Background: Psoriasis is a common and recurrent proliferative inflammatory skin disease that has been associated with abnormal plasma lipid metabolism and with high frequency of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The prevalence seems to be related to the severity of psoriasis, as it occurs more frequently in patients presenting with large areas of the body affected with lesions. The aim of our work was to evaluate the development of dyslipidemia in psoriasis, and to look for a correlation between their levels and severity of diseases in which the risk factors and secondary causes of hyperlipidemia were excluded. Methods: We evaluated the fasting lipid profile in twenty-four patients with mild to moderate psoriasis and twenty-four age and gender matched healthy subjects as the control group. Results: Patients presented risk changes in lipid profile, serum total cholesterol (p<0.001), triglyceride (p<0.01), LDL-cholesterol (p<0.001), VLDL-cholesterol (p<0.01) and TC/HDL ratio (p<0.01) were found to be significantly higher than in control group. No significant statistical difference was observed between HDL levels of the two groups. Significant positive correlation in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol was found between mild and moderate psoriasis (PASI score) as compared with controls. Conclusion: Our data suggest that psoriasis patients must be considered as a group at high risk for cardiovascular, since psoriasis per se seems to be associated with risk changes in the lipid profile. We conclude that psoriatic patients should be evaluated and followed up for the risk of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases.


The application of multiplexed PCM channels to a microwave radio system is attractive in areas where geographic terrain limits the practicality of cable plant construction. A technique of interfacing the digital signal with an analog radio baseband is described. The successful Inclusion of a voice-frequency (VF) orderwire at the low frequency end of the digital spectrum without a significant penalty in error-rate performance demonstrates the efficiency of the technique.


Two measures of attentional-resource effectiveness in monitoring and detection tasks in nuclear power plants are developed based on cost-benefit principle and are validated in experimental studies. The underlying principle of the measures is that information sources should be selectively attended according to their importance. One of the two measures is the fixation to importance ratio (FIR), which represents attentional resource (eye fixations) spent on an information source compared to the importance of the information source. The other measure is selective attention effectiveness (SAE), which incorporates the FIRs of all information sources. The FIR represents the specific effectiveness of an information source, whereas the SAE represents the overall effectiveness of all information sources. Frequency and the duration of eye fixations of an operator on information sources are used as attentional resource. The analytic hierarchy process was used to evaluate the importance of information sources. Experiments were conducted to validate the proposed measure. From the results of the experiments, the FIR and the SAE are concluded to be promising measures of effectiveness in monitoring and detection during complex diagnostic tasks.


The purpose of this paper is to clarify the compositional process of the revised version of Liszt's Cantico del Sol di San Francesco d'Assisi, especially focusing on the little-known manuscripts preserved in Weimar, Budapest and Leipzig. The author confirmed for the first time that the "Leipzig copy" of the work also includes Liszt's handwriting. Surely both manuscripts in Weimar and Leipzig are Stichvorlagen for the first edition. The latter is the revised vocal score with accompaniment either on piano or organ. Definitely Liszt also checked the engraver's manuscript of the vocal score for himself. On September 6, 1881 to Carolyne, Liszt wrote the following: "I am going to write the arrangement for piano and organ of the new definitive version of the Cantico di San Francesco." It is very likely that this arrangement means the "Leipzig copy," not the piano solo version. Therefore, the date of composition of the latter should be reconsidered. On the other hand, the autograph fragment for orchestra in Budapest is an important correction to the missing manuscript between the early version and the revised one.


Stabilizing large diameter natural gas pipelines on the seabed against extreme hydrodynamic loading conditions has proven to be challenging in the northwest of Australia. Tropical storms, which affect the area annually between November and April, can generate wave heights exceeding 30 m and on-bottom steady-state currents of 2 m/s or more. Consequently, in shallow water depths, typically less than 40–60 m, subsea pipelines can experience very high hydrodynamic loads, potentially causing significant lateral movement. If the seabed is rugged, or at locations where the pipeline approaches a point of fixity, this can lead to the pipeline suffering mechanical damage, which is undesirable.In many places on the Northwest Shelf of Australia, there is a layer of minimum 3 m deep marine sediments. The sediments predominantly comprise of relatively stable, fine to medium sized carbonate silts and sands, sometimes with some clay content. Traditionally, in Australia and other parts of the world, post-trenching techniques such as ploughing and jetting have been applied in such areas. These techniques can successfully lower the pipeline into the seabed. However, in many situations on the Northwest Shelf of Australia, post-trenching has had limited success. This has in part been due to the unpredictable levels of cementation of the carbonate sand, which has often resulted in an insufficient trench depth, with the need to implement costly and time consuming remedial works to ensure pipeline stability.The uncertainties in the success of post-trenching tools lead to the development of the pre-trenching and sand backfill method, which was first applied in Australia in 2003 on a 42-inch diameter natural gas trunkline. This technique has several advantages compared to post-trenching and other conventional pipeline stabilization methods such as rubble mound pipeline covers or gravity anchors.This paper presents an overview of the pre-trenching and sand backfill method, its design principles, benefits, and risks and opportunities.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


We propose a new approach for the runtime scheduling of real-time workloads. This approach, which we call virtual scheduling, decouples real-time scheduling from the underlying real-time operating system (RTOS) kernel. Such a decoupling provides for the use of scheduling algorithms on an RTOS platform that does not support them natively. This allows new scheduling functionality to be offered to industry practitioners without sacrificing the ideal of the stable, predictable, time-tested, and (mostly) bug-free


Complete blockade of the ureter in dogs subjected to saline loading (0.85–10.0% NaCl) resulted in an increase in total renal blood during the period of blockade which appeared to be related to the antecedent diuresis and increment in ureteral pressure. This was accompanied by a progressive decrease in extraction of para-aminohippurate (PAH) and a greater decrease in creatinine extraction. The change in Epah showed a close inverse correlation to the change in renal blood flow (RBF). This afforded a possible explanation for the increment in RBF, for the increased perfusion of vascular circuits of the A-V communicating type would account for such a correlation. Evidence was supplied which suggested that such pathways involved the medullary vascular circuits. This was based on the observation that the concentrating ability of the kidney was impaired by the period of occlusion. The most likely mechanism for this would be maintained (or increased) vascular perfusion of the vasa recta system, in the face of markedly curtailed glomerular filtration, conditions resulting from ureteral blockade.

With the Assistance of Mary Jo Elpers, Isaac Womack, and William N. Dailey


Filamentous fungus Penicillium oxalicum produces diverse lignocellulolytic enzymes, which are regulated by the combinations of many transcription factors. Here, a single-gene disruptant library for 470 transcription factors was constructed and systematically screened for cellulase production. Twenty transcription factors (including ClrB, CreA, XlnR, Ace1, AmyR, and 15 unknown proteins) were identified to play putative roles in the activation or repression of cellulase synthesis. Most of these regulators have not been characterized in any fungi before. We identified the ClrB, CreA, XlnR, and AmyR transcription factors as critical dose-dependent regulators of cellulase expression, the core regulons of which were identified by analyzing several transcriptomes and/or secretomes. Synergistic and additive modes of combinatorial control of each cellulase gene by these regulatory factors were achieved, and cellulase expression was fine-tuned in a proper and controlled manner. With one of these targets, the expression of the major intracellular β-glucosidase Bgl2 was found to be dependent on ClrB. The Bgl2-deficient background resulted in a substantial gene activation by ClrB and proved to be closely correlated with the relief of repression mediated by CreA and AmyR during cellulase induction. Our results also signify that probing the synergistic and dose-controlled regulation mechanisms of cellulolytic regulators and using it for reconstruction of expression regulation network (RERN) may be a promising strategy for cellulolytic fungi to develop enzyme hyper-producers. Based on our data, ClrB was identified as focal point for the synergistic activation regulation of cellulase expression by integrating cellulolytic regulators and their target genes, which refined our understanding of transcriptional-regulatory network as a "seesaw model" in which the coordinated regulation of cellulolytic genes is established by counteracting activators and repressors.


The major goal of the current research was to develop and evaluate the therapeutic potential of anti-tubercular drugs (ATDs) loaded natural polysaccharide comprising of galacto mannan subunit in experimental tuberculosis (TB). Experimental formulations were prepared by ionotropic gelation technique followed by spray drying. Morphological analysis suggested that optimized nanoparticles were found to be discrete and spherical in nature with a particle size distribution range from 230 ± 4.5 nm to 310 ± 6.2 nm. The in-vitro drug release behavior indicated the biphasic pattern comprising of initial burst followed by a sustained release pattern. Guar gum coated chitosan nanoparticles (CGNPs) among the leading formulation exhibited the highest cell uptake potential confirmed by FACS analysis. Challenge study also supports the in-vivo bio-distribution illustrated by the significant reduction in CFU count in experimental TB in mice. Histopathology study demonstrated that none of the treated group shows any evidence of lung tissue abnormality. Hence, the study marked the fact that CGNPs could be a promising carrier for selective delivery of ATDs to alveolar macrophages for efficient management of TB with the interception of minimal side effects.


Optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows
label-free, three-dimensional imaging of tissue structure. Current
implementations of OCT can either image over long depth ranges at
slow imaging speeds, or over limited depth ranges at high speeds.
Here, we describe a new OCT paradigm that supports simultaneous
high speed and long depth range imaging through subsampling
bandwidth compression. We show that this requires replacing the
conventional wavelength-swept OCT laser source with a
wavelength-stepped laser. First we validated this concept by
modifying a slow, conventional wavelength-swept source with an
intra-cavity Fabry-Perot etalon to provide a wavelength-stepped
output. Using this source in an existing OCT system, we show that
we can passively compress signals across a large depth range into a
limited RF bandwidth. Next, to demonstrate high-speed optical
domain subsampled imaging, we developed a novel wavelength-stepped
laser source based on intra-cavity pulse compression/stretching;
this source provided an A-line rate of ~19 MHz. We then built a
polarization-based quadrature interferometer to remove imaging
artifacts induced by subsampling and comple-conjugate ambiguity. A
calibration and error compensation method was developed to fully
remove residual artifacts in the image. We combined the high speed
laser and the interferometer to demonstrate the first OCT
camera-like imaging across several centimeters of depth range. The
optically subsampled OCT technology developed in this work may
offer a new three-dimensional camera platform for endoscopic and
intraoperative imaging applications.


Pancreatic lesions that are not clearly benign are often treated as malignant despite uncertainty in the true diagnosis due to the nearly universally fatal nature of pancreatic carcinoma (PC). Nuclear morphometry is a technique to quantify nuclear features too complex for the human eye to discern. We hypothesized that nuclear atypia can be quantified with morphometry in order to distinguish between chronic pancreatitis, IPMN, and PC. We retrospectively analyzed 14 specimens of chronic pancreatitis, 16 IPMN lesions, and 19 PC lesions. Clinicopathologic data were obtained. Nuclear morphometry determined overall atypia based on the average nuclear abnormality of 95 distinct nuclear features (a nuclear signature). For PC lesions, 5 nuclear features defined a classification score (CS) representing the proportion of aggressive nuclei in a given PC lesion. Statistical significance was determined with ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The average age for all patients was 63 ± 15 years while 62% were male; there were no differences between the 3 groups. The follow up was approximately 4 years in all groups as well. The average nuclear atypia of chronic pancreatitis was 0.80, 0.99 for IPMN, and 1.08 for PC (P = 0.02). Importantly, based on 5 nuclear features, the CS for PC lesions that recurred was 87% while it was only 56% for those PC lesions that did recur (P = 0.04). The research describes a precise, accurate, and objective method to distinguish IPMN from PC. The CS and overall atypia score provides a method to not only objectively describe a given lesion, but it importantly describes where in the progression from benign to malignant lesion an unknown lesion exists. Clinically, this may be of great utility in risk stratifying unknown pancreatic lesions at the time of diagnosis or tissue biopsy. Citation Format: Evan S. Glazer, Kimberly A. Hill, Hao (Helen) Zhang, Peter Bartels, Joseph Watkins, David S. Alberts, Robert S. Krouse. Nuclear morphometry measures progressive atypia in the development of pancreatic carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1362. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1362


Understanding the factors which influence the buying decision of customers is very crucial for any marketer to formulate the appropriate strategies to compete in the market. The present study is aimed at ascertaining the level of influence of various factors on the purchase decision of customers in case of a smart phone. The study covered different marketing  aspects  like brand popularity, price, offers/discounts, after sale service , advertisement, and some selected features of a smart phone namely camera resolution, RAM size, battery capacity, O.S, memory size(Internal and External)networks(2G/3G/4G), selfie Cam flash. The sample size for the study is 125. A structured questionnaire was administered on sample respondents to collect the primary data for the study. Appropriate statistical tools namely weighted average method and Standard Deviation were used to analyze the data. It is found from the study that the brand popularity and battery capacity of a smart Phone are the most influencing factors in purchase decision of customers.


: The main objective of the study, was to determine the effect of the live bait type and hook size on the catch per effort and catch composition of seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758) in longline fisheries. Live Mediterranean sand eel, blotched picarel and flathead grey mullet were used as baits together with 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0 J type fishing hooks. This study was carried out between March 2020 and April 2021 in the Çanakkale Strait, Turkey. The main body line thickness was 0.70 mm and snoods having a line thickness of 0.50 mm and length of 2 m were tied at 6 m intervals. The fishing time covered the period from sunset to early hours of the sun rise. In all trials, a total of 263 seabass were caught which consisted 84% of total catch followed by 42 individuals of European conger Conger conger, a non-target species, corresponding to a catch rate of 13.3%. A total of 314 fish were caught by longlines and the catch yields with respect to hook size were 149 fish with 3/0 hook, 91 fish with 4/0 hook and 74 fish with 5/0 hook. The highest and lowest numbers of non-target fish species were caught with hook size 3/0 and 5/0, respectively. Hook sizes smaller than 3/0 should not be used in seabass longline fishing to prevent excessive catch of smaller fish. Blotched picarel, Spicara maena proved to be a superior live bait than flathead grey mullet, Mugil cephalus and the Mediterranean sand eel Gymnammodytes cicerelus .


Eight management functions influence the productivity of unit personnel differently. Although leadership of the first-line manager is the primary driving force, time and effort expended in operations detract from this unit output. Better use of second-line managers is a choice strategy to enhance productivity. Benner's model of professional development, in combination with the creation of a first-second line shared leadership operational framework, is recommended, with follow-up evaluations on unit productivity effect.


Experiments were conducted to determine whether lots of broiler chicken carcasses analyzed at Day 0 or subjected to various refrigeration or freezing temperatures could be microbiologically differentiated using impedance microbiological methods. Sixty ready-to-cook broiler chicken carcasses were collected from a processing facility and used in each of three replicate trials. For each trial, 10 carcasses each were: sampled immediately (Day 0 control), sampled after holding at 3 C for 13 d (Refrigerated control), sampled after holding at 0 C for 12 d and tempering at 3 C for 24 h (Refrigerated 0), sampled after holding at -3.9 C for 12 d and tempering at 3 C for 24 h (Frozen -3.9), sampled after holding at -7.8 C for 12 d and tempering at 3 C for 24 h (Frozen -7.8), and sampled after holding at -27.0 C for 12 d and tempering at 3 C for 24 h (Frozen -27). Carcasses were sampled using a whole carcass rinse procedure. Mesophilic impedance detection times (MDT) and coliform impedance detection times (CDT) at 42 C were conducted in duplicate on each carcass rinse. Lots of carcasses held at 0 C or below had significantly fewer mesophiles than those held at 3 C. The MDT would be suitable for distinguishing carcasses held at 0 C or below from those held at 3 C. Using CDT, lots of carcasses frozen at -7.8 or -27.0 C could be distinguished from lots analyzed at Day 0 or held at 0 or 3 C. Using CDT, lots of carcasses frozen at -3.9 could not be separated from those held at 3 C, but could be distinguished from those held at 0 C. Monitoring coliforms using impedance would be useful for identifying lots of carcasses subjected to temperatures of -7.8 C or below but would not be suitable for determining freezing temperature.


One of the most crucial and underappreciated political weapons in the arsenal of antebellum abolitionists was their innovative and influential lobbying strategy. Abolitionist agitators, working independently in the late 1830s and through the Liberty Party in the early 1840s, targeted a small number of sympathetic congressmen who could insert antislavery arguments into debates that would reach a broad northern audience. Though only a small fraction of the electorate, political abolitionists thereby profoundly altered congressional politics. Abolition lobbyists especially encouraged antislavery representatives to provoke proslavery overreactions that could be used to substantiate abolitionist warnings that a southern "Slave Power" controlled the national government. Political abolitionists' Slave Power argument, however, also represented a pointed critique of the Second Party System of Whigs and Democrats. Because both major parties relied on cross-sectional support, abolitionists contended that no genuine antislavery policymaking could be expected from either. Liberty Party leaders thus publicly assailed prominent, ostensibly antislavery Whigs as structurally complicit with the Slave Power, while simultaneously privately beseeching the very same Whig politicians to precipitate new congressional controversies. By skillfully managing these complicated relationships, Liberty partisans were able to exploit Congress as a forum through which they could further popularize their anti-Slave Power message


 Abstract — Identifying the nature of protein-nanoparticle interactions and favored binding sites is an important issue in functional characterization of biomolecules and their physiological responses. Herein, interaction of silver nanoparticles with lysozyme as a model protein has been monitored via fluorescence spectroscopy. Formation of complex between the biomolecule and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) induced a steady state reduction in the fluorescence intensity of protein at different concentrations of nanoparticles. Tryptophan fluorescence quenching spectra suggested that silver nanoparticles act as a foreign quencher, approaching the protein via this residue. Analysis of the Stern-Volmer plot showed quenching constant of 3.73 µM − 1 . Moreover, a single binding site in lysozyme is suggested to play role during interaction with AgNPs, having low affinity of binding compared to gold nanoparticles. Unfolding studies of lysozyme showed that complex of lysozyme-AgNPs has not undergone structural perturbations compared to the bare protein. Results of this effort will pave the way for utilization of sensitive spectroscopic techniques for rational design of nanobiomaterials in biomedical applications.


The goal of this study is to examine the relationships between motivation to study lesson and classroom engagement. The study was conducted on 214 female and 197 male, in total 411, students who were 10 th and 11 th grade high school students. Data were collected via Motivation to Study Lesson and Classroom Engagement Scales in the study. The relations between motivation to study and gender were examined via independent samples t-test technique. Furthermore, the relations between motivation to study and classroom engagement were evaluated with multiple regression analysis technique. According to the findings of the study, it was found out that the cases of intrinsic motivation for studying for girls were higher than the boys. Boys, on the other hand, had higher scores than the girls in terms of amotivation for studying. Regression analysis results showed that the cases of getting motivated to study were related to emotional engagement. Moreover, it was important for the girls to engage cognitively in the lesson in their intrinsic motivation for studying lesson. In conclusion, emotional engagement and gender seems important in students' motivation for studying lesson


We performed genome-wide expression analysis to determine genetic responses in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to a low temperature environment using a cDNA microarray. Approximately 25% of the genes in the yeast genome were found to be involved in the response of yeast to low temperature. This finding of a large number of genes being involved in the response to low temperature enabled us to give a functional interpretation to the genetic responses to the stimulus. Functional and clustering analyses of temporal changes in gene expression revealed that global states of the expressions of up-regulated genes could be characterized as having three phases (the early, middle, and late phases). In each phase, genes related to rRNA synthesis, ribosomal proteins, or several stress responses are time-dependently up-regulated, respectively. Through these phases, yeast cells may improve reduced efficiency of translation and enhance cell protection mechanisms to survive under a low temperature condition. Furthermore, these time-dependent regulations of these genes would be controlled by the cAMP-protein kinase A pathway. The results of our study provide a global description of transcriptional response for adaptation to low temperature in yeast cells.


As an effective way to solicit useful information from the crowd, crowdsourcing has emerged as a popular paradigm to solve challenging tasks. However, the data provided by the participating workers are not always trustworthy. In real world, there may exist malicious workers in crowdsourcing systems who conduct the data poisoning attacks for the purpose of sabotage or financial rewards. Although data aggregation methods such as majority voting are conducted on workers» labels in order to improve data quality, they are vulnerable to such attacks as they treat all the workers equally. In order to capture the variety in the reliability of workers, the Dawid-Skene model, a sophisticated data aggregation method, has been widely adopted in practice. By conducting maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) using the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm, the Dawid-Skene model can jointly estimate each worker»s reliability and conduct weighted aggregation, and thus can tolerate the data poisoning attacks to some degree. However, the Dawid-Skene model still has weakness. In this paper, we study the data poisoning attacks against such crowdsourcing systems with the Dawid-Skene model empowered. We design an intelligent attack mechanism, based on which the attacker can not only achieve maximum attack utility but also disguise the attacking behaviors. Extensive experiments based on real-world crowdsourcing datasets are conducted to verify the desirable properties of the proposed mechanism.


Background Clinical and in vitro studies suggest that altered subchondral bone remodeling is involved in the progression and/or onset of osteoarthritis (OA). Human OA subchondral bone osteoblasts display an abnormal metabolism, including alterations in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Objectives As therapeutic strategies aimed at modifying the metabolism of subchondral bone may be indicated in the treatment of OA, we investigated diacerein, an anthraquinone, which has been shown to positively impact the abnormal subchondral bone metabolism in OA. Here, we further explored the effect of this drug, and its active metabolite rhein, on elements of the Wnt system in human OA subchondral bone osteoblasts. Methods Therapeutic concentrations of diacerein/rhein (5-20 μg/ml) were used to assess their effects on the levels of β-catenin and the Wnt antagonists Dickkopf (DKK)-1 and -2. The β-catenin expression, as well as its nuclei translocation, was assessed after 20 hours of incubation using mRNA and Western blot. DKK-1 and -2 expressions were determined after 20 hours of incubation, and DKK-1 protein production after 48 hours in the culture medium using a specific ELISA. Results The RNA level of β-catenin expression was increased in diacerein (p≤0.01) and rhein (p≤0.014) treated cells. For the β-catenin nuclei translocation, the Wnt ligand most potent in bone tissue was added at a concentration of 100 ng/ml, and increased this activity by only 50%. Both diacerein and rhein increased β-catenin nuclei translocation (diacerein, p≤0.04; rhein, p≤0.06). DKK-1 and DKK-2 mRNA expressions were dose-dependently decreased with both drugs (p≤0.009). Compared to DKK-1, the expression level of DKK-2 demonstrated a more marked decrease (90% vs. 60%). Both drugs also markedly and significantly decreased DKK-1 protein levels (p≤0.02) in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions Diacerein and rhein positively impact the abnormal Wnt system in OA by increasing the level of β-catenin in the nuclei. This effect is likely mediated via a decrease in the DKK-1 and -2. This study infers that these drugs may be appropriate for positively modulating the abnormal metabolism of human OA subchondral bone osteoblasts. Disclosure of Interest None declared


The components of essential oils from the leaf and fruit peel of Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. Santra (santra mandarin) cultivated in Egypt were explored qualitatively and quantitatively using GLC and GLC/MS and 131 components were identified and quantified. In the leaf oil, one hundred and nine (109) compounds were determined with sabinene (23.10%) and linalool (21.20%) as a major component. The total identified components in the fruit peel oil were sixty-four and limonene (79.64%) was the most abundant. Santra mandarin volatile components showed good anti-inflammatory activity represented by its effect on tumor necrosis factor- α and nitric oxide. Egyptian santra mandarin chemotype was distinguished as limonene for peel oil while sabinene/linalool was observed for leaf oil. This study could be the milestone for the reuse and recycling of Egyptian santra mandarin leaves and fruit peel as a common waste products. The study also suggests the use of these wastes for the production of more valuable pure compounds such as limonene, sabinene and linalool.

 Key words: Santra mandarin, essential oils, gas chromatography (GLC) and GLC/MS, chemotaxonomy, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activities.


Abstract Endogenous electrical fields play an important role in various physiological and pathological events. Yet the effects of electrical cues on processes such as wound healing, tumor development or metastasis are still rarely investigated, though it is known that direct current electrical fields can alter cell migration or proliferation in vitro. Several 2D experimental models for studying cell responses to direct current electrical fields have been presented and characterized but suitable experimental models for electrotaxis studies in 3D are rare. Here we present a novel, easy-to-produce, multi-well-based galvanotactic-chamber for the use in 2D and 3D cell experiments for investigations on the influence of electrical fields on tumor cell migration and tumor spheroid growth. Our presented system allows the simultaneous application of electrical field to cells in four chambers, either cultured on the bottom of the culture-plate (2D) or embedded in hydrogel filled channels (3D). The set-up is also suitable for, live-cell-imaging. Validation tests show stable electrical fields and high cell viabilities inside the channel. Tumor spheroids of various diameters can be exposed to direct current electrical fields up to one week.


The study of organizational behavior involves constrained comprehension of constrained acting. Perspectives on organizational behavior gain and lose their breadth, substance, and credibility as the person doing the explaining is modified by ongoing experience. These ongoing modifications shape the interpretations that are summarized in a perspective. These dual constraints on comprehension and action form a "career-long voice." This article explores conceptually, biographically, and prescriptively the ways in which perspectives develop, to suggest tacit means by which the study of organizational behavior can continue to develop.


The impact of four species of cruciferous vegetables on the experimental population of diamondback moth (DBM) Plutella xylostella was evaluated in the laboratory. The results showed that there was no significant difference in total fecundity and longevity of DBM female moths reared on different crucifers. The population increase index of DBM reared on flowering Chinese cabbage, Chinese kale, leaf mustard, and pak-choi was 41.0, 69.5, 38.2 and 52.4, respectively, and the natural death at larvae stage was the most important factor influencing the population increase of DBM. The relatively lower natural death rates of larvae on Chinese kale and pak-choi contributed a higher increasing potential of DBM populations. It was concluded that among four species crucifers, Chinese kale could provide the most suitable nutrients for the development and reproduction of DBM population, and thus, it was considered as the best host of DBM. However, although leaf mustard has been reported as one of the most preferable host for DBM adult oviposition, it was not as better as three other crucifers for DBM development due to the higher natural death rate of larvae.


Abstract Building design and performance are increasingly being scrutinised from perspectives of both sustainability and hazard resistance. However, the approaches taken to consider these perspectives are disconnected; green building rating systems do not consider hazard resistance in their assessments, while performance-based engineering methods have tended to neglect consideration of environmental impacts. This study presents a framework to assess a building's life-cycle performance in terms of social, environmental and economic impacts using probabilistic approaches, considering the possible occurrence of an earthquake or other extreme event. The framework is illustrated through a case study of an office building in Los Angeles, designed with and without different types of vegetated (green) roofs, and at risk from varying earthquake hazard scenarios. The case study results demonstrate trade-offs between upfront building costs, material choices, hazard resistance and environmental impact.


Distress has become a major issue in cancer population. Patients may suffer from either physical, psychological distress or both. Cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy are more likely to experience psychological distress. This could be due to the negative effects of chemotherapy agents, the uncertainty of post-treatment, and the occurrence of psychosocial problems. As a result, the patient may experience a normal reaction such as sadness or may develop common psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. (JUMMEC 2010; 13(1): 12-18)


Objective: To investigate the relationships between social isolation, health literacy, and all-cause mortality, and the modifying effect of social isolation on the latter relationship. Methods: Data were from 7731 adults aged ≥50 years participating in Wave 2 (2004/2005) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Social isolation was defined according to marital/cohabiting status and contact with children, relatives, and friends, and participation in social organizations. Scores were split at the median to indicate social isolation (yes vs. no). Health literacy was assessed as comprehension of a medicine label and classified as "high" (≥75% correct) or "low" (<75% correct). The outcome was all-cause mortality up to February 2013. Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for sociodemographic factors, health status, health behaviors, and cognitive function. Results: Mortality rates were 30.3% versus 14.3% in the low versus high health literacy groups, and 23.5% versus 13.7% in the socially isolated versus nonisolated groups. Low health literacy (adj. HR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.02–1.45 vs. high) and social isolation (adj. HR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.10–1.50) were independently associated with increased mortality risk. The multiplicative interaction term for health literacy and social isolation was not statistically significant (p = .81). Conclusions: Low health literacy and high social isolation are risk factors for mortality. Social isolation does not modify the relationship between health literacy and mortality. Clinicians should be aware of the health risks faced by socially isolated adults and those with low health literacy.


An application of linear encoder for water level measurement is introduced in this paper. The linear encoder consists of the scale which is a thin bar made of acrylic sheet and the detection unit consisting of light emitters and light detectors clamps closely the scale. The scale moves up and down together with variation of water level while detection unit is kept stationary. The detection unit encodes displacement of the scale into unique Gray coded digital data. The proposed measurement system is designed to measure level variation of water surface up to 1 meter with 0.01 meter resolution. This is implemented by division of the scale into 7 parallel tracks and deviding the tracks with 100 equal length segments. The output of linear encoder in the form of 7-bit Gray coded digital data is preconditioned prior connected to ATMEGA8535 microcontroller for processing and then the measurement result is displayed on LCD. The prototype of measurement system is successfully tested in the laboratory where some samples of measurement reading are also shown for clarity. The proposed measurement system can be further developed to measure higher variation of water level by lengthening the scale and increasing number of tracks and segments.


This paper sets an introductory framework to the 2010 conference in the series 'The Future of the Adversarial System', held at the University of North Carolina. In exploring a comparison between EU criminal justice and the American federal system, it considers different models of legal authority that operate across jurisdictional boundaries in some way (decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, EU legislation, US Supreme Court decisions) and the difficulty in ensuring compliance and enforcement by those on the ground required to put these into effect. Within Europe, the challenge is in applying legislative instruments and court decisions across the variety of legal procedures that exist, in a form of 'one size fits all' model. In the US, states may lack the resources and the political will to implement the consequences of a Supreme Court decision, particularly where it places new obligations on the prosecution. Where, to put it bluntly, those lower down in the legal food chain do not buy into the values enshrined by superior courts or legislatures, states will try to restrict the application of these legal norms by denying their systemic implications, or by distinguishing their own legal procedure from those addressed. When operating across states, countries or criminal procedures, the enforcement of positive rights (as against prohibitions) poses perhaps the greatest challenge.


Our preliminary investigation of the absorption and the photoluminescence response of selectively separated graphene quantum dots using centrifugation indicate that the photoluminescence is more sensitive to the size of the quantum dot than the absorption. We observed ∼143nm blueshift from 623nm to 480nm in the visible region of the photoluminescence with increasing successive centrifugation (decreasing size) and not in the corresponding absorption spectra in the visible region. However, for the first time, we observed a blueshift in the absorption spectra in the UV regions that is tentatively attributed to quantum confinement. Further detailed work is underway to confirm the blueshift in the absorption and correlate with deep UV photoluminescence and morphological quantification of the quantum dots size distribution using high resolution transmission electron microscope.


This study aims to discover the health-related lifestyles about Korean traditional dietary (Hansik) choices. We identified which food items are widely perceived as Hansik based on the 2013~2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANS) data and investigated distinct patterns of health-related status and behaviors using cluster analysis. Relying on a Tobit approach, we found that age, region, education level, household income, number of household members and marriage status significantly contributed to individual's rate of Hansik consumption. We also found that the group with relatively younger people characterized by a busy lifestyle and more social activities, those who showed a higher household income, and people who live in metropolitan areas tended to consume less Hansik dietary. We also highlighted that the group with unhealthy lifestyles and risk-averse(cluster 4) tended to consume more Hansik dietary, while the group with healthy lifestyles and risk-prone habits(cluster 2) were likely to consume less Hansik dietary. Regarding policy implications, the result of our study can be used to develop a tailor-made strategy for each group of clusters aimed at increasing Hansik consumption.


A neural network has been developed to simultaneously use multiple seismic measurements, such as mb(Pn) and coda energy, for estimating yields of underground nuclear explosions. Yield estimation results based on a large number of Nevada Test Site events that were recorded at the broadband seismic stations at Elko, Kanab, Landers, and Mina indicate that different length windows (6, 18, and 200 sec) of seismogram energy are as useful as the mb(Pn) measurement when the seismogram is filtered between 0.5 and 2 Hz. Detailed results of yield estimation trends as a function of signal frequency are also obtained. Yield estimation performance using long lapse time coda energy above 2 Hz is significantly limited by the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Performance of the neural network with both mb(Pn) and energy information as input does not significantly exceed the performance of a conventional linear regression analysis that is based only on mb(Pn). Properties of the coda signal as a function of frequency and SNR that might ultimately lead us to the application of a full seismogram with a neural network for accurate seismic yield estimation are discussed.


This paper focuses on local job accessibility measurement. We propose an original model that uses national exhaustive micro data and allows for i) a full estimation of job availability according to an extensive set of individual characteristics, ii) a full appraisal of job competition on the labour market and iii) a full control of frontier effects. By matching several exhaustive micro data sources on the Paris region municipalities, we compare the results produced by this benchmark model to a representative set of alternative models, we show that the model may indeed make the results as far as local job accessibility is concerned. Significant empirical differences do stem from the use of different Local Job Accessibility measures. Moreover, these differences are spatially differentiated across the Paris region municipalities. In particular, we show that failing to use a model where job availability is fully estimated according to individual characteristics may lead to the over-estimation of the job accessibility levels of notably under-privileged municipalities.


A simpler macroeconomic model of a developing economy is developed under the IS–LM and Mundell–Fleming model framework. The model is estimated and evaluated using the quarterly time-series data of Papua New Guinea, a small open developing economy. The macroeconometric version of the model, an over-identified simultaneous equation model with error correction specifications, is estimated by the 2SLS-CORC method. The specification of the model is appropriate and its predictive accuracy and structural stability are of acceptable standards. The model estimates are found useful to study the behaviour of the macroeconomic variables and to make forecasting in a developing economy. This model provides the basic structure to study macroeconomic behaviour and to make forecasts in developing economies. The model is capable of efficiently tracking the historical value of endogenous variables. The model must be appropriate for a small open developing economy with necessary modification for lag structure, structural break etc. It can be easily managed with minimum data input and resources. The model will be of interest to developing countries in the Asia-Pacific and other regions to conduct various policy analyses.


Field data are often expensive to collect, time-consuming to prepare to collect, and even more time-consuming to process after the experiment has concluded. However, it is often the practice that such data are used for little after the funded research activity that was concomitant with the experiment is completed. Immutability of the original experimental configuration either results in regathering of expensive field data, or in absence of such data, model-dependent analysis that partially captures the real-world dynamics. For underwater acoustic research and development, the standard communication pipeline might be modified to enable greater reusability of experimental field data. This paper first characterizes the necessary modifications to the standard communication pipeline to prepare signals for transmission and subsequent recording such that research trades for different modulation and coding schemes may be undertaken postexperiment, without the need for retransmission of additional waveforms. Then, using the modified mathematical framework, sufficient conditions for reliable postexperimental replay of the environment are recognized. Finally, techniques are discussed to collect sufficient environmental statistics such that subsequent research can be accomplished long after the experiment has been completed, and that results from a given experiment may be reasonably compared with those of another. Examples are provided using both synthetic and experimental data collected from at-sea field tests.


The authors studied the possibilities of the coincidence method for investigation of the influence of the Coulomb interaction in the final state on electron emission spectra in the vicinity of autoionising resonances. The triple differential cross section, allowing for the Coulomb interaction in the final state in the direct and resonance amplitudes, has been calculated for the ionisation of helium by protons with energies of 100 and 300 keV.


Recent reports documenting central keratometric changes after removal of failed epikeratoplasty lenticules, compared to preoperative keratometry measurements, suggest that the annular corneal wound alters corneal curvature. Central corneal steepening has also been reported following circular and hexagonal keratotomy. We performed standard epikeratoplasty trephination with a Hessburg-Barron suction trephine followed by a peripheral lamellar spreading keratotomy on seven human eye bank eyes to determine the effect of these incisions on corneal topography. In seven human eye bank eyes, the mean acute central keratometric flattening from the shallow trephine incision was 2.81 D (SD 2.28, P = .017), with no significant change in keratometry due to peripheral lamellar spreading (P = .916). Computerized numeric and three-dimensional graphic analysis of the keratographs demonstrated this central topographic flattening. Further studies are needed to investigate the reversibility of host corneal changes induced by epikeratoplasty procedures.


The importance of short-chained aliphatic polyamines (PAs) to bacterioplankton-mediated carbon and nitrogen cycles has been repeatedly proposed. However, bacterial taxa and genes involved in the transformations of different PA compounds and their potential spatial variations remain unclear. This study collected surface bacterioplankton from nearshore, offshore, and open ocean stations in the Gulf of Mexico and examined how metatranscriptomes responded to additions of three single PA model compounds (i.e., putrescine, spermidine, or spermine). Our data showed an overrepresentation of genes affiliated with γ-glutamylation and spermidine cleavage pathways in metatranscriptomes received PA amendments and the expression level of each pathway varied among different PA compounds and sampling locations. PA-transforming taxa were affiliated with Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Proteobacteria and their relative importance was also compound and location specific. These findings suggest that PAs are transformed via multiple pathways and by a diversity of marine bacterioplankton in the Gulf of Mexico. The relative importance of different PA transforming pathways and composition of functional microbial communities may be regulated by nutrient status of local environments. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Background Online communities of practise have the potential to address multiple barriers to the broader dissemination and maintenance of evidence-based HIV/STI interventions. Addressing these barriers is critical to narrowing the gap between what researchers have identified as best practises and what gets delivered in communities to curb the spread of disease. Yet there are few models grounded in implementation science that are useful for guiding the development of online communities that can support high-impact HIV/STI prevention. Methods The APPLES dissemination model is used to identify goals and specific objectives of an online community of practise; this integrated theoretical model focuses on achieving adoption/adaptation; priority population identification and penetration; longevity; evaluability, and sustainability. A case example is used to discuss how the APPLES model can guide development of an international online community of practise. Results Drawing on the APPLES model, key components of an online community to promote high-impact condom distribution were identified. These include: (1) Knowledge and skills-building to address specific APPLES goals and objectives, such as identification and outreach to the highest-risk, highest-impact population segments; (2) Knowledge-sharing and network engagement to identify implementation solutions over the life course of intervention delivery; and (3) Online expert coaching and technical assistance. Components are matched to multimedia activities that encourage both individual learning and community engagement. Challenges to marketing and maintenance are also considered in the development process, and built-in analytics are used to monitor and improve services provided. Conclusion Carefully-designed online communities of practise can bring practitioners together to learn and share across geographic boundaries and without incurring the costs of face-to-face meetings. They are consonant with adult learning and professional development strategies that underscore the importance of participation not only in initial training events, but also the value of ongoing coaching, technical assistance, and peer network support.


To enhance the ability of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to distinguish benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) from cancer of the prostate (CaP) Benson et al. defined a new parameter, PSA density (PSAD), which is the ratio of the serum PSA concentration to the volume of the prostate. We have employed this parameter in a prospective study of 28 patients with clinically localised CaP and 57 patients with BPH. Mean PSAD was 0.116 for the BPH patients and 0.46 for the CaP patients (p < 0.005). The authors conclude that the information provided by PSAD is superior to absolute PSA values in the differentiation between BPH and CaP.


It has long been thought that science is our best hope for realizing objective knowledge, but that, to deliver on this promise, it must be value free. Things are not so simple, however, as recent work in science studies makes clear. The contributors to this volume investigate where and how values are involved in science, and examine the implications of this involvement for ideals of objectivity.


In this paper, a modified version of conservative Physics-informed Neural Networks (cPINN for short) is provided to construct the weak solutions of Riemann problem for the hyperbolic scalar conservation laws in non-conservative form. To demonstrate the results, we use the model of generalized Buckley-Leverett equation (GBL equation for short) with discontinuous porosity in porous media. By inventing a new unknown, the GBL equation is transformed into a two-by-two resonant hyperbolic conservation laws in conservative form. The modified method of cPINN is invented to overcome the difficulties due to the discontinuity of the porosity and the appearance of the critical states (near vacuum) in the Riemann data. We experiment with our idea by using a deep learning algorithm to solve the GBL equation in both conservative and non-conservative forms, as well as the cases of critical and non-critical states. This method provides a combination of two different neural networks and corresponding loss functions, one is for the two-by-two resonant hyperbolic system, and the other is for the scalar conservation law with a discontinuous perturbation term in the non-convex flux. The technique of re-scaling to the unknowns is adopted to avoid the oscillation of the Riemann solutions in the cases of critical Riemann data. The solutions constructed by the modified cPINN match the exact solutions constructed by the theoretical analysis for hyperbolic conservation laws. In addition, the solutions are identical in both conservative and non-conservative cases. Finally, we compare the performance of the modified cPINN with numerical method called WENO5. Whereas WENO5 struggles with the highly oscillation of approximate solutions for the Riemann problems of GBL equation in non-conservative form, cPINN works admirably.


[Reaction: see text]. A regioselective and efficient approach toward 6-amino-5-benzoyl-1-substituted 2(1H)-pyridinones by reaction of acyclic ketene aminals with propiolic acid ester was developed. The effect of the solvent and temperature on the regioselectivity of the reaction and the compatibility of the target compounds to functional group manipulations was examined. Substrates with an ortho substituent build atropisomers due to the restricted rotation around the C-N bond. The enantiomers were separated, and the barrier of rotation was determined experimentally. Quantum chemical calculations allowed a ranking of the barrier heights, and a new mechanism of rotation by deformation of the central pyridinone moiety is proposed.


This paper presents a diagnostic test pattern generation (DTPG) framework based upon a Boolean Satisfiability engine. We first propose an enhanced miter-based model for distinguishing fault candidates that can achieve greater efficiency as well as can prove a group of un-differentiable faults. The model can also be used to generate diagnostic tests for distinguishing faults of different fault types. Based on this model, we propose a diagnostic pattern compaction strategy. By exploring "don't cares" at the primary inputs, the number of required diagnostic patterns can be reduced. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves a greater diagnosis resolution when combined with existing approaches. Also, fewer diagnostic test patterns are needed.


Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites are often used as aircraft structural components, mostly due to their superior mechanical properties. In order to improve the efficiency of these structures, it is important to detect and characterize any defects occurring during the manufacturing process, removing the need to mitigate the risk of defects through increased thicknesses of structure. Such defects include porosity, which is well-known to reduce the mechanical performance of composite structures, particularly the inter-laminar shear strength. Previous work by the authors has considered the determination of porosity distributions in a fiber-metal laminate structure [1]. This paper investigates the use of wave-propagation modeling to invert the ultrasonic response and characterize the void distribution within the plies of a CFRP structure. Finite Element (FE) simulations are used to simulate the ultrasonic response of a porous composite laminate to a typical transducer signal. This simulated response is then applied as input data to an inversion method to calculate the distribution of porosity across the layers. The inversion method is a multi-dimensional optimization utilizing an analytical model based on a normal-incidence plane-wave recursive method and appropriate mixture rules to estimate the acoustical properties of the structure, including the effects of plies and porosity. The effect of porosity is defined through an effective wave-number obtained from a scattering model description. Although a single-scattering approach is applied in this initial study, the limitations of the method in terms of the considered porous layer, percentage porosity and void radius are discussed in relation to single- and multiple-scattering methods. A comparison between the properties of the modeled structure and the void distribution obtained from the inversion is discussed. This work supports the general study of the use of ultrasound methods with inversion to characterize material properties and any defects occurring in composites structures in three dimensions. This research is part of a Fellowship in Manufacturing funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) aimed at underpinning the design of more efficient composite structures and reducing the environmental impact of travel.


Chlortetracycline, a fluorescent probe of its own active transport, has been used to study lateral phase separations of membrane lipid in Bacillus megaterium cells. Arrhenius plots of initial accumulation rates are triphasic, with transitions or characteristic temperatures of 20 degrees and 9.5 degrees . At the higher temperature, the mobility of the chloretracycline, as measured by fluorescence polarization, is markedly altered. Chlortetracycline transport exhibits saturation kinetics, and fluorescence energy transfer from protein to bound antibiotic can be observed. N-Phenyl-1-naphthylamine, a lipophilic fluorescent probe, responds to changes in the hydrophobic regions of the membrane that are distinct from membrane protein. The fluorescent properties of N-phenylnaphthylamine in partitioning and polarization experiments are altered most significantly at the lower characteristic temperature. No fluorescence energy transfer between N-phenylnaphthylamine and membrane protein or bound tetracycline can be detected. In correlative electron spin resonance experiments on the partitioning of a lipid-soluble spin label, the same characteristic temperatures detected in the fluorescence studies were measured. These data suggest that different probes may respond to either or both of the characteristic temperatures describing the lateral phase separation. Between these characteristic temperatures the chlortetracycline transport system is most intimately associated with relatively immobile lipids that are surrounded by a more mobile lipid phase.


To discover common and sub-type specific somatic alterations affecting key biological processes in pediatric cancers, we analyzed point mutations, copy number alterations, gene fusions and structural alterations detected from paired tumor-normal whole genome sequencing (n=655), whole exome sequencing (n=1,108), and RNA-seq data (n=913) of 1,705 leukemia and solid tumors. Our cohort consists of 693 B-lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL), 264 T-ALL, 211 Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), 318 Neuroblastoma (NBL), 128 Wilms Tumor (WT), and 91 Osteosarcoma (OS) with a median mutation rate of 0.28-0.58 per Mb. We identified 130 potential driver genes based on significance of variant recurrence and pathogenicity within each cancer type and across all cancer types. Seventy-two (55%) driver genes were significant in one cancer type, thirty eight were significant in > 1 leukemia subtype, thirteen (NRAS, WT1, MYCN, PTEN, TP53, KRAS, RB1, ATRX, PTPN11, MLLT1, BCOR, SETD2, NF1) were significant in both leukemia and solid tumor while the remaining seven (MGA, SF3B1, ASXL1, BCORL1, STAG2, ACTB, NIPBL) were significant only in pan-cancer analysis. The number of mutated driver genes per sample ranged from 0.8 in WT to 5.8 in T-ALL, lower when considering only point mutations (from 0.3 in NBL to 3.1 in T-ALL). The most frequently mutated biological processes affecting both leukemia and solid tumor were transcription factors (56% of samples), cell cycle (41%), epigenetic regulators (36%), Ras signaling (21%), PI-3K (11%), and the MYC complex (7%). By contrast, the JAK signaling pathway was mutated only in leukemia (16%) while mutations in the NOTCH signaling pathway were exclusive to T-ALL (77%). Aberrant transcription may also affect the normal function of a driver gene. For example, the RAS signaling pathway was mutated in B-ALL (35%), T-ALL (15%), AML (37%) and NBL (4.3%). Aside from the known KRAS 4a isoform found in all cancer types, we discovered two novel KRAS isoforms present in 71.1% of B-ALL, 67.9% of T-ALL, 71.3% of AML and 3.0% of NBL but not in WT or OS. Allele-specific expression (ASE) was detected in 205 (6.8%) of 3,016 expressed somatic mutations, and 97% (32 out of 33) of truncation mutations on autosomes exhibit reduced expression of the mutant allele likely due to nonsense mediated decay. Two ASE mutations, WT1 D447N in a cytogenetically normal AML and JAK2 D873N in a B-ALL, were selected for single-cell sequencing and successfully validated. Only 44% of our driver genes match those identified in adult cancer. This, coupled with our finding that point mutations only accounted for 48% of the driver alterations, may provide new insight into the design of precision treatment for pediatric cancer. Our presented data will be made public at NCI's Genome Data Commons (gdc.cancer.gov) and can be explored on our ProteinPaint data portal (pecan.stjude.org). Citation Format: Xiaotu Ma, Yu Liu, Yanling Liu, Michael Edmonson, Charles Gawad, Xin Zhou, Yongjin Li, Michael Rusch, John Easton, Mark Wilkinson, Leandro C. Hermida, Sean Davis, Malcolm Smith, Jaime Guidry Auvil, Paul Meltzer, Ching C. Lau, Elizabeth Perlman, John M. Maris, Soheil Meshinchi, Stephen P. Hunger, Daniela S. Gerhard, Jinghui Zhang. Comparison of somatic alterations in the genome and transcriptome of 1,705 pediatric leukemia and solid tumors: a report from the Children's Oncology Group (COG) - NCI TARGET Project [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3004. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3004


Previous research has suggested that adolescents' social network site use is related to their sexual self-concept, but systematic empirical research on the issue is lacking. The present study investigated the relationships between self-and other-generated sexy self-presentations (i.e., posting sexy pictures of themselves or looking at sexy pictures of others) on social network sites (SNSs) and a relevant aspect of adolescents' sexual self-concept (i.e., the importance of being sexually outgoing) over time. Results from a representative two-wave panel study among 1,586 Dutch adolescents (aged 13-17) showed that both self- and other-generated sexy self-presentations influenced adolescents' sexual self-concept directly. In addition, looking at others' sexy self-presentations also had an indirect influence on sexual self-concept through increased favorability of prototypes of sexual others. Moreover, adolescents' sexual self-concept predicted their exposure to sexy self-presentations of others, as well as their own sexy self-presentation over time. These results did not differ for boys and girls.


We evaluated the effectiveness of an educational brochure explaining proper sputum collection techniques for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. Patients with suspected pulmonary TB (PTB) were randomly assigned to either the brochure-using group or the non-using group. No significant difference in positive TB culture rates was observed between the brochure-using and non-using groups (33.1% vs. 35.6%, P = 0.690). The proportions of acceptable specimen samples for bacterial pneumonia were also similar between the two groups (37.1% vs. 35.6%). An educational brochure provided by the attending physician explaining an acceptable specimen collection method for TB testing did not result in a higher detection rate of PTB.


Background: The combination of chemotherapy and surgery is currently accepted for the treatment of patients with technically resectable colorectal liver metastases. It is, however, hard to determine which of these modalities should be the forward treatment. In this study, we assessed the usefulness of the difference in tumor size assessed in pretherapeutic imaging in the selection of chemotherapy in these patients.
Methods: We present a retrospective review of 80 consecutive colorectal liver metastases without extrahepatic tumors. The relapse-free survival (RFS), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated and compared between patients who underwent surgery (n=66) and chemotherapy (n=14) according to clinical features. In particular, we addressed pretherapeutic imaging studies including the distribution and number of metastatic liver tumors. In addition, the ratio of tumor size (largest to smallest tumor) was calculated; two groups classified as R<5 (ratio <5) and R ≥ 5 (ratio ≥ 5) were compared.
Results: Univariate analysis was performed in the surgery group; significant differences in RFS were found regarding time of occurrence, the number of tumors and the ratio of tumor diameters. Multivariate analysis showed that the ratio of tumor size, R ≥ 5, was the only independent prognostic risk factor concerning both RFS and OS. We then compared the outcome of patients with prognostic risk factors between surgery and chemotherapy. Surgery achieved significantly better OS than chemotherapy, with the exception of the R ≥ 5 group. No difference in OS, in addition to RFS and PFS, was seen in the R ≥ 5 groups regardless of treatment.
Conclusion: CRC patients with resectable liver metastases with R ≥ 5 showed no significant difference in outcome using surgery or chemotherapy. Chemotherapy could be used as an alternative to forward surgery to address oncological concerns such as the presence of latent metastases or poor treatment outcome in these patients.


Three abortions and the death of a vigorous infant occurred in a baboon (Papio cynocephalus) group in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, within the two weeks following the immigration of an aggressive adult male. The immigrant male attained top‐ranking dominance status in the group prior to these events. Circumstantial observations suggest that the reproductive losses were related to persistent intense aggression from the immigrant adult male. In the past ten years, only three other miscarriages have occurred in Amboseli. Inducement of abortion is discussed as a reproductive tactic that may be available to males of mammalian species whose life histories favor the evolution of infant‐killing by males.


FORUM has marked the progress of the Cambridge Primary Review by three previous articles from Robin Alexander, the Review's director, and by critiques and responses from several others, notably FORUM's Michael Armstrong. In 2013 the Review was superseded by the Cambridge Primary Review Trust, and this article is the text of the keynote delivered at the Trust's London launch on 23 September 2013. It briefly assesses the Review's impact to date, warning that to attempt to do so is a rather more complex enterprise than some commentators allow. It then outlines the Trust's four programmes and seven priorities, tracing the latter back to the Review's conclusions and the debate they provoked. Finally, the article returns to one of the Review's (and this author's) abiding themes: the public discourse of educational policy and policymakers' handling of evidence. In both matters, the current government, like its predecessor, is found severely wanting, and the author argues that these discursive and evidential deficits not only continue to frustrate educational progress but are also in themselves profoundly anti-educational, not to say ill-educated.


According to the evaluation requirements of the goods train coupler, a coupler automatic measurement system has been proposed via using line structural light scanning technology and combining with movement mechanism. The system measuring model, the parameters calibration and the coupler's point cloud data processing are introduced in this article. Field trial application results have shown that the system met the five detection indexes of all type Goods Train Coupler, and reached the goods train coupler automatic measuring requirements.


The aim of the present work is to study the peculiarities of upright position and walking in patients with deforming arthrosis of the knee joint and to make a conclusion as to the possibility of using biomechanical methods for an objective estimate of the efficacy of treatment in such patients. The authors examined 88 patients with deforming arthrosis of various degree of severity and marked pain syndrome. In the examination separate weighing, seismoactography, ichnography and podography were employed. Deforming arthrosis of the knee joint was found to be accompanied with significant disorders in the upright position and walking, including a decreased static stress on the affected extremity, an increased amplitude oscillations of the body center of gravity while standing on the affected extremity and others.


Immobilized polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases (CSPs) are gaining importance in the resolution of racemic compounds due to their stable nature on working with normal solvents and those prohibited for use with coated phases (tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, dichloromethane, acetone, 1,4-dioxane, ethyl acetate, and certain other ethers). This review discusses the use of immobilized polysaccharide CSPs in the chiral resolution of various racemates by liquid chromatography. The discussion includes immobilization methodologies, enantioselectivities, efficiencies, and a comparison of chiral recognition capabilities of coated vs. immobilized CSPs. Some applications of immobilized CSPs to the chiral resolution of racemic compounds are also presented.


In patients with esophageal carcinoma it is considered that stomach metastasis is induced mainly via the lymphatic route rather than via the bloodstream route that is common in other types of distant organ metastasis. A 56 year-old patient is reported who underwent synchronous subtotal esophagectomy and total gastrectomy for a middle third esophageal carcinoma and a giant peptic ulcer within the gastric fundus. The final histopathologic examination revealed a squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus with concomitant squamous tumor implantation within the gastric ulcer. The increased cell proliferation in the ulcer margin can serve as a "biological background or base" for implantation.


This research examines the feasibility of using a mixture of cement, fly ash, ground granulated blast-furnace slag, and river sand to manufacture pre-foamed ultra-lightweight composite (PULC). Four PULC specimens were prepared with the substitution of cement by slag at 0, 10, 20, and 30 % by weight. The engineering properties of PULC samples were evaluated through the tests of compressive strength, dry density, water absorption, drying shrinkage, and thermal conductivity. Besides, numerical simulation of heat transfer through the PULC brick wall and the microstructure observation were performed. The performance of PULC mixtures incorporating slag showed higher effectiveness than merely used cement. The substitution of 20 % cement by slag resulted in the highest compressive strength as well as the lowest value of water absorption of the PULC samples. Also, the efficiency of the thermal conductivity was in inverse proportion with the density of PULC specimens and it was right for water absorption and drying shrinkage. Moreover, numerical simulations showed that the temperature distribution values in the wall made by PULC material were smaller than in the wall made by the normal clay brick in the same position. Besides, the microstructure analysis revealed that the existence of slag generated a more dense structure of PULC samples with the addition of calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) gel, especially for a mix containing 20 % slag. Thus, the results of this study further demonstrated that a 20 % slag was the optimal content for the good engineering properties of the PULC samples.


Twenty percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) procedures and 13 percutaneous venous embolization (PVE) procedures were performed in 23 patients who either had or were at risk for the development of recurrent bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, or both after surgical shunt placement for portal hypertension. PTA, performed in 12 patients with significant shunt stenoses, resulted in reduction or elimination of gradients in all patients; rebleeding has occurred in only one patient. Complications consisted of one fatal rupture of a mesocaval interposition vein graft and one balloon rupture requiring surgical removal. PVE, performed in 11 patients, resulted in measurable improvement in four of seven encephalopathic patients and temporary control in the two patients with intractable bleeding. Three patients underwent PVE prophylactically. PTA of graft strictures is a valuable treatment modality. Embolization may be helpful in selected cases of hepatic encephalopathy.


Allelopathy is a physiological process with an ecological concept and application. Allelopathy is the result of the production of biologically active molecules by growing plants or their remains, which may have a direct effect on the growth and development of individuals of the same species or other species after changing their shape and entering the environment. As regards, the use of natural compounds in the control of weeds and pests is a priority. In this research, the allelopathic activity of 123 specimens of medicinal and aromatic plants were investigated individually by the dish-pack method using lettuce seeds as a model. Then, the strongest inhibitory ones were selected and their allelopathic interaction effects were investigated for the first time by interacting them together. Two methods were used to evaluate allelopathic interaction effects: calculating Fractional Inhibitory Concentration (FIC) and drawing Isobologram diagrams. Lettuce hypocotyl length, root length, germination percentage, and germination rate were investigated. Pelargonium graveolens (leaf) had the greatest inhibitory effect on lettuce radicle growth (EC50 = 5.31 mg/well) and Echinophora platyloba (stem) had the greatest effect on hypocotyl growth inhibition (EC50 = 7.91 mg/well). Also, the lowest lettuce germination percentages were observed in the treatments Lavandula officinalis (flower) and Nepeta binaloudensis (leaf), respectively (23.61, 22.85%). The highest inhibitory effect by considering lettuce germination rate was detected in Salvia ceratophylla (leaf), (12.86 seed/day) and the lowest belonged to Nepeta binaloudensis (leaf) and Lavandula officinalis (flower), respectively (3.60, 3.32 seed/day). According to FIC calculations and isobolograms, two types of interaction, including synergist (Nepeta binaloudensis (leaf) with Trachyspermum ammi (fruit) and Nepeta binaloudensis (leaf) with Lavandula officinalis (flower) and antagonist (Pelargonium graveolens (leaf) with Lavandula officinalis (flower)), were observed significantly among the plants tested in this research. These interactions can be used to prepare more effective natural herbicides and decrease the use of herbicides.


A series of 1,8-dichloroanthracene precursor molecules with substituents in C-10 position of different steric demand (cyclohexyl, tert-butyl, methyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, phenyl, benzyl, trimethylsilylethinyl) were synthesised and subjected to electrocyclic cycloadditions with chlorobenzyne generated from 3-chloroanthranilic acid. The aim was to steer the regioselectivity of the addition reaction by the steric repulsion between this C-10 substituent and the chlorine substituent at the benzyne intermediate. With H as C-10 substituent the reaction leads to 23 % syn and 77 % anti form. With the small methyl group a synlanti ratio of 37:63 was achieved. Contrary to our expectations the large C-10 substituent tert-butyl leads to 100 % selectivity for the anti form. The best results were achieved for the C-10 substituent n-butyl with a syn/anti ratio of 40:60. The crystal structures of five 1,8-dichloroanthracenes with C-10 substituents were determined, namely those with tert-butyl, cyclohexyl, n-butyl and phenyl groups. As expected the backbone of the tert-butyl compound shows marked distortion of the planarity. Additionally, the crystal structures of three triptycenes were determined, namely those of the syn compound 1,8,13-trichlorotriptycene and those of the anti compounds 10-tert-butyl-1,8,16-trichlorotriptycene and 1,8,16-trichloro-10-methyltriptycene.


In this paper, a method for detection of propagating features in wide-area system measurements through its traveling and standing parts is proposed, where the relationship between complex modes and wave motion is explored. From an ensemble of complex signals, a complex correlation matrix is formed, and its real and complex eigensolutions are the basis of the decomposition. The real and complex eigenvectors contain standing and traveling characteristics. The basic idea is a complex generalization of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). The method developed is general and could be applied without loss of generality to measured or simulated data. As illustrative case, the method is applied to a synthetic example; additionally, data obtained from global positioning system (GPS)-based multiple phasor measurement units (PMUs) from a real event in power systems are used to study the practical applicability of the method.


Application of L-glutamate (L-glu) to particular neurons (G-H cells) in the esophageal ganglia of Onchidium produced hyperpolarization associated with an increase in K+ permeability. The reversal potential (Erev) for this response, was -60 mV. The ED50, an indicator of affinity between L-glu and its receptive site, was 5.3 mM, and the Hill coefficient n, an indicator of cooperativity, was 2. Other chemicals, structurally analogous to L-glu, were also examined on G-H cells. The responses of L-aspartate were similar to those of L-glu with respect to Erev, ED50, and n. However, the G-H cells responded differently to D- glutamate (D-glu) and kainic acid. The D-glu response had an Erev = - 37.5 mV, ED50 = 29.4 mM, and n = 1; that of kainic acid had an Erev = 0 mV, ED50 = 1.5 mM, and n = 1. L-glutamine and GABA elicited very small responses, amplitudes of which were less than 10% of the L-glu response. The structure-activity relationship between L-glu and its analogues, estimated from Erev, ED50, and Hill coefficient during each drug application, indicates that the presence of alpha-NH2, alpha-COOH, and gamma-COOH groups is essential for the L-glu response and that the response characteristics may be closely related to the relative positions of these groups.


Large switching fabrics are frequently obtained by arranging elementary switches in various ways. Growability of such structures is of the great importance. This paper presents results of our investiga tions on how switching elements should be initially arranged to minimize the fabric cost expressed by the number of elementary switches, and further how does the optimum structure behave in the growth process. In our investigations we have used the dynamic programming method, which is based on Bellman's optimality principle. We assumed the Clos-like architecture of the switching fabric with some modifications which are necessary due to the differences between arrangements of circuit switched and ATM fabrics. As the result, the comparison of the cost of ATM switching fabrics composed of typical 1-1 x 8 and 16 x 16 elementary switches is given.


This paper proposes a new autonomous navigation method of a two-wheeled mobile robot using LiDAR sensor in an unknown environment. Recently, Deep Q Network(DQN) which is a combination of deep learning and Q-learning theory is attracting attention as a reinforcement learning algorithm. It is used to learn the robot itself to recognize obstacles and to avoid collisions while it is moving to a designated destination. The existing DQN method can handle only discrete and low dimensional space work, which is not suitable for continuous, especially the control of mobile robot. The existing LiDAR sensor method uses the distance value as the state used for the input of the learning, and therefore the system determines the next action only by the distance of the obstacle from the mobile robot. In this process, due to the frequent fluctuation of the action value, unnatural acceleration / deceleration actions are required, which cause not only physical shocks to the robot but also low driving power efficiency. In this paper, the problem has been solved by applying the replay buffer to store the output of the network. That is, the action values are stored in the memory and fed back to the input again following the action order of the network. Experiments are carried out on an actual robot after reinforcement learning in the ROS-GAZEBO simulations and the validity of the algorithm is verified through the analysis of the experimental data.


Assessment of microbial faecal indicators was carried out in water and sediment samples of Admiralty Bay. Quantification of total coliforms, Escherichia coli , sulphite reducing clostridia and Clostridium perfringens was performed through the most probable number technique (MPN) using selective or differential media. Total coliforms were found in all sediment samples, but results may be due to false positive results as a consequence of adaptations in the method to increase its sensitivity. In water, positive results were found in EACF (CF) in all samples along the water column, and in one replicate from Botany Point, Thomas Point and Arctowski. E.coli results were positive only in CF sediment samples and in one Refuge 2 replicate, no E.coli was detected in water. The group of sulphide reducing clostridia showed to be widespread in Martel inlet and was also detected in Refuge 2, suggesting a possible influence of animal faeces in addition to human contribution. C. perfringens was detected in higher numbers in CF and Ullmann Point samples, but positive results were also observed at the other sites. The count values were variable between replicates, but results suggest that contamination in the CF area may persist to a small extent. Analysis of the microbial indicators in samples as animal faeces and a new assessment of the wastewater treatment system are necessary to provide lacking complementary information.


Background Video endoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy (VEIL) has fewer complications than open surgery for vulva cancer. No high-level evidence comparing the efficacy and safety of the two routes of VEIL (VEIL-H and VEIL-L) is available. Methods We performed a comprehensive literature search for reports on VEIL for vulva cancer from 2000 to 2020 and reviewed our experience. Data extraction includes patients' characteristics, perioperative indicators, postoperative complications, and cancer recurrence. Results A total of 11 eligible studies were included in the systematic review. Nine studies included only one route of VEIL, and the other two studies directly compared the two routes of VEIL. The average operation time of the VEIL-L group was 85 (range, 33–180.12) minutes, and that of the VEIL-H group was 112 (range, 35–170.79) minutes. The average blood loss of the VEIL-L group was 9 (range, 5–30) mL, and that of the VEIL-H group was 96 (range, 5.5–214.8) mL. The average number of intraoperatively removed lymph nodes in the VEIL-L group was 9 (range, 7.5–13.2), and that in the VEIL-H group was 14 (range, 9.5–16). No significant difference was observed in the cancer recurrence rate between the two groups. We found similar results in our cohort study. Conclusions The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and time of drainage of the VEIL-L procedure seemed less than those of the VEIL-H procedure. VEIL-L and VEIL-H were equivalent in the efficacy of lymph node dissection, surgery-related complications, and cancer recurrence rate.


Clone detection plays an important role in software engineering. Finding clones within a single project introduces possible refactoring opportunities, and between different projects it could be used for detecting code reuse or possible licensing violations.
In this paper, we propose a modification to token-based clone detection that allows detecting more clone pairs of greater diversity without losing precision by implementing multi-parameter search, i.e. conducting the search several times, aimed at different groups of clones. To combat the increase in operation time that this approach brings about, we propose an optimization that allows to significantly decrease the overlap in detected clones between the searches. The method is applicable to any clone detector tool that uses tokens and similarity measures, highly configurable and can also be run in parallel, making it well-suited for large-scale analysis research. We describe the method and its optimization and evaluate them with two different popular clone detection tools on two datasets of different sizes, consisting of four prominent open source projects. The implementation of the technique allows to increase the number of detected clones by 41.9-52.7% for different datasets. We discuss the results and consider further research possibilities.


The first detailed record of the sedimentary and structural evolution of a transform passive margin was recently obtained during ODP Leg 159 on the west African margin. Four sites (sites 959–962) were drilled into continental crust along the prominent marginal ridge that defines the continental margin. The record documents the deformational regime that existed during the early active transform phase and the response of the margin to later thermal rejuvenation.


In this work, we investigate the effects of Ni doping on the thermoelectric (TE) properties of Yb0.25Co4Sb12 sample. Yb0.25Co4-xNixSb12 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) samples were prepared by mechanical alloying and subsequently consolidated by spark plasma sintering. The morphology of consolidated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The thermoelectric properties of bulk samples were measured from room temperature to 800 K. The XRD analysis confirmed that, the successful formation of the Co4Sb12 skutterudite phase and Ni is substituted into Co site of the skutterudite crystal lattice. Moreover, the electrical resistivity decreased to 14.6 μΩm at 785 K for Yb0.25Co3.5Ni0.5Sb12 sample, due to increase of the electron concentration by Ni-addition. The absolute Seebeck coefficient reached the highest value of 223 μV/K at 592 K for Yb0.25Co3.7Ni0.3Sb12 sample, thus yielding a maximum value of power factor of 2.41 × 10-3 W/mK2 at 592 K. The highest dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit value ZT of 0.49 at 692 K has been achieved for the Yb0.25Co3.7Ni0.3Sb12 sample, compared to ZT=0.06 for the Yb0.25Co4Sb12 sample at same temperature. This work indicates a strategy to improve the thermoelectric performance by Ni substitution of Co sites in the Yb0.25Co4Sb12 skutterudite through simultaneous improvement of its electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and reduction of its thermal conductivity.


Monitoring drinking water quality is essential to protect people's health and wellbeing. In the United States, the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) database records the occurrence of a drinking water violation regulation in public water systems. A notable shortcoming of SDWIS is the lack of the contaminant concentration level about the allowable maximum contaminant threshold. In this study, we take advantage of both the SDWIS violation database and the contaminants sampling database at the state level to examine the drinking water quality of all kinds of drinking water systems in detail. We obtained sampling data (i.e., the concentration level of contaminants) of public water systems (PWSs) in Tennessee and explored the statistical distribution of contaminant concentration data in relation to the enforceable maximum regulatory contaminant level). We use both SDWIS violation records and actual concentrations of contaminants from the sampling data to study the factors that influence the drinking water quality of PWSs. We find that different types of violations were more frequent in (1) specific geological regions, (2) counties with PWSs that serve a larger population (10,000 to 100,000 people), and (3) places with abundant surface water, such as near a lake or major river. Additionally, the distribution of measured concentrations for many contaminants was not smooth but was punctuated by discontinuities at selected levels, such as at 50% of the maximum contaminant level. Such anomalies in the sampling data do not indicate violations, but more investigation is needed to determine the reasons behind the punctuated changes.


Pierre Auguste Cot's painting, "Mireille giving alms at the door of Saint-Trophime," depicts a wealthy lady giving alms to a crippled beggar boy. The beautiful painting portrays the striking contrast between the rich and the poor. The painting also draws attention to the crude crutch the boy was using. This type of crutch was used over the centuries; improvements in the design of the axillary crutch occurred only in the 20th century.


BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and has been regarded as a parameter associated with a poor outcome.

AIM
We investigated whether indices of cardiovascular autonomic function have prognostic value in the current era of pharmacological therapy recommended for DM patients with coexisting coronary artery disease (CAD), which consists of drugs that affect autonomic balance, i.e. angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), beta-blockers, and statins.

METHODS
We studied 127 consecutive patients with type 2 DM and angiographically documented stable CAD (age: 64 years, women: 28%, treatment: ACEI/ARBs: 100%, statins: 98%, beta-blockers: 88%, insulin therapy: 46%). The assessment of autonomic balance within the cardiovascular system included heart rate variability (HRV) (time and spectral-domain analyses) and non-invasive evaluation of baroreflex sensitivity (sequence and controlled breathing methods). Primary end-points were cardiovascular mortality and urgent hospital admissions due to cardiovascular symptoms.

RESULTS
During the mean follow-up of 502 +/- 161 days, 28 patients (22%) experienced a cardiovascular event: 7 died and 21 were admitted to hospital. We found the following predictors of an increased risk of the combined end point (cardiovascular death and hospitalisation): elevated level of N-terminal BNP (for log NT-proBNP - HR = 2.6, p = 0.004), severe CAD (3-vessel disease - HR = 2.4, p = 0.02), renal insufficiency (eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 - HR = 2.7, p = 0.008), and female gender (HR = 3.2, p = 0.002). None of the indices of autonomic balance had prognostic value (p > 0.2 for all).

CONCLUSION
In the population of diabetic patients with stable CAD who receive optimal pharmacological therapy, indices of impaired autonomic function are no longer predictors of poor outcome.


Most previous studies on H2S were devoted to its toxic effects. However, recently there have been increasing evidences which show that endogenously generated H2S in specific mammalian tissues has certain significant positive physiological effects such as a neuromodulator and vasorelaxant in a membrane receptor-independent manner. In order to know the functions of endogenous H2S, low concentration and high accuracy measurement of H2S is a must. Furthermore, this measurement is desired to be real-time and non-invasive. It is reported that low concentration and nano quantity of H2S can be detected in water solutions and sera using carbon nanotubes with the fluorescence by confocal laser scanning microscopy. However, because of the Brownian motion of the small particle (carbon nanotube), a control system must be developed to track the movement of the particle in fluids. In this paper, we present a study to track a carbon nanotube which absorbs H2S in water or serum using a Raman microscope or confocal laser scanning microscope. In particular, we developed a novel control system for this task. Simulation has shown that our system works very well.


BACKGROUND
The oculocerebrorenal syndrome of Lowe (OCRL) is an X-linked disorder characterized by congenital cataracts, cognitive impairment, and renal tubular dysfunction. Significant behavioral difficulties have been reported, but no formal study of intelligence or behavior has been described.

METHODS
We surveyed IQ and behavior using archival data and standardized instruments in 47 affected males.

RESULTS
Mean IQ was in the moderate mental retardation range (40 < or = IQ < or = 54), with 25% of tested individuals in the normal range (IQ > or = 70). The OCRL population was comparable to a normative population with mental retardation in language, communication, and socialization skills, but lower in independent living skills than means of either populations of individuals with mental retardation or visual impairment. Maladaptive behaviors, particularly stubbornness, temper tantrums, and stereotypic behaviors, were very frequent (> 80%).

CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis of OCRL is compatible with normal intelligence. Maladaptive behaviors significantly interfere with adaptive functions. These behaviors appear to define a characteristic behavioral phenotype in OCRL.


We propose a new type of highly efficient Yagi-Uda nanoantenna and introduced a novel concept of superdirective nanoantennas based on silicon nanoparticles. In addition to the electric response, this silicon nanoantennas exhibit very strong magnetic resonances at the nanoscale. Both types of nanoantennas are studied analytically, numerically and experimentally. For superdirective nanoantennas we also predict the effect of the beam steering at the nanoscale characterized by a subwavelength sensitivity of the beam radiation direction to the source position.


Dynamic video streaming performs video rate selection based on streaming client's throughput estimate. In practice, the accuracy of the estimated throughput is limited due to feedback delay and unawareness of the dynamics of the underlying HTTP/TCP transport layer. Furthermore, state-of-the-art rate selection methods inherently introduce a two-fold quantization error, as will be detailed in this paper. As a result, streaming adaptation is often erroneous and causes client buffer instability. In this paper, we present Open-Loop rAte Control (OLAC), an adaptive streaming architecture designed to support low-latency streaming applications. The key components of our architecture are a server-side simulation of the streaming client's buffer, which provides a low-delay feedback for the video rate selection, and a hybrid adaptation logic based on throughput and buffer information, which stabilizes the adaptive response to dynamics of transport and application layers. We evaluate the performance of OLAC in wireless streaming scenarios by comparing it against two well-known streaming architectures, QAC and vlc-plugin DASH. The results show that our approach achieves at least 10% higher average quality and at least 73% lower rebuffering duration - achieving zero rebuffering duration in most scenarios - for dynamic live streaming with buffering delays as low as two seconds.