The regulation of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) water channel excretion in the collecting duct depends mainly on the action of vasopressin (AVP). Recently, however, other regulatory factors have been identified: atrial natriuretic factor, oxytocin and prostaglandins. In healthy volunteers (5 males, 5 females; mean age 23 ± 3 years) we therefore evaluated the effect of a stable analogue of prostacyclin-2 (PGI2), iloprost, on renal function and on the urinary excretion of AQP2 (U-AQP2). After 6 h of iloprost infusion, U-AQP2 increased from 0.8 ± 0.15 to 1.8 ± 0.2 pmol/mg creatinine (p < 0.001), while the urinary flow rate increased from 1.4 ± 0.2 to 1.8 ± 4 (p < 0.01). No significant change was found in the AVP serum concentration, with a basal value of 3.17 ± 0.12 vs. 3.15 ± 0.12 pg/ml after 6 h of prostacyclin infusion. All the values returned to pre-study levels after a recovery period of 6 h. In conclusion, the PGI2 analogue, iloprost, can induce U-AQP2 excretion independent of AVP.


Gas flotation is an efficient technique used in the petroleum industry to remove oil contamination from produced water. This method is based on attaching air bubbles to oil droplets to make oil droplets rise faster. We investigated the role of water salinity in the efficiency of the process, using a model flotation column. We show that flotation efficiency increases with water salinity, highlighting the importance of the electrostatic repulsion between oil drops and air bubbles. We also studied the attachment between drops and bubbles, monitoring the temporal evolution of the thin films between them. Stable attachment requires that the water films formed between oil drops and air bubbles break and the oil spreads at the bubble surface. Increasing the salinity of the solution decreases the repulsion between the oil drops and the air bubbles, which in turn decreases the water film stability. The films rupture more readily, improving the drop–bubble attachment and thus the flotation efficiency. The differenc...


Background During macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), an inflammatory life-threatening syndrome, extremely high levels of serum ferritin may be observed [1]. Ferritin is an intracellular iron storage protein comprising 24 subunits that may be divided in heavy (H) subunits and light (L) subunits, based on their molecular weight [2]. The H-/L-subunits ratio may change, depending on the specific tissue and the physiologic status of the cell. In the normal condition, ferritin enriched in L subunits (L-ferritin) has been found in the liver and in the spleen, whereas the ferritin enriched in H subunits (H-ferritin), may be mainly observed in the heart and kidneys [2]. Objectives We investigated the tissue expression of both H-and L-ferritin as well as the macrophage subsets expressing these molecules, in the inflammatory BM infiltrate of MAS patients. In addition, the co-expression of IL-1β, TNF, IFN-γ and H- or L ferritin, within the inflammatory cells, was assessed. Finally, we explored if the imbalance between H-ferritin and L-ferritin as well as the number of ferritin positive cells may be considered helpful bio-markers to assess the severity of these patients. Methods We analysed the bone marrow (BM) biopsies, by immunofluorescence of 10 adult MAS patients affected by rheumatic disease to assess the presence of: i. both H- and L-ferritin; ii. the number of CD68+/H-ferritin+ and CD68+/L-ferritin+; iii. the tissue pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, TNF, IFN-γ; and we correlated these data with clinical and laboratory data. Furthermore, the presence of ferritins was assessed in the sera of the same patients by western blot analysis. Results We observed an increased tissue expression of H-ferritin and of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF, IFN-γ). Western blot analysis, in the sera, of H-ferritin mirrored data on the tissue. Furthermore, an increased number of CD68+/H-ferritin+ cells and an infiltrate of cells co-expressing H-ferritin and IL-12, suggesting an infiltrate of M1 macrophages, were observed. Tissue H-ferritin levels correlated with the decreased counts of WBC (p=0.01) and PLT (p=0.0001); with the increased values of serum ferritin (p=0.012) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (p=0.0058); and with the tissue expression of IL-1β (p=0.006). The number of the CD68+/H-ferritin+ cells correlated with the decreased counts of WBC (p=0.03) and PLT (p=0.0007), and with the increased serum ferritin levels (p=0.0088) and CRP (p=0.049). The analyses concerning tissues L-ferritin as well as the number of CD68+/L-ferritin+ cells and the same parameters failed to show any significant result. Conclusions We observed an increased tissue expression of H-ferritin associated with an increased expression of IL-1β. Interestingly, in the BM inflammatory infiltrate an increased number of CD68+/H-ferritin+ cells was shown. Of note, tissue expression of H-ferritin as well as the number of CD68+/H-ferritin+ significantly were associated with the hematological involvement of the disease, suggesting possible bio-markers to assess the severity of these patients. References Ramos-Casals M, et al. Lancet. 2014;383:1503–16. Rosário C, et al. BMC Med. 2013;11:185. Disclosure of Interest None declared


In this paper, we introduce a novel signal shaping approach for multi-carrier systems. We propose to combine Hermite functions in order to get a good time-frequency localization property for multi-carrier signals, which is important for robustness against the time-frequency dispersion of the wireless channel. In our work, we orthogonalize the linear combination of Hermite functions in order to get a Weyl-Heisenberg set for multi-carrier signal shaping. We disprove the conjecture that optimum signal shape is achieved by orthogonalizing the Gaussian signal, which results in the IOTA signal. We show that the time-frequency localization of the proposed signal is better than that of the IOTA signal.


The preparation of vesicle from a mixture of linolenic acid and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy-(polyethylene glycol) -2000] (DPPE-PEG2000) has been successfully carried out by using dry lipid hydration method. The effect of pH on particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency and critical vesiculation concentration (CVC) of the prepared vesicle suspensions in aqueous were studied. Macroscopic stability of the vesicles was also evaluated through their particle size and zeta potential for a period of 30 days. We found that CVC vary according to the pH, with higher pH of the bulk solution, CVC is higher. Vesicles formed at pH 8.5 were the most stable suspension throughout a period of 30 days compared to those at pH 7.5 and pH 9.0. Addition of DPPE-PEG2000 into the preparation of vesicle at pH 8.5 caused a reduction of the vesicle size to the scale of nanometer which is an advantage to their application. On the other hand, encapsulation of calcein and vitamin E were carried out. Certain amount of these compounds could be successfully loaded into the resulting liposomes under this experimental condition.


OBJECTIVE
Introduction: data about influence of intradermal vaccination with native autoleukocytes on activity level of pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis B have been presented in the article. The aim: Based on positive results, obtained from autoleukocyte immunization in patients with psoriasis [14], the aim of our research was to use and study such therapy for reducing the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α in patients with chronic hepatitis B (chronic hepatitis B).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Materials and methods: Patients with chronic hepatitis B with high level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (≥30pg/ml) were vaccinated with native autoleukocytes (23); simultaneously, the same procedure was performed to patients (11) with low level of this cytokine (5pg/ml). Leukocytes were isolated from heparinized peripheral venous blood of a patient with hepatitis B by centrifuging plasma, obtained after blood precipitation for 140-160 minutes at temperature 370 С. The suspension was resuspended in 1-1.5 ml of a patient's blood serum and injected into the skin of the back in the dose 0.1 ml.

RESULTS
Results: in 30 days after immunization, reduction of tumor necrosis factor alpha was observed in all patients with its high level (100%), in 65.25% of individuals - to 5 pg/ml; in some patients, who had low or average level of pro-inflammatory cytokine, the level individually increased (41.67%).

CONCLUSION
Conclusions: The elaborated method of influence on activity of tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis B is effective and worth implementing into clinical practice.


CONTEXT
The prevalence of obesity is burgeoning among African American and Latina women; however, few studies investigating the skeletal effects of bariatric surgery have focused on these groups.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate long-term skeletal changes following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in African American and Latina women.

DESIGN
Four-year prospective cohort study.

PATIENTS
African American and Latina women presenting for RYGB (n = 17, mean age 44, body mass index 44 kg/m2) were followed annually for 4 years postoperatively.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measured areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at the spine, hip, and forearm, and body composition. High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography measured volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and microarchitecture. Individual trabecula segmentation-based morphological analysis assessed trabecular morphology and connectivity.

RESULTS
Baseline DXA Z-Scores were normal. Weight decreased ~30% at Year 1, then stabilized. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) increased by 50% and 25-hydroxyvitamin D was stable. By Year 4, aBMD had declined at all sites, most substantially in the hip. There was significant, progressive loss of cortical and trabecular vBMD, deterioration of microarchitecture, and increased cortical porosity at both the radius and tibia over 4 years. There was loss of trabecular plates, loss of axially aligned trabeculae, and decreased trabecular connectivity. Whole bone stiffness and failure load declined. Risk factors for bone loss included greater weight loss, rise in PTH, and older age.

CONCLUSIONS
African American and Latina women had substantial and progressive bone loss, deterioration of microarchitecture, and trabecular morphology following RYGB. Further studies are critical to understand the long-term skeletal consequences of bariatric surgery in this population.


An important aspect in the use of titanium dioxide at the nanoscale for advanced photochemical applications is the controlled manipulation of the size, phase and morphology of the nanoparticles in solution. Solution pH is often used to alter such properties at the nanoscale. We have used a multi-scale thermodynamic model to investigate the effects of pH on the shape and phase stability of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. As input for the model, surface energies and surface tension of low index stoichiometric surfaces of anatase and rutile under hydrogen rich and hydrogen poor conditions have been calculated using density functional theory. Our results show how the anatase phase is stabilized in acidic solution while the rutile phase is stabilized in alkaline solution, and that pH may also be used to induce structural and phase transitions.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

The long-held view that tumors were not sufficiently immunogenic to promote host immune responses has now been revised to the assessment that at least for some tumors, Foxp3+ T-regulatory (Treg) cells actively suppress anti-tumor immunity. Seeking to build on our ongoing assessment of the regulation of Foxp3+ Treg biology by HDAC and HAT enzymes, we have begun to use combined genetic and pharmacologic approaches to identify and modulate key mechanism within Tregs that limit host immunity. Microarray studies of gene expression in WT, p300-/- and CBP-/- Tregs showed that p300 or CBP deletion led to down-regulation of Foxp3 expression, as well as that of a number of signature Treg genes. Cells co-transfected with Foxp3 and increasing amounts of p300 expression vectors showed that Foxp3 acetylation was enhanced by increasing levels of p300 levels, whereas a p300 small molecule inhibitor, C646 (p300i), impaired Foxp3 acetylation and inhibited Treg function using in vitro suppression assays. In vivo use of C646 showed negligible effects on CD4, CD8 or Treg cell numbers, but qPCR studies showed C646 decreased Treg expression of CTLA-4, GITR, IL-10 and TGF-b, in vitro assays again showed impaired Treg suppression. Additional studies showed, critically, that use of the p300i impaired Treg but not T effector cells in allograft recipients. Thus, parent-to-F1 assays involving alloactivation and proliferation of CD4 an dCD8 T cells were unaffected by C646, and this p300i restored allograft rejection in Treg-dependent models of allograft survival. Turning to tumor models, TC1 lung cancer cells were injected in the flanks of WT B6 mice, B6 mice in which p300 was deleted in CD4+ T cells (Treg plus Teff using CD4-Cre) or just in Tregs (Foxp3-Cre) (n=10/grp), p300 was inhibited using C646 (Alzet pumps, 14 d, 0.9 mg/kg/d) from day 6 post-tumor injection; in both genetic and pharmacologic approaches, p300 targeting suppressed tumor cell growth. qPCR analysis of tumors in C646-treated mice showed increased CD4 and granzyme B mRNA but decreased Foxp3; these data were confirmed by immunohistology, along with increased IFN-g production by purified CD8 cells (ELISPOT), along with reductions in tumor volumes and weights in these C646-treated mice. C646 use did not impair tumor growth in immunodeficient (RAG-/-) mice, in which tumors were exposed to drug in RAG-/- mice as seen by decreased acetylation of histone 3 in tumor extracts (Western blot); no effects on acetylation of certain p300-independent targets within tumor extracts was seen (e.g. acetylation of alpha-tubulin was unimpaired). The p300i also had no direct effect on tumor cell proliferation in vitro. We conclude that our comprehensive genetic and pharmacologic studies show that p300 is an important target for modulation of host Foxp3+ Treg functions, such that Treg suppression can be incrementally reduced and host anti-tumor responses promoted without inducing concomitant autoimmunity.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4842. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4842


In 1960, a trypsin-like activity was found in mast cells [Glenner GG & Cohen LA (1960) Nature 185, 846-847] and this activity is now commonly referred to as 'tryptase'. Over the years, much knowledge about mast cell tryptase has been gathered, and a recent (18 January 2006) PubMed search for the keywords 'tryptase + mast cell*' retrieved 1661 articles. However, still very little is known about its true biological function. For example, the true physiological substrate(s) for mast cell tryptase has not been identified, and the potential role of tryptase in mast cell-related disease is not understood. Mast cell tryptase has several unique features, with perhaps the most remarkable being its organization into a tetrameric state with all of the active sites oriented towards a narrow central pore and its consequent complete resistance towards endogenous macromolecular protease inhibitors. Much effort has been invested to elucidate these properties of tryptase. In this review we summarize the current knowledge of mast cell tryptase, including novel insights into its possible biological functions and mechanisms of regulation.


BACKGROUND: Many studies show it is not necessary to transfuse according to a single hemoglobin level, but rather it is necessary to assess the combination of signs, symptoms, and laboratory measures. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in patients who underwent total hip or knee replacement. METHODS: The study comprised 2 retrospective medical record reviews: Phase 1 included data prior to the RBC transfusion order set and elimination of autologous blood. Phase 2 included postimplementation data. RESULTS: There were a decreased number of patients receiving blood transfusions after implementing the RBC transfusion order set and a decreased hemoglobin trigger value. The strongest predictor of receiving a blood transfusion was autologous blood donation. CONCLUSION: Use of the order set will decrease unnecessary transfusions hospital-wide.


We evaluated glaucoma patients for the efficacy, safety and satisfaction associated with switching from brinzolamide 1% and brimonidine 0.1% to a fixed combination of brinzolamide 1% and brimonidine 0.1%. A total of 22 glaucoma patients were enrolled and completed this prospective, nonrandomized study that evaluated patients who underwent treatment with at least brinzolamide 1% and brimonidine 0.1%. Patients on brinzolamide 1% and brimonidine 0.1% were switched to a brinzolamide/brimonidine fixed-combination ophthalmic suspension (BBFC). Evaluations of intraocular pressure (IOP), superficial punctate keratopathy (SPK) and conjunctival hyperemia were conducted at baseline and at 4 and 12 weeks. The Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication-9 (TSQM-9) was utilized to assess the change in treatment satisfaction. At baseline and at 4 and 12 weeks, the IOP was 15.0 ± 4.1, 14.8 ± 4.1 and 14.8 ± 4.1 mmHg, respectively. There were no significant differences observed at any of the time points. However, the SPK score significantly decreased at 12 weeks, even though no significant differences were observed for the conjunctival hyperemia incidence at any of the time points. After switching from brinzolamide 1% and brimonidine 0.1% to BBFC, there was a significant increase in the TSQM-9 score for convenience and global satisfaction. Both an improvement in the degree of SPK and an increase in treatment satisfaction occurred after switching from brinzolamide 1% and brimonidine 0.1% to BBFC, even though there were sustained IOP values throughout the 12-week evaluation period.


Dynamic spectrum management (DSM) refers to a wide range of techniques for counteracting crosstalk in digital subscriber line (DSL) networks. DSM is categorized into three levels based on the degree of coordination among users. In this article, we investigate optimal joint level 2 and 3 DSM for upstream DSL. We will discuss the difficulties of finding the universally optimal solution and we propose an optimal algorithm, referred to as IF/MAC-OSB, under some practical and implementation assumptions for this problem. Using computer simulations, we show that IF/MAC-OSB is capable of increasing the user bit rates considerably compared to several other DSM techniques. The proposed algorithm involves using the minimum mean squared error (MMSE)-generalized decision feedback equalizer (GDFE) together with Lagrange dual optimization. We address several aspects of the problem including the optimal decoding order in the GDFE receiver, GDFE error propagation, and the computational complexity of the algorithm. We also study effects of channel model randomness and upstream power back-off utilization on the performance of the algorithm.


We forthwith acknowledge our awareness of the sensitive and emotional nature of the abortion controversy, of the vigorous opposing views, even among physicians, and of the deep and seemingly absolute convictions that the subject inspires. One's philosophy, one's experiences, one's exposure to the raw edges of human existence, one's religious training, one's attitudes toward life and family and their values, and the moral standards one establishes and seeks to observe, are all likely to influence and to color one's thinking and conclusions about abortion.2


Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) is a well known oil-seed crop grown mostly in the savannah areas of Nigeria, and with little cultivation in the forest south. Groundnut comprise of two widely used varieties. The spreading type is more modulated than the erect. Groundnut is affected by diseases such as fungal, viruses and bacterial diseases. The two principal species of fungal leafspot diseases being the Cercospora arichidicola which cause early leafspot and Cercosporidum personatum which cause late leafspot. These are distinguished by the size and shape of the conidia and the number of Septa. Analysis shows a significant difference in leafspot disease severity at 8 weeks of plant age, leaf area production at 6 and 10 weeks of plant age, Biomass, Pod length, Pod size index and 10-pods weight although there is no significant difference on plant depth in the two varieties. Plant densities recorded a significant difference on the severity of leafspot diseases at 4, 8 and 12 weeks on early maturing variety but the leaf maturing only showed a significant difference of 12 weeks of plant age. Interaction of plant depth and density are significant in the two varieties but early maturing is significant, in plant height at 4 and 10 weeks. Erect type recorded lower disease severity and percentage defoliation of 0.8 and 76.3% while spreading type (late maturing) 0.82 and 89.6% were high.


Three category of tidal water exchange system depended ponds have been selected for the experiments which were canal connected, river connected and pond connected pond. Present study was undertaken to estimate the nutrient balance into the coastal shrimp ponds of Cox's Bazar coastal region. It was found that mineral fertilizer, organic fertilizer, feed, fish and shrimp fry, water supply and rainfall are the nutrient input and crop product (fish, shrimp, crab), crop residues, denitrification, water discharge and sedimentation are the nutrient output for shrimp pond. Estimation of overall nutrient mass balance per hector basis indicates that fertilizer was the highest nutrient contributor as followed by the supplementary feed into the experimental ponds. The total inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus were 78.87 kgha-1cycle-1 and 42.85 kgha-1cycle-1 respectively. Among the input only 34.6 % of nitrogen and 7.20 % of phosphorus were removed as harvested shrimp, fish and crab. A large portion, 38.58 % of N and 91.38 % of P were remained in the sediments and unaccounted for. From the investigation on nutrient balance for 3 categories of shrimp ponds it was concluded that Reuse water or pond connected pond system for coastal shrimp ponds should not be practiced anywhere in Bangladesh


ABSTRACT This study examined loneliness and future orientation as predictors of suicidal risk, namely, depressive symptoms and suicide ideation, in a sample of 228 college students (54 males and 174 females). Results of regression analyses indicated that loneliness was a significant predictor of both indices of suicidal risk. The inclusion of future orientation was found to significantly augment the prediction model of both depressive symptoms and suicide ideation, even after accounting for loneliness. Noteworthy, beyond loneliness and future orientation, the Loneliness × Future Orientation interaction term was found to further augment both prediction models of suicidal risk. Consistent with the notion that future orientation is an important buffer of suicidal risk, among lonely students, those with high future orientation, compared to low future orientation, were found to report significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms and suicide ideation. Some implications of the present findings for studying both risk and protective factors associated with suicidal risk in young adults are discussed.


In this paper, the Coulomb correction to Keldysh-Faisal-Reiss theory is derived in A-gauge. An application of the Coulomb correction to the photoelectric effect of H-atom is presented and the role of the gauge choice and the Coulomb correction are discussed. It is shown that the Coulomb correction plays an important role in the explanation of the recent energetic photoelectron spectra of He.


It is essential for patients with hypertension to effectively reduce and maintain appropriate blood pressure levels. As one of the non-pharmacological and invasive methods, physical exercise seems to improve blood pressure of the patients with hypertension. However, different volumes and intensities of physical exercise on the improvement of hypertension are different. To understand the effects of the type of exercise training on blood pressure and the other health status of patients with hypertension, a network meta-analysis was used to compare the mixed effects of different types of exercise training. This systematic review includes all eligible randomized controlled trials of PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria (n = 846 participants at the end of the study). The results show that a medium-intensity training (MIT) is best in improving the blood pressure of patients with hypertension, while a high-volume high-intensity interval training (HVHIIT) is better in reducing body mass and resting heart rate. In addition, the analysis of the exercise capacity shows that HVHIIT has a better effect on the improvement of patients with hypertension. Noticeably, long-term high-volume and appropriate intensity exercise can effectively improve the health status of patients with hypertension. In short, for patients with high blood pressure, MIT seems to be better at lowering blood pressure, while HVHIIT can better improve exercise ability and physical fitness. However, larger randomized controlled trials with a longer duration than those included in this meta-analysis are needed to confirm these results.


The gut microbiota is a complex and dynamic ecosystem essential for the proper functioning of the organism, affecting the health and disease status of the individuals. There is continuous and bidirectional communication between gut microbiota and the host, conforming to a unique entity known as "holobiont". Among these crosstalk mechanisms, the gut microbiota synthesizes a broad spectrum of bioactive compounds or metabolites which exert pleiotropic effects on the human organism. Many of these microbial metabolites can cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) or have significant effects on the brain, playing a key role in the so-called microbiota-gut-brain axis. An altered microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis is a major characteristic of many neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Significative differences between gut eubiosis and dysbiosis in mental disorders like MDD with their different metabolite composition and concentrations are being discussed. In the present review, the main microbial metabolites (short-chain fatty acids -SCFAs-, bile acids, amino acids, tryptophan -trp- derivatives, and more), their signaling pathways and functions will be summarized to explain part of MDD pathophysiology. Conclusions from promising translational approaches related to microbial metabolome will be addressed in more depth to discuss their possible clinical value in the management of MDD patients.


A series of four experiments is described in which two men and two women (age range 22-79 years) were allowed to 'free-run' under conditions of isolation from all time cues. The circadian rhythms of performance efficiency were studied for three tasks: serial search, verbal reasoning, and manual dexterity (left and right hand versions). Strong evidence was obtained to suggest that different tasks are under the control of different circadian oscillators. The circadian rhythm in verbal reasoning performance tends to run at a shorter circadian period than that in more simple repetitive tasks, and slight differences in circadian behavior can occur between left- and right-handed dexterity.


Combining vertebrate and bacterial immunity components enables targeted mutagenesis Rapid evolution requires high rates of mutation that come at the cost of reduced viability. This is true at the single-cell level in bacteria as well as in the highest complex vertebrates. Immunity relies on rapid evolution to enhance the recognition of external threats and to neutralize them, often by inflicting damage to the genomes of potentially harmful invaders. On page 1248 of this issue, Nishida et al. (1) report combining a polynucleotide cytosine deaminase (PmCDA1)—an enzyme involved in antigen receptor diversification in vertebrates—with the bacterial immune restriction system clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas9 to enhance point mutation with almost single-nucleotide precision to levels that, if occurring genome-wide, would otherwise result in lethality. With localized mutagenesis, also achieved through a similar approach by Komor et al. (2), comes the promise of gene correction by means of targeted editing. Both studies show that not only is targeted mutation feasible but that its efficiency, and even the type of mutation, can be driven by manipulating or engaging the various cellular pathways involved in repairing edited bases.


Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) represents a heterogenous group of clonal stem cell disorders with qualitative and quantitative abnormalities of blood cells and a high probability of evolving to acute leukemia. Intensive induction chemotherapy in order to reduce the malignant clone and reconstruct normal hematopoiesis is a classic therapy for MDS, especially high risk MDS. Homoharringtonine (HHT), one of the alkaloids from a Chinese natural plant, Cephalotaxus, incombination with cytarabine (A-rac) (HA chemotherapy) has been used successfully in the treatment of MDS. It has been recently reported that the effect of HA chemotherapy could be enhanced by granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) (HAG chemotherapy). But the mechanism underlying the enhanced effectiveness in HAG remains unknown. We investigated the effect and mechanism of HAG chemotherapy on the apoptosis and chemotaxis in MDS cell line MUTZ-1. Cells were divided into HA group (HHT + Ara-C) and HAG group (treated with G-CSF before HA). Growth inhibition was measured by MTT method and 50% inhibiting concentration (IC50) was calculated. Cell cycle and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry. Mitochondria membrane electric potential was determined by confocal microscopy. The mRNA expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor Cys-LT1 were detected by RT-PCR. The protein expression of Cys-LT1 and signaling molecular in MUTZ-1 cells was detected by western blot. The chemotaxsis of MUTZ-1 cells was detected by transwell migration assay. We found that the percentage of apoptotic MUTZ-1 cells increased and the mitochondria membrane electric potential in the cells decreased significantly more in HAG group than in HA group. The percentage in S phase of the cell cycle increased after exposure to G-CSF for 4 hours, and at its peak after 6 hours. Cys-LT1 mRNA and protein expression and chemotactic migration increased more in HAG group than in HA group, while no significant change was observed in CXCR4 expression. G-CSF activated both mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (MEK1/2) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2). Chemotactic migration was partly blocked by the MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126. These results indicated that G-CSF priming before HA chemotherapy increased apoptosis and chemotaxis in MDS cell line MUTZ-1, and MEK/ERK signaling pathway is involved in G-CSF-induced chemotaxis.


Carmelo Mazza and Jesper Strandgaard Pedersen explore the role of timing for field-configuring events. In particular, they explore how big cities lately adopting the practice of international film festivals differ in the way they enact the vision of an international film festival with contents and practices primarily stemming from institutionalized standards. In their study of two festivals in two geographically and socially distinct contexts, Italy and its capital city, Rome, and Denmark and its capital city, Copenhagen, they show that time seems to be a factor that increases the variety of practices within a field. Contrary to conventional wisdom in institutional theory, late adopters may bring ideas of innovation and different practices, rather than producing homogeneity in field-configuration processes.


This book provides a comprehensive, clearly written and well-explained introduction to the wide topic of plant biotechnology. It is divided into three sections covering Plant Tissue Culture, Genetic Material and its Organization, and Recombinant DNA Technology. Section I starts with an introduction to the term biotechnology with a timescale of development up to 2005 with sequencing of the rice genome. Wide-ranging chapters on plant tissue culture then follow from basic lab organization, protocols, types of culture, somaclonal variation and cryopreservation. Section II covers genetic material and its organization, processing and control. Section III on recombinant DNA technology is by far the largest section of the book, though it might have been better to further divide this section. It begins with basic lab techniques for handling DNA molecules, then gives detailed information on cloning, PCR, mutagenesis, transposons and gene tagging, gene isolation and molecular markers. The genomics, bioinformatics and intellectual property chapters would have followed on from here, but are interrupted by chapters on gene transfer in plants and into chloroplasts and mitochondria, and then chapters on transgenic crops, impact and risk of the technology, which may have been better in a fourth section. However, this in no way detracts from the value of the book as a wide-ranging text on the subject of crop improvement under the heading of biotechnology. I highly recommend it to both undergraduates and those starting their post-graduate careers in this field. Each of the sections would stand alone for those with an interest in any of the three parts.


This article addresses two related problems in the current ethnographic study of Salafism. First, it draws attention to the lack of positionality exhibited by many commentators on Salafism; second, and more crucially, it highlights the reluctance of scholars to engage with what is here labelled Salafi "oppositionality". By oppositionality, I refer to a set of attitudes (non-compliance, defiance, hatred) which are formally prescribed to, and informally generated by, Salafis in their dealings with non-Muslims and very often with lapsed and/or errant Muslims. Through two case studies in pre-Arab Spring Cairo, I explore the workings of Salafi oppositionality in practice. By so doing, I highlight the often fragile and ephemeral nature of relationships that can be formed between a Western-trained ethnographer and his/her Salafi respondents, and demonstrate the ways in which instances of opposition are mutually constituted. Both the researcher and the Salafi, I argue, present each other with a dilemma. In my experience, Salafis have no problem identifying the essence of this dilemma; it is time for Western ethnographers to exhibit a similar degree of transparency.


Radiated emissions measurements are usually required to be performed on a facility that meets the normalized site attenuation (NSA) and receive antenna scan height requirements of ANSI C63.4 and CISPR 22. However, often preliminary measurements for the purpose of frequency identification or engineering and troubleshooting are performed at fixed scan height indoor semi-anechoic facilities or free space facilities. Free Space facilities, in particular, have been put forth as a possible future alternative standard to open area test site (OATS) for certification measurements. An analytical and experimental comparison of the relative merits of these different types of facilities is presented.


A plasma thruster is being developed in Cordoba, Argentina and local researchers are developing theoretical models and scientific software to solve the magnetogasdynamics (MGD) equations. Computational MGD represents one of the most promising interdisciplinary computational technologies for aerospace design. For ideal MGD the numerical simulations are a very important tool, by reducing expensive, and sometimes unviable, experimental parametric studies. However, the numerical simulations always are limited by the ability to analyze and to solve accurately the hyperbolic non-linear differential equations system. In this work is presented a modification of the original Harten and Yee TVD scheme by incorporating a new sonic fix for the acoustic causality points using the finite volume technique. The proposed sonic fix is implemented to solve the transient, twodimensional ideal MGD equations. Two test cases were simulated: MGD Riemann problem and the Hartmann flow. The numerical results obtained using the new sonic fix have shown to reduce the oscillations and to be robust.


Tigecycline is the first drug in the glycylcycline class of antibiotics. Although it is structurally related to minocycline, alterations to the molecule resulted in its expanded spectrum of activity and decreased susceptibility to the development of resistance when compared with other tetracycline antibiotics. Tigecycline has a broad spectrum of activity, including activity against drug-resistant gram-positive organisms. Randomized trials have shown tigecycline to be efficacious for the treatment of complicated intraabdominal infections and complicated skin and skin structure infections. The dose of tigecycline is 50 mg intravenously every 12 hours after a 100-mg loading dose. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea were the most common adverse events reported with tigecycline therapy and may result in discontinuation of therapy.


A natural approach for modeling stochastic processes on social net-works is by using continuous-time Markov chains, examples of which have beengiven by Wasserman (1977, 1980b,a) and Leenders (1995b,a). Snijders (1996)proposed a class of models that allow for greater flexibility in defining the dy-namic components, relaxing the restrictions on the type of dependence struc-tures that could be modeled. Previously, estimation of the parameters in suchmodels has been based on a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) implementa-tion of the method of moments. In this paper we generalize the class of stochasticactor-oriented models, and propose an MCMC algorithm for exploring the pos-terior distribution of the parameters. The generalized class of stochastic actororiented models can handle un-directed, bipartite and valued social networksin addition to the dichotomous directed networks of the stochastic actor ori-ented models. The MCMC procedure explicitly models the changes in-betweenobservations as latent variables.


A new species of encyrtid wasp, Ooencyrtus pitosina Polaszek, Noyes & Fusu sp. n., (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae: Encyrtinae) is described as a gregarious parasitoid in the eggs of the endemic Samoan swallowtail butterfly Papilio godeffroyi (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) in the Samoan archipelago. It is described here because it is an important natural enemy of this butterfly, and to facilitate identification for future work with this parasitoid and its host.


This article presents an overview of the structure of public management of tourism in the municipalities of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Structured in the hypothetical-deductive method, it used as research tools literature and documentary review, data collection from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. It covers the period between 2010 and 2012 and is based on empirical research of the ninety-two municipalities of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Their results indicate that although in the majority of those municipalities tourism is managed by government agencies, exclusive or linked to local economic sector, in a considerable number of municipalities tourism management is linked to the sectors of culture, education, sport and leisure. It further indicates that in many municipalities in the state, the tourism agencies do not have an administrative structure befitting the tourism potential of their territories.


Includes image: 'allegorical scene', 1955. Abstract In November 2013 Russian conceptual artist Petr Pavlensky nailed his testicles to the icy cobbles of the Red Square in Moscow and sat there until the police and health services intervened. This protest/performance act rounded off a politically inspired "trilogy" that over two years involved various methods of body brutalization. The two performances preceding this one were a rather obvious act of Pavlensky's sewing his lips shut, in protest at the incarceration of Pussy Riot members and the silencing of Russian dissidents, while the other one had him lying naked in a roll of barbed wire in front of the Legislative Assembly, in protest of Russian censorship, the notorious anti-gay legislation and a few other recent controversial laws. Resorting to such excruciating performances was part of his many attempts at drawing attention as much to the complacency with which contemporary Russians tolerate the corruption and bureaucratic impenetrability of Vladimir Putin's rule, as Pavlensky's own reaction as an artist to the commodification and mainstreaming of art in contemporary society.


Recent research reaffirms that Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are critical to the delivery of anesthesia in the United States and argues persuasively for the removal of barriers-including supervision requirements--that prevent CRNAs and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) from practicing to the full extent of their education and training. As we as a nation strive to make healthcare accessible, ever safer, and affordable, the health system must use anesthesia professionals as efficiently as possible. Repealing the federal Medicare physician supervision requirement for nurse anesthetists is an important step toward achieving this goal.


SARS-CoV-2 variants with undetermined properties have emerged intermittently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Some variants possess unique phenotypes and mutations which allow further characterization of viral evolution and spike functions. Around 1100 cases of the B.1.640.1 variant were reported in Africa and Europe between 2021 and 2022, before the expansion of Omicron. Here, we analyzed the biological properties of a B.1.640.1 isolate and its spike. Compared to the ancestral spike, B.1.640.1 carried 14 amino acid substitutions and deletions. B.1.640.1 escaped binding by some anti-NTD and -RBD monoclonal antibodies, and neutralization by sera from convalescent and vaccinated individuals. In cell lines, infection generated large syncytia and a high cytopathic effect. In primary airway cells, B.1.640.1 replicated less than Omicron BA.1 and triggered more syncytia and cell death than other variants. The B.1.640.1 spike was highly fusogenic when expressed alone. This was mediated by two poorly characterized and infrequent mutations located in the spike S2 domain, T859N and D936H. Altogether, our results highlight the cytopathy of a hyper-fusogenic SARS-CoV-2 variant, supplanted upon the emergence of Omicron BA.1. Importance Our results highlight the plasticity of SARS-CoV-2 spike to generate highly fusogenic and cytopathic strains with the causative mutations being uncharacterized in previous variants. We describe mechanisms regulating the formation of syncytia and the subsequent consequences in cell lines and a primary culture model, which are poorly understood.


Student apathy, disconnect, and a lack of understanding regarding marketing principles are challenges faced in the Principles of Marketing course. The first day of class is an ideal time to address these concerns and to foster an environment of active learning throughout the semester. This article introduces an in-class interactive activity that requires involvement of the entire class. The results suggest that implementing The Exchange Game on the first day of class increases the level of student satisfaction regarding class participation, engagement with the instructor and other students, enthusiasm for the course, and knowledge of marketing principles.


Increased demands for applications of brain computer interface (BCI) have led to growing attention towards their more practical paradigm design. BCIs can provide motor control for spinal cord injured patients. BCIs based on motor imagery (MI) and steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) tasks are two well-established tasks that have been studied extensively. These two tasks can be combined in order for the users to realize more sophisticated paradigms. In this paper, a novel system is introduced for simultaneous classification of the MI and SSVEP tasks. It is an effort to inspire BCI systems that are more practical, especially for effective communication during more complex tasks. In this study, subjects performed MI and SSVEP tasks both individually and simultaneously (combining both tasks) and the electroencephalographic (EEG) data were recorded across three conditions. Subjects focused on one of the three flickering visual stimuli (SSVEP), imagined moving the left or right hand (MI), or performed neither of the tasks. Accuracy and subjective measures were assessed to investigate the capability of the system to detect the correct task, and subsequently perform the corresponding classification method. The results suggested that with the proposed methodology, the user may control the combination of the two tasks while the accuracy of task recognition and signal processing is minimally impacted.


This ship with reduced frictional drag is provided with a starboard air blow-off unit, a port air blow-off unit, and a bottom air blow-off unit. The starboard air blow-off unit is disposed on the outer hull on the starboard side of the bow of a slender ship and can blow off air. The port air blow-off unit is disposed on the outer hull on the port side of the bow and can blow off air. The bottom air blow-off unit is disposed on the outer hull on the bottom of the ship and can blow off air. The bottom air blow-off unit is disposed on or near the center line of the hull.


The subject of the research is the BRICS countries activities. The purpose of the work is to assess the initiatives for creating the intergovernmental cooperation format BRICS+ as a factor of economic development of member states, as well as to suggest ways of the interaction mechanism perfection in the fields of trade, investments, multilateral cooperation of development banks, creating international financial centers and payment systems and making use of national currencies in mutual settlements. It is concluded that it is necessary to form favorable conditions for cooperation within new regional associations with the leading role of Russia, India and China. The urgency of the research lies in the fact that the assessment of achievements and prospects of the countries in the spheres of finance, trade and investments presented in the research allows to draw a conclusion about a positive character of the initiative to create the intergovernmental cooperation format BRICS+ and about advisability to expand multilateral interactions through trade agreements with mutual settlements in national currencies of partner countries, through simplification of investment mechanisms and their respective financial provision, primarily in financing major infrastructural projects that have an integration effect. The authors argue for the importance to create a decentralized integration model of interaction for parties via cooperating of a bigger number of participants, which will enable developing countries to meet global challenges and to solve developmental problems effectively. The authors also emphasize that the creation of BRICS+ is a significant initiative that will contribute to fulfilling the tasks formulated in the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin Decree "About national goals and strategic objectives of the RF development for the period till 2024" and in his message to the Federal Assembly on 20.02.2019.


Let (W,S) be a Coxeter system of finite rank (ie |S| is finite) and let A be the associated Coxeter (or Davis) complex. We study chains of pairwise parallel walls in A using Tits' bilinear form associated to the standard root system of (W,S). As an application, we prove the strong parallel wall conjecture of G Niblo and L Reeves [J Group Theory 6 (2003) 399--413]. This allows to prove finiteness of the number of conjugacy classes of certain one-ended subgroups of W, which yields in turn the determination of all co-Hopfian Coxeter groups of 2--spherical type.


Abstract This paper presents a concise overview of a voluminous theoretical study whose subject is a unified description of elementary particles. First of all, the empirical basis of the theoretical deliberations is presented and the most promising logical path is explored. Proceeding from equivalence principles and the fact that a unified description of the material world must be a unified theory of elementary particles a path is sketched that leads from a classical gravitation theory and a nonhermitian quantum structure theory to a representation of unified terms in a 6-dimensional carrier space of a Hilbert space. The equivalence of mass terms and the eigenvalue spectrum is then discussed. The necessity of a polymetric structure theory is developed from the cosmogeny of a protouniverse. A further demonstration shows that the consequent realisation of such a polymetric representation allows the separation from the pseudo-continuum of the discrete point spectrum of ponderable mass terms (to be interpreted as elementary particles) of all possible energetic field masses. This provides the desired unified description of the characteristics of the elementary particles. From this description it is evident that these elementary particles appear as final units. Structural characteristics are determined by complicated time expanded inner structures that, among other things, determine radioactive decay. This overview introduces the developmental paths as a work that evidently leads to a unified quantum field theory of matter and gravitation.


Two main neuronal pathways connect facial whiskers to the somatosensory cortex in rodents: (i) the lemniscal pathway, which originates in the brainstem principal trigeminal nucleus and is relayed in the ventroposterior thalamic nucleus and (ii) the paralemniscal pathway, originating in the spinal trigeminal nucleus and relayed in the posterior thalamic nucleus. While lemniscal neurons are readily activated by whisker contacts, the contribution of paralemniscal neurons to perception is less clear. Here, we functionally investigated these pathways by manipulating input from the whisker pad in freely moving mice. We report that while lemniscal neurons readily respond to neonatal infraorbital nerve sectioning or whisker contacts in vivo, paralemniscal neurons do not detectably respond to these environmental changes. However, the paralemniscal pathway is specifically activated upon noxious stimulation of the whisker pad. These findings reveal a nociceptive function for paralemniscal neurons in vivo that may critically inform context‐specific behaviour during environmental exploration.


ROMAN PALESTER: A COMPOSER AND INTELLECTUAL Roman Palester's life (1907–1989) can be divided into two periods, with a caesura in 1951, when the artist decided to live in exile and a year later started working as a reporter at the Polish Section of Radio Free Europe in Munich. As early as in the years 1931–1939 he was a successful composer whose works were performed both in Poland and abroad. He spent most of the Nazi occupation of Poland in Warsaw, however, he also stayed at the Przypkowski family home in Jedrzejow, and in the last years of the war in the countryside near Cracow and in Zakopane. He never stopped composing and the amount of compositions and their artistic value make him the most significant Polish artist of the time of the Nazi occupation. After the war he settled in Cracow, where he was nominated deputy vice-chancellor of the State Music Highschool and became a teacher of a composition class; he was also the vice-president of the Polish Composers' Association and juror at the International Society for Contemporary Music. Although his compositions were often performed and his prestige constantly increased, Palester could not come to terms with the political changes in Poland, which allowed the authorities to interfere in the work of musical institutions and forced artistic expression into the aesthetics of "social realism." He left for Paris as early as 1947. Initially, he maintained contacts with his home country, but severed the ties in 1951 when he decided not to renew his passport of the Polish People's Republic. After that his compositions could be neither performed nor published in Poland. His name was crossed out of the list of the Polish Composers' Association and could not be mentioned in the press and other publications, while the music scores published earlier were destroyed. In 1952 Palester was offered a job at Radio Free Europe in Munich by Jan Nowak-‑Jezioranski and became director of the cultural section. In numerous radio programmes he commented on Polish music life, disapproving of the then cultural policies of the authorities and criticizing the composers' servility. Throughout his twenty-year professional career he never stopped composing and his best works were created at that time. In 1972 he again moved to Paris and devoted all his time to music. His compositions, virtually unknown in Poland, were becoming increasingly popular. Since 1977 his name has not been censored any longer and his music has been performed again, his works published and albums recorded. Nevertheless, the thirty years since his death hardly compensate for the long lasting period of silence. Palester's music, despite its significance and artistic value, remains surprisingly little known.


Objective: This study aimed to investigate the connection between childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the level of Vitamin D in the blood. Materials and Methods: The study was undertaken in 2018 on children in the age group of 4-13 years. Twenty two children diagnosed with ADHD were selected, along with a control group comprising twenty two healthy children showing no symptoms of ADHD or any other neurological disorder or liver or kidney disease or any endocrine problem. Anyone using Vitamin D supplements was excluded from the study. Venous blood samples were acquired from the subjects and serum Vitamin D level was measured. Results: The mean average level of Vitamin D in the research subjects exhibiting ADHD (18.60±6.33 ng/ml) was found to be lower than the control group (34.34±8.19) (P-value < 0.0005). Conclusions: This study has shed some light on the role played by Vitamin D in maintaining the antioxidant status of the brain. The study has shown that the Vitamin D is much lower in children diagnosed with ADHD. Vitamin D increases the expression of the enzyme, Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT). This enzyme is involved in the metabolism of Glutathione, which is considered an important antioxidant in the brain.


Abstract : In order to control ovarian cancer metastasis formation, there is significant interest in identifying the tissue microenvironments involved in cancer cell colonization of the omentum. Omental adipose is a site of prodigious metastasis in both ovarian cancer models and clinical disease. It is unusual as it contains milky spots, structures consisting of immune cells, stromal cells and structural elements surrounding glomerulus-like capillary beds. Contrary to studies reporting that omental colonization is adipocyte-driven, work presented herein shows that milky spots and adipocytes play distinct, complementary roles in omental metastatic colonization. Specifically, in vivo assays showed that ID8, CaOV3, HeyA8 and SKOV3ip.1 cancer cells preferentially lodge and grow within omental and splenoportal fat, which contain milky spots, as compared to other peritoneal fat depots. Similarly, media conditioned by milky spot-containing adipose tissue caused 75% more cell migration than media conditioned by milky spot-deficient adipose. Studies using a panel of immune-deficient mice showed that the mouse genetic background does not alter omental milky spot number and size, nor does it affect ovarian cancer colonization. Finally, consistent with the role for lipids as an energy source for cancer cell growth, in vivo time-course studies found an inverse relationship between metastatic burden and omental adipocyte content. Our findings provide new insights into the critical role milky spots play in omental metastatic colonization, the critical first step in the development of widespread peritoneal disease.


The investigation of personality genetics had received much attention since the three seminal reports showing an association between genes and personality traits in the general population. Accumulating evidences suggested that per- sonality traits have significant genetic components. Although currently available data are not enough for proof, more and more genetic variants associated with personality traits are being discovered. In this paper, we review related studies of gene polymorphisms and human personality traits for psychiatric, behavioral, and substance-related disorders. First, we briefly describe the commonly-used self-reported temperament measures that define personality dimensions. Then, we summarize the characteristics of the candidate genes for personality traits, and investigate gene variants which have been suggested to be linked with personality traits for individuals with psychiatric, behavioral, and substance-related disorders.


Localizing the microseismic event plays a key role in microseismic monitoring. However, microseismic data usually suffer from a low signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), which could affect the resolution of the microseismic source location. We have developed an unsupervised deep learning approach based on variational autoencoder (VAE) and squeeze-and-excitation (SE) networks for enhancing microseismic signals, as well as suppressing noise. First, the microseismic data are divided into several overlapped patches. Second, the VAE encodes the data, extracting the significant features related to the useful signals. Finally, the extracted latent features are decoded to uncover the useful signals and discard the others. The SE network is used to guide the VAE to preserve the useful information related to the clean signal by scaling the extracted features from the encoder part and concatenating them with the features of the decoder part. Our algorithm is evaluated using several synthetic and field examples. As a result, a robust denoising performance is shown despite the existence of a high level of random and coherent noise, for example, with an S/N as low as −32.45 dB. Then, the denoised signal can be used as input data to image the source location using a reverse time migration method, leading to better the location accuracy. Our algorithm performs the best when compared to benchmark methods such as f- x deconvolution and the damped multichannel singular spectrum analysis methods.


Experimental synthetic aperture radar had been developed from the base-band digital unit to the analogue RF parts, based on solid state units, using pulse compression for radar imaging. Proper QPSK code is found for matched filter.


Despite significant progress in computer vision, pattern recognition, and image analysis, artifacts in imaging still hampers the progress in many scientific fields relying on the results of image analysis. We here present an advanced image-based artifacts suppression algorithm for high-resolution tomography. The algorithm is based on guided filtering of a reconstructed image mapped from the Cartesian to the polar coordinates space. This postprocessing method efficiently reduces both ring- and radial streak artifacts in a reconstructed image. Radial streak artifacts can appear in tomography with an off-center rotation of a large object over 360 degrees used to increase the reconstruction field of view. We successfully applied the developed algorithm for improving x-ray phase-contrast images of human post-mortem pineal gland and olfactory bulbs.


The spatio-temporal spread of axonal degeneration in organophosphorous neuropathy has been studied by means of the teased-fiber technique. Young adult cats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of di-isopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) and were killed 14, 18, 20, 21, and 28 days later by intracardiac perfusion with aldehydes. The cats developed clinical signs of delayed neurotoxicity 16 to 18 days after DFP injection. A histologic survey of the central and peripheral nervous systems revealed that the topographic distribution of axonal degeneration was characteristic of a dying-back neuropathy. In teased-fiber preparations from the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, we found that the axonal degeneration was initially focal and nonterminal but that the axonal degeneration subsequently spread in a somatofugal direction to involve the entire distal axon. Nerve fibre varicosities and paranodal demyelination preceded the axonal degeneration. It is concluded that neurotoxic organophosphates induce a focal, distal but not terminal axonal degeneration. This "chemical transection" of the axon then precipitates wallerian degeneration of the more distal axon. Thus, the traditional hypothesis that dying-back neuropathies evolve from a retrograde axonal degeneration is not valid for organophosphorous neuropathy.


The motion of isolated rat vibrissae due to low frequency sound has been modeled and measured with good agreement (within a factor of 2) between the data and the model's predictions. As had been done in previous studies on the response of rat vibrissae to tactile stimulation [Hartmann, M. J., Johnson, N. J., Towal, R. B., and Assad, C., J. Neurosci 23, 6510-6519 (2003) and Neimark, M. A., Andermann, A. L., Hopfield, J. J., and Moore, C. I., J. Neurosci 23, 6449-6509 (2003)] the vibrissae were modeled as thin conical beams. The force of the vibrating air on a vibrissa was modeled using the exact solution for a vibrating infinite cylinder in linear fluid. A finite element method was used to model the motion of a single vibrissa fixed at its base, using the aforementioned fluid force. Values for Young's modulus and vibrissa mass density were taken from a previous study [Neimark et al. (above)]. The model had no freely fitted parameters. Motion of isolated vibrissae was measured using a video camera with microscope. The sound stimulation was created using a stereo speaker connected to a signal generator. The tuning was found to be sharp, with quality factors that varied between 3 and 7, much sharper than the motion of cricket cercal hairs or in vitro inner ear hair bundles.


The cardiovascular system has in addition to it haemodynamic role also an important endocrine function. It produces a number of humoral substances which are either released into the circulation and exert a systemic endocrine effect (e.g. the atrial natriuretic factor from the atria) or act at the site of their genesis. This autocrine or paracrine action is typical above all for substances formed in the endothelium and vascular wall (endothelin, endothelium-derived relaxation factor, prostaglandins, prostacyclines, renin-angiotensin cascade etc.). Cardiovascular substances influence by their action markedly the general and organ haemodynamics, the volume and pressure homeostasis the development and regression, of cardiac hypertrophy and vascular walls, as well as thrombogenesis and atherogenesis. They participate thus in a significant way in physiological regulations and pathological processes in the organism.


UV irradiation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) ATPase in the presence of vanadate cleaves the enzyme at either of two different sites. Under conditions favoring the presence of monovanadate, and in the presence of Ca2+, ADP, and Mg2+, cleavage results in two fragments of 71- and 38-kDa electrophoretic mobility. On the other hand, under conditions permitting formation of decavanadate, and in the absence of Ca2+ and ADP, cleavage results in two fragments of 88- and 21-kDa electrophoretic mobility. The amino terminus resulting from cleavage is blocked and resistant to Edman degradation. However, the initial photo-oxidation product can be reduced with NaB3H4, resulting in incorporation of radioactive 3H label. Extensive digestion of the labeled protein with trypsin then yields labeled peptides that are specific for the each of the photo-oxidation conditions, and can be sequenced after purification. Collection of the Edman reaction fractional products reveals the radioactive label and demonstrates that Thr353 is the residue oxidized by monovanadate at the phosphorylation site (i.e. Asp351). Correct positioning of monovanadate at the phosphorylation site requires binding of Mg2+ and ADP to the Ca2+-dependent conformation of the enzyme. Subsequent hydrolytic cleavage is likely assisted by the neighboring Asp601, and yields the 71- and 38-kDa fragments. On the other hand, Ser186 (and possibly the following three residues: Val187, Ile188, and Lys189) is the residue that is photo-oxidized by decavanadate in the absence of ADP. Hydrolytic cleavage of the oxidized product at this site is likely assisted by neighboring acidic residues, and yields the 88- and 21-kDa fragments. The bound decavanadate, which we find to produce steric interference with TNP-AMP binding, must therefore extend to the A domain (i.e. small cytosolic loop) in order to oxidize Ser186. This protein conformation is only obtained in the absence of Ca2+.


We have developed a dynamic analytical circuit model to simulate the performance of switched reluctance motors (SRMs). Our model expresses flux linkages as multiple decoupled one-argument functions, either current dependent or rotor position dependent, instead of one two-argument function dependent on both current and rotor position. We propose a novel approach for the computation of the air gap permeance at various rotor positions. By using this analytical model, the performance of a SRM can be simulated very efficiently and with improved accuracy. As an application example, we present a simulation of an 8/6 pole SRM in the system domain, and compare the results with transient finite element analysis (FEA) solutions.


MEDICINE CONTINUES to be news, and this was especially true at last week's fifth annual Science Writers Conference, cosponsored in Baltimore by the American Medical Association and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. For example, the International Agranulocytosis and Aplastic Anemia Study's report on analgesics and their relation to agranulocytosis and aplastic anemia was presented at the conference. Samuel Shapiro, MD, director of the Drug Epidemiology Unit, Boston University School of Medicine, announced that the group's multinational epidemiologic study concluded that the risks of persons developing agranulocytosis and aplastic anemia in relation to analgesic drug use are very low ( JAMA 1986;256:1749-1757). There were 15 other presentations at this year's conference for science writers. Seven papers from the October issues of AMA specialty journals were among those presentations. The following is a roundup of presentations about which JAMA had information by the deadline for this issue. PET Developments Patients with schizophrenia


Samples with 40% vol. of pores and a pore size distribution between 100 and 500 µm were produced by powder metallurgy from Ti6Al4V alloy powders. Sintering was performed at 1300 °C during one hour in an inert Argon atmosphere in a vertical dilatometer. The compressive strength and the porosity of these samples was investigated before and after compression tests through X-ray microtomography. The values of the elastic modulus (8GPa) and yield strength (80MPa) are within the range of those used in bone implants. Porosity leads to greater deformation whereas fracture of compacts occurs perpendicularly to the applied load. It was determined that the origin of the failure is generated by rupture of interparticle necks and, large pores enhance the propagation of cracks.


In recent decades, a significant number of extreme-level flood waves have occurred in Hungary. In order to prevent and reduce flood damage, several intervention works have been carried out by organisations involved in flood protection. During these works the protective materials (sand, sacks, planks, stakes, and so on), human labor, heavy machinery and other equipment were transported along the flood protection dikes many times. These approaching routes have different pavements, bearing capacity and ownership, which make their use difficult. In this article, the author presents the typical features of these routes, the characteristics of their usage and its technical consequences, and also the reconstruction tasks needed following the flood protection works. The author made cost and price analysis for the reconstruction of different types of approaching routes and dike crown roads based on data collected from the operation area of the Middle-Tisza District Water Directorate (KOTIVIZIG).


A remarkable new supported metal catalyst structure on Mo2C substrates, 'rafts' of platinum consisting of less than 6 atoms, was synthesized and found to be catalytically active electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction. A novel catalytic synthesis method: Reduction-Expansion-Synthesis of Catalysts (RES-C), from rapid heating of dry mixture of solid precursors of molybdenum, platinum and urea in an inert gas environment, led to the creation of unique platinum Nanorafts on Mo2C. The Pt Nanorafts offer a complete utilization of the Pt atoms for electrocatalysis with no "hidden" atoms. This structure is strongly affected by its interaction with the substrate as was observed by XPS. In this work, we show for the first time, evidence of electrocatalytic activity with such small clusters of non-crystalline Pt atoms as catalysts for oxygen reduction. Electrochemical half-cell characterization shows that this structure permit more efficient utilization of platinum, with mass activity conservatively measured to be 50% that of platinum particles generated using traditional approaches. These novel material may dramatically enhance stability relative to the commercial Pt/carbon catalysts.


In this paper, a condition for the boundedness of weighted coefficients of the perceptron with arbitrary initial weights and an arbitrary set of bounded training feature vectors is given and proved. Based on this derived condition, conditions for the global convergence of the output of the perceptron with a set of nonlinearly separable bounded training feature vectors to limit cycles are given and proved, and the maximum number of updates of the weighted coefficients of the perceptron before the output of the perceptron reaches the limit cycles is given. Finally, the perceptron with periodically time varying weighted coefficients is investigated. An optimization approach is proposed for the design of this perceptron. Numerical computer simulation results show that the perceptron with periodically time varying weighted coefficients could achieve better recognition performances compared to that with only one set of weighted coefficients.


In vivo bioequivalence, or simply bioequivalence, is commonly referred to as an evaluation study conducted to establish equality of mostly two oral products such as tablet or capsule. Equality of two products (test vs reference) is established by comparing their blood drug concentration-time (C-t) profiles. The reason for selecting C-t profiles for such comparison is that as therapeutic effects depend on drug concentrations in blood i.e., if two or more products provide similar C-t profiles then they will provide similar therapeutic effects as well, thus they will be considered therapeutically bioequivalent, or simply bioequivalent.


Many viruses target host cell mitochondria to create a microenvironment conducive to viral dissemination. Dengue virus also exploits host cell mitochondria to facilitate its viral life cycle. ABSTRACT Mitochondrial fitness is governed by mitochondrial quality control pathways comprising mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondrial-selective autophagy (mitophagy). Disruption of these processes has been implicated in many human diseases, including viral infections. Here, we report a comprehensive analysis of the effect of dengue infection on host mitochondrial homeostasis and its significance in dengue disease pathogenesis. Despite severe mitochondrial stress and injury, we observed that the pathways of mitochondrial quality control and mitochondrial biogenesis are paradoxically downregulated in dengue-infected human liver cells. This leads to the disruption of mitochondrial homeostasis and the onset of cellular injury and necrotic death in the infected cells. Interestingly, dengue promotes global autophagy but selectively disrupts mitochondrial-selective autophagy (mitophagy). Dengue downregulates the expression of PINK1 and Parkin, the two major proteins involved in tagging the damaged mitochondria for elimination through mitophagy. Mitophagy flux assays also suggest that Parkin-independent pathways of mitophagy are also inactive during dengue infection. Dengue infection also disrupts mitochondrial biogenesis by downregulating the master regulators PPARγ and PGC1α. Dengue-infected cells release mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns (mtDAMPs) such as mitochondrial DNA into the cytosol and extracellular milieu. Furthermore, the challenge of naive immune cells with culture supernatants from dengue-infected liver cells was sufficient to trigger proinflammatory signaling. In correlation with our in vitro observations, dengue patients have high levels of cell-free mitochondrial DNA in their blood in proportion to the degree of thrombocytopenia. Overall, our study shows how defective mitochondrial homeostasis in dengue-infected liver cells can drive dengue disease pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Many viruses target host cell mitochondria to create a microenvironment conducive to viral dissemination. Dengue virus also exploits host cell mitochondria to facilitate its viral life cycle. Dengue infection of liver cells leads to severe mitochondrial injury and inhibition of proteins that regulate mitochondrial quality control and biogenesis, thereby disrupting mitochondrial homeostasis. A defect in mitochondrial quality control leads to the accumulation of damaged mitochondria and promotes cellular injury. This leads to the release of mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns (mt-DAMPs) into the cell cytoplasm and extracellular milieu. These mt-DAMPs activate the naive immune cells and trigger proinflammatory signaling, leading to the release of cytokines and chemokines, which may trigger systemic inflammation and contribute to dengue disease pathogenesis. In correlation with this, we observed high levels of cell-free mitochondrial DNA in dengue patient blood. This study provides insight into how the disruption of mitochondrial quality control in dengue-infected cells can trigger inflammation and drive dengue disease pathogenesis.


In Part I of this paper, a multiplier-free realization for IIR filters based on periodically time-varying state-space (PTV-SS) systems was proposed. Each biquad unit of the given target filter is realized with a higher order PTV-SS system operating at a higher speed. The coefficients of the PTV-SS system are restricted to a few power-of-two values. Therefore, such a structure can be implemented using shift and accumulate operations. In this paper, nonsystolic as well as systolic architectures for VLSI implementations of the PTV-SS system are developed. Different architectures are obtained using different timings and locations of the shift-and-accumulate operations. The design process is illustrated for a fourth-order PTV-SS system. >


Objectives: This meta-analysis aimed to explore the relationship between mental health disorders and symptoms of mental health disorders (depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], antisocial personality disorder [PD], and borderline PD) and physical intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization for males and females. Method: Data from 207 studies, yielding 511 effect sizes, were analyzed. The overall strength of each correlate for IPV perpetration and victimization was examined. Moderator analyses were used to compare the strength of correlates for IPV victimization versus perpetration, as well as for males versus females. Results: Depression, anxiety, PTSD, antisocial PD, and borderline PD were all significant correlates for both IPV victimization and perpetration. Anxiety and PTSD were significantly stronger correlates for victimization than for perpetration, and borderline PD and antisocial PD were significantly stronger correlates for perpetration than for victimization. For women, borderline PD was a significantly stronger correlate for IPV perpetration than for victimization, and PTSD was a significantly stronger correlate for IPV victimization than perpetration. Depression was a significantly stronger correlate for IPV victimization for women than for men. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive examination of mental health disorders and their link to IPV perpetration and victimization. The results suggest that clinicians working with individuals or couples in the context of IPV should assess for and treat mental health problems.


Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are used commonly in various applications due to their high catalytic activity. Many of these applications require subsequent treatments after the deposition of the TiO2 particles. Some of these include thermal processing at high temperatures, e.g. roof tiles. For all of these applications, the crystal structures as well as the microscopic properties are essential. Thus, sintering severely affects the catalytic activity in most of the cases. During thermal processing, the nanoparticles transform from the catalytical highly active anatas structure to the substantially less active rutil structure. This structural change has been found to be significantly retarded when coating the TiO2 nanoparticles with a closed film of SiO2. During the thermal treatment, these films break open, revealing the underlying TiO2 [i]. Thus, the film thickness has to be appropriate for the designated treatment subsequent to the nanoparticle deposition. In this study, we present an approach of SiO2 film deposition making use of silane gas. Pure silane gas is highly demanding on safety standards and technical installations, since it acts self-igniting and highly explosive when getting in contact with air or any oxygen containing gas. Thus, diluted process gases are used for most technical implementations, which contain just about 3% silane in 97% helium, neon, argon, hydrogen or nitrogen. While noble gases and hydrogen are used as dilution for a wide range of applications, the process gas consisting of nitrogen and silane is only implemented for silicon nitride deposition. Nevertheless, this gas should be the most suitable for many applications regarding economics and handling. Closed films produced by dielectric barrier discharges in such mixtures of gases consist of mainly non-stoichiometric silicon nitride, while the other diluted process gases produce metallic silicon films. The deposition of silicon dioxide films is rather complicated, since the silane reacts instantaneously with every oxygen-rich gas. Thus, both gases must not get in contact until they have arrived in front the surface that is to be coated. Most of the existing work found in the literature focuses on the implementation of this condition, to merge the silane and the oxygen right at the surface being coated. Taking a quite different approach, we divided the film deposition into two steps: In the first step, a silicon nitride film was deposited from the process gas with the silane diluted in nitrogen employing a dielectric barrier discharge plasma. As a second step, the silicon nitride film has been tried to convert into silicon dioxide by means of a second plasma discharge using either oxygen for a process gas or even environmental air. All studies have been carried out in an ultra high vacuum apparatus, while the plasma treatments have been carried out up to atmospheric pressure. During the investigations we employed Metastable Induced Electron Spectroscopy (MIES), Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy (UPS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), as well as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The microscopic measurements showed the deposited film to enclose the particles in a Frank van der Merwe – type growth mode. Film thicknesses determined by increased particle diameters in AFM were in good accordance to calculated film thicknesses from XPS peak intensity attenuation. Spectroscopic results show a formation of a silicon nitride film with substoichiometric nitrogen content, though free of oxynitrides. Surface impurities and adsorbates from the ex-situ preparation procedure were strongly removed and seemed to notably increase the growth rate. The second step gained a transformation of the film up to 98% silicon dioxide according to XPS. Remaining carbon impurities from the initially uncleaned surface were removed by both of the oxidizing plasmas. The transformation was found to be even more effective for the air plasma treatment than for the oxygen plasma treatment at a comparable oxygen partial pressure.


The third chapter of the series about Rudolf Schlechter's South-American orchids presents concise biographical information about those botanists and orchid collectors who were connected to Schlechter and worked in north and northeastern Brazil, as well as in the three Guianas. As an introduction, a brief geographical outline is presented, dividing the northern territories in four zones: the Amazon basin, the Araguaia-Tocantins river basin, the Northeast region and the Guianas. It is followed by a short mention of the historical milestones in the history of orchids in these regions during the preceding centuries.
Key words: Amazon River, biography, history of botany, Orchidaceae, Roraima, Tocantins River


Sterile inflammatory reactions of varying degree are a rare, but not uncommon complication after intraocular lens implantation. At present we still do not know the cause of these processes, but we consider two chemical substances at least as risk factors for them: the lens content of monomeric methyl methacrylate, which is present in any lens made from polymethyl methacrylate (Perspex), and the lens content of ethylene oxide, an extremely toxic agent, which is absorbed by the lens during sterilization with this gas. Gaschromatographic investigations show that under sterilization of intraocular lenses by Co60-radiation the lens content of monomeric methylmethacrylate can be reduced drastically. Also, any contamination of the lens by ethylene oxide is avoided. Therefore at least two important arguments speak in favour of this alternative sterilization technique.


Background and Purpose: The objective of this research was to determine variability of some remaining populations and groups of trees of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) at the molecular-genetic level in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The analysis was made by means of highly polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers, which were used in some earlier research involving pedunculate oak embryos. The obtained results will provide guidelines for proper management with and regeneration of pedunculate oak forests, and for their re-introduction. In particular, this research will contribute to further improvement and conservation of pedunculate oak using in situ and ex situ methods. MaterialandMethods: This study analyzes molecular genetic variability of 12 natural populations of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Molecular genetic variability was analyzed on the basis of DNA by means of the following four nuclear microsatellite markers: ssrQpZAG1/5, ssrQpZAG9, ssrQpZAG36 and ssrQpZAG108. The analysis included a total of 108 alleles. Results and Conclusion: Considerable differences were observed in the frequencies between populations. The same differences were confirmed with analysis of other parameters, such as the effective number of alleles, the fixation index and genetic differentiation. It should be pointed out that this research confirmed higher allele heterozygosis in the populations in relation to pedunculate oak populations in Western Europe. This result suggests that the investigated populations have not lost much of their genetic potential for adaptation. This could be attributed to the vicinity of the studied populations to their glacial refugium. This is the reason for their higher resistance and sturdiness in comparison with the populations of western and central Europe. They posses more genetic variability despite the fact that they had for centuries suffered a strong anthropogenic influence, which brought them to their survival limit and the verge of extinction. The obtained results will allow us to preserve the genetic structure of this valuable species in Bosnia and Herzegovina.


In this presentation for the American Wind Energy Association 2013 conference, NREL's Eric Lantz examines historical trends and continuing challenges of wind power operating expenses. Lowering such expenses could increase profitability and contribute to lowering the cost of energy.


The effect of broadband signals on the far-zone field of long arrays is investigated in terms of the energy radiation pattern. A generalized directive gain is introduced which depends on the signal spectrum. With maximum directivity as a criterion it is shown that the problem of optimizing a long isotropic array with respect to a given signal can be associated with a classical eigenvalue problem. The concept of array-bandwidth is introduced. Computed curves for directivity and directive gain are given in terms of this parameter and signal bandwidth. It is shown that while little improvement in directivity is achieved by optimizing the distribution coefficients of an array, a substantial reduction in sidelobe level is obtained when the signal bandwidth is comparable to the array bandwidth.


Growth and development of the cranial base have interested students of anatomical disciplines for more than a century. Flexure of the basal region has been of particular interest and is among the most assiduously studied characteristics of the skull. Reports may be found in journals serving such a diversity of professional interests that a summary of facts and the more interesting speculations on unsettled aspects of this subject should be of value. This paper is a review of the literature from Virschow's and Schaeffer's writings in the latter half of the last century to those of the most recent investigators. It includes the works of anatomists, anthropologists, embryologists and orthodontists, among others.


Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an operational concept proposed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to clarify the unknown etiology of the syndrome characterized by the sensation of abnormally prolonged fatigue. Lots of investigators reported various abnormalities such as virus infection, immune abnormalities, HPA axis abnormalities, metabolic abnormalities, etc., but there are a few abnormalities common to vast majority cases of CFS. Therefore, lots of people as well as medical doctors are still skeptical about the presence of CFS. However, recent studies reveal that CFS can be understood to be a special condition based on the abnormality of neuroendocrine-immunologic system caused by the psycho-social stress and some genetic components. Under these conditions, a reactivation of various kinds of herpes virus infections and/or chronic infections might occur as a result of immune dysfunction, causing the abnormal production of several cytokines. A distinctive feature of CFS is thought to be the secondary brain dysfunction caused by the abnormal production of several cytokines. In this paper, I show the overview of CFS focusing around prevalence, economic impact and diagnostic criteria in Japan.


We present a survey of authentication and key agreement schemes that are proposed for the SIP protocol. SIP has become the center piece for most VoIP architectures. Performance and security of the authentication and key agreement schemes are two critical factors that affect the VoIP applications with large number of users. Therefore, we have identified, categorized and evaluated various SIP authentication and key agreement protocols according to their performance and security features. Although the performance is inversely proportional to the security features provided in general, we observed that there are successful schemes from both the performance and security viewpoint.


In this study, the compressive strength properties of exible pavement's cement-bound base layers made with FeCr slag have been investigated. The physical and chemical properties of the materials (FeCr slag and cementitious binders) were determined. Cylinder-shaped slag specimens containing 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% Portland cement (PC) and silica fume were then prepared and stored for 28 days in a humid room. Nondestructive testing was performed using ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), and then unconned compressive strength (UCS) testing was applied to the samples. The results of both testing methods are discussed comparatively. The test results showed that FeCr slag stabilized with cementitious binders can potentially be used as a road base layer material, in similar applications to traditional cement stabilized materials. Slag+PC mixtures met the required compressive strength properties of standards at 4% and higher PC contents. In this research, a high correlation was found between UCS and UPV test results.


TOTHE EDITOR: Gutte et al. (1) reported on a novel, exciting concept to diagnose pulmonary embolism (PE) using a g-camera integrated with a multidetector CT scanner. Interestingly, ventilation–perfusion (V/Q) SPECT alone had almost a 20% false-positive rate caused by interlobar fissures, pleural fluid, and pulmonary pathology, whereas CT of the pulmonary arteries (CTPA) had a 100% positive predictive value. This finding emphasizes that, like a conventional V/Q scan, a V/Q SPECT scan showing mismatched defects requires a recent chest radiograph or preferably a low-dose pulmonary CT (LDCT) scan, conveniently performed with the author's hybrid scanner. However, the value of the reported superior sensitivity of SPECT/LDCT relative to CTPA, and the drawbacks of CTPA due to renal impairment and radiation dose, may be debatable. One hundred ninety-six patients were recruited during 20 mo, a remarkably low figure for the 2 hospitals mentioned. At the same time, 24% of the patients were excluded because of renal impairment. To me, this indicates that some kind of additional selection criteria were applied in choosing from among the general cohort of patients with suspected PE. For comparison, only 0.7% of patients were excluded because of a glomerular filtration rate of less than 30 mL/min in the large, multicenter Christopher study (2). It should also be noted that CTPA in azotemic patients may be performed with substantially lower contrast medium doses (3,4) than in the present study, therefore disqualifying only a minority of patients for CTPA. Seven percent of the patients were excluded from CTPA because they were women less than 40 y old. The relatively high effective radiation dose (11 mSv) with the present CTPA protocol may have been the motive. The 2007 Fleischner Society Statement (5), representing a certain expertise in PE diagnosis, indicates that exposure parameters resulting in an effective dose as low as 3–5 mSv is sufficient for an adequate study. In fact, 80to 100-kVp CTPA with effective doses in the same range as (3.3 mSv) (6) or actually lower than (1.3–2.3 mSv) (6–8) that of the present SPECT/LDCT (3 mSv) have been achieved with preserved or even improved diagnostic quality. A composite reference standard including the index tests, that is, V/Q SPECT and CTPA, was used by Gutte et al. (1). This choice may introduce incorporation bias (item 7 in the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies [QUADAS]) overestimating the various measures of diagnostic accuracy (9). Specifically, mismatched defects of any size and number at V/Q SPECT may then have been taken as evidence of PE, partly explaining the relatively low sensitivity of CTPA while false-positive diagnoses at SPECT/LDCT may still have been present. To the best of my knowledge, there is to date not a single prospective study published adhering to the Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (STARD) (10), where defined SPECT criteria for a positive diagnosis of PE has been validated with a proper reference standard. Thus, the probability of PE, depending on the size and number or segmental equivalents of mismatched defects on SPECT combined with various clinical likelihoods of PE, is not known. One may also speculate on whether the high sensitivity of SPECT may diagnose PE that does not need anticoagulation. Several well-conducted outcome CTPA studies (2,11–13) clearly demonstrate that patients with clinically likely PE or a positive D-dimer, with few exceptions, can safely be left without anticoagulation after a negative CTPA result, even if not combined with ultrasonography of the lower legs (14). Thus, the lower sensitivity of CTPA may actually be advantageous relative to SPECT, which may carry the risk of serious bleeding complications from treatment of clinically harmless PE. The potential problem with falsepositive and harmless true-positive PE at SPECT/LDCT may not be solved unless we study the outcome of patients with mismatched SPECT/LDCT defects left without anticoagulation after a negative CTPA result. In conclusion, although having interesting potential in diagnosing PE, hybrid SPECT/LDCT is still a research tool and has to undergo properly performed studies based on the STARD and QUADAS criteria before it can be recommended as the "first-line imaging test in the work-up of PE in most cases." The drawbacks of CTPA relative to SPECT/LDCT, with regard to contrast media and radiation, are today of minimal concern in nonpregnant patients (15) if contrast media and radiation exposure parameters are optimized.


For 20 years, ecologists have been gathering evidence in support of the hypothesis that plants can use insect natural enemies such as predators and parasitoids as bodyguards to protect themselves from herbivory, but entomopathogens have escaped this consideration. We extend the bodyguard hypothesis to ask whether plants can use entomopathogens as bodyguards. We first discuss the evolutionary context of such tritrophic interactions and then categorize possible mechanisms as: (1) maintaining a population of bodyguards on the plant surface, (2) increasing contact rates between insect host and pathogen and (3) increasing the susceptibility of the host. We explore these mechanisms further, examining published studies for evidence for the hypothesis. We then discuss potential costs to the plant of promoting pathogens as bodyguards which may include a reduction in the efficiency of other "bodyguard" species, the incidental promotion of plant pathogens and the risk of entomopathogens developing phytopathogenicity. Aside from our intention to stimulate the testing of the bodyguard hypothesis with entompathogens and to provide a conceptual framework for this, we hope to bring evolutionary ecology and insect pathology closer together.


Recently, distributed word embeddings trained by neural language models are commonly used for text classification with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). In this paper, we propose a novel neural language model, Topic-based Skip-gram, to learn topic-based word embeddings for biomedical literature indexing with CNNs. Topic-based Skip-gram leverages textual content with topic models, e.g., Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), to capture precise topic-based word relationship and then integrate it into distributed word embedding learning. We then describe two multimodal CNN architectures, which are able to employ different kinds of word embeddings at the same time for text classification. Through extensive experiments conducted on several real-world datasets, we demonstrate that combination of our Topic-based Skip-gram and multimodal CNN architectures outperforms state-of-the-art methods in biomedical literature indexing, clinical note annotation and general textual benchmark dataset classification.


In the early 1960s, the time-sharing computer at the System Development Corporation had several messaging commands through which remotely logged in users communicated with one another and with the system operator. These commands were used for system operation and for sending information to remote users. They also permitted collaborative work such as joint debugging of multi-author programs, an activity now associated with the Internet. These capabilities appear to be the earliest documented implementation of text messaging and were in use before electronic mail was developed for time-sharing systems.


In today"s world there is a great need for the design of low power and area efficient high performance DSP system.FIR filter is considered to be the fundamental device in the broad application of wireless as well as the video and image processing system. With the aim of getting the reliable operation, these filters are protected using the Error correction Code. Filters are broadly used in dealing out with signal processing and communication systems. As the complexity of communications and signal processing systems increases, so does the number of blocks or elements that they have. In many cases, some of those elements operate in parallel performing the same processing on different signals. In this paper, the idea of applying coding techniques to protect parallel filters is addressed in a more general way. In particular, it is shown that the fact that filter inputs and outputs are not bits but numbers enables a more efficient protection. This reduces the protection overhead and makes the number of redundant filters independent of the number of parallel filters. The proposed scheme is first described and then illustrated with two case studies. Finally, both the effectiveness in protecting against errors and the cost are evaluated for an FPGA implementation.