I matinib decreased airway mast-cell counts and airway hyperresponsiveness in adults with asthma, who were not responding well to maximal therapy, according to a report published online May 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Imatinib is an inhibitor of the stem-cell factor receptor KIT, which is essential for mast-cell development and survival in bodily tissues. This study's findings suggest that KIT-dependent processes and mast cells contribute to the pathobiology of severe asthma. "These data are not clinically directive, but they set the stage for follow-up studies targeting mast cells," said Katherine N. Cahill, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, and her associates. The researchers undertook this study because imatinib is known to reduce bone-marrow mast cells and tryptase levels in chronic myeloid leukemia and to reduce serum tryptase in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Tryptase is a marker of mast-cell burden and activation when detected in extracellular fluids, Dr. Parameswaran Nair: "Long-term use of systemic corticosteroids can lead to potentially life-threatening complications." C o u r t e s y D r . N a ir


To analyze the intra-annual variability of the thermal and dynamic characteristics of the ocean, we used the calculations based on the NEMO model, including the assimilation of observational temperature and salinity data by Argo buoys, as well as satellite data on ice cover and sea surface temperature. The features of the geographical and vertical distributions of annual and semi-annual variations in water temperature and globaly averaged spectrum of current velocity are considered. The areas with a prevailing contribution of semi-annual fluctuations are identified. They are in the equatorial zone and in the northwestern Indian Ocean, which is under the influence of the monsoon processes.


Thin freely suspended films of a mixture of an achiral side-chain liquid crystal polymer and its monomer have been studied with depolarized reflected light microscopy. We observe that regions with an odd number of bilayers exhibit a net spontaneous polarization in the tilt plane of the molecules, while regions with an even number of bilayers have no net polarization. These odd-even effects are direct evidence that the tilted smectic bilayers are anticlinic at the polymer backbone and synclinic at bilayer interface and confirm that the phase is bilayer-by-bilayer antiferroelectric.


The uprisings of the Arab Spring have highlighted the weakness of traditional opposition actors that have been unable to predict and lead the revolutions. This paper, focusing on the case of Morocco, examines how the discourses and practices of the regime shaped the complex field of Political Islam, contributing to two distinct but interlinked phenomena. On the one hand, they have managed to lead Islamists and liberal secularists to overcome many of their previous divisions to sustain common battles in the name of democracy and human rights. On the other hand, they have deepened rifts and divisions among Islamists themselves on the crucial issue of political reforms.


We experimentally prove the viability of the concept of the double-heterostructure quantum well InAlN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) for the device higher robustness and reliability. In the single quantum well InAlN/GaN HEMTs, the intrinsic channel resistance increases by 300% after 1 h off-state stress; much less degradation is observed in the double-heterostructure device with an AlGaN back barrier. Physics-based device simulation proves that the back barrier blocks the rate of carrier injection into the device buffer. However, whatever the quantum well design is, the energy of the injected electrons in the buffer of InAlN/GaN-based HEMTs is higher than that in the buffer of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. This energy may be sufficient for releasing hydrogen from GaN point defects.


OBJECTIVE
This study was carried out to observe the prevalence breast diseases of males in our setup.

METHOD
All cases of male breast disease diagnosed from 1991-97.

RESULTS
One hundred and fifty (150) cases of male breast diseases were diagnosed. Age of the patients ranged from 4 to 90 years, with mean age 38.75 years (median = 33 years). Gynecomastia was the most common pathological abnormality of the male breast (58.66%). Most of the patients presented in the 3rd decade of life. Amongst the malignant conditions, infiltrating ductal carcinoma was most prevalent (82%). Most of the patients with malignancy presented in the 5th and 6th decades of life.

CONCLUSION
Gynecomastia was the most prevalent male breast disorder, followed by infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Our findings correspond with that of world literature.


A27 Immunotoxins, a class of biologic therapeutics provide efficacious and specific treatment for cancer as they target surface specific growth factor receptors or antigens over expressed on cancer cells. Immunotoxins have shown promising results in vitro and in vivo. One of the immunotoxin approved for use by FDA is denileukin diftitox; major toxicities with this drug are acute hypersensitivity, vascular leak syndrome and impaired immune function. The latter two toxicities are due to nonspecific binding of immunotoxin to macrophages and activated lymphocytes. We hereby attempted to design an immunotoxin with unaltered efficacy and decreased toxicity. In these immunotoxins, modified diphtheria toxin (DT) acts as cytotoxic moiety and IL-2 as the targeting moiety for cancer cells that over express IL-2 receptor on their surface. IL-2 receptor has three subunits alpha, beta and gamma. Biological effect of IL2 is mediated through IL2 alpha beta gamma receptor and IL2 beta gamma receptor complexes expressed on T cells, B cells, macrophages and natural killer cells whereas IL2 alpha receptor is uniquely expressed on cancer cells and activated T cells. Targeting specifically alpha receptor eliminates toxicity. Our novel immunotoxin DT (1-390) IL-2 (3-68) is designed with the above strategy. In addition, because of its reduced size compared to denileukin diftitox we also assume better uptake by tumor and improved pharmacokinetics.
 We have cloned DT (1-387) his IL-2 (2-133), DT (1-390) IL-2 (3-68) and DT (1-390) into pET28b (+) vector with C terminal histag. The fragment encoding DT was obtained by PCR amplification from genomic DNA of Corynebacterium diphtheria and the fragment encoding IL-2 was obtained by RTPCR from PBMC isolated from blood. The two amplified fragments were simultaneous ligated into vector in correct reading frame. DT (1-387) his IL-2 (2-133) which is similar to denileukin diftitox and DT (1-387) in which receptor binding domain was deleted to avoid normal-tissue binding were used as positive and negative controls respectively. Over expression of these recombinant proteins was carried out by induction with 0.4mM IPTG at 37°C for two hours. Purification of these proteins was carried out by inclusion body isolation and affinity chromatography under denaturing conditions. Purity and molecular weight of the proteins were determined by SDS-PAGE analysis. The purified proteins were immunologically characterized by western blotting. Cytotoxicity and specificity of this protein to different IL-2 receptor subunits, was demonstrated by MTT assay and immunofluorescence in different leukemic cell lines.
 Cytotoxicity of this recombinant protein was observed to be more than denileukin diftitox for cells with higher alpha receptor expression whereas in cells expressing both alpha and beta receptor cytotoxicity varies from cell line to cell line. Cytotoxic activity was observed to be same as denileukin diftitox in case of K562 cell line and less than denileukin diftitox in case of KG1 and HUT78 cell lines. From this data we conclude that the novel immunotoxin has comparable efficacy to denileukin diftitox and is more specifically targeted to IL2 alpha receptor. Its probable decreased toxicity and increased uptake by tumor should be validated further.


Background/Aims Emerging data links different aspects of lipid metabolism to liver regeneration. In patients with acute liver failure (ALF), low levels of lipids may correlate with disease severity. Thus, we determined whether there is an etiology-specific link between lipid levels in patients suffering from ALF and aimed to investigate an effect of lipid levels on the prognosis of ALF. Methods In this retrospective single center study, we reviewed 89 consecutive ALF patients, who met the criteria of the "Acute Liver Failure Study Group". Patient characteristics, clinical data and laboratory parameters were individually analyzed at admission and correlated with the patients' outcome after a four week follow up. Possible endpoints were either discharge, or death or liver transplantation. Results High-density lipoprotein (HDL), cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly lower in patients who died or required a liver transplant. HDL levels were significantly higher in patients with ALF caused by acetaminophen intoxication, compared to fulminant HBV infection or drug induced liver injury. HDL levels correlated with hepatic injury by ALT levels, and Albumin, and inversely correlated with the MELD score, INR, and bilirubin. Conclusion In our cohort of patients with ALF, we could show that HDL and cholesterol are suppressed. In addition novel etiology specific patterns between acteminophen and non-acteminophen induced liver failure were detected for serum lipid components. Further studies are needed to address the role of cholesterol and lipid metabolism and the according pathways in different etiologies of ALF.


Individuals in the early stage of intense romantic love show many symptoms of substance and non-substance or behavioral addictions, including euphoria, craving, tolerance, emotional and physical dependence, withdrawal and relapse. We have proposed that romantic love is a natural (and often positive) addiction that evolved from mammalian antecedents by 4 million years ago as a survival mechanism to encourage hominin pair-bonding and reproduction, seen cross-culturally today in Homo sapiens. Brain scanning studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging support this view: feelings of intense romantic love engage regions of the brain's "reward system," specifically dopamine-rich regions, including the ventral tegmental area, also activated during drug and/or behavioral addiction. Thus, because the experience of romantic love shares reward pathways with a range of substance and behavioral addictions, it may influence the drug and/or behavioral addiction response. Indeed, a study of overnight abstinent smokers has shown that feelings of intense romantic love attenuate brain activity associated with cigarette cue-reactivity. Could socially rewarding experiences be therapeutic for drug and/or behavioral addictions? We suggest that "self expanding" experiences like romance and expanding one's knowledge, experience and self-perception, may also affect drug and/or behavioral addiction behaviors. Further, because feelings of romantic love can progress into feelings of calm attachment, and because attachment engages more plastic forebrain regions, there is a rationale for therapies that may help substance and/or behavioral addiction by promoting activation of these forebrain systems through long-term, calm, positive attachments to others, including group therapies. Addiction is considered a negative (harmful) disorder that appears in a population subset; while romantic love is often a positive (as well as negative) state experienced by almost all humans. Thus, researchers have not categorized romantic love as a chemical or behavioral addiction. But by embracing data on romantic love, it's classification as an evolved, natural, often positive but also powerfully negative addiction, and its neural similarity to many substance and non-substance addictive states, clinicians may develop more effective therapeutic approaches to alleviate a range of the addictions, including heartbreak–an almost universal human experience that can trigger stalking, clinical depression, suicide, homicide, and other crimes of passion.


Two heterotrophic, agarolytic bacteria were isolated from marine environments. A 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed the isolates (designated strains J42-3A(T) and 04OZ-AS15-7A) to be positioned in a separate lineage within the genus Psychromonas. Members of the genus Psychromonas are recognized as being psychrophilic or psychrotolerant, whereas none of the currently established Psychromonas species is known to be agarolytic. The DNA G+C contents of the isolates were about 42 mol% and the predominant cellular fatty acids were 16 : 1omega7c and 16 : 0. Based on the results of the phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses and DNA-DNA hybridization data, the isolates represent a novel species, for which the name Psychromonas agarivorans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is J42-3A(T) (=NBRC 104585(T)=KCTC 22285(T)).


This paper reports the preparation in large quantity of bifilar helix-like nanobelts of single crystalline Zn2SnO4, a face-centered cubic spinel and transparent semiconductor that possesses wide applications in photovoltaic devices and sensors for humidity and combustible gases, by using a unique approach that combines chemical vapor deposition, aluminothermal reaction, vapor-liquid-solid growth, mergence of polar planes, and kinetic control by steady-state turbulent flow. The bifilar helix-like nanobelt was formed by the twisting and merging of two independent Zn2SnO4 nanobelts, as analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. It had a periodicity along the axial direction and hence, is actually a super-lattice material. The photoluminescence measurements showed a strong light emission at 326.1 nm from the as-prepared sample with a line width of about 1.5 nm. The combined approach used in this study, in particular its aluminothermal reaction and steady-state turbulent gas flow perturbation steps, may be helpful in preparing other similar materials.


Laser Cladding is one of the leading processes within Additive Manufacturing technologies, which has concentrated a considerable amount of effort on its development. In regard to the latter, the current study aims to summarize the influence of the most relevant process parameters in the laser cladding processing of single and compound volumes (solid forms) made from AISI 316L stainless steel powders and using a coaxial nozzle for their deposition. Process speed, applied laser power and powder flow are considered to be the main variables affecting the laser cladding in single clads, whereas overlap percentage and overlapping strategy also become relevant when dealing with multiple clads. By setting appropriate values for each process parameter, the main goal of this paper is to develop a processing window in which a good metallurgical bond between the delivered powder and the substrate is obtained, trying simultaneously to maintain processing times at their lowest value possible. Conventional metallography techniques were performed on the cross sections of the laser tracks to measure the effective dimensions of clads, height and width, as well as the resulting dilution value. Besides the influence of the overlap between contiguous clads and layers, physical defects such as porosity and cracks were also evaluated. Optimum process parameters to maximize productivity were defined as 13 mm/s, 2500 W, 30% of overlap and a 25 g/min powder feed rate.


This work shows the experimental results of the superconductor-insulator (S-I) transition for ultra-thin Bi films in magnetic fields. The quench-condensed (q-c) Bi film onto insulating underlayers have been interpreted to be homogeneous. In contrast, the Bi film without underlayers has been regarded as a granular film. The electrical transport properties of ultra-thin metal films near the S-I transition depend on the structure of the film. In order to confirm the effect of the underlayer to the homogeneity of the superconducting films, we investigate the characteristics of S-I transitions of q-c nominally homogeneous Bi films on underlayers of two insulating materials, SiO, and Sb. Under almost the same deposition condition except for the material of underlayer, we prepared the Bi films by repeating the additional deposition and performed in-situ electrical measurement. It is found that the transport properties near the S-I transitions show the remarkable difference between two films on different underlayers. As for Bi films on SiO, it turned out that the temperature dependence of resistance per square Rsq(T) of the field-tuned transition and the thickness-tuned transition shows similar behavior; it was a thermally activated form. On the other hand, the Rsq(T) of Bi films on Sb for thickness-tuned S-I transition showed logarithmic temperature dependence, but that for field-tuned S-I transition showed a thermally activated form.


To this day, hyperparameter tuning remains a cumbersome task in Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) research, as researchers and practitioners are forced to invest a considerable amount of time in this task. This paper proposes adaptive weighted recurrence graph blocks (AWRG) for appliance feature representation in event-based NILM. An AWRG block can be combined with traditional deep neural network architectures such as Convolutional Neural Networks for appliance recognition. Our approach transforms one cycle per activation current into an weighted recurrence graph and treats the associated hyper-parameters as learn-able parameters. We evaluate our technique on two energy datasets, the industrial dataset LILACD and the residential PLAID dataset. The outcome of our experiments shows that transforming current waveforms into weighted recurrence graphs provides a better feature representation and thus, improved classification results. It is concluded that our approach can guarantee uniqueness of appliance features, leading to enhanced generalisation abilities when compared to the widely researched V-I image features. Furthermore, we show that the initialisation parameters of the AWRG's have a significant impact on the performance and training convergence.


This paper discusses the potential for automatic ocean surveillance using compact linear polarization (CL-pol) synthetic aperture radar (SAR), with large area coverage. Here, the target is a wind farm in the North Sea. The relative phase, as derived from CL-pol SAR, is employed for detection of the wind turbines, apart from the wind turbines' wakes, based on fine-mode quad-polarization (quad-pol) RADARSAT-2 (RS-2) images. The relative phase of CL-pol measurements improves the contrast between the wind turbines and their wakes, because it has opposite signs for these two entities. Moreover, there is almost no variation in the relative phase with respect to wind speed or incidence angle. The results are verified by high-sea-state cases, up to 8.7-m significant wave height and 24.3-m/s wind speed, and also 641 quad-pol RS-2 SAR images collocated with 52 National Data Buoy Center buoys at different incidence angles and sea states. Thus, the relative phase of CL-pol SAR provides new light into the problem of operational autodetection of man-made targets, under high-sea-state conditions, over large areas.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the origins and evolution of the concept of servitization by studying the definitions of servitization provided in the literature. Servitization represents an academic field that has grown rapidly since its inception. However, the conceptualization of servitization varies greatly, in part because of the number of studies on this topic and the fact that it has been analyzed in a range of disciplines using a number of theoretical approaches. There is a need to standardize the vocabulary to create a general definition that can support the development of theory in this domain and help legitimize servitization as a research area.

Design/methodology/approach
This study conducts a systematic, quantitative analysis of a broad set of definitions of servitization. Specifically, this study performs content analysis (combining co-word analysis and social network analysis) and consensus analysis. This study develops a strategic diagram to represent the morphology of the research network.

Findings
The definitions of servitization are deconstructed and analyzed in depth to create a comprehensive picture of the research on this topic. This analysis reveals the origins and evolution of this research area. The results show a low degree of consensus among scholars regarding the concept of servitization. This study proposes a definition that should be widely accepted thanks to its inclusion of the core terms from other definitions. Explicit recognition of multiple approaches to defining the term can help practitioners and researchers. Predictions about future progress in this area are discussed.

Originality/value
A universal definition of servitization is proposed based on the results of co-word and network analysis. This definition unifies a range of multidisciplinary viewpoints. From a practical perspective, the key vocabulary in servitization research is highlighted.


Purpose:  To assess the difference in intraocular pressure before and after Nd-YAG laser posterior capsulotomy.
Study Design:  Quasi-experimental study.
Place and Duration of Study:  Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust Eye Hospital, Karachi, from July 2021 to October 2021.
Methods:  Patients of both gender with posterior capsular opacification (PCO) after cataract surgery, were included. Age ranged between 40 and 60 years. Patients with less than 6 months of surgery were excluded. Patients with posterior segment pathology like glaucoma, uveitis, high myopia, diabetic retinopathy, macular pathology, and hereditary fundus dystrophies were excluded from the study. After detailed history, complete ocular examination was performed. After pupil dilatation, YAG laser capsulotomy was done.IOP was measured with Goldmann Applanation Tonometer after instilling a topical anesthetic agent. Post-YAG, IOP was again measured at 1 hour and on day 1. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25. Paired T-tests were used to assess the significance of any change in IOP.
Results:  Ninety eyes of 90 patients were inducted into the study in which 51 (57%) were male and 39 (43%) were female. The age varied from 40 to 60 years (mean 52.3 ± 10.25 years). There was no statistically significant difference between pre-YAG and post-YAG IOP. Similarly, no difference in IOP was found depending upon the age of the patients. No significant change was observed after 1 hour and 1 day in both groups with P > 0.05.
Conclusion:  This showed no significant change in intraocular pressure at one hour and one day, after Nd-YAG laser posterior capsulotomy.


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Abstract We examined the blood concentrations of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and citrullinated alpha enolase peptide-1 (CEP-1) antibody in sepsis patients to evaluate their potential diagnostic, classified and prognostic utility together with C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6). Sixty-nine patients admitted at the emergency department with sepsis were studied, on admission, their demographic and clinical information were recorded. Blood levels of CRP, PCT, IL-6, NGAL, and CEP-1 antibody were measured. Relationships between sequential [sepsis-related] organ failure assessment score and blood biomarkers, between acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score and blood biomarkers were investigated. Additionally, the mutual correlation among CRP, PCT, IL-6, NGAL, and CEP-1 antibody were investigated. Diagnostic and predictive values for clinical outcomes for biomarkers were assessed by receiver operator characteristic curve. Sixty-nine participants (38 sepsis, 31 septic shock) were compared with 40 healthy controls. The levels of CRP, PCT, IL-6, and NGAL were significantly higher in sepsis patients ([59.49 ± 48.88]; 0.71, [0.13–11.72]; 60.46, [33.26–201.20]; 265.61, [185.79–500.96], respectively) compared with healthy controls ([2.05 ± 1.85]; 0.02, [0.02–0.03]; 12.08, [7.22–16.84]; 19.73, [7.66–34.39], respectively) (P < .001). CRP, PCT, IL-6, and NGAL had better discriminatory performance with an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) of (0.98; 0.98; 0.90; 0.97, respectively), 95% confidence interval (CI) = ([0.95; 1.00]; [0.96; 1.00]; [0.84; 0.96]; [0.94; 1.00], respectively) (P < .001), with a cut off value of (8.02 mg/L [Se = 88.40%, Sp = 100.00%]; 0.06 ng/mL [Se = 94.20%, Sp = 75.00%]; 30.63 pg/mL [Se = 78.30%, Sp = 95.00%]; 95.72 ng/mL [Se = 99.00%, Sp = 92.00%], respectively). Between the sepsis group and septic shock group, PCT and NGAL were significantly higher in septic shock group (2.44, [0.49–20.36]; 294.65 [203.34–1262.47], respectively) compared with sepsis group (0.41, [0.11–2.63]; 219.94, [146.38–385.24], respectively) (P < .05). Between survivors group and nonsurvivors group, PCT was obviously elevated in nonsurvivors group (2.47, [0.70–12.49]) compare with survivors group (0.41, [0.11–8.16]) (P < .05), with an AUC of 0.69, 95% CI = (0.57; 0.81) (P < .05), while CEP-1 antibody was decreased in nonsurvivors group (14.03, [4.94–17.17]) contrast to survivors group (18.78, [8.08–39.72]) (P < .05), with an AUC of 0.67, 95% CI = (0.54; 0.80) (P < .05). Additionally, CEP-1 antibody demonstrated a negative correlation with either sequential [sepsis-related] organ failure assessment score (r = −0.31, P < .05) or PCT (r = −0.27, P < .05). As CRP, PCT, and IL-6, NGAL was valuable in sepsis diagnosis. With a classificatory value, PCT and NGAL correlated with the degree severity of sepsis. PCT and CEP-1 antibody were meaningful in sepsis prognosis. CEP-1 antibody may be a protective factor for sepsis.


Pharmaceuticals that suppress HIV-1 viremia preserve CD4+ T cells and prevent AIDS. Nonetheless, HIV-1 infected people taking these drugs have chronic inflammation attributable to persistent disruption of intestinal barrier function with increased rates of cardiovascular mortality. To better understand the etiology of this inflammation we examined the effect of HIV-1 infection on innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). These innate immune counterparts of T cells lack clonotypic antigen receptors, classify according to signature transcription factors and cytokines, and maintain homeostasis in inflamed tissues. Based on the precedent in mice, human ILCs have been defined, in part, by the IL-7Rα, CD127. Here we report that the vast majority of type 1 and 3 ILCs in human adult and placental cord blood are in fact CD127-, as are colon lamina propria ILC1s and many ILC3s. Among ILCs, CD127-ILC1s were the major producer of inflammatory cytokines. In contrast to CD127+ILC3s, CD127-ILC3s did not produce IL-22, a cytokine that maintains epithelial barrier function. In HIV-1+ people taking antivirals that preserve CD4+ T cells, CD127-ILC1s and all homeostatic cytokine-producing CD127+ILCs were depleted from blood and colon. Common γ-chain cytokines that are reported to be elevated in response to HIV-1 infection caused JAK3-dependent downregulation of CD127 and converted CD127-ILC1s into NK cells with heightened cytolytic activity. Consistent with the recent report that human blood CD117+ILCs give rise to both ILC1s and NK cells, pseudotemporal clustering of transcriptomes from thousands of individual cells identified a developmental trajectory from CD127-ILC1s to memory NK cells that was defined by WNT-transcription factor TCF7. WNT inhibition prevented the cytokine-induced transition of CD127-ILC1 cells into memory NK cells. In HIV-1+ people, effector NK cells and TCF7+ memory NK cells were elevated, concomitant with reduction in CD127-ILC1s. These studies describe previously overlooked human ILC subsets that are significant in number and function, identify profound abnormalities in homeostatic ILCs that likely contribute to ongoing inflammation in HIV-1 infection despite control of viremia, provide explanation for increased memory NK cells in HIV-1 infection, and reveal functional plasticity of ILCs.


ABSTRACT This study demonstrates the adsorption experiments of toxic dyes malachite green (MG) and Rhodamine B (RB) on Fe3O4-loaded activated carbon (AC). AC, which is known to be a high-capacity adsorbent, was aimed to be easily separated from aqueous media by loading it with Fe3O4. Fe3O4-loaded AC was prepared by the coprecipitation method and named magnetic activated carbon (M-AC), and the produced M-AC was characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and pHpzc analyses. MG and RB adsorption by the M-AC was performed separately by batch technique and the effects of adsorbent amount, solution pH, and initial dye concentration on the adsorption were explored. Maximum removal efficiencies were found to be 96.11% for MG and 98.54% for RB, and the Langmuir isotherm model was the most fitted isotherm model for the adsorption. The kinetic and thermodynamic studies showed that the adsorption proceeded via the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and endothermic in-nature for both dyes. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Attractive and versatile, Sarah Coventry(R) jewelry was produced from 1949 through 1984 and is extremely popular with today's collectors. This carefully researched and stunningly photographed book provides detailed information about the items produced, including dates of manufacture and names furnished by the company. Organized chronologically, the book features hundreds of striking brooches, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and sets, including those from the exclusive Lord and Lady Coventry Collection. Original catalog material and company newsletters are used to illustrate the versatility and widespread appeal of this delightful jewelry. Includes company overview, interviews with former employees, collector tips, glossary, and extensive index. Current market values are provided for all items.


A approach to design a novel constant beamwidth beamformer used in underwater sonar system was proposed. In the proposed algorithm, the FIR digital filters based on a batch back-propagation neural network with a variable learning rate mode and combined with digital-delay-lines were used to weight the received signals. Simulation of the proposed algorithm was done on an array of 16-sensors equally spaced line array. The results show that the broadband beamformer based on FIR filter designed by BP neural networks had better performance. Meanwhile, the computation of designed broadband beamformer can be effectively reduced since the design of FIR filter were symmetrical structure.


Application of geospatial information has been rapidly spreading in a variety of fields as technology advances. Particularly in disaster prevention and mitigation field, it plays critical role in all stages such as visualizing of disaster risk (hazard mapping), grasping overall situation of damage, supporting rescue and relief activities, underpinning recovery and revitalization planning and sharing of disaster information. The importance of geospatial information for disaster reduction is widely recognized in international community as described in Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. In this presentation, we will discuss the role of geospatial information under the situation of disaster. We categorized the role of geospatial information in the event of disaster into four; 1) grasping the overall situation of disaster rapidly and precisely (e.g. aerial photo taking, remote sensing, aerial photo interpretation, mashup and visualization of information on map); 2) surveying the change of land in detail (e.g. crustal deformation observation, InSAR analysis); 3) providing the basis for reconstruction and revitalization (e.g. resurvey of control points, large-scale map for reconstruction planning, process management using GIS); and 4) analyzing the disaster to prepare subsequent disasters which can occur in the future (e.g. analysis of crustal deformation, fault modelling, geographic survey, update of disaster reduction plan). To scrutinize the actual utilization of geospatial information, we carried out a questionnaire survey targeted to national and local organizations which took part in disaster management after the completion of the first stage of response for the Kanto-Tohoku heavy rain disaster in September 2015. Following five major works were extracted based on the results; damage prediction, understanding damage situation, work plan, materials for supporting emergency forces and disaster damage assessment. In particular, detailed elevation data were used for estimation of the flooded area, and aerial images were effective for understanding the disaster situation in detail. In addition, the result of interpretation for the flooded area was used to operation planning and orthographic images were utilized for a field survey and damage assessment. In disaster response, rapidness, sureness and effectiveness of correspondence are essential. Therefore, the following two viewpoints are important for the effective use of geospatial information in disaster response; ready for use, and reliable. GSI will continuously provide useful geospatial information to support disaster response, rescue work and restoration activities under the close relationship with disaster management organizations.


SUMMARY We investigated the impact of Acacia drepanolobium, a species threatening rangeland resources including Gum-resin production and pastoralists' livelihoods in Borana. Data were collected through vegetation surveys, key informant interviews, use of formal questionnaires and focus group discussions. We found a total of 22 woody species in the study area. A. drepanolobium was found to be the most dominant (22%) and abundant (65%) invasive woody species with an importance value index (IVI) of 103. According to our respondents, A. drepanolobium was the first widely expanded woody species followed by Dichrostachys cinerea and A. mellifera. Eighty seven percent of our respondents ranked A. drepanolobium as the most invading woody species during their life time. Overall, our results demonstrated that the impact of A. drepanolobium had greatly affected the condition of rangeland vegetation. The implication is that the reduction in the capacity of rangelands for livestock grazing could reduce the resilience of local livelihood under changing environmental conditions. Furthermore, pastoralists' perception indicated that the expansion of A. drepanolobium had reduced the survival of Gum-resin producing species. Generally, the shift from cattle based pastoral economy to mixed livestock types could be attributed to the expansion of A. drepanolobium that forced the community to shift their mode of production. We confirmed that A. drepanolobium is an invasive indigenous woody species with multiple effects on the ecology of rangelands and on the livelihood security of pastoral communities.


The general subject of this work proposes the articulation between the complexity field (understood as a interdisciplinary study area and not as an uniform theory) and the elaboration of public policies. The initial idea to sustain is that the methods to performed public policies that come from "classic science" do not solve in a satisfactory way the society problems. That is why it is necessary to develop a public policies method that comes from the complexity field, more specifically, based on the notion of "complexity system" It is understood by "public policies"


Abstract Tephritomyia Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a fruitfly genus currently with eight species, all of which develop in flowerheads of Echinops L. spp. (Asteraceae: Cardueae). Most species in the genus are restricted to the Afrotropical Region, but T. despoliata (Hering), T. lauta (Loew), and T. sericea Munro are found only in the Palearctic Region. Tephritomyia lauta was reared from Echinops viscosus DC. but no information on the life history of any other species has been available so far. The phylogeny and geographic origin of the genus have not been studied to date. In the present work, we revise Tephritomyia based on a thorough morphological and cladistc study of all the species, and provide keys and illustrations for all of them. We describe 14 new species, and provide the first descriptions and illustrations of immature stages for this genus. Host-plant records are given for 12 species, including new records for T. lauta. Tephritomyia xiphias Bezzi is assigned to nomina dubia. Our cladistic analysis supports the monophyly of Tephritomyia as defined here, and the limitations of a morphology-based cladistic analysis of this genus are discussed. We conclude that Tephritomyia originated in Africa, and hypothesize that it is most speciose in the Afrotropics as a result of weaker competition over host plants (Echinops spp.) than in other zoogeographic regions.


Gerstenmaier and Wachutka have published in PRE 86, 056703 (2012) a new approach (in this paper denoted as G/W approach) to optimizing the material grading in thermoelectric (TE) converters by means of a generalized Lagrange multiplier method. This powerful method allows considering all relevant performance maximization problems within both the "x‐domain" and the "T‐domain"; in the latter case the compatibility approach has been recovered by independent proof. Here, we adapt the G/W approach to optimizing spatial TE material profiles in order to get maximum electrical power output of a graded thermogenerator with fixed length. The new findings are compared with results previously published. This particularly applies the comparison of the optimal Seebeck coefficients for maximum efficiency and maximum power output.


The emergence of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals has generated great fundamental and technical interest in recent years. The size dependent emission property for Cadmium Selenide quantum dots renders it indispensable in the field of nanocrystal-based emitters used in electronic and bioelectronic devices. Investigation of these semiconductor quantum dots reveals the evolution of the electronic structure from an extended solid state to the molecular limit, an extremely important issue of basic and applied research in condensed matter physics. The work presented in this book mainly deals with the synthesis and characterization of chemically synthesized CdSe nanoparticles. A detailed investigation of the optical, structural and morphological properties of CdSe QDs and their correlation with both core and surface has been carried out. The theoretical aspect of quantum confinement and stability of CdSe quantum dots with organic and inorganic layers, are correlated to understand the surface modification aspects. Finally CdSe-polymer nanocomposites were discussed for their potential application in biomarkers and photo-electronic devices.


Due to the limited number of registered guidance counselors (RGCs) in the Philippines, public high schools are compelled to appoint classroom teachers as guidance advocates and perform the duties and responsibilities of an RGC, specifically facilitating counseling to learners. With their lack of training and fundamental knowledge, differing orientations, and demanding and overlapping work as classroom teachers and at the same time as guidance advocates, the participants are having difficulty practicing one of the ethical codes in the counseling profession – ethical bracketing; thus, its delivery is put to jeopardy. This study used descriptive phenomenological analysis to explore the lived experiences of guidance advocates on their practice of ethical bracketing in facilitating counseling services. Data were collected via unstructured in-depth interviews and analyzed using Lichtman's three (3) C's of Data Analysis, retaining only relevant themes: predicaments in ethical bracketing, factors for good ethical bracketing, transformation through counseling experiences, and counseling practice as a calling. The participants did not just overcome the challenges they had faced in practice but experienced transformations that significantly impacted their perspective about themselves, their counselees, and the counseling profession. The findings of this study serve as baseline information in creating a training program that can address the concerns of the guidance advocates on their practice of ethical bracketing in facilitating counseling services.


The Resource Use section of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program has done a canvas of wood processing mills for timber product output (TPO) throughout the southern United States. Pulpmills in the South are canvassed on an annual basis, while all other mills (e.g., sawmills, veneer mills, etc.) are canvassed every two years. Attempts have been made to graph and map the amount of pulpwood harvested compared to the acres of forest treated (cut) in order to provide more information on harvesting rate or intensity (i.e., volume harvested per acre). It appears that one county's worth of plots is not enough data to accurately estimate the cutting rate in a county. The authors advocate smoothing the apparent cutting rate, with one suggested model being logistic regression based on forest density and ownership patterns in a county.


Longibrachins are members of the class of natural Aib-containing peptides designated as peptaibols. Six longibrachins, LGA I-IV and LGB II and III, were purified from a Trichoderma longibrachiatum strain by a procedure employing several chromatography steps including reversed-phase HPLC. The amino acid sequence determination was based on a combination of liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) and two-dimensional 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Longibrachins are 20-residue peptaibols with a C-terminal phenylalaninol and either neutral (LGA; Gln18) or acidic (LGB; Glu18) character. Longibrachins LGB II and III have novel sequences. Both longibrachins LGA and LGB show significant bactericidal activity against mycoplasmas (Acholeplasma, Mycoplasma, and Spiroplasma), with minimal inhibitory concentrations in the range 1.56-12.5 microM (3-25 micrograms/mL), and also perturb the permeability of membrane bilayers. Longibrachin LGA IV is the most potent of the presently known 18-20-residue peptaibols. The antimicrobial and membrane-perturbing properties of longibrachins, which are described here for the first time, were shown to be correlated.


Sony has something for beginning photographers, or those just going digital: an excellent entry-level D-SLR with a 10.2MP sensor, High ISO sensitivity range to 3200, and High ISO Noise Reduction technology. The 40-segment honeycomb, with its spot and center-weighted metering systems, offers outstanding exposure accuracy. And the Super SteadyShot image stabilization systems increase a novice's ability to achieve quality photos. Newcomers eager to master all the basics, and make the most of their new equipment, will find both the Magic Lantern Guides and the DVD Guide essential components of their photography kit.


A computer-aided approach to teaching undergraduate course in electronics is discussed in this paper. It is shown that the symbolic manipulation packages like MAPLE give an additional insight that cannot be obtained by using a numerical simulation package like SPICE. Symbolic manipulation (MAPLE) and numerical simulation (SPICE)-an excellent complementary combination-can enable the students to analyze and understand complicated circuits.


In this work, a variable-pulse-oscillator is developed and coupled with a burst-mode amplifier for generation of high-energy laser pulses with width of 100 ps to 1 ms and near-Gaussian temporal pulse shape. Pulse energy as high as 600 mJ is demonstrated at 1064 nm, with a super-Gaussian spatial profile and beam quality as good as 1.6 times the diffraction limit. A time-dependent pulse amplification model is developed and is in general agreement with experimentally measured values of output pulse energy and temporal pulse shape of the amplified pulses. Key performance parameters (pulse energy, temporal pulse shape, and spatial beam profile and quality) are analyzed as a function of pulse width across seven orders of magnitude. Additionally, the model is used to elucidate deviations between the simulated and experimental data, showing that the relationship between pulse width and output pulse energy is dominated by the variable-pulse-width oscillator performance, not the burst-mode amplifier.


As the pace of global warming accelerates, scholars in different disciplines work together to identify climate changes in the preindustrial past. Historians and anthropologists have argued that these changes repeatedly influenced the fortunes of sprawling empires and hunter-gatherer communities alike. As this "climate history" grows in popularity and legitimacy, teachers and professors have sought to incorporate it within high school and introductory college courses. Yet many quickly found that the field's most important publications are either too technical, too dense, too narrowly focused, too expensive, or too dated for junior students. What they lacked was a slim survey that synthesized in plain language the most cutting-edge scholarship of humanity's experience with climate change throughout history. Enter Climate Change in Human History, a collaboration between Lieberman, a wide-ranging twentieth-century historian, and Gordon, a geoscientist. In just 193 pages, Lieberman and Gordon take students from the end of the great Ice Ages to the manufactured controversies that surround present-day climate change. They draw exclusively on secondary sources, although the voices of historical actors struggling with climate change in literate societies occasionally add some color. After a brief introduction that lightly touches on a selection of key concepts in climate history, the book proceeds chronologically. Its first chapter explains how climate changes on the grandest scales shaped the evolution and migration of Homo sapiens. The second chapter traces the consequences of the frigid Younger Dryas 12,000 years ago and then describes how warming set the stage for the emergence of agriculture. The chapter explains how regional and, at times, global climatic fluctuations influenced the emergence of complex societies and the heyday of the Roman and Han Empires. The fourth chapter traces the European benefits of the warm Medieval Climate Anomaly, and the complex global repercussions of precipitation changes, from antiquity to the fourteenth century. The fifth chapter focuses on decline and disaster in the cooler Little Ice Age, ending with the calamitous explosion of Mount Tambora in 1815. The sixth chapter explains how industrialization and the energy revolution freed a growing share of humanity from the constraints of climate. The seventh chapter surveys the worldwide consequences of anthropogenic global warming, and the eighth briefly describes climate models, projections, controversies, and international agreements. At its best, Climate Change in Human History provides clear, succinct, and remarkably nuanced summaries of case studies that draw from diverse, multidisciplinary scholarship. For example, its treatment of the disappearance of Norse settlements in Greenland—a classic story of collapse amid the onset of the Little Ice Age—outlines the subsistence and economic strategies of the Greenlandic Norse, describes the regional consequences of climatic cooling, surveys Norse adaptation strategies, and contrasts different explanations for the Norse disappearance—all in three pages! Reviews


Bistranded clustered DNA damages involving oxidized bases, abasic sites, and strand breaks are produced by ionizing radiation and radiomimetic drugs, but it was not known whether they can be formed by other agents, e.g., nonionizing radiation. UV radiation produces clusters of cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimers, photoproducts that occur individually in high yield. Since long-wavelength UV (290-400 nm) radiation induces oxidized bases, abasic sites, and strand breaks at low yields, we tested whether it also produces clusters containing these lesions. We exposed supercoiled pUC18 DNA to UV radiation with wavelengths of >290 nm (UVB plus UVA radiation), and assessed the induction of bistranded clustered oxidized purine and abasic clusters, as recognized by Escherichia coli Fpg protein and E. coli Nfo protein (endonuclease IV), respectively, as well as double-strand breaks. These three classes of bistranded clusters were detected, albeit at very low yields (37 Fpg-OxyPurine clusters Gbp(-1) kJ(-1) m(2), 8.1 double-strand breaks Gbp(-1) kJ(-1) m(2), and 3.4 Nfo-abasic clusters Gbp(-1) kJ(-1) m(2)). Thus, these bistranded OxyPurine clusters, abasic clusters, and double-strand breaks are not uniquely induced by ionizing radiation and radiomimetic drugs, but their level of production by UVB and UVA radiation is negligible compared to the levels of frequent photoproducts such as pyrimidine dimers.


This thesis focuses on the issues related to the thermal diagnostics aboard the space mission LISA Pathfinder (LPF). LPF is a technological mission devoted to put to test critical subsystems for the LISA mission. LISA will be the first space born gravitational wave (GW) observatory with the main objective of detecting GWs. GWs are ripples of the space-time geometry caused by acceleration of masses in an asymmetric way. Their detection requires put test masses (TMs) in an almost perfect inertial frame (or free fall).Non-inertial forces perturbing the TMs must be less than 6 fN/sqrt(Hz) in the frequency range of 0.1 mHz to 0.1 Hz and the noise in the measurement between the TMs (separated by 5 Gm) must be of 40 pm/sqrt(Hz) in the same band. To reduce the risks of a direct launch of LISA, ESA has decided to first launch LPF to put all the LISA technologies to test.The payload of LPF, the LISA Technology Package (LTP), contains two TMs placed in two cylinders inside a single spacecraft (SC) and an interferometric system that measures the relative distance between them. The SC isolates the TMs from the external disturbances but internal stray forces will still perturb the TMs. Their levels must be bounded not to challenge the free fall accuracy. One of these disturbances is temperature fluctuations and the aspects related to their measurement are the leitmotif of this thesis.In chapter 1 we have presented how temperature fluctuations couple into the key subsystems of the LTP to degrade their performance. The foreseen effects are radiation pressure, radiometer effect, temperature coefficient of optical components, etc. Onground estimations conclude that the temperature stability in the LTP must be less than 100 microK/sqrt(Hz) in the frequency range of 1 mHz to 30 mHz (LTP band). Since temperature fluctuations are an important issue in LPF and in LISA, a thermal diagnostic subsystem is needed aboard both missions.The task of the thermal diagnostics in the LTP is twofold: on the one hand, temperature fluctuations in different subsystems must be measured with noise levels of 10 microK/sqrt(Hz) in the LTP band. On the other hand, a set of heaters will generate heat pulses that in conjunction with temperature measurements will be used to estimate the actual coupling between temperature and systems performance. These actions will provide information on the behaviour of the system and will permit to identify the fraction of noise in the system coming from temperature issues. The main function of LPF, as precursor mission of LISA, is the understanding of all the noise sources in the system. This will provide clues to the final leap from LPF sensitivity to LISA one.The main investigations carried out during this thesis can be split into three main categories: (i) the design and validation of the LTP temperature measurement subsystem (TMS); (ii) the extension of the system to the LISA requirements; and (iii) the analysis of the in-flight thermal experiments in the LTP. The thesis is organised as follows: in chapter 2 we describe the designed electronics and the temperature sensors chosen. Aspects related to the coupling of the TMS with other subsystems nearby are discussed in chapter 3. Chapter 4 focuses on the design of the testbed needed for the validation of the TMS. Two different testbeds are described: one for the LTP measurement bandwidth (MBW) and another one for the LISA MBW, 0.1 mHz. In chapter 5 we present the results of the test campaigns: the prototype, the engineering model and the flight model systems were put to test. The results of the investigations in the LISA band are also shown. Chapter 6 contains investigations in view of LISA requirements to reduce excess noise at very low frequency and to reduce the floor noise of the measurement. Chapter 7 focuses on the thermal experiment on-board LPF: a set of thermal excitations are proposed to extract information of the thermal behaviour of the key subsystems of the LTP.


Analyzing the case histories of 5 patients with Goodpasture's syndrome who have admitted to an emergency clinic for suspected tuberculosis leads to the conclusion that the onset of the disease appeared as intoxication and lung damage, and evolving general weakness, fever, cough. Hemopoiesis appeared just when overall clinical manifestations appeared, it varied from single sputum blood filaments to more frequent mows of pure red blood sputum for several weeks, but there was never an increasing hourly progressively and this failed to cause a rapid drop of hemoglobin. Anemia is attributable by pulmonary blood imbibition, intoxication, and suppressed hemopoiesis in renal failure rather than by external blood loss as hemoptysis.


Abstract Low intake of diverse complementary foods causes critical nutrient gaps in the diets of young children. Inadequate nutrient intake in the first 2 years of life can lead to poor health, educational, and economic outcomes. In this study, the extent to which food affordability is a barrier to consumption of several nutrients critical for child growth and development was examined in Ethiopia, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Drawing upon data from nutrient gap assessments, household surveys, and food composition tables, current consumption levels were assessed, the cost of purchasing key nutritious foods that could fill likely nutrient gaps was calculated, and these costs were compared with current household food expenditure. Vitamin A is affordable for most households (via dark leafy greens, orange-fleshed vegetables, and liver) but only a few foods (fish, legumes, dairy, dark leafy greens, liver) are affordable sources of iron, animal-source protein, or calcium, and only in some countries. Zinc is ubiquitously unaffordable. For unaffordable nutrients, approaches to reduce prices, enhance household production, or increase household resources for nutritious foods are needed.


Pineapple marketing plays a pivot role in fostering and sustaining the tempo of rural development. It assumes greater economic importance in the international market and earns substantial foreign exchange to the nation as a whole. It is apparent that apart from the economic importance of pineapple production, it has got greater potentiality in generative income and employment at farm level. This book has signify and confirm the economics of pineapple marketing for improving market infrastructure, direct and group marketing, establishment of modern marketing and processing units, market integration and the improvement of the overall efficiency of the marketing system. I hope the finding of the present marketing study would go a long way in guiding the policy makers, administrators, economists, researchers and extension workers to develop, such policies and programmes which would help the stakeholders in raising their level of production and income. I hope that this will be a useful addition to the discipline of agricultural marketing.


The huge investment in the design and production of multicore processors may be put at risk because the emerging highly miniaturized but unreliable fabrication technologies will impose significant barriers to the life-long reliable operation of future chips. Extremely complex, massively parallel, multi-core processor chips fabricated in these technologies will become more vulnerable to: (a) environmental disturbances that produce transient (or soft) errors, (b) latent manufacturing defects as well as aging/wearout phenomena that produce permanent (or hard) errors, and (c) verification inefficiencies that allow important design bugs to escape in the system. In an effort to cope with these reliability threats, several research teams have recently proposed multicore processor architectures that provide low-cost dependability guarantees against hardware errors and design bugs. This paper focuses on dependable multicore processor architectures that integrate solutions for online error detection, diagnosis, recovery, and repair during field operation. It discusses taxonomy of representative approaches and presents a qualitative comparison based on: hardware cost, performance overhead, types of faults detected, and detection latency. It also describes in more detail three recently proposed effective architectural approaches: a software-anomaly detection technique (SWAT), a dynamic verification technique (Argus), and a core salvaging methodology.


Amongst the treatable cause of blindness among young people, fungal keratitis ranks high. There are an estimated 1,051,787 to 1,480,916 eyes affected annually, with 8–11% of patients having to have the eye removed. Diagnosis requires a corneal scraping, direct microscopy and fungal culture with a large number of airborne fungi implicated. Treatment involves the intensive application of antifungal eye drops, preferably natamycin, often combined with surgery. In low-resource settings, inappropriate corticosteroid eye drops, ineffective antibacterial therapy, diagnostic delay or no diagnosis all contribute to poor ocular outcomes with blindness (unilateral or bilateral) common. Modern detailed guidelines on fungal keratitis diagnosis and management are lacking. Here, we argue that fungal keratitis should be included as a neglected tropical disease, which would facilitate greater awareness of the condition, improved diagnostic capability, and access to affordable antifungal eye medicine.


Newcastle disease is one of the most important diseases of poultry with wide distribution and high fatalities. An infection with a virulent strain can cause up to 100% fatality in a susceptible flock, with devastating economic losses. In-feed antibiotics are not directly effective against Newcastle disease virus (NDV), but they may assist in prevent associated production problems. With in-feed antibiotics being controlled or banned, prebiotics, particularly those sourced from spices, and probiotics have been investigated as potential alternatives for maintaining seroconversion in poultry vaccinated against NDV. Certain prebiotics have a positive effect on anti-NDV antibodies but using spices as sources of prebiotics gave no clearly defined results. Garlic extract was reported to increase the mean haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titre of NDV by 0.6 after two weeks of supplementation, increasing titres by 4.0 in the vaccinated group compared to an increase of 3.4 in vaccinated unsupplemented group. However, onion-based compounds did not improve anti-NDV antibodies. The majority of studies have found that probiotics improved antibody levels and seroconversion to NDV vaccines in poultry. A commercial probiotic, containing a mixture of Bacillus species and Saccharomyces boulardii when used at a concentration of 100 g/ton was found to significantly increase the anti-NDV titre (log2) from 5.00 to 5.50. Another commercial probiotic, consisting of a combination of bacteria, reduced mortality by 6.6% at a concentration of 1 g/kg. Additional studies are needed to define the conditions and forms in which both the pre- and pro-biotics work best with respect to NDV control.


This article describes expiratory spirometry manoeuvres. It examines equipment care and maintenance, patient preparation, basic techniques, reproducibility and how to ensure technical acceptability and correct common errors.


The form I coding region of Shigella sonnei was cloned and shown to have an operon-like rfb organization. It was found that the 11.0 kb HindIII-XbaI fragment of pHH201 encoding the form I antigen contains 10 contiguous open reading frames (ORF), ORF1 to ORF10. Deletions from either end of pHH201, within ORF1 or ORF10, eliminated form I expression. ORF1 and ORF2 share significant nucleic and amino acids homologies to two ORF's of the Salmonella typhi Vi antigen genes. ORF5 in pHH201 is identical to IS630. pHH2064, derived from pHH201, lacks the IS630 element and can stably express the form I antigen inE. coli HB101. However, pHH2064 is structurally unstable in a S. sonnei form II host. This indicates that the presence of the IS630 gene within the S. sonnei rfb operon may be necessary for the stability of form I expression in S. sonnei. This finding is substantiated by the observation that all virulent S. sonnei isolates examined in this study retained the IS630 element within their rfb operon.


In this translation of a summary of a paper published in Population (September-October 1969), the results of a 1968 survey of 2300 married women by the French National Institute for Demographic Studies to determine 1) women's attitudes toward ideal age at marriage and childbearing practice, 2) motivations behind these attitudes, and 3) comparisons of attitudes with actual behavior, are presented. Women seem to have a more marked desire than previously for family planning. The family size judged to be most favorable to the economic and social success of parents and children does not correspond with the size judged most favorable to the moral and intellectual development of the child.


We report on light emission from biased metallic single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT), multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT) and few-layer graphene (FLG) devices. SWNT devices were assembled from tubes with different diameters in the range 0.7-1.5 nm. They emit light in the visible spectrum with peaks at 1.4 and 1.8 eV. Similar peaks are observed for MWNT and FLG devices. We propose that this light emission is due to phonon-assisted radiative decay from populated pi* band states at the M point to the Fermi level at the K point. Since for most carbon nanotubes as well as for graphene the energy of unoccupied states at the M point is close to 1.6 eV, the observation of two emission peaks at approximately 1.6 +/- approximately 0.2 eV could indicate radiative decay under emission or absorption of optical phonons, respectively.


Over the last few decades, Latin American societies have undergone structural and secular reforms that have caused far-reaching social fragmentation extending over many spheres of social life. It is therefore pertinent to ask whether this has affected the socially shared notions that define a common sense of belonging. What has happened to such sentiments and how have they changed in the heat of the changes that have taken place in the region? This article analyses the weakening of two institutions capable of engaging individuals and generating shared perceptions, wishes and values, which had become key mechanisms of integration and social cohesion in the past: namely school and work. In this context, the article reviews the experiences and meaning of school and work for young people from the most disadvantaged sectors of the population, and the emergence of new competing institutions that display increasing capacity to engage and give meaning.


Structural, textural, mineralogic, microthermometric, and isotopic data obtained on the Biards Sb-Au district, located in the south Limousin area (Massif Central, France) provide new evidence for the tectonic setting of stibnite and gold deposition during the late orogenic Variscan collapse in western Europe.

A variety of geologic and geophysical data define a major, crustal-scale, left-lateral strike-slip shear zone that acted as a trap for Sb-Au mineralization. During these movements, fault-fill veins and then extensional veins of limited extent were created along rheologic heterogeneities that focused brittle deformation. Geometry and orientation of both vein sets indicate two main episodes of emplacement of ore related to a progressive wrench movement in response to an counterclockwise rotation of the regional stress axes.

Both veins sets are filled by quartz and sulfides in three stages: an early arsenopyrite-pyrite stage with fine-grained quartz, a sphalerite-Pb, Sb sulfosalt-native gold stage with comb quartz, and a late stibnite-berthierite stage with comb quartz. Combined fluid inclusion and stable isotope studies on quartz, muscovite, and sulfides reveal that the three stages result from the continuous evolution of a deep-seated hydrothermal system in which the latest stages mixed with meteoric water. These data argue for cooling and a pressure drop during ore deposition and indicate a shallow level of emplacement for Sb-Au veins.

A comparison of the Biards deposits with other upper Paleozoic gold and antimony deposits in the Massif Central, the western Variscides, and elsewhere in the world illustrates their common association with crustal-scale, strike-slip shear zones. The Upper Carboniferous age (305–300 Ma) of the Sb-Au deposits indicates that they formed during the early stages of the postthickening extension of the Variscan lithosphere. Sb-Au–bearing strike-slip shear zones resulted from the late Variscan crustal collapse guided by the very large scale dextral shearing between central Europe, northern Africa, and the northern Appalachians, and associated with the opening of the paleo-Tethys and the closing of the Theic ocean during the late Paleozoic Gondwana-Laurasia translation.


A simple metamaterial loading scheme for a helical slowwave structure was proposed in lieu of a conventional metal vane loading. The proposed structure consists of a helix in a metal envelope supported by rectangular dielectric rods each with I-shaped metal-strip epsilon-negative metamaterial printed on both of its radial faces. Our study, based on CST simulation, showed that the proposed simple structure gives controlled dispersion as obtained by the conventional vane-loaded helix with large interaction impedance values even higher than those of the latter.


Abstract In this article, knowledge building through combinations of methods in a digital context is discussed and explored. Two types of digital bigger and smaller data-driven media studies are used as examples: digital focus groups and the combination of internet traffic measurements, surveys and diaries. The article proposes the concept of digital method triangulation. Digital method triangulation is argued to be a way to approach the "meaning problem" to make sense of small and big data. Digital method triangulation is argued 1) to stimulate the innovative use of known methods for unexpected dimensions within the studied topic; 2) with appropriate theoretical and meta-theoretical reflections, to provide more certainty in conclusions; and 3) to assist in constructing a more comprehensive perspective on specific analyses. The conclusion is that triangulation is even more important in the digital realm, as it facilitates dialogue between conventional and digital methods, dialogue that seems crucial to capture the complexities of the onlife.


When combined with anti-PD-1, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against GARP:TGF-β1 complexes induced more frequent immune-mediated rejections of CT26 and MC38 murine tumors than anti-PD-1 alone. In both types of tumors, the activity of anti-GARP:TGF-β1 mAbs resulted from blocking active TGF-β1 production and immunosuppression by GARP-expressing regulatory T cells. In CT26 tumors, combined GARP:TGF-β1/PD-1 blockade did not augment the infiltration of T cells, but did increase the effector functions of already present anti-tumor T cells. Here we show that, in contrast, in MC38, combined GARP:TGF-β1/PD-1 blockade increased infiltration of T cells, as a result of increased extravasation of T cells from blood vessels. Unexpectedly, combined GARP:TGF-β1/PD-1 blockade also increased the density of GARP+ blood vessels covered by pericytes in MC38, but not in CT26 tumors. This appears to occur because anti-GARP:TGF-β1, by blocking TGF-β1 signals, favors the proliferation of and expression of adhesion molecules such as E-selectin by blood endothelial cells. The resulting densification of intratumoral blood vasculature probably contributes to increased T cell infiltration and to the therapeutic efficacy of GARP:TGF-β1/PD-1 blockade in MC38. We conclude from these distinct observations in MC38 and CT26, that the combined blockades of GARP:TGF-β1 and PD-1 can exert anti-tumor activity via multiple mechanisms, including the densification and normalization of intratumoral blood vasculature, the increase of T cell infiltration into the tumor and the increase of the effector functions of intratumoral tumor-specific T cells. This may prove important for the selection of cancer patients who could benefit from combined GARP:TGF-β1/PD-1 blockade in the clinics.


The molecular and electronic surface structure of three TiO2 surfaces sensitized with 3-(5-(4-(diphenyl amino) styryl) thiophen-2-yl)-2-cyanoacrylic acid (D5) using different solvents (acetonitrile, dicloromethane, and ethanol) was investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed solvent dependence in surface coverage, dye surface structure and energy level matching. Corresponding basic results on photocurrent conversion and UV-vis absorption is also included. Together the results indicated surface aggregation when using dichloromethane as a solvent.


In persulfate activation by copper-based catalysts, high-valent copper (Cu(III)) is an overlooked reactive intermediate that contributes to efficient persulfate utilization and organic pollutant removal. However, the mechanisms underlying heterogeneous activation and enhanced persulfate utilization are not fully understood. Here, copper oxide (CuO) nanosheets (synthesized with a facile precipitation method) exhibited high catalytic activity for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation with 100% 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) degradation within 3 min. Evidence for the critical role of surface-associated Cu(III) on PMS activation and 4-CP degradation over a wide pH range (pH 3-10) was obtained using in situ Raman spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and quenching tests. Cu(III) directly oxidized 4-CP and other phenolic pollutants, with rate constants inversely proportional to their ionization potentials. Cu(III) preferentially oxidizes 4-CP rather than react with two PMS molecules to generate one molecule of 1O2, thus minimizing this less efficient PMS utilization pathway. Accordingly, a much higher PMS utilization efficiency (77% of electrons accepted by PMS ascribed to 4-CP mineralization) was obtained with CuO/PMS than with a radical pathway-dominated Co3O4/PMS system (27%) or with the 1O2 pathway-dominated α-MnO2/PMS system (26%). Overall, these results highlight the potential benefits of PMS activation via heterogeneous high-valent copper oxidation and offer mechanistic insight into ultrahigh PMS utilization efficiency for organic pollutant removal.


ObjectiveTo analyze the authors' experience with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and the subsequent incidence and pattern of recurrence in patients with positive and negative nodes. Summary Background DataLymphatic mapping with SLNB has become widely accepted in the management of patients with melanoma who are at risk for occult regional lymph node metastases. Because this procedure is relatively new, the pattern of recurrence after SLNB is not yet clear. MethodsAll patients with primary cutaneous melanoma who underwent SLNB from 1991 through 1998 were identified from a prospective single-institution melanoma database. ResultsThree hundred fifty-seven consecutive patients with localized primary cutaneous melanoma who underwent SLNB were identified. The sentinel node was identified in 332 patients (93%) and was positive in 56 (17%). Fourteen percent of patients had developed a recurrence at a median follow-up of 24 months. The median time to recurrence was 13 months. The 3-year relapse-free survival rates for patients with positive and negative nodes were 56% and 75%, respectively. SLN status was the most important predictor of disease recurrence. The site of first recurrence in patients with negative and positive nodes was more commonly locoregional than distant. Reexamination of the SLN in 11 patients with negative nodes with initial nodal and in-transit recurrence showed evidence of metastases in 7 (64%). ConclusionsPatients with positive sentinel nodes have a significantly increased risk for recurrence. The early pattern of first recurrence for patients with negative and positive results is characterized by a preponderance of locoregional sites, similar to that reported in previous series of elective lymph node dissection. These data underscore the need for careful pathologic analysis of the SLN as well as a careful, directed locoregional physical examination in the follow-up of these patients.


Sets of 2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-1,2-dihydro-3H- dibenz[de,h]isoquinoline-1,3-diones with amino and actylamino groups at each of the eight positions on the anthracene nucleus were synthesized from appropriately substituted anthracenes. Their evaluation in in vitro antitumor and cardiotoxicity assays revealed a very strong dependence of potency on the position of substitution. Certain compounds, including the 4-, 5-, 7-, and 9-amino derivatives, showed significantly higher potency than the unsubstituted parent compound, azonafide. Among them, 7-aminoazonafide had low cardiotoxicity relative to cytotoxicity. In general, the acetylamino analogues were less potent than the amino derivatives against tumor cells and neonatal rat heart myocytes; however, 5-(acetylamino)azonafide was highly cardiotoxic. 9-Aminoazonafide was more efficacious than azonafide or amonafide against P388 leukemia in mice. Statistically significant correlations were made between the ability of amino analogues to increase the transition melt temperature (delta Tm) of DNA and their potency against solid tumors, leukemia cells, or cardiac myocytes.


Web applications under attack may perform undesirable behaviors against their use case specification. These attacks exploit web vulnerabilities which are usually considered as consequences of abusing web resources. The paper proposes a resource-based approach to formalize use case specification for web applications. The goal of the research is to identify and organize web resources, and to integrate web resources into use cases in a structured way. First, we filter web resource information based on the lexical analysis of the original use case specification. Then, we identify hidden web resources that are not listed in the event flow but required during the realization of the event. After that, we organize these web resources into a web resource tree. Finally, the formalized use case specification is constructed into a tree structure along with a defined event flow grammar. The resource-based use case specification enables security analysts to analyze the web vulnerabilities in terms of the resources required by each event. It is helpful to elicit security requirements.


The discoloration reactions taking place when wood is converted to thermomechanical pulp (TMP) were studied using milled wood lignin (MWL), from spruce wood chips and from first-stage refined pulp respectively. As analytical tools, advanced NMR techniques and UV-VIS spectroscopy were used, to detect differences in the chemical composition. It was found that the most probable reason for the discoloration reactions is an oxidation of lignin, giving rise to small amounts of aryl-alpha-carbonyl structures, together with the formation of coloured metal ion complexes. Despite the results from earlier works, on beta-1 and beta-5 lignin model compounds, no stilbenes seemed to be formed during refining.


Genital organs of 10 healthy, adult Mithun bulls (6-8 years old) that were slaughtered at the dwellings of tribal people for meat were collected. Immediately after collection, spermatozoa from 3 different regions of the epididymis, i.e. the head, body and tail, were obtained to study morphological changes of the spermatozoa during passage through these regions. The prevalence of proximal cytoplasmic droplets significantly decreased from the head to the tail of the epididymis. Conversely, the percentage of distal cytoplasmic droplets increased significantly from the head to the tail region. The incidence of tailless heads rose significantly from head to body and then reduced significantly in the tail region. The percentage of total head abnormalities did, however, not change markedly, but total mid-piece and tail abnormalities differed significantly between the three epididymal regions.


Lasing properties of a pulsed electroionisation CO laser operating on the first overtone of the CO molecule in the frequency-selective regime were studied experimentally and theoretically. Lasing was observed on a large number of separate vibrational-rotational transitions ν+2→ν from 13→11 to 38→36 (more than 400 spectral lines) in the spectral range from 2.7 to 4.2 μm. The specific output energy of the overtone CO laser reached ~3.0 J l-1 amagat-1, and the electrooptical conversion was ~0.6 %. The formation of emission spectra from high vibrational levels in the overtone CO laser observed for the first time is discussed. The comparison of experimental and theoretical data showed the necessity of including the multiquantum exchange on high vibrational levels into the kinetic model of the active medium of the CO laser.


Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC

Introduction. Anti-neuropilin 1 (anti-NRP1) has been shown preclinically to have an additive effect when used in combination with anti-VEGF. This has been hypothesized to be due in part to the inhibition of vascular maturation that results from anti-NRP1 treatment, which leaves vasculature in a highly anti-VEGF sensitive state. In this study, we examined the effects of sequencing these agents to evaluate this hypothesis. We investigated the effect of pre-treating tumors with anti-NRP1 before treating with anti-VEGF, and vice versa. To monitor tumor vasculature during ongoing treatment, in vivo magnetic resonance imaging was used to reveal information about therapeutic effects on tumor vasculature beyond simple tumor volume measurements. The vessel imaging MRI technique determines the fractional blood volume, mean vessel size, and Q (a dimensionless parameter related to vessel density) on a voxel-by-voxel basis.

Methods. MRI scans were performed on a 4.7 T Varian MRI system (Varian Inc, Palo Alto, CA), for 25 mice with Calu6 human lung cancer tumors grown subcutaneously on the leg. Mice were randomized into three groups based on tumor volume caliper measurements: Group 1 (N=8) was treated with appropriate control antibodies twice a week for 3 weeks, Group 2 (N=8) was treated first with anti-VEGF twice a week for 1.5 weeks and then with anti-NRP1 twice a week for 1.5 weeks, and Group 3 (N=9) was treated first with anti-NRP1 twice a week for 1.5 weeks and then with anti-VEGF twice a week for 1.5 weeks. All mice were imaged after the first 10 days of treatment and again after the second 10 days of treatment. Vessel size index maps, blood volume maps, and Q maps were calculated voxel-by-voxel, and mean values of each parameter were calculated across the viable tumor tissue as determined using tissue segmentation analysis on the images.

Results & Discussion. After 3 weeks, both treated groups had significantly reduced viable tumor volume relative to the control group. There was no difference in mean vessel size between the three groups. However, Group 3 had significantly reduced blood volume and Q (vessel density) relative to both Groups 1 & 2. This may indicate that initial treatment with anti-NRP1 makes tumor vasculature more susceptible to later treatment with anti-VEGF, while tumors that had been treated first with anti-VEGF did not benefit from later treatment with anti-NRP1. A repeat study with an additional group that was treated with both antibodies for the entire study duration confirmed these results and showed that the group pre-treated with anti-NRP1 showed equivalent reductions in blood volume and Q to the group treated with both antibodies for the full three weeks.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1362.


The quickest change detection problem is studied in decentralized decision systems, where a set of sensors receive independent observations and send summary messages to the fusion center, which makes a final decision. In the system where the sensors do not have access to their past observations, the previously conjectured asymptotic optimality of a procedure with a monotone likelihood ratio quantizer (MLRQ) is proved. In the case of additive Gaussian sensor noise, if the signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) at some sensors are sufficiently high, this procedure can perform as well as the optimal centralized procedure that has access to all the sensor observations. Even if all SNRs are low, its detection delay will be at most pi/2-1ap 57% larger than that of the optimal centralized procedure. Next, in the system where the sensors have full access to their past observations, the first asymptotically optimal procedure in the literature is developed. Surprisingly, the procedure has the same asymptotic performance as the optimal centralized procedure, although it may perform poorly in some practical situations because of slow asymptotic convergence. Finally, it is shown that neither past message information nor the feedback from the fusion center improves the asymptotic performance in the simplest model


The rodent Deltamys kempi Thomas, 1917 is found on the Coastal Plain – a recently formed geographic region located on Brazil's south‐east coast. Considering that Deltamys is the only South American sigmodontine with a sex chromosome system of type X1X1X2X2/X1X2Y, this investigation was focused on the phylogeographic history of this taxon by using gene sequence analysis, trying to clarify when Deltamys differentiated, what was its centre of diversification, and what were the probable routes it used to reach its present distribution. We analysed sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and nuclear recombination activating gene 2, performed cranial measurements and searched for centric fusions in individuals collected in distinct localities. The results, clearly demonstrate that D. kempi, on the Coastal Plain, divided into two groups, one occupying a small portion to the north of this region and the other spreading widely to the south. In this process, the phenomena of marine transgression and regressions which moulded its habitat, together with the occurrence of successive chromosomal rearrangements, were certainly the fundamental factors in shaping D. kempi diversification.


Telemedicine has evolved to become an integral part of the South Australian Rural and Remote Mental Health Service. The resulting telemedicine service is one of only a few telepsychiatry services around the world that is firmly embedded in normal clinical practice and can be regarded as sustainable. The telepsychiatry service has been operational in Adelaide since January 1994 and more than 2000 clinical consultations have been performed since that time. In contrast to other telepsychiatry systems internationally, more than 80 of the usage of the South Australian system has been for clinical purposes. The benefits and limitations of telepsychiatry are reviewed, as are factors that have affected the success of the project.


Most of the developed countries are experiencing fertility rates below population replacement levels and increasing life expectancy. These demographic factors are exerting a financial strain on the delivery of social security retirement benefits. In response to these and other pressures, some countries have adopted mechanisms that are designed to make the system self-adjust, so that it is sustainable. A sustainable system is one that delivers on its financial commitments in such a way that the financial burden is borne equitably by participants over the long term. Based on a review of the analysis of the self-adjustment mechanisms of Canada, Germany, Japan and Sweden, this paper derives five guiding principles for the development of selfadjustment mechanisms for sustainable social security retirement systems. The list is not presented as complete, but is a starting point for those designing or adopting adjustment mechanisms and for researchers.


Aoki (1977) discovered that some aphids have a sterile soldier caste, which functions altruistically to protect the colony from predators. For the first time we show experimentally that the soldier caste of an aphid, the gall-forming Pemphigus spyrothecae, fulfils a second, non-defensive, altruistic role: the soldiers actively clean their gall. This 'housekeeping' behaviour, in which defecated honeydew, shed skins and dead aphids are removed from the gall, is costly to the soldiers and essential for gall survival. The colony's waste is actively manipulated to the entrance of the gall by the soldiers and pushed out. Different techniques of manipulation are used for objects of different type and size. This species, and perhaps many aphid species, have a complex repertoire of altruistic behaviours involving housekeeping and defence, which suggests a social system approaching that of the major groups of eusocial insects.


Several experimental data on continuous cultures of hybridoma cells show that monoclonal antibody productivity is a decreasing function of dilution rate. It has been suggested that this unusual behavior may be due to the arrest of a fraction of cycling cells at a critical point of Phase G1. Although this hypothesis has been recently investigated by using population balance models, mathematical analysis has been performed without accounting for the dynamics of the arrested cells properly. In this article, a more general and accurate approach is presented and new specific assumptions are introduced to characterize the arrest and the later progress through the cycle. Two different models (stochastic and deterministic) and two different critical points for the arrest (at the beginning and at the end of G1) are considered. The cell cycle parameters are estimated so that data predicted by the model fit those reported in the literature. In particular, the fraction of arrested cells, the cell arrest probability, and the mean cell generation time are computed as functions of the dilution rate. Results so far obtained predict that there is an optimal value of dilution rate for maximizing specific production rate of monoclonal antibody. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Dodecanonitrile in xylene as a solvent and in the presence of sulfur was reduced with molybdenum sulfide catalyst at an initial pressure of hydrogen 100 atmospheres.The reaction was started at around 150°C and yielded 70-5% dodecylmercaptan at 200-50°C.The reaction below 200°C left much of unreacted raw material, besides showing much yield of didodecyl disulfide as a by-product, while the reaction above 250°C was accompanied with the cleavage to dodecane and the yield of mercaptan was low.The results of reaction by using varied amount of sulfur indicated that the yield of mercaptan was increased with an increase of sulfur and it reached a constant value at the molar ratio of 1.5.The formation of amine was only a small amount in all cases.The result indicated that the route of reaction is the formation of thioamide from hydrogen sulfide, produced from reduction of sulfur, and the sample, and the mercaptan is presumed to be formed from its reduction.


A method is proposed for HCF-analysis that is suitable for use in early design stages of turbomachinery blades. Quantitative measures of the risk for later encountering HCF life limiting vibrations are the goal for the development. The novelty of the system is the unique and rational way all design data are processed resulting in a mode risk priority listing. The method makes extensive use of FE calculated modal analyses and simple assumptions on the modal force and damping. The modal force is taken proportional to the tangential force on the blade over the operating range. This choice is made because the tangential force is known early on from the compressor performance map, and gives a reasonable scaling with the operating point. Crossings occurring at low speed get a lower force than at high speed. The system damping used is a constant critical damping ratio. Using a modal force and damping along with the FE model forced response amplitude can be directly computed at resonance crossings inside operating envelope. The modal force calculated this way can be compared to the force amplitude needed to reach the fatigue limit in a Haigh diagram. Using the Haigh diagram this way allows modes with localized high stresses, so-called hot spots, to be highlighted. Taking the ratio of the forces gives a ranking value that can be used to compare risk. Details of the technique along with example applications to compressor blades are presented in the paper. It is found that many mode crossings can be excluded as low risk this way and that a rational way of prioritizing is achieved.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of tanshinone IIA (TanIIA) on the expression of tissue factor (TF) and matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP-12) in RAW264.7 cells and explore the possible mechanism.

METHODS
RAW 264.7 cells were incubated with ox-LDL in the presence or absence of different concentrations of tanshinone IIA. At the end of the incubation, the cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) and TF concentrations in the supernatant were detected by xanthine oxidase method, thiobarbituric acid method and ELISA, respectively. Western blotting was employed to determine MMP-12 expression in the cells.

RESULTS
The cell proliferation was dose-dependently inhibited by TanIIA. SOD activity in the supernatant was increased significantly, while the MDA and TF concentration and MMP-12 expression in cells decreased after treatment of the cells with different concentrations of TanIIA.

CONCLUSION
TanIIA inhibits the cell proliferation and TF and MMP-12 expressions in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by ox-LDL, and these effects may be related with the anti-oxidation property of TanIIA.


We propose a novel non-rigid image registration algorithm that is built upon fully convolutional networks (FCNs) to optimize and learn spatial transformations between pairs of images to be registered. Different from most existing deep learning based image registration methods that learn spatial transformations from training data with known corresponding spatial transformations, our method directly estimates spatial transformations between pairs of images by maximizing an image-wise similarity metric between fixed and deformed moving images, similar to conventional image registration algorithms. At the same time, our method also learns FCNs for encoding the spatial transformations at the same spatial resolution of images to be registered, rather than learning coarse-grained spatial transformation information. The image registration is implemented in a multi-resolution image registration framework to jointly optimize and learn spatial transformations and FCNs at different resolutions with deep self-supervision through typical feedforward and backpropagation computation. Since our method simultaneously optimizes and learns spatial transformations for the image registration, our method can be directly used to register a pair of images, and the registration of a set of images is also a training procedure for FCNs so that the trained FCNs can be directly adopted to register new images by feedforward computation of the learned FCNs without any optimization. The proposed method has been evaluated for registering 3D structural brain magnetic resonance (MR) images and obtained better performance than state-of-the-art image registration algorithms.


Revisionist histories of colonialism have presented Empire as a modernising, benevolent and non-discriminatory force. While recent scholarship on Caribbean health and medicine has done much to contest the idea of a modernising and benevolent Empire, it has thus far done little to challenge the claim that there was no institutionalised discrimination in the Empire. By exploring conditions in Jamaica's mental hospital from 1918 till 1944, this article tries to fill this gap in the scholarship. Based on amongst others official correspondence and newspaper reports, it examines the extent to which dominant ideas of race informed the treatment meted out on the overwhelmingly black patients and staff and explores the colonial government's response to demands made by black politicians to improve patient care and enhance the promotion opportunities of local staff. Informed by Critical Race Theory, this study argues that not only the colonial government helped to uphold the island's racial and class status quo by bypassing local staff for promotion and protecting incompetent white senior officers but also black politicians as they failed to call this racial discrimination and worked more to enhance the promotion opportunities and working conditions of local doctors and nurses than improve the care of the patients, who tended to be a lower class and darker shade.


The name "Clostridium cylindrosporum" Barker and Beck 1942 was not included on the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names or in Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 8th ed. This name is here revived for the organism to which it originally was applied. It is now validly published in accordance with Rules 27 and 28a and Provisional Rules B2 and B3 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria. The type strain is strain DSM 605.


The Artemia cyst, a gastrula in dormant state, is a very suitable material to investigate the individual effects of HZE cosmic particles. Monolayers of Artemia cysts, sandwiched with nuclear emulsions, flew aboard the Soviet biosatellite Cosmos 1129. The space flight stimulated the developmental capacity expressed by higher percentages of emergence, hatching, and alive nauplii at day 4-5. A greater mean life span was reported in Artemias developed from Artemia cysts hit by the cosmic heavy ions. On Earth, Artemia cysts were exposed to 1, 10, 100, 200 and 400 Gy of gamma (gamma) rays. A stimulating effect on developmental capacity was observed for 10 Gy; the mean life span was significantly increased for this dose. These results are discussed in comparison with previous investigations performed on Earth and in space.


A recent advance in monolingual dependency parsing is the idea of a treebank embedding vector, which allows all treebanks for a particular language to be used as training data while at the same time allowing the model to prefer training data from one treebank over others and to select the preferred treebank at test time. We build on this idea by 1) introducing a method to predict a treebank vector for sentences that do not come from a treebank used in training, and 2) exploring what happens when we move away from predefined treebank embedding vectors during test time and instead devise tailored interpolations. We show that 1) there are interpolated vectors that are superior to the predefined ones, and 2) treebank vectors can be predicted with sufficient accuracy, for nine out of ten test languages, to match the performance of an oracle approach that knows the most suitable predefined treebank embedding for the test set.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The current circumstances of patients treated with home oxygen therapy (HOT) for respiratory failure are understood relatively well, whereas those of HOT patients with heart failure has not been extensively examined. Furthermore, investigation of the fundamental realities of disease checkups cooperation between specialist hospitals and clinics regarding HOT patients has not been satisfactory. For these reasons, we attempted to clarify the circumstances of HOT patients at clinics, respiratory specialist hospitals, and cardiovascular specialist hospitals, in the context of those who work in the medical sphere in Japan (approx. 2 million people).

METHODS
An epidemiological survey was simultaneously sent to district clinics, respiratory specialist hospitals, and cardiovascular specialist hospitals, all located in Tochigi Prefecture in Japan, and which were anticipated to be involved in HOT.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
HOT was widely performed in all respiratory specialist hospitals, but only in 55% of clinics and in 67% of cardiovascular specialist hospitals. Among the total number of patients given HOT, the rate of patients with heart failure was 15%, 80% of whom had left-sided heart failure. This value was five times higher than that reported in a nationwide investigation in Japan. Since patients with advanced heart failure were highly comorbid with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), non-invasive ventilation with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) instead of HOT was frequently given to these patients as first-line therapy. Checkups cooperation appeared relatively close among respiratory specialist hospitals, but not between cardiovascular specialist hospitals and district clinics.