Although proteinuria is an established potent predictor of the initiation of dialysis, it is unclear whether the impact and clinical relevance of widely used dipstick proteinuria on dialysis differs between adults with and without DM. To clarify this, we longitudinally analyzed a nationwide claim-based database that included 138,554 people aged 18-72 y in Japan. Urinary protein was assessed by test strip, the results of which ± corresponds to ≥15 mg/dL. During the 7-y period, there were 46 and 20 incident cases of dialysis among people with and without DM, respectively. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that, among people without proteinuria, those with DM had a 3.4-fold increased dialysis risk than those without DM whereas, even among individuals without DM, dipstick proteinuria confers a far higher risk of around 20 fold (Table, upper). DM and dipstick proteinuria seemed to additively affect (Table, middle) the initiation of dialysis although those with both DM and proteinuria did not have a significantly higher risk of dialysis than those without DM but with proteinuria (Table, lower). Proteinuria detected by dipstick confers a far higher risk of subsequent dialysis than diabetes per se, but clinicians should be aware of the greatly increased risk for dialysis in those with both DM and dipstick proteinuria, which implies the necessity of intensified interventions. Disclosure A. Furuya: None. K. Fujihara: None. T. Osawa: None. M. Yamamoto: None. M. Harada: None. M. Ishizawa: None. H. Seida: None. N. Yamanaka: None. Y. Matsubayashi: None. H. Sone: Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, MSD K.K., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Development Center Asia, Pte. Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Sanofi, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., Eisai Inc..


Objective: To investigate the long-term prognostic value of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Methods: Patients (n = 180) with admission glucose < 11 mmol/L without previously known diabetes admitted for an acute myocardial infarction in 1998–2000 were followed for mortality and cardiovascular events (first of cardiovascular mortality/acute myocardial infarction/stroke/severe heart failure) until the end of 2011 (median 11.6 years). Fasting levels of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 at day 2 were related to outcome in Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. Results: Median age was 64 years, 69% were male and median insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 was 20 µg/L. Total mortality was 34% (n = 61) and 44% (n = 80) experienced a cardiovascular event during a median follow-up time of 11.6 years. After age adjustment, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 was associated with all-cause (1.40; 1.02–1.93, p = 0.039) and cancer mortality (2.09; 1.15–3.79, p = 0.015) but not with cardiovascular death (p = 0.29) or cardiovascular events (p = 0.57). After adjustments also for previous myocardial infarction, previous heart failure and body mass index, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 was still associated with all-cause mortality (1.38; 1.01–1.89, p = 0.046). Conclusion: In patients with acute myocardial infarction without previously known diabetes, high insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 was associated with long-term all-cause and cancer mortality but not with cardiovascular events.


Influenza is a public health problem with a strong impact from an epidemiological, clinical and economic point of view. Many factors contribute: ubiquity and contagiousness of the disease, antigenic variability of the viruses and the possibility of serious complications. Influenza rarely causes complications in healthy subjects. On the contrary complications can occur and be severe in people with fragile conditions. More susceptible to infection are: children, elderly, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions or undergoing immunosuppressive therapies. Vaccine is an important preventive measure. It allows to protect both the vaccinated person and those at risk. Thanks to the presence of diversified vaccines, we can offer targeted prevention. Vaccine innovations also involved production methods, allowing GPs to choose a quadrivalent cell-derived in addition to the quadrivalent egg-derived and the trivalent vaccine. Age, existing pathologies and immune system reactivity are fundamental elements guiding the customized choice of GPs. Recent years innovations concerning the increased immunogenicity (adjuvated and high-dose vaccines) and the protection against a greater number of strains (quadrivalent vaccine) in addition to new production methods (cell derived vaccine) allow us to trust in further possibilities for the future.


One of the main problems for aged people is that of having a balanced diet, improved by correct conditioning of the alimentary bolus. Does the masticatory status influence the appearance of gastrointestinal disorders? Such a question justifies the present study. The present work concerned all the patients (211) of eight geriatric institutions, and was completed by a retrospective approach (case-control study). The main result brought by the case-control study, showed that poor oral functional characteristics represent a risk for gastrointestinal pathology (age being neutralized; odds ratio (OR): 2.62). This result indicates that the loss of teeth must be compensated by functionally effective dentures. Not only will the patients' physical and psychic health improve but also medical and public health problems will be solved.


OBJECTIVE
To establish the prevalence of post traumatic headache, persisting at 3 months following minor traumatic brain injury.

DESIGN
A prospective controlled study of patients admitted with a diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury and matched orthopedic controls over 12 months during 2004.

SETTING
A level two inner city Emergency Department in Sydney, Australia.

PATIENTS
One hundred eligible sequential admissions with mild traumatic brain injury as defined by American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, 1993, and 100 matched minor injury controls with nondeceleration injuries.

INTERVENTIONS
Subjects were part of a study on prediction of postconcussive syndrome and had neuropsychological tests, balance test and pain recordings taken at the time of injury, at 1 month and at 3 months post injury.

OUTCOME MEASURES
Main measures were the reporting of headache "worse than prior to the injury" and concordant with the definition of Posttraumatic Headache according to International Headache Society Classification of Headache Disorders 2003.

RESULTS
15.34% of those with minor head injury continued to complain of perisistant posttraumatic headache at 3 months compared to 2.2% of the minor injury controls.

CONCLUSIONS
To the authors' knowledge this is the first controlled prospective study in the prevalence of posttraumatic headache following mild traumatic brain injury.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the association between alcohol consumption and tooth loss is modified across socioeconomic positions (SEP) in Brazilian older adults.

METHODS
We conducted a secondary analysis using data of The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSI-Brazil 2015 - 2016). Effect Measure Modification (EMM) analyses using multivariable Poisson regression models tested whether the association between heavy drinking and lack of functional dentition (FD) varies in magnitude and direction according to levels of Household Wealth index (HWI) and educational attainment, assessed by the Relative Excess Risk due to Interaction (RERI). Sensitivity analyses using the lifetime exposure to alcohol were performed.

RESULTS
The analytical sample comprised 8078 participants. Heavy drinkers living in low-wealth households and with lower education presented 7% (95% CI: 1.01 - 1.14) and 36% (95% CI: 1.28 - 1.44) higher prevalence of lack of FD, respectively, than their counterparts, and super-additive associations were detected [RERI for HWI: 0.12 (95% CI: 0.02 - 0.21); RERI for educational attainment: 0.20 (95% CI: 0.09 - 0.30)]. The associations were also super-additive in the sensitivity analyses when controlling for abstainer reference group bias.

CONCLUSION
We suggest that alcohol consumption disproportionately impacts the prevalence of tooth loss of Brazilian older adults from lower SEP groups.


In order for the EU to achieve its goal of 10% biofuel for all EU motor vehicles by 2020, a substantial amount of biofuel as well as a biofuel feedstock would need to be imported largely from developing countries where the climate is warm and labor is inexpensive. But there may never be sufficient supply to fulfill the ever-growing demand for biofuel for road transportation in the EU, even as motor vehicles are increasingly becoming more fuel-efficient. The constraint to realizing an effective and equitable reduction in greenhouse-gas emission is the overbearing political economics of neoliberalism. A different remedial strategy is needed to address the dual problems of the excessive uses of motor fuels and greenhouse-gas emission.


We study a model of dynamic two-stage R&D competition where the competing firms are uncertain about the difficulty of the first stage. Staying in the competition is costly and a firm can also choose whether and when to quit. When a firm solves the first stage, it can choose whether and when to disclose the solution. We find that there exists a unique symmetric equilibrium, in which each firm will disclose the solution of the first stage if it arrives early, withhold the solution if it arrives neither too soon nor too late, and exit the competition if it has not arrived after a sufficiently long time. From a social welfare perspective, a competition is surprisingly not always optimal: in certain scenarios, it is socially more desirable to assign the R&D project to a single firm.


We report on initial experiments that examine the relationship between automated measures of machine translation performance (Doddington, 2003, and Papineni et al. 2001) and the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale of language proficiency/difficulty that has been in standard use for U.S. government language training and assessment for the past several decades (Child, Clifford and Lowe 1993). The main question we ask is how technology-oriented measures of MT performance relate to the ILR difficulty levels, where we understand that a linguist with ILR proficiency level N is expected to be able to understand a document rated at level N, but to have increasing difficulty with documents at higher levels. In this paper, we find that some key aspects of MT performance track with ILR difficulty levels, primarily for MT output whose quality is good enough to be readable by human readers.


Wobbly backbone: The backbone dynamics of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) transmembrane helix was compared to those of other transmembrane domains. In contrast to expectation, no above-average backbone dynamics was found for the APP transmembrane helix; the dynamics thus appears not to be optimized for cleavage.


steroids, and the medical complications of the disease are fully considered. Active surgical treatment, which has brought about such a change in the outlook for those patients with severe disease, is hardly mentioned. There is only a casual reference to the types of ileostomy stoma. A note that in fulminating disease " surgical exploration may have to be considered and performed when fluids and electrolytes are balanced. However, if improvement occurs, any proposed plans for an operation should be postponed or cancelled " is hardly in keeping with modem practice in Britain. The conservative views expressed on the risks of malignant change in the colon are also at variance with experience. The book provides interesting reading, but should not be taken as a guide to the management of this disease in Britain.


People always travel with their friends. Some of them would like to design their travel plan together
while some others would like to design their plan singly. Prior studies most focus on the single
decision context. This paper investigates the collaborative customization in the joint decision and joint
consumption context, and the information presentation format (attribute-based vs. bundle-based)
effect on the tourists' decision and behaviour is discussed. We also consider the relationship effect.
And finally the potential theoretical contribution and practical implication are discussed.


Nine adolescent patients with new onset hip pain and previous Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease (LCPD) were evaluated by hip arthroscopy. Eight of the nine patients had previous hip surgery for their LCPD and a pain-free interval averaging over 5 years. Hip arthroscopy was performed in the supine position on a fracture table using a distention distraction technique. Eight of the nine hips had intra-articular abnormalities including; four tears of the ligamentum teres, three femoral head osteochondritis dissecans, two labral tears, two hips with significant synovitis and three hips with other femoral head abnormalities. Seven of the eight hips improved following their arthroscopic treatment and the patients returned to their before-pain activities including sports. Three patients have required subsequent surgery. The abnormal mechanics from residual femoral head deformity may increase the risk of developing a variety of painful lesions. Hip arthroscopy is a safe way to evaluate and treat these intra-articular abnormalities.


Based on the analysis of scientific research, it has been concluded that the methodology 'Social Emotional Health Survey – Secondary' (SEHS-S) with meta-construct of covitality is a universal tool in order to define the social and emotional health of teenagers and young people; it has also been found that the meta-construct of covitality is essentially related to other psychological constructs, such as emotional intelligence, vitality, social competence and mental health. In the research that was conducted in Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy (Timofejeva, 2015), the method of M.J. Furlong has been adapted to the Russian language, Latvian language interpretation of the notion of covitality has been proposed offering terms 'Sociāli emocionālās veselības faktors' or SEV (social and emotional health factor) or 'sinerģiskā vitalitāte' ('synergic vitality'). Furthermore, a theoretically constructive model of the author has been created. Within this model, a new correlation has been hypothetically predicted between meta-construct of covitality (SEV-factor) and other scientifically acknowledged psycho-social constructs and notions: psycho-social prerequisites of the SEV factor and psychological options that depend on the level of the SEV factor. During the research, a selection of several teenagers and young people – students of comprehensive schools of Riga – with Russian as their native language was made (n=184). It was found that the applied methodology is valid for the selection of Russian-speaking teenagers/youth of Latvia and that it can be recommended to the psychologists of schools as a new psychometric tool for their professionally practical duties. The data obtained within the research is planned to be used for comparisons with a similar research conducted in Lithuania (Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences), led by doc. A. Petrulytė.


This article examines the work that goes in to 'making room' for ethics, literally and figuratively. It follows the activities of a capacity building Asia-Pacific NGO in training and recognising ethics review committees, using multi-sited field materials collected over 12 months between 2009 and 2010. Two queries drive this article: first, how are spaces made for ethical review –politically, infrastructurally, materially – as committee members campaign for attention to ethics and access to offices in which to conduct their meetings? Second, how are the limits of 'local circumstance' negotiated during a review of the committee's work: what does the implementation of standards in the area of ethics look like? I then discuss what standards of ethics practice mean for more fraught questions of the universal in bioethics. Rather than regarding ethics systems as backgrounds to global health projects, this article's STS and ethnographic approach reveals ethical review as a site of contested standardisation.


Background Drowning is the first cause of death in children who are under 15 years old in Surin province, a province located in the North East of Thailand. Death rate in year 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 were 12.9, 11.1, 14.3, 14.2,12.2, 8.4, 10.6 respectively per 100,000<15 years old. In 2016, drowning in children<15 years were 28 cases, 32.1% of males and 67.9% of females. The percentage of drowning children age below 2 years old, 3–5, 6–9 and 9–12 years old is 17.9, 21., 28.6 and 32.1 percent respectively. The place where drowning occur are community ponds, pond in the field, canel and pond in home and can be calculated as 35.7 percent, 35.7 percent,10.7 percent and10.7 percent respectively. We found that 14.3%of children can swim, 85.7%of children cannot swim and all of them have no skill in survival swimming. The factor leads to drown is that 46.3% play in the risk water with friends, 42.86% was drops in the risk water, 7.14% was catch the fish and 3.57% was help their friend who drowning. Methods The main factor is most of children do not know how to swim, have no skill to help themselves while drowning. In addition, there is few standard pool in local communities. Many schools have no swimming program for students. Also, parents cannot swim and there have many source of water near home and school where children can jump in. According to children behavior, they like to play in the water with friends during their school break or vacation. The main point we focus on is how children can float in the water and have a right skill to help people or their friends from drowning and have skill on primary resussitatation. Since there are not many standard swimming pool available. Mobile pool which is given from a supporter is one choice. We adapt survival swimming curriculum for trainer and children. The trainer taught children in easy steps and used easy equipment to help children floating in the water such as plastic bottle. This saves time and is not dangerous while training in mobile pool. We plan best practice school model in local communities. Children who have good skill can train another child. Results More than 80 percent of students who pass15 hours of survival swimming curriculum can float in the water. The longest hour some children can float is 4 hours. The important technique is they need to learn the right way of how to breath by mouth, how to keep air in lung, make right position and use empty plastic bottle(1,000 ml) when floating in the water. By the knowledge management from team network corporation from Hospital, Health station, School, Local administration and another volunteers which work in Province, district and sub-district, they learn how to be a good teamwork to help children. Our team call 'MERIT MAKER'Which stand for Management, Environment, Resuscitation, Information, Trainning, Media, Advocacy/policy, Kindergarten, Education and Research)MERIT MAKER Team in 2015,2016,2017 were 27.5%, 91.2%,95% of sub-district in Surin Province. Conclusions Now, we have the best practice in school and set a leader student to be a coach helper and also help friends in survival swimming program. Moreover, we have developed a survival swimming program for trainers team, co-operate in school program. In community have prevent on risk resources, have poster Knowledge and equipment to help people who was drowning. All of this is a concrete success that all school can apply, teach in the process of teamwork and to solve the problem of drowning in Surin. The 7 years of success, between 2011–2017, is our proud. Everyone voluntarily to helps children from drowning. The goal is to reduce death rate of drowning lower than 4.5 per 1 00 000 childrens below 15 years old within 2018. Children can learn survival swimmimg in primary school, can float in water, and know how to help people who drowning. Their parents protect childrens and community participation to prevent childrens from drowning.


There is growing evidence that adults with Long COVID suffer from different sets of stigmata related to their condition. In children with Long COVID, this aspect has never been investigated. This study aims to investigate if children with Long COVID also experience stigma. Methods: Children with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection evaluated at 3 month follow-ups in a pediatric post COVID unit were asked to fill in an online Long COVID Stigma Scale survey before they were assessed by a pediatrician. Doctors were unaware of children's responses when they performed a diagnosis of Long COVID or full recovery from previous infection, according to the World Health Organization definition of pediatric Long COVID. Responses to the Stigma scale were then compared in the two cohorts of children. Results: 224 patients responded to the questionnaire; 40 patients were diagnosed with Long COVID. Children with Long COVID significantly more frequently felt embarrassed about having Long COVID (p 0.035), felt embarrassed about having physical limitations (p < 0.001), felt they were valued less due to Long COVID (p 0.003), felt they were different from other peers due to Long COVID (p 0.033), felt significantly more frequently that people behaved differently towards them because they might be lying since the diagnosis of Long COVID (p 0.006), that they were less respected by others due to Long COVID (p 0.017), that other people thought that Long COVID is not a real disease (p 0.007), that other people thought that developing Long COVID is a sign of weakness (p 0.008), and that other people might judge them negatively due to their diagnosis of Long COVID (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Children with Long COVID, similar to adults, are suffering from stigmata due to their condition,. These data may have implication and should be used by the public, policy makers, and healthcare professionals regarding pediatric Long COVID.


Background: The Code Blue system at RSUD Bangil Pasuruan was formed in the context of the safety of patients, visitors, and employees who experience heart and respiratory failure in the hospital area. The Code Blue team is a team that can carry out continued life assistance quickly, thereby reducing the incidence of death in hospitals. In its application, The Code Blue system of RSUD Bangil Pasuruanwas running less than optimal. The death process of inpatients who should have received basic life support assistance by The Code Blue team often ended in death without any effort to activate the available code blue system. The nurse knowledge factor is thought to have a connection with the constrained implementation of The Code Blue system in RSUD Bangil. Objective: This study aims to identify the relationship between nurse knowledge and the decision making of code blue activation in RSUD Bangil Pasuruan. Method: This quantitative study used an analytic observational design with a cross-sectional approach. Respondents of 101 nurses in general inpatients were selected based on a purposive sampling quota technique. The research instrument was a questionnaire for all variables. Results: A bivariate analysis using Spearman rank correlation showed that there was a significant, positive (unidirectional) and very weak relationship with nurse knowledge of the decision making of code blue activation in RSUD Bangil Pasuruan Conclusion: Nurse knowledge needs to be improved to optimize the decision of code blue activation in RSUD Bangil Pasuruan.


Three types of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/oxide reinforced hollow fibers, i.e. MWCNTs/ SiO2, MWCNTs/TiO2, MWCNTs/ZrO2, based on sol–gel techniques were fabricated, compared and applied to extract metronidazole in milk samples by solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The factors influencing the extraction and desorption process were optimized, and the adsorption mechanism of MWCNTs/SiO2 reinforced hollow fibers was briefly discussed. MWCNTs/SiO2 reinforced hollow fiber might be selective to some organic compounds due to specific and non-specific adsorption of MWCNTs and SiO2 nanoparticles. It was found that the method provided linear range from 0.01–1000 mg L 1 (R 1⁄4 0.9985), low detection limit of 0.01 mg L , preferable recoveries (69–96%) at three different concentrations. The obtained results demonstrated that MWCNTs/SiO2 hollow fiber solid phase microextraction could become a potential tool for quality control to monitor the amount of metronidazole residues in milk products.


We contribute to the emerging literature on component auditor usage by building a dataset at the level of individual foreign subsidiaries of U.S. multinational audit clients. In contrast to extant research that studies component auditor usage only at the parent level, we measure audit quality at the level of individual foreign subsidiaries and find evidence of a positive association between individual component auditor usage and subsidiary-level audit quality. This result is robust to a variety of different model specifications, matching techniques, and proxies for audit quality. We find mixed evidence that aggregate component auditor usage is associated with audit quality at the parent level. Our results underscore the importance of using disaggregated, subsidiary-level data to study component auditors, and why inferences made from aggregated, parent-level data can be misleading. The results have implications for the PCAOB's current standard-setting agenda.


Current therapies for novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) are generally used to manage rather than cure this highly infective disease. Therefore, there is a significant unmet medical need for a safe and effective treatment for COVID‐19. Inflammation is the driving force behind coronavirus infections, and the majority of deaths caused by COVID‐19 are the result of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It is crucial to control the inflammation as early as possible. To date, numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) products, including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and their derivatives (eg, exosomes) for coronavirus infections, which could be applied for the COVID‐19. In this review, first, the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the present and future of TERM research and products are briefly presented. Then, the recent clinical trials and the therapeutic benefits of MSCs in coronavirus‐induced ARDS are critically reviewed. Last, recent advances in the field of tissue engineering relevant to coronavirus infections, including three‐dimensional platforms to study the disease progression and test the effects of antiviral agents, are described. Moreover, the application of biomaterials for vaccine technology and drug delivery are highlighted. Despite promising results in the preclinical and clinical applications of MSC therapy for coronavirus infections, controversy still exists, and thus further investigation is required to understand the efficacy of these therapies.


Antihistamines were introduced in France by Halpern in 1942 and in the United States at the end of World War II; they had been investigated extensively during the war for therapy of motion sickness. By the late 1940s, a mass of information on the structure activity relationship had accumulated and most major drug manufacturens had introduced antihistamines into the market for oral, parenteral, and topical administration. Topical use was efficacious in acute dermatitis because the local anesthetic activity of the drugs diminished pruritus.
 The first reports of sensitization to the topical antihistamines, which began to appear in 1947, incriminated tnipelennamine (Pyribenzamine), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), antazoline (Antistine), and pheniramine (Trimeton).1-4 In the ensuing 25 years, though thousands of instances of antihistamine contact dermatitis have occurred, many topical antihistamines remain on the market. The Committee is concerned about the use of topical antihistamines which are sold over the counter for use in such conditions as chickenpox and poison ivy. Table I lists most of the preparations currently available for topical use.
 CLASSES OF ANTIHISTAMINES
 The antihistamines are classified according to their chemical structure into five primary groups as shown in Table II. Each drug carries its own index of sensitization and other adverse effects when employed topically. The ethylenediamine derivatives include the following: antazoline phosphate (Antistine), promethazine hydrochloride (Phenergan*), and tripelennamine (Pyribenzamine). They are particularly active in inducing contact dermatitis and were responsible for the cases first reported.5,6 Ethylenediamine, because of its dibasic structure, is widely used in various organic syntheses for the preparation of dyes, inhibitors, rubber accelerators, fungicides, synthetic waxes, resins, insecticides, and asphalt-wetting agents.


BACKGROUND Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) with thrombocytopenia and organ failure caused by tumor-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a life-threatening oncological emergency. Rapid diagnosis and precise distinction from other forms of TMA is crucial for appropriate therapy, which aims at treating the underlying malignancy. However, the prognosis of patients with cancer-related (CR)-MAHA is limited. To date, less than 50 patients with gastric cancer and CR-MAHA have been reported, mainly as single case reports, and detailed information on treatment strategies and outcome are scarce. We analyzed the characteristics and outcomes data of CR-MAHA patients with gastric cancer treated at our center between 2012 and 2019. AIM To gain knowledge about CR-MAHA and the course of disease. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed patients using an institutional prospectively maintained database. Patients who had CR-MAHA but other cancer types or cancer of unknown primary were excluded. The basic requirements for inclusion were: Histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma; and clinical diagnosis of hemolytic anemia with schistocytes with or without thrombocytopenia. The observation period for each patient started with the first day of documented symptoms. The follow-up period for this analysis ended on February 1, 2020. RESULTS We identified eight patients with a median age of 54 years. Histologically, all patients had (partial) diffuse subtypes of gastric adenocarcinoma with partial or complete signet cell morphology. All patients had metastatic disease and one patient had a microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumor. In three patients, clinical signs of MAHA preceded the diagnosis of cancer, and in two patients, CR-MAHA indicated recurrent disease. All patients had severe hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Six patients experienced severe bone pain, and five patients had dyspnea. Systemic, 5-fluorouracil-based combination chemotherapy was initiated in six patients, which resulted in rapid initial response with significant improvement of clinical symptoms and blood values. Progression-free survival (PFS) of the whole cohort was 1.9 wk and median overall survival (OS) was 1.9 wk. For patients with chemotherapy, PFS was 9.0 wk and OS was 10.3 wk. The patient with the MSI-H tumor has been undergoing immunotherapy for more than 3 years. CONCLUSION The benefit of chemotherapy in CR-MAHA patients is limited. Immunotherapy for patients with MSI-H tumors may lead to long-term tumor control even in CR-MAHA patients.


In this paper, we propose a new approach to find a large number of reliable point features between high distorted stereo fisheye images, which is very valuable in many applications, such as image-based metrology, geometry estimation and 3D reconstruction. In first step the affine invariant regions are matched by classical approaches then distinctive points within the region can be matched based on the corresponding affine transformations in normalized frames. In addition, two distinctive point matching algorithms are proposed, one is based on the intensity similarity measure, and the others is based on the geometric consistency constraint. Experiment results show that the number of the final point correspondences increased greatly with high accuracy and reliability. This electronic document is a "live" template. The various components of your paper [title, text, heads, etc.] are already defined on the style sheet, as illustrated by the portions given in this document.


Lipases (triacyl glycerol acyl hydrolase) catalyze hydrolysis and syntheses of ester formed from glycerol and long-chain fatty acids. They have many industrial applications, especially in food and detergent industries. Out of 33 bacterial isolates, a group of 20 bacterial isolates produced lipase enzyme on tributyrin agar and Tween 80 agar media. In liquid medium, the lipase activity was ranged from 1.5 to 6.9 IU/ml. Among the evaluated bacteria, the isolate LP10 that was isolated from soil collected from fuel station. It was the most active isolate in lipase production (6.9 IU/ml). Using morphological, physiological and biochemical studies, it was identified as an isolate belonging to the genus Streptomycesand identified as Streptomyces exfoliates LP10. Identification was confirmed using 16S rDNA analysis. Growth of the selected bacterium in medium containing tributyrin and Tween 60 at initial pH 6 in addition to incubation at 37°C for three days yielded the maximum lipase production. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was 60 kDa, determined using gel electrophoresis. Improvement of lipase production was carried out between Streptomyces exfoliates LP10 and Streptomyces niveus using protoplast fusion. Five fusants were obtained. Fusant LP3 was the best lipase producer (3 times higher) compared to its parents.

 Key words: Lipase, Streptomyces exfoliates, tributyrin, protoplast fusion, 16S rDNA.


Background The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has periodically estimated infant mortality rates (IMR) among Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip (Gaza). These surveys have recorded a decline from 127 per 1000 live births in 1960 to 20.2 in 2006. Thereafter, a survey revealed an IMR of 22.4 in 2011. Alerted by these findings, a follow up survey was conducted in 2015 to further assess the trend of IMR. Methods We used the same preceding-birth technique as in previous surveys to estimate IMR and neonatal mortality rate (NMR) per 1000 live births. All multiparous mothers who came to the 22 UNRWA health centers to register their last-born child for immunization were asked if their preceding child was alive or dead. We based our target sample size on the previous IMR of 22.4 and we interviewed 3126 mothers from September to November 2015. Findings The third survey estimated mortality rates in 2013. The IMR was 22.7 (95% CI 17.2–28.1) per 1000 live births. IMR did not decline since the estimated IMR of 20.2 (15.3–25.1) per 1000 live births in 2006 and 22.4 (16.4–28.3) per 1000 live births in 2011. NMR was 16.1 (11.6–20.7) per 1000 live births, which was not statistically significantly different from 2006 (12.1 (8.7–16.4)), and was lower than in 2011 (20.3 (15.3–26.2)). Conclusion The estimated mortality rate in infants of Palestine refugees in Gaza has not declined since 2006. The stagnation of infant mortality rates indicates that further efforts are needed to investigate causes for this stagnation and ways of addressing the potentially preventable causes among Palestine refugee children in Gaza.


PURPOSE
To investigate the difference of MR percent breast density measured from fat-suppressed versus nonfat-suppressed imaging sequences.

METHODS
Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with and without fat suppression was acquired from 38 subjects. Breasts were divided into subgroups of different morphological patterns ("central" and "intermingled" types). Breast volume, fibroglandular tissue volume, and percent density were measured. The results were compared using nonparametric statistical tests and regarded as significant at p < 0.05.

RESULTS
Breast volume, fibroglandular volume, and percent density between fat-suppressed and nonfat-suppressed sequences were highly correlated. Breast volumes measured on these two sequences were almost identical. Fibroglandular tissue volume and percent density, however, had small (<5%) yet significant differences between the two sequences-they were both higher on the fat-suppressed sequence. Intraobserver variability was within 4% for both sequences and different morphological types. The fibroglandular tissue volume measured on downsampled images showed a small (<5%) yet significant difference.

CONCLUSIONS
The measurement of breast density made on MRI acquired using fat-suppressed and nonfat-suppressed T1W images was about 5% difference, only slightly higher than the intraobserver variability of 3%-4%. When the density data from multiple centers were to be combined, evaluating the degree of difference is needed to take this difference into account.


CONTEXT
Vigorous physical activity is thought to increase risk of bleeds in children with hemophilia, but the magnitude of the risk is unknown.

OBJECTIVE
To quantify the transient increase in risk of bleeds associated with physical activity in children with hemophilia.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
A case-crossover study nested within a prospective cohort study was conducted at 3 pediatric hemophilia centers in Australia between July 2008 and October 2010. A total of 104 children and adolescent boys aged 4 through 18 years with moderate or severe hemophilia A or B were monitored for bleeds for up to 1 year. Following each bleed, the child or parent was interviewed to ascertain exposures to physical activity preceding the bleed. Physical activity was categorized according to expected frequency and severity of collisions. The risk of bleeds associated with physical activity was estimated by contrasting exposure to physical activity in the 8 hours before the bleed with exposures in two 8-hour control windows, controlling for levels of clotting factor in the blood.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Association of physical activity and factor level with risk of bleeding.

RESULTS
The participants were observed for 4839 person-weeks during which time 436 bleeds occurred. Of these, 336 bleeds occurred more than 2 weeks after the preceding bleed and were used in the primary analysis of risk. Compared with inactivity and category 1 activities (eg, swimming), category 2 activities (eg, basketball) were associated with a transient increase in the risk of bleeding (30.6% of bleed windows vs 24.8% of first control windows; odds ratio, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.7-4.8, P < .001). Category 3 activities (eg, wrestling) were associated with a greater transient increase in risk (7.0% of bleed windows vs 3.4% of first control windows; odds ratio, 3.7; 95% CI, 2.3-7.3, P < .001). To illustrate absolute risk increase, for a child who bleeds 5 times annually and is exposed on average to category 2 activities twice weekly and to category 3 activities once weekly, exposure to these activities was associated with only 1 of the 5 annual bleeds. For every 1% increase in clotting factor level, bleeding incidence was lower by 2% (95% CI, 1%-3%; P = .004).

CONCLUSIONS
In children and adolescents with hemophilia, vigorous physical activity was transiently associated with a moderate relative increase in risk of bleeding. Because the increased relative risk is transient, the absolute increase in risk of bleeds associated with physical activity is likely to be small.


Human Ia antigens were extensively purified (1390‐fold increase in specific activity) in 32% yield from BRI8 cells, a lymphoblastoid B‐cell line. Purification was monitored by using allogeneic antisera arising by foetal‐maternal stimulation. The product, a glycoprotein fraction, contained the la antigens, the HLA‐A and ‐B antigens, and a glycoprotein of unknown function. The glycoptotein fraction was composed of four glycosylated polypeptides with molecular weights of 43,000, 39,000, 33,000, and 28,000, and β2‐microglobulin; no polypeptide was linked to another by disulphide bridges. The A and B antigens only were absorbed by antibody against β2‐microglobulin. The Ia antigens comprised one each of the 33,000 and 28,000 molecular weight glycosylated polypeptides noncovalently linked together. Thus, only these chains were absorbed by xenogeneic anti‐Ia antisera and were cross‐linked by dimethyl‐3–3′‐dithiobispropionimidate dihydrochloride. The dimeric molecule bound deoxycholate (0.26 g/g of protein) and, when solubilized in deoxycholate, has a molecular weight of 77,000. The Ia allo‐ and xeno‐antigenic activities were labile to heating and proteolysis and are probably determined by the polypeptide structure. Xenogeneic specific anti‐Ia antisera were raised in rabbits and mice by immunizing with the glycoprotein fraction. These antisera reacted with B lymphocytes and monocytes but not T lymphocytes and fibroblasts. Their Fab fragments blocked the cytotoxicity of the allogeneic antisera for B lymphocytes and were potent inhibitors of the mixed lymphocyte reaction.


We will examine the treatment that different editions of the Royal Spanish Academy dictionary give to one type of phraseological units: the formulae. First, we will review some research papers (phraseological and lexicographic) which, within the ambit of Hispanic linguistics, are interested in these phraseological units. Secondly, we will use the formulae information (features, functions and nomenclature) presented by the previous works to clarify the data that the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy provides regarding these phraseological units. For this purpose, we will focus on the names that formulae receive in the dictionary as well as the information related to the behaviour of these phraseological units in the discourse. The results show that the dictionary includes the formulae from their origin and defines them from the perspective of their function in the discourse.


Quality in education depend heavily on the teachers' professional development, as a mean for pedagogical methodologies and practice improvement. In this sense, learning is enhanced by sharing and working in a community of practice, a learning organization that generate knowledge and allow members to innovate. In

this context, children observation is fundamental, allowing a sound basis for reflection and action around learning experiences and teaching environments. Specific guidelines and programs, such as the EEL/DQP, can help reducing the inherent subjectivity, providing a common base for teachers and the preschool education

community. In this paper we propose an online, web based community to improve the observation process as well as the communication between researchers. The social relations are identified and the security issues are discussed.


Cordiaafricana(Lam.)is an economically and ecologically important component tree species of the Bamenda Highlands Forest which is under threat from over-exploitation. There is a need to develop high quality planting stock for increased availability and sustainability of the species. A study was carried out at the National Forestry Development Agency (ANAFOR) in Bamenda, North West of Cameroon, to evaluate the effect ofgrowth medium on sprouting and growth of vegetatively propagated C.africana(Lam.). Hardwood cuttings from lower branches of trees were grown in sand, sawdust, and a 1:1 sand: sawdust mixture in a non-mist propagator for three months. Data on percentage sprouting, days to sprouting, number of shoots, shoot height, stem diameter, stem volume, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, and leaf area were subjected to analysis of variance(ANOVA) and Scheffé's multiple means comparison test at 5% level of probability. While sawdust significantly reduced values of all the plant traits, no significant differences were detected between sand and the sand: sawdust mixture. The results show that sand and 1:1 sawdust: sand are suitable alternatives for propagation of C. africana(Lam.)from branch cuttings. Keywords—Cordiaafricana(Lam.), morphology, non-mist propagator, sprouting, substrate.


Abstract Purpose: To examine cognitive performance among a sample of men in a residential unit of an urban homeless shelter and to compare cognitive performance between those with and without a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: An exploratory, quantitative study of participants recruited through convenience sampling. Participants were screened for TBI using the Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire, and cognitive function using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Data were analyzed to examine associations between TBI status and cognitive performance. Results: Thirty-four participants were recruited for the study: n = 12 with a positive and n = 22 with a negative screen for TBI. Both groups performed below norms in all cognitive domains measured by the RBANS. Those with a positive screen for TBI performed significantly worse on attention tasks than those with a negative screen for TBI (p = 0.026). RBANS scores were not associated with either mental health or substance abuse status. Conclusions: A history of TBI was associated with generally poorer cognitive performance in the study sample. An improved awareness of TBI and cognitive dysfunction among service providers and routine TBI screening could improve treatment and service delivery for this population. Implications for Rehabilitation The prevalence of traumatic brain injury among homeless populations is greater than that observed in the general population. Validated screening measures are available to screen for a history of traumatic brain injury among individuals who are homeless. A history of traumatic brain injury among adult men in a long-term residential unit of a homeless shelter was associated with poorer performance on the attention domain of a validated cognitive screening measure.


Despite more than 100 years of the description of Chagas disease (CD), it still affects about 6 to 7 million people worldwide, most of them, about 6 million in Latin America.(1,2) CD can be associated with situations of poverty, when the kissing bug invades the house and feeds on the human host, infecting it with the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of CD. The CD estimated prevalence in Brazil for 2020 is about 1.3 to 3.2 million individuals.(3) CD has two phases: acute and chronic. The acute phase of the disease is generally subclinical and lasts approximately 8 to 12 weeks. After the acute phase, patients move on to the chronic phase characterised by low and intermittent parasitaemia and approximately 30-40% will progress to the cardiac form and 10% to the digestive. In general, benznidazole (BZN) is the most used drug for etiologic treatment in Brazil, indicated for all age groups when the patient is in the acute phase and, in the chronic phase, for individuals under 50 years of age without advanced heart disease. Nifurtimox (NFx) would be an alternative for patients who are intolerant to BZN. The standard dosage of BZN for children is 5 to 10 mg/kg/day, divided into two daily doses, and for adults, it is 5 mg/kg/day. The maximum daily dose is 300 mg and the minimum treatment time is 60 days. This treatment time can be extended up to 80 days in patients over 60 kg.(1) Recently, Torrico et al.(4) compared several treatment regimens involving BZN, among them 300mg/day for two, four, and eight weeks. There were no differences in terms of efficacy for shortened treatments with BZN. However, there were two serious adverse events (leukopenia and neutropenia) in patients treated for eight weeks. In the 2-week treatment regimen, no serious adverse event was observed,(4) perhaps due to the limited sample size (30 individuals per group). Also, within this context, we observed that dermatological disorders represent the most common adverse event of BZN and their onset occurs around the first 10 days of treatment. Therefore, shortening the treatment may not solve this limitation of BZN. On this topic, we suggest that BZN needs to be followed up intensively, preferably weekly, as 0.1% of skin reactions can be severe.(5) Additionally, a study demonstrated that BZN has a clinical benefit in patients in the indeterminate chronic phase and younger than 50 years of age, reducing the risk for progression to the cardiac form of the disease, and cardiovascular events. This study suggests that the use of BZN be implemented in clinical practice for the etiological treatment of patients with the indeterminate form of CD for individuals up to 50 years of age.(6) Additionally, another observational study that followed patients treated for up to 30 years suggests that the regimens proposed in the PCDT/2018 (300 mg for 60 days) are more effective in decreasing indirect immunofluorescence serological titers when compared with shorter-term regimens.(7) New approaches and associations of BZN with other drugs become necessary for future clinical trials.


The Upper Mississippian Cypress Sandstone is the most prolific siliciclastic unit in the Illinois Basin and commonly produces from southwest trending lenticular reservoirs. The boundaries of Cypress with the overlying Beech Creek Limestone and the underlying Ridenhower Formation are conformable. However, in places thick Cypress sandstone cut into Ridenhower that commonly consists of shale and discontinuous sandstone and limestone beds. A persistent paleosol horizon is present near the top of Cypress recording a subaerial unconformity. Detailed well to well correlation and lithofacies analysis in the deeper part of the basin (Fairfield Basin) have indicated that the Cypress (over 60 meters thick) commonly consists of lenticular sandstone bodies interbedded with shale. In places, shale and siltstone are the dominant lithology or the only lithology present. In Richland and Clay Counties, along the Clay City Anticline, Cypress oil production is from the upper part of amalgamated thick sand bodies (mainly on anticlinal closures) and from porous lenticular and compartmentalized sandstones developed in the upper part of the formation. Sandstone bodies consist of fine to medium grained sublitharenite to quartzarenite attaining an average porosity of over 18 percent. The Cypress succession comprises: (1) a mainly deltaic unit in which prodelta mudstone passing upward into distal to proximal coarsening-upward distributary channel mouth-bar sandstones or blocky to fining-upward sandstone lenses interpreted as distributary channel fill deposit, (2) a shallow marine succession of mudstone to mature sandstone interpreted as offshore bar or shoreface deposit, and (3) major lenticular, multistory sand bodies at several horizons with shale partings or shale interbeds displaying blocky or bell shaped profile. These sand bodies cut down several meters into the succession and the lowermost horizon may reach the limestone or shale of the underlying Ridenhower Formation. They may correlate with the paleosol horizons reported within the Cypress and are interpreted as incised-valley fills that cut into the previous deposits during fourth-order sea level falls.


Understanding the dispersion state of 2D black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets is of great significance for the application of BP based materials. However, the dispersion state of BP colloids cannot be analyzed by the conventional methods based on the optical signal detecting due to the intensive light absorption of BP in the ultraviolet-visible region and the high turbidity caused by the aggregation of pristine BP nanosheets. In this work, 3D light scattering has been proven to be an effective technique to characterize the dispersion characteristics of nanocolloids with intensive light absorption and limited dispersity by suppressing multiple scattering. The effect of the concentration, the temperature and the solvent on the dispersion stability of BP nanosheets has been systematically studied by modulated 3D cross-correlation. It has been shown that measurements at smaller angles can obtain better autocorrelation functions. The BP colloids exhibit excellent colloidal stability when the concentration is below 250 μgmL−1, above which aggregation tends to form. Increasing the temperature has shown to result in the formation of aggregation in the colloids. BP nanosheets possess better dispersion state in polar solvents than in nonpolar solvents, and the aggregation process in nonpolar solvents can be monitored by the slow relaxation mode of 3D light scattering. This study indicates that 3D light scattering paves way to analyze the dispersion dynamics of various 2D nanoparticle colloids with intensive light absorption and poor dispensability.


A thesis submitted to the postgraduate school
Ahmadu Bello University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the Degree of Master of Science in Agronomy
ZARIA, NIGERIA
JULY, 1985


To the Editor. —Leuprolide acetate (Lupron Depo, Lupron Injection, TAP Pharmaceuticals Inc, Deerfield, Ill) is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone used to control endometriosis or advanced prostatic cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first overview of possible adverse ocular events occurring in patients receiving this drug. Cases were received from TAP Pharmaceuticals Inc, the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for International Drug Monitoring, Uppsala, Sweden (which instigated this review), and the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects, Casey Eye Institute, Portland, Ore. The most common adverse ocular event possibly associated with leuprolide acetate is blurred vision, with or without headaches and/or dizziness (Table). This may occur after each injection or as late as the sixth injection, as in one patient. Transitory blurred vision may occur shortly after the injection, usually lasting 1 to 2 hours, but in rare instances may continue for 2 to 3 weeks. This may be a


In this article, Canada and Quebec are taken as case studies providing some interesting examples of inter-linguistic but intra-national translation, texts presenting features which can be addressed under the broad rubric of postcolonialism, especially as far as the power relations between the English and French languages in Canada are concerned. As a matter of fact, the socalled politics of translation appear only too clearly if we analyze the texts which are translated across the border between Canada and Quebec. Within this context, there has been a group of writers and scholars from both linguistic areas who have been willing to meet on a different ground – the ground of feminist writing and translation. Among the most important women in the group, Barbara Godard and Sherry Simon, as well as writers such as Nicole Brossard and Daphne Marlatt, deserve to be mentioned for the visibility their works have achieved in the past decades, and for the issues they raise.


Background Fatigue in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a highly prevalent symptom which has significant impact on patients' quality of life in general. We do not know yet how patients' fatigue affects their partners' life and in which way couples deal with fatigue symptoms. Objectives Aim of this study was to compare the impact of fatigue on patients' and partners' life as individuals and to explore the impact on their life as a couple. Methods This qualitative, cross-sectional study was conducted in 18 participants (9 heterosexual couples with one partner diagnosed with SLE). Inclusion criteria: The patient has to experience fatigue regularly and both partners have to be able to communicate in Dutch. Couples (patients: 8 women, 1 men, mean age 57 years, all experience severe levels of fatigue) were interviewed separately from each other with a semi-structured interview scheme, asking about the impact of fatigue on their life. Interviews were transcribed and categorized by inductive and deductive coding. Results Patients reported impact of fatigue on daily activities, paid and unpaid work, cognitive functioning, social contacts and leisure time, emotional functioning and personality. Partners experienced the impact of patients' fatigue on their own daily activities, on the relationship with their partner, on social contacts, own emotional functioning, on their work, and also on future plans. Partners differed regarding the reported impact on their lives from patients. From the couples' perspective, two main themes with regard to coping with severe fatigue emerged. Communication and mutual understanding was described as essential to maintain or increase satisfaction with the partner relationship. The second theme was acceptance of fatigue symptoms and adaptation to the symptoms as best way to prevent tremendous impact of fatigue on the partner relationship. Conclusions In several domains, patients and partners showed comparable impact of fatigue on their lives. Differences were found regarding prioritizing of affected domains and the impact on cognitive functioning, quality of partner relationship and future plans. Findings will be discussed in comparison with impact of fatigue on couples' life in other chronic diseases and with regard to options to support couples in dealing with fatigue in SLE. Disclosure of Interest None declared


The lexically accented words in Goshogawara Japanese can be realized in either of the two surface pitch patterns. The pitch pattern is said to alternate regularly, depending on the phrasing structure of an utterance. The organization of prosodic phrasing of this dialect, however, has been little investigated and thus it remains unclear what prosodic phrase functions as the domain for the alternation. This work determines the level of the phrase serving as the domain for the pitch pattern alternation. Is it hierarchically higher or lower than the domain for downstep? The experimental results reveal that the alternation does not take place at the prosodic boundary where downstep effect is blocked. The results provide evidence for the phrasing onelevel above the downstep domain, whose existence was not evident in the model proposed for Tokyo Japanese.


Amidst the growing coronavirus infection (COVID-19) pandemic, there is increasing evidence of the development of neurological complications of this disease and, especially, acute cerebrovascular accidents, and what is more, an increase in incidence rates of strokes is noted in the patients under the age of 50, who did not have risk factors for cerebrovascular diseases. The article examines several potential mechanisms that determine the relationships between ischemic stroke and COVID-19. A clinical case of the development of ischemic stroke in the vertebrobasilar system affected by the coronavirus infection is presented. The causal relationship between coronavirus infection and vascular catastrophe is discussed. In the described case, COVID-19 contributed to the decompensation of the patient's associated risk factors. A feature of the described case is the delayed development of a rare motor disorder in the form of Holmes tremor and combined speech disorders (dysarthria and aftereffects of motor aphasia) in the patient. Holmes tremor is an unusual type of tremor characterized by a combination of rest, postural, and action tremors that predominantly affects the proximal limbs. This symptom is named after the British neurologist Gordon Holmes, who described a series of cases of an unusual variant of tremulous hyperkinesis in 1904. The article discusses the pathogenesis issues of the development of this condition and provides clinical criteria for Holmes tremor. This is a rather rare symptom, there are no data on large studies of this disorder in the literature, and it is mainly described in small series of clinical cases. The efficacy of Akatinol Memantine in the treatment of post-stroke speech disorders is discussed, and the rationale for prescribing this drug in the management of patients with post-stroke speech disorders is presented.


The [O III] λ5007 planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF) occupies an important place on the extragalactic distance ladder. Since it is the only method that is applicable to all the large galaxies of the Local Supercluster, it is uniquely useful for cross-checking results and linking the Population I and Population II distance scales. We review the physics underlying the method, demonstrate its precision, and illustrate its value by comparing its distances to distances obtained from Cepheids and the Surface Brightness Fluctuation (SBF) method. We use the Cepheid and PNLF distances to 13 galaxies to show that the metallicity dependence of the PNLF cutoff is in excellent agreement with that predicted from theory, and that no additional systematic corrections are needed for either method. However, when we compare the Cepheidcalibrated PNLF distance scale with the Cepheid-calibrated SBF distance scale, we find a significant offset: although the relative distances of both methods are in excellent agreement, the PNLF method produces results that are systematically shorter by ∼ 15%. We trace this discrepancy back to the calibration galaxies and show how a small amount of internal reddening can lead to a very large systematic error. Finally, we demonstrate how the PNLF and Cepheid distances to NGC 4258 argue for a short distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud, and a Hubble Constant that is ∼ 8% larger than that derived by the HST Key Project.


Drawing on data from the Celtic craft sector, this paper uses aesthetics as a critical lens in explaining how small firms develop particular styles of marketing in order to survive and grow. This approach has not previously been adopted in explaining small business marketing behaviour, although there is a growing history of its use in the wider management and organisational arena. Interpretation of qualitative data from the UK and the Republic of Ireland has enabled the construction of a typology of different styles of marketing by craft firm owner/managers which also confirms the heterogeneous nature of the small business sector. Aesthetic profiling helps explain why some craft firms follow market demand, while others pursue market creation activities. A key outcome is the need to acknowledge the impact of aesthetic processes on small business marketing decision making. Investigation of the Celtic aesthetic informs how these processes are shaped through the development of a particular type of marketing grounded in creativity, intuition and opportunity recognition. Wider consumption, markets and cultural implications are also evaluated in terms of decision and meaning making in the cultural production process; the connections between critical marketing and aesthetics as ways of challenging marketing concepts and practices; how aesthetics contributes to entrepreneurial marketing; and finally how craft and the Celtic lens uncover wider connections with cultural production.


Abstract The present article is devoted to the research on the admissibility of expulsion of a partner from a limited liability company (LLC) based on the ground that is not envisaged in the charter, and on respective dogmatic normative grounds in Georgian law. The importance of research in legal studies and judge-made law1 is revealed in the fact that the situation in which the action of a partner is directed against the interests of the company and becomes an obstacle for the achievement of a common goal, and it becomes impossible to retain the partner remains outside of Georgian normative reality. The aim of the research requires an analysis of German law, assimilated in the context of the Georgian solution, as well as the description of civil legal grounds for exclusion and prerequisites for admissibility, a study of the legal nature of the society and dogmatic support to the application of the civil law regime for the termination of long-term contractual relations. The suggested Georgian solution in this matter shares the spirit of German law policy; however, it is outstanding in its individuality.


BACKGROUND
stuttering is a speech fluency disorder. Auditory evoked potentials (AEP) are electrophysiological tests that are being used as an instrument to establish the diagnosis of several disorders as well as to assess therapeutic outcomes.

AIM
1 - to characterize the AEP of individuals with stuttering in comparison to a control group; 2 - to verify the amelioration of these potentials post speech-language treatment.

METHOD
the research sample was composed by 8 adult males with stuttering - research group (RG), with ages ranging from 18 to 30 years, and 8 normally fluent adult males - control group (CG), within the same age range. Each group was assessed twice through brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER), middle latency response (MLR) and P300; assessments were carried out with a three months interval.

RESULTS
pre therapeutic outcomes - altered BAER results in one individual of the RG; altered MLR results in two individuals of the RG and in one individual of the CG; altered P300 results in two individuals of the RG. Comparison between pre and post speech-language treatment results indicate: BAER - decrease in wave I latency in 66.7% of the ears in the RG; MLR - a 16.7% decrease in wave PA latency in C3 for the RG; P300 latency decreased by 58.7% in both groups.

CONCLUSION
the findings of this study indicate that MLR and P300 were the potentials that better characterized both groups and the three AEP expressed the neural plasticity post-speech-language treatment.


We studied the incidence and results of treatment of secondary hypertension in Yeungnam University Hospital. Ntneteen hundred fifty patients with hypertension were included from march 1990 to march 1994. We analysed the prevalence of secondary hypertension and results of treatment. The incidence of secondary hypertension in Yeungnam University Hospital was six percent. The most common underlying causes of secondary hypertension was renal parenchymal disease. Patients with three forms of potentially reversible secondary hypertension, namely, renovascular hypertension, endocrine disease exogenous hormone, were assed to determine whether surgery or withdrawal of the exogenous hormone had led to an improvement in blood pressure control. The incidence of secondary hypertension in Yeungnam University Hospital was low(6%), but some of these are curable. Thus it is very inportant that evaluate the secondary hypertension.


INTRODUCTION
Rates of overweight and obesity have increased in the military, particularly in the U.S. Navy. While the Navy has implemented weight-management programs like ShipShape, findings on the effectiveness of these programs are mixed. Further knowledge on the characteristics of service members (SMs) who participate in these programs may help inform course curricula and improve outcomes. This study aimed to (1) examine characteristics of SMs referred to the Navy's ShipShape program at a large military treatment facility, (2) compare these characteristics among SMs who did and did not enroll in a randomized clinical trial of ShipShape (ShipShape study participants), and (3) compare demographic and health characteristics of ShipShape study participants to that of a random and similarly sized sample of Navy SMs who responded to the 2015 DoD Health-Related Behaviors Survey (HRBS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data from active duty Navy SMs referred to the ShipShape program at a large military treatment facility were evaluated (n = 225). A subset of these SMs enrolled in the ShipShape study (n = 187). Among enrolled SMs, data from 147 who completed all measures were compared to that of HRBS respondents. Univariate ANOVA and chi-square analyses were used to examine (1) demographic and motivational differences between SMs who did and did not enroll in the ShipShape study and (2) differences in demographics and medical and mental health conditions between ShipShape study participants and Navy HRBS respondents.

RESULTS
The majority of SMs referred to ShipShape were female with an average age of 28.3 years. Compared to SMs who did not enroll in the ShipShape study (n = 38), ShipShape study participants were more likely to be female, less likely to be Hispanic, and had higher motivation and emotional eating scores. Compared to Navy HRBS respondents (n = 164), ShipShape study participants (n = 147) were younger, more likely to be female, non-Hispanic, enlisted, and obese. Further, ShipShape study participants reported significantly fewer medical health conditions but higher rates of probable depression, anxiety, and PTSD and were more likely to report receiving current mental health treatment than HRBS respondents.

CONCLUSION
Overweight or obese SMs seeking weight loss in the ShipShape study were relatively young, female, non-Hispanic, motivated, but with greater emotional eating. ShipShape study participants endorsed few medical health conditions but had higher rates of probable mental health conditions compared to the HRBS sample. These findings suggest that SMs referred to Navy weight-management programs are likely experiencing comorbid mental health conditions which may interfere with the effectiveness of their weight loss efforts. The descriptive nature of this study and the focus on Navy SMs in only one ShipShape program may decrease the generalizability of our findings to participants at other locations. Nonetheless, these findings demonstrate the potential need for Navy weight-management programs that incorporate mental health treatment and address the specific needs of female and diverse SMs. A more comprehensive curriculum could improve the results of weight-management efforts, increase SM quality of life and fitness and thereby operational readiness.


Background Northern Ireland consistently experiences a higher rate of economic inactivity compared to other regions of the UK, currently 27% of the working age population compared to 22% in the UK. Historically, the major variance in explaining higher NI economic inactivity rates has been larger proportions of long-term sick/disabled. Only 34.7% of the NI population with a disability are employed compared to 77.9% of the non-disabled population.
 Aim The aims were to explore the relationship between chronic health status and the labour-market in NI, and how receipt of DLA is associated with economic inactivity.
 Methods This study links the 2011-NI-Census records, DLA-dataset, death registrations for the Census population, settlement-band data, the Land and Property Service capital-valuation of property, and the NI-Multiple-Deprivation Measure. The economically active population was defined as all individuals that were either employed or unemployed but looking for a job at the time of the 2011-Census.
 Results Men with mental-health conditions reporting a lot of limitation in day-to-day activities are almost 51 times more likely to be economically inactive compared to men with no health condition (ORadj=50.99, 95%CI:46.8,55.6). Learning/mental-health conditions are more likely to be associated with economic inactivity in both women and men compared to physical health conditions, such as long-term pain, mobility or breathing difficulties. Individuals in receipt of DLA are more than twice as likely to be economically inactive as their peers who are not in receipt of DLA.
 Conclusion Individuals with mental-health conditions reporting a lot of limitation in day-to-day activities have the lowest rates of participation in the labour-market. A lot of limitation in the day-to-day activities appears to be strongly associated with economic inactivity regardless of the health condition. DLA uptake is associated with considerably reduced likelihood of being economically active overall while the health conditions underlying DLA uptake are strong barriers to access the labour-market in NI.


This work is a part of a project to design a petaflops-scale computer using a hybrid technology multi-threaded architecture (HTMT). In the core of the superconductor part of the HTMT system there should be a high-bandwidth low-latency superconductor RSFQ switching network (CNET) connecting 4,096 computing modules with each other and with room-temperature semiconductor components. We present a study of the CNET for two alternative architectures: banyan and pruned high-dimensional meshes. The results indicate that with the speed and space limitations accepted in the HTMT concept, CNET will be able to provide a cross-sectional bandwidth of about 3/5 packet per processor per network clock cycle (in the HTMT concept, 32 ps). We have designed a simple 2/spl times/2 internal switching node which can be used to construct more complex networks using either of the architectures, and experimentally demonstrated successful operation of a 2-bit-wide data path.


Urban's monograph is a direct outgrowth of his 2005 Aberystwyth dissertation; to some degree, the older bones remain visible beneath the newer flesh. His focus in this volume is "the two writers' uses of the past within their texts, their different conceptualizations of history and its use-value for the present, and the ways in which we can read these from the vantage point of our (post)modern present" (12). Conveniently, Urban takes the time early on to identify influences on his work (primarily "Queer Theory and Historicism" [45] but also Jameson, Benjamin, Baudrillard, Bakhtin, Nietzsche--and Patterson and Strohm) and to acquaint his readers with several key terms, as he intends to employ them: by "authority," he means "all types of social actions and literary texts that are invested with a certain amount of prominence and truth-value within social and literary discourses" (13); by "the past" and "history" he means "the cultural past on the one hand and its narrativisation ('history') on the other" (p. 13). These terms enable discussion of his larger subjects, "the poetics of the past and the politics of the present," the former describing "the ways in which writers (in the present case, Chaucer and Gower) incorporate the past and history into their own literary creations. The possible motivations for these uses are referred to throughout . . . as the politics of the present," i.e., intended and unintended "reasons for and effects of . . . the poetics of the past" (13). Chaucer and Gower, Urban claims, "placed old books, the wisdom they contain and its retrieval through their readerly and writerly activity at the centre of their poetic projects" (18). He proposes a three-fold approach: 1) to "trace this common theme through a representative sample of both poets' works, spanning most of their careers, starting mid-1370's and ending around the middle of the 1390's; 2) to analyze the "poetics of the past" by examining how Chaucer and Gower make use of old books; and 3) to "examine the texts' interventions in their contemporary political discourses, reading the politics of the Ricardian present through the lens provided by the poetics of the past" (18). Urban thus offers primary discussions of the House of Fame, Parliament of Fowls, Troilus and Criseyde, and the Canterbury Tales of the Nun's Priest, Physician, and "Melibeus," alongside Gower's Vox Clamantis (primarily the "Visio," but also the differing attitudes toward Richard in versions of Book 6) and Confessio Amantis both generally, as a larger work, and specifically, in a close reading of the "Tale of Virginia." Throughout, Urban recurrently returns to the Troy story as a kind of touchstone and exemplary arena in which to illuminate the contrast he locates at the heart of his study. Ultimately Urban finds that Chaucer and Gower differ in the uses to which they put old books in precisely those ways that they each engage with the politicized world of late fourteenth-century England. Chaucer's approach is ever "a veiled engagement with the socio-political context" (210) while Gower's "general concern with kingship and the state of English society" (217) shows him to be "at pains to formulate clear and unambiguous statements in his poetry" (223), in order to address and heal the division he sees all around him. [RFY. Copyright. The John Gower Society. JGN 28.2]


Background The duration from emergency department (ED) to operative room (OR) is an important factor to predict the outcome in severe trauma patients. Trauma Fast Track (TFT) policy was established in Khon Kaen Hospital for 5 years. According to this policy, shorter duration from ED to OR (ED time) might be more safe life of the patients. Methods Cross-sectional analytic study, the patients with penetrating torso and haemodynamic instability who admitted to Khon Kaen Hospital from October 2011 to September 2014 were included. The Fisher exact test were used for data analysis. Results A total of 82 patients were included. Of these, penetrating injury to abdomen and chest were 78% and 22%, respectively. The mortality rate was 25.6%. The mean ED time were 43 minutes and Injury Severity Score (ISS) were 18.8. The ED time more than 30 minute [odds ratio (OR), 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–13.6; P = 0.021], and ISS more than 15 [OR, 9.5; 95%, CI: 1.1–78.7; P = 0.021] were associated with increase mortality rate. Conclusions The mortality rate of penetrating injury at torso with haemodynamic instability is significantly associated with duration from ED to OR and ISS. According to this result, unnecessary procedure or intervention at ER should be avoided.


Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)%%%%Springing up in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Indiana women's study clubs provided generations of women with the opportunity to improve their educations in a friendly environment. They also brought culture to their communities by hosting art exhibits, musical entertainments, and lectures, building libraries and museums, and participating in community improvement endeavors. The activities of urban clubs in big cities have been documented in histories of the women's club movement, but small towns have recieved little attention even through they were vital parts of their communities. This study considers the characteristics, organization, study practices, and civic improvement work of three small-town Indiana women's clubs in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. The Zerelda Reading Club (Warsaw) studied a wide variety of subjects, while the Ladies' Piano Club (Salem) and Florentine Club (Lebanon) limited their studies to art and music, respectively. All three clubs participated in community improvement efforts that helped their towns achieve urban amenities. The Zerelda Reading Club helped to establish a ladies' rest room, the Ladies' Piano Club worked with other community organizations to build a Carnegie public library, and the Florentine Club raised money to beautify Oak Hill Cemetery. Forming in decades of tremendous growth in popularity of club activity, the organization of all three clubs shows influences of those associations already in existence. This study argues that the individual circumstances of members and their communities resulted in the organization of three women's clubs that prospered under the guidance of extant clubs, but served their members and their communities by adapting activities to suit local needs.


We investigate the reconstruction of high pT hadronically-decaying top quarks at the Large Hadron Collider. One of the main challenges in identifying energetic top quarks is that the decay products become increasingly collimated. This reduces the efficacy of conventional reconstruction methods that exploit the topology of the top quark decay chain. We focus on the cases where the decay products of the top quark are reconstructed as a single jet, a top-jet. The most basic top-tag method based on jet mass measurement is considered in detail. To analyze the feasibility of the top-tagging method, both theoretical and experimental aspects of the large QCD jet background contribution are examined. Based on a factorization approach, we derive a simple analytic approximation for the shape of the QCD jet mass spectrum. We observe very good agreement with the Monte Carlo simulation. We consider high pT tt bar production in the Standard Model as an example, and show that our theoretical QCD jet mass distributions can efficiently characterize the background via sideband analyses. We show that with 25 fb-1 of data, our approach allows us to resolve top-jets with pT _> 1 TeV, from the QCD background, and about 1.5 TeV top-jets with 100 fb-1, without relying on b-tagging. To further improve the significance we consider jet shapes (recently analyzed in 0807.0234 [hep-ph]), which resolve the substructure of energy flow inside cone jets. A method of measuring the top quark polarization by using the transverse momentum of the bottom quark is also presented. The main advantages of our approach are: (i) the mass distributions are driven by first principle calculations, instead of relying solely on Monte Carlo simulation; (ii) for high pT jets (pT _> 1 TeV), IR-safe jet shape variables are robust against detector resolution effects. Our analysis can be applied to other boosted massive particles such as the electroweak gauge bosons and the Higgs.


Absorptive capacity (AC) describes new knowledge absorption and its use for innovation on an organisational level. In this paper, we explore the role of individual AC (IAC) for corporate innovation. We focus on the individual and relationships among the capability dimensions of existing AC models. A quantitative online survey allows us to empirically explore and underline the role of the individual in AC. Our findings contribute to and extend existing theories of AC, by confirming the multidimensionality of IAC, shed light on the view of transformation and exploitation as alternative paths and their effect on different innovation processes. Our research highlights the individual's central role in innovation and introduces, explores and evaluates individual capacities to absorb new knowledge. This in consequence will influence processes and structures within a company with regard to innovation and human resource management.


Although cross-border cooperation has traditionally been treated as a research issue of geopolitics and governance, use of data from European Union (EU) funded Interreg programmes opened up opportunities for comparative and in-depth analysis. The importance of Interreg programmes, as instruments of the European Territorial Cooperation goal, has been constantly on the rise since its inception as INTERREG Community Initiative, then becoming part of the cohesion policy mainstream in 2007. In the 2021–2027 programming period, for first time since its setup, Interreg has received lower funding, which requires a higher stress on cooperation and thematic concentration. When defining funding priorities of programmes, besides "general" factors (development needs, stakeholders' preferences, regulation constraints), the crossborder factor – i.e. how projects contribute to cooperation as such – should be also taken into consideration. Therefore, allocation should prefer thematic areas (priorities) where cooperation is likely to be more intensive. Intensity of cooperation, as a composite indicator, may be generated from various parameters that may be measured in case of implemented projects, on the basis of Interreg programme data. The paper aims to provide a simple yet transparent methodology on how the intensity of cross-border cooperation may be measured and how different thematic areas may be ranked in terms of their contribution to cooperation. The first part of the study presents an overview of 'border studies' from different aspects and the selected target area concerned. It is followed by a summary of the evolution of European Territorial Cooperation, highlighting the main milestones and particularities of the regulation for the 2021–2027 programming period. The following part lays down the applied methodology: composition of cross-border cooperation intensity indicator and the five sub-indicators. The results are presented through the example of projects financed by the Interreg V-A Hungary-Croatia Cooperation Programme 2014–2020. The final part of the paper summarises the lessons learned and their replicability.


The main role of lecturers at Tri Dharma University, namely education, research, and community service.
That makes them have certain responsibilities which if it lasts a long time will cause stress. This study aims
to determine the correlation between work time and mental workload with work stress on college lecturers in
Surabaya. This descriptive study was conducted on 43 active lecturers who teach at a university in Surabaya.
The results of this study were analyzed to determine the lecturer's length of work, the mental workload of
lecturers with categories from NASA TLX and their correlation with work stress. The results stated that 22
people had worked for more than 20 years, as many as 25 people had very high mental workloads, and 30
people with mild stress. Most of the lecturers already have a lot of experience and a large number of task
demands but are still able to deal with everything well so that work stress does not arise. The correlation value
between the length of work and work stress is 0.461, and the correlation value between mental workload
and work stress is 0.808. This value states there is no correlation between the length of work and mental
workload with work stress. Recommendations are given to universities, lecturers and all those involved in
efforts to maintain the atmosphere and work culture to improve comfort for all parties, such as adding green
areas in the workspace, providing remuneration for lecturers who excel, and maintaining communication
between lecturers.


In this paper, the newly prepared gas diffusion layer (GDL) is investigated and characterized. The GDL mainly includes the carbon paper layer and microporous layer (MPL). By the analysis of physical and electrochemical test results, it is found that the performance of GDL prepared by composite carbon black is obviously improved compared with conventional GDL prepared by single carbon black. This new GDL combines the characteristics of two original carbon materials and has a more reasonable pore structure, which can meet the good transmission of reaction gas and liquid water. Furthermore, the research shows that the pore size distribution of GDL can be effectively adjusted by changing the proportion of composite carbon black. The GDL with composite carbon black consisting of 70 wt.% Acetylene Black carbon and 30 wt.% Vulcan XC‐72 is finally confirmed to have the best fuel cell performance.


Background and Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be an essential public health problem. Our study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of classic prognostic factors and some less-studied histopathological parameters in CRC. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective study on 71 colorectal carcinoma patients who underwent surgery at the "Pius Brînzeu" County Clinical Emergency Hospital in Timișoara, Romania. We analyzed the classic parameters but also tumor budding (TB), poorly differentiated clusters (PDCs) of cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and the configuration of the tumor border on hematoxylin–eosin slides. Results: A high degree of malignancy (p = 0.006), deep invasion of the intestinal wall (p = 0.003), an advanced stage of the disease (p < 0.0001), lymphovascular invasion (p < 0.0001), perineural invasion (p < 0.0001), high-grade TB (p < 0.0001), high-grade PDCs (p < 0.0001), infiltrative tumor border configuration (p < 0.0001) showed a positive correlation with lymph node metastases. Conclusions: The analyzed parameters positively correlate with unfavorable prognostic factors in CRC. We highlight the value of classic prognostic factors along with a series of less-known parameters that are more accessible and easier to evaluate using standard staining techniques and that could predict the risk of relapse or aggressive evolution in patients with CRC.


Risers are considered vital parts in Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC) conversion units. It is inside the riser reactor that the heavy hydrocarbon molecules are cracked into lighter petroleum fractions such as liquified Petroleum gas (LPG) and gasoline. The FCC process is considered a key process in the world petroleum industry, since it is the main responsible for the profitable conversion of heavy gasoil into commercial valuable products. This work presents a simplified transient model to predict the response of a FCC riser reactor, i.e., the fluid flow, temperature and concentrations of the mixture components throughout the riser and at the exit. A bi-dimensional fluid flow field combined with a 6 lumps kinetic model and two energy equations are used to model the gasoil mixture flow and the cracking process inside the riser reactor. The numerical results are in good agreement with experimental data, as a result, the model can be utilized for design, and optimization of FCC units. The simulation herein presented shows the applicability of the proposed method for the numerical simulation and control of industrial riser's units.


China is facing a male marriage squeeze, as there are more men in the marriage market than potential female partners. As a consequence, some men may fail to ever marry. However, while some studies have suggested that most unmarried men affected by the marriage squeeze in rural China feel a sense of failure, the quality of life of the men who remain unmarried against their will remains largely unexplored. Using data collected in rural Hanbin district of Ankang City (Shaanxi, China), this study analyzes the relationship between the marriage squeeze and the quality of life among rural men. Descriptive analyses indicate that the quality of life of unmarried men aged 28 years and older tends to be worse than for both younger unmarried men and married men. Also, the quality of life of men who perceive the marriage squeeze appears to be worse than that of those who do not. Regression analyses reveal that the perceived marriage squeeze and age independently have a significant negative relationship with the quality of life of rural men.


Background: It is now widely accepted that cannabinoids (whether synthetic or endogenous ligands) have multiple physiological, psychological and pathological effects. One area of research is investigating how to increase endogenous cannabinoid levels for potential therapeutic benefit, principally by pharmacological inhibition. However, many enzymes within the endocannabinoid system are lacking pharmacological tools such as inhibitors and/or defined substrate/s. Therefore, the development of high throughput screening assays for compound libraries will pave the way for investigation of the biochemical and pharmacological properties of these enzymes and will open the door for further in vivo studies.

Monoacylglycerols, are subjected to hydrolysis by multiple lipases with monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) being the principle hydrolysing enzyme in the brain, alongside 'minority' enzymes, such as ABHD6 and ABHD12 (Blankman et al., 2007). ABHD6 was recently described as having a potential role in 2-arachidonyl glycerol hydrolysis and its characterization is crucial for understanding and exploitation of endocannabinoid signalling pathways. This project aimed to identify the biochemical characteristics and the cellular and subcellular distribution of these hydrolysing enzymes (particularly ABHD6 and MAGL) and to generate potential high throughput screening assays (HTS).

Methods: A radiometric-based enzyme assay (using [3H]-2-oleoylglycerol as a substrate) was used to measure enzyme activity in rat tissues and cell lines using the reported selective inhibitors for MAGL and ABHD6. Cloning of human recombinant tagged and un-tagged versions of enzymes was done to assess functional activity and sub-cellular distribution of these enzymes. Lentiviral construct expressing ABHD6 was made to allow expression in primary cells. Expression of ABHD6, MAGL and X1MAGL (a splice variant for MAGL in rat) mRNA was determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Immunoblotting and activity based protein profile of over-expressed enzymes in host cells (HEK293) were conducted. A number of colorimetric and fluorescent esterase assays were set up and validated for high through screening of enzymes. Among them, the 4-Methylumbelliferyl heptanoate (MUH) assay was extensively studied as an ABHD6 in vitro assay.

Results: The hydrolysis of 2OG in rat neural tissues appears to be mediated predominantly through MAGL and an as yet unidentified lipase/s, with little contribution from ABHD6. In contrast, high levels of ABHD6 activity were detected in rat intestines. Two isoforms of human MAGL were successfully cloned and characterized. Results for mRNA expression indicated both MAGL and ABHD6 were expressed in all of tissues tested. Notably, ABHD6 showed high level of mRNA expression in rat intestines in comparison to MAGL. Immuno-staining of flag-tagged ABHD6 showed significant cytoplasmic distribution of ABHD6. In addition, nuclear membrane distribution was evident in both transfected and primary cells. MUH hydrolytic assay results proved to be useful for ABHD6 modulators screening in recombinant systems.

Conclusion: The findings from this piece of work provide insight into the functional activities of hydrolase enzymes in a number of rat tissues and cell lines. It also provides a further step in the understanding of cellular and subcellular localization of ABHD6 and MAGLs. MUH assay offers the opportunity for the discovery of a new range of selective and potent ABHD6 inhibitors.


Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) combined with multiple transmitter and receiver antennas (MIMO) is a promising technique for high-speed wireless transmissions. However, severe intercarrier interference (ICI) coming from high mobility of user equipment corrupts the orthogonality of the OFDM and pulls down the system performance. From the analysis of the ICI channel matrix, it is revealed that the interference can be effectively bounded in finite double-side subcarriers centering the desired subcarrier. In this paper, we propose bi-directional decision feedback equalizer (BD-DFE) to tackle ICI problem for the mobile MIMO-OFDM system. The equalizer consists of two-part equalizers. The upper part uses DFE to output tentative decisions. The lower part employs BD-DFE aiming to cancel both pre- and post-cursor ICI to give a finial symbol estimates. In so doing, double-sided ICI can be removed more completely. Simulation results show that our proposed receiver for the mobile OFDM system provides good tradeoffs between receiver performance and computational load.


Abstract Background In recent years, the use of medicinal plants as an alternative to antibiotics has expanded. Plants containing medicines and antioxidants can improve the performance of poultry. Objectives The purpose of this study was to achieve the appropriate levels of green tea leaf powder (GTP) and mulberry leaf powder (MLP) in the diet, which positively affects broilers' performance. Methods 648 one‐day‐old Ross 308 broiler chickens were allocated to nine dietary treatments with six replicates and each replicate containing 12 birds based on a completely randomised design (CRD) in a factorial arrangement of 3 × 3 with three levels of GTP, and three levels of MLP for 42 days. Treatments included: (1) no GTP + no MLP (control), (2) 1% GTP + no MLP, (3) 2% GTP + no MLP, (4) no GTP + 1% MLP, (5) 1% GTP + 1% MLP, (6) 2% GTP + 1% MLP, (7) no GTP + 2% MLP, (8) 1% GTP + 2% MLP and (9) 2% GTP + 2% MLP. Results The results revealed that the effect of added powders (2%) was significant and increased daily weight gain (DWG) and reduced feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control group during the grower and whole phases (p < 0.05). On 35 days, the control and 2% GTP + 2% MLP treatment had the lowest and highest antibodies titre (total and immunoglobulin G [IgG]), respectively (p < 0.05). The groups fed with 1% GTP + 1% MLP showed higher villus height (VH) compared to the control, 2% GTP + 1% MLP, 1% GTP + 2% MLP, and 2% GTP + 2% MLP groups (p < 0.05). The ratio of the villus height to crypt depth (VH: CD) in treatments 1% GTP + no MLP, 2% GTP + no MLP and 1% GTP + 1% MLP was significantly higher than the control treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusions It was concluded that the addition of 2% GTP or MLP could improve humoral immune response and performance, and the addition of 1% GTP without MLP increased VH: CD in broilers.


We have developed a new distance measurement method which can obtain distance information directly from the output waveform of pulsed laser radar (PLR). A simple digital signal processing technique and multilayer perceptrons (MLP) have been used to recognize the pulse shape and to obtain the distance information. The method has been implemented in a real PLR for high resolution distance measurements to improve the resolution and to decrease the nonlinearity error. Because of the ability of neural networks in decreasing the noise and preprocessing of the noisy input pulse shapes to the neural network, resolution and nonlinearity were greatly improved. Distance deviation of 53 /spl mu/m-168 /spl mu/m, full width at half power (FWHP) of 70 /spl mu/m-190 /spl mu/m and non-linearity of 187 /spl mu/m have been achieved. All the measurements in the same situation has been performed by using the standard method to extract the distance information from time interval between the reference pulse and the reflected pulse. In comparison with the standard method, resolution in the best case and non-linearity were improved by 86% and 6.5% respectively. In this method if the PLR system is reasonably stable during the measurement, it is possible to use only the reflected pulse from the target to extract the distance information and this makes PLR simpler in hardware. Because the neural network decreases noise, it is possible to make the measurements with the same resolution of standard method but with the lower averaging in sampling unit and this dramatically increase the speed of the measurement.