OBJECTIVE
To construct a plasmid expressing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting SMN1 gene in mammalian cells and to investigate the effect of shRNA on the expression of SMN1 gene in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), thus providing experimental basis for the establishment of SMA cell model.

METHODS
Five shRNAs targeting SMN1 gene was designed according to the SMN1 cDNA sequence provided by GenBank, and cloned to the downstream of U6.1 promoter in the pRNAT-U6.1/Neo vector, thus forming different recombinant plasmids: pshRNA-SMN1, pshRNA-SMN2, pshRNA-SMN3, pshRNA-SMN4, and pshRNA-SMN5 expressing specific shRNAs targeting SMN1 gene. The plasmid psh-RNA-0 was used as controls. The recombinant plasmid pshRNA-SMN1 was transfected into human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) by Lipofectomine (TM) 2000, and its effects on the mRNA expression and protein expression of fl-SMN were observed by RT-PCR and Western blotting.

RESULTS
The successful construction of recombinant plasmid pshRNA-SMN was identified by enzyme cutting and DNA sequencing. After transfection, the expression levels of fl-SMN mRNA and protein in hMSCs of the pshRNA-SMN1-1 group and pshRNA-SMN1-4 group were significantly lower than that of the control group (both P < 0.05) with an interfering efficiency of 64.05% and 61.04% in mRNA level, and 52.97% and 61.57% in protein level respectively. However, the expression of Delta7-SMN mRNA was not effected.

CONCLUSION
The constructed recombinant plasmid called pshRNA-SMN1 inhibits the expression of fl-SMN mRNA and protein in hMSCs efficiently.


&NA; Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and juvenile osteochondritis dissecans (JOCD) are distinct entities that require different management. Although both conditions result from stress fractures of the subchondral bone, JOCD has a much better prognosis; treated conservatively, 50% of cases will heal, probably providing a normal knee during adult life. In contrast, OCD often is followed by the early onset of degenerative arthritis. The treatment of JOCD and OCD, whether nonoperative or operative, should be based on the principles of fracture treatment. Unfortunately, surgical correction of either of these conditions is unlikely to succeed unless the joint surface is perfectly restored.


The formation of exotic orders in the vicinity of magnetic quantum critical points is a promising research field. Particularly motivating is the discovery of high temperature superconductors with novel ordering symmetries. In this thesis we extend the fermionic quantum order by disorder approach to analyse phase formation in the vicinity of antiferromagnetic and spin-triplet nematic quantum critical points. We first investigate a fundamental model for itinerant antiferromagnetism. Already at mean field level this model exhibits exciting behaviour. Nesting and van-Hove physics drive incommensurate order and a discontinuous transition to the antiferromagnetic phase. These phenomena can be related to the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state of superconductivity. Additional phenomena are driven by fluctuations. Applying the fermionic order by disorder approach we discover a multitude of phases. In addition to the antiferromagnetic order we consider d-wave superconductivity and d-wave bond density wave order. Finally, we analyse mode-mode coupling between all pairs of these three orders. The resulting phase diagram is in qualitative agreement with experimental findings in cuprate superconductors and offers an alternative perspective to the standard theoretical approaches. In the absence of an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point we instead consider superconducting order driven by ferromagnetic spin fluctuations. We analyse a model for spin-triplet nematic order and investigate its susceptibility to the formation of spatially modulated nematic order, fluctuation driven p-wave superconductivity and composite pair density wave order. Here, the presence of spin-triplet nematic order enhances the superconducting transition temperature dramatically.


The bacterial adaptive immune system CRISPR-Cas9 has been appropriated as a versatile tool for editing genomes, controlling gene expression, and visualizing genetic loci. To analyze Cas9′s ability to bind DNA rapidly and specifically, we measured the kinetics of catalytically dead Cas9 (dCas9) interactions with a library of potential binding partners. Using a massively parallel assay of protein-DNA interactions derived from a high-throughput sequencing flow cell (HiTS-FLIP) and building on the established importance of protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) and seed recognition, we identify two PAM-distal regions, proximal and distal to the seed region, with distinct behaviors: multiple mismatches in the seed-proximal region work in a highly synergistic manner to reduce Cas9 association whereas seemingly tolerated mismatches in the distal region precipitate comparatively rapid dissociation of Cas9. Together, these observations support a model for Cas9 specificity wherein gRNA-DNA mismatches at distinct domains of PAM-distal bases modulate different biophysical parameters of association and dissociation, opening the possibility of kinetic and thermodynamic tuning of the Cas9-DNA interaction and quantitative prediction of off-target binding behaviors.


Testicular cancer is the most common cancer type among young men. Despite highly effective cisplatin-based chemotherapy, around 20% of patients with metastatic disease will still die from the disease. The aim of this study was to explore the use of kinase inhibitors to sensitize testicular cancer cells to cisplatin treatment. Activation of kinases, including receptor tyrosine kinases and downstream substrates, was studied in five cisplatin-sensitive or -resistant testicular cancer cell lines using phospho-kinase arrays and Western blotting. The phospho-kinase array showed AKT and S6 to be among the top phosphorylated proteins in testicular cancer cells, which are part of the PI3K/AKT/mTORC pathway. Inhibitors of most active kinases in the PI3K/AKT/mTORC pathway were tested using apoptosis assays and survival assays. Two mTORC1/2 inhibitors, AZD8055 and MLN0128, strongly enhanced cisplatin-induced apoptosis in all tested testicular cancer cell lines. Inhibition of mTORC1/2 blocked phosphorylation of the mTORC downstream proteins S6 and 4E-BP1. Combined treatment with AZD8055 and cisplatin led to reduced clonogenic survival of testicular cancer cells. Two testicular cancer patient-derived xenografts (PDX), either from a chemosensitive or -resistant patient, were treated with cisplatin in the absence or presence of kinase inhibitor. Combined AZD8055 and cisplatin treatment resulted in effective mTORC1/2 inhibition, increased caspase-3 activity, and enhanced tumor growth inhibition. In conclusion, we identified mTORC1/2 inhibition as an effective strategy to sensitize testicular cancer cell lines and PDX models to cisplatin treatment. Our results warrant further investigation of this combination therapy in the treatment of patients with testicular cancer with high-risk relapsed or refractory disease.


Purpose Lung cancer is the most common malignant tumor in the world, and its incidence and mortality are very high. This study focuses on the mechanism of non-small cell lung cancer to find new therapeutic targets. Methods We used RT-PCR and Western blot to verify the linear relationship between E2F1 and IRF5 in normal lung tissue and lung cancer tissues. Secondly, we used overexpression and knock down E2F1 in cell lines to detect the expression of IRF5. The prime enzyme reporter plasmid verified that E2F1 binds to the core promoter region of IRF5; finally, CHIP experiments demonstrated that E2F1 binds directly to IRF5. Results We verified that E2F1 and IRF5 are decreased in patient tissues, and there is a strong linear relationship between E2F1 and IRF5. Secondly, we used overexpression of E2F1 or E2F1 siRNA transfected into HCC827 cells and found that E2F1 positively regulates the activity of the IRF5 promoter and the mRNA level of IRF5. Finally, the results of a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that E2F1 bound to the promoter region of IRF5 in vitro. These results suggested that the E2F1 transcription factor is the primary determinant for activating the basal transcription of the IRF5. Conclusion The transcription factor E2F1 positively regulates IRF5 in non-small cell lung cancer.


We present a Visualization, Simulation, And Graphical debugging Environment (vIsage) for distributed systems. Time-varying spatial data as well as other information from different sources can be displayed and superimposed in a single view at run-time. The main contribution of our framework is that it is not just a tool for visualizing the data, but it is a graphical interface for a simulation environment. Real world data can be recorded, played back or even synthesized. This enables testing and debugging of single components of complex distributed systems. Being the missing link between development, simulation and testing, e.g., in robotics applications, it was designed to significantly increase the efficiency of the software development process.


ABSTRACT In Denmark, female patients who undergo chemo- and radiation therapy are, prior to treatment, increasingly offered fertility preservation in the form of ovarian tissue freezing. In the cryotank, the frozen ovarian tissue awaits the recovery of the patient, after which it can be thawed and implanted into the remaining ovary or the abdominal wall. Here it potentially restores the ovarian function and enables women to become pregnant and experience genetic motherhood. Promising reproductive futures, the biomedical imaginary of ovarian tissue preservation is entangled with visions of possibilities and risk management as well as gendered understandings of reproduction and the 'good life.' From the get-go, ovarian tissue freezing has been informed by an optimistic imaginary of scientific progress. Not only were freezing programs established before clinical evidence testified to the success of the technique in humans; the envisioning of improvements and new applications also anticipates future scientific breakthroughs, such as in vitro maturation of eggs. In the imaginary of hopefulness and reproductive futurity, frozen ovarian tissue becomes an object of vitality which (re)installs the cancer patient as a reproductive citizen. Moreover, ovarian tissue is imagined as a bountiful material with different potentiality than egg freezing. In Denmark, the biomedical imaginary romanticizes the restoration of 'natural' fertility and spontaneous pregnancies. Thus, the potentiality of ovarian tissue freezing is imagined within a normative framework privileging 'natural' conception, yet simultaneously destabilizing the very notion of the age-span of 'natural fertility.'


Recent research in Visual Question Answering (VQA) has revealed state-of-the-art models to be inconsistent in their understanding of the world - they answer seemingly difficult questions requiring reasoning correctly but get simpler associated sub-questions wrong. These sub-questions pertain to lower level visual concepts in the image that models ideally should understand to be able to answer the reasoning question correctly. To address this, we first present a gradient-based interpretability approach to determine the questions most strongly correlated with the reasoning question on an image, and use this to evaluate VQA models on their ability to identify the relevant sub-questions needed to answer a reasoning question. Next, we propose a contrastive gradient learning based approach called Sub-question Oriented Tuning (SOrT) which encourages models to rank relevant sub-questions higher than irrelevant questions for an  pair. We show that SOrT improves model consistency by up to 6.5% points over existing approaches, while also improving visual grounding and robustness to rephrasings of questions.


OBJECTIVE The treatment of frontoethmoidal meningoencephaloceles (fMECs) in Cambodia was not possible before the development of a program that taught some Khmer surgeons (working at the Children's Surgical Centre in Phnom Penh) how to surgically correct these deformities without any foreign help. The results of that teaching program are discussed in this paper. METHODS Between 2004 and 2009, both local and visiting foreign neurosurgical and craniofacial surgeons (the visitors coming twice a year) worked together to operate on 200 patients, and a report on those cases was published in 2010. In subsequent years (2010-2016), the Khmer surgeons operated on 100 patients without the presence of the visiting surgeons. In this study, the authors compare the second case series with the previously published series and the literature in terms of results and complications. The operations were performed with limited surgical materials and equipment, using a combined bicoronal and transfacial approach in most cases. Most of the patients came from very poor families. RESULTS Organizing the postoperative follow-up of these low-income patients (mean age 12 years) was probably the most challenging part of this teaching program. Nine of the patients were lost to surgical follow-up. In the other cases, cosmetic results were judged by the surgeons as worse than the patient's preoperative appearance in 1 case, poor in 12 cases, average in 27, and good in 51-data that are significantly less encouraging than the results reported by the joint local/visiting teams in 2010 (p = 0.0001). Nevertheless, patients and parents tended to have a better overall opinion about the surgical results (rating the results as good in 84% of the 80 cases in which parent or patient ratings were available). Twenty postoperative complications were observed (the most common being temporary CSF leaks). The rate of immediate postoperative complications directly related to fMEC surgery was less than that in the previous series, but the difference was not statistically significant (20% vs 28.5%, p = 0.58). No death was noted in this case series (in contrast to the previous series). Social questionnaire results confirmed that fMEC correction partially improved the adverse social and educational consequences of fMEC in affected children. CONCLUSIONS In the current state of this program, the local surgeons are able to correct fMECs in their own country, without foreign assistance, with good results in a majority of patients. Such humanitarian teaching programs generally take years to achieve the initial aims.


To address the question of quantification of severity of illness on a wide scale, the Computerized Severity Index (CSI) was developed by a research team at the Johns Hopkins University. This article describes an initial assessment of some aspects of the validity and reliability of the CSI on a sample of 2,378 patients within 27 high-volume DRGs from five teaching hospitals. The 27 DRGs predicted 27% of the variation in LOS, while DRGs adjusted for Admission CSI scores predicted 38% and DRGs adjusted for Maximum CSI scores throughout the hospital stay predicted 54% of this variation. Thus, the Maximum CSI score increased the predictability of DRGs by 100%. We explored the impact of including a 7-day cutoff criterion along with the Maximum CSI score similar to a criterion used in an alternative severity of illness measure. The DRG/Maximum CSI score's predictive power increased to 63% when the 7-day cutoff was added to the CSI definition. The Admission CSI score was used to predict in-hospital mortality and correlated R = 0.603 with mortality. The reliability of Admission and Maximum CSI data collection was high, with agreement of 95% and kappa statistics of 0.88 and 0.90, respectively.


At the point when the world was being made, devas and asuras went to sage Prajapati to comprehend the significance of Atman or oneself. The primary answer he gave was the basic one. The Devas acknowledged it and left with the certainty that they currently had the ability to utilize this information as a weapon. Be that as it may, the Asuras, drove by Lord Indhra were not happy with the appropriate response. The kept on cross addressing him. This little account from puranas characterizes the quintessence of asuras – fretful, hungry for power and rash. There is asura and deva inside every one of us. It is our decision that characterizes which part of our temperament we permit to run our psyches. It is our decision of the self that decides the occasions throughout our life. This paper aims to break down graphical brain change of Meenakshi, wonderful looked at lady to Surpanakha, the shrewd and slanted disapproved of lady. This transformation of mind is answerable for her mother, fathers and siblings.


Two-Party Authenticated key agreement protocol is essential for setting up the common session key for parties to establish secure channel for network communication in the open environment. Most of proposed schemes require expensive bilinear pairing operation and only provide limited security attributes. So such protocols are unsuitable for real-world applications that require stronger sense of secrecy. In this paper, we first analysis two schemes recently proposed by Cao etc., and then present a one-round ID-based authenticated key agreement protocol with more desired security attributes, which need no pairing operations while still achieve nice computational efficiency. These security attributes include known-key secrecy, perfect forward secrecy, PKG forward secrecy, key-compromise impersonation resilience, unknown key-share resilience and no key control. Moreover, it captures the enhanced security attributes - known session-specific temporary key information secrecy, which means that even the ephemeral secret key were compromised, the adversary can hardly acquire the agreed session key.


In the 90's, theoretical studies motivated the use of the asymptotic-giant branch bump (AGBb) as a standard candle given the weak dependence between its luminosity and stellar metallicity. Because of the small size of observed asymptotic-giant branch (AGB) samples, detecting the AGBb is not an easy task. However, this is now possible thanks to the wealth of data collected by the CoRoT, Kepler, and TESS space-borne missions. It is well-know that the AGB bump provides valuable information on the internal structure of low-mass stars, particularly on mixing processes such as core overshooting during the core He-burning phase. In this context, we analysed ~ 4,000 evolved giants observed by Kepler and TESS, including red-giant branch stars and AGB stars, for which asteroseismic and spectrometric data are available. By using statistical mixture models, we detected the AGBb both in frequency at maximum oscillation power and in effective temperature. Then, we used the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics MESA stellar evolution code to model AGB stars and match the AGBb occurrence with observations. From observations, we could derive the AGBb location in 15 bins of mass and metallicity. We noted that the higher the mass, the later the AGBb occurs in the evolutionary track, which agrees with theoretical works. Moreover, we found a slight increase of the luminosity at the AGBb when the metallicity increases, which complicates the use of the AGBb as a standard candle. By fitting those observations with stellar models, we noticed that low-mass stars (M<1.0 $M_{\odot}$) require a small core overshooting region during the core He-burning phase. This core overshooting extent increases toward high mass, but above M>1.5 $M_{\odot}$ we found that the AGBb location cannot be reproduced with a realistic He-core overshooting alone, and instead additional mixing processes have to be invoked.


This thesis presents new tools and methods for the design and validation of advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs). ADASs aim to improve driving comfort and traffic safety by assisting the driver in recognizing and reacting to potentially dangerous traffic situations. A major challenge in designing these systems is to guarantee high performance and dependability under all possible combinations of traffic scenarios, operating conditions, and failure modes. These stringent requirements necessitate fault-tolerant control techniques and a thorough validation of the system. A microscopic traffic simulation within the simulation environment PreScan supports the initial system design. In addition, a unique tool for the design and validation of ADASs is presented and evaluated: vehicle hardware-in-the-loop (VeHIL) simulation. The VeHIL laboratory allows an ADAS-equipped vehicle to be tested in an artificial environment, where surrounding traffic is emulated by robot vehicles. VeHIL enables repeatable, safe, and accurate testing, complementary to human-in-the-loop test drives. The use of these three tools (PreScan, VeHIL, and test drives) is combined in a methodology for probabilistic validation of ADASs, based on randomized algorithms. This methodology is more efficient than conventional simulation techniques and the current practice of trial-and-error test drives. It results in a test schedule definition with a minimum number of simulations and test runs, such that the performance and dependability of an ADAS can be guaranteed, given a desired level of accuracy and confidence. The added value of the methodology is demonstrated with three case studies, involving a driver information and warning system, a fault-tolerant system for cooperative adaptive cruise control, and a pre-crash system.


A study of AlInGaN epilayers, grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, was performed using spatially resolved x-ray microanalysis and luminescence spectroscopy in order to investigate competition between the incorporation of In, Al, and Ga as a function of the growth temperature in the 565–660 °C range and the nominal AlN mole fraction. The samples studied have AlN and InN mole fractions in the ranges of 4%–30% and 0%–16%, respectively. Composition measurements show the effect of decreasing temperature to be an increase in the incorporation of InN, accompanied by a small but discernible decrease in the ratio of GaN to AlN mole fractions. The incorporation of In is also shown to be significantly increased by decreasing the Al mole fraction. Optical emission peaks, observed by cathodoluminescence mapping and by photoluminescence, provide further information on the epilayer compositions as a function of substrate temperature, and the dependencies of peak energy and linewidth are plotted.


Upland tropical forests have expanded and contracted in response to past climates, but it is not clear whether similar dynamics were exhibited by gallery (riparian) forests within savanna biomes. Because such forests generally have access to ample water, their extent may be buffered against changing climates. We tested the long‐term stability of gallery forest boundaries by characterizing the border between gallery forests and savannas and tracing the presence of gallery forest through isotopic analysis of organic carbon in the soil profile. We measured leaf area index, grass vs. shrub or tree coverage, the organic carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen and calcium concentrations in soils and the carbon isotope ratios of soil organic matter in two transitions spanning gallery forests and savanna in a Cerrado ecosystem. Gallery forests without grasses typically show a greater leaf area index in contrast to savannas, which show dense grass coverage. Soils of gallery forests have significantly greater concentrations of organic carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen and calcium than those of savannas. Soil organic carbon of savannas is significantly more enriched in 13C compared with that of gallery forests. This difference in enrichment is in part caused by the presence of C4 grasses in savanna ecosystem and its absence in gallery forests. Using the 13C abundance as a signature for savanna and gallery forest ecosystems in 1 m soil cores, we show that the borders of gallery forests have expanded into the savanna and that this process initiated at least 3000–4000 bp based on 14C analysis. Gallery forests, however, may be still expanding as we found more recent transitions according to 14C activity measurements. We discuss the possible mechanisms of gallery forest expansion and the means by which nutrients required for the expansion of gallery forest might accumulate.


This study empirically investigates focal firms' merger and acquisition (M&A) strategies by considering their market and technology position at the industry level. The results obtained using patents, firm M&A agreements and the financial data of U.S. technology firms from 1997 through 2008 demonstrate how industry leaders, challengers and niche players differ in their M&A strategic logic. Three industry environmental factors and two technology positioning factors exhibit different effects on firms' M&A strategies for varied market positions. The overall patterns reveal that niche players are more aggressive in leveraging their technology positions to adopt M&As for the purpose of acquiring access to external knowledge resources, while leaders tend to leverage their market positions and use M&As to further strengthen their market power. Challengers are more likely to engage in M&As when locating in unfavorable environmental markets, but they are less likely to engage in M&As when locating in technologicall...


The 163 comets observed during the WISE/NEOWISE prime mission represent the largest infrared survey to date of comets, providing constraints on dust, nucleus size, and CO + CO2 production. We present detailed analyses of the WISE/NEOWISE comet discoveries, and discuss observations of the active comets showing 4.6 μm band excess. We find a possible relation between dust and CO + CO2 production, as well as possible differences in the sizes of long and short period comet nuclei.


We present a method, inspired from routing in dynamic data networks, to solve the Semiring Algebraic Path Problem (SAPP) for dynamic graphs. The method can be used in dynamic networks such as Mobile Ad Hoc Networks, where the network link states are highly dynamic. The algorithm makes use of broadcasting as primary mechanism to recompute the SAPP solution. The solution suffers from broadcast storm problems, and we propose a selective broadcasting mechanism that reduces the broadcast storm. We call this method local pruning and prove its correctness.


A shelter system based on cable-strut structures, consisting of compressive struts and high-tensile elements, is described in this paper. The deployment of the shelter is achieved by tightening inclined cables. Lower cables are used to terminate the deployment. The state of self-stress of the cable-strut structures in the fully deployed configuration is given, and the minimum strut length and the maximum load design of the shelter are discussed. The mechanical behavior of the system was studied under symmetrical and asymmetrical load cases. The results show that the shelter in the deployed configuration satisfies the ultimate limit and the serviceability limit state conditions. Finally, the stability of the cable-strut system is investigated, considering the effect of imperfections on the buckling of the shelter. We conclude that the influence of imperfections based on the consistent imperfection mode method is not significant.


Background: Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) is one of the most common postoperative symptoms. Although sugammadex and glycopyrrolate–neostigmine mixture are both used for the reversal of neuromuscular blockade, their effects on CRBD have not been compared side-to-side. We investigated the effect of the neuromuscular blockade reversal agents on CRBD after urologic surgery. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 136 patients who underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery between July 2018 and January 2019. Patients were divided into the S group (sugammadex; n = 65) and the G group (glycopyrrolate–neostigmine mixture; n = 71). Primary outcome was moderate-to-severe CRBD at 0 h postoperatively. We also evaluated moderate-to-severe CRBD at 1, 2, and 6 h postoperatively, duration of postanesthetic care unit (PACU) stay, postoperative pain, postoperative analgesic requirement, and drug-related side effects. Results: The incidence of moderate-to-severe CRBD at 0 h postoperatively was significantly lower in the G group than in the S group (39.4% vs. 69.2%, p = 0.001). The two groups did not show significant differences in the incidences of moderate-to-severe CRBD at 1, 2, and 6 h postoperatively, postoperative pain, and postoperative analgesic requirement. The duration of PACU stay was significantly shorter in the G group (46.0 min vs. 53.0 min, p = 0.047). Except for dry mouth, drug-related side effects did not show significant differences between the two groups. Conclusion: Compared with sugammadex, glycopyrrolate–neostigmine mixture was associated with a lower incidence of CRBD immediately after urologic surgery and shorter PACU stay.


BACKGROUND Remnant gastric cancer (RGC) is a carcinoma arising in the stomach remnant after previous gastric resection. It is frequently reported as a tumor with a poor prognosis and distinct biological features from primary gastric cancer (PGC). However, as it is less frequent, its profile regarding the current molecular classifications of gastric cancer has not been evaluated. AIM To evaluate a cohort of RGC according to molecular subtypes of GC using a panel of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization to determine whether the expression profile is different between PGC and RGC. METHODS Consecutive RGC patients who underwent gastrectomy between 2009 and 2019 were assessed using seven GC panels: Epstein-Barr virus in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry for mismatch repair proteins (MutL homolog 1, MutS homolog 2, MutS homolog 6, and PMS1 homolog 2), p53 protein, and E-cadherin expression. Clinicopathological characteristics and survival of these patients were compared to 284 PGC patients. RESULTS A total of 40 RGC patients were enrolled in this study. Compared to PGC, older age (P < 0.001), male (P < 0.001), lower body mass index (P = 0.010), and lower hemoglobin level (P < 0.001) were associated with RGC patients. No difference was observed regarding Lauren's type and pathologic Tumor Node Metastasis stage between the groups. Regarding the profiles evaluated, EBV-positive tumors were higher in RGC compared to PGC (P = 0.039). The frequency of microsatellite instability, aberrant p53 immunostaining, and loss of E-cadherin expression were similar between RGC and PGC. Higher rates of simultaneous alterations in two or more profiles were observed in RGC compared to PGC (P < 0.001). According to the molecular classification, the subtypes were defined as EBV in nine (22.5%) cases, microsatellite instability in nine (22.5%) cases, genomically stable in one (2.5%) case, and chromosomal instability in 21 (52.5%) cases. There was no significant difference in survival between molecular subtypes in RGC patients. CONCLUSION RGC was associated with EBV positivity and higher rates of co-altered expression profiles compared to PGC. According to the molecular classification, there was no significant difference in survival between the subtypes of RGC.


Accurately simulating viscoelastic wave propagation in the subsurface is essential to image subsurface reservoirs. One established method to investigate constant- Q effects is based on the variable-order fractional viscoelastic wave equation. However, the mixed-domain operators introduced in this approach are cumbersome to calculate and impede a high-efficiency numerical solver. To solve this issue, we propose to approximate the mixed-domain operator by using a polynomial approximation and deriving the corresponding viscoelastic wave equation in anisotropic attenuative media. The constant-order fractional polynomial method is further developed to improve the approximation accuracy. Based on these polynomial approximations, only several constant-order Laplacians remain in the new form of the viscoelastic wave equations. Therefore, these equations can be easily solved using Fourier transform and finite-difference methods. In addition, we also perform an accuracy analysis among the conventional quadratic, cubic, and constant-order fractional polynomial approximations. It indicates that the relative error of the constant-order fractional polynomial method is much smaller than that generated by the conventional quadratic and cubic polynomial approximations. Compared to the variable-order fractional viscoelastic wave equation, the proposed constant-order viscoelastic wave equation can simulate seismic wave propagations with comparable accuracy but with high efficiency. Numerical results based on our approach can well match reference solutions in homogeneous and heterogeneous models, demonstrating the accuracy and effectiveness of the new method.


Purpose: To compare the long-term anatomical and visual outcomes of patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) removed by vitrectomy and membrane peeling with or without the use of intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA). Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed. Subjects who underwent vitrectomy and who were followed over 12 months were included. The study included two groups of patients. In group 1 (71 eyes), the patients underwent vitrectomy and membrane peeling without the use of IVTA. In group 2 (27 eyes), 2 mg of IVTA was given at the end of the surgery. The main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central foveal thickness (CFT) determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT), the number of cataract surgeries, and the use of anti-glaucomatous drugs during the follow-up period. Results: This study included 98 eyes with ERM from 98 patients. There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to age, gender, pre- and postoperative lens status, BCVA, CFT, or length of the follow-up period. The mean age for all of the patients was 62.45 ± 10.01 (mean ± SD) years, and the mean follow-up length was 20.58 ± 9.64 (mean ± SD) months. In all cases, the mean best-corrected logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) acuity improved from a preoperative value of 0.91 ± 0.32 [Snellen equivalent (SE), 0.16 ± 0.14] to a postoperative value of 0.46 ± 0.36 (SE, 0.46 ± 0.29) (P < 0.0001). The CFT was reduced from a preoperative value of 473.46 ± 96.91 μm to a postoperative value of 302.44 ± 69.80 μm (P < 0.0001). Six patients (22.2%) in group 2 required anti-glaucomatous drugs to control intraocular pressure (IOP) during the follow-up period, and three patients (4.2%) in group 1 required drugs to control IOP (P = 0.012). Conclusions: The postoperative visual outcomes for patients with idiopathic ERM were favorable, but CFT did not return to a normal level, even in eyes in which 2 mg IVTA was used. The IVTA use after ERM removal produced no significant benefits during long-term follow-up, but IVTA did increase the risk of increased IOP.


Abstract The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), better known as COVID-19, has become a current threat to humanity. The second wave of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has hit many countries, and the confirmed COVID-19 cases are quickly spreading. Therefore, the epidemic is still passing the terrible stage. Having idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the risk factors of the COVID-19, but the molecular mechanisms that underlie IPF, COPD, and CVOID-19 are not well understood. Therefore, we implemented transcriptomic analysis to detect common pathways and molecular biomarkers in IPF, COPD, and COVID-19 that help understand the linkage of SARS-CoV-2 to the IPF and COPD patients. Here, three RNA-seq datasets (GSE147507, GSE52463, and GSE57148) from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) is employed to detect mutual differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for IPF, and COPD patients with the COVID-19 infection for finding shared pathways and candidate drugs. A total of 65 common DEGs among these three datasets were identified. Various combinatorial statistical methods and bioinformatics tools were used to build the protein–protein interaction (PPI) and then identified Hub genes and essential modules from this PPI network. Moreover, we performed functional analysis under ontologies terms and pathway analysis and found that IPF and COPD have some shared links to the progression of COVID-19 infection. Transcription factors–genes interaction, protein–drug interactions, and DEGs-miRNAs coregulatory network with common DEGs also identified on the datasets. We think that the candidate drugs obtained by this study might be helpful for effective therapeutic in COVID-19.


Influence of different soil types, pH, nutritional levels and organic amendments on the effectivity of T. harzianum was evaluated to manage sheath blight of rice in nursery, under glasshouse conditions. Maximum seedling emergence and reduction in sheath blight severity and incidence were noticed with the bioagent applied in clay loam soil. Efficacy of T. harzianum against the disease was minimum in sandy loam soil. Effectivity of T. harzianum on sheath blight was more in soil having low pH (5.2) as compared to neutral (7.00) and high soil pH (8.5). Soil application of zinc reduced the effectivity of fungal bioagent against the disease. Incorporation of T. harzianum in soil having soil nutrition of P120 and K40 showed maximum reduction of the disease. Incorporation of neem cake and bioagent in the soil was more effective in reducing sheath blight.


Course Description This course introduces the issues that feminist theories pose for the analysis of films and culture. These issues are usually framed in reference to women's access to and roles in the production of media and women's representation within these media. Correspondingly, the course offers two major sections of investigation. First, we will explore the historical development of women's roles in the cinema as creative artists. Second, we will explore the various ways in which women's roles in the film industry intersect with the wider identity political issues of race, class, sexuality, and national identity. The course will conclude with a case study applying the feminist theories encountered to a recent popular film adaptation, Amy Heckerling's Clueless (1995). This "hands-on" conclusion will provide the impetus for students to finish their own term papers applying feminist theory to popular culture. The course will be rigorous, offering students the opportunity to engage with a vast array of important feminist theory, including the work of Kaja Silverman, Julia Kristeva, and Luce Irigaray. Required Readings Austen, Jane. Emma. New York: Bantam, 1981. Waller, Robert James. The Bridges of Madison County. New York: Warner, 1997. Weedon, Chris. Feminism, Theory, and the Politics of Difference. London: Blackwell, 1999. In addition, students will read the following chapters and articles from recent scholarly books and journals: Andrew, Dudley. "Adaptation." Concepts in Film Theory. New York: Oxford UP, 1985. Awkward, Michael. "A Black Man's Place(s) in Black Feminist Criticism." Who Can Speak? Authority and Critical Identity. Ed. Judith Roof and Robyn Wiegman. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1995. 71-91. Butler, Judith. "Freud and the Melancholia of Gender." Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge, 1990. 57-65. Cixous, Helene. "The Laugh of the Medusa." New French Feminism. Ed. Elaine Marks and Isabelle de Courtivron. New York: Schocken, 1981. 245-64. Cook, Pam. "Approaching the Work of Dorothy Arzner." Rpt. Feminism and Film Theory. Ed. Constance Penley. New York: Routledge, 1988. 46-56. Eckert, Charles. "Anatomy of a Proletarian Film." Movies and Methods. Vol. 2. Ed. Bill Nichols. Berkeley and Los Angeles: U of California P, 1985. Flitterman-Lewis, Sandy. "From Fantasy to Structure of the Fantasm." To Desire Differently: Feminism and the French Cinema. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1990. 98-112. Freud, Sigmund. "Mourning and Melancholia." (1917). The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Vol. 14. Ed. and trans. James Strachey. London: Hogarth P, 1957. 239-58. Gibson-Hudson, Gloria. "Aspects of Black Feminist Cultural Ideology in Films by Black Women Independent Artists." Rpt. in Multiple Voices in Feminist Film Criticism. Ed. Diane Carson, Linda Dittmar, and Janice R. Welsch. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1994. 365-79. Heath, Stephen. "Male Feminism." Men in Feminism. Ed. Alice Jardine and Paul Smith. New York: Methuen, 1987. Houston, Beverle. "Missing in Action: Notes on Dorothy Arzner." (1984). Rpt. Multiple Voices in Feminist Film Criticism. Ed. Diane Carson, Linda Dittmar, and Janice IL Welsch. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1994. 271-79. Irigaray, Luce. "A Very Black Sexuality?" (1974). Speculum of the Other Woman. Trans. Gillian C. Gill. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1985. 66-73. . "This Sex Which Is Not One." New French Feminisms. Eds. Elaine Marks and Isabelle de Courtivron. New York: Schocken, 1981. 99-106. Johnston, Claire. "Dorothy Arzner: Critical Strategies." (1975). Rpt. in Feminism and Film Theory. Ed. Constance Penley. New York: Routledge, 1988. 36-45. Kaplan, E. Ann. "The Avant-garde Theory Film." Women and Film: Both Sides of the Camera. New York: Methuen, 1983. …


This study investigated the effect of various solvents on resin composite bond strength to dentin with both wet and dry dentin. A generic dentin bonding system was created with HEMA as the resin in the primer. The highest bond strengths were obtained when acetone was used as the solvent on a wet dentin surface; the lowest bond strengths were obtained with water as the solvent and the primer placed on a wet dentin surface.


The administration of sucrose with and without non-nutritive sucking (NNS) has been examined for relieving procedural pain in newborn infants. The calming and pain-relieving effects of sucrose are thought to be mediated by endogenous opioid pathways activated by sweet taste. The orogustatory effects of sucrose have been demonstrated in animal newborns, and in preterm and full term human infants during painful procedures. In contrast to sucrose, the analgesic effects of NNS are hypothesized to be activated through nonopioid pathways by stimulation of orotactile and mechanoreceptor mechanisms. Although there is uncertainty as to whether the effects of sucrose and NNS are synergistic or additive, there is sufficient evidence to support the efficacy of combining the two interventions for procedural pain relief in infants. In this review article, the underlying mechanisms of sucrose and NNS, separately and in combination for relieving procedural pain in preterm and full term infants, are examined. Clinical and research implications are addressed.


In this study we examined inclusive leadership as an important factor in promoting the emotional labor strategies of frontline medical staff, and investigated the role of work regulatory focus as a mediator in this relationship. Data were collected from 52 supervisors and 231 frontline
 medical staff employed at 15 hospitals in China. We found that inclusive leadership inspired frontline medical staff to engage more in deep acting than in surface acting. Further, work regulatory focus played a mediating role in the relationship between inclusive leadership and subordinates'
 emotional labor strategy. Promotion focus positively affected deep acting and negatively affected surface acting, and prevention focus positively affected both surface acting and deep acting. Theoretical and practical management implications are discussed.


This paper surveys researches on the new institutional arrangements for product innovation emerging in Silicon Valley. Special reference is made to the characteristics that go beyond the traditional property rights framework. First, the complicated patterns in allocation of control rights observed in VC contracts are examined to show the limit of Grosman-Hart-Moore framework. Second, the unique informational arrangement in Silicon Valley is explained as a second-best solution to the team-theoretic coordination problems in modular environments. Third, the paper examines the mechanism of ex post evolutionary formation of a product system. The paper concludes by suggesting future direction for research, including further research on the role of innovation commons in this process.


: This article shows how creative approaches can contribute to a productive engagement with losses in film heritage. By (re)producing and (re)circulating images, sounds and narratives, documentaries on film heritage in particular relate to larger contexts of cultural and moving image memory. On the one hand, they are premediated by older productions, including feature films. On the other hand, they bring in new artistic, political and/or social perspectives. Golden Slumbers (Davy Chou, 2012), a documentary about Cambodia's lost film heritage before the Khmer Rouge period, serves as an example to illustrate these ideas. It carries a dual perspective that is simultaneously post-migratory and marked by (French) cinephilia as a cinematographic memory culture. In order to do justice to this complexity, dynamic concepts from the field of memory studies such as Svetlana Boym's notion of nostalgia and Michael Rothberg's concept of multidirectional memory are drawn on alongside literature on the history and theory of (French) cinephilia. In this way, cinephilia is reimagined as a multidirectional moving image memory culture that plays a particularly important but also complex role with regard to film heritage. In conclusion, several questions are outlined that need to be explored in further research.


Opiate and Nonopiate Substances." In view of the large number of papers, there is unavoidable overlapping, as well as unevenness in the quality of contributions. The overall effect, however, is excellent. We may be grateful for the fruits of experience that issue from the pens of the various contributors. This is because the amazing array of chemical compounds that have been introduced during the past 15 years is confusing to the clinician who often accepts at face value the claims of the advertis¬ ing materials. One is impressed in reading these papers with the fact that we cannot dissociate psychopharmacology from the vast body of the behavioral scien¬ ces, the findings of which influence greatly our concepts of how the body reacts to drugs. This gives credence to the wisdom of interdisciplinary co¬ operation in drug research. The book would have been en¬ hanced by an integrating chapter to pull together the various contribu¬ tions and organize them into some cohesive structure. However, it may be difficult at this early stage of psy¬ chopharmacology to provide an ac¬ ceptable conceptual framework around which we can organize our ideas. The book may be recom¬ mended as a sampling of the work that is being done in psychopharmacology today, as well as contemporary opinions on drug ac¬ tion, even though many of the ideas that have been formulated will un¬ doubtedly undergo revision during the next decade. Lewis R. Wolberg, MD New York


Person Re-Identification aims to retrieve person identities from images captured by multiple cameras or the same cameras in different time instances and locations. Because of its importance in many vision applications from surveillance to human-machine interaction, person re-identification methods need to be reliable and fast. While more and more deep architectures are proposed for increasing performance, those methods also increase overall model complexity. This paper proposes a lightweight network that combines global, part-based, and channel features in a unified multi-branch architecture that builds on the resource-efficient OSNet backbone. Using a well-founded combination of training techniques and design choices, our final model achieves state-of-the-art results on CUHK03 labeled, CUHK03 detected, and Market-1501 with 85.1% mAP/ 87.2% rankl, 82.4% mAP/84.9% rankl, and 91.5% mAP/96.3% rankl, respectively.


Proverbs are part of oral tradition in a society. They get meaning when they interact with a context, either when they precede or follow it. Proverbs, like any other linguistic element, are culturally meaningful in a given context. They are part of every society, and Hadoti proverbs are no exception to it. Such proverbs create a sociolinguistic reality and a unique identity to the indigenous people from the Hadoti region. This paper discusses how the identity of Hadoti speakers emerges from proverbs and is an attempt to capture this theme by analyzing what they say about the Hadoti region, culture, and people, and how the meanings that derive from a single-line phrase mirror the sociolinguistic reality and help establish an identity.


The increase of natural, industrial disasters and diverse crisis has stimulated more research interest in the world. A crisis can be industrial accident, train accident, earthquake, and etc. However, the crisis management is currently an important challenge for medical service and research, to develop new technical of decision support system to guide the decision makers. Crisis management is a special type of collaboration, therefore several aspects must be considered. The more important aspect or problem in a crisis management, is the coordination (and communication) between different actors and groups involved in the management. In this paper the focus is how to handle the coordination and interaction between these different actors and groups involved in crisis management by using a finite state automaton. The representation of the crisis management as a set of couple of states and events allows to optimize the crisis management by having real time the evolution of the situation and the prediction of their evolution at their earliest.


Today, the Open Source IT community is growing more comfortable with the open-source development model, reporting that open source will dominate as their Web server application platform and server operating system over the next five years. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Server Installation and Administration is an excellent hands-on training manual for budding open-source infrastructure designers: It covers Red Hat 6 and its family distros: CentOS-6, OpenSUSE, Mandriva Enterprise Server 5, and Fedora 14. Chapter II takes you through the installation and administration of RHEL6. In Chapter III, youll be taken through the installation and maintenance of CentOS-6 server. Chapter IV covers a step-by-step installation, configuration and administration of OpenSUSE 11.3 server. In Chapter V youll learn how to install Fedora 14 server including installation and configuration of 389 Directory (LDAP) server and Sendmail. Finally, youll be taken through a hands-on training on how to implement network security to protect your corporate using Astaro Security Gateway firewall.


This paper characterizes the aquifer system of the Niger Delta for sustainable development of the groundwater resource. The heavy-dependence on groundwater in the region and the fears of its unsustainability triggered by the weak regulations, pollution, increasing user population and industrialization coupled with the present limited knowledge of the true geological condition prevailing within the groundwater domain of the Niger Delta are the considerations that compelled this review study. The hydraulic properties of the region's aquifers are discussed. The Niger Delta is characterized by a complex multilayered aquifer system hosted in the Benin Formation with the main body of fresh water, with increasing occurrence of intercalating clay units towards the coast. Lithological analysis indicates the prevalence of unconsolidated sand and sandy gravels in the aquiferous horizons, presenting them as pervious and prolific aquifers. Reported hydrochemical data gathered from wells drilled suggest that the quality of groundwater in the Niger Delta is considered generally very good and compares favorably with WHO standards for drinking water. However, relatively high iron/manganese and chloride values are localized in time and space. In the coastal areas however, seawater intrusion has been identified as one of the major influences on hydrochemistry of groundwater in the shallow unconfined aquifers. Regional groundwater flow direction is from north to south. Changes in groundwater flow directions which occur at some places generally serve localized discharge areas. The resultant flow path eventually joins and feeds the major regional north-south flow direction. The increasing pressure on groundwater, the need for urgent attention and the absence of strong institutions and regulations have made the management of groundwater resources in the region a difficult task. Therefore, future ground water resources development in the Niger Delta requires adequate observational data, investments in infrastructure and an integrated management approach to ensure optimal basin-wide benefits.


Perth and Shanghai represent developed and developing cities, being diverse in urban development, population densities and economic development. Of significant interest is that as one city seeks to move away from car reliance by developing public transport as an alternative mode of travel, the other seeks to avoid increasing car use. No matter what "mobility life-stage" they are belonging to, public transport has received renewed attention in both cities as a sustainable and environmentally sensitive alternative to car travel. At the city level, it has been demonstrated that both Perth and Shanghai are pre-dominantly monocentric urban structures. Also the public transport planning in both cities likely downplays the importance of a user focus in public transport planning. Residents will not see public transport as favouring their needs. Similar underlying urban structures and planning approaches have made public transport solutions particularly challenging in both cities. To draw a research from a world perspective both of these two contexts should be considered. World wide a diverse range of transport and land use planning strategies support and promote public transport. However the outcome for travel behaviour change is still uncertain. The aim of this paper is to provide an understanding of the extent that personal travel behaviour is affected by individual factors such as socio-economic characteristics and travel attitudes rather than by external factors such as land use system and the transport system. Two neighbourhoods in Perth and Shanghai are chosen to be used as case studies for comparative analysis of residents attitudes based on their good public transport accessibility within their own city context. Drawing secondary data from travel diaries and primary data from intercept surveys, the findings confirm the expected importance of socio-economic characteristics on motorisation and the traveller's decision on travel mode choice.


A fiber-based Cerenkov beam loss monitor (CBLM) has been developed as a quick and long-range detection tool at the SPring-8 angstrom compact free electron laser (SACLA) to control electron beam losses. Based on tests carried out at the 250 MeV SPring-8 Compact SASE Source facility, large core (400 μm), long (>150m) multimode fibers were selected and installed at the SACLA. We report on the first few months of operation of the CBLM. During the commissioning of the X-FEL, the CBLM has performed efficiently, with a detection limit below 1 pC per pulse across the 110 meters of the in-vacuum undulators, and with a position accuracy of less than 1 m.


For thousands of years Nyungar people have lived in the southwest of Western Australia in Nyungar boodjar or country. The Nyungar belief system stems from Nyungar cosmology, the Nyungar Rainbow Serpent or Creator the "Waakle". Whadjuck/Balardong Len Collard (2000, pp.2-4) tells of how "the Waakal came out of the earth. Sometimes it went kardup boodjar or under the earth and sometimes it went yirra boodjar or over the earth and it made bilya the rivers, the kaart the hills and ngamar or the waterholes". Nyungar theorised the Waakle created the Derbal Yirragan, now known as the Perth waters of Swan River which means, "where the estuary is filled up to by the winding river" (Kickett 1995, p.4). It also made all the other waterways in Nyungar boodjar. The late "Keeper of the Stories" Balardong/Whadjuck Ralph Winmar, reinforced the Waakal theme in his story when he said, "At York, you can see where the Warkal [sic] (water snake) left a track when he came over the hill. The Warkal [sic] is the giver of life, he made the rivers, swamps, lakes and waterholes, he maintains the fresh water sources." (Winmar 1996, p.21).


Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in cells is facilitated by formation of RNA-protein complexes (RNPs). While many methods to study eukaryotic (m)RNPs rely on purification of poly-adenylated RNA, other important regulatory RNA classes or bacterial mRNA could not be investigated at the same depth. To overcome this limitation, we developed PTex (Phenol Toluol extraction), a novel and unbiased method for the purification of UV cross-linked RNPs in living cells. PTex is a fast (2-3 hrs) low-tech protocol; its purification principle is solely based on physicochemical properties of cross-linked RNPs. This enables us now for the first time to interrogate RNA-protein interactions system-wide and beyond poly-A-RNA from a variety of species and source material. Here, we are presenting an introduction of the underlying separation principles and give a detailed discussion of the individual steps as well as utilisation of PTex in high-throughput pipelines.


During a 1.5 year period 21 children were investigated with 99-m-technetium dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) before operation for hydronephrosis due to pelviureteric obstruction. The age at investigation was 0.2-11.5 years. Fourty-two kidneys were examined. Hydronephrosis existed on the right side in 8 cases, left side in 9 and bilateral in 4 cases. Seventeen kidneys had no obstruction. The scintigraphy was interpreted as normal in 19 kidneys. Decreased isotope uptake was found in 23 kidneys and localized to the upper pole area in 19 kidneys, middle-lateral part in 7, lower pole area in 15 and the middle-medial part in 12 kidneys. There were no predominance for any part of the kidney to be affected by parenchymal damage. In 8 children investigated before the age of 1 year, 4 of 10 hydronephrotic kidneys revealed normal DMSA scintigram. DMSA scintigraphy delineates functioning renal parenchyma. DMSA scintigraphy delineates functioning renal parenchyma. It can be recommended as a routine method for evaluation of the renal parenchyma before surgery and for follow up studies in all ages of childhood.


Abstract The abiotic conditions (soil properties, water balance) associated with terrestrial biomes in France during the last climatic cycle have been quantified using an indirect method. A set of potential modern climatic analogues across the world was first selected for each biome type. The edaphic features corresponding to the chosen analogue vegetation were then taken from a global soil database and attributed to the biomes. Finally, the hydrological parameters were simulated for these analogues using a vegetation model. We have identified five groups of modern analogues with either higher latitudes or higher elevations than the average present environment of France. From these five groups of analogues, the first two represent boreal forest, two others are steppic, and the last one represents tundra. The first group of analogues represents boreal forests at high latitudes (averaged latitude: 61° N, average elevation: 300 m) with mainly sandy podzolized soils and intermittent permafrost, high precipitation and rapid drainage. The second group of analogues represents boreal forests at higher elevations and lower latitudes (44° N, 2100 m) with stony soil and lower precipitation as well as poorer drainage. The first group of steppes at low elevations and high latitudes (64° N, 500 m) is characterized by cambisol or gleysol soils. The second group of steppes at high elevations and relatively low latitudes (41° N, 2900 m) has a hydrological regime with high evapotranspiration and poor drainage that is compatible with presence of xerosols and yermosols. The tundra group (57° N, 1400 m) has lithosolic, cambisolic and gleysolic soils. The approach used here can be applied on a global scale and could provide useful boundary conditions for simulating past climate with general circulation models.


Novel porous silicon layers which photoluminesce and electroluminesce in an aqueous solution have been formed by oxidation of (100) silicon in anhydrous acetonitrile‐HF solutions. The novel porous structures consisted of large, noninterconnected pores, 1–2 μm diam, which grew normal to the surface. The pores were spaced 2–3 μm apart, and the length, which could be over 150 μm, was dependent on etch time and current density. Microporous structures (i.e., <100 nm), often associated with luminescence from porous silicon, were not detected by TEM, SEM, or infrared examination. The porous surface was hydride terminated, which was critical to the luminescence process. Since water and oxygen were not present during the formation of the porous structure and the pores were relatively large, neither silicon‐oxygen species (e.g., siloxenes) nor quantum size structures, appeared necessary for the generation visible luminescence from porous silicon.


BACKGROUND
Dengue patients present a range of symptoms: dengue fever (DF), dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). It is not clear whether this variability is due to their genetic background. Here we tested polymorphisms of interleukin 1 beta (IL1B) and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL1RA) genes for association with DSS in the Thai population.

METHODS
Polymorphisms of IL1B -31C/T (rs1143627) and IL1RA 86-base-pair tandem repeat were analyzed in 871 patients (DF = 384, DHF = 413, and DSS = 74).

RESULTS
IL1B -31C and IL1RA 2/4 genotype were associated with DSS (IL1B -31C: DSS vs DHF: P = .0061, odds ratio [OR, 95% confidence interval {CI}], 3.49 [1.36-8.95]; DSS vs DF: P = .027, OR [95% CI], 2.81 [1.12-7.06]; IL1RA 2/4: DSS vs DHF: P = .017, OR [95% CI], 1.94 [1.12-3.40]; DSS vs DF: P = .024, OR [95% CI], 1.90 [1.07-3.4]). No difference was found between DF and DHF. Logistic regression analysis revealed that IL1B -31C and IL1RA 2/4 genotypes were each independently associated with DSS.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with IL1B -31C carrier, or IL1RA 2/4 genotype carry a risk for DSS, implying that IL1B may play a role in pathogenesis of DSS.


Objective: to analyze how nursing courses in the State of São Paulo, Brazil have operationalized the supervised curricular internship and to identify those that approach the recommendations proposed by the National Curriculum Guidelines. Method: a quantitative, descriptive-exploratory study. The sample consisted of 38 course coordinators. The data collection instrument was developed based on the Curricular Guidelines. Data collection took place electronically and, for data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Results: the undergraduate schools have developed internships for a mean of 860.4 hours in primary and tertiary care settings, with learning based on professional practice being the main teaching method. Formative assessment is the predominant mode of assessment, and nurses from health institutions participate in 44.7% of courses. The mean score obtained was 3.1 points (scale from 1 to 5), with the evaluation processes used being the most influential factor (p<0.001). Conclusion: the courses have partially met the educational legislation regarding the hours and participation of professionals from health institutions granting internship field, which can compromise the quality of training and the safety of care.


Long non-coding RNAs are known to be involved in cancer progression, but their biological functions and prognostic values are still largely unexplored in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. In this study, long non-coding RNAs expression was characterized in 1,403 samples including normal and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by repurposing 7 microarray datasets. Compared with any stage of normal B cells, NONHSAG026900 expression was significantly decreased in tumor samples. And in germinal center B-cell subtype, the significantly higher expression of NONHSAG026900 indicated it was a favorable prognosis biomarker. Then the prognostic power of NONHSAG026900 was validated with another independent dataset and NONHSAG026900 improved the predictive power of International Prognostic Index as an independent factor. Moreover, functional prediction and validation demonstrated that NONHSAG026900 could inhibit cell cycle activity to restrain tumor proliferation. These findings identified NONHSAG026900 as a novel prognostic biomarker and offered a new therapeutic target for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients.


Microgravity introduces diverse pathological and various physiological changes to the human body, including intraocular pressure. Astronauts may develop a constellation of symptoms and signs including optic disc edema, choroidal folds, and a hyperopic shift from the flattening of the globe. These ocular findings have been collectively termed spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). SANS is a condition that is unique to long-duration spaceflight. The precise pathogenesis of SANS remains ill-defined, but several hypotheses have been proposed that may be influenced by intraocular pressure. Countermeasures for SANS research also include techniques that impact intraocular pressure. In this article, we discuss intraocular pressure during spaceflight, the translaminar pressure gradient, SANS and potential SANS countermeasures, and the potential for glaucomatous damage during spaceflight.


In studies of major dance companies that employ mostly adult dancers, measuring the effect of comprehensive medical management that includes daily on-site physical therapy has shown a decrease in the incidence of dance injuries, days missed from dance, injury-related costs, and Workers Compensation claims. As no comparable data have been collected with regard to youth and adolescent dancers, we sought to assess the effect of physical therapist involvement in the care of injuries sustained by young dancers on the incidence and amount of time missed from dancing. A cross sectional study was conducted by questionnaire of 55 students attending a US school for the arts summer dance program. Dancers ranged in age from 13 to 17 years, with a mean age of 15.0 ± 1.0. Most (87.3%) were female. Participants reported dancing a mean of 4.4 ± 2.6 hours per day prior to arrival at the program. They recorded 37 prior injuries, most of which (51.4%) were diagnosed by a physician, although a substantial proportion were diagnosed by a physical therapist (43.2%). Dancers whose injuries were diagnosed by a physician were more likely to miss dance class than those diagnosed by a physical therapist (100% vs. 50%; p = 0.014). When an injury did result in missed dance time, the median number of days missed was greater when the diagnosis was made by a physician as opposed to a physical therapist, although this finding was not statistically significant (6.0 vs. 2.5 days; p = 0.203). This supports previous literature showing a beneficial effect of health care management that involves physical therapists, especially those with expertise in dance injuries, on outcomes from dance injuries sustained by adult dancers.


Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of tricuspid valve involvement in rheumatic mitral stenosis among Pakistani patients that helps in the medical decisions and special consideration for the management of disease. Study Design: Prospective Study. Setting: National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD), Karachi. Period: February 2018 to November 2019. Material & Methods: As per the study inclusion criteria, Three fifty eight (358) Pakistani patients' diagnosed with Rheumatic Mitral stenosis. The study was compiled as per international standards (ICH-GCP-E6), prior to initiation, the ethics review committee approved the study and informed consent was taken from all recruited subjects. Results: The study prospectively assessed the echocardiographic profile of rheumatic heart disease patients and recruited 358 patients with chronic Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis. Out of these patients, 93.9% (336) had tricuspid regurgitation and 7% (25) had triscuspid stenosis. Their ages ranged from 14 to 85 years (mean 40.3 years). Of these, 73.6% (263) were females and 26.5% (95) were males. On the basis of severity, in case of  tricuspid stenosis, 3.9% (14) were mild, 1.1% (4) were moderate and 2% (7) were progress from mild to moderate. In case of  Tricuspid regurgitation, 39.9% (143) were mild, 29% (105) moderate and 88% (24.6) were severe. Conclusion: The study concluded that in the local population, the patients with chronic Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis had common involvement of Triscuspid valvular disease, more come in female and affected all age groups. Hence, before management of Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis with other lesions, especially the Triscuspid valve involvement, detailed assessment is required in order to achieve the best outcome in patients with the Mitral valve disease.


This article outlines a strength-based assessment and treatment model applicable for the mental health counseling of those aging with HIV. By focusing on the specific areas of life where clients are functioning effectively, this model works to decrease attention to pathology and stigma and, subsequently, works to empower clients to concentrate on areas of their lives that are controllable.


Adult pecan trees require a significant water supply for high yields and nut quality. Pecan nut orchards are established in semi-arid regions where water is the primary limiting resource for agriculture. Therefore, in these regions, improving water use efficiency is essential.

 Evaluate the water use efficiency of a pecan tree orchard based on the comparison of irrigation scheduling with the evapotranspiration rate data.

 The study was conducted in a pecan nut (Carya illinoinensis) orchard of 7.2 ha with 7-year-old Western and Wichita cv tress. The volume of water applied to each tree (drip irrigation) was converted to a daily irrigation depth and compared against the daily rate of actual (measured with an Eddy covariance system) and the FAO Penman-Monteith evapotranspiration.

 Comparing the monthly water depth applied to each tree against the monthly FAO-Penman Monteith ET, surplus or deficit irrigation episodes were detected. Because the canopy trees only covered 18.7% of the orchard area, the daily rate of actual evapotranspiration during the months of the trees growing was very small (1 to 2 mm) compared with the orchards of mature pecan trees. The corresponding monthly crop coefficients (Kc) were also small (0.315 on average).

 This study showed that by comparing the rate of ETref against the irrigation depth applied to the trees in the irrigation scheduling, it is possible to reveal cases of surplus or deficit of water supplied to a pecan nut orchard.


The unforgettable events of September 11, 2001, delivered a crushing blow to the U.S. Airline industry, which was already in a financially precarious position. Long after the temporary shutdown was over and operations had resumed, many people were reluctant to travel. The resulting loss of revenue, coupled with increased costs associated with new security measures, caused several major carriers to take drastic actions, including significant layoffs. This Case in Point examines how Southwestern Pennsylvania responded to five-year series of massive job losses at one of the region's largest employers, US Airways.


Date Presented 4/21/2018 This qualitative case study used a mainstream school with segregated special education classes to understand school staff decision making affecting play. Because of a poor fit between environment and child skills, children with disabilities had limited meaningful choices on the school playground. Primary Author and Speaker: Julia Sterman Contributing Authors: Geraldine Naughton, Michelle Villeneuve, Elspeth Froude, Anita Bundy


Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that causes physical disability in many elderly people. Multiple risk factors, including age, gender, genetics, overuse, trauma and obesity, are involved in the onset and progression of OA. Various biological and molecular events that occur in OA joint have been intensively studied and there is an increasing appreciation of the contribution of joint tissues in addition to cartilage. Recent investigations are further deepening the understanding on the importance of matrix-degrading enzymes, chondrocyte hypertrophy and apoptosis, subchondral bone metabolism, cytokines and inflammation. All these serve as therapeutic targets. However, there are currently no clinical interventions proven to restore cartilage and inhibit disease processes. With research efforts for the identification of better therapeutic target together with reliable imaging and biomarkers for evaluation, we expect to have guide for potential disease-modifying agents.


Two new human epithelial cell lines from sporadic colorectal adenomas designated S/RR and S/BR are reported. Both cell lines have extended growth capacities in vitro, reaching passages 38 and 40 respectively and show no sign of senescence. S/RR and S/BR cell lines have retained the ability to differentiate in vitro, as shown by mucin production from goblet‐like cells. S/BR was derived from a large colonic tubular villous adenoma (3 to 4 cm), whereas S/RR was derived from a small rectal adenoma (< 1 cm), and may represent a relatively early‐stage adenoma. The parent S/RR cell line has given rise to a clonogenic variant, designated S/RR/Cl, which also has shown no sign of senescence and has currently reached passage 43. Both the S/BR and the S/RR cell lines had mutations in codon 12 of the K‐ras gene, while retaining one normal allele. The presence of this mutation, particularly in the cell line S/RR derived from a small adenoma, is consistent with ras mutation being a relatively early event in colorectal carcinogenesis and is perhaps involved in the ability of the adenoma cells to progress and to give rise to an immortal cell line in vitro. The clonal derivatives of the S/RR cells have an isochromosome Iq and abnormalities Of chromosome 13 which include an isochromosome 13q. The S/BR cells have a deletion on the short arm of chromosome 1 and trisomy 7. The common abnormality for S/RR and S/BR cells involves chromosome 1. The involvement of different chromosomes in the 2 cell lines also suggests different pathways for malignant progression of the premalignant adenoma cells. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
A durable repairing system for denture base fracture is desired to avoid recurrent fracture. Purpose. This study evaluated the strength and modulus of elasticity of repaired acrylic specimens reinforced with various processes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Transverse strength and modulus of elasticity of repaired acrylic denture base specimens were evaluated with a 3-point bending test and compared with a heat-polymerized control. Autopolymerizing acrylic resin was used with woven metal fiber and glass fiber with and without methylene chloride surface treatment (n = 6 per group). The specimens were cut in half and fixed in a metal mold to obtain a space for placing the repairing resin. A cavity was prepared when metal or glass fiber was used. All specimens were stored in 37 degrees C distilled water for 48 hours before the test. All data were statistically analyzed with 1-way ANOVA, and differences among groups were analyzed with Fisher test (P< or =.05).

RESULTS
The mean value of the transverse strength for the control was 87.2 MPa. The specimens repaired by glass fiber with methylene chloride surface treatment exhibited the highest transverse strength (96.8 MPa), which was significantly higher than that of the control (P< or =.05). The elastic modulus of the specimens repaired by glass fiber with methylene chloride surface treatment (4189.3 MPa) was significantly greater than that of the control (2683.7 MPa) at a 95% level of confidence. The values of transverse strength and elastic modulus were highest when the surface treatment was combined with a reinforcing glass fiber.

CONCLUSION
Reinforcement with glass fiber and methylene chloride pretreatment produced transverse strength and a modulus of elasticity higher than the control.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of subchronic exposure to acrylamide on the reproduction and testis endocrine function of rats.

METHODS
Forty healthy adult male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of equal number, exposed to acrylamide at the dose of 0, 4, 10 and 18 mg/(kg x d) respectively for 9 weeks, and then subjected to the determination of the hindlimb landing foot splay, sperm vitality and morphology, the activities of acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the testis homogenate, and the levels of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) in the serum and testis homogenate. Based on the primary Leydig cell culture models exposed to acrylamide of 0, 0.1, 0.75, 4 and 8 mmol/L, the activity of Leydig cells was measured by the CCK-8 method.

RESULTS
Following acrylamide exposure, the hindlimb landing foot splay increased markedly with dose increase (P < 0.01). The rates of sperm vitality were (6.86 +/- 5.46)%, (65.43 +/- 5.16)%, (60.86 +/- 4.26)% and (46.86 +/- 2.73)% in the exposed groups, significantly lower than in the control (P < 0.01); the rates of abnormal sperm were (39.00 +/- 10.95)%, (35.43 +/- 7.54)%, (45.71 +/- 13.28)% and (56.71 +/- 17.01)%, significantly increased in the 10 and 18 mg/(kg x d) groups (P < 0.05); ACP activities were (82.93 +/- 11.05), (73.52 +/- 8.77), (77.67 +/- 3.04) and (68.56 +/- 3.09) U/g prot, showing a decreasing tendency, while ALP activities were (0.96 +/- 0.15), (1.07 +/- 0.22), (1.12 +/- 0.22) and (0.74 +/- 0.10) U/g prot, displaying a tendency of first increasing and then decreasing. Both ACP and ALP activities were inhibited significantly in the 18 mg/(kg x d) group as compared with the control (P < 0.05). A marked reduction was noted in T levels in the serum, (13.44 +/- 4.76), (7.69 +/- 3.84), (5.23 +/- 1.42) and (1.36 +/- 0.86) ng/ml, as well as in the testis homogenate, (4.95 +/- 1.64), (3.01 +/- 0.76), (2.44 +/- 0.91) and (0.85 +/- 0.49) ng/mg prot, (P < 0.01), but no significant changes were observed in 17beta-E2 levels. After 24 hours exposure to acrylamide, the optical densities were 0.82 +/- 0.06, 0.56 +/- 0.07, 0.44 +/- 0.06, 0.26 +/- 0.03 and 0.45 +/- 0.21, showing an evident inhibition of the activity of Leydig cells at the dose of 0.1, 0.75, 4 and 8 mmol/L (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION
Subchronic exposure to acrylamide could affect the normal development of sperm, cause changes of the activity of some enzymes in the testis and significantly influence hindlimb motor coordination. Acrylamide directly damages Leydig cells and affects the endocrine function of the testis.


Product line practices are increasingly becoming popular in the domain of embedded software systems. This paper presents results of assessing success, consistency, and quality of Testo's product line of climate and flue gas measurement devices after its construction and the delivery of three commercial products. The results of the assessment showed that the incremental introduction of architecture-centric product line development can be considered successful even though there is no quantifiable reduction of time-to-market as well as development and maintenance costs so far. The success is mainly shown by the ability of Testo to develop more complex products and the satisfaction of the involved developers. A major issue encountered is ensuring the quality of reusable components and the conformance of the products to the architecture during development and maintenance


A TIIREE-DIMENSIONAIL SURGICAL FILM An interesting feature of the Joint Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association and Irish Medical Association in Dublin was a three-dimensional colour film, with sound commentary, which was shown by courtesy of Ethicon Suture Laboratories, Ltd., Edinburgh. The film, which depicted a total gastrectomy for carcinoma done by a purely abdominal approach, was produced by the Worcester Film Corporation, of Worcester, Massachusetts, under the direction of Mr. Floyd A. Ramsdell, the inventor of a new camera and projector for three-dimensional technique. The film was taken with a variable interocular camera which is said to have overcome the difficulties attending earlier attempts to make three-dimensional motion pictures. Formerly a single camera with beam-splitter was used, and this produced two images at each exposure of the film. When enlargement was attempted there was distortion of the image, which caused headache and nausea in some viewers. The present film was taken with a double camera system, and, by adjusting both the inter-lens distance and the angle between the two cameras, the makers have found it possible to reproduce more exactly the conditions of normal vision. The two separate films, for right eye and left eye, are then projected synchronously by a special projector on a single screen. Viewed with the unaided eye the screen image is blurred; but by the use of special polaroid spectacles, which separate the images for the individual eyes, a clear three-dimensional picture is seen. The promoters claim that the film represents a notable advance in cinematographic technique, and this is certainly true, though one or two of those who saw the film in Dublin did find, that watching it gave them a dull headache. It was quite clear that a remarkable technical effort lay behind the making of the film, but perhaps it may be questioned whether binocular vision is really so important to the proper appreciation of a film of a surgical operation. A series of really good " still" pictures by an artist remains one of the best ways of imparting a knowledge of surgical technique outside the operating theatre. Detailed planning, suitable close-up shots, careful and, if necessary, ruthless editing, and the interspersing of explanatory sketches all help to lift a surgical film out of the ordinary. The clarity of this particular film lost nothing by the closing of one eye despite, of course, the immediate loss of binocular vision, and the excellent view of the diaphragm was due to good lighting and a generally good technique. As a novel form of entertainment and instruction the film was most interesting, and its producers are to be congratulated on their pioneer efforts with a new method of visual education.


A simple peak-to-average power ratio (PAR) reduction scheme using a symbol transform in CDMA/OFDM based transmission systems is presented. This approach is very simple because there is no additional complexity and works with arbitrary numbers of subcarriers and without restriction on the allocation of spreading code, maintaining the original transmission efficiency. Further PAR reduction can be explored by modifying the selective mapping approach at the expense of additional side information bits, which gives nearly same transmitter complexity.


Summary A method of preparing carbon replicas of isolated liver and tumor nuclei is described which enables large areas of the nuclear surface to be examined. Two types of structure may be recognized: the first, large and irregular elevations thought to be due to nucleoli within the nucleus and, second, large numbers of small circular elevations 0.25 µ in diameter covering the whole surface. The appearance is compared with the results obtained by sectioning isolated nuclei and the tissues from which they were derived.


: In this study, the variation in vertical and transverse salinity in stratification in the main branch of the Ōta River system was investigated over a tidal cycle at both spring tide and neap tide. The quantity and depth of stratification layers as well as the surface-to-bottom salinity difference deduced from the transverse distribution of salinity were used to evaluate the stratification/de-stratification degree in a shallow and narrow estuary. Two Compact Conductivity-Temperature-Depth sensor campaigns to collect salinity data sets were run across the river at two bridges, with a longitudinal distance of approximately 850 m between the two bridges. It was found that salt wedges moved from the left side to the right side of the riverbank during both neap flood tide and spring flood tide, resulting in lateral salinity distribution, likely due to the difference in the advection of the longitudinal salinity gradient, and the effects of cross-channel bathymetry variation. Besides, the stratification developed gradually from the surface to the bottom of the water column over the ebb tide period primarily caused by the tidal straining; tidal time scale, and freshwater discharge. The re-stratification process at the end of the flood phase is likely due to the combination of the lateral baroclinic pressure gradient and complex bathymetry.


Sol-gel-processed silica films doped with Disperse Red 1(DR1) were prepared at 80°C aging temperature and 120°C baking temperature with corona poling to obtain stable and large electro-optic (EO) coefficient and film strength. A large EO coefficient of γ33 = 56 pm/V was measured for the film of 0.5-μm thickness at the wavelength of 1300 nm, and the value was unvaried at room temperature. Moreover, an external EO probe tip using the film was fabricated for the first time, and a signal voltage level corresponding to the EO signal was calibrated successfully.


Between 2015-2017, local police, state troopers and emergency medical personnel in Atlantic County, NJ collected data on opioid overdose victims within the County. Forms on 311 overdose victims were ultimately completed. Early in 2018, a partnership between the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and Stockton University was formed in order to analyze this information and better understand Atlantic County's opioid overdose statistics. Results painted a picture of who is using, and showed that quick response to opioid overdoses and prompt administration of the drug naloxone can save lives. Recommendations for the future include collecting additional data points for overdose victims going forward to allow for deeper study, along with increased distribution of naloxone. Such recommendations can positively contribute to future educational and prevention efforts.


In two experiments, male and female rats were trained in a Morris pool in the presence of 1 (Experiment 1) or 2 (Experiment 2) landmarks, which were placed relatively close in relation to a hidden platform. Experiment 1 established the relative salience of 3 landmarks. Two of them revealed a similar salience, and smaller than a third one, the most salient landmark, both in training and on a test trial without the platform. Then in Experiment 2 rats were extensively trained to find a hidden platform in the presence of a configuration formed by 2 landmarks and the effects of varying the salience of one of the landmarks were studied. Subsequent test trials without the platform revealed that finding the platform was controlled by different strategies and that the rats were taking advantage of this redundancy depending on the nature of the test trials. Surprisingly, in Experiment 2 a clear sex difference was found on escape trials only, with males reaching the platform faster than females.


As Facebook enables adolescents to present themselves positively by means of their Facebook profile and to gain positive feedback for doing so, the aim of the current study is to investigate which kinds of adolescents' positive self-presentation in profile pictures and status updates are associated with positive feedback in terms of Likes from the Facebook community, considering gender differences. Data for this study were based on adolescents aged 14–17 years, pursuing a two-method approach, using questionnaire data (N = 703; 71.7% female; Mage = 15.76 years) as well as data from content analysis (N = 143; 63% female; Mage = 15.72 years). Hierarchical multiple regressions were used. The results suggest that the self-presentational strategy of ingratiation seems to be the most advantageous in eliciting positive feedback. In particular, presenting oneself in the company of friends as well as posting about spending time with friends were related to positive feedback.


Emotions have powerful effects on the mind, body, and behavior. Although psychology theories emphasized multi-componential characteristics of emotions, little is known about the nature and neural architecture of such components in the brain. We used a multivariate data-driven approach to decompose a wide range of emotions into functional core processes and identify their neural organization. Twenty participants watched 40 emotional clips and rated 119 emotional moments in terms of 32 component features defined by a previously validated componential model. Results show how different emotions emerge from coordinated activity across a set of brain networks coding for component processes associated with valuation appraisal, hedonic experience, novelty, goal-relevance, approach/avoidance tendencies, and social concerns. Our study goes beyond previous research that focused on either categorical or dimensional emotions and highlighting how novel methodology combined with componential modelling may allow emotion neuroscience to move forward and unveil the functional architecture of human affective experiences.


A total of 100 samples of goats include 50 samples were collected from each tracheal swabs, and vaginal swabs from slaughter house and herds of goats in Waist province. During these studied, molds were isolated and identification depending on the cultural characteristic, microscopic feature and conventional Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This study showed increase in the isolation of oppurtusinstic molds with increase age of animals, which observation from this study on goats found highest percentage of molds in those with  ages between 3-5 years, while decrease percentage in animals that ages less than six months. The results showed significant differences (P<0.01) in molds isolation with increases animals ages in goats. Through study found Aspergillus spp. were predominant species. The most isolate of opportunistic molds were from tracheal swabs at percentage 63.6%, were significantly different (P<0.01) than vaginal swabs. The results of molds isolation showed the A.fumigatus and A.niger , were more isolated at percentage 40.9% and 22.8% respectively, followed by A.terrus (18.2%), A.flavus (9.1%), Aspergillus spp (4.5%) respectively, also isolated Penicillium spp . at percentage (4.5%).   Showed result Significant differences (P<0.01) were found in isolation of molds between tracheal swabs, and vaginal swabs. The results of the PCR amplification of the rRNA gene showed that, this gene was present in 9 samples out 22 positive samples which isolation from the goats with a PCR product size of approximated  380 bp, while 13 samples out 22 positive samples showed negative results for the presence of this gene as indicated by the absence of the PCR products. The conclusion of present investigation indicated Aspergillus fumigates the most dominant molds isolated from tracheal swabs in goats, and this may be indicating a high contamination and exposure to Asperigllus spores. Molecular methods have revealed the important diversity of Aspergillus species within these action Fumigati . Keywords : A.fumigatus , Goats in Waist Governorate, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), rRNA gene


This study examines Hanoi's current international tourism development efforts, focusing on tourism service quality. It aims to assess the relevance of the current policies in place and the quality of the services provided to foreigners in Hanoi. To do so, it investigates three prominent sites, namely, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam. A survey conducted at these tourism landmarks, in-depth interviews, direct observation in the investigated places and secondary sources from published magazines and materials provide the data used in this study to make recommendations. Quality service issues are analyzed along SERVQUAL five dimensions. The results show that there are still several drawbacks in knowledge value, environmental landscape, safety, attitude and tourism infrastructure. Relevant strategies designed to enhance Hanoi tourism quality for foreigners in the future are recommended. The various proposals made include among others raising people' awareness, setting a concrete institutional framework, enacting and executing the laws, and sharpening the staff's skills.


Malunion occurs more frequently following Colles' fractures than any other fracture. There is considerable disability, pain and deformity associated with this lesion, and the disfigurement is particularly unsightly in women. My object in this discussion is to present a surgical procedure which accomplishes restoration of anatomic alinement and function and a wrist of which the appearance is practically normal. Malunion of this fracture is most common for several reasons: First, failure to reduce the fracture completely. Second, recurrence of deformity after apparent reduction and confirmation by the roentgenogram. Third, excessive comminution with radial shortening. This occurs most frequently in elderly persons and rarely under the age of 45, owing to difference in structure of the bone. With the most efficient treatment, reduction may be accomplished but not always maintained, so that a certain percentage of malunion of moderate degree can be considered legitimate and excusable. This is particularly true if


This study is to investigate the pressure wave characteristics and the maximum pressure rise generated by instantaneous valve closure at the end of the straightening polybutylene piping system. Experiments were conducted under the following conditions: initial pressure 1~5 bar, flow velocity 0.5~3.0 ㎧ and water temperature 25℃. Results indicated that the peak pressure generated by quick valve closure reached Joukowsky's value. We also found that the maximum pressure rise and the pressure history depended on not only initial steady pressure but also flow velocity.


The author outlines the first results obtained with Doppler investigation in arterial and venous emergencies. He analyzed thereafter the Kakkar test, through which he can detect acute venous more easily than with Doppler. He insists on the difficulty of detecting through either one of these methods, some cases of thrombosis located in the abdominal veins.


In May 1983, granular formulations of carbofuran, chlorpyrifos, disulfoton, fonofos, isofenphos, phorate, and terbufos were applied in incorporated bands to duplicate 2 m2 field plots of clay loam. Insecticide concentrations were determined in the bands at 0,1,2,3,4,6,8,10,12,16, and 20 wk. Following spring cultivation, the insecticides were applied to the same plots in 1984 and 1985. In addition, carbofuran was applied to previously untreated plots in 1984 and all 7 materials were applied to previously untreated plots in 1985. Sampling and analysis were carried out as in 1983. Persistence was assessed on the basis of the disappearance rates measured for the 1st 8 wk and of a calculated Effectiveness Potential (the ratio of the average residue in the upper 5 cm of the band at 8, 10 and 12 wk and the published LC95 for western corn rootworm in clay loam soil). Soils treated with carbofuran and isofenphos in 1984 and all soils treated in 1985 were tested for anti-insecticide activity. Soil cores from some carbofuran, chlorpyrifos and terbufos treated plots were sectioned vertically to establish the distribution of the insecticides during 1985. In addition, granular and pure chemical forms of isofenphos and carbofuran were applied at 10 ppm to anti-isofenphos and anti-carbofuran active and control soils (from field plots) maintained at 10 and 20% moisture in the laboratory to assess the effect of formulation and moisture on persistence in active soils. Insecticide concentrations were determined at 0,1,3,7, 10,14,21,28, and 35 days. The persistence of chlorpyrifos, terbufos and phorate was relatively constant over the 3 years and between plots receiving single and multiple treatments. Disulfoton and fonofos behavior was more variable and that of carbofuran and isofenphos was extremely variable. Anti-insecticide activity against carbofuran and isofenphos was detectable 2 wk after an initial application and was still present the following spring. Anti-insecticide activity against fonofos, terbufos sulfoxide, phorate sulfone and disulfoton sulfone was also generated in this soil. Anti-insecticide activity against chlorpyrifos, disulfoton, terbufos and phorate was not present. Carbofuran, chlorpyrifos and terbufos (+ metabolites) present in the upper 5 cm of soil averaged 93, 94 and 94%, respectively, of the total core contents over 12 wk. Significant moisture dependent differences were observed between the behavior of granular carbofuran and granular isofenphos in anti-insecticide active soils.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the intervening effect of Islamic Social Responsibility and capital structure on the relationship between profitability and firm value. This research is an explanatory research with a quantitative descriptive approach. The data used were obtained from annual reports of sampled firm as published on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) for the 2013–2018 period. 39 companies classified as basic and chemical industries and listed in the Indonesia Sharia Stock Index (ISSI) were sampled using the purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Model (SEM) and Sobel test to analyze the indirect effect. The results show that profitability, ISR and capital structure have a positive significant effect on firm value. Profitability was found to have positive affect on ISR and negative affected the capital structure. A mediation test showed that ISR and capital structure does not mediate the effect of profitability on firm value.