There are three phases in the use of online social media by tourists: before, during and after the trip. The aim of this study is to determine what social network users use to find information before and during the trip, the type of information they search, and where they share information. The study also identifies the relationship this has with the trustworthiness social networks provide them, especially distinguishing the social networks managed by the destination organizations. Therefore, we conduct a survey of 800 tourists who are social network users. Results show that social networks are not a major source of information before or during the trip but are very important for sharing contents after the experience, and that the most searched information concerns the main attractions of the destination. Moreover, there is a relationship between the use of social media and their perceived trustworthiness. In this case, for those who use social networks managed by destinations, these give them greater confidence.


Microbial communities occupy diverse niches in nature, and exchanges of metabolites such as carbon sources, amino acids, and vitamins occur routinely among the community members. While large-scale metagenomic and metabolomic studies shed some light on these exchanges, the contribution of individual species and the molecular details of specific interactions are difficult to track. Here, we explore the molecular picture of vitamin B1 (thiamin) metabolism occurring in synthetic communities of Escherichia coli thiamin auxotrophs which engage in the exchange of thiamin and its biosynthesis intermediates. In E. coli, the two parts of thiamin – the 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine and the 4-methyl-5-(2-hydroxyethyl)thiazole – are synthesized by separate pathways using enzymes ThiC and ThiG, respectively, and are then joined by ThiE to form thiamin. We observed that even though E. coli ΔthiC, ΔthiE, and ΔthiG mutants are thiamin auxotrophs, co-cultures of ΔthiC-ΔthiE and ΔthiC-ΔthiG grow in a thiamin-deficient minimal medium, whereas the ΔthiE-ΔthiG co-culture does not. Analysis of the exchange of thiamin and its intermediates in Vibrio anguillarum co-cultures, and in mixed co-cultures of V. anguillarum and E. coli revealed that the general pattern of thiamin metabolism and exchange among microbes is conserved across species. Specifically, the microorganisms exchange HMP and thiamin easily among themselves but not THZ. Furthermore, we observe that the availability of exogenous thiamin in the media affects whether these strains interact with each other or grow independently. This underscores the importance of the exchange of essential metabolites as a defining factor in building and modulating synthetic or natural microbial communities.


Background: Underrepresented persons are often not included in biomedical research. It is unknown if the general Asian American population is being represented in All of Us. The purpose of this study was to compare the Asian demographic data in the All of Us cohort with the Asian nationally representative data from the American Community Survey. Method: Demographic characteristics and health literacy of Asians in All of Us were examined. Findings were qualitatively compared with the Asian data in the 2019 American Community Survey 1-year estimate. Results: Compared with the national composition of Asians, less All of Us participants were born outside the United States (64% vs 79%), were younger, and had higher levels of education (76% vs 52%). Over 60% of All of Us participants reported high levels of health literacy. Conclusion: This study had implications for the development of strategies that ensure diverse populations are represented in biomedical research.


The research was part of Equal, a European Social Fund initiative addressing labour market discrimination. Increasing educational participation amongst 'non-traditional' students can be viewed in terms of the philanthropic goal of extending opportunities to individuals, or structurally in terms of the globalised economy's demand for skilled labour (Naidoo & Callender, 2000:227). Decreasing numbers of school leavers necessitate casting the net beyond traditional groups (Gallagher et al, 1993:2; Edwards, 1993:5), implicating responsibility for promoting positive student experiences for non-traditional students targeted by the education system. Lone parents report sacrifices in pursuit of education including debt, placing children in childcare, and loss of family time, support networks and jobs. Mature and working-class students' low completion rates (Yorke, 2001:148) highlight difficulties managing learning with other adult responsibilities. Hands et al observe student parents' particular susceptibility to non-completion (Hands et al, 2007:25). Institutionally, non-completion represents 'wasted' investment. Providing inadequate support also fails vulnerable students, setting them up for failure and exacerbating frequently low self-esteem and confidence (Murphy & Roopchand, 2003:247,256; Greif, 1992:570). The present research illustrated how negative school experiences often result in lengthy educational gaps. Institutions are responsible for ensuring that individuals' self-esteem is not further damaged by failure through inadequate support.


Islamic banking is growing rapidly in Indonesia, so it needs to be done a lot of studies on sharia banking especially about the influence of risks to sharia financing. The purpose of this study is to analyze of the influence of liquidity risk, financing risk, and operational risk with bank size as moderating variable. This research uses financial statement of Sharia Commercial Bank for 2012-2016 period. By using purposive sampling method, 12 Sharia Commercial Bank were chosen as samples in this study. The data use in this study is panel data. Those data was collected from Sharia Commercial Bank's website. Data analyzed by using moderated regression analysis. The result shows that liquidity risk, financing risk, and operational risk significantly influenced the financing of Indonesian sharia banking with bank size as it's moderating variable.


We explore the downstream task performances for graph neural network (GNN) self-supervised learning (SSL) methods trained on subgraphs ex-tracted from relational databases (RDBs). Intu-itively, this joint use of SSL and GNNs allows us to leverage more of the available data, which could translate to better results. However, while we observe positive transfer in some cases, others showed systematic performance degradation, including some spectacular ones. We hypothesize a mechanism that could explain this behaviour and draft the plan for future work testing it by charac-terizing how much relevant information different strategies can (theoretically and/or empirically) extract from (synthetic and/or real) RDBs.


Non-Technical Loss (NTL) is a significant concern for many electric supply companies due to the financial impact caused as a result of suspect consumption activities. A range of machine learning classifiers have been tested across multiple synthesized and real datasets to combat NTL. An important characteristic that exists in these datasets is the imbalance distribution of the classes. When the focus is on predicting the minority class of suspect activities, the classifiers' sensitivity to the class imbalance becomes more important. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of a range of classifiers with under-sampling and over-sampling techniques. The results are compared with the untreated imbalanced dataset. In addition, we compare the performance of the classifiers using penalized classification model. Lastly, the paper presents an exploratory analysis of using different sampling techniques on NTL detection in a real dataset and identify the best performing classifiers. We conclude that logistic regression is the most sensitive to the sampling techniques as the change of its recall is measured around 50% for all sampling techniques. While the random forest is the least sensitive to the sampling technique, the difference in its precision is observed between 1% – 6% for all sampling techniques.


Background Advance care planning (ACP) is underutilised in patients with heart failure (HF); however, ACP needs to be introduced early in the illness trajectory as patients with HF progress through a rather non-linear and unpredictable trajectory characterised by sudden decompensations and death. Although the incidence of heart failure has declined in the past decade, because of improved HF therapies and an ageing population, the absolute number of HF cases is rising in Canada. Introduction of ACP is challenged by the patients' perceptions about their health and lack of awareness about the severity of their illness, and by the perceptions of health care professionals of judging the timing to early and the patients not ready for such intervention. Aim This literature review aims to conceptually define readiness, and to describe readiness to engage in ACP and its influential factors. Methods A systematic literature search using major databases was conducted. Relevant articles were selected, critically appraised and synthesised. Results Readiness is theoretically proposed to have three main domains: intention, attitudes and beliefs; however, most studies fail to conceptually define readiness. Studies are lacking on readiness in the HF populations and evidence with other patients suggest mixed levels of readiness to engage in ACP. Evidence on factors influencing readiness are inconclusive and most studies have methodological limitations. Conclusion Future research is needed with strong theoretical foundations to explore readiness to engage in ACP of patients with HF. This will aid health care providers to target the modifiable variable to increase ACP participation.


Objective Improved molecular testing for common somatic mutations and the identification of mRNA and microRNA expression classifiers are promising approaches for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. However, there is a need to improve the diagnostic accuracy of such tests for identifying thyroid cancer. Recent findings have revealed a crucial role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in gene modulation. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of selected lncRNAs from The Atlas of Noncoding RNAs in Cancer (TANRIC) thyroid cancer dataset. Methods LncRNAs in TANRIC thyroid cancer dataset that have significantly increased or decreased expression in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) tissues were selected as candidates for PTC diagnosis. Surgical specimens from patients who underwent thyroidectomy were used to determine the separation capability of candidate lncRNAs between malignant and benign nodules. Fine needle aspiration samples were obtained and screened for candidate lncRNAs to verify their diagnostic value. Results LRRC52-AS1, LINC02471, LINC02082, UNC5B-AS1, LINC02408, MPPED2-AS1, LNCNEF, LOC642484, ATP6V0E2-AS1, and LOC100129129 were selected as the candidate lncRNAs. LRRC52-AS1, LINC02082, UNC5B-AS1, MPPED2-AS1, LNCNEF, and LOC100129129 expression levels were significantly increased or decreased in malignant nodules compared to those in benign nodules and paired normal thyroid tissues. The combination of LRRC52-AS1, LINC02082, and UNC5B-AS1 showed favorable results for the diagnosis of PTC from fine needle aspirates, with 88.9% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity. Conclusions LncRNA expression analysis is a promising approach for advancing the molecular diagnosis of PTC. Further studies are needed to identify lncRNAs of additional diagnostic value.


Transverse myelitis requires careful investigation, as although many causes respond acutely to immunomodulation, the longer term management depends upon its precise cause. We describe a patient presenting acutely with a corticosteroid-responsive longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis and granulomatous lung lesions with a previous history of recurrent generalised lymphadenopathy, pyogenic infections and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. We initially suspected an underlying primary autoimmune disorder. However, investigations showed granulomatous common variable immunodeficiency (gCVID) and following regular intravenous immunoglobulin, her symptoms did not recur. We discuss this relatively common immunodeficiency disease, frequently misdiagnosed as a systemic autoimmune disease (often sarcoidosis). We also discuss the range of neurological syndromes, including transverse myelitis, that may accompany common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).

A 41-year-old Caucasian woman presented with a 1-week history of progressive bilateral leg weakness, with urinary hesitancy and frequency. She had an intriguing past medical history of multiple episodes of corticosteroid-responsive widespread tender lymphadenopathy over 10 years, splenectomy for refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in 2005, frequent respiratory tract infections and multiple buttock abscesses.

On examination at presentation, there was increased tone in both lower limbs with mild bilateral proximal weakness. Her reflexes were pathologically brisk in both legs and plantars were extensor. There were no sensory abnormalities. Upper limb and cranial nerve examinations were normal.

Routine blood tests were normal, including full blood count, renal function, liver function, clotting function and inflammatory markers. Her MR scan of brain was normal, but an MR scan of spine showed longitudinally extensive cord signal change between T2 and the conus medullaris (figure 1) with focal contrast enhancement at T6/7 (figure …


Application layer Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks are generated by exploiting vulnerabilities of the protocol implementation or its design. Unlike volumetric DoS attacks, these are stealthy in nature and target a specific application running on the victim. There are several attacks discovered against popular application layer protocols in recent years. In this article, we provide a structured and comprehensive survey of the existing application layer DoS attacks and defense mechanisms. We classify existing attacks and defense mechanisms into different categories, describe their working, and compare them based on relevant parameters. We conclude the article with directions for future research.


Single crystals of the (Hg, Pb)(Ba, Sr)2Ca2Cu3O8+δ or (Hg, Pb)-1(Ba, Sr)223 phase of 100-200 µm in size have been grown by a liquid-assisted solid-state recrystallization method employing an improved encapsulation technique developed for preventing the possible explosion of the fused-quartz ampoule. Strontium-rich crystals with up to 75% Sr-for-Ba substitution were successfully obtained. Based on the results of crystal morphology investigation and the identification of the polycrystalline secondary phases, a possible growth mechanism involving the formation of small amounts of a liquid phase and a layer-by-layer growth of the (Hg, Pb)-1(Ba, Sr)223 crystals is proposed. The size of the obtained crystals was found to depend on both the density of the starting mixture pellet and the amount of oxygen in the ampoule. In order to establish the actual chemical composition of the crystals ICP analysis was performed. The as-grown crystals showed a sharp superconductivity transition at Tc = 115-128 K depending on the Sr content.


Because of the short range of alpha particles in tissue, the degree of uniformity of irradiation of the lung varies greatly depending on the form of the inhaled material. Animal studies have shown that the degree of dose uniformity influences the risk of lung cancer. This study investigates the radiation dose distribution of plutonium in human lung. Numerical maps of tissue configuration and target cell locations are obtained from histological sections of human lung tissue stained to enhance the identification of putative cell types for parenchymal lung cancers, i.e. alveolar type II cells and Clara cells. Monte Carlo simulations are used to obtain dose distribution around individual particles, and these distributions are used to compute dose distribution in volumes of lung tissue. Lung dose is characterised both by the degree of non-uniformity of irradiation and the relative degree of irradiation of all tissue versus the special cells of interest.


We investigate the airtightness of 12 French non-residential buildings, by means of experimental fan-depressurization tests. For this study, 12 recent large (volume > 500 m 3 ) buildings have been chosen according to the construction structure and the activity. Four categories of buildings have been selected : hotels, schools, offices and polyvalent halls. We assessed the air leakage rate of each building, with a fan-depressurization equipment, following the recommendations of the international norm project ISO 9972. The airtightness of the sole envelope is measured by sealing intentionally the openings provided to the buildings for natural or mechanical ventilation. Meanwhile quantifying air leakage rates, we also observe the locations of air leakage paths using a smoke detection method and infrared thermography. We assess the ratio of the air leakage rates weighted by intrinsic dimensions of each construction, namely : the unheated surfaces and the heated volume. We analyze the infiltration air exchange contributions according to the types of constructions, and we compare the results to the requirements applicable in France since June 2001 for the Thermal Regulation 2000.


ABSTRACT A key component of social work ethics is social justice and equitable access to resources. Increasingly, this includes access to technology. This study addresses issues related to the 'digital divide' by testing a peer tutor model (Technology and Aging Project, TAP2) to teach adults aged 60 and older how to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as email, the internet, online chat rooms and discussion groups, internet-based support groups, and voice technology and webcams. Participants from the control group of a previous programme, TAP1 (N=19) participated in a six-month computer training programme. Six participants who had successfully completed the TAP1 training were selected to be peer tutors. Data were collected from tutors and learners at baseline, three months, six months and nine months (three months after the end of training). The current study reports on learner outcomes only. Measures include computer, social support, and mental health-related outcomes. Learners reported a significant and consistent increase over time in their confidence completing certain computer-related tasks and their overall use of ICTs. Mental health and social support outcomes did not change. Overall, the peer tutor model appeared to be at least as effective as the previous staff-directed model.


The objectives of this study are to describe: (1) the implementation of English Curriculum 2013 at State Junior High School 8 Yogyakarta, (2) the problems faced by the English teachers, and (3) the efforts to solve the problems.
This study used descriptive qualitative method. The informants of the research were two English teachers, principal and three vice principals, four school committee members, and five students of grade seven. These research informants were selected using the purposive sampling technique. The data were collected through observations, interview, and documentations. The data trustworthiness was established through triangulation of sources and techniques. The data were analysed using the Interactive analysis model by Miles and Huberman, consisting of data collection, data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing.
The results of the study are as follows: (1) the implementation of English Curriculum 2013 had already worked, but it needed improvement in the English teaching and learning process. The roles of the English teacher in English Curriculum 2013 are to teach and to educate the students, implementing the scientific method and the character education, and motivating the students. The English teacher of grade seven implemented the scientific method if the method match to the topic. The students are asked to observe, question, associate, experiment, and doing network during the teaching and learning process. The teacher modifies and adds the English learning material in the English Curriculum
2013 syllabus. (2) The problems faced by the English teacher in implementing the English Curriculum 2013 were the input; the students' ability is lower than the previous year, the students' self-responsibility, and the teaching and learning facilities such as textbooks, and internet connection. (3) The efforts done by the English teacher to problems of English Curriculum 2013 implementation are motivate the students to learn English, preparing the audio-visual material to attract the student, preparing authentic English learning materials. Other efforts done by the English teacher during the learning process are: a) giving reward and punishment, b) giving guiding question, c) assessing the students' learning progress, d) monitoring the students' work in the classroom.


The bagworm Metisa plana is one of the major pests in the oil palm plantation in Malaysia, with infestation that results in huge economical loss. Currently, the exact cause of the infestation is still undetermined. Studying the bacterial community of M. plana could provide insight on the problem as the bacteria associated with insects often provide numerous benefits to the insect itself. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, the study was conducted to compare the composition of the bacterial communities of two larval stages (early instar stage and late instar stage) from outbreak area, as well as comparing the late instar stage larvae from non-outbreak and outbreak areas. Generally, the bacterial community was dominated by Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla while the Enterobacteriaceae was found to be the dominant family. When comparing between the early and late instar stage, Proteobacteria phylum was found to be more abundant in the late instar stage (82.36%) than in the early instar stage (82.28%). At the family level, the Enterobacteriaceae was slightly more abundant in late instar stage (75.46%) than in early instar stage (75.29%). The instar stage was observed to have no significant impact on the bacterial variability and showed similar bacterial community structure. When comparing between the non-outbreak area and outbreak, Proteobacteria was significantly more abundant in the outbreak area (82.02%) than in the non-outbreak area (20.57%). However, Actinobacteria was significantly more abundant in the non-outbreak area (76.29%) than in the outbreak area (14.16%). At the family level, Enterobacteriaceae was more abundant in outbreak area (75.41%) than in non-outbreak area (11.67%). Microbacteriaceae was observed to be more abundant in the non-outbreak area (70.87%) than in the outbreak area (12.47%). Although the result showed no significant difference in bacterial variability between different areas, it the bacterial community structure was significantly different.


Both the range resolution and the range ambiguity interval of a sensor system can be maintained using a very much reduced number of data carriers across the bandwidth. This is demonstrated using real data from internal sea waves collected with a multifrequency radar system. The described signal processing methods favor the use of small numbers of sensors, which, through synthesis of additional data channels, give rise to a very high signal processing gain. Large synthetic sensor arrays can be constructed using very few real sensors for applications such as phased antenna array systems, microphone arrays for seismic prospecting, or imaging multifrequency radar systems.


Nickel nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni2+-NTA) immobilization of hexahistidine (His6) tagged proteins has become one of the most commonly used methods of affinity chromatography. Perhaps the greatest utility of this protein purification method stems from the general belief that His-tagged proteins (comprised of His6) are little affected in their activities or efficiencies, while alterations in specificity are unexpected. Although this is certainly true in many instances, we present a case in which the biochemical properties of proteins being studied were fundamentally altered due to the presence of His-tags. We carried out these studies using variants of the pi(30.5) protein of plasmid R6K, a DNA binding protein which negatively regulates plasmid replication. Pi(30.5) can bind DNA containing a target sequence (TGAGR) arranged either asymmetrically (direct repeats) in the gamma origin, or symmetrically in inverted half-repeats (IR's) in the operator of its own gene, pir. Importantly, dimers of pi protein bind to an IR; this property allows researchers to quickly assess whether different regulatory variants of pi proteins exhibit altered dimerization properties. For example, pi(30.5) containing a single amino-acid substitution, F107S (pi200(30.5)), has been shown to be monomeric in solution and dimers were not observed bound to IR's. Here we demonstrate that the presence of a His-tag partially restores the ability of pi200(30.5) to dimerize in solution and bind to an IR in dimeric form. This report sends an important message that (other) proteins containing His-tags may differ from their wild type counterparts in dimerization/oligomerization properties.


The purpose of the work described in this article is to use database security mechanism as a data access control model in a Java application, developed through an UML-based process. This work relies on the CASE tool Designer from the Oracle company and its associated user and security policy. The three axis of this work are the following ones : • Introducing class diagrams towards Designer analysis and design models (entity-relation ship diagram, design diagrams). • Using Designer features to design user and security policy, and generate database schema. • Reconciling object-oriented and relational worlds through the use of TopLink, an object-relational mapping tool and with the exploitation of a dedicated generator, intended to make the security policy and related information available to the Java application.


Protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in patients with cirrhosis and occurs in 50%-90% of these patients. Although the pathogenesis of PCM is multifactorial, alterations in protein metabolism play an important role. This article is based on a selective literature review of protein and sodium recommendations. Daily protein and sodium requirements of patients with cirrhosis have been the subject of many research studies since inadequate amounts of both can contribute to the development of malnutrition. Previous recommendations that limited protein intake should no longer be practiced as protein requirements of patients with cirrhosis are higher than those of healthy individuals. Higher intakes of branched-chain amino acids as well as vegetable proteins have shown benefits in patients with cirrhosis, but more research is needed on both topics. Sodium restrictions are necessary to prevent ascites development, but very strict limitations, which may lead to PCM should be avoided.


Abstract A 2-year study was conducted at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Stavely Range Substation, Alberta. The objective was to quantify and simulate the soil water status of small grassland watersheds under 3 grazing intensities and 4 topographic positions. The grazing treatments were ungrazed (or control), heavy (2.4 AUM ha−1) and very heavy (4.8 AUM ha−1) grazing and the topographic positions were upperslope, midslope, lowerslope and 5 m away from the collector drain. Moisture readings were taken every 2 weeks between spring and fall using a CPN 503 moisture neutron probe. Readings were taken at the soil surface and at 15-, 25-, 35-, 45- and 55-cm depths. Total annual precipitation in 1998 and 1999 was 648 and 399 mm, respectively. In both years grazing treatments did not affect total soil water in the 0–50 cm (TSW50) depth interval for the upper, middle and lower slope positions, but TSW50 close to the collector drain was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) greater for the heavy grazed compared to the very heavy grazed treatment. Within each grazing treatment, TSW50 differences among slope positions occurred mainly under the heavy grazed treatment. Simulation of soil water at each soil depth and watershed was conducted using the Versatile Soil Moisture Budget Model (VB2000). Statistical and graphical evaluations of the model results were conducted using the volumetric soil water data collected for 1998 and 1999. The statistics determined included average error (AE), root mean square (RMS), coefficient of residual mass (CRM), modeling efficiency (EF) and coefficient of determination (CD). All statistics varied with each soil depth and watershed, indicating the transient nature of the data. This is reflected in the mostly negative CRM values, which ranged between −1.0 and 0.16. Overall model fitting to the whole data for all depths, watersheds and years gave values of CRM = −0.08 and EF = 0.19, indicating a slight over-prediction by the model. Spatial variation due to presence of rocks or cracks and averaging across slopes may have partly contributed to the discrepancies between model results and observed data.


In this paper, we present a systematic approach based on harmonic balance method to study the entrained oscillations in a class of Goodwin-type oscillator networks forced by external periodic signals consisting of high order harmonics. First, a necessary condition and a conjecture for entrainment of network oscillations are presented. Next, the authors reveal an estimation for the profile of entrained oscillations in one situation and the monotone dependence of the amplitude and phase shift of entrained oscillations to the external input in other contexts. The theoretical results are then illustrated through some examples including a practical model for circadian rhythm in Neurospora crassa.


AIM:To assess the feasibility and safety of the use of soehendra stent retriever as a new technique for biliary access in endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage.METHODS:The medical records and endoscopic reports of the patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage(EUS-BD) owing to failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in our institute between June 2011 and January 2014 were collected and reviewed.All the procedures were performed in the endoscopic suite under intravenous sedation with propofol and full anaesthetic monitoring.Then we used the Soehendra stent retriever as new equipment for neo-tract creation and dilation when performing EUS-BD procedures.The patients were observed in the recovery room for 1-2 h and transferred to the regular ward,patients' clinical data were reviewed and analysed,clinical outcomes were defined by using several different criteria.Data were analysed by using SPSS 13 and presented as percentages,means,and medians.RESULTS:A total of 12 patients were enrolled.The most common indications for EUS-BD in this series were failed common bile duct cannulation,duodenal obstruction,failed selective intrahepatic duct cannulation,and surgical altered anatomy for 50%,25%,16.7%,and 8.3%,respectively.Seven patients underwent EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy(58.3%),and 5 underwent EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy(41.7%).The technical success rate was 100%,while the clinical success rate was 91.7%.Major and minor complications occurred in 16.6% and 33.3% of patients,respectively,but there were no procedurerelated death.CONCLUSION:Soehendra stent retriever could be used as an alternative instrument for biliary access in endoscopic ultrasound guided biliary drainage.


The topic of this paper is prevalence estimation from the perspective of active information. Prevalence among tested individuals has an upward bias under the assumption that individuals' willingness to be tested for the disease increases with the strength of their symptoms. Active information due to testing bias quantifies the degree at which the willingness to be tested correlates with infection status. Interpreting incomplete testing as a missing data problem, the missingness mechanism impacts the degree at which the bias of the original prevalence estimate can be removed. The reduction in prevalence, when testing bias is adjusted for, translates into an active information due to bias correction, with opposite sign to active information due to testing bias. Prevalence and active information estimates are asymptotically normal, a behavior also illustrated through simulations.


Over the past several decades numerous hybrid electric (HE) configurations have been researched and developed for various vehicle applications. The origination of HE vehicle concepts resulted in many new research directions in vehicle dynamics and control and vehicle system design. However, vehicle driveline systems, which distribute power between the drive wheels, have not yet been included in the area of interest nor researched for their potential contribution to the HE power transformation.This paper presents a work in a new proposed direction, specifically fusion of the HE power conversion process with optimization of power distribution between the drive wheels. A new principle is proposed to optimize power distribution between the front and rear wheels and to minimize slip power losses in tires by maintaining equal tire slippages and, thus, reducing energy consumption; wheel power optimization is algorithmically integrated with the mechanical-electrical-mechanical power conversion in a 4×4 terrain vehicle with a series HE powertrain.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


WHILE the ophthalmologist practising in industrial districts and county towns has many opportunities to see and treat corneal ulcers, the physician whose private practice is limited to the city without a large proportion of industrial workers and farmers finds himself in this situation less often. The latter sees mostly those marginal infiltrates of the cornea which are commonly called "catarrhal ulcers." These may appear in the course of a conjunctivitis or as a complication of acne rosacea, eczema of the skin, sycosis barbae; most often, however, they are an isolated affection of the cornea without conjunctival irritation. Verhoeff believes that these marginal infiltrates, which recur relatively often, are a form of acne rosacea of the cornea without simultaneous acne rosacea of the skin.t They heal rapidly under treatment with


Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor( DNET) is a recently described rare tumor that occurs most frequently in the tempora' lobe of the brain and is characterized by long-standing , intractable complex partial seizures in children. The authors experienced one case of DNET occurring in a 13-year old boy, who had refractory complex partial seizure for 7 years. CT scan revealed nonenhancing low density mass in the left temporal lobe. MR images demonstrated a well-marginated cortical mass with very low signal intensity on T1WI and multinodular appearance of high signal intensity on T2WI. A few small enhancing foci within the mass were noted on contrast enhanced MR images. DNET, a rare tumor, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neoplasm which causes seizure and is distinguished from other tumors because of its benign course. Differentiation between DNETand othertumors by CTand MR findings is very difficult . But, our case showed the multinodular pattern on T2W image, which may be helpful feature in the differential diagnosis .


Recent year have witnessed the emergence of Financial Technology (FinTech) innovations as a promising resolution to financial exclusion, via mechanisms that empower the financially underprivileged to gain access rights into the traditional financial industry. However, academic research has provided little guidance on how to strategize the IT-enabled empowerment mechanisms for FinTech innovations to realize both business success and financial inclusion. In this study, we conduct an in-depth revelatory case study on a novel Chinese FinTech innovation, Yu'E Bao, the bellwether in revolutionizing the country's financial industry dramatically through the successful empowerment of a large population of financially underprivileged (i.e., "grassroots consumers", translated from "cao gen" in Chinese). Through our systematic qualitative analyses of news articles collected since the product launch, we derive a two-stage theoretical model, examined through the lens of "empowerment", and unravel the mechanisms underlying FinTech innovation's empowerment process on grassroots consumers. Most importantly, we elucidate a "duality of empowerment", that is, the catalyst for Yu'E Bao's success soon becomes the impediment to Yu'E Bao's further development. Our study contributes to the literature on Information Technology-enabled (IT-enabled) empowerment, empowerment, and FinTech. Critical implications to various stakeholders, such as government and policy makers, as well as FinTech practitioners and product designers are also drawn.


The number of foreign workers in Korea is growing rapidly, increasing from 1.1 million in 2012 to 1.4 million in 2016. As a result, the impact of foreign workers on the labour market and Korean society is expected to increase. As industrialisation and income levels advanced from the late 1980s, a shortage of low-skilled workers developed. From the early 1990s, the industrial trainee system encouraged an influx of foreign workers. Currently, quotas for foreign workers are in place to ensure their orderly entry and management. The inflow of foreign workers is seen to have had a generally positive effect on the Korean economy, contributing to domestic economic growth by increasing labour input in industries that are less favoured by domestic workers, and easing the trend towards workforce ageing in the Korean labour market. But, as most foreign workers are engaged in low-skilled, low-wage occupations, the inflow has tended to exacerbate labour market polarisation and to delay the restructuring of marginal companies.


The polarized light microscope with a 1/4 h plate greatly improves resolution of the microstructure in layered hard tissues of dolphins by revealing changes in crystallographic alignment not visible using more conventional instruments. In adult specimens of Stenella attenuata the prenatal enamel contains up to 240 striae that are thought to represent daily records of prenatal growth. Prenatal dentine containsapproximately 60 incremental layers, the significance of which is unknownat present. Inlagcnorhynchus, Delphinus, Tursiops and Stenella spp. the neonatal 'line' consists of several incremental layers, suggesting that post-parturitional trauma may be a prolonged event. In these species the postnatal dentine contains 13 regularly-spaced accessory layers in the first five o r six growth layer groups (GLGs). These accessory layers are thought t o reflect lunar cycles, and each c'ontains an average of 28 microlayers (lines of von Ebner) that may represent daily growth increments. Cenirntal CLCs show fewer accessory layers than those of dentine. GLGs in periosteal hone consist of accessory layers that may reflect lunar cyclicity. I t is suspected that layering in dentinal, cemental, and periosteal tissues is in response to the same cyclic influences.


The Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs) are emitted from various sources and have lots of different form. Recently human are spending the many times at indoor area and indoor air pollution is issued the important social problem. The emission sources of indoor air pollutants are very various, also indoor building materials are composed of very complex chemical compounds, these indoor building materials discharge very much VOCs and other hazardous compounds. In this study, we performed the small chamber test to investigate the VOCs emission concentration and characteristics involving five kinds of the indoor building materials(furniture material, wooden floor, wall paper, paint and tile) under different conditions of four temperature and relative humidity as account of the air flow rate(AFR), air exchange rate(AER), loading factor and air velocity respectively. As the result, It was showed that building materials are emitted the highest VOCs concentration at the beginning of experiment and furniture material is emitted the highest VOCs concentration. Most of the materials were affected by temperature, but paint and tile material were affected by humidity.


PURPOSE
Three insulin administration errors that occurred after a hospital's transition from insulin pens to vials are described, and process improvement initiatives implemented to prevent future errors are reviewed.

SUMMARY
In response to numerous reports and warnings related to the risk of insulin pen sharing, a 450-bed community hospital made a transition from insulin pens to insulin vials. Shortly after this transition, three major medication errors involving insulin occurred. Root-cause analysis of the errors identified numerous contributing factors, such as incomplete nursing staff education, issues with the electronic medical record, and lack of adherence to medication administration policies and procedures. In response to these errors, process improvement initiatives were implemented to prevent future errors from occurring. These process improvement initiatives consisted of (1) providing education to nurses, (2) revising the appearance of the electronic medical record, (3) emphasizing the importance of using insulin syringes exclusively for insulin administration, (4) performing safety rounds to confirm proper safety checks, and (5) implementing daily improvement huddles hospitalwide. Newly implemented initiatives to help ensure safe insulin use included involving frontline nursing staff in medication safety committee meetings and requiring that all insulin glargine doses be prepared in designated insulin syringes in the pharmacy for dispensing to patient care units.

CONCLUSION
After three major insulin administration errors, a review of processes and contributing factors was conducted. With additional education of nurses, improved staff communication, and implementation of other safety initiatives, no insulin administration errors were reported in the following year.


Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical wisdom prescribed numerous ways and means to overcome the chronic and incurable diseases and associated
medical, psychological and social problems in a holistic way under the heading of Rasayana. The concept of rasayana is very applicable in preventing
premature deaths due to ailments like cardiovascular diseases and cancers. This paper focuses on understanding the cancer in reference to Ayurvedic biology
i.e., in terms of the theory of Tridosha, Sapta Dhatus, the Agni, Srotaamsi, and the generic sequence of events in the causation of a disease (Satkriyakala)
and its role in integrative care. An integrative approach to oncology is needed in light of growing body of knowledge gained through scientific
development as many herbs are being screened worldwide as anti-cancerous drugs. The science of Ayurveda is supposed to add a step on to the curative
aspects of cancers that have resemblance with Ayurvedic clinical entities like arbuda, granthi, gulma, valmika etc..


Highly homogeneous Al- and Zn-doped TiO2 nanotubes were fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) via nanolaminated stacks of binary layers of TiO2/Al2O3 and TiO2/ZnO, respectively. The bilayers were alternately deposited on the polycarbonate (PC) membrane template by ALD with various cyclic sequences. The nanotubes in a length of 20 μm and a diameter of 220 nm were obtained after removal of the PC membrane by annealing at 450 °C. The effects of doping composition on the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical (PEC) activities were investigated. Increasing the Al doping reduced the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 due to formation of charge recombination sites and reduction of hydroxide radicals. In contrast, there was an optimal range of Zn doping to get enhanced photocatalytic activity and higher PEC efficiency. With a doping ratio of 0.01, the hydrogen production rate from water splitting was 6 times higher than that of commercial P25 TiO2. The energy-band diagram of Zn-doped TiO2 determined by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy revealed shift up of the Fermi level to provide more electrons to the conduction band. The photoinduced trapped electrons and holes were detected in Zn-doped TiO2 by in situ electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, which revealed that Ti3+ sites on the surface and surface oxygen vacancies played a key role in promoting the photocatalytic process.


The rate constant of the reaction of Cl atoms with methacrolein (k(1)) has been measured relative to that of Cl with propane (k(2)) or cyclohexane (k(6)) at ambient temperature and pressures varying from 1-950 Torr. The experiments were carried out by irradiation (350 nm) of Cl(2)/methacrolein/propane or cyclohexane mixtures in N(2) or N(2)/O(2) diluent at ambient temperature in a spherical (500 cm(3)) Pyrex reactor (GC/FID analyses) or a 140 L FTIR smog chamber. The measured relative rate constant ratios in the GC/FID experiments were k(1)/k(2) = 1.464 +/- 0.015(2sigma) in N(2) and k(1)/k(2) = 1.68 +/- 0.03(2sigma) in N(2)/O(2) diluent (O(2) > 20,000 ppm). No pressure dependence was observed over the range studied in N(2) (120-950 Torr) using the GC/FID. In the FTIR/smog chamber experiments values of k(1)/k(6) = 0.645 +/- 0.032, 0.626 +/- 0.037, 0.586 +/- 0.026, and 0.479 +/- 0.024 were measured in 700, 100, 10, and 1 Torr, respectively, of N(2) diluent. Using k(2) = (1.4 +/- 0.2) x 10(-10) and k(6) = (3.3 +/- 0.5) x 10(-10) high pressure limiting rate constants of k(1) = (2.05 +/- 0.3) x 10(-10) [GC/FID] and (2.13 +/- 0.34) x 10(-10) [FTIR] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) were determined. In experiments using the GC/FID reactor with N(2) diluent the following products (molar yields) were observed: 2,3-dichloro-2-methylpropanal [(47.2 +/- 8)% excluding error in calibration]; methacryloyl chloride [(22.9 +/- 2)%]; and 2-chloromethylacrolein [(2.3 +/- 0.8)%]. Addition of 200 ppm O(2) (with Cl(2) = 5000 ppm) resulted in a sharp reduction of the 2,3-dichloro-2-methylpropanal yield (to approximately 2%) with an accompanying appearance of chloroacetone [yield = (55 +/- 7)% decreasing to (44 +/- 7)% in air diluent]. The methacryloyl chloride yield was 23% for [O(2)]/[Cl(2)] ratios from 0 to 0.2 but decreased to near zero as the O(2)/Cl(2) ratio was increased to approximately 400. The variation in methacryloyl chloride yield with the O(2)/Cl(2) ratio in the initial mixture allowed an approximate measurement of the rate constant for the reaction of the methacryloyl radical with O(2) relative to that with Cl(2) (k(O(2))/k(Cl(2)) = 0.066 +/- 0.02). In experiments using the FTIR reactor in 700 Torr of N(2) diluent, methacryloyl chloride [(26 +/- 3)%] and HCl [(27 +/- 3)%] were observed as products. In 700 Torr of air diluent, the observed products were: chloroacetone [(44 +/- 5)%], CO(2) [(27 +/- 3)%], HCl [(21 +/- 3)%], and HCHO [(14 +/- 2)%], and CH(3)C(O)CH(2)OH (3-4%). The observation of CH(3)C(O)CH(2)OH indicates the presence of OH radicals in the system. At atmospheric pressure and 297 K, the title reaction proceeds [(24.5 +/- 5)%] via abstraction of the aldehydic hydrogen atom, [(2.3 +/- 0.8)%] via abstraction from the -CH(3) group, and approximately [(47 +/- 8) %] via addition to the CH(2)=C < double bond with most of the addition occurring at the terminal carbon atom (uncertainties represent statistical 2sigma). The results are discussed with respect to the literature data.


To the Editor. —The letter in the Jan 22/29 issue of JAMA entitled "Altered Folate Metabolism in Early HIV [human immunodeficiency virus] Infection" 1 is interesting, since the authors state that the elevated folate levels observed in the majority of their patients were unlikely to have resulted from dietary supplementation. A related letter entitled "Folate Deficiency and Demyelination in AIDS [acquired immunodeficiency syndrome]" by Smith et al 2 appeared in the July 25, 1987, issue of Lancet . The authors reported that, although serum and erythrocyte folate levels could be normal, cerebrospinal fluid folate levels were low. Defective folate metabolism is known to cause multifocal perivenular demyelination like that due to vitamin B12 deficiency. We would like to point out that in vitamin B 12 deficiency, serum folate levels, measured as 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate, are elevated because vitamin B 12 is needed for the demethylation of 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate; in its absence, no


This feature article describes recent advances in several areas of research involving the interfacial ordering of liquid crystals (LCs). The first advance revolves around the ordering of LCs at bio/chemically functionalized surfaces. Whereas the majority of past studies of surface-induced ordering of LCs have involved surfaces of solids that present a limited diversity of chemical functional groups (surfaces at which van der Waals forces dominate surface-induced ordering), recent studies have moved to investigate the ordering of LCs on chemically complex surfaces. For example, surfaces decorated with biomolecules (e.g., oligopeptides and proteins) and transition-metal ions have been investigated, leading to an understanding of the roles that metal-ligand coordination interactions, electrical double layers, acid-base interactions, and hydrogen bonding can play in the interfacial ordering of LCs. The opportunity to create chemically responsive LCs capable of undergoing ordering transitions in the presence of targeted molecular events (e.g., ligand exchange around a metal center) has emerged from these fundamental studies. A second advance has focused on investigations of the ordering of LCs at interfaces with immiscible isotropic fluids, particularly water. In contrast to prior studies of surface-induced ordering of LCs on solid surfaces, LC-aqueous interfaces are deformable and molecules at these interfaces exhibit high levels of mobility and thus can reorganize in response to changes in the interfacial environment. A range of fundamental investigations involving these LC-aqueous interfaces have revealed that (i) the spatial and temporal characteristics of assemblies formed from biomolecular interactions can be reported by surface-driven ordering transitions in the LCs, (ii) the interfacial phase behavior of molecules and colloids can be coupled to (and manipulated via) the ordering (and nematic elasticity) of LCs, and (iii) the confinement of LCs leads to unanticipated size-dependent ordering (particularly in the context of LC emulsion droplets). The third and final advance addressed in this article involves interactions between colloids mediated by LCs. Recent experiments involving microparticles deposited at the LC-aqueous interface have revealed that LC-mediated interactions can drive interfacial assemblies of particles through reversible ordering transitions (e.g., from 1D chains to 2D arrays with local hexagonal symmetry). In addition, recent single-nanoparticle measurements suggest that the ordering of LCs about nanoparticles differs substantially from micrometer-sized particles and that the interactions between nanoparticles mediated by the LCs are far weaker than predicted by theory (sufficiently weak that the interactions are reversible and thus enable self-assembly). Finally, LC-mediated interactions between colloidal particles have also been shown to lead to the formation of colloid-in-LC gels that possess mechanical properties relevant to the design of materials that interface with living biological systems. Overall, these three topics serve to illustrate the broad opportunities that exist to do fundamental interfacial science and discovery-oriented research involving LCs.


The
territory of India is the locus of an ancient and deeply philosophical culture.
This land not only gave birth to the epic religion of Hinduism but also to the
first urban civilization, the Indus Valley Civilization. Many different
kingdoms such as Mauryan Empire and Mughal Empire with customary authoritative
decision practices also emerged in the Indian subcontinent. However, the impact
these deep and distinct cultures, civilizations and empires have had on
decision-making and official behavior in India over the decades has not been
studied. This article seeks to study the notion of law/interstate law in
pre-colonial India, how it was formulated during and in what way/s the process
of making law was different from western traditions of law-making. To achieve
this end, the New Haven methodology will be adopted. This work will also
provide some preliminary conclusions in relation to Indian foreign policy which
remains "formalist dualism" from ancient to current times.


Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a contagious disease, affecting important livestock species like cattle, sheep and pigs. Therefore, FMD is listed as a notifiable disease to the Office International des Epizooties. The outbreaks of FMD in Europe in 2001 triggered the discussion about the use of vaccination as an additional control measure. The aim of vaccination during an epidemic of FMD is to stop virus transmission among animals or between herds. The main purpose of the work presented in this thesis was to quantify the efficacy of vaccination against FMDV in cattle, sheep and pigs, and to compare virus excretion and virus spread before clinical signs become apparent in vaccinated and non-vaccinated populations of the three host species. Transmission was quantified with reproduction ratio R, i.e. the expected number of secondary cases produced by a typical infected individual during its entire period of infectiousness in a completely susceptible population. With a reproduction ratio significantly below 1, no major outbreaks are likely to occur. Also, the size of an outbreak on a herd to be expected at the moment of first detection of clinical signs was estimated. Differences were observed between vaccine efficacy in the various species. In vaccinated calves R was significantly below 1. In vaccinated dairy cows no transmission was observed. In sheep, R was estimated below 1, although not significantly. Limited vaccine effectiveness in pigs was found; R was estimated above 1. When the vaccination capacity is limited, these findings indicate that a differentiated vaccination programme for various species might be applied. At the moment of clinical detection, most infected individuals can be expected in a pig herd. Combined with the limited vaccine efficacy priority might best be given to culling of pig herds.


We give a non-technical description of the differences of quantisation of the bosonic string between the usual Fock-space approach and the treatment inspired by methods of loop quantum gravity termed the LCQ string. We point out the role of covariant states with continuous representations of the Weyl operators versus invariant states leading to discontinuous polymer representations. In the example of the harmonic oscillator we compare the optical absorption spectrum for the two quantisations and find that the question of distinguishability depends on the order in which limits are taken: For a fixed UV cut-off restricting the Hilbert space to a finite dimensional subspace the spectra can be made arbitrarily similar by an appropriate choice of state. However, if the states are chosen first, they differ at high frequencies.


Abstract
 Harpalyce riparia is described as a new species from the campo rupestre (rocky outcrops) vegetation of the Chapada Diamantina, state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. The new species is morphologically similar to H. brasiliana and H. parvifolia, but it differs from the former mainly by the shorter 2–3 cm long inflorescence, smaller 1.2–1.5 cm long flowers, and fewer-seeded fruits (6–10 seeds), and from the latter by the chartaceous texture of the much larger 1.5-4.5 × 0.7-1.5 cm leaflets and non-overlapping geographical distribution. In addition to providing a complete description, illustration, and distribution map for the new species, we also provide an identification key to all known species of Harpalyce sect. Brasilianae.


Strategic and industrial analysis reveals it is extremely difficult to enter a market dominated by an existing platform. In fact, direct or indirect network effects give the established company's platform a considerable competitive edge. This is true of the numerical computation market and the Matlab + Simulink platform by MathWorks. The case study of Scilab Enterprises helps identify conditions of viability for breaking into such a market. We find that alone, the platform strategy is doomed to fail, but accompanied by an open strategy, entering a platform market becomes possible. We hypothesize that a platform strategy is successful when associated with an open innovation process (integration of the open source community) and supported by a business ecosystem (a huge community of developers, users, and allies). Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


My first contact with the IEEE was in 1947 when, at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada, under the guidance of Professor Garfield A. Woonton, I became a student member. In my college senior year (1949), my seminar topic was broadly titled, "Radio Wave Propagation": ground-wave, ionospheric, tropospheric - all were included! I was soon to learn that it was overwhelming to encompass such a broad field in detail. I think some of the inspiration for this interest in propagation came through J.A. Ratcliffe, whom I met briefly in England during the early (1941) radar years. He recently finished his days at Cambridge University.


Background
Manually performed diameter measurements on ECG-gated CT-angiography (CTA) represent the gold standard for diagnosis of thoracic aortic dilatation. However, they are time-consuming and show high inter-reader variability. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the accuracy of measurements of a deep learning-(DL)-algorithm in comparison to those of radiologists and evaluated measurement times (MT).

Methods
We retrospectively analyzed 405 ECG-gated CTA exams of 371 consecutive patients with suspected aortic dilatation between May 2010 and June 2019. The DL-algorithm prototype detected aortic landmarks (deep reinforcement learning) and segmented the lumen of the thoracic aorta (multi-layer convolutional neural network). It performed measurements according to AHA-guidelines and created visual outputs. Manual measurements were performed by radiologists using centerline technique. Human performance variability (HPV), MT and DL-performance were analyzed in a research setting using a linear mixed model based on 21 randomly selected, repeatedly measured cases. DL-algorithm results were then evaluated in a clinical setting using matched differences. If the differences were within 5 mm for all locations, the cases was regarded as coherent; if there was a discrepancy >5 mm at least at one location (incl. missing values), the case was completely reviewed.

Results
HPV ranged up to ±3.4 mm in repeated measurements under research conditions. In the clinical setting, 2,778/3,192 (87.0%) of DL-algorithm's measurements were coherent. Mean differences of paired measurements between DL-algorithm and radiologists at aortic sinus and ascending aorta were -0.45±5.52 and -0.02±3.36 mm. Detailed analysis revealed that measurements at the aortic root were over-/underestimated due to a tilted measurement plane. In total, calculated time saved by DL-algorithm was 3:10 minutes/case.

Conclusions
The DL-algorithm provided coherent results to radiologists at almost 90% of measurement locations, while the majority of discrepent cases were located at the aortic root. In summary, the DL-algorithm assisted radiologists in performing AHA-compliant measurements by saving 50% of time per case.


Neuromorphic event-based dynamic vision sensors (DVS) have much faster sampling rates and a higher dynamic range than frame-based imaging sensors. However, they are sensitive to background activity (BA) events that are unwanted. There are some filters for tackling this problem based on spatio-temporal correlation. However, they are either memory-intensive or computing-intensive. We propose \emph{SeqXFilter}, a spatio-temporal correlation filter with only a past event window that has an O(1) space complexity and has simple computations. We explore the spatial correlation of an event with its past few events by analyzing the distribution of the events when applying different functions on the spatial distances. We find the best function to check the spatio-temporal correlation for an event for \emph{SeqXFilter}, best separating real events and noise events. We not only give the visual denoising effect of the filter but also use two metrics for quantitatively analyzing the filter's performance. Four neuromorphic event-based datasets, recorded from four DVS with different output sizes, are used for validation of our method. The experimental results show that \emph{SeqXFilter} achieves similar performance as baseline NNb filters, but with extremely small memory cost and simple computation logic.


The effect of both congenital and acquired factor VII deficiency on the cuticle bleeding time (CBT) was evaluated in dogs. The CBT has been previously documented to be a sensitive indicator of factor VIII:C deficiency in hemophilic dogs. Serial CBT determinations were made on normal dogs treated with high-dose warfarin. At 48 hours post-treatment, the CBT was normal, although the factor VII level was less than 1%, whereas the levels of factors II, IX, and X were 44%, 25%, and 17%, respectively. At 120 hours the CBT became abnormal when all vitamin K-dependent clotting factors had dropped to less than 18%. Administration of a plasma concentrate of factors II, IX, and X corrected the CBT, despite the factor VII level remaining at less than 1%. Similar studies in a congenitally factor VII-deficient dog (factor VII less than 2%) confirmed that this deficiency state was not associated with an abnormality of the CBT. Administration of heparin to both normal and factor VII-deficient animals was associated with prolongation of the CBT, but the heparin dose required in the normal animals was substantially higher than in the factor VII-deficient animals. These data do not suggest that factor VII/VIIa has an exclusive role in generating factor Xa, either directly or indirectly, by way of factor IXa generation, in vivo. However, the increase in heparin sensitivity of the factor VII-deficient animals does suggest that factor VII/VIIa may, in some circumstances, present a significant alternative pathway of factor X activation, although the activation pathway involved cannot be determined from the studies performed.


The scalable image coding is an important objective of the future image coding technologies. In this paper, we present a kind of scalable image coding scheme based on wavelet transform. This method uses the famous EZW (Embedded Zero tree Wavelet) algorithm; we give a high-quality encoding to the ROI (region of interest) of the original image and a rough encoding to the rest. This method is applied well in limited memory space condition, and we encode the region of background according to the memory capacity. In this way, we can store the encoded image in limited memory space easily without losing its main information. Simulation results show it is effective.


Steering street-level bureaucrats is utterly complex due to their discretion and professional status which grant them relative autonomy from supervisory directives. Drawing from transformational leadership theory, this article explores the opportunities these work conditions provide for supervisory leadership at the frontlines. Looking at street-level bureaucrats' attitude towards clients, we analyze how the frontline supervisor affects this core perception that protrudes the human judgments street-level bureaucrats are required to pass in their use of their discretion. Using a survey dataset of 971 street-level bureaucrats and their 203 frontline supervisors, this study shows that frontline supervisors function as an attitudinal role model to street-level bureaucrats. Moreover, their supportive leadership behaviors are crucial to them upholding a positive attitude towards clients. Supportive leadership does not unequivocally strengthen the supervisor's position as an attitudinal referent, though. These findings challenge pessimistic assessments of the potential for supervisory leadership at the frontlines. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.


Because of its potentially disruptive influence on business models, blockchain technology has sparked interest in the payments industry. This paper aims to explore the effects of blockchain technology on business models of payment providers involved in cross-border payments. The results of the case studies indicate that blockchain technology offers a new model for cross-border payments and can facilitate the more efficient processing of payments, cutting out intermediaries out of the process and in turn lowering the costs of transactions significantly. As a result, blockchain technology allows the offering of new services and causes some of the current practices obsolete. This technological innovation impacts the current infrastructure in the payments industry and generates potential for new business models. Eventually, companies which leverage the potential of blockchain technology to a better extent will prevail. Blockchain technology has the potential to be a force of technological disruption but will require collaboration between innovators, incumbents and regulators, adding complexity and delaying implementation. These factors make the preparation of business model innovation promising but also troublesome. The findings contribute to theory by providing new insights about the impact of innovative technologies on business models and have further practical implications by its contribution to the understanding of the possible applications of blockchain technology for global payment providers, and in particular to its impact on the business models.


An entropy theory is formulated for deriving infiltration equations for the potential rate (or capacity) of infiltration in unsaturated soils. The theory is comprised of five parts: (1) Tsallis entropy, (2) principle of maximum entropy (POME), (3) specification of information on the potential rate of infiltration in terms of constraints, (4) maximization of entropy in accordance with POME, and (5) derivation of the probability distribution of infiltration and its maximum entropy. The theory is illustrated with the derivation of six infiltration equations commonly used in hydrology, watershed management, and agricultural irrigation, including Horton, Kostiakov, Philip two-term, Green-Ampt, Overton, and Holtan, and the determination of the least biased probability distributions underlying these infiltration equations and the entropies thereof. The theory leads to the expression of parameters of the derived infiltration equations in terms of three measurable quantities: initial infiltration capacity (potential rate), steady infiltration rate, and soil moisture retention capacity. In this sense, these derived equations are rendered nonparametric. With parameters thus obtained, infiltration capacity rates are computed using these six infiltration equations and are compared with field experimental observations reported in the hydrologic literature as well as the capacity rates computed using parameters of these equations obtained by calibration. It is found that infiltration capacity rates computed using parameter values yielded by the entropy theory are in reasonable agreement with observed as well as calibrated infiltration capacity rates.


Chapter 1: Marketing's Value to Customers, Firms, and Society Chapter 2: Marketing Strategy Planning Chapter 3: Evaluating Opportunities in the Changing Marketing Environment Chapter 4: Focusing Marketing Strategy with Segmentation and Positioning Chapter 5: Final Consumers and Their Buying Behavior Chapter 6: Business and Organizational Customers and Their Buying Behavior Chapter 7: Improving Decisions with Marketing Information Chapter 8: Elements of Product Planning for Goods and Services Chapter 9: Product Management and New-Product Development Chapter 10: Place and Development of Channel Systems Chapter 11: Distribution Customer Service and Logistics Chapter 12: Retailers, Wholesalers, and Their Strategy Planning Chapter 13: Promotion-Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications Chapter 14: Personal Selling and Customer Service Chapter 15: Advertising, Publicity, and Sales Promotion Chapter 16: Pricing Objectives and Policies Chapter 17: Price Setting in the Business World Chapter 18: Ethical Marketing in a Consumer-Oriented World: Appraisal and Challenges Appendix A - Economics Fundamentals Appendix B - Marketing Arithmetic Appendix C - Career Planning in Marketing


According to Hartsuiker et al.'s (2004) shared-syntax account bilinguals share syntactic representations across languages whenever these representations are similar enough. But how does such a system develop in the course of second language (L2) learning? We will review recent work on cross-linguistic structural priming, which considered priming in early second language learners and late second language learners as a function of proficiency. We will then sketch our account of L2 syntactic acquisition. We assume an early phase in which the learner relies on transfer from L1 and imitation, followed by phases in which language- and item-specific syntactic representations are added and in which such representations become increasingly abstract. We argue that structural priming effects in L2 (and between L1 and L2) depend on the structure of this developing network but also on explicit memory processes. We speculate that these memory processes might aid the formation of new representations.


Waste glass disposal causes environmental problems in the cities. To find a suitable green environmental solution for this problem low cost adsorbent in this study was prepared from waste glass. An effective new green adsorbent was synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of waste glass (WG), followed by acidic activation of its surface by HCl (WGP). The prepared adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and BET surface measurement. The developed adsorbent was used for the removal of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn) from well water. Batch experiments were conducted to test the ability of the prepared adsorbent for the removal of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn from well water. The experiments of the heavy metals adsorption by adsorbent (WGP) were performed at different metal ion concentrations, solution pH, adsorbent dosage and contact time. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms and kinetic models were used to verify the adsorption performance. The results indicated high removal efficiencies (99-100%) for all the studied heavy metals at pH 7 at constant contact time of 2 h. The data obtained from adsorption isotherms of metal ions at different time fitted well to linear form of the Langmuir sorption equation, and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Application of the resulted conditions on well water demonstrated that the modified waste glass adsorbent successfully adsorbed heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn) from well water.


The influence on the calculated velocity and displacement and shock spectra of accelerogram vagaries is examined. The effect of centerline adjustment, small random reading errors, and chart paper distortion are considered in detail. An expression for the variance of the final displacement error, which is caused by accelerogram reading errors, is presented. This expression can be used to determine the reading accuracy required to evaluate the final ground displacement to desired accuracy. The utility of determining ground velocity and displacement is discussed. The effects of accelerogram reading errors on shock spectra is considered. The adequacy of current chart paper speeds and transducer natural frequencies is discussed.

It is concluded: (a) that the use of accelerograms to accurately determine net ground displacement is impractical; (b) that reading errors in accelerogram charts, as they are currently being recorded, can cause significant errors in response spectra; (c) that limitations of current seismographs may attenuate the high frequency content in strong-motion seismic shocks or distort low-frequency spectra due to aliasing.


A 66-year-old woman, who had had bronchial asthma, was admitted to our hospital because she suffered from fever, productive cough, wheezing, dyspnea, and chest pressure sensation. Her chest X-ray showed migrating infiltration and marked cardiomegaly. Her ECG at the admission revealed abnormal Q wave and T wave inversion, though that of 3 years before had been almost normal. Hematology showed leukocytosis and eosinophilia of 8,000/mm3 without abnormal cells. All immunological tests were negative and the specific cause of the eosinophilia was unknown. 2 weeks after admission, she complained of severe chest pain suddenly and her ECG showed ST elevation on V1-4 and serum CPK level was elevated to 290 IU/l. By the thrombolytic agent and anticoagulant therapy, her symptom was lightened immediately. 2 months later, we made her cardiac catheterization and myocardial biopsy. Her LVG showed a small aneurysm of the apex, though her CAG was normal finding. The biopsy revealed moderate fibrosis and cellular infiltration including a few eosinophils. We thought that eosinophilic endocarditis had existed first, and secondary embolism continued led to the small infarction. The hypereosinophilia was spontaneously normalized 2 months after admission, but the patient complained of myalgia and sensory disturbance of extremities. The biopsy of quadriceps muscle could prove neither infiltration of eosinophils nor vasculitis. But we diagnosed mononeuritis multiplex due to hypereosinophilia. Judging from various symptoms and laboratory findings, this case was included to the hypereosinophilic syndrome. We also thought allergic granulomatosis and angitis as one of the differential diagnoses, but histologically vasculitis was not proved. In this case, eosinophilia was disappeared without using corticosteroids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Introduction The field of spintronics is related with the spin degre e of freedom of the electrons. It is aimed at proposi ng, designing and developing electronic devices to harness spin phenomena. Spintronics relies on the direction of an electron's rotation to convey data instead of electronic charges. Roughly speaking, an  electron can be viewed as a tiny ball that spins li ke a baseball. The difference is that a baseball can spi at any speed, but an electron can only spin at a certa in speed -either counterclockwise or cl Therefore, we can use one spin state to represent 'zero' and another to represent 'one.' Because a si ngle electron can carry this information, this takes muc h less time and much less energy. One of the importa nt theories in this field is Spin Cou lomb Drag (SCD). It is well established [1, 2, 3 ] that the Coulomb interaction induces momentum transfer between the carrier population of "up" and "down" spins. This results in a Spin Coulomb Drag effect within a sing le two dimensional electron gas (2DEG ) layer. This is analogous to the conventional Charge Coulomb Drag, which occurs between spatially separated layers.


This paper discusses the importance of psychiatric guidelines and the position of the psychiatrist in the management of agitation in the intensive care unit. The use of psychiatric validated scales to assess agitation seems to ameliorate the quality of care in psychiatry, but also in intensive care. Psychiatric experts' recommendations for managing agitation are given, which is useful to create an open discussion with the intensivists. The use of sedative medication to protect the patient, staff and to prevent an escalation of violence remains a personal choice for each practitioner, depending on individual patient needs and context. In the treatment of agitated patients, an equilibrium needs to be found between the subjective dimension and the available data from evidence based medicine.


Rationale: Distant metastasis and chemoresistance are the major causes of short survival after initial chemotherapy in lung adenocarcinoma patients. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Our pilot study identified high expression of the homeodomain transcription factor HOXB13 in chemoresistant lung adenocarcinomas. We aimed to investigate the role of HOXB13 in mediating lung adenocarcinoma chemoresistance. Methods: Immunohistochemistry assays were employed to assess HOXB13 protein levels in 148 non-small cell lung cancer patients. The role of HOXB13 in lung adenocarcinoma progression and resistance to cisplatin therapy was analyzed in cells, xenografted mice, and patient-derived xenografts. Needle biopsies from 15 lung adenocarcinoma patients who were resistant to cisplatin and paclitaxel therapies were analyzed for HOXB13 and EZH2 protein levels using immunohistochemistry. Results: High expression of HOXB13 observed in 17.8% of the lung adenocarcinoma patients in this study promoted cancer progression and predicted poor prognosis. HOXB13 upregulated an array of metastasis- and drug-resistance-related genes, including ABCG1, EZH2, and Slug, by directly binding to their promoters. Cisplatin induced HOXB13 expression in lung adenocarcinoma cells, and patient-derived xenografts and depletion of ABCG1 enhanced the sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma cells to cisplatin therapy. Our results suggest that determining the combined expression of HOXB13 and its target genes can predict patient outcomes. Conclusions: A cisplatin-HOXB13-ABCG1/EZH2/Slug network may account for a novel mechanism underlying cisplatin resistance and metastasis after chemotherapy. Determining the levels of HOXB13 and its target genes from needle biopsy specimens may help predict the sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma patients to platinum-based chemotherapy and patient outcomes.


DNA double strand-breaks (DSBs) are the most deleterious lesions that can affect the genome of living beings and are lethal if not quickly and properly repaired. Recently, N-phenyl ureidobenzenesulfonates (PUB-SOs) as tubulin inhibitors that are blocking the cells cycle progression in S-phase and inducing DNA DSBs is discovered. Here, a set of PUB-SOs derivatives were applied to quantitative structural activity relationship (QSAR) analysis. A series of chemometrics methods like MLR, FA- MLR, PCR and partial least squared included in variable selection genetic algorithm (GA-PLS) were used for relations between structural features of these compounds and their anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 cell line. New potent lead compounds were also designed based on new structural patterns using in silico-screening study. Molecular docking studies of these compounds on DNA and tubulin were conducted. The results obtained from validated docking protocol indicate that the important amino acids inside the active site cavity that are in charge of essential interactions with tubulin are Ala30, Lys B254, Asn B258, Met B259, Asn A101, Glu A183, Thr A179, Leu B255, Ser A178 and Gln B247. And the most important base pairs inside the minor groove of DNA being responsible for essential interclation with DNA are G2, G4, G10, G12, A5, A6, C9 and C11 base pairs.


Four bis-phenolate complexes [Zn(II)L], [Ni(II)L], [Cu(II)L] and [Co(II)L] (where [H(2)L = 2,2'-[2,2']bipyridinyl-6-yl-bis-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol] have been synthesized. The copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, showing a metal ion within a square planar geometry, slightly distorted towards tetrahedral. The cyclic voltametry (CV) curve of [Zn(II)L] consists of a single bi-electronic reversible wave at 0.06 V vs. Fc/Fc(+). The electrochemically generated dication is a diradical species [Zn(II)L˙˙](2+) that exhibits the typical phenoxyl π-π* band at 395 nm. It is EPR-silent due to magnetic interactions between the phenoxyl moieties. The CV curves of [Ni(II)L] and [Cu(II)L] exhibit two distinct ligand-centred one-electron oxidation waves. The first one is observed at E(1/2)(1) = 0.38 and 0.40 V for the nickel and copper complex, respectively, and corresponds to the formation of M(II)-coordinated phenoxyl radicals. Accordingly, [Ni(II)L˙](+) exhibits a strong absorption band at 960 nm and an (S = ½) EPR signal centred at g(iso) = 2.02. [Cu(II)L˙](+) is EPR-silent, in agreement with a magnetic coupling between the metal and the radical spin. In contrast with the other complexes, [Co(II)L] was found to react with dioxygen (mostly in the presence of pyridine), giving rise to a stable (S = ½) superoxo radical complex [Co(III)L(Py)(O(2)˙)]. One-electron oxidation of [Co(II)L] at -0.01 V affords a diamagnetic cobalt(III) complex [Co(III)L](+) that is inert towards O(2) binding, whereas two-electron oxidation leads to the paramagnetic phenoxyl radical species [Co(III)L˙](+) whose EPR spectrum features an (S = ½) signal at g(iso) = 2.00.


ABSTRACT This article is an empirically grounded contribution to the understanding of how digitalization in education is interpreted and made into being by actors in everyday lives, in this case children and teachers in Swedish early childhood education. The focus is on interactions in an early childhood classroom upon and around a digital interactive floor setting. Drawing on the theoretical concept of socio-spatiality, this literacy event is understood as an enactment of policy where both teacher and children become actors and subjects. Using observations and video recordings as a methodological approach, the study shows how the literacy event in the digital setting is enacted and constituted as a relational process between literacy desirings and education policy regarding digitalization. The authors suggest that engaging with both children's processes of literacy desirings and educational commands in ECE digital activities serves as a productive way to investigate how digitalization is enacted in contemporary ECE.


There can be little contention about Stroustrup's epigrammatic remark: our civilization runs on software. However a caveat is increasingly due, much of the software that runs our civilization, runs on mobile devices today. Mobile operating systems have come to play a preeminent role in the ubiquity and utility of such devices. The development ecosystem of Android - one of the most popular mobile operating systems - presents an interesting context for studying whether and how collaboration dynamics in mobile development differ from conventional software development. In this paper, we examine factors that influence task ownership in Android development. Our results can inform project governance decisions at the individual and organizational levels.


Changes in the internal morphology of lint cotton fibers during purification and swelling treatments were investigated by measurement of nitrogen adsorption at liquid nitrogen temperature. Surface areas and pore size distributions were calculated from the adsorption isotherms and compared with findings from measurements of changes in crystallinity and in fibrillar aggregation as shown by electron micrographs. The adsorption measurements were made on fibers which were either preswollen in water or taken from the rinse water after treatment and solvent exchanged through methanol and n-pentane to helium. The large changes found in surface area, pore size distribution, and fibrillar aggregation were accompanied by changes in crystal structure in fibers treated with 5.0M sodium hydroxide. Large changes following treatment with phosphoric acid occurred in pore structure and fibrillar aggregation without concomitant change in crystallinity.


The relationship between the actors in the law making process is governed by the doctrine of separation of powers. Scholarly literature state that each of these actors is interdependent on the other and no single agency is able to exercise complete authority. The doctrine, however, can be extended to enable the three branches to act as checks and balances on each other. The study inquires into how the relationship between and amongst the actors in the legislative process covering both the legislative drafting (not covered under the doctrine of separation of powers) and the lawmaking processes can be modelled without infringing on the doctrine of separation of powers. We analyse the application of artificial intelligent approach to modelling and propose the application of agent technology in modelling this relationship.


We study the use of adaptive controllers to maintain the synchronization of two Chua's circuits with time-varying channel and time-varying parameters. Both simulation results and experimental results are provided to verify the operation of the designs.


A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model is proposed for the interaction of laser radiation of ~1018—1021 W cm-2 intensity with an overdense plasma. The model can be used to carry out numerical calculations 4–5 orders faster than by the 'particle-in-cell' method. It is shown that a channel of L~100 μm depth, sufficient to ignite a thermonuclear reaction, can be bored in a plasma of ~1022 cm-3 density. Such channel boring is accompanied by generation of shock density pulses the evolution of which is essentially two-dimensional. For a given laser pulse energy, there is a specific intensity which maximises the channel depth.


In this study, the research direction for the automation of the unmanned space construction was suggested focusing on the diverse cases of international space construction. The core of space construction is the 3D printing construction equipment and unmanned automation utilizing the in-situ resources. Accordingly, it is expected to be a cutting-edge convergence technology that includes diverse advanced ICTs. NASA and University of Southern California of the US and European Space Agency(ESA) supported by the European countries, including the UK and Italy, are using the 3D printing technology to construct exploration bases and infrastructures on the moon. The space construction is an innovative technology that can change the paradigm of the construction industry, and is actually at an initial stage. As Korea is one of the second movers in this area, government"s prompt and committed support for research and development is required to ensure its status as a space development power leading the space technology.


The proposed Combined Heating and Dehumidification (CHD) system is intended to provide the desired climatic conditions in closed greenhouses, as expressed in temperature and humidity. The proposed CHD system is based on a refrigeration cycle for drying the air, and a heat exchanger for heating. This framework offers an innovative approach to the solution of the problem of excess humidity. As a result, expensive energy will be saved, on the one hand, and the conditions in the greenhouse will be optimized, on the other hand. In order to provide the required conditions and for the purpose of efficiency and saving of energy consumption in greenhouses, it is suggested to apply the following two approaches: Reduction of heat consumption - through improvement of the greenhouse insulation. Improvement of the greenhouse insulation may be achieved through the use of a double, inflated covering, and a thermal screen. These means were developed and examined in the 1970s, because of the energy crisis. Refrigeration cycle using - to dry the greenhouse air artificially while maintaining the desired humidity. Thus, it is suggested to activate a refrigeration cycle in the greenhouse, so that the air which is initially cooled and releases water, is subsequently heated. This means that there is a process of conversion of energy from latent heat into sensible heat with no losses to the surroundings. This procedure will allow condensation of all of the water vapor emitted from the foliage and the ground. Prototype of the proposed CHD was designed, constructed and implemented in the greenhouse. The CHD prototype was installed in the experimental greenhouse (1100 m2) which comprising common heating system, thermal screen and force ventilation system. This greenhouse was examined under several operation modes. The proposed and comparable greenhouse operation modes were intended to maintain temperature of 18°C and relative humidity of 80%. The experimental results indicate that under the proposed greenhouse operation mode, the CHD prototype capability of removing close to 700 kg of water per night (40 kg/h); energy saving of about 80% in comparison to without thermal screen and with ventilation greenhouse operation mode and 60% in comparison to with thermal screen and with ventilation greenhouse operation mode.


I n this study, four new oxime ether derivatives were synthesized and their antimicrobial activities were evaluated. At the same time, a comparison of the efficiency of the conventional method of synthesis with the microwave method was investigated. The structures of synthesized compounds were confirmed by their IR, 1H-NMR, and HRMS spectra. Antimicrobial activity of the compounds was tested against two Gr (+) bacteria (S. aureus, E. faecalis), two Gr (-) bacteria (P. aeruginosa, E. coli), and three yeast-like fungi (C. albicans, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis) by modified agar dilution method.


We explain the framework for calculating next-to-leading-order (NLO) corrections to exclusive processes in the kT factorization theorem, taking πγ* → γ as an example. Partons off-shell by k2T are considered in both the quark diagrams from full QCD and the effective diagrams for the pion wave function. The gauge dependences in the above two sets of diagrams cancel, when deriving the kT-dependent hard kernel as their difference. The light-cone singularities in the kT-dependent pion wave function are regularized by rotating the Wilson lines away from the light cone. Both the large double logarithms ln2kT and ln2 x, x being a parton momentum fraction, arise from the loop correction to the virtual photon vertex, the former being absorbed into the pion wave function, and the latter into a jet function.


DISCLAIMERS The findings contained in this report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorized documents.


Numerous models are available in northeastern North America to estimate aboveground tree biomass, yet most have focused on trees 12.5 cm diameter, and these models are often poor predictors of small tree biomass (<12.5 cm diameter). Additionally, models available to estimate small tree biomass often lack independent evaluation with field data. We developed a new set of additive biomass component (foliage, branch, and bole) models for five naturally regenerated hardwood species, four hybrid poplar (Populus sp.) clones and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.), from trees in eastern Maine. Biomass measurements were used to evaluate national and regional models for naturally regenerated species, and species specific models for planted stock. Results showed that the regional and national models provided similar fits for total biomass across all species. Moreover, the small tree biomass models currently used to predict woody biomass substantially underestimated biomass from 19.0% to 36.6% for all of the naturally regenerated hardwood species at our site. This substantial underestimation of small tree biomass may have contributed to the recent 34% decrease in estimated sapling woody biomass, and 15% decrease in aboveground biomass of all living trees in Maine, where nearly one-quarter of the 70,000 km forestlands are dominated by saplings. This problem may exist in other regions of the United States if substantial proportions of forestlands are dominated by small trees. Further model evaluation is warranted to assess the performance of the current models. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


The mathematical model of a borrowing money contour to cover bank's liquidity needs taking into account positive feedback loop between interest expense and the borrowing money amount is developed. The examples of valuation of the borrowing amount and the survival time are given. The model is useful to assess the bank's liquidity under normal and stress scenarios.


IL-1β is a prototypical proinflammatory cytokine that plays a central role in the intestinal inflammation amplification cascade. Recent studies have indicated that a TNF-α- and IFN-γ-induced increase in intestinal epithelial paracellular permeability may be an important mechanism contributing to intestinal inflammation. Despite its central role in promoting intestinal inflammation, the role of IL-1β on intestinal epithelial tight junction (TJ) barrier function remains unclear. The major aims of this study were to determine the effect of IL-1β on intestinal epithelial TJ permeability and to elucidate the mechanisms involved in this process, using a well-established in vitro intestinal epithelial model system consisting of filter-grown Caco-2 intestinal epithelial monolayers. IL-1β (0–100 ng/ml) produced a concentration- and time-dependent decrease in Caco-2 transepithelial resistance. Conversely, IL-1β caused a progressive time-dependent increase in transepithelial permeability to paracellular marker inulin. IL-1β-induced increase in Caco-2 TJ permeability was accompanied by a rapid activation of NF-κB. NF-κB inhibitors, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and curcumin, prevented the IL-1β-induced increase in Caco-2 TJ permeability. To further confirm the role of NF-κB in the IL-1β-induced increase in Caco-2 TJ permeability, NF-κB p65 expression was silenced by small interfering RNA transfection. NF-κB p65 depletion completely inhibited the IL-1β-induced increase in Caco-2 TJ permeability. IL-1β did not induce apoptosis in the Caco-2 cell. In conclusion, our findings show for the first time that IL-1β at physiologically relevant concentrations causes an increase in intestinal epithelial TJ permeability. The IL-1β-induced increase in Caco-2 TJ permeability was mediated in part by the activation of NF-κB pathways but not apoptosis.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to establish the feasibility and potential value of measuring the concentration of choline-containing compounds by proton MR spectroscopy (MRS) in musculoskeletal lesions at 3 T.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Thirty-three subjects with 34 musculoskeletal lesions (four histologically proven malignant, 13 histologically proven benign or proven benign by follow-up analysis, and 17 posttreatment fibrosis with documented stability for 6-36 months) underwent single-voxel 3-T MRS studies. In each case, both water-suppressed and water-unsuppressed scans were obtained. The quality of the scans was recorded as excellent, adequate, or nondiagnostic, and the choline concentration was measured using water as the internal reference. The choline concentrations of benign and malignant lesions were compared using the Mann-Whitney test.

RESULTS
Spectral quality was excellent in 26 cases, adequate in four cases, and nondiagnostic in four cases. For malignant lesions (three sarcomas), the choline concentrations were 1.5, 2.9, and 3.8 mmol/kg, respectively. For five benign lesions (two neurofibromas, two schwannomas, and one enchondroma), the choline concentrations were 0.11, 0.28, 0.13, 0.8, and 1.2 mmol/kg, respectively. For seven benign lesions (two hematomas, two bone cysts, one lipoma, one giant cell tumor, and one pigmented villonodular synovitis), the spectra showed negligible choline content. For three posttreatment fibrosis cases, the choline concentration range was 0.2-0.4 mmol/kg. For the remaining 12 posttreatment fibrosis cases, the spectra showed negligible choline content. Average choline concentrations were different for malignant and benign lesions (2.7 vs 0.5 mmol/kg; p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION
The measurement of choline concentration within musculoskeletal lesions by MRS is feasible using an internal water-referencing method at 3 T and has potential for characterizing lesions for malignancy.


BACKGROUND
American Indian (AI) children suffer from high rates of obesity, obesity-related disease, obesogenic behaviors, and depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVE
Study was designed to determine the associations between depressive symptoms and obesogenic behaviors in school-aged AI children in Oklahoma.

METHODS
Study design was cross-sectional. Depressive symptoms, beverage intake, fruit and vegetable intake, meal frequency, physical activity, and screen time were self-reported.

RESULTS
Mean participant age was 10.5 ± 1.6 years (n = 121); 64% were overweight/obese. Depressive symptoms were associated with dieting and screen time.

CONCLUSION
AI chronic disease prevention efforts will benefit by including measures for depression and associations of obesogenic behaviors and depressive symptoms in treatment planning.