Summary Maynard Sinclair Ward is an acute, twenty bedded paediatric medical ward providing care for children from 0 to 14 years, with acute short term and chronic medical conditions in the Ulster Hospital, Northern Ireland. The discharge process on the ward is often delayed by waiting for the medical staff to review the child and agree that he/she is well enough to go home. This leads to continued frustration for parents wanting to get their child home as soon as possible. Medical staff are often delayed caring for sick children in the Accident and Emergency department, meaning that on occasions, families are being discharged at inconvenient times. The project team felt that these delays could have been avoided if nurses were able to undertake the role of discharging patients, thus improving the hospital experience for the children and their families. The aim of the project was to introduce nurse facilitated discharge under clear guidance from the medical staff and within a clear protocol. The methods and approaches used within the project were staff questionnaires, collection of parent and child stories and workshops for nursing staff to look at developing the role and the ward working practices. A steering group was formed to oversee the project and the project team presented the project at the medical directorate meeting. Following the development of key documentation, nurse facilitated discharge was introduced in November 2013 as a six month pilot. The process involved the medical team identifying patients suitable for nurse facilitated discharge and clearly defining criteria to be met along with an appropriate time frame for attainment thus allowing the nurses to facilitate the discharge. Following introduction of nurse facilitated discharge the total number of nurse facilitated discharges was collected and the comparison was made against the total number of discharges for the six months. In this time, 46/1112 children had their discharge facilitated by the nursing team. Feedback from parents and staff has been very encouraging and has resulted in more timely discharge of patients with improved patient satisfaction. This has in turn


In reading the manuscript I find that my main concerns are very similar to those raised by Ref #1: that the authors overplay the need and possibility of including such SIE emissions into atmospheric models. Indeed, it was amusing to read on L288 that it is "unreasonable to assume that [oxidants] can be accurately predicted", but still the authors advocate adding another layer of hugely uncertain SIE algorithms to Earth System models.


and finds something much more gruesome going on. Players injected with the drug spew black, foul-smelling vomit and then appear to die, only to get back up a few minutes later, considerably grayer and less coherent than before, and more interested in biting their classmates than playing football. By the time she can admit to herself the outrageous diagnosis of zombie, her own brother has become infected. The question is, why hasn't she, since she too has been bitten? Solving the mystery brings her close to the cute quarterback, who turns out to like his girls brainy in a nonculinary way. High-school zombie tropes that we have come to know and love are melded together here in a fast-paced plot arc that has all the requisite elements: lumbering zombie chase scenes, light gore and putrefaction, just deserts for the coach and the over-reaching scientist behind it all, and a plucky heroine who solves the case and wins the guy. Readers who enjoyed Waters' Generation Dead (BCCB 6/08) and Jay's You Are So Undead to Me (BCCB 5/09) will lurch toward this one as well, and they'll give it the award for the best title pun of the bunch. KC


ABSTRACT We provide an account of two newly recorded non-indigenous tropical seaweed species, Siphonocladus tropicus (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta) and Caulerpa integerrima (Caulerpaceae, Chlorophyta), from the northern and central Levantine Mediterranean shores of Israel. Reports are supported by morphological and molecular evidence. The new record of C. integerrima, thought to be endemic to the Red Sea, increases the number of non-indigenous Caulerpa species in the Mediterranean Sea to eight. Siphonocladus tropicus, a widespread tropical species, is also being reported from the northern Red Sea. Furthermore, morphological comparison of populations from the northern Red Sea and the Levantine Mediterranean shore of Israel revealed that there might be a regional variant or form of this species in the northern Red Sea and might indicate that this new invader does not necessarily originate from the Red Sea. The increasingly tropical conditions in the eastern Levantine Sea as a result of global warming probably paved the way for the establishment of both species in the region. Aspects of the new invaders' ecology in the Israeli Levantine Sea, the possible vectors of introduction and origins, as well as the status of other Caulerpa species from both Levantine and Red Sea shores, are discussed. HIGHLIGHTS Siphonocladus tropicus and Caulerpa integerrima are new non-native species found lately in the Mediterranean Sea. Caulerpa integerrima originated from the Red Sea whereas the origin of Siphonocladus tropicus is uncertain. The introduction of these two alien species, especially Caulerpa integerrima, might pose a threat to the local marine flora and fauna.


We calculate the orbital magnetization of single and double quantum dots coupled both by Coulomb interaction and by electron tunneling. The electronic states of the quantum dots are calculated in a tight-binding model, and the magnetization is discussed in relation to the energy spectrum and to the edge and bulk states. We identify effects of chirality of the electronic orbits and of the anticrossing of the energy levels when the magnetic field is varied. We also consider the effects of detuning the energy spectra of the quantum dots by an external gate potential. We compare our results with the recent experiments of Oosterkamp et al.


At the beginning of the 20th century, the theory of perpendicular series orthogonal, which treated sentences of orthogonal functions as a natural generalization of series theory. The perpendicular mass idyllability many methods, such as the Reimann, Norlund, Cesaro, Holder, and generalized Norlund methods, has been studied. In this research, we studied the summability of simple orthogonal series in different methods called absolute methods that rely heavily on differences. This is done by relying on some research, articles and scientific books in the field of summability of series. The absolute matrix methods are one of the most important methods of absolute summability. Most absolute summability methods are special cases of absolute matrix method. We finally recommend a double case study.


Background Muscimol's quick onset and GABAergic properties make it a promising candidate for the treatment of pain. This systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies aimed at summarizing the evidence regarding the efficacy of muscimol administration in the amelioration of nerve injury-related neuropathic pain. Methods Two independent researchers performed the screening process in Medline, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science extracting data were extracted into a checklist designed according to the PRISMA guideline. A standardized mean difference (SMD [95% confidence interval]) was calculated for each. To assess the heterogeneity between studies, I2 and chi-square tests were utilized. In the case of heterogeneity, meta-regression and subgroup analyses were performed to identify the potential source. Results Twenty-two articles met the inclusion criteria. Pooled data analysis showed that the administration of muscimol during the peak effect causes a significant reduction in mechanical allodynia (SMD = 1.78 [1.45–2.11]; P < 0.0001; I2 = 72.70%), mechanical hyperalgesia (SMD = 1.62 [1.28–1.96]; P < 0.0001; I2 = 40.66%), and thermal hyperalgesia (SMD = 2.59 [1.79–3.39]; P < 0.0001; I2 = 80.33%). This significant amendment of pain was observed at a declining rate from 15 minutes to at least 180 minutes post-treatment in mechanical allodynia and mechanical hyperalgesia, and up to 30 minutes in thermal hyperalgesia (P < 0 .0001). Conclusions Muscimol is effective in the amelioration of mechanical allodynia, mechanical hyperalgesia, and thermal hyperalgesia, exerting its analgesic effects 15 minutes after administration for up to at least 3 hours.


We quantify historical and projected trends in the population exposure to climate extremes as measured by the United States National Center for Environmental Information Climate Extremes Index (CEI). Based on the analyses of the historical observations, we find that the U.S. has already experienced a rise in the occurrence of aggregated extremes in recent decades, consistent with the climate response to historical increases in radiative forcing. Additionally, we find that exposure can be expected to intensify under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5, with all counties permanently exceeding the baseline variability in the occurrence of extreme hot days, warm nights, and drought conditions by 2050. As a result, every county in the U.S. is projected to permanently exceed the historical CEI variability (as measured by one standard deviation during the 1981–2005 period). Based on the current population distribution, this unprecedented change implies a yearly exposure to extreme conditions for one in every three people. We find that the increasing trend in exposure to the aggregated extremes is already detectable over much of the U.S., and particularly in the central and eastern U.S. The high correspondence between the pattern of trends in our simulations and observations increases confidence in the projected amplification of population exposure to unprecedented combinations of extreme climate conditions, should greenhouse gas concentrations continue to escalate along their current trajectory.


We think it interesting to report a case of insomnia, occurring in a Parkinsonian patient after bilateral stereotactic thalamotomy, as a clinical contribution to the physiopathology of variations of consciousness and regulation of the sleep-wakefulness rhythm. Neurophysiological experimental findings in animals suggest that in addition to the activating or arousing mechanisms of the reticular formation, deactivating or hypnogenic mechanisms, also localized in the brain-stem,' play a prominent part in the regulation of sleep-wakefulness alternation (Hess, 1944; Moruzzi, 1963; Rossi, 1964 and 1965). This hypothesis rests on the observation that an enduring sleep-like state, as well as a long-lasting insomnia, may be produced by brain-stem lesions, the sign of the effect being dependent exclusively on the site of the brain-stem damage (Batini, Magni, Palestini, Rossi, and Zanchetti, 1959a; Batini, Moruzzi, Palestini, Rossi, and Zanchetti, 1959b; Cordeau and Mancia, 1959, Candia, Favale, Giussani, and Rossi, 1962a; Candia, Minobe, and Rossi, 1962b; Jouvet, 1962, 1965a, b and c; Minobe, Candia, and Rossi, 1962). In man there is much clinical, E.E.G., and anatomical evidence pointing to the existence of a passive mechanism for the reduction of consciousness; conversely, evidence supporting the theory of an active mechanism is scanty and not nearly so convincing. In fact, in neurosurgical and neurological experience, reduction of consciousness and vigilance levels (drowsiness, obnubilation, hypersomnia, coma, and prolonged coma) as a consequence of more or less localized brain lesions, is frequently observed, while it is rare to find the opposite condition of insomnia. The latter or, more often, inversion of sleep rhythm, has been reported to follow diffuse rather than focal lesions (see the classical works of Von Economo, 1929 and 1930); these cases are of little interest to those who wish to determine a structural site for the neurophysiological mechanisms responsible for changes in the vigilance level. CASE REPORT


The Editors of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences have established the Best Paper Award to recognize the most outstanding articles published in the areas of molecular biology, molecular physics and chemistry that have been published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. The prizes have been awarded annually since 2012 [...].


Binding of peptides to specific Major Histo-compatibility Complex (MHC) molecule is important for understanding immunity and has applications to vaccine discovery and design of immunotherapy. Artificial neural networks (ANN) are widely used by predictions tools to classify the peptides as binders or nonbinders (BNB). However, the number of known binders to a specific MHC molecule is limited in many cases, which poses a computational challenge for prediction of BNB and hence, needs improvement in learning of ANN. Here, we describe, the application of probability distribution functions to initialize the weights and biases of the artificial neural network in order to predict HLAA*0201 binders and nonbinders. The 10fold cross validation has been used to validate the results. It is evident from the results that the AROC for 90% of test cases for Weibull, Uniform and Rayleigh distributions is in the range 0.90-1.0. Further, the standard deviation for AROC was minimum for Weibull distribution, and may be used to train the artificial neural network for HLAA*0201 MHC ClassI binders and nonbinders prediction.


__Abstract__

Drawing on experience with transition monitoring in 9 different programmes and sectors in the period 2005-2010, his research describes a wide array of monitoring instruments as well as general building blocks for transition monitoring. Given the complexity and uncertainties regarding transitions, programmes generally do not start with well-defined objectives and a clear view of the transition they are pursuing. They develop these over time as well as the networks and innovations necessary to achieve them.

Sometimes this ´goal searching´ behaviour is wrongly mistaken as a weakness of such programmes, as it makes it difficult to account for their impacts. However, Taanman finds that this behaviour is not only an emperical fact but also a strong legitimization for these programmes as it addresses key governance, market and system flaws.

Transition monitoring supports programme development by providing facts, feedback and reflection on developments at project, programme and transition field levels. The research describes what kind of monitoring information is useful at different points in time as well as modes in which programme managers and outside experts can co-produce this information.


Placental biotransformation reactions may modulate the effect a xenobiotic has on the developing fetus. However, in spite of the critical role the placenta plays in supporting fetal life, little is known about the pharmacology and toxicology of the human placenta. Our laboratory has previously characterized the N-acetylation activity of the human term placenta. This activity is predominantly attributable to the NAT1 form of arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT). Although acetylation is generally thought to be a detoxifying reaction, both N-acetylation and deacetylation reactions play an important role in the activation of carcinogenic arylamines to their reactive and toxic forms. In the current study we characterized the activity of human placental NAT and deacetylase toward the carcinogenic arylamine, 2-aminofluorene (AF) and its acetylated metabolite, 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF). 2-Aminofluorene is a synthetic, prototype carcinogenic arylamine compound, and its metabolism has been extensively studied in the laboratory. Our data show that the affinity (Km = 24.2 +/- 1.66 mumol/L; mean +/- SEM, n = 6) and maximal velocity (Vmax = 4.29 +/- 0.33 nmol/min/mg; mean +/- SEM, n = 6) of AF N-acetylation by human placenta are similar to those in human liver. The deacetylation of AAF to AF by placental microsomes may be catalyzed by a carboxylesterase. However, our studies with inhibitors reveal that the characteristics of human placental deacetylation activity differ from that of human liver.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Semantic segmentation of standing trees is important to obtain factors of standing trees from images automatically and effectively. Aiming at the accurate segmentation of multiple standing trees in complex backgrounds, some traditional methods have shortcomings such as low segmentation accuracy and manual intervention. To achieve accurate segmentation of standing tree images effectively, SEMD, a lightweight network segmentation model based on deep learning, is proposed in this article. DeepLabV3+ is chosen as the base framework to perform multi-scale fusion of the convolutional features of the standing trees in images, so as to reduce the loss of image edge details during the standing tree segmentation and reduce the loss of feature information. MobileNet, a lightweight network, is integrated into the backbone network to reduce the computational complexity. Furthermore, SENet, an attention mechanism, is added to obtain the feature information efficiently and suppress the generation of useless feature information. The extensive experimental results show that using the SEMD model the MIoU of the semantic segmentation of standing tree images of different varieties and categories under simple and complex backgrounds reaches 91.78% and 86.90%, respectively. The lightweight network segmentation model SEMD based on deep learning proposed in this paper can solve the problem of multiple standing trees segmentation with high accuracy.


Entamoeba histolytica, the protozoan responsible for human amoebiasis, presents the multidrug resistant phenotype due to the expression of the E. histolytica P-glycoproteins EhPgpl and EhPgp5. Here, we studied the protein EhPgp5 encoded by the EhPgp5 gene in emetine-sensitive trophozoites transfected with the pEhNEOPgp5 plasmid carrying the EhPgp5 gene. The transfected trophozoites increased their drug resistance slightly, but became bigger and globular. To investigate other EhPgp5 functions further, we microinjected the EhPgp5 mRNA in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Microinjected oocytes expressed EhPgp5 protein in their membranes and exhibited an ion current not present in the control oocytes. The antisense EhPgp5AS transcript, co-injected with the EhPgp5 mRNA, abolished the exogenous current, showing its specificity. Exogenous current was outward during depolarizing pulses. Reduction of the extracellular Cl- concentration displayed a reversible decrease of the current amplitude. Niflumic acid, 4,4-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2, 2'-disulfonic acid, and other Cl- channel blockers abolished the exogenous current, which was poorly modified by verapamil and changes in osmolarity of the medium. Our results suggest that the EhPgp5 protein could function as a Cl- current inductor and as a coadjuvant factor to avoid drug accumulation in the cell.


Data is arguably the most valuable asset of the modern world. In this era, the success of any data-intensive solution relies on the quality of data that drives it. Among vast amount of data that are captured, managed, and analyzed everyday, geospatial data are one of the most interesting class of data that hold geographical information of real-world phenomena and can be visualized as digital maps. Geo-spatial data is the source of many enterprise solutions that provide local information and insights. Companies often aggregate geospacial datasets from various sources in order to increase the quality of such solutions. However, a lack of a global standard model for geospatial datasets makes the task of merging and integrating datasets difficult and error prone. Traditionally, this aggregation was accomplished by domain experts manually validating the data integration process by merging new data sources and/or new versions of previous data against conflicts and other requirement violations. However, this manual approach is not scalable is a hinder toward rapid release when dealing with big datasets which change frequently. Thus more automated approaches with limited interaction with domain experts is required. As a first step to tackle this problem, we have leveraged Information Retrieval (IR) and geospatial search techniques to propose a systematic and automated conflict identification approach. To evaluate our approach, we conduct a case study in which we measure the accuracy of our approach in several real-world scenarios and followed by interviews with Localintel Inc. software developers to get their feedbacks.


ABSTRACT
Maria Claudya Anjani. 2018. "Motive of character Yuzuki Shirane in doing acussation to the main character Tsukuru Tazaki in Shikisai o Motanai Tazaki Tsukuru, to Kare no Junrei no Toshi novel of Haruki Murakami. Thesis of Japanese Language and Culture Studies Program. Faculty of Humanities. Diponegoro University. The Adivisor Yuliani Rahmah, S. Pd, M. Hum.
 Novel is a work of fiction that is outlined in the form of stories about the lives and behavior of characters in the story and is divided into two building elements, namely intrinsic and extrinsic. Novel is one of the literary works in many countries, one of which is Japan. Japan has several popular writers who produce the best novel works. One of them is Haruki Murakami. Haruki Murakami has some of the best works such as Noruwei no Mori, Umibe no Kafuka, Shikisai o Motanai Tazaki Tsukuru no Kare no Junrei no Toshi, and so on. Shikisai o Motanai Tazaki Tsukuru no Kare no Junrei no Toshi is one of the best novels by Haruki Murakami. The author chose this theme because the novel Shikisai o Motanai Tazaki Tsukuru, to Kare no Junrei no Toshi has a light storyline but attracts the curiosity of the reader because of the cause of tstory conflict, where the motive or reason for Yuzuki Shirane's character accused Tsukuru Tazaki of the main character is not described directly and clearly by the author. So that it attracts the desire of the author to be able to examine motive of Yuzuki Shirane in doing acussation in the novel Shikisai o Motanai Tazaki Tsukuru to Kare no Junrei no Toshi.
 The purpose of this study was to analyze the intrinsic elements in the novel Shikisai o Motanai Tazaki Tsukuru no Kare no Junrei no Toshi and to find out the motiv accusations from the character Yuzuki Shirane. The theory used are structuralism theory and Abraham Maslow's multilevel needs theory.
 The results of this study are in the novel there are six characters with one main character, namely Tsukuru Tazaki and six additional figures namely Kei Akamatsu, Yoshio Oumi, Yuzuki Shirane, Eri Kurono, and Sara Kimoto. The background in this study is divided into three, namely place, time and social background. In the groove, the groove used is the mixed groove. The motive of Yuzuki Shirane's character for the accusation was because of her disappointment with the main character Tsukuru Tazaki.
 Keywords : Motive, Acussation, Multilevel Needs Theory.


In the years since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down Brown v. Board of Education (1954), most discussions of the case have focused on whether it was effective in promoting lasting equality of opportunity in the public schools. Although this profoundly important question dominates retrospectives on Brown, another unresolved controversy relates to whether the ruling has altered in any fundamental way the role of social science evidence in constitutional litigation. More than 50 years later, substantial disagreement persists about whether this kind of research has played or should play any important role in the jurisprudence of race. Today, social scientists face increasing doubts about their neutrality and objectivity, struggle to be heard in a marketplace of ideas increasingly flooded with information of questionable quality, and encounter growing resistance to the notion that expertise provides a proper foundation for legal decisionmaking. For those who still believe that social science has a role to play in advancing racial justice, the strategy used in Brown can no longer be taken for granted. The time is ripe to reassess what counts as knowledge so that social science is not increasingly marginalized in courts of law.


Gypsy moth outbreaks can have drastic effects on many f a s t resources and uses. Because gypsy moth prefers oak foliage, oak stands are the most susceptible to defoliation and resultant damage. The value of oak mast for many wildlife species is high. The high carbohydrate content of acorns provides the energy necessary for winter survival. Loss of mast crops due to direct and indirect effects of gypsy moth defoliation may result in large-scale reductions in wildlife habitat and food sources.


To evaluate ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Bauhinia variegata L Caesalpiniodeae (caesalpiniaceae) in normal and streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneally (i.p) streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) in adult male albino Wistar rats. Blood glucose levels were determined after oral administration of B. variegata L (200 mg/kg b. wt) in diabetic groups. Blood glucose levels were determined on 7th, 14th and 21st day after oral administration of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Bauhinia variegata L (200 mg/kg) and standard drug exhibited (500 μg/kg) in diabetic rats. The effect of extracts of B. variegata L on blood glucose levels and serum lipid profile like Total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, low density, very low density and high density lipoprotein were measured in the diabetic and non diabetic rats. There was significant reduction in Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol and improvement in HDL cholesterol in diabetic rats. These results indicate that B. variegata possesses a hypoglycemic effect.


BACKGROUND
Neurocognitive deficits in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection prompted a search for HCV in brain.

RESULTS
HCV was present in the brains of 7 (54%) of 13 patients with viremia, as determined by 5' UTR and E1 (envelope 1) gene analysis. Brain HCV RNA consensus sequences differed from those in plasma and liver in 4 (57%) of 7 patients. The quality of HCV RNA from postmortem brain and liver was assessed and demonstrated to be suitable for sequence analysis. Quasispecies analysis revealed that several mutations present in clones from >1 brain region were absent in clones from liver and plasma. Brain-specific mutations defined several families of related sequences. The patterns of brain-specific mutations in these families were consistent with the evolution of HCV RNA from a common ancestor. Single-nucleotide-polymorphism analysis confirmed that a prominent brain-specific mutation constituted approximately 10% of HCV RNA in cerebellum and medulla but that this mutation was undetectable in the liver and plasma of the same patient.

CONCLUSIONS
This study introduces novel methods for assessing RNA from postmortem samples. It increases the reported cases of HCV in the brain, provides the first E1 sequences from the brain, and contributes to the growing evidence that HCV replicates and evolves within the brain.


Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a ubiquitous, fundamental biochemical mechanism that regulates essential eukaryotic cellular functions. The level of tyrosine phosphorylation of specific proteins is finely tuned by the dynamic balance between protein tyrosine kinase and protein tyrosine phosphatase activities. Hepatocyte growth factor receptor (also known as Met), a receptor protein tyrosine kinase, is a major regulator of proliferation, migration, and survival for many epithelial cell types. We report here that receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase β (RPTP-β) specifically dephosphorylates Met and thereby regulates its function. Expression of RPTP-β, but not other RPTP family members or catalytically inactive forms of RPTP-β, reduces hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-stimulated Met tyrosine phosphorylation in HEK293 cells. Expression of RPTP-β in primary human keratinocytes reduces both basal and HGF-induced Met phosphorylation at tyrosine 1356 and inhibits downstream MEK1/2 and Erk activation. Furthermore, shRNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous RPTP-β increases basal and HGF-stimulated Met phosphorylation at tyrosine 1356 in primary human keratinocytes. Purified RPTP-β intracellular domain preferentially dephosphorylates purified Met at tyrosine 1356 in vitro. In addition, the substrate-trapping mutant of RPTP-β specifically interacts with Met in intact cells. Expression of RPTP-β in human primary keratinocytes reduces HGF induction of VEGF expression, proliferation, and motility. Taken together, the above data indicate that RPTP-β is a key regulator of Met function.


The overall aim of the project is to investigate the application of an optical tomographic system in an industrial process control system. Measurements were made with lensed optical fibre sensors using a hydraulic flow rig. A custom heating fixture was used to construct the lenses. The system employs a combination of two orthogonal projections consisting of sixteen sensors and two rectilinear projections consisting of twenty two sensors. Optical energy is projected into the measurement volume using a well collimated beam from four projectors. Gas bubbles, with an approximate diameter of 1 cm are injected at the bottom of the gas column. Gas volume flow rates of 0-71/min are being investigated. Optical sensors are intended for use where the conveyed component ratio is less than 10% vol./vol. The purpose of the system is for online monitoring of concentration and velocity profiles in two-phase flows.


With finite element simulation, the time dependent thermoelectric performance of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) is studied systematically. Short response time has been observed in SiNW cooler which decreases with increasing of the number of SiNWs. Moreover, the impacts of inhomogeneous thermal conductivity distribution in one bundle on the cooling temperature have been studied. The cooling temperature decreases due to the existing of unexpected high thermal conductivity SiNW. This impact can be suppressed in large system. Our results provide a comprehensive performance analysis of SiNWs for on-chip thermoelectric cooler applications.


A strategy to deliver a well-defined persulfide species in a biological medium is described. Under near physiological conditions, the persulfide prodrug can be activated by an esterase to generate a "hydroxymethyl persulfide" intermediate, which rapidly collapses to form a defined persulfide. Such persulfide prodrugs can be used either as chemical tools to study persulfide chemistry and biology or for future development as H2 S-based therapeutic reagents. Using the persulfide prodrugs developed in this study, the reactivity between S-methyl methanethiosulfonate (MMTS) with persulfide was unambiguously demonstrated. Furthermore, a representative prodrug exhibited potent cardioprotective effects in a murine model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury with a bell shape therapeutic profile.


We discuss in this letter the dilute part of the phase diagram of the pseudo-ternary system (brine + glycerol), SDS, hexanol through Freeze Fracture Electron Microscopy (FFEM) and dielectric measurements. The main conclusion is the observation of a large one-phase domain L* instead of an L4 phase as usually found in similar systems. This L* domain is connected to the sponge domain, through paths surrounding the lamellar phase. We show by FFEM that samples in the L* domain are mostly composed of vesicles. However, they present a dielectric behavior different from a vesicle phase. We conclude that L* is not a vesicle phase but is a sponge phase whose topology is different from the one found in the concentrated part of the L3 phase (see Gazeau D., Bellocq A. M., Roux D. and Zemb T., Europhys. Lett., 9 (1989) 447 and Porte G., Marignan J., Bassereau P. and May R. J. Phys. (Paris), 49 (1988) 511). These results bring new light on the sponge stability.


Films about 'women's issues' and their importance in Iran have not been paid in-depth attention in scholarly works. These films are labeled as political as they challenge the institutions and values of patriarchy in Iranian society. In recent years, Iranian women filmmakers have produced an impressive body of work and they have won a number of international awards. These filmmakers carved a niche despite all the restrictions imposed by patriarchal strictures. However, these filmmakers are still facing difficulties in making their films as the political fortunes of the conservatives and reformers continue to ebb and flow. TahmineMilani is one of the Iranian women filmmakers whose films directly address women's problems in a patriarchal society. By providing an overview of the role of women in Iranian cinema and by examining TahmineMilani's Fifth Reaction (2003), this paper sheds light on the role of Iranian women filmmakers and the status of women in Iran. We argue although it has been repeatedly said that Iranian women filmmakers can easily make films about women's issues, there is still a tough hold on women's cinema. We also argue that Iranian cinema has taken a form of neopatriarchy in which women filmmakers are still restricted and at times are not allowed to present women's related issues such as political and social problems of women. In spite of all these vicissitudes, these women filmmakers still have a powerful presence in Iranian cinema.


We present detailed ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared light curves of the Type Ia supernova (SN) 2012fr, which exploded in the Fornax cluster member NGC 1365. These precise high-cadence light curves provide a dense coverage of the flux evolution from −12 to +140 days with respect to the epoch of B-band maximum ( t B max ). Supplementary imaging at the earliest epochs reveals an initial slow and nearly linear rise in luminosity with a duration of ∼2.5 days, followed by a faster rising phase that is well reproduced by an explosion model with a moderate amount of 56Ni mixing in the ejecta. From our analysis of the light curves, we conclude that: (i) the explosion occurred <22 hr before the first detection of the supernova, (ii) the rise time to peak bolometric (λ > 1800 Å) luminosity was 16.5 ± 0.6 days, (iii) the supernova suffered little or no host-galaxy dust reddening, (iv) the peak luminosity in both the optical and near-infrared was consistent with the bright end of normal Type Ia diversity, and (v) 0.60 ± 0.15 M⊙ of 56Ni was synthesized in the explosion. Despite its normal luminosity, SN 2012fr displayed unusually prevalent high-velocity Ca ii and Si ii absorption features, and a nearly constant photospheric velocity of the Si ii λ6355 line at ∼12,000 km s − 1 that began ∼5 days before t B max . We also highlight some of the other peculiarities in the early phase photometry and the spectral evolution. SN 2012fr also adds to a growing number of Type Ia supernovae that are hosted by galaxies with direct Cepheid distance measurements.


Network operators have been reluctant to deploy IP multicast services mainly due to the lack of native control over multicast groups. This lack of control does not only prevent operators from generating revenue from multicast-based services but also hinders regular network management. In this work we identified the network elements where admission control should be enforced for multicast sessions spawning over heterogeneous access networks. The architecture proposed uses existing AAA functionality to perform user identification and multicast session admission control. This control is made at the network layer with no protocol modifications. Three access networks were considered: xDSL, WiMAX and UMTS.


Intergenerational relationships are a predictor of greater physical, mental, and emotional well-being; they can reduce ageism and facilitate feelings of purpose and meaning, shown to be important for health and mortality. Surprisingly there are no measures of intergenerational contact (IGC) shown to be reliable and valid across age groups. Therefore, we aimed to develop a psychometrically sound survey measure of IGC. We utilized a three-phase development process, which included a Delphi-style expert panel review of items, focus groups, and validation of the survey via Amazon MTurk. The resulting 18-item survey captures details on and comparisons between both familial and non-familial contact and is appropriate for adults of all ages. We conducted confirmatory factor analyses with the 9-item family and 9-item non-family subscales for 380 young and 256 middle-aged adults reporting on contact with older adults, and 348 older adults reporting on contact with younger adults. The family scale had good model fit across all three groups (χ2 (78) = 245.74, p<.0001; RMSEA = 0.08, 90% CI = [0.07, 0.10]; CFI = .94; TLI = .92). After covarying for 2 pairs of items among the middle-age group, the non-family scale had good model fit across all groups (χ2(75) = 217.21, p<.0001; RMSEA = 0.08, 90% CI = [0.07, 0.09]; CFI = .95; TLI = .93), indicating construct equivalence across age groups. The new IGC measure can be used in all adult age groups, making it useful for scientific projects as well as program evaluations. Funded by the RRF Foundation on Aging


Cultural identity is associated with positive emotional and behavioral health. However, colonialism and its forces, past and present, have led to cultural loss in many Indigenous communities, contributing to health disparities. And yet, Indigenous peoples actively resist colonialism and work to maintain and revitalize their cultures around the globe. This study sought to understand how Alaska Native university students from diverse cultural backgrounds are presently developing and constructing their cultural identities. Transformational grounded theory methods were used to analyze seven focus groups with 20 Alaska Native university students from diverse cultural regions, now living in an urban center. Results revealed that identity was constructed as a series of nested and intersecting identities that centered on relations, place, and time across cultural groups. Cultural practices and values were often drawn upon to understand identity. Cultural identity was developed through storytelling, experiential learning, connection, personal exploration, and sharing with others. Relatives, particularly grandparents and Elders, and communities played a critical role in shaping cultural identity. The construction of cultural identity and its development diverged by setting of upbringing (rural, urban). Results have implications for the modification of structures and the development of cultural identity promotion programming to support Alaska Native young peoples' identity development in an effort towards emotional and behavioral health.


Twn tinw spocics of Gordius froni Argontine (G. labiclus and G. deltaensis) are dnscrihed. DeleriTimation of these species was achieve by the ultrastructural analysis of cutido. A redescription ot G. nttnni Redlicli (1980) is aiso provided.


We exploit the assignment of exam form in a high-stakes Norwegian high school exam to estimate the impact of exam form on exam results, later school performance, graduation and longer run outcomes. Results indicate that written exams significantly reduce exam grades and reduce the probability of passing relative to the alternative oral exam, particularly for initially low-performing students. Because passing the exam is mandatory to obtain a high school diploma, this translates into reduced high school graduation rates that remain significant over time, permanently shifting a group of marginal students to drop out of high school entirely. IV estimates on labor market earnings are close to zero, but these results are too imprecise to draw firm conclusions.


Summary Dihydrofolate reductase has been partially purified from human bone marrow and from leukocytes and erythrocytes of patients treated with methotrexate (MTX). Chromatography of the erythrocyte and leukocyte enzyme on hydroxylapatite resulted in complete separation of MTX bound to enzyme. The 100-fold purified leukocyte enzyme, the 1000-fold purified erythrocyte enzyme, and 8-fold purified bone marrow enzyme had similar molecular weights, pH optima, turnover numbers, and substrate and cofactor specificities; they were stimulated to the same degree by KCl, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, CH3HgBr, urea, and guanidine hydrochloride; they were similarly inhibited by MTX and were inhibited to the same extent by the antiserum produced to the L1210R lymphoma dihydrofolate reductase. Furthermore, except for the quantitative difference in the inhibition produced by the antiserum between the L1210R enzyme and the human blood cell enzymes, these physical and kinetic properties measured did not differentiate the erythrocyte, leukocyte, or bone marrow enzyme from the L1210R enzyme. These results, together with the finding that NADPH and dihydrofolate protected the erythrocyte and leukocyte enzyme from heat inactivation, support the hypothesis that the rise in enzyme activity seen in leukocytes and erythrocytes following MTX administration is a quantitative one and may be a result of the protection of the enzyme by MTX or dihydrofolate from degradation. This rapid turnover of enzyme and increase in total activity may explain the relative resistance of bone marrow cells to MTX, as compared to certain cell types, in particular lymphoblasts.


Verb aspect, alternations and quantification In this paper we are briefly discuss the nature of Bulgarian verb aspect and argue that the verb aspect pairs are different lexical units with different (although related) meaning, different argument structure (reflecting categories, explicitness and referential status of arguments) and different sets of semantic and syntactic alternations. The verb prefixes resulting in perfective verbs derivation in some cases can be interpreted as lexical quantifiers as well. Thus the Bulgarian verb aspect is related (in different way) both with the potential for the generation of alternations and with the prefixal lexical quantification. It is shown that the scope of the lexical quantification by means of verbal prefixes is the quantified verb phrase and the scope remains constant in all derived alternations. The paper concerns the basic issues of these complex problems, while the detailed description of the conditions satisfying particular alternation or particular lexical quantification are subject of a more detailed study.


The role of women in sustainable development is very crucial in society. This study was intended to investigate women's contribution to sustainable development on patipata based cottage industries evaluating its productivity & profitability and also mentioning challenges & further recommendations at Angarzur village of Gowainghat Upazilla in Sylhet region, Bangladesh. The study area and 125 respondents were selected by purposive sampling because of its nature and subject matter in where survey research was carried out with a semi-structured questionnaire. Middle aged female are highly involved in patipata-based cottage industries in this area. Women produce different types of patipata-based articles that require 27 days from where women earn annually about 77,965/=Tk. Women play a major part in the production process and around 333 numbers of articles are sold per year. For different types of articles, the net average cost ranges from 45 Tk. to 270 Tk. and net average profit ranges from 30 Tk. to 410 Tk. The demand of patipata based articles has found a significant distinction in rural-urban areas. However, the sustainability of women's contribution to this business faces some challenges that should be reduced through the collaboration of concerned authorities.


Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the methods of pain self-care used by patients in Türkiye with chronic musculoskeletal pain who could not access a healthcare provider during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Materials and Methods: A total of 255 participants (mean age 40.8±13.2 years) diagnosed with chronic musculoskeletal pain were included in the study. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and a form created by the researchers were used to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and methods of pain management. Results: The primary site of symptoms during the previous 12-month period was the low back, neck, and upper back regions (69%, 64.7%, and 60% respectively). The detailed assessment revealed that in the prior 7 days, patients experienced symptoms most often in the lower back (56.9%), upper back (45.1%), and neck (43.9%). The most frequently used methods of pain self-care were massage (71%), pain relief medication (68.2%), and topical analgesics (55.3%). Conclusion: Patients most often reported symptoms in the spinal area, and the most used means of self-care for pain management were massaging the painful area, pain medication, and topical analgesics. Self-care initiatives can be very valuable, however, at least some initial guidance from health professionals is advisable. Additional exploration of technological means of intervention and awareness of appropriate self-care could be of substantial benefit individuals and society.


The (L+M+. . .)/K capture ratio for 138La, a second forbidden unique transition, was measured. The value obtained (0.48+or-0.16) has been compared with the theoretical estimate. The result indicates a significant contribution of capture from higher shells.


The global population is increasing day by day. To meet the food demand for such a huge number of people, crop production must increase without damaging the environment, and to prevent synthetic chemical herbicides from polluting the environment, controlling weeds using bioherbicides is essential. Accordingly, using phytotoxic substances obtained from plants for biological weed management has attracted attention. The plant Albizia richardiana possesses phytotoxic compounds that have been previously recorded. Hence, we have conducted this research to characterize more phytotoxic compounds in Albizia richardiana. Aqueous methanolic extracts of Albizia richardiana plant significantly restricted the growth of the examined plants lettuce and Italian ryegrass in a species- and concentration-dependent manner. Three active phytotoxic compounds were isolated through various chromatographic methods and identified as compound 1, 2, and 3. Compound 3 exhibited stronger phytotoxic potentials than the other two compounds and significantly suppressed the growth of Lepidium sativum (cress). The concentration of the compounds required for 50% growth reduction (I50 value) of the Lepidium sativum seedlings ranged between 0.0827 to 0.4133 mg/mL. The results suggest that these three phytotoxic compounds might contribute to the allelopathic potential of Albizia richardiana.


Policymakers and researchers worldwide are interested in measuring the subjective well-being (SWB) of populations. In recent years, new approaches to measuring SWB have begun to appear, using digital traces as the main source of information, and show potential to overcome the shortcomings of traditional survey-based methods. In this paper, we propose the formal model for calculation of observable subjective well-being (OSWB) indicator based on posts from a social network, which utilizes demographic information and post-stratification techniques to make the data sample representative by selected characteristics of the general population. We applied the model on the data from Odnoklassniki, one of the largest social networks in Russia, and obtained an OSWB indicator representative of the population of Russia by age and gender. For sentiment analysis, we fine-tuned several language models on RuSentiment and achieved state-of-the-art results. The calculated OSWB indicator demonstrated moderate to strong Pearson's (r=0.733, p=0.007, n=12) correlation and strong Spearman's (rs=0.825, p=0.001, n=12) correlation with a traditional survey-based Happiness Index reported by Russia Public Opinion Research Center, confirming the validity of the proposed approach. Additionally, we explored circadian (24 h) and circaseptan (7 day) patterns, and report several interesting findings for the population of Russia. Firstly, daily variations were clearly observed: the morning had the lowest level of happiness, and the late evening had the highest. Secondly, weekly patterns were clearly observed as well, with weekends being happier than weekdays. The lowest level of happiness occurs in the first three weekdays, and starting on Thursday, it rises and peaks during the weekend. Lastly, demographic groups showed different levels of happiness on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, which confirms the importance of post-stratification by age group and gender in OSWB studies based on digital traces.


The present study focuses on the Export trade financing by EXIM Bank of India for Various types of exports to Indian Exporters, asses as the sufficiency of quantum of finance and the suitability for enhancing the same, its working as a pioneer in export credit, its role in supporting Indian industries, particularly exporting companies which truly needs export credit, in their globalization efforts through a wide range of the products and services offered at all stages of the business cycle, has also been discussed. The impacts and implication has been pointed out and suggestions are also given to provide optimal export credit to Indian exporters.


Article Info Background: Investigating information on the causes of death of patients is an undeniable necessity for health policy and disease control at the level of human societies. This study aimed to perform an epidemiological study on patient mortality in Ali Ibn Abitaleb Hospital in Rafsanjan, Southeastern Iran, 2019. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 260 patients who died during March to September, 2019 were reviewed. Data were collected from patients' records using a predesigned checklist. Data were analyzed using t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The highest proportion of death was due to internal diseases (38.8%). The mean duration of hospitalization in the emergency ward was 7.14 hours and in other wards was 180.36 hours. The mean time from admission to initial visit was 57.91±29.16 minutes, to death was 185.20 hours, and to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) time was 29.82±19.29 minutes. The cause of death in various groups of patients was significantly different based on their age and the duration of being admitted in hospital (P <0.001). Conclusions: Our findings suggested the importance of controlling and preventing internal diseases in the population from that patients referred to this hospital. More investigation on the duration of hospitalization in the ward (by assessing the association between complications due to prolonged hospital stay and mortality) can play an effective role in preventing long-term hospitalization deaths.


WHHL rabbits are a valuable model for the study of human familial hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. To use this animal model, it is often necessary to confirm LDL receptor status in WHHL rabbits. Here, we described a simple and rapid PCR method to detect LDL mutations in WHHL rabbits.


Background Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common and serious complication in premature infants. Lung fibroblasts (LFs) are present in the extracellular matrix and participate in pulmonary development in response to BPD. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) on LFs cultured from newborn rats. Material and Methods. Primary LFs were isolated and treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF, 20 ng/mL) in the presence or absence of an ERK inhibitor, PD98059 (10 μmol/L). Phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) protein levels were determined using immunocytochemistry, western blotting, and real-time reverse transcription quantitative (RT–q)PCR. LF proliferation was examined by flow cytometry and a cell counting kit-8 assay. LF transdifferentiation was examined by protein and mRNA expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) by immunocytochemistry, western blotting, and RT–qPCR. LF migration was examined by the transwell method. Results Phosphorylated ERK1/2, which was activated by EGF, promoted LF proliferation by accelerating cell-cycle progression from the G1 to S phase. After treatment with PD98059, the expression of p-ERK1/2 in LFs, cellular proliferation, and the percentage of cells in S phase were significantly decreased. Phosphorylated ERK1/2 also promoted the differentiation of LFs into myofibroblasts through increased α-SMA synthesis and migration. Conclusion The activation of ERK promotes proliferation, transdifferentiation, and migration of lung fibroblasts from newborn rats.


INCREASED FREQUENCY OF ISOLATED CLEFT PALATE IN INFANTS EXPOSED TO LAMOTRIGINE DURING PREGNANCY To the Editor: We read with interest the findings of Holmes et al.1 of an increased risk of oral clefts in offspring exposed to lamotrigine (LTG) during pregnancy. Our results from the UK Epilepsy & Pregnancy Register, another independent prospective registration and follow-up study, do not confirm this finding. Our study methods have been previously published.2 We had full outcome data for 1,229 pregnancies exposed to LTG as monotherapy, resulting in 1,151 live births. Twenty-eight major congenital malformations were reported (MCM rate 2.4% [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7– 3.5]). Of these, one male infant was born with nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (0.087% [95% CI 0.015–0.49]) to a 23-year-old nonsmoker, having been exposed to 200 mg/day of LTG through pregnancy. Folic acid was commenced following conception. There were no cases of isolated cleft lip or isolated cleft palate. No specific pattern of malformations has emerged in this cohort. A European network of population-based congenital anomaly registers (EUROCAT) did not find any evidence of an increased risk of isolated oral clefts relative to other malformations due to first trimester exposure to LTG in monotherapy.3 We congratulate Holmes et al. on their work, but the substantial differences between their and our findings highlights the difficulty in interpreting data from observational uncontrolled studies especially when the event rates studied are rare. While there may be true differences for oral clefts between the populations studied in the United States and the United Kingdom, it is also possible that the differences reflect reporting bias. Despite all the pregnancy data available, there are still major problems in counseling women with epilepsy. Replication across different datasets is likely to be critical before we are fully able to inform women.


Government subsidized insurance is ubiquitous, yet estimation of demand in such markets remains challenging. Premium charged for a given deductible is determined by actuarial construction, thus observed choice-pairs are endogenous leading to biased estimation under standard econometric approaches. A theoretical model and simulation study are developed, and a new identification strategy proposed. An empirical application using Federal Crop Insurance Program--a $100 billion/year program--data reveals that demand is quite elastic after accounting for this endogeneity. Mistreatment of such endogeneity is likely partly responsible for pervasive faulty findings of inelastic insurance demand in related applications. Policy implications are discussed.


The objective of this study was to evaluate multiple interferon (IFN) specific mRNA biomarkers in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with anti-IFN-beta neutralizing antibodies (NAB) using a pharmacodynamic study design. Thirty patients were enrolled. Blood samples were drawn at pre-treatment, 4-, 8-h time points following the intramuscular dose of IFN-beta-1a. Total RNA was obtained from peripheral blood cells, processed to cDNA and analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Pre-treatment serum samples were analyzed for anti-IFN-beta binding and neutralizing antibodies: 22 patients were NAB negative; equal numbers of the eight remaining patients were either NAB positive or had borderline NAB status. The results showed that early assessment (at 4 h after IFN-beta injection) of mRNAs for Stat-1, MxA, MxB and TRAIL was more sensitive than the later measurements. Furthermore, the NAB positive patients had strongly attenuated gene expression responses on all the mRNAs. Patients with borderline NAB had average responses that appear to be lower than NAB negative patients on several genes, notably Stat-1, TRAIL and beta2 microglobulin.


A 68-day growth trial was conducted in a flow-through system to determine the effect of dietary manganese levels on growth and tissue manganese concentration of juvenile gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio). Seven purified diets containing 7.21, 8.46, 9.50, 10.50, 13.03, 19.72 and 22.17 mg manganese (as manganic sulfate) per kilogram diet were fed to triplicate groups of fish (initial weight 3.21 +/- 0.01 g). The results showed that dietary manganese levels did not significantly affect feed intake of the fish. Specific growth rate, feed efficiency, total hepatic superoxide dismutase activity, carcass and skeletal manganese concentration increased significantly with increased dietary manganese(P < 0.05) while condition factor decreased significantly(P < 0.05). It was concluded that dietary requirement of manganese was 13.77 mg Mn per kilogram diet. Carcass and skeletal manganese concentration could also be used to evaluate the manganese requirement. Total hepatic superoxide dismulase activity was not a sensitive indicator for dietary requirement.


These authors have contributed equally to this work.. CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license not peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. It is made available under a The copyright holder for this preprint (which was. Abstract Human genes perform different functions and exhibit different effects on fitness in cancer and normal cell populations. Here, we present an evolutionary approach to measuring the selective pressure on human genes in cancer and normal cell genomes using the well-known dN/dS (nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution rate) ratio. We develop a new method called the mutation-profile-based Nei-Gojobori (mpNG) method, which applies sample-specific nucleotide substitution profiles instead of conventional substitution models to calculating dN/dS ratios in cancer and normal populations. Using 7,042 exome sequences from tumor-normal pairs, and germline variations from 6,500 exome sequences (ESP6500) as references, we found a significant relaxation of selective constraint for human genes in cancer cells. Compared with previous studies that focused on positively selected genes in cancer genomes, which potentially represent the driving force behind tumor initiation and development, we employed an alternative approach to identifying cancer constrained genes that strengthen negative selection pressure in tumor cells. As a conservative estimate of positively and negatively selected genes in cancer, we found 45 genes under intensified positive selection and 16 genes under strengthened purifying selection in cancer cells compared with germline cells. The cancer-specific positively selected genes are enriched for cancer genes and human essential genes, while several cancer-specific negatively selected genes have been reported as prognostic biomarkers for cancers. Therefore, our computation pipeline used to identify cancer positively and negatively genes may provide useful information for understanding the evolution of. CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license not peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. It is made available under a The copyright holder for this preprint (which was. 3 cancer somatic mutations. Evolution. CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license not peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. It is made available under a The copyright holder for this preprint (which was .


The frequency response of a unidirectional-output optical frequency conversion device is measured. The device has a saturable absorber region within the active region, which acts as an optical gate for converted light. The 3-dB bandwidth of the device with saturable absorber region is measured up to 800 MHz, and is found to be limited by the frequency response of the saturable absorber region. To operate the device faster, lasing mode intensity modulation by input light is attempted by using the device in a laser diode mode. In this case, the electrodes of the saturable absorber and the gain regions are connected electrically, and the saturable absorber region is also biased far above the threshold condition at the same time with the gain region. The 3-dB bandwidth of the device increases to over 10 GHz, and the 10-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) eye pattern can be observed when the input TM-polarized light intensity is modulated by a 10-Gb/s NRZ pseudorandom signal.<<ETX>>


The purpose of the study is to identify Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSC) and their potential health insurance applicability in Korea, using the correlation and regression analysis with the empirical data provided by Korean Health Insurance Review Agency(KHIRA). Here, ACSC would be thought of as conditions that when timely and effectively treated in the outpatient medical services can help reduce the risk of hospitalizations. As for ACSC, reducing accessibility for outpatient visit results in increasing hospitalization. In this respect, the ACSC concept is popularly adopted as one of the performance indicators of the national health system. As one of main results, fortifying the accessibility to necessary health care in a way of sharing appropriately the role with private health insurance can lead to the efficiency of national health care delivery systems in view of total health care expense, in particular in a case of ACSC children. Lastly, we would like to strongly suggest that the disease treatment data set reported to KHIRA needs to be opened to private insurance companies only for illness experience investigation.


Cloud and cloud shadow segmentation are fundamental processes in optical remote sensing image analysis. Current methods for cloud/shadow identification in geospatial imagery are not as accurate as they should, especially in the presence of snow and haze. This article presents a deep learning-based framework for the detection of cloud/shadow in Landsat 8 images. Our method benefits from a convolutional neural network, Cloud-Net+ (a modification of our previously proposed Cloud-Net [1]) that is trained with a novel loss function [filtered Jaccard loss (FJL)]. The proposed loss function is more sensitive to the absence of foreground objects in an image and penalizes/rewards the predicted mask more accurately than other common loss functions. In addition, a sunlight direction-aware data augmentation technique is developed for the task of cloud shadow detection to extend the generalization ability of the proposed model by expanding existing training sets. The combination of Cloud-Net+, FJL function, and the proposed augmentation algorithm delivers superior results on four public cloud/shadow detection datasets. Our experiments on Pascal VOC dataset exemplifies the applicability and quality of our proposed network and loss function in other computer vision applications.


The author of the present paper examines the archived sources of the history of the former Ministry of Justice of the Kingdom of Hungary after  World War I and during the first decade of the so-called Horthy system. He deals with the connection between the ministry and the state government, the special features of the disciplinary law, the legal status of the minorities living in Hungary as well as the conditions of the actual jurisdiction matters. The activities concerning the implementation of the Peace Treaty of Trianon and some of the diplomatic problems that came up with the neighbour states can also be found in the chapters. One can read supplements to the testament of King Charles IV and the real estates of the ex-royal family, the political carrier of PM Count Istvan Bethlen, and the career of the then ministers of justice taking part in the stabilisation of the post-war public law interregnum under the pressure of the obligations dictated by the former Entente coalition.


Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem causing significant morbidity and mortality around the world specially Asia, Africa and Latin America. The present preliminary in-vitro study reports antileishmanial potential of Raphanus sativus L. var. caudatus . Various concentrations of ethanolic extract of plant were used. The tested extract showed noteworthy inhibition (concentration – dependant) of Leishmania promastigotes. The IC 50 of extract was found to be 39 μg/ml. The results of present study could be helpful in future for antileishmanial therapy.


In aerosol research, a common approach for the collection of particulate matter (PM) is the use of filters in order to obtain sufficient material to undertake analysis. For subsequent chemical and toxicological analyses, in most cases the PM needs to be extracted from the filters. Sonication is commonly used to most efficiently extract the PM from the filters. Extraction protocols generally involve 10–60 min of sonication. The energy of ultrasonic waves causes the formation and collapse of cavitation bubbles in the solution. Inside the collapsing cavities the localized temperatures and pressures can reach extraordinary values. Although fleeting, such conditions can lead to pyrolysis of the molecules present inside the cavitation bubbles (gases dissolved in the liquid and solvent vapors), which results in the production of free radicals and the generation of new compounds formed by reactions with these free radicals. For example, simple sonication of pure water will result in the formation of detectable levels of hydroxyl radicals. As hydroxyl radicals are recognized as playing key roles as oxidants in the atmosphere the extraction of PM from filters using sonication is therefore problematic. Sonication can result in significant chemical and physical changes to PM through thermal degradation and other reactions. In this article, an overview of sonication technique as used in aerosol research is provided, the capacity for radical generation under these conditions is described and an analysis is given of the impact of sonication-derived free radicals on three molecular probes commonly used by researchers in this field to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) in PM. Copyright 2014 American Association for Aerosol Research


This paper provides both theoretical and empirical evidence for assessing the relationship between bank capitalisation and stock market liquidity. It estimates a bivariate VAR-GARCH (1.1) model to examine the linkage between bank capitalisation and stock market liquidity in Nigeria using annual data covering the period from 1986 to 2014. The findings of this paper show that bank capitalisation enables banks to give out more loans to the public and this increase in lending has a positive impact on stock market liquidity growth. The findings support the view that capitalised banks are well equipped to absorb and diversify risk, give out more loans, improve liquidity in the economy and improve stock market performance.


BACKGROUND
The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of omega-3 in treating ROP in premature infants.

METHODS
This randomized double-blinded controlled trial was performed on 160 premature infants with gestational age lower than 32 weeks and birth weight < 1500 grams who were at risk of ROP development (Tehran, Iran-2013). Children were randomly assigned to two groups. The intervention group received 300 mg omega-3 daily and the control group received sterile water as the placebo. The severity of ROP was defined according to the International Classification of ROP.

RESULTS
The frequency of ROP was 7.5% in the group received omega-3 and 20.0% in the placebo group with a significant difference (p = 0.021). Regarding the severity of ROP in the intervention group, ROP grade I was found in two patients and ROP grade II in four patients; while ROP grade I, II, and III were revealed in 6, 6, and 4 patients in placebo group indicating a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.001). Using the multivariate logistic regression modeling with the presence of gender, gestational age, and birth weight, the use of omega-3 was associated with reduced risk for ROP (p = 0.045).

CONCLUSION
The use of omega-3 supplement can be an appropriate treatment option for the treatment of ROP in premature infants.


This study was done to determine whether or not increased susceptibility to infection seen in enterally versus parenterally fed patients was caused by altered neutrophil (PMN) responsiveness. To determine the differential effects of route of feeding on human PMN activation, plasma C3a levels, circulating PMN counts, PMN migration to leukotriene B4 (LTB4), the peptide, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and zymosan activated serum (ZAS) and generation of LTB4 were assayed before and after and infusion of endotoxin. Nine normal volunteers were enterally (n=4) or parenterally (n=5) fed a diet sufficient to maintain body weight for seven days prior to a standard challenge of endotoxin. Samples were taken prior to the infusion and hourly thereafter for six hours. Prior to the injection of endotoxin, significant differences were seen in the two feeding groups. Plasma C3a levels, absolute circulating PMN counts and chemotaxis to LTB4 were all significantly (p less than 0.02) elevated in the enterally fed group. Generation of LTB4 was higher in the intravenously fed group at base line than the orally fed group (p less than 0.05). Plasma C3a levels rose in the enterally fed group, but not in the intravenously fed group, at two hours after infusion. Neutrophil counts rose in both feeding groups after endotoxin infusion; but the change in percentage was greater in the enterally fed group than in the intravenously fed group. Chemotaxis to FMLP and ZAS was not different during the study and did not differ between the two feeding can have significant impact on neutrophil function and that parenteral nutrition may impair host responsiveness.


Although, Ras mutation are rare in human malignant gliomas, the Ras signaling pathway is frequently activated, particularly, in tumors with activated receptor tyrosine kinases, such as, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), a major metabolizing and stress response signaling protein frequently overexpressed in human cancers, undergoes EGFR-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation, resulting in an enhancement of both its enzymatic and its cell signaling regulatory function. The EGFR-phosphorylated tyrosine 198 residue in human GSTP1 occurs within the consensus motif for high affinity binding to the SH2 domain of Grb2 (growth factor receptor-bound protein 2), an adaptor protein and critical downstream mediator of intracellular signal transduction from activated cell surface receptors via its SH2 domain. Here, we investigated, in glioma cells, the binding of GSTP1 to the Grb2 SH domain and its effect on Ras signaling and how this is impacted by EGFR. GSTP1 was co-immunoprecipitated with Grb2 in extracts of human glioblastoma (GBM) cells, following activation of EGFR with EGF, and EGFR-overexpressing GBM xenografts. Pull-down assays using biotinylated wild-type C-terminal GSTP1 peptides, containing the phospho-acceptor Y198 (Y198WT) showed it to form a complex with Grb2 and Sos1, when Y198 was phosphorylated by EGFR, and not when it was unphosphorylated. In contrast, its mutant peptide counterpart (Y198F) did not complex with Grb2 or Sos1. EGFR-induced Ras activation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation were significantly increased in wild-type GSTP1 but not GSTP1-Y198F transfectant cells. In human MGR3 GBM cells, both siRNA-mediated GSTP1 knockdown and GSTP1 inhibition with TLK199, a GSTP1 specific inhibitor, decreased ERK1/2 phosphorylation and activity markedly. The cell-permeable GSTP1-Y198 peptides also formed a complex with Grb2-Sos1 in UW228 human medulloblastoma cells with activated EGFR. Finally, following GSTP1 transfection, non-tumorigenic GSTP1-ve UW228 cells were transformed into highly tumorigenic cells that formed subcutaneous tumors in vivo. Our data show that, in human glioma cells, EGF-activated EGFR phosphorylates GSTP1 at Y198, facilitating formation (via Grb2-SH2 binding) of a GSTP1-Grb2-Sos1 complex and enhancement of Ras pathway and ERK1/2 activation. This EGFR-mediated GSTP1 phosphorylation-dependent enhancement of the Ras downstream signaling could contribute, in part, to the activated Ras signaling observed in the absence of structural Ras mutations and is a likely mechanism for the accelerated tumor growth characteristic of GBM and other tumors with elevated GSTP1 and aberrant EGFR signaling. Supported by NIH grants RO1 CA 153050, RO1CA127872, RO1 CA 112519, P50CA108786 and P30-CA14236. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2162. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2162


Breast augmentation is the most common cosmetic surgery in the United States. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the breast raises suspicion of possibly metastatic origin. Here, we report an unusual case of implant-associated SCC of the breast post silicone gel breast implant. The patient is a 46-year-old female with SCC of the breast. She initially had silicone gel breast implantation for breast augmentation in 1995. She had multiple revisions due to swelling and hardening. In 2016, she underwent bilateral prosthesis explantation and bilateral capsulectomy. The pathology demonstrated a 4-cm tumor that was moderately differentiated invasive SCC. On slide review, it was noted that there was squamous epithelization of the implant capsule with benign squamous epithelium on both sides. She received external beam radiation to the right breast; no adjuvant chemotherapy was offered due to the rare histology and paucity of data. Follow-up within a year showed metastasis to the liver, lungs and retroperitoneum. She was admitted and ultimately transferred from the medical intensive care unit to the palliative care unit for comfort care. She expired of her disease in July 2017.


This review focuses on receptor for advanced glycation endproducts/diaphonous related formin 1 (RAGE/Diaph1) interaction as a modulator of actin cytoskeleton dynamics in peripheral nervous system (PNS) in diabetes. Deciphering the complex molecular interactions between RAGE and Diaph1 is crucial in expanding our understanding of diabetic length dependent neuropathy (DLDN). DLDN is a common neurological disorder in patients with diabetes. It is well known that actin cytoskeletal homeostasis is disturbed during DLDN. Thus, we review the current status of knowledge about RAGE/Diaph1 impact on actin cytoskeletal malfunctions in PNS and DLDN progression in diabetes. We also survey studies about small molecules that may block RAGE/Diaph1 axis and thus inhibit the progression of DLDN. Finally, we explore examples of cytoskeletal long‐non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) currently unrelated to DLDN, to discuss their potential role in this disease. Most recent studies indicated that lncRNAs have a great potential in many research areas, including RAGE/Diaph1 axis as well as DLDN. Altogether, this review is aimed at giving us an insight into the involvement of cytoskeletal lncRNAs in DLDN.


A case of complete heart block is presented in a patient whose brothers were known to have ankylosing spondylitis. Uveitis and sacro-iliitis are well recognised among HLA-B27-positive siblings of ankylosing spondylitis. However, heart block is a rare occurrence as a sole presentation in siblings of patients with ankylosing spondylitis.


Unconventional shale-gas reservoirs are receiving increasing attention and have revitalized natural gas production in North America. Though costly and manpower intensive, they have less risk of a dry hole and can hold significant quantities of gas. With the current trend towards unconventional shale-gas plays, it is useful to examine the tools we use to explore for them. Attributes such as TOC, vitrinite reflectance, thickness, and mineralogy are touted as the path towards success. Using our extensive experience as operators in the Woodford shale in the Arkoma basin, we determined if these recommended properties actually are the main drivers, or if other properties play a larger role in a project's success or failure. In a horizontally drilled shale-gas play, due to reservoir heterogeneity within the field and stratigraphic section, sweet spots develop where wells with higher than normal IP rates and EUR values are common. We examined the sweet spots and attempted to determine the driving cause for their success. Additionally we examined areas with lower than expected performance to attempt to discern why. Our study resulted in determining that, although there are minimum required values for each of the typical exploration attributes, those minimum values are lower than would be expected, and there is a broad range in which highly economic production can be achieved. Additional factors relating to stimulating technique, reservoir temperature gradient, and nearby fault intensity proved to be the first order drivers of well performance. We concluded that current cut-off limits for exploration using TOC, thickness, vitrinite reflectance, and mineralogy are too conservative and should be expanded. Even where expanded they are useful as the initial check when examining a play; however, when determining acreage to purchase, better productive fairways, and even individual well predrill estimates, our identified additional factors, prove more useful.


A simple and reproducible method of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was established to detect trinucleotide repeat expansion for Huntington's disease (HD) using a new DNA polymerase and buffer system. The system consists of an extremely heat stable DNA polymerase (Pfu), and a buffer supplemented with ammonium sulfate and dimethyl sulfoxide. Previous methods to amplify expanded alleles for HD have been very complex in PCR conditions, but the reproducibility was sometimes very low because of repetitive sequences around the primer sequences. With the present method, strong bands for the disease alleles were reproducibly visible in a conventional agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide without using isotopes. Three cases with sporadic HD and a case with senile chorea showed expanded alleles for HD with smaller sizes of the expansion than cases with typical HD. These results showed that the present method provides a simple and reproducible way to detect HD allele, and some cases with sporadic HD and senile chorea had expanded HD alleles.


To ensure a long-lived network of wireless communicating sensors, we are in need of a medium access control protocol that is able to prevent energy-wasting effects like idle listening, hidden terminal problem or collision of packets. Schedule-based medium access protocols are in general robust against these effects, but require a mechanism to establish a non-conflicting schedule. In this paper, we present such a mechanism which allows wireless sensors to choose a time interval for transmission, which is not interfering or causing collisions with other transmissions. In our solution, we do not assume any hierarchical organization in the network and all operation is localized. We empirically show that our localized algorithm is successful within a factor 2 of the minimum necessary time slots in random networks; well in range of the expected (worst case) factor 3-approximation of known first-fit algorithms. Our algorithm assures similar minimum distance between simultaneous transmissions as CSMA(/CD)-based approaches.


Hollow fibre based liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the determination of alkaloids in Corydalis yanhusuo. Three alkaloids (protopine, tetrahydropalmatine, tetrahydroberberine) were extracted from a 10 mL alkaline sample (donor phase) to an organic phase impregnated in the pores of the hollow fibre, and then, they were extracted to an acidic solution (acceptor phase) in the lumen of the fibre. The extract was determined directly by HPLC. Parameters affecting the HF-LPME include the organic solvent, pH of the donor and the acceptor phase, the extraction time and the stirring speed were investigated systematically. To minimize the error of the injection, palmatine was added as an internal standard (I.S.). Under optimal conditions, calibration curves were obtained in the range of 0.1–1.0 mg L−1 with a reasonable linearity (r2 > 0.993) and the limits of detection (LODs) ranged between 10.0 × 10−3 mg L−1 and 13.7 × 10−3 mg L−1. Additionally, enrichment factors with 100 to 184-fold were obtained. The method was then applied to the crude extract of Corydalis yanhusuo successfully.


Students in many Australian universities start their studies mathematically underprepared as there are no prerequisites for mathematics, and assumed knowledge requirements are often overlooked. Many degrees include at least one statistics subject for which students require a reasonable level of mathematical ability to successfully complete. Students' efforts to grasp quantitative skills often lead to feelings of anxiety, stress, and lack of self-confidence. The Mathematics Education Support Hub (MESH) at WSU provides free support in mathematics and statistics to all students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, to increase their engagement, understanding, and abilities in statistics as well as to overcome their anxiety. In this paper we focus on the drop-in consultation service, which provides "just in time" help in campus libraries. Data is collected for every consultation, which enabling an investigation in relation to the mathematics background of students and the problematic topics in statistics. Text mining is used to examine students' queries to identify the topics in statistics subjects that students struggle most with. Outcomes of this analysis can be used by statistics instructors and mathematics support centres to improve students' experience in learning and to help to reduce statistics anxiety in future generations of statistics students.
First published February 2020 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives


To investigate the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted viruses, two serosurveys (the first in 1999 among 56 adults and the second in 2001 among 351 adults) were conducted in remote villages of the southwestern part of Papua New Guinea. Only one individual was positive for antibodies to HIV. In 2001, the seroprevalence of human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) was 32.2%, and the seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) was 27.4%. Both prevalence rates increased with age, and were lower in the villages near the Bensbach River. The seropositivity of HSV-2 was independently correlated with HHV-8 infection. Our data show that the inhabitants of the southwestern region of Papua New Guinea currently experience an extremely low circulation of HIV. However, the high prevalence of infectious agents that can be sexually transmitted, such as HSV-2 and to a lesser extent HHV-8, indicates the presence of behavioral patterns that may facilitate the spread of HIV in this area of currently low endemicity.


This guide was prepared to assist students doing research in Dr. Rust's capstone class on World War I social history and the experiences of the common soldier.


Abstract-The literature shows that Graphology is common and relatively useful in our life. For example, as one of the job requirements. Professional organizations hire a professional handwriting analyst called Graphologist to analyze the characteristic traits of the candidates by identified their handwriting. However, the accuracy of handwriting analysis depends on how skilled the graphologist is, two graphologists which predict the same handwriting may give us a different result of the prediction. To improve the accuracy, we develop a system that can automatically predict a person's personality based on the shape of the handwriting of the letters "i", "o", and "t" using the Levenberg Marquardt Backpropagation method. Based on this research we got the maximum accuracy by using 2 hidden layers. We got 71,42% of accuracy for the letter "i", 76,92% of accuracy for the letter "o", and 60% of accuracy for letter the "t".


Leucorrhoea is one of the major problems encountered in Gynaecological practice. The most common cause of leucorrhoea is physiological, followed by vaginal infections due to bacteria, virus, fungi and parasites. Other causes include foreign bodies, cervicitis and atrophic vaginitis. The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of leucorrhoea among women in reproductive age group and to determine the association between the demographic variable and prevalence of leucorrhoea. A Non-experimental descriptive design was used to assess the prevalence of leucorrhoea among women in reproductive age group. Purposive sampling method was used. A total of 60 reproductive age group women participated in the study. Checklist method was used to assess the prevalence of leucorrhoea. The data was collected, organized and analyzed in term of descriptive statistics. The findings of the study revealed that out of 60 samples, 28(46.66%) were mild, 32(53.33%) were moderate, and none of them was severe. There is a statistically significant association with variables such as age, a number of child, income and education at P<0.05 level. Thus this study reveals that leucorrhoea is most likely among women in reproductive age so as nurses should assess the early manifestations to prevent the gynaecological diseases.


Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine malignancy in the United States with an unacceptably high recurrence rate of 20-30%. Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), one of the most critical component of solid tumor microenvironments, promote cancer initiation, growth, progression, metastasis and angiogenesis. These TAMs release cytokines as well as other secretory components like exosomes in the tumor microenvironment. Previously, we found that M1 polarized TAMs modulate thyroid cancer phenotype by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), facilitating tissue metastasis and dissemination. In our present study, we used an in vitro model system to assess the crosstalk between the secretory components of macrophages and the epithelial cells in the thyroid tumor microenvironment. We used THP-1 monocyte/macrophage cell line along with thyroid cancer cell lines: consisting of two papillary cancer cell lines (BCPAP and TPC-1), one anaplastic cancer cell line (8505C) and one follicular cancer cell line (CGTHW-1). We observed that activated THP-1 macrophages are polarized towards M1 phenotype, secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TGF-β, IL6, TNF-α, IL-1β, amongst others. These cytokines are responsible for halt in proliferation and change in morphology to mesenchymal phenotype promoting EMT in thyroid cancer cells. Similar pattern in phenotypical changes were noted in thyroid cancer cells treated with activated THP-1 macrophage exosomes. We also observed that EMT markers, such as vimentin and NFκ-B, are modulated in response to activated macrophage secreted exosomes. Moreover, secretory components from anaplastic thyroid cancer cells led to enhanced activation of THP-1 cells. These findings support a mutual cooperation between thyroid cancer cells and inflammatory cells in tumor microenvironment in defining thyroid cancer phenotype. Such correlation can identify early markers and prevent thyroid cancer differentiation, and are putative targets for therapy. Citation Format: Neha Yashpal Tuli, Robert B. Bednarczyk, Ghada M. Ben Rahoma, Augustine Moscatello, Jan Geliebter, Raj K. Tiwari. Thyroid tumor microenvironment: mutual interaction between cancer and inflammatory cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4089.


The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) addresses some of the major health concerns of postmenopausal women. It is designed to test whether long-term preventive measures will decrease the incidence of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and fractures, and it seeks to find better predictors of future health and disease in older women. This report traces the evolution of the clinical trial and observational study (CT/OS) components of WHI from early planning in the 1980s to the current status of the WHI CT/OS as an integrated, ongoing clinical study. Particular attention is directed to the antecedent planning meetings and feasibility studies that formed the underpinnings of the WHI. The issues of hormone replacement therapy and of the optimal diet for postmenopausal women were investigated for almost a decade prior to WHI. However, no studies of sufficient size and duration to confidently test the value and risks of these approaches were initiated because of the cost and insufficient political commitment. The initiation of WHI in 1991 represents the confluence of scientific need and capability with the social priorities to improve the health and welfare of women.


Myeloid sarcoma is a rare tumor consisting of myeloid blasts that involve anatomic sites outside the bone marrow. Fatal prognosis is inevitable in patients with extramedullary relapse after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and no standard treatments are available yet. We report the first case of extramedullary relapse after HSCT treated with a combination of daunorubicin, cytarabine, and cladribine (DAC) regimen plus radiotherapy and donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI). This treatment induced a new and durable remission in our patient. The favorable toxicity profile and the reduced cost make this combination worthy of further investigations.


The purpose of the report is to present prospects for the development of winter tourism in combination with other types of tourism for the sustainable development of the state's economy. Bulgarian winter resorts are gaining international popularity with their favorable conditions for sports, the modern facilities with which the resorts are equipped and the mountainous nature that creates conditions for holding competitions on the tracks. Bulgaria has numerous mineral springs and is a popular spa and wellness destination. In almost all winter resorts there are spa centers that offer a variety of procedures, and in combination with the rich cultural heritage, conditions are created for the development of several types of tourism. The state's sports centers are located near various cultural and natural attractions, which provide opportunities for a variety of activities for visitors.


We report a case of Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome that was monitored both clinically and molecularly over a period of 9 years. A somatic mosaic mutation of PIK3CA (p(E545G)) was identified using both cfDNA NGS liquid biopsy and tissue biopsy. At the age of 56, due to intervening clonal mutations in PIK3CA background, she developed a squamous cell carcinoma in the right affected leg which was treated surgically. Nine years later, lung bilateral adenocarcinoma arose on PIK3CA mutated tissues supported by different clonal mutations. One year later, the patient died from metastases led by a new FGFR3 clone unresponsive to standard-of-care, immunotherapy-based. Our results highlight the presence of a molecular hallmark underlying neoplastic transformation that occurs upon an angiodysplastic process and support the view that PIK3CA mutated tissues must be treated as precancerous lesions. Importantly, they remark the effectiveness of combining cfDNA NGS liquid and tissue biopsies to monitor disease evolution as well as to identify aggressive clones targetable by tailored therapy, which is more efficient than conventional protocols.


Language in its most developed forms is a priceless creation of man. It has always been a matter of slow evolution and no language can claim to have been born perfect or complete. Its evolution has marked its progress and in the evolution of human civilization languages have grown, decayed and even died, though not without leaving their impress behind in their offshoots. Language is the key to all intellectual and a great part of spiritual life. A common language makes possible free and familiar intercourse between two human beings and creates a bond between them. More than this each language, with its choice of words, its turn of phrase, its every idiom and peculiarity, is a sort of philosophy which expresses the past history, the character, the psychological identity of those accustomed to use it. It is an instrument which, molded by the future. It is difficult for a foreigner to adopt the language of a people without in some way also adopting their habit of mind, and a child sucks in a sense of nationality within the very rhymes which it learns in the nursery.  Language disappears by the destruction of the habits of their speakers, as well as by genocide, forced assimilation and assimilatory education, demographic submersion, and bombardment by electronic media, which may be called cultural nerve gas. The loss of language is part of the more general loss being suffered by the world, the loss of diversity in all things. In this background the purpose of this paper is to assess the nature and extent of minority language rights, measures which aims to protect speakers of minority languages from discrimination and to analyze the effectiveness of procedural and substantive measures adopted both at the national and international level.


The rolling massage manipulation is a classic Chinese massage, which is expected to eliminate many diseases. Here the effect of the rolling massage on the particle moving property in the blood vessels under the rolling massage manipulation is studied by the lattice Boltzmann simulation. The simulation results show that the particle moving behaviour depends on the rolling velocity, the distance between particle position and rolling position. The average values, including particle translational velocity and angular velocity, increase as the rolling velocity increases almost linearly. The result is helpful to understand the mechanism of the massage and develop the rolling techniques.


Abstract. Microbial community patterns vary in glaciers worldwide, presenting unique responses to global climatic and environmental changes. Four bacterial clone libraries were established by 16S rRNA gene amplification from four ice layers along the 42-m-long ice core MuztB drilled from the Muztag Ata Glacier. A total of 151 bacterial sequences obtained from the ice core MuztB were phylogenetically compared with the 71 previously reported sequences from three ice cores extracted from ice caps Malan, Dunde, and Puruogangri. Six phylogenetic clusters Flavisolibacter, Flexibacter (Bacteroidetes), Acinetobacter, Enterobacter (Gammaproteobacteria), Planococcus/Anoxybacillus (Firmicutes), and Propionibacter/Luteococcus (Actinobacteria) frequently occurred along the Muztag Ata Glacier profile, and their proportion varied by seasons. Sequence analysis showed that most of the sequences from the ice core clustered with those from cold environments, and the sequence clusters from the same glacier more closely grouped together than those from the geographically isolated glaciers. Moreover, bacterial communities from the same location or similarly aged ice formed a cluster, and were clearly separate from those from other geographically isolated glaciers. In summary, the findings provide preliminary evidence of zonal distribution of microbial community, and suggest biogeography of microorganisms in glacier ice.


This paper describes the measurement of flame speed by means of the flat flame formed downstream of a cooled porous plate through which flows a mixture of propane and air. A flat flame has been stabilized over a wide range of mixture ratios and with flame speeds ranging between 4 and 38 cm/s; the adiabatic flame speeds are obtained by extrapolation. Good agreement is obtained with the results of other investigators as to the effect of temperature on flame speed. Cellular flames are observed in rich, weak and stoichiometric mixtures; cell size varies both with mixture ratio and heat-extraction rate.