aim of this article is to discuss to what extent such features also exist in Sweden, a country long regarded as a stronghold of powerful social partners, the so-called Swedish Model. We will show that Sweden is also affected by the wider European trends but that there are important countervailing forces. At the moment, much hinges on the parliamentary election in 2018.


The model of monozygotic twins has been repeatedly studied to control the genetic and age-specific effects on HIV disease. Focusing on this natural model, the expression of CD27/CD45RA differentiation markers and the distribution of the Vbeta TCR repertoire was analyzed on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. In our HIV-discordant monozygotic twins, a significant reduction of naive T cells and a parallel accumulation of effector/memory T cells was induced by HIV infection, as well as a skewing of T cell repertoire evidenced by VbetaTCR analysis. The block of HIV replication by highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) restored most of the T cell maturation and selection process, with some exception among CTL differentiation and repertoire. Altogether, the model of HIV-discordant monozygotic twins is a valuable tool showing that HAART is not able to completely restore the CTL profile.


An advanced thermal management approach for HCPV systems is demonstrated in this manuscript, proposing the concept of efficient heat recovery at ultra high concentration ratios by collecting the heat on a high temperature level. With the availability of this low grade heat, the efficiency of the HCPV system is increased further as the 'waste' heat is supplied to different thermal consumers engaging in thermal desalination or adsorption cooling processes. To asses the value of the concept, we have estimated the economic value of heat with regard to its consumer and observed that this differs from its thermodynamic value. This valuable input is was used to determine the overall generated value of a dual output system as a function of the operation temperature, where we have actively demonstrated a superior performance of the HCPVT.


The present work explores membrane-mediated extraction and transport studies of amino acids through artificial bulk liquid membrane system with kryptofix 5 as a carrier. The various reaction parameters such as amino acid concentration, carrier concentration, time, pH, and stirring effect were studied to optimize reaction conditions. The stirring of source and receiving phases increased the efficiency of extraction process. Noncyclic receptor kryptofix 5 with five oxyethylene units and terminal aromatic donor end groups governs its transport and extraction efficiency. The extraction and transport efficiency followed the following trend: valine > alanine > glycine > threonine. Supported liquid membrane (SLM) studies were performed using cellulose nitrate, PTFE, eggshell, and onion membranes. The egg shell membrane support proved to be most efficient due to intricate network of water insoluble proteins fibers with very high surface area and homogeneity.


Studies are reported on the volatile fatty acid (V.F.A.) metabolism of sheep and bovines with particular reference to the association between (i) ingestion of food and ruminal levels of V.F.A.s and arterial levels of acetic acid and (ii) the utilization of arterial acetic acid by the bovine mammary gland and the association between this utilization and the proportion of lower fatty acids (Reichert-Meissl value) in the milk fat. Ruminal levels of V.F.A. and arterial levels of acetic acid were found to be similar in cattle and sheep, and similar to those reported by earlier workers for sheep. There was a close association between changes in ruminal V.F.A. and arterial acetic acid levels. Arterial acetic acid levels were found on the feeds studied to reach a maximum value of 8-14 mg. per cent. by 2-5 hours after feeding, declining to 5-8 mg. per cent. by 8 hours after feeding and to 2-6 mg. per cent. by 16 hours after feeding. On starvation for approximately 72 hours, values fell as low as 1.5 mg. per cent. Acetic acid was found to be a major metabolite of the bovine mammary gland, arterio-venous (A-V.) differences being directly dependent on the arterial level and of the order of 2-6 mg. per cent. or 40-80 per cent. of the arterial level in the fed animal. Arterial levels and mammary A-V. differences of acetic acid were unaffected by cod-liver oil feeding or low roughage-high concentrate diets, both of which depressed the fat percentage and the Reichert- Meissl (R-M.) value of the milk fat. Hyperinsulinism and recent or delayed milking also had no effect on the A-V. differences. The depression in R-M. value during fasting was not reversed by intraruminal or intravenous acetic acid infusions despite the maintenance of high blood levels of acetic acid. There was no detectable correlation between carbon dioxide output by the mammary gland and the acetic acid uptake of the gland, indicating that the acid served some 'useful' purpose in the gland. It is concluded, taking into account other evidence, that acetic acid is utilized in the gland for fat synthesis and oxidation, depending on the requirements of the gland, but that the proportion of lower fatty acids in milk fat is not dependent on the uptake of acetic acid.


Computers are electronic devices for processing data used by banks, government and other private institutions. The use of this computer must be in accordance with the needs of the organization that uses it, both software and hardware so that the computer can be used as well as possible. Bank Mandiri is a state-owned bank engaged in services, of course, wants to provide the best service for its customers. In providing information about installments at Bank Mandiri Unit Cikupa Niaga Mas 2 (CNM 2), currently it has a computerized system and is running well, but only independent bank employees can use the system, while debtors still use the manual system. using HVS paper as an information medium. A system that can provide information about debtor installments quickly and accurately is needed. This study is interested in discussing the installment data information system for Bank Mandiri Cikupa Niaga Mas 2 (CNM 2) customers which aims to optimize the provision of better information services for customers of Bank Mandiri Cikupa Niaga mas 2 (CNM 2). In this study, using the analysis of the pieces method, the authors can easily identify the weaknesses that exist in the old system which results in recommendations for system improvements based on indicators of Performance, Information, Economic, Control, Efficiency, and Service, then to make a design. In the new system, researchers use object-oriented modeling, namely UML (Unified Modeling Language) which is the right tool to use in describing the design of the system that will be loaded according to user needs. It is hoped that the Bank Mandiri customer installment system will make it easier for customers to find out about the ongoing installments.


The effects of a plasma treatment on the sensing performance of surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors to detect chemical warfare agents (CWAs) were investigated. SAW sensors designed for an operating frequency of 250 MHz were fabricated using lift-off techniques followed by the deposition of a very thin thiourea (TU) layer as a sensing film on the sensing area of the SAW sensor. To achieve some advantages from the plasma treatment on the surface, such as cleaning, surface activation and modification, a post-plasma treatment was performed on the sensing layer and the sensing performance of the SAW sensor was measured by a comparison with the measured responses, providing different simulant gases through the gas feeding system. The sensitivity test revealed significant improvement in the sensing ability of the SAW sensor to detect DMMP, a simulant of a CWA, but with a relatively longer recovery time. The responses of other simulants at different concentrations and different simulant vapors were compared. The results showed that a plasma treatment on the sensing layer of a SAW device can improve the selectivity and sensitivity to a certain target gas or some volatile organic compounds. Therefore, a plasma treatment will be very useful for improving the selectivity and sensitivity of SAW sensors for the detection of CWAs.


In this paper a method for selection of optimal scenario for distribution automation is proposed. For a part of distribution network that can be considered as the smallest functional unit, the service zones are determined based on the heuristic rules, all possible automation scenarios are searched, and the values of selected objective functions are determined. After that, the method uses fuzzy multi-criteria evaluation and grey relational analysis in the application of evaluating a set of alternatives in terms of decision criteria. Automation scenarios are ranked on the basis of objective function values. 


Beta-adrenergic agonists are among to the most potent dilators of airway smooth muscle available and act as functional antagonists of a variety of contractile stimuli. In order to elucidate their loss of relaxant potency in dependence on antagonistic stimuli tracheal relaxation by the beta-2 sympathomimetics (+/-)-salbutamol (+/-)-fenoterol, and (+/-)-formoterol was compared to (-)-isoprenaline in guinea pig tracheae partially and maximally precontracted by carbachol. In partially precontracted tracheae, salbutamol, fenoterol and formoterol exerted maximum relaxation with low EC50 of 20, 5.6 and 0.29 nmol/l, respectively. In maximally precontracted tracheae, however, salbutamol, fenoterol and formoterol were only partial agonists for relaxation with different intrinsic activities (0.62, 0.62 and 0.77, respectively) and increased EC50 (120, 50 and 3.6 nmol/l, respectively). A reduction of relaxant potency by increased muscarinic stimuli was also observed for beta-1 adrenoceptors stimulated by (-)-noradrenaline after blockade of beta-2 adrenoceptors. In order to investigate if the reduced relaxant potency of beta-2 sympathomimetics was caused by a reduced spare receptor capacity or a reduced intrinsic activity for stimulation of adenylate cyclase (AC), we performed experiments in membranes from lung and tracheal cells. In radioligand binding, beta-2 sympathomimetics recognized the high-affinity state (57%) of the beta-2 adrenoceptor with a lower effectiveness than (-)-isoprenaline, which exhibited a 100-fold higher affinity for high over low-affinity states. Dissociation constants for the low-affinity state matched EC50 for AC stimulation. Intrinsic activities (%) for AC stimulation were significantly lower for salbutamol (67%), fenoterol (67%) and formoterol (89%) than for (-)-isoprenaline (100%), indicating that the reduced relaxation potency of the beta-2 sympathomimetics of maximally precontracted tracheae is caused by a reduced intrinsic activity for AC stimulation. It might be speculated that formoterol could improve drug therapy of asthma due to its high binding affinity and its high intrinsic activity for relaxation.


The goal of this study was to evaluate the residual risk of hepatitis B viral (HBV) by measuring its incidence among 112,242 blood donors at Hema-Quebec, via the seroconversion for the antibody directed against the core (anti-HBc) instead of the usual surface antigen (HBsAg). We considered as incident cases donors who had a seroconversion for the anti-HBc and who were screened positive for the anti-HBs (antibody directed against the HBsAg). From April 2003 to April 2005, the identification of 13 antiHBc incident cases and 3 for HBsAg permitted us to estimate respective incidences of 12.6 x 105 person-years-1 and 3.35 x 105 person-years-1, which corresponded to residual risks of 1 in 63,018 donations and 1 in 237,731 donations. The HBV incidence via the anti-HBc seroconversion is different from the estimate via the HBsAg. Our study suggests that antiHBc seroconversion may not be a reliable marker of recent hepatitis B infection.


Migrants may be exposed to health risks before, during and after leaving their countries of origin. Unfortunately, knowledge about the health status of migrants is often limited because they are often excluded from surveys. This paper extends the susceptible-exposed-infective-removed model to handle the assumption of homogeneous mixing, the incorporation of migration and the induced death rates of the disease in modelling the spread of HIV/AIDS. These extensions demonstrate that the impact of migration on HIV persistency is critical when attempting to predict where and how fast the disease will propagate. The spectral analysis of a time series was used to determine the frequency at which the disease is spread and its equilibrium levels. The results indicate that with the persistent flow of migration into a country, the disease status changes from epidemic to endemic. If the direct flow of migration into the population is restricted, the persistent spread of the disease can be minimised.


The range mode problem is a fundamental problem and there is a lot of work about it. There is also some work for the dynamic version of it and the enumerating version of it, but there is no previous research about the dynamic and enumerating version of it. We found an efficient algorithm for it.


A specific microorganism, Pantoea agglomerans uam8, was isolated from the ionic liquid (IL) Choline NTF2 and identified by molecular biology. A biodegradation study was performed at osmolarity conditions (0.2, 0.6, 1.0 M). These had an important influence on the growth of the strain, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, and biodegradation (1303 mg/L max production and 80% biodegradation at 0.6 M). These conditions also had an important influence on the morphology of the strain and its EPSs, but not in the chemical composition. The EPS (glucose, mannose and galactose (6:0.5:2)) produced at 0.6 M was further characterized using different techniques. The obtained EPSs presented important differences in the behavior of the emulsifying activity for vegetable oils (olive (86%), sunflower (56%) and coconut (90%)) and hydrocarbons (diesel (62%), hexane (60%)), and were compared with commercial emulsifiers. The EPS produced at 0.6 M had the highest emulsifying activity overall. This EPS did not show cytotoxicity against the tested cell line (<20%) and presented great advantages as an antioxidant (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical (DPPH) (85%), hydroxyl radical (OH) (99%), superoxide anion (O2−) (94%), chelator (54%), and antimicrobial product (15 mm). The osmolarity conditions directly affected the capacity of the strain to biodegrade IL and the subsequently produced EPS. Furthermore, the EPS produced at 0.6 M has potential for environmental applications, such as the removal of hazardous materials by emulsification, whilst resulting in positive health effects such as antioxidant activity and non-toxicity.


Investigations on the water quality of the Mae Klong River and Estuary were conducted from April 2005 to February 2006 during periods of early-, mid-, and late-loading. Nutrient loads and transfer patterns were studied together with clarification of contaminated sites. The results indicated that NH4+, NO2- + NO3-, Si(OH)4 and PO4(3-) concentrations varied by season and were comparatively high in the mid-loading period. Analysis of DIN:P and Si:P molar ratios indicated that P04(3-) could possibly be a limiting nutrient. Highly contaminated sites were in the middle (Ratchaburi province) and lower (Samut Songkhram province) river zones in which anthropogenic wastewater discharges were significantly (p < 0.05) loaded. Analysis of the DIN and P transfer patterns showed that self-remediation efficiencies were rarely found. The highest DIN and P loads of 23.87 and 4.03 t/day, respectively, were found in Samut Songkhram province. Nutrients were found to contribute to the hypertrophic condition of the lower river and the estuary. The baseline level of chlorophyll a in the upper river was approximately 3.3 microg/L, while levels exceeded 10 microg/L in the estuarine zone. Such chlorophyll a levels were highly significant (p < 0.01) related to DIN and P (with correlation coefficients of 0.44 and 0.37, respectively). In order to maintain river conservation to an acceptable degree, levels of about 20 micromol/L DIN and 1 micromol/L P were suggested as the upper limits. To achieve such levels will require serious consideration with regard to the development of nutrient criteria for water resource conservation management and sustainable utilization purposes.


Gross pendular motion of the heart at half the heart rate was observed during cardiac catheterization and pericardiotomy in a patient with massive pericardial effusion and electrical alternans in the electrocardiogram. These observations support the hypothesis that total electrical alternans in pericardial effusion is a result of alternate change in cardiac position.


The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence and the algebraic problem-solving ability of secondary school students in Sokoto state, Nigeria. 100 respondents were used as the sample for the survey at two secondary schools in Sokoto, Nigeria. The targeted respondents were the senior secondary two (SSII) students. The findings of the study showed that there is a moderate relationship between the emotional intelligence of the students and their algebraic problem-solving ability. It was also discovered that male students have a low relationship in their emotional intelligence and algebraic problem-solving ability compared to female students whose emotional intelligence and algebraic problem-solving ability were found to be moderate.


Permeability of Candida tropicalis cells for exogenic DNAse was studied by a cytochemical method. The enzyme were shown to penetrate yeast outer membrane and cell wall after a 20 minute incubation period when incubated together with cells at the beginning of the stationary phase.


Metal line ratcheting and passivation cracking in back-end-of-line (BEOL) structures are significant reliability concerns for molded packages that are in widespread use at the present time. When metal lines plastically deform due to ratcheting, the passivation overcoat accumulates stress at the corner upon temperature cycling and is eventually susceptible to fracture. Since packaging materials' interaction with the die is the cause of the failure, the problem is inherently multiscale in nature requiring the analysis model to span from package dimension to BEOL length scale. In this article, the mechanistic cause for stress accumulation is elucidated. Furthermore, a global–local modeling strategy is applied to model the passivation crack initiation and growth. A global model with coarse mesh was built of the package. The local region around the interconnect metal line in the die was modeled using boundary conditions extracted from the global model. A novel load decomposition technique is developed to identify the loading mode that best correlates with the experimentally observed fracture. It is shown that shear is the dominant loading mode inducing the observed die cracks. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the thermal expansion mismatch between the mold compound and the lead frame with the silicon die induces the shear load on the BEOL structure. Due to the fact that mold compound is applied at a temperature that is higher than that seen during thermal cycling, the direction of the induced shear load is constant regardless of whether the package is heated or cooled. As the metal line plastically yields during every temperature cycle, the plastic deformation ratchets or accumulates in the same direction over the course of the thermal cycling test. The yielding of metal line results in stiffness reduction, leading to steady accumulation of stress in the passivation corner, causing it to fracture eventually.


Prehistoric afd Modem) appear to be stages in the development of a "Thule Culture complex." These stages are marked primarily by a change in the form of harpoon heads, since most of the other artifacts found in the three upper levels of refuse are the "Thule types" as defined by Mathiassen. With the limited number of specimens obtained from the lower levels it is not possible to determine the entire complex of characterizing elements nor the extent of the cultural change which occurred during the Old Bering Sea, Birnirk and Punuk periods. That objects Eskimoid in type are found throughout the entire deposit is, however, clear. Many of these types have a wide distribution in the Arctic area, and future excavations in the lower refuse levels at the site, together with a detailed study of the relation between Kukulik and other sites in the Arctic region, will undoubtedly make it possible to estimate the extent of the cultural changes which took place, and to determine whether these were due to local development, to immigration of new peoples or to contact with distinct cultures in the Eskimo area. 1 Jenness, D., "Archaeological Investigations in Bering Strait" (1926), Annual Report for 1926, Nati. Mus. Canada, Ottawa (1928). 2Mathiassen, Therkel, "Archaeology of the Central Eskimos," Rept. Fifth Thule Expedition, 1921-24, 4, Copenhagen (1927). ' Collins, Henry B., "Archaeology of the Bering Sea Region," The Smithsonian Report for 1933, 453-468, Washington, D. C. (1935). 4Wissler, Clark, "Harpoons and Darts in the Stefinsson Collection," Anthropological Papers of the Am. Mus. Natl. Hist., 14, pt. II, New York (1916). 6 Mason, J. Alden, "Excavations of Eskimo Thule Culture Sites at Point Barrow, Alaska," Proc. 23rd. Internatl. Cong. Americanists, New York, 1928. N. Y. (1930). 6 Hrdli6ka, Ales, "Anthropological Survey in Alaska," 46th Ann. Rept. Bur. Ethnology, Washington, D. C. (1930). 7Mathiassen, Therkel, "Some Specimens from the Bering Sea Culture," Indian Notes, 6, No. 1, Mus. Am. Indian, Heye Foundation, N. Y. (1929).


Background: Adherence is considered a major virulence trait of Candida albicans. FK463 is a new investigational intravenous antifungal of the 'candin family' with potent in vitro and in vivo activity against Candida spp. Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Micafungin (FK463) on Candida adherence to epithelial cells of azole-sensitive and azole-resistant C. albicans isolates. Methods: An in vitro assay using microtest plate technology and fluorescence measurement was developed to compare the adherence of C. albicans SC5314 and of paired C. albicans isolates to epithelial cells in the presence and in the absence of FK463. Results: FK463 showed a marked inhibitory effect on the adherence of C. albicans SC5314. The addition of FK463 reduced the adherence of C. albicans SC5314 to 90% of the value of control without drug. A dose-dependent adherence inhibition was observed with FK463 in the range of 10–0.015 µg ml–1. The comparison of paired C. albicans isolates, either a fluconazole-susceptible and a fluconazole-resistant isolate of one patient, revealed no significant difference in the adherence behavior between azole-susceptible and azole-resistant. Conclusion: Micafungin (FK463) has the capacity to reduce adherence of C. albicans azole-susceptible and azole-resistant strains to epithelial cells.


Manuka honey is well known for its anti-bacterial and wound healing properties but its anticancer role against cancer stem cells (CSC) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain uninvestigated. Recently, we identified a CSC subpopulation in HCC cell lines characterized by their CD133+ and CD90+ phenotype. The CD133+/ CD90+cells demonstrated a more aggressive phenotype than the CD133-/ CD90- counterpart and formed metastatic lesions in the lung of immunodeficient mice. In order to evaluate the effect of Manuka honey alone or in combined treatment with Metformin, a biguanide that has been widely used to treat type 2 diabetes, on cell viability and apoptosis induction in human HCC cell lines, isolated and identified CD133+/ CD90+subpopulation CSC were used. Cell viability was monitored using an MTT assay. In addition, apoptosis induction was labeled by Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide and measured using flow cytometry. Western blotting was used to examine the protein expression of p53, Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-2-associated death promoter (Bad), Bcl-2 homologous antagonist/killer (Bak) and cleaved-caspases-3 and -9. The results of the present study revealed that Manuka honey alone or in combined treatment with Metformin suppressed the cell viability of CD133+/CD90+cells in a concentration-dependent manner and the maximum effect was detected in combined treatment after 24 h. In addition, Manuka honey alone or in combined treatment with Metformin induced a significant apoptosis in the tested cells. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that combined treatment increased the expression of proapoptotic proteins, including p53, Bax, Bad and Bak, while it decreased the protein level of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 compared to control, Manuka honey or Metformin alone. Furthermore, the combined treatment strongly inhibited stemness characteristics of CSC subpopulation, colony formation and dramatically inhibited CD133+/CD90+tumor growth in vivo. Our data demonstrated that combined treatment induced apoptosis in CD133+/CD90+ subpopulation through G1 arrest in the cell-cycle and regulating p53/Bcl-2/caspase-3 signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results suggested that Monuka honey alone or combined treatment with Metformin may be a potential treatment for apoptosis induction in CSC and may provide a novel therapeutic model for HCC. Citation Format: Amira S. Fyala, Ahmed S. Sultan. Combined treatment by manuka honey and metformin inhibited growth and inducted apoptosis in CD133+and CD90+ subpopulation hepatocellular carcinoma cancer stem cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 928. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-928


Intermetallic compounds are innovative materials and are far superior to conventional metals and alloys. These intermetallic compounds have a great potential in industrial and technological fields because most of the intermetallic compounds are stronger as well asstiffer at elevated temperature and provide far better corrosion resistance than conventional metals and alloys.Over the past few years the scientific interest in the study of these intermetallic compounds emanates greatly because of their high-tech applications. Our motivation of the present studyMgTl mainly consernedon the physical data generation in context with its possible vast applications .We used a theoretical approach within the local density approximation method to study the structural and electronic properties of MgTl by calculating total energy. As far as our calculations are concerned, the band structure shows the overlapping of conduction and valence band thus itis clear that MgTl in its pure form is a good conductor of heat and electricity and falls in the category of metals. We have also calculated lattice parameters, bulkmodules, first order derivative electronic and lattice heat coefficient and Debye temperature.


"Introduction- As tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease the anemia of inflammation may contribute significantly in pathophysiology of anemic tuberculosis patients so this study was carried out to find out the role of Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF α) and serum erythropoietin (EPO) in anemic tuberculosis Patients.
Material & Methods - The study comprised of sixty-eight anemic pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Levels of Heamoglobin ( Hb), serum Iron, serum erythropoietin & serum TNF α were analyzed in all of them.
Result- The inflammatory parameter TNF α along with serum erythropoietin was found to be increased in anemic tuberculosis patient and levels of Hb, iron was decreased. Hemoglobin showed fair degree of linear relationship with TNF levels (r = -0.273). Heamoglobin and erythropoietin did not show linear or inverse correlation with each other(r= 0.161). Iron showed negative but non linear correlation with TNF & EPO levels(r= -.128 & -0.042 ). TNF and erythropoietin showed inverse but non linear correlation with each other ( r= -0.100).
Conclusion - Insufficient response of erythropoietin to the degree of anemia was found and an increased level of tumor necrosis factor was probably the contributing factor in induction of anemia in tuberculosis patients.
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The authors deal with the execution of several tasks for mobile robots while exhibiting various primitive behaviors in a simultaneous or concurrent fashion. The architecture allows for learning to take place, and at the execution level it incorporates the experience gained in executing primitive behaviors as well as the overall task. Some empirical rules are provided for the appropriate mixture of primitive behaviors to produce tasks. The architecture has been implemented in OPMOR, a simulation environment for mobile robots, and several results are presented. The performance of the architecture is excellent.<<ETX>>


The paper presents an overpack designed to contain nuclear product cans which may become pressurised or contaminated. The overpack provides a protective barrier to an inner product can, and due to the possibility of leakage of gas from the contents, the overpack must also function as a pressure vessel. Furthermore, the overpack is required to provide physical protection to the inner can and proof of containment was therefore necessary under a number of different impact scenarios, both pre-pressurised and also with the simulation of pressurisation at the moment of impact. Additionally, the inner product can was to be maintained in a central position during the deceleration at impact.This paper focuses on the analytical design and substantiation of the impact of the system which was performed using an explicit dynamic solver for a number of impact orientations. The design of the overpack to satisfy the relevant pressure vessel Code are not discussed in detail. The potential failure modes of the overpack during impact were assessed and design improvements made over a number of iterations. Following completion of the design and simulation phase, prototypes were built and tested to verify the engineering design and analysis. The testing showed that simulation driven design in conjunction with a pressure vessel design by rule approach was successful in creating a solution for the product can encapsulation. A comparison between the analytical simulation and high-speed video footage of the testing was also made.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


Magnonics is a fascinating and emerging field, which mainly studies processing information with spin waves. Magnonic devices with in-plane magnetization have recently been realized. Because of the isotropic propagation, magnonic devices based on perpendicular magnetization are attracting extensive interesting. Here, we numerically demonstrate two magnonic filters with out-of-plane magnetization by micromagnetic simulations. The band-pass and the band-stop functions have been realized in two structurally modulated waveguides, respectively. The intensity of spin waves is manipulated when they arrive at the uniformly/non-uniformly magnetized modulators, which result in the variation of transmission coefficients. It is found that the proposed filters can work at multiple frequencies, which can be further adjusted by the external magnetic field. Our results of designing magnonic devices with Néel-type skyrmion could promote the development of spin wave computing using spin textures.


Domestic energy generation such as through solar panels and wind turbines is considered an important piece in the puzzle of our future energy strategy. This research aims to explore the concept of domestic energy demand shifting through autonomous and engaging scheduling of energy loads. A mix of analysis, user-centric and design methodologies will be employed to help people understand how they can narrow the energy gap between domestic electricity generation and electricity consumption.


Mistress Peachum was Lavinia Fenton, an eighteenth-century actress who was the original Polly Peachum in John Gay's play The Beggar's Opera and became the Duchess of Bolton. Raised in a Charing Cross coffee-house, Lavinia became an actress, and though she was a newcomer to the stage when she was chosen to star as Polly, her combination of a sweet voice, a pretty face and a knowledge of the seamier side of London life made the role her own. Both Lavinia and the play were overnight sensations, but she enjoyed only a few months of fame before she caught the eye of the Duke of Bolton, a married, indolent and childless aristocrat. The Duke was determined to make her his mistress, and she agreed to elope with him, exchanging the rackety glamour of life as London's most celebrated actress for twenty years of retirement. Lavinia gave the Duke three sons, but when she was left a widow she chose her own way once more, and scandalously threw away their fortunes on her younger lover.


Female CD-1 mice were mated with CD-1 X T/ + F1 males that were heterozygous for the brachyury (T') semidominant lethal gene or were +/+. Fetuses from CD-1 X +/+ matings were normal when observed on gestation Day 17 (plug day = Day 0). Those from the CD-1 X T/+ cross exhibited the expected 1:1 ratio of short:normal tail lengths, but 10% of these fetuses were tailless, apparently due to factors in the CD-1 genotype that increased the expressivity of the T-gene with regard to reduction of tail length. Additional CD-1 females were mated with CD-1 X tw18/+ F1 males. Fetuses from the CD-1 X tw18/+ matings were normal. CD-1 females carrying CD-1 X +/+, CD-1 X T/+, or CD-1 X tw18/+ litters were injected ip on gestation Day 9 with 30 mg/kg cycloheximide or were untreated. Cycloheximide was teratogenic for litters from all three crosses. Polydactyly, oligodactyly, and a variety of skeletal abnormalities were observed. Gross malformations and total skeletal malformations were increased in treated CD-1 X T/ + or tw18/+ litters in comparison with CD-1 X +/+ litters, as were nonvertebral skeletal defects in CD-1 X tw18/+ litters. Prenatal mortality was also greater in treated mutant-containing litters than in +/+ litters, and fetal weights were similarly decreased in treated CD-1 X tw18/+ litters. The incidence of taillessness was also higher in treated (26%) than in control (10%) CD-1 X T/+ litters. Thus both the T and tw18 alleles appear to have enhanced the teratogenicity of cycloheximide, and the inhibitor may have increased the expressivity of T.


Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) images obtained after unilateral ligation of the ureter, renal artery, or renal vein in the rat were analyzed and compared with NMR images of the normal rat kidney. Anatomic and functional correlation of the induced renal lesions was made by concurrent CT and by gross examination of the excised kidneys. Many normal anatomic structures at the level of the renal hilum can be identified by high resolution NMR imaging. Differentiation of urine from renal parenchyma permits detection of gross changes both in renal function and in the mass of the renal parenchyma. NMR imaging is capable of diagnosing hydronephrosis, acute renal ischemia, and acute venous congestion in this rat model. In addition, a trend toward prolongation of the relaxation times T1 and T2 for abnormal renal parenchyma is demonstrated.


Performance limits of unstrained n- and p- MOSFETs with Si, Ge, GaAs and InAs channel materials are investigated using a 20 band sp3d5s*-SO semi-empirical atomistic tight-binding model and a top-of-the-barrier seminumerical ballistic transport model. It is observed that although the deeply scaled III-V devices offer very high electron injection velocities, their very low conduction band density-of-states strongly degrades their performance. Due to the high density-of-states for both electrons and holes in Ge, nanoscale devices with Ge as channel material are found to outperform all other materials considered


Emotion detection has become a growing field of study, especially seeing its broad application potential. Research usually focuses on emotion classification, but performance tends to be rather low, especially when dealing with more advanced emotion categories that are tailored to specific tasks and domains. Therefore, we propose the use of the dimensional emotion representations valence, arousal and dominance (VAD), in an emotion regression task. Firstly, we hypothesize that they can improve performance of the classification task, and secondly, they might be used as a pivot mechanism to map towards any given emotion framework, which allows tailoring emotion frameworks to specific applications. In this paper, we examine three cross-framework transfer methodologies: multi-task learning, in which VAD regression and classification are learned simultaneously; meta-learning, where VAD regression and emotion classification are learned separately and predictions are jointly used as input for a meta-learner; and a pivot mechanism, which converts the predictions of the VAD model to emotion classes. We show that dimensional representations can indeed boost performance for emotion classification, especially in the meta-learning setting (up to 7% macro F1-score compared to regular emotion classification). The pivot method was not able to compete with the base model, but further inspection suggests that it could be efficient, provided that the VAD regression model is further improved.


With the present study we investigated both the presence of cytoplasmic estrogen (E-Rc) and progesterone (P-Rc) receptor, nuclear E-R (E-Rn) and the percentage of cycling tumor cells with Ki-67 MAB in 32 CNS tumor specimens. The main purpose of our study was to evaluate a possible correlation between the hormonal and kinetic parameters and the clinical and neuroradiological follow-up.


These two volumes review the advances made in the last century in the care of the mentally retarded, from the mid-19th century to the present. Each section is preceded by an introduction by the three editors. The selection opens with the "Memorial to the Legislature of Massachusetts," written by Dorothea L. Dix in 1843, and ends with a 1971 article that, significantly, bears the title "Will there always be an institution?" Led by Dix's moving memorial, the first group of papers deals with rising humanitarian feelings toward the mentally retarded. The second group of articles, outstanding among which are those by E. Seguin (the Frenchborn physician who was instrumental in establishing important programs in this country), deals with the opening of the first schools for retarded, under both public and private auspices. In the latter part of the 19th century, the belief in phrenology was being replaced by more sober


Several astrophysics and nuclear physics applications require the detection of MeV photons with good position and energy resolution. For certain applications cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors might be the detector option of choice: they achieve better position and energy resolution than scintillation detectors and can be built more compact and more economically than Ge detectors. In this contribution, we briefly describe astrophysics and nuclear physics applications in which we are interested. Subsequently, we describe the results of Monte Carlo simulations of an "MeV Calorimeter": a 10 cm to 30 cm thick detector made of closely packed 1.5times1.5times1 cm3 large pixellated CZT detector units, each pixel being read out individually. Our simulation shows that the spatial extent of the energy deposition inside the CZT together with the electronic properties of present-day CZT substrates limits the theoretically achievable performance of such a calorimeter. The conclusion holds even if one considers detector modules with very small pixels and assumes correction of the anode signals with electron drift times. Finally, we discuss crucial detector issues that need to be addressed to improve the performance of CZT calorimeters


This paper reviews on various approaches and methodologies for understanding contributing factors to food palatability through flavor analysis. A retronasal aroma simulator (RAS) was used for the analysis of the volatiles released in a mouth cavity during mastication. The flavor products of RASAROMA series were developed based on RAS analysis to add genuine character to various fruit flavors. A RAS was also utilized as a useful tool to make adjustment of the retronasal aroma profiles, which led to develop flavor products customized for non-calorie drinks that made flavored drinks taste like drinks sweetened with sugar. The effects of milk addition on flavor release were investigated, and a novel procedure has been proposed to predict the relative release of each odorant's release from milk added drinks to that from water. Some of the contributing factors to food palatability have been revealed by these findings, but full understanding of the palatability is still under way.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
Traditionally, sleep studies in mammals are performed using electroencephalogram/electromyogram (EEG/EMG) recordings to determine sleep-wake state. In laboratory animals, this requires surgery and recovery time and causes discomfort to the animal. In this study, we evaluated the performance of an alternative, noninvasive approach utilizing piezoelectric films to determine sleep and wakefulness in mice by simultaneous EEG/EMG recordings. The piezoelectric films detect the animal's movements with high sensitivity and the regularity of the piezo output signal, related to the regular breathing movements characteristic of sleep, serves to automatically determine sleep. Although the system is commercially available (Signal Solutions LLC, Lexington, KY), this is the first statistical validation of various aspects of sleep.

DESIGN
EEG/EMG and piezo signals were recorded simultaneously during 48 h.

SETTING
Mouse sleep laboratory.

PARTICIPANTS
Nine male and nine female CFW outbred mice.

INTERVENTIONS
EEG/EMG surgery.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS
The results showed a high correspondence between EEG/EMG-determined and piezo-determined total sleep time and the distribution of sleep over a 48-h baseline recording with 18 mice. Moreover, the piezo system was capable of assessing sleep quality (i.e., sleep consolidation) and interesting observations at transitions to and from rapid eye movement sleep were made that could be exploited in the future to also distinguish the two sleep states.

CONCLUSIONS
The piezo system proved to be a reliable alternative to electroencephalogram/electromyogram recording in the mouse and will be useful for first-pass, large-scale sleep screens for genetic or pharmacological studies.

CITATION
Mang GM, Nicod J, Emmenegger Y, Donohue KD, O'Hara BF, Franken P. Evaluation of a piezoelectric system as an alternative to electroencephalogram/electromyogram recordings in mouse sleep studies.


A. fragrantissima is one of the most Achillia species found in Jordan, it is known by local communities as Qaisoum or Qisum. Most effective method found to increase and conserve herbal plant is in vitro propagation. It is considered to be easier and more rapid for herbaceous plants than woody species. In the current study, in vitro propagation of A. fragrantissima rooting and acclimatization was studied. Complete germination of seeds (100%) was obtained in vitro on water-agar medium and developed into plantlets with greater hypocotyl and root length, and full cotyledonary leaves. Multiplication of mother stock was established on MS (Murashige and Skoog) media supplemented with 1mg/L GA3 after 4 weeks of culture. Proliferation was experimented with different levels of cytokinin (0.0, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.2 or 1.6 mg/L) of BA, kinetin or 2ip. Maximum proliferation of Achillea fragrantissima (8 shoot/explant) was obtained when MS medium supplemented with 1.2 mg/L kinetin. Rooting was experimented at different levels of auxins (0.0, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.2, or 1.6 mg/L) of NAA, IAA or IBA. Highest root number (9.80) and length (1.80 cm) was obtained at 0.4 mg/L NAA, while IAA failed to promote root induction. Rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized with 100% survival.


We describe our work on sterilization of 10 ml glass and 60 ml plastic cylindrical containers using a fore-vacuum pressure, plasma-cathode, electron beam source. Beam plasma is formed inside the vessel by injection of a low-energy electron beam at 3 - 6 keV energy and current of 50 mA, at a working gas (air) pressure of 8 Pa. The gas composition was tracked by a quadrupole gas analyzer type RGA-100. As a test biological object for sterilization we used E. coli ATCC 25922 bacteria, the inner surface of each vessel was inoculated with a bacterial suspension. We find a smooth dependence of the degree of sterilization on the total energy density injected into the vessel. The efficacy of sterilization of container inner surfaces using a fore-vacuum pressure, plasma-cathode e-beam source of relatively low energy (a few keV) electrons is thus demonstrated.


Background:Individualized threedimensional-printing template(3D-PT) is developed to facilitate I125radioactive seed implantation (RSI) for recurrent head and neck cancer, while most of the previous studies were focused on the efficacy and safety profiles, study on the accuracy of I125 RSI is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy involvingneedle puncture and dosimetry of individualized 3D-printing template (3D-PT) assisted I125 radioactive seed implantation (RSI) for head and neck cancer.Materials and Methods: From February 2017 to January 2020, clinical data of 41 patients (mean age, 58.5 ± 16.1 years; 28 males) with recurrent primary (48.8%)/secondary (51.2%) head and neck cancer underwent individualized 3D-PT assisted I125 RSI under CT guidance in our institute were retrospectively reviewed.Results:A total of 430 [mean, 10.5 (range 3–17) per patient] needles were inserted. Technical success rate was 100% without major complication. The mean entrance deviation was 0.090 cm (95% Confidence Interval, 0.081–0.098), whichwas significantly larger in patients with primary cancer than patients with secondary cancer (0.107 ± 0.012 vs. 0.072 ± 0.012 cm, p < 0.001).The mean intraoperative depth and angular of the needle were consistent with planned depth and angular (6.23 ± 0.24 vs. 6.21 ± 0.24 cm, p = 0.903; 83.14 ± 3.64 vs. 83.09 ± 3.66 degrees, p = 0.985, respectively). The mean deviation between planned and intraoperative depth and angular of the needle were 0.168 ± 0.024 cm and 1.56 ± 0.14 degrees, respectively, without significant difference involving cancer type and implantation site (p = 0.065 and 0.092, respectively). The post-plan dosimetry parameters, including D90, D100, V100, V150, V200, conformity index, external index, and homogeneity index, were all well coordinate with planned dosimetry without significant deference (all p > 0.05).Conclusions:Individualized 3D-PT assisted I125 RSI may be accurate with consistent planed and post-plan dosimetry for patients with recurrent head and neck cancer, further prospective study is warranted.


MicroRNAs play a pivotal role in regulating a broad range of biological processes, acting by cleaving mRNAs or by translational repression. A group of plant microRNAs are evolutionarily conserved; however, others are expressed in a species-specific manner. Jute is an agroeconomically important fibre crop; nonetheless, no practical information is available for microRNAs in jute to date. In this study, Illumina sequencing revealed a total of 227 known microRNAs and 17 potential novel microRNA candidates in jute, of which 164 belong to 23 conserved families and the remaining 63 belong to 58 nonconserved families. Among a total of 81 identified microRNA families, 116 potential target genes were predicted for 39 families and 11 targets were predicted for 4 among the 17 identified novel microRNAs. For understanding better the functions of microRNAs, target genes were analyzed by Gene Ontology and their pathways illustrated by KEGG pathway analyses. The presence of microRNAs identified in jute was validated by stem-loop RT-PCR followed by end point PCR and qPCR for randomly selected 20 known and novel microRNAs. This study exhaustively identifies microRNAs and their target genes in jute which will ultimately pave the way for understanding their role in this crop and other crops.


The aim of this 4-year study was to characterize temporal development of brown rot blossom blight and fruit blight (caused by Monilinia spp.) and their sporulating areas in sour cherry orchards; and to determine the relationships amongst incidence and sporulating area of blossom blight, fruit blight and fruit rot. The study was performed in integrated and organic orchard blocks on two cultivars (Ujfehertoi furtos and Erdi bőtermő). On both cultivars, disease progress on flowers and fruits was 2–10 times slower in the integrated than in the organic management system. The peak incidence values were 9 and 31 days after petal fall for blossom blight and fruit blight, respectively. After these dates, no new blight symptoms on flowers and/or fruits appeared and the disease was levelling off. Final blossom blight incidence ranged from 1 to 5% and from 12 to 34%, and fruit rot incidence from 2 to 6% and from 11 to 26% in the integrated and the organic orchards, respectively. The sum of fruit blight incidence ranged from 9 to 22% for the organic system, but was below 5% for the integrated system, while the final sporulating area was 5–16 mm2 and <3 mm2, respectively. Among the five highest Pearson's correlation coefficients, relationships between blossom blight and early fruit blight stage (r = 0·845, P = 0·0087 integrated; r = 0·901, P = 0·0015 organic), and between sporulating area and fruit rot (r = 0791, P = 0·0199 integrated; r = 0·874, P = 0·0039 organic) were the most significant relationships from an epidemic standpoint as they indicated a connection between different brown rot symptom types.


Carbon fibers are widely used as reinforcement in polymer-matrix composites due to their excellent mechanical properties combined with their lightweight. Coating of short carbon fibers with nickel not only preserves the desired specific mechanical properties of both the fiber and the resulting composite but also improves their electrical conductivity and magnetic properties. The short fibers may be randomly dispersed in composites to exhibit isotropic behavior. However, controlling the orientation of the fiber reinforcement can improve the performance of the composite such as electrical conductivity, modulus, and strength in the loading direction. In this study, the alignment of nickel coated carbon (NiC) fibers by a magnetic field during cure of an epoxy resin is explored. For this purpose, the effects of several parameters such as field strength (10-50 mT) and fibers length (0.1 and 0.25 mm) on the degree of fiber alignment within composites are investigated using scanning confocal microscopy and image analysis techniques. The 0.1 mm long fibers started to align along the direction of magnetic field at around 10 mT. The degree of alignment was enhanced at about 30 mT which enabled the NiC fibers to interact easily with each other and build NiC fiber networks. Furthermore, when a higher magnetic field of 50 mT is applied, in addition to the rotation and network formation, pronounced migration of fibers towards the magnetic poles was observed. In addition, under the same magnetic field of 30 mT, longer fibers (0.25 mm) reached a higher degree of alignment.