There is ample evidence of the increasing interest being shown by the public, especially tourists and vistors from overseas, in the medieval treasures to be found in many churches, great and small. Woodcarvings rank high among these treasures, and many are located in obscure places, which are easily overlooked unless the vistor has some indication of their position. The intention of this book, as its title indicates, is to draw attention to the vast wealth of history, beauty, and humour that can be found in the carvings, and lead to a greater appreciation of the times in which they were created. Medieval craftsmen included both humble local workers and those with greater knowledge and skill. The latter often travelled from place to place on the instruction or recommendation of the prelates in whose domain they worked, e.g. the Ripon School of Woodcarvers, 1490—1520 approx. All had an obsession with decoration, whether on wood or stone, so that even the hinged seats of stalls, i.e. misericords, which were seldom visible to public gaze, were carved with a wealth of subjects. In this book J. C. D. Smith has set out to lay before us a liberal sample of these carvings, and his carefully researched commentary on the various subjects, aided by the numerous examples of excellent photographs, for which he is already well known, has produced a useful and attractive introduction to the subject. His synopses of the various legends which inspired many of the carvings make interesting reading. At first sight the title may appear misleading, as no references are made to screens, fontcovers, thrones, pulpits, e.g. the beautiful examples at Trull and Long Sutton, in the author's own area, to name but a few. But this is a minor criticism, and indeed inclusion of these in a work of this size would be impossible. Mr. Smith had the good fortune to live in a district in the southwest of England where many lovely carvings are to be found, and their fascination for him has led him to extend his searches far and wide, and to produce a most attractive work. Mention must also be made of the helpful appendices on symbols and emblems. There has been no general guide to church woodcarvings since the great work by F. E. Howard and F. H. Crossley (Batsford, 1927) until the author's Church Woodcarvings, A West Country Study, 1969, and this new book is a welcome addition to works on the subject. G. L. REMNANT


Despite the availability of an efficient screening protocol review, colon cancer is a leading health problem of the world population. At the time of diagnosis about 25% of cases have distant metastases. Distant metastases are most frequently metastases in the liver, lungs, brain, but they are rare in the bones. An early diagnosis of secondary deposits in the bones of the hand can be very difficult. The symptoms are subclinical or similar to other bone diseases. They appear in the advanced disease, and treatment is palliative. The treatment (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery) is determined according to the general condition of the patient and the localization of the lesion. Radiotherapy can reduce tumor mass and reduce pain especially among patients with multiple lesions or inoperable ones. The aim of this paper was to: (1) present a case of secondary deposits of adenocarcinoma of the colon in the hand bones, (2) present the incidence, (3) give differential diagnoses and (4) describe the air treatment by unconventional regime of fractionation. The approach to the treatment of metastatic hands must be multi-disciplinary including an orthopedist, radiologist, oncologist and pathologist. It is important to know the importance of early recognition of these lesions.


Over 4,000 Clementine trees grafted on trifoliate orange, spaced at 2 x 3 m, were inoculated 1 yr after planting with four different isolates combinations of Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), Citrus viroid III (CVd-III) and Hop stunt viroid (HSVd). As expected, 12 yr after inoculation, all the trees containing CEVd showed bark cracking and/or scaling, whereas those with only CVd-III were healthy in appearance. The trees inoculated with CVd-III alone had the largest average circumference of both scion and rootstock, fruit quality reached high standards and yields were more than twice that of a conventional orchard. Those inoculated with CVd-III+HSVd, with CEVd+CVd-III, and CVd-III+HSVd+CEVd were smaller. The phenotypic response of host plant was not related with the titer of CVd-III. Citrus trees are often naturally infected with various combinations of viroids inducing different phenotypic reactions (4). Some variants of the Citrus viroid III have been studied for many years as potentially useful, due to their capability of reducing the canopy of citrus grafted on trifoliate orange without any detrimental effects. In fact. There are reports of enhanced yield per canopy volume (3). Therefore, the name of Citrus dwarfing viroid (CDVd) has been proposed to replace CVd-III, since it is more descriptive of the host phenotype induced by the infection (5). High density citrus plots, obtained through the inoculation of citrus viroids in different combinations have been established in Italy for several years with variable results, depending on the scionrootstock combination, the viroids and the pedoclimatic conditions (1). In order to obtain some clarity, a large orchard of over 4,000 Comune Clementine grafted on trifoliate orange was established in the south of Italy close to Lamezia (Calabria region, Catanzaro province), GPS coordinates N 38°08' 33,9''/ E 016°09' 01,6''. In spring 1992, about 4,500 seedlings of trifoliate orange were grafted in a commercial nursery with buds of certified Clementine SRA, and after 2 yr they were planted at a spacing of 3 x 2 m (1,666 trees /ha). The trees were inoculated 1 yr after planting by grafting onto the each scion two pieces of bark taken from source viroid-infected plants. There were four different isolate combinations of Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), Citrus viroid III (CVd-III) and Hop stunt viroid (HSVd). The plants were maintained standard agricultural practices and periodically checked for symptoms, fruit quality and growth. Normal fertilizer and pesticide applications for the area were performed, and irrigation was applied by a sprinkler irrigation system. From the fourth year, the trees were pruned regularly in order to allow good lighting and fruiting and to reduce pest control sprays. In the first 5 yr, pruning tools were disinfected with sodium hypochlorite solution between trees to prevent cross transmission of viroids. During the summer 2005, 40 randomly selected trees of Comune Clementine, showing different phenotypes, were monitored for symptoms, growth, yield and viroid content by RT-PCR. CVd-


The model drugs ibuprofen (IBU) and tegafur (T-Fu) were loaded into poly[N-isopropylacrylamide-co-(acryloyl beta-cyclodextrin)] [P(NIPA-co-A-CD)] and PNIPA hydrogels by immersing dried gels in IBU or T-Fu alcohol solutions until they reached equilibrium. Drug release studies were carried out in water at 25 degrees C. In contrast to the release time of conventional PNIPA hydrogel, that of IBU from the beta-CD incorporated hydrogel was significantly prolonged and the drug loading was also greatly increased, which may be the result of the formation of inclusion complexes between CD and ibuprofen. However, another hydrophilic drug, tegafur, did not display these properties because it could not form a complex with the CD groups. [diagram in text].


Foreign producer services can provide substantial benefits for domestic firms. We build on earlier monopolistic-competition models of intermediate producer services in this paper. Results show that: (1) while foreign services are partial-equilibrium substitutes for domestic skilled labour, they may be general-equilibrium complements, (2) service trade can provide crucial missing inputs that reverse comparative advantage in final goods, (3) the 'optimal' tax on imported services may be a subsidy, and (4) in our dynamic formulation, there may be earnings losses for immobile workers along a transition path that suggest potentially important equity consequences of reform. JEL classification: F12, F16, F23


Since two-dimensional boron sheet (borophene) synthesized on Ag substrates in 2015, research on borophene has grown fast in the fields of condensed matter physics, chemistry, material science, and nanotechnology. Due to the unique physical and chemical properties, borophene has various potential applications. In this review, we summarize the progress on borophene with a particular emphasis on the recent advances. First, we introduce the phases of borophene by experimental synthesis and theoretical predictions. Then, the physical and chemical properties, such as mechanical, thermal, electronic, optical and superconducting properties are summarized. We also discuss in detail the utilization of the borophene for wide ranges of potential application among the alkali metal ion batteries, Li-S batteries, hydrogen storage, supercapacitor, sensor and catalytic in hydrogen evolution, oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, and CO 2 electroreduction reaction. Finally, the challenges and outlooks in this promising field are featured on the basis of its current development.


Load-dependent position error and its compensation approach in a hybrid stepper motor has been studied in this paper. With stepper motor modelling and load angle concept, low position stiffness feature for a stepper motor with open loop operation has been explained. A specific field oriented control has been proposed to maximize stepper motor position stiffness. Experimental verification shows the effectiveness of the proposed method. Results also show that stepper motor efficiency can be improved significantly by the proposed method.


The subject was a 28-year-old Japanese woman whose red blood cells had two populations of A, CCDee, Jk (a+b-), and AB, CcDEe, Jk (a+b+), at 95% and 5%, respectively. The karyotype for her lymphocytes was a female type of 46, XX, 100%. She was not a twin and had no history of chimeric features such as hermaphroditism, patchy skin pigmentation, or heterochromia iridis, as is often seen in dispermic chimeras. Her chimerism was further investigated using genomic DNA from leukocytes and nails as a somatic sample. Amelogenin genes specific for Y chromosome were not detected in her nails. Analyses of microsatellite and blood group genes were carried out by a PCR-SSCP method. Analysis of ABO gene revealed that A, B, and O gene coexisted in not only her peripheral blood but also her nails, and that the amount of B gene was less than that of A or O gene, corresponding to the rate of red blood cells. Rh blood group gene analyses showed the same result. Furthermore, a double contribution of alleles from her father was suggested both in her peripheral blood and nails by microsatellite analysis at the D1S102 locus. Therefore, on the basis of these findings, we considered this was a case of dispermic chimera.


Poverty, poor nutrition, environmental and social injustice prevailing in Latin America are factors that determine the action of pollutants on children. Lead poisoning and pollution constitute a public health problem throughout the world. Lead affects multiple organs: nervous system particularly, hematopoietic, renal, endocrine, bone and others. Objective: to assess clinical, biochemical and vascular effects in children exposed to known source of lead. Materials and methods: Seven children with defined source lead exposure were studied, general and specific lead laboratory were made. Endothelial function and electrocardiographic parameters were assessed. Statistic: descriptive. Results: Age average was 6,2 years (DE 1, 6), average haematocrit 31% (DE 0,02); hemoglobin average 10,2 g/dl (DE 0,78). 100% presented hypochromia, microcitosis, anemia and marked anisocytosis. Lead average: 37,9 ug/dl (DE 6,22), ALA-D average: 8,9 U/L (DE 4,5). No changes were found in lipid profile and kidney function. All presented microalbuminuria and endothelial dysfunction. Conclusion: These results show the effects of environmental lead exposure that can result in children not occupationally exposed.


The paper describes a new approach to speed-up and improve boundary scan based testing, by assigning functionality to a layer concept implemented in programmable logic. The motivation is driven by the constantly increasing gap between available and testable functionality of printed circuit boards. The motivation, architecture and build process of the proposed test and validation system is presented. Furthermore one selected example and first results are given to indicate the advantage of the proposed concept.


In this paper, we model and investigate the interaction between the TCP protocol and rate adaptation at intermediate routers. Rate adaptation aims at saving energy by controlling the offered capacity of links and adapting it to the amount of traffic. However, when TCP is used at the transport layer, the control loop of rate adaptation and one of the TCP congestion control mechanism might interact and disturb each other, compromising throughput and Quality of Service (QoS). Our investigation is lead through mathematical modeling consisting in depicting the behavior of TCP and of rate adaption through a set of Delay Differential Equations (DDEs). The model is validated against simulation results and it is shown to be accurate. The results of the sensitivity analysis of the system performance to control parameters show that rate adaptation can be effective but a careful parameter setting is needed to avoid undesired disruptive interaction among controllers at different levels, that impair QoS.


Regional —autonomic— scale is the key piece in our country for the sustainable land ordination. The elaboration of regional, general and sectorial, plans of spatial planning grants protagonism emphasized to risk reduction. Basic requirement in these cases is the existence of a detailed and precise cartography of risk. Besides, the existence of territorial plans of regional scale must suppose the control of the soli transformation that removes to end in the municipal scale. This paper present two examples distinguished of spatial planning with risk reduction criteria —essentially floods— in the regional scale put in practice in Spain during last two decades.


Cynodon dactylon (Bermudagrass) is an invasive grass found in some southwestern U.S. grasslands and is linked to decreased wildlife abundance. Cynodon dactylon removal is a necessary first step in many native grassland restoration projects. We evaluated seven C. dactylon removal methods in three Texas ecoregions, seeking to determine which most effectively suppressed C. dactylon growth in varying environmental conditions. We applied treatments to 355-m2 plots throughout summer 2015 and measured aboveground, living plant biomass, height, canopy cover, and species richness within plots in April–July 2016. Six treatments reduced (p ≤ 0.05) C. dactylon canopy cover compared to untreated controls at all study sites: single and repeated glyphosate herbicide applications—with or without shredding C. dactylon to 3-cm height two weeks prior, a single imazapyr herbicide application, and a glyphosate, imazapic, and imazapyr herbicide combination all resulted in ≥ 98.60% C. dactylon canopy cover and biomass reduction. A single glyphosate application reduced C. dactylon canopy cover 72.13 ± 27.74% compared to controls. Shredding grass and overseeding Vicia villosa (hairy vetch) reduced (p ≤ 0.05) C. dactylon biomass 49.45 ± 6.92% and height 13.58 ± 0.04% but did not decrease canopy cover relative to controls in any ecoregion. Overseeding V. villosa and shredding C. dactylon prior to herbicide application resulted in greater volunteer plant species richness and greater above-soil biomass. Treatment ability to suppress C. dactylon growth was similar across ecoregions. This implies land managers may use C. dactylon-suppression methodologies standardized for the entire state of Texas and likely beyond. By utilizing our results to effectively suppress C. dactylon, pastures can be prepared for conversion to native rangeland and prairie ecosystems.


We have measured the photoreflectance spectra of a strained layer (001) In0.21Ga0.79As/GaAs single quantum well as a function of temperature in the range 10 K<T<500 K. The details of the lineshape of the fundamental conduction to heavy‐hole feature (11H) demonstrates its excitonic nature even up to 500 K. From the temperature dependence of the 11H linewidth we have obtained important information about the quality of the material and interface. The variation of the 11H energy gap with temperature agrees with that of bulk material. Comparison of the energies of 11H and higher lying transitions with an envelope function calculation yields a conduction band offset parameter Qc=0.65±0.07.


A model of the regulation of muscle strength exertion is proposed. Based on the model, methods are discussed to assess whether a subject exerts maximal or submaximal efforts. Results with 40 subjects indicate that a simple technique may be developed to judge if a subject is following instructions to exert a maximal contraction in a routine test of voluntary muscle strength.


The present research was conducted to study earliness and their correlations with grain yield in rice breeding. It was carried out during 2012 and 2013 growing seasons at RRTC Farm, Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt. F1 were evaluated along with their parents for genotypic variation. ANOVA revealed significant differences at the 0.01 level among crosses and parents as well as between parents and crosses. These results indicated a wide range of variations among parental groups. The mean squares of parents vs. crosses were found to be significant for all grain yield and its component characters. Variance among crosses indicated significant SCA effects at the 0.01 level for all its component traits. Concerning GCA effects four entries; Sakha 101, Novator, Anait and Large Stigma exhibited positive significant estimates at 0.01 levels for grain yield /plant. The desirable hybrid combinations Giza 179 X Large Stigma and Sakha 105 X VNIRB 572 exhibited significant values of SCA effects at 0.01 and 0.05 levels for grain yield. Heritability estimates in narrow sense ranged from low to moderate. Sakha 101 X Novator, Sakha 106 X Novator and Giza 179 X Large Stigma were the promising hybrid combinations for improving yield character according to results for mid and better parent heterosis. Positive significant correlation coefficient at 0.01 level was recorded between 1000-grain weight and grain yield/plant. The four earliness component traits understudy contributed directly to the earliness character. Also, the earliness component traits; days to heading, days to maturity and elongation of panicle initiation had a direct contribution to yield component.


Kidney dimensions have been measured in various parts of the world ultrasonographically and morphometrically though never in Nepal. Prior knowledge of kidney dimensions in Nepalese population would be of immense help to ultrasonologists planning to scan kidney. Forty normal-appearing formalin-preserved adult kidneys of unknown age and sex were measured using a sliding caliper for maximum length, width and thickness. Weight of kidney was measured by a "micro" weighing balance. Student's t test was applied for statistical significance. Right kidney was 85.25 +/- 10.7mm. long, 50.65 +/- 5.8mm. wide and 34.6 +/- 5.1 mm. thick. Left kidney was 91.65 +/- 9.2mm. long, 53.65 +/- 5.2mm. wide and 38.5 +/- 4.1 mm. thick. Weight of right kidney was 84.16 +/- 28.4 gm. and left kidney was 111.1 +/- 28.9 gm. Kidneys of Nepalese population were shorter and lighter than people living in other parts of the world. Difference between length, thickness and weight of left and right kidney was statistically significant but difference in width was not. Variation from other population is racial. Difference in left and right kidney dimensions is reported in various earlier literatures; therefore, Nepalese population is no exception.


A total of 600 handicapped patients had dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia during an eight-year period. Handicaps included mental retardation, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, seizure disorders, autism, cystic fibrosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, and muscular dystrophy. No significant complications developed in the majority of patients. This is attributed to thorough preoperative evaluation, appropriate anesthetic management, and vigilant postoperative observation.


Idiopathic hyperammonemia is a rare but potentially fatal complication occurring in patients with acute leukemia or bone marrow transplantation. The role of some specific anticancer drugs may be discussed, but the etiology of hyperammonemia is often multifactorial. We report the case of a 40-year-old woman who developed fatal idiopathic hyperammonemia two weeks after induction chemotherapy with idarubicin-aracytine for acute myeloid leukemia. Despite intensive care management and extrarenal epuration, the patient was declared brain dead two days after hyperammonemia onset.


This study deals with the collection of solar energy and its storage in evacuated tubular collector systems for different types of header design, flow passage and heat transfer devices. In order to elicit the most efficient combination of header design, flow passage, heat transfer hardware and operating conditions, a series of tests were done for the four different types of solar collectors utilizing vacuum tubes. The systems studied here either has the evacuated collector tubes with a metal cap on one end or the all-glass evacuated solar collector tubes. These evacuated tubular collectors are known to be more efficient than the flat-plate ones in both direct and diffuse solar radiation. Test results show that the system comprised of the all-glass evacuated tubes with U-shaped copper pipes inside outperforms the other configurations. Especially, a rolled copper sheet tightly placed along the inner surface of each inner tube enhances heat transfer between the heated collector surface and the water contained in the U-shaped copper pipe.


Factors affecting the extracellular production of succinoyl trehalose lipids by Rhodococcus erythropolis SD-74 were studied to optimize the culture conditions for the maximumproduction. Since the optimal pH for the production of the acidic exolipid was about 7, the addition of phosphate buffer (pH 7) of high concentrations (0.3 to 0.4m) to shake culture media was essential for exolipid production. A high osmotic equivalent of culture broth (about 2% NaCl equivalent value) was favorable for exolipid production. Although K+ was superior to Na+, chlorides at higher concentrations were more inhibitory for exolipid production compared to sulfates or phosphates. Under the optimal conditions in a jar tormentor, the concentration of the exolipid in the culture broth reached about 40g/l after 10 days.


The purpose of this study is to examine the role of teachers' communication styles in the education of elementary school pupils on Lembeh Island, Bitung City. This study employs a phenomenological qualitative methodology. Purposive sampling was used to identify primary school teachers on Lembeh Island as study participants. The researchers used observation, in-depth interviews, and document studies to gather data. Reducing data, displaying data for verification, and generating conclusions were all steps in the data analysis process. Triangulation was used to check the data for authenticity. According to the study's findings, two-way communication (Two-Way Communication) between educators on the Lembeh Islands's teaching staff and their students is a transactional communication pattern facilitated by the humanistic process and aimed at facilitating the sharing of information and the development of mutual understanding through the use of a unified curriculum.


The purpose of our study is to define the mechanism of bortezomib resistance in cancer therapy and to identify novel approaches in overcoming the resistance. Bortezomib is the first FDA-approved reversible proteasome inhibitor in treating multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma patients. Numerous clinical trials are ongoing in testing the efficacy of bortezomib and its derivatives in treating human cancers. One of the major concerns in using single-agent bortezomib is that patients develop resistance during the course of treatment and cancers relapse. To explore the underlying mechanisms, we recently established a bortezomib-resistant human acute T lymphoblastic cell line Jurkat-BR. Jurkat-BR remains sensitive to carfilzomib, a FDA-approved second-generation irreversible proteasome inhibitor. An inhibitor targeting upstream proteasome pathway, MLN 4924, also exhibits cytotoxic effects toward Jurkat-BR. Overexpression and hyperactivation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) is associated with many forms of blood malignancies. Compared with parental Jurkat, Jurkat-BR has significant elevation of STAT5b, but not STAT5a, at both mRNA and protein levels. Pimozide is an antipsychotic drug that recently found to specifically inhibit STAT5 activity. Consistent with STAT5b overexpression, Jurkat-BR is more sensitive than parental Jurkat to cytotoxicity induced by pimozide. Another inhibitor targeting STAT5 SH2 domain, the nonpeptidic nicotinoyl hydrazone (CAS# 285968-31-4, STAT5I) also exhibits similar effects. Both pimozide and STAT5I synergize with bortezomib in killing Jurkat-BR cells. These results support the importance of STAT5b upregulation in acquired bortezomib resistance. We reported previously that STAT5 translocates to mitochondria (BBRC 402:778) and represses mitochondrial gene expression (manuscript submitted). In Jurkat-BR cells, we also observed STAT5b mitochondrial translocation, reduced mitochondrial gene expression, and repression of mitochondrial respiration. These results suggest that both STAT5b overexpression and reduced mitochondrial activity may be important molecular markers for cancer cell9s resistance to bortezomib. Our data further support the clinical benefit of STAT5 inhibitors in complementing proteasome inhibitors and in overcoming its resistance in patients who acquire resistance through upregulating STAT5. More importantly, the link between reduced mitochondrial respiration and bortezomib resistance highlights the potentials of targeting mitochondria in developing novel combined chemotherapy for cancer patients. Citation Format: Fu-Yu Chueh, Shahrooz Vahedi, Fu-Shin Chueh, Chao-Lan Yu. Therapeutic potentials of STAT5 inhibitors in overcoming bortezomib resistance in human T-cell leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2702. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2702


PurposeThe aim of this study was to analyze the imaging characteristics of 99mTc-dextran (99mTc-DX) lymphatic imaging in the diagnosis of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL). Materials and methodsForty-one PIL patients were diagnosed as having PIL with the diagnosis being subsequently confirmed by laparotomy, endoscopy, biopsy, or capsule colonoscopy. Nineteen patients were male and 22 were female. A whole-body 99mTc-DX scan was performed at 10 min, 1 h, 3 h, and 6 h intervals after injection. The 10 min and 1 h postinjection intervals were considered the early phase, the 3 h postinjection interval was considered the middle phase, and the 6 h postinjection interval was considered the delayed phase. ResultsThe imaging characteristics of 99mTc-DX lymphatic imaging in PIL were of five different types: (i) presence of dynamic radioactivity in the intestine, associated with radioactivity moving from the small intestine to the ascending and transverse colon; (ii) presence of delayed dynamic radioactivity in the intestine, no radioactivity or little radioactivity distributing in the intestine in the early phase, or significant radioactivity distributing in the intestine in the delayed phase; (iii) radioactivity distributing in the intestine and abdominal cavity; (iv) radioactivity distributing only in the abdominal cavity with no radioactivity in the intestines; and (v) no radioactivity distributing in the intestine and abdominal activity. Conclusion99mTc-DX lymphatic imaging in PIL showed different imaging characteristics. Caution should be exercised in the diagnosis of PIL using lymphoscintigraphy. Lymphoscintigraphy is a safe and accurate examination method and is a significant diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of PIL.


The active surface device is a new type of automation concept to handle multiple objects with high precision. The concept consists of using a massively parallel microactuator array to generate a pressure field on a planar surface. The objects can be translated, rotated, and flipped by controlling this pressure field surrounding the objects. The architecture of the active surface device is designed in a modular manner, which allows the array to be expanded by simply adding modules to the system. A general-purpose test bed has been built to experiment with this new design. An object recognition algorithm and several control techniques have been successfully implemented to perform basic sensing and handling operations. The architecture and mechanisms of this prototype test bed and the implementation of algorithms are presented.


Abstract Objective: Dual sequential defibrillation (DSD) — successive defibrillations with two defibrillators — offers a novel approach to refractory ventricular fibrillation (RVF) and tachycardia (VF/VT). While associated with rescue shock success, the effect of DSD upon out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is unknown. We evaluated the association of DSD with survival after refractory VF/VT OHCA. Methods: We used data from a large metropolitan fire-based EMS service. We included all adult OHCA during 2013–2016 with ≥3 standard defibrillations. Physicians authorized subsequent DSD use by two separate defibrillators (PhysioControl LIFEPAK® 12/15) with pads placed anterior-lateral and anterior-posterior. Evaluated outcomes included return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to hospital admission, survival to 72 hours, and survival to hospital discharge. Using multivariable logistic regression, we evaluated the association between defibrillation type and OHCA outcomes, adjusting for patient demographics and event characteristics. Results: We included 310 patients in the analysis, 71 patients receiving DSD and 239 receiving conventional defibrillation. Patient demographics and event characteristics were similar between both groups. ROSC was lower for DSD than standard defibrillation: 39.4% vs. 60.3%, adjusted OR 0.46 (95% CI: 0.25–0.87). There were no differences in survival to hospital admission (35.2% vs. 49.2%, adjusted OR 0.57 [95% CI: 0.30–1.08]), survival to 72 hours (21.4% vs. 32.3%, adjusted OR 0.52 [95% CI: 0.26–1.10]), or survival to hospital discharge (14.3% vs. 20.9%, adjusted OR 0.63 [95% CI: 0.27–1.45]). Conclusions: Compared with conventional defibrillation, DSD was associated with lower odds of prehospital ROSC. Defibrillation type was not associated with other OHCA endpoints. DSD may not be beneficial in refractory VF/VT OHCA.


The contact of two liquid materials, one of which is at a temperature substantially above the boiling point of the other, can lead to fast energy conversion and a subsequent shock wave. This phenomenon is called a vapor explosion. One method of producing intimate, liquid-liquid contact (which is known to be a necessary condition for vapor explosion) is a shock tube configuration. Such experiments in which water was impacted upon molten aluminum showed that very high pressures, even larger than the thermodynamic critical pressure, could occur. The mechanism by which such sharp pressure pulses are generated is not yet clear. The report describes experiments in which cold liquids (Freon-11, Freon-22, water, or butanol) were impacted upon various hot materials (mineral oil, silicone oil, water, mercury, molten Wood's metal or molten salt mixture).


The piezoelectric composite material could engender stress concentration resulting from small cracks during layers easily, as the cracks growth will lead to the failure of the whole structure. In this paper, a finite element model for piezoelectric composite materials by ABAQUS including interlayer crack was established, and the J integral and crack tip stress of different types PZT patches were calculated by using the equivalent integral method. Then, the J integral for adhesive layers with different thickness, elastic modulus considering and not considering piezoelectricity was investigated. The results show that the J integral of mode I, II reduces with thicker adhesive layer and lower elastic modules, and the J integral of mode II decreases more sharply than that of mode I.


Cu–Mg–Fe–M–O (M = Mn, Zr, and Ce) catalysts derived from layered double hydroxides (LDHs) precursors were prepared using a co-precipitation method and tested for higher alcohol synthesis (HAS) via carbon monoxide hydrogenation. The catalysts were subsequently characterized by N2-physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and H2 temperature-programed reduction (H2-TPR). The results show that Mn, Zr, and Ce promoters mainly contribute to the formation of tetrahedrally coordinated copper species, which favor the enhancement of the total alcohol selectivity. The addition of Mn facilitates the interaction between Cu and Fe, which causes the total alcohol selectivity and C2+ alcohol content in the total alcohols increased from 9.82% and 68.85% to 15.1% and 73.14%, respectively. However, the addition of Zr and Ce weakens the Cu–Fe interaction but increases the possibility of contact between Cu and Fe. As a consequence, the total alcohol selectivity is enhanced, while the C2+ alcohol content in the total alcohols is reduced upon Zr and Ce addition. Based on the characterization and catalytic results of the catalysts, a triple-active-site model is proposed to explain the different promoting effects of the three additives.


Abstract Traditionally, congestive heart failure (HF) was phenotyped by echocardiography or other imaging techniques according to left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF). The more recent echocardiographic modality speckle tracking strain is complementary to LVEF, as it is more sensitive to diagnose mild systolic dysfunction. Furthermore, when LV systolic dysfunction is associated with a small, hypertrophic ventricle, EF is often normal or supernormal, whereas LV global longitudinal strain can reveal reduced contractility. In addition, segmental strain patterns may be used to identify specific cardiomyopathies, which in some cases can be treated with patient-specific medicine. In HF with preserved EF (HFpEF), a diagnostic hallmark is elevated LV filling pressure, which can be diagnosed with good accuracy by applying a set of echocardiographic parameters. Patients with HFpEF often have normal filling pressure at rest, and a non-invasive or invasive diastolic stress test may be used to identify abnormal elevation of filling pressure during exercise. The novel parameter LV work index, which incorporates afterload, is a promising tool for quantification of LV contractile function and efficiency. Another novel modality is shear wave imaging for diagnosing stiff ventricles, but clinical utility remains to be determined. In conclusion, echocardiographic imaging of cardiac function should include LV strain as a supplementary method to LVEF. Echocardiographic parameters can identify elevated LV filling pressure with good accuracy and may be applied in the diagnostic workup of patients suspected of HFpEF.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of prazosin, an alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist, on determinants of triacylglycerol metabolism in rats fed chronically diets high in starch or sucrose. Hepatic triacylglycerol secretion rate (HTGSR), lipoprotein lipase in white and brown adipose tissues, red vastus lateralis muscle and heart, as well as serum triacylglycerol concentration, were assessed in the post-prandial state, after injection of prazosin or saline. Post-prandial triacylglycerolemia was higher in the sucrose-fed than in the starch-fed rats. After the injection of prazosin, triacylglycerol concentrations were decreased in both dietary groups. This effect was more marked in sucrose-fed than in starch-fed rats (diet x blocker interaction: P < 0.0003). HTGSR was higher in rats fed sucrose than in starch-fed rats (+49%, P < 0.01). Prazosin decreased HTGSR (-45%) in the sucrose-fed rats but not in animals fed starch. Lipoprotein lipase activities in brown adipose tissue, vastus lateralis muscle and heart in rats injected with prazosin were enhanced compared with those of the saline-treated rats, but no change was found in enzyme activity in white adipose tissue. This effect of prazosin was independent of the type of diet. These results suggest that prazosin reduced serum triacylglycerol concentrations after food ingestion at least partly by enhancing lipoprotein lipase activity in several tissues. In addition, the prazosin-induced decrease in HTGSR in sucrose-fed rats, which was absent in starch-fed animals, probably accounted for the greater magnitude of the hypotriacylglycerolemic effect of the blocker in animals given sucrose.


A 37–year–old woman affected by uterine HPV–related adenocarcinoma complicated by paraneoplastic pulmonary thromboembolism, came to the emergency department for recurrent episodes of dysarthria and blurred vision with spontaneous resolution. Home medications: Enoxaparin 5000 UI b.i.d, levofloxacin 500 mg/die, deltacortene 25 mg/die and omeprazole 20 mg/die. Blood analysis: normocytic anemia (Hb 9 gr/dl),elevated D–dimer (22.5 mcg/ml) and elevated C–reactive protein (18.3 mg/dl). Procalcitonin and blood cultures resulted negative. Brain CT scan: ischemic brain lesions of embolic nature in the right precentral gyrus and in the left post central gyrus. EKG: sinus rhythm, T–wave inversion in inferior leads. In the suspect of cardioembolic stroke a transthoracic (TTE) and subsequent transesophageal (TOE) echocardiography was performed: TTE: isoechoic oval–shaped thickening of the aortic valve cusp tips, producing aortic regurgitation with double jet regurgitation. TOE: evidence of multiple isoechoic masses involving all the aortic cusps, without perivalvular aortic extension, producing significant aortic regurgitation due to coaptation– gap (Figure 1). The diagnosis of non–bacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) was made up. Although the standard medical therapy (anticoagulation and chemotherapy) was promptly started, it wasn't effective with progression of the disease leading to surgical indications of valve intervention. The patient underwent aortic valve replacement with bioprosthesis avoiding mechanical prosthesis, despite the young age, in anticipation of major surgery for the uterine cancer. Surgical specimen turned negative for microorganism growth confirming the diagnosis of marantic endocarditis. No further episodes of ischemic stroke appeared after the replacement of the valve and the patient had no neurological sequelae. NBTE is a rare condition of non–infective endocarditis characterized by the formation of aggregates of platelets and fibrin that affects usually undamaged heart valves in the absence of bacteremia and mostly occurs in patients with a predisposing state like hypercoagulability. Surgical indications of valve intervention are not well encoded but in most cases they follow the raccomandations for infective endocarditis. Our experience highlights the need of a prompt intervention in order to reduce the damage of systemic embolization and preserve patient's hemodynamics with a strict checking of disease progression.


OBJECTIVE
To observe the efficacy of Yiqijiebiao prescription in treating children with influenza B infection (flu).

METHODS
A total of 120 children with influenza B infection who were treated at the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Clinic of Tianjin Children's Hospital from October to December 2019 were enrolled. According to different treatments, the children were divided into Yiqijiebiao prescription treatment group and Western medicine treatment control group, with 60 cases in each group. Yiqijiebiao prescription treatment group was orally given Yiqijiebiao prescription plus and minus treatment (composition: perilla leaf, kudzu root, Bupleurum, Qing Pinellia, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi each 6 g, tangerine peel, nepeta panicle, Divaricate Saposhniovia root, praecupura, almond, ginseng, platycodon, roasted licorice each 4 g, add plaster and cooked rhubarb for dry stools, add pre-bait, honey loquat leaves for severe cough, add Angelica dahurica and flos magnoliae for runny nose), take 1 dose a day, twice a day; Western medicine treatment control group was orally given Ribavirin, 10 mg/kg each time, 3 times a day. After 7 days of treatment, the changes in clinical symptoms, laboratory results and clinical efficacy of the two groups were observed, and the changes in prognostic indexes of the two groups were analyzed.

RESULTS
The numbers of children with normal body temperature and improved or partially improved symptoms such as cough, sore throat, and runny nose in the Yiqijiebiao prescription treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (normal body temperature: 49 cases vs. 44 cases, cough relieved: 33 cases vs. 25 cases, sore throat relieved: 27 cases vs. 23 cases, runny nose relieved: 47 cases vs. 42 cases, all P < 0.05). The numbers of children whose nasopharyngeal swabs with influenza B virus antibody (IBV-Ag) turned negative and serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the normal reference value range (< 10 mg/L) were significantly higher than those in Western medicine treatment control group (IBV-Ag negative: 36 cases vs. 31 cases, SAA in the normal reference value range: 49 cases vs. 46 cases, CRP in the normal reference value range: 50 cases vs. 46 cases, all P < 0.05). The total effective rate of Yiqijiebiao prescription treatment group after treatment was significantly higher than that of control group [81.67% (49/60) vs. 75.00% (45/60), P < 0.05]. The numbers of children with constipation, loss of appetite and diarrhea in the Yiqijiebiao prescription treatment group were significantly less than those in the control group (constipation: 11 cases vs. 14 cases, loss of appetite: 8 cases vs. 11 cases, diarrhea: 6 cases vs. 8 cases, all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Yiqijiebiao prescription can significantly improve the clinical symptoms and laboratory results of children with influenza B infection and increase the total effective rate, and have a definite effect.


In this Thesis, I studied some of the current aspects of organic matter photochemistry. I analyzed abiotic phototransformations of several types of dissolved (DOM) and particulate organic matter (POM). I also evaluated the effects of phototransformation of several types of DOM on bacteria. Finally, in a field experiment, I analyzed net effects of solar radiation on organic matter decomposition. DOM undergoes several transformations due to solar irradiation. One such transformation is photooxidation of organic matter into inorganic carbon. Results of this Thesis show that photooxidation is ubiquitous to all kinds of organic matter in both dissolved and particulate forms. The intensity of this process depends on several factors, including DOM composition, radiation type and time of exposure. Besides mineralization to inorganic carbon, DOM undergoes other chemical transformations due to UV radiation, with profound consequences to DOM availability for bacteria. Bioavailability was tested by measuring bacterial growth and respiration on irradiated and non-irradiated DOM from several types of humic matter and plant leachates. Irradiation of freshly-leached DOM often produced negative effects on bacteria, whereas irradiation of humic material was followed by stimulation of bacterial growth. The degree of stimulation seems to be related to the initial bioavailability of the DOM and to the capability of the DOM to produce hydrogen peroxide upon irradiation. Other factors also accounted for differences in bacterial response to photochemical modification of DOM, including length and type of irradiation exposure. The effects of solar radiation on litter decomposition were also evaluated using experiments that more closely mimic natural conditions. I could not observe differences between dry weight loss of leaves and culms exposed to solar radiation or kept in darkness, which may be explained by the fact that abiotic decomposition under solar radiation is counterbalanced by negative effects of solar radiation on decomposers.


Abstract Calorimetric, potentiometric, and spectrophotometric studies on mixed ligand complexes of copper(II) iminodiacetate and simple di- and tripeptides (GlyGly, αAlaαAla, αAlaβAla, βAlaβAla, αAlaAsn, GlyGlyGly, AlaGlyGly) have been carried out in aqueous solution at 298.15 K and ionic strength of I = 0.5 (KNO3). The thermodynamic parameters of formation of various mixed complexes have been determined. The probable coordination modes of the complex and peptide molecules in the mixed ligand complexes are discussed.


All living jawed vertebrates possess teeth or did so ancestrally. Integumental surface also includes the cornea. Conversely, no other anatomical feature differentiates the clades so readily as skin appendages do, multicellular glands in amphibians, hair follicle/gland complexes in mammals, feathers in birds, and the different types of scales. Tooth-like scales are characteristic of chondrichthyans, while mineralized dermal scales are characteristic of bony fishes. Corneous epidermal scales might have appeared twice, in squamates, and on feet in avian lineages, but posteriorly to feathers. In contrast to the other skin appendages, the origin of multicellular glands of amphibians has never been addressed. In the seventies, pioneering dermal–epidermal recombination between chick, mouse and lizard embryos showed that: (1) the clade type of the appendage is determined by the epidermis; (2) their morphogenesis requires two groups of dermal messages, first for primordia formation, second for appendage final architecture; (3) the early messages were conserved during amniotes evolution. Molecular biology studies that have identified the involved pathways, extending those data to teeth and dermal scales, suggest that the different vertebrate skin appendages evolved in parallel from a shared placode/dermal cells unit, present in a common toothed ancestor, c.a. 420 mya.


This research will be focused on applications of mind map helping first year students at Hanoi Metropolitan University improve their reading comprehension abilities, as well as supporting theories. Reading is one of the most important, as well as difficult skills for each and every English learner to master it. It is not only a subject with load of printed words, but also a giant repertory of knowledge contained in them. Especially, for the freshmen who have to deal with these complicated and unfamiliar things, a helpful tool is needed. Mind map can be considered one of the most effective and feasible tools to do this task. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a research on this issue. The purpose of this research is to prove that using mind map as a self-study supporting tool is feasible for first year students to enhance their reading comprehension abilities. More specifically, thanks to this tool, they can learn words, as well as grasp the contents of texts much more easily and efficiently. In addition, questionnaire survey is conducted in this research to elucidate points and ideas related to the reading comprehension ability of first year students, as well as associated with mind map. The scope of this study is only focus on the first year students majoring in English language who are taking part in reading class at Hanoi Metropolitan University. More specifically, their reading comprehension abilities are approximately at intermediate level based on the result of this questionnaire survey.


Changes in surface chemical properties of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans after adaptation to high copper and zinc ion concentration were studied by surface sensitive techniques such as zeta-potential, XPS and FT-IR measurements. The adapted bacteria were also characterized by their surface energies and adhesion capacities on different sulphide minerals. Their surface negative charge was decreased due to changes in the structure of bacterial surface layers. The metal ions adapted cells secreted more extracellular polymeric substances with a modified composition compared to unadapted ferrous ions grown cells. Bacterial cells hydrophilic property increased after adaptation and altered their adhesion behavior to sulphide mineral.


BACKGROUND
Previously, we have labeled doxorubicin with [99Tc] and evaluated its potential as a SPECT agent to detect cancer in tumor bearing mice. In this study, we sought to radiolabel doxorubicin with [18F] using acylation method.

METHODS
A quaternary salt of the precursor pentamethylbenzyl-4-(trimethylammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate) benzoate was synthesized and characterized by 1H-NMR. As a first step, 4-[18F]- fluorobenzoic acid (FBA) was synthesized from precursor. In second step, [18F]-FBA was further converted to its corresponding acyl form to radiolabel doxorubicin via acylation reaction.

RESULTS
The total reaction time for the synthesis of [18F]-fluorobenzoate-doxorubicin was about 60 minutes. The radiolabeling efficiency of the final product was estimated to be about 59.0% The radiochemical yield for the synthesis of [18F]-FBA and [18F]-fluorobenzoate-doxorubicin were 19.0- 29.0% and 12.0-14.0% respectively.

CONCLUSION
Radio synthesis of [18F]-fluorobenzoate-doxorubicin by acylation is a convenient method. However, further improvement in the labeling strategy is required to increase the radiolabeling efficiency and radio synthesis yield. Also, the radiolabeled product needs a detailed pre-clinical evaluation.


Two input energy sources are introduced in the suggested Multi input DC-DC converter topologies. The converters may send power to the load from both the input and output energy sources at the same time. The capacity to execute the buck, boost, and buck-boost modes of operation using the same structure, as well as the ability to transmit power to the load even if any one of the input energy sources fails, are the key advantages of the upgraded converter over the basic design. As a result, the MATLAB/Simulink platform was used to do a full software simulation of the enhanced converter. The state topology of the converter is illustrated independently for the buck, boost, and buck boost operations, indicating the integration of two renewable energy sources. In comparison to current converter topologies that have been published in the literature, the suggested converters offer various advantages such as a lower component count, a compact construction, and efficient energy usage.


Parents are primary care taker for the children and have an important role for the assessment and managent of children's pain following surgery. The purpose of the present study was to examine the validity and clinical utilization of the Postoperative Pain Measure for Parents (PPMP) developed by Chambers et al. Subjects were 52 children aged 4-12 years admitted for tonsillectomy and other minor surgery and their mothers. Faces Pain Scale, State Anxiety, and Postoperative Pain Measure for Parents were used. The data were collected by two research assistant on the operation day and 1st day after surgery at hospital during the period of July 20 to August 28, 1998. The results are as follows: 1. Eta correlation coefficient between 15 items of PPMP and child rated pain were calculated. Correlation coefficients were more than .2 for both day. 2. Internal consistency for PPMP were .82 and .83. 3. The scores of the PPMP were 10.73 (SD=3.71) and 9.27(SD=4.07) on the operation day and 1st day after surgery and there was no significant difference between two days(p=.056) On the other hand, there was a significant difference on the child rated pain by Faces Pain Scale between operation day and 1st day after surgery(p=.001). 4. The correlation(Spearman Rho) between PPMP and child rated pain were .40(p=.003) and .56(p=.000). The score of the PPMP and the children's state anxiety were highly correlated on the operation day and 1st day after surgery (.60, .52, p=.000). 5. Partial correlation between PPMP and child rated pain except state anxiety were .18(p=.23) and .48(p=.001) on the opration day and 1st day after surgery. 6. Using a cut-off score 10 out of 15, the measure showed excellent sensitivity (>80%) and moderate specificity (46.15%, 60% ). This study provides preliminary evidence for the use of the PPMP as a valid pain assessment tool with children between the ages of 4-12 years following surgery. It is suggested to explore the validity with a different subjects with other surgery and to examine the validity for infant and younger children.


Purpose – This paper provides a comprehensive summary of the academic literature with regard to risk and its role in the entrepreneurial experience of women. Entrepreneurial risk has an under-developed conceptual basis and distilling gender-specific aspects is difficult. Various academic disciplines have contributed to the topic of risk, e.g., economics, and often decision making is used to contextualise the topic. Though the literature does not always prove an association between the different facets of risk and entrepreneurship, there is general agreement that a number of factors, e.g., personal, political and social inter-relate to influence risk and subsequent behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – Uses a desk-based approach to data collection. An overview of the main issues concerning risk and entrepreneurship is given to contexualise the gender aspects to be discussed, drawing on the extant literature. Findings – The paper posits that an understanding of the gender aspects of risk is required if policy measures are to be constructive and help women overcome barriers and achieve their entrepreneurial potential. The conclusions drawn from the literature provide the foundations for a discussion of the likely policy measures that are required to encourage women entrepreneurs. Research limitations/implications – A summary is provided of the research and information gaps that remain in terms of women entrepreneurship and risk with the aim of encouraging further research in the area. Originality/value – Provides a comprehensive summary of the literature with regard to risk and the entrepreneurial experience of women, and discusses the likely policy measures required to encourage women entrepreneurs.


This research examines how gender diversity interacts with women's economic opportunity, such as prevailing laws, practices and attitudes in a country allowing women to participate in the workforce under similar conditions like men, to explain innovation in developing countries. We suggest that the level of women's economic opportunity in the country, within which firms operate, moderates the effect of gender diversity on a firms' likelihood to innovate. We examine the proposed moderating effect in a cross-country study using firm level data of the World Bank Enterprise Survey for 15,157 firms in 15 developing countries in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. We test our hypotheses using a hierarchical binary logistic regression. Our findings support the relevance of women's economic opportunity for gender diversity in the firm ownership structure and its workforce. We find that gender diversity increases the likelihood to innovate for firms operating in countries with rising levels of women's economic opportunity on the one hand and decreases the innovation likelihood for firms operating in countries that are at the low end of providing women's economic opportunity on the other hand. Furthermore, we find a direct positive effect of gender diversity on firms' likelihood to innovate at all levels in the organization as well as a positive effect of having a female top manager.


The planar Turán number $\textrm{ex}_{\mathcal{P}}(C_{\ell},n)$ is the largest number of edges in an $n$-vertex planar graph with no $\ell$-cycle. For each $\ell\in \{3,4,5,6\}$, upper bounds on $\textrm{ex}_{\mathcal{P}}(C_{\ell},n)$ are known that hold with equality infinitely often. Ghosh, Győri, Martin, Paulos, and Xiao [arXiv:2004.14094] conjectured an upper bound on $\textrm{ex}_{\mathcal{P}}(C_{\ell},n)$ for every $\ell\ge 7$ and $n$ sufficiently large. We disprove this conjecture for every $\ell\ge 11$. We also propose two revised versions of the conjecture.


Econometric analysis of a hitherto unused 1896 survey of African-American families in American cities, mostly located in the South, reveals the classic added worker effect: Longer intervals of husbands' unemployment—not counting work missed on account of illness—led to a greater share of wives taking paid employment outside the home. The analysis also shows that household structure and composition, as well as the health of husbands, influenced the decision of wives to enter the labor force. The data and analysis provide some of first econometric evidence about the labor-force decisions of urban-dwelling blacks in late nineteenth-century America.


A parallel solver for incompressible fluid flow simulation, used in biomedical device design among other applications, is discussed. The major computeand communication-intensive portions of the code are described. Using unsteady flow in a complex implantable axial blood pump as a model problem, scalability characteristics of the solver are briefly examined. The code that exhibited so far good scalability on typical PC clusters is shown to suffer from a specific bottleneck when thousands of processors of a Blue Gene are employed. After resolution of the problem, satisfactory scalability on up to four thousand processors is attained.


Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for the prevention of depression in older people. Method: Systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective controlled trials. Results: Thirty studies were included. Overall, psychosocial interventions had a small but statistically significant effect on depressive symptoms (17 trials, standardized mean difference = -0.17, 95% CI = -0.31 to -0.03). In comparison with no-intervention controls, social activities were effective in reducing depressive symptoms, but results should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of trials. No statistically significant effect on depressive symptoms was found for physical exercise, skill training, reminiscence, or for multicomponent interventions. Discussion: Psychosocial interventions have a small but statistically significant effect in reducing depressive symptoms among older adults. The current evidence base for psychosocial interventions for primary prevention of depression in older people is weak, and further trials warranted especially for the most promising type of interventions evaluated, that is, social activities.


Mind-wandering has become a captivating topic for cognitive neuroscientists. By now, it is reasonably well described in terms of its phenomenology and the large-scale neural networks that support it. However, we know very little about what neurobiological mechanisms trigger a mind-wandering episode and sustain the mind-wandering brain state. Here, we focus on the role of ascending neuromodulatory systems (i.e. acetylcholine, noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine) in shaping mind-wandering. We advance the hypothesis that the hippocampal sharp wave-ripple (SWR) is a compelling candidate for a brain state that can trigger mind-wandering episodes. This hippocampal rhythm, which occurs spontaneously in quiescent behavioural states, is capable of propagating widespread activity in the default network and is functionally associated with recollective, associative, imagination and simulation processes. The occurrence of the SWR is heavily dependent on hippocampal neuromodulatory tone. We describe how the interplay of neuromodulators may promote the hippocampal SWR and trigger mind-wandering episodes. We then identify the global neuromodulatory signatures that shape the evolution of the mind-wandering brain state. Under our proposed framework, mind-wandering emerges due to the interplay between neuromodulatory systems that influence the transitions between brain states, which either facilitate, or impede, a wandering mind. This article is part of the theme issue 'Offline perception: voluntary and spontaneous perceptual experiences without matching external stimulation'.


Low mechanical strength and lack of osteoconductive cues are problems associated with chitosan-based scaffolds. This research aimed to fabricate reinforced chitosan-titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes (CTNTs) scaffolds attributed to the enhanced biocompatibility and physical properties of TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs). The incorporation of hydrothermally synthesized TNTs at weight percent of 16 into chitosan was achieved via direct blending and lyophilization. CTNTs scaffolds were further subjected to 24-h adsorption in MgCl2 solutions of 0.5 mM, 1 mM, 2.5 mM, and 5 mM at physiological pH. The adsorption affinity of CTNTs towards Mg2+ ions was high and mainly attributed to the macroporosity of scaffolds and nanocavities of TNTs. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of CTNTs for Mg2+ ions was 8.8 mg/g scaffolds. Its adsorption isotherm fitted well with Langmuir isotherm by showing R2 of 0.9995. Fluorescence-based staining, cell viability, and alkaline phosphatase assays indicated that the adsorbed Mg2+ ions onto CTNTs scaffolds aided in promoting higher proliferation and early differentiation of MG63 cells than scaffolds without Mg2+ ions in a concentration-dependent manner. Based on current results, CTNTs scaffolds with Mg2+ ions may be a potential biomaterial for bone regeneration.


The aim of this thesis was to study the effects of restricted and free suckling in comparison with non-suckling on production and behaviour of cow and calf in dairy production systems. In the first and second study cows of Zebu × Holstein (n=24) and Holstein breed (n=27) and their calves were allocated to two treatments, restricted suckling (RS) and artificial rearing (AR) and studied during eight weeks. In the first study calves were present during milking and RS calves suckled after milking and in the afternoon. Behaviour and weight gain of calves and milk yield, milk composition and udder health (California Mastitis Test, CMT) of cows were measured. In the second study calves suckled two h after milking. Behaviour, feed intake and weight gain of calves and CMT and milk let-down of cows were registered. In the third study 65 calves of Swedish Red breed were allocated to three treatments: Free suckling (FS), low milk (LM) or high milk (HM) substitute allowance from an automatic feeder. Behaviours of FS and HM during the milk feeding period and of FS, LM and HM during weaning were observed. Weight gain and feed intake of calves were recorded until week 10. Milk yield and composition of FS dams and 15 contemporary herd-mates were measured until week 12. The result indicated an attachment between RS and FS cow-calf pairs. RS calves displayed less cross-sucking compared to AR, whereas it did not occur at all in FS during the suckling period. During the first 24 h after weaning FS showed more behavioural signs of stress than LM and HM calves. Suckling calves in all studies ate less solid feed than non-suckling calves. Weight gain was similar in RS and AR calves. Weight gain of FS calves was higher before weaning, but not after weaning compared to LM and HM. Saleable and total milk yield was higher of suckled cows in RS but not in FS compared to non-suckled cows. There were indications of improved udder health of RS compared to AR cows in extensive system. In FS system there was no effect on milk somatic cell count. In conclusion, RS resulted in beneficial effects on both production and behaviour in an extensive system. In intensive systems, RS and FS indicated benefits for calf behaviour and weight gain of FS calves; however, weight gain of FS was reduced after weaning.


OBJECTIVE
To study the chemical constituents of the aerial part of Bupleurum chinense.

METHODS
Dried aerial parts of Bupleurum chinense were extracted with EtOH, the chemical constituents in the extract were isolated and their structures were identified by physical and chemical properties and spectral analysis.

RESULTS
Five compounds were obtained and identified as 1-O-caffeoylglycerol (1), esculetin (2), scopoletin (3), kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-rutinoside (4) and alpha-spinastero (5).

CONCLUSION
Compounds 1-3 are obtained from Bupleurum chinense for the first time.


Purpose: To investigate the genetic loci/mutations among the Chinese Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 (CMT1), which accounts for approximately 70% of Charcot-Marie-Tooth; and to study the genetic heterogeneity and mutation frequency.Methods: CMT1A duplication and mutations at loci of MPZ, Cx32/GJB1, EGR2, and LITAF/SIMPLE were analyzed among 32 clinically diagnosed CMT1 patients of Chinese ancestry.Results: The CMT1A duplication was detected in 62.5% (20/32) CMT1 patients. This duplication accounts for the major mutation for Chinese CMT1. Among 12 cases that have no CMT1A duplication detected, three point mutations including one (3.1%) in MPZ and two (6.3%) in Cx32 were identified. No mutation was detected in genes PMP22, EGR2 and LITAF among the remaining nine (28.1%) CMT1 patients.Conclusion: The mutation frequency for the Chinese CMT1 is similar to that seen in the global ethnic population. Molecular testing of the CMT1A duplication, along with the loci of MPZ and Cx32, may detect the majority of Chinese CMT1 patients.


Complexes of Ga3+, a d10 metal ion which lacks ligand-field-stabilization energy, are considered labile. In fact, hexaaquagallium(III) has a ligand exchange rate of 403 s-1, 2.5 times that of the analagous Fe3+ complex (Hugi-Cleary, D.; Helm, L.; Merbach, A. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1987, 109, 4444-4450). Given this lability, resolution of Ga3+ complexes should be impossible. Despite this, we report the resolution of the Lambda and Delta isomers of tris(benzohydroxamate)gallium (III) (1), the first resolution of a mononuclear gallium complex. Not only is resolution possible, but these resolved complexes show remarkable resistance to racemization in aprotic solvents. The unprecedented stability of Lambda- and Delta-1 is a surprise, and as such, alters our understanding of classical coordination chemistry.


Abstract Various in vitro models are commonly used to study adipose tissue function. However, methods for protein normalization in dependence of differentiation and fat cell size are poorly defined. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize frequently used housekeepers during adipose differentiation in fat cells of varying cell size and between different subjects to allow a reliable and robust data interpretation. Human preadipocytes, SGBS, 3T3-L1, and mature cells were used to study the housekeeper profile. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was the most stable internal control in human preadipocytes, whereas all others showed substantial variation. In SGBS and 3T3-L1 cells none of the housekeepers revealed stable protein levels during differentiation. In mature adipocytes GAPDH and α-tubulin were found to be suitable as internal loading controls. Importantly, there was no substantial variation between different donors. However, Coomassie-staining turned out to represent an appropriate alternative as a stable and highly sensitive internal standard for all cell models tested. In conclusion, standard housekeeping proteins have substantial limitations in studies of adipogenesis and in dependence of fat cell size. Coomassie-staining turned out to be a sensitive and stable alternative as internal control for western blot studies during adipogenesis. However, inter-subject variability was low for the investigated housekeeper.


Generally the organizations of all types are increasingly concerned with achieving and demonstrating the sound occupational health and safety performance by controlling their OH&S risks,so that there are many agencies and organizations pursuiting to promote and develop the OH&S standards, the prime mover in the area of international OH&S standards is United Nations (UN) specifically International Labour Organization (ILO) which joints a large number of countries, U.S.A and U.K play a great role in (ILO) ,where that each country has contirbuted on creating a comprehensive OH&S standard (OSHA by US.A and OHSAS 18001:2007 by U.K).In this modest work we are going to evaluate an American company health and safety management system depending on (OSHA) by the referential OHSAS 18001:2007. As a problematic,could an american OHSM system depending on (OSHA) be adapted with the referential OHSAS (18001:2007)? Therefore on this book we will study an evaluation of a OHSM system by an effective tool OHSAS (18001:2007), additionally we wll try to find the extent of compliance, conformity and commitment of the company (Nabors Drilling International Limited) with this international reference.


Abstract Poor bone quality and osteolysis are the major causes of implant failure in dentistry. Here, this study tested the effect of phelligridin D-loaded nanotubes titanium (Ti) for bone formation around the dental implants. The purpose of this study was to enhance osseointegration of phelligridin D-loaded implant into the bone for bone formation and prevention of osteolysis. Cell viability, crystal violet staining, Western blot, alizarin red S staining, alkaline phosphatase activity, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining, micro-computed tromography (μ-CT), hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemical staining were used in vitro and in vivo to test the biocompatibility of phelligridin D. Phelligridin D enhanced osteoblast differentiation and mineralization by increasing bone morphogenic protein-2/7 (BMP-2/7), Osterix, Runx-2, osteoprotegerin (OPG), alkaline phosphatase and inhibited osteoclast differentiation by decreasing receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) in MC-3T3 E1 cells. Further, phelligridin D promoted bone regeneration around nanotube Ti implant surface by increasing the levels of BMP-2/7 and OPG in a rat model. Phelligridin D also inhibited osteolysis by suppressing the expression of RANKL. These findings strongly suggest that phelligridin D is a new compound representing a potential therapeutic candidate for implant failure caused by osteolysis and poor bone quality of teeth.


Background: Huntington disease (HD) is characterized by striatal atrophy that begins long before the onset of motor symptoms. Objective: To determine when striatal atrophy begins, the extent and rate of atrophy before diagnosis of motor symptoms, and whether striatal atrophy can predict when symptom onset will occur. Methods: Caudate and putamen volumes were measured on MRI scans of 19 preclinical subjects with the HD gene expansion who were very far (9 to 20 years) from estimated onset, and on serial scans from 17 preclinical subjects, six of whom were diagnosed with HD within 5 years after the initial scan. Results: Striatal volumes were significantly smaller for the subjects who were very far from estimated onset than for age-matched control subjects. Statistical models fit to the longitudinal data suggest that rate of caudate atrophy becomes significant when subjects are approximately 11 years from estimated onset and rate of putamen atrophy becomes significant approximately 9 years prior to onset. In the six incident cases, caudate and putamen were approximately one-third to one-half of normal volume at diagnosis, and caudate volume alone was able to predict with 100% accuracy those subjects who would be diagnosed within 2 years of imaging. Conclusions: Striatal atrophy begins many years prior to diagnosable HD, and assessment of atrophy on MRI may be very useful in both predicting HD onset and in tracking progression in future therapeutic trials in preclinical subjects.


: This paper mainly aims to illustrate an irrigation management tool to simulate scheduling of district-level water needs over the course of an irrigation season. The tool is mostly based on a daily model for simulating flow of water (and solutes) in heterogeneous agri-environmental systems (called FLOWS-HAGES). The model produces information on the daily evolution of: soil water contents and pressure potentials in the soil profile; water uptake and actual evapotranspiration; stress periods for each crop; return fluxes to the groundwater and their quality in terms of solute concentrations (e.g., nitrates). FLOWS-HAGES provides a daily list of hydrants to be operated according to water or crop-based criteria. The daily optimal sequence of hydrant use may thus be established by passing the volumes to be delivered on to the model for simulating the hydraulics of the irrigation network, in order to ensure that the discharges flowing inside the network of distribution pipes are delivered under optimal pressure head distribution in the system. All the above evaluations can be carried out in a stochastic framework to account for soil heterogeneity and climate changes. To illustrate the potential of FLOWS-HAGES, a case study was considered for a selected sector of the Irrigation District 10 in the "Sinistra Ofanto" irrigation system (southern Italy, Apulia region). In a 139 ha area (Sector 6 of the Irrigation District), soil profiles were analyzed for characterization of hydraulic properties variability. Hydraulic properties were determined by a combination of field and laboratory measurements. Model simulations were validated by comparing soil water storage simulated and measured by a sensor based on electromagnetic induction technique. Irrigation water volumes and frequency calculated by the model were compared to the volumes actually supplied by the farmers. Compared to the farmers behavior, the model simulates more frequent irrigations with lower irrigation volumes. Finally, some indexes of irrigation performance were calculated for each farm under study. The resulting maps provide useful information on the spatial distribution of farmer behavior, indicating the abuse or underuse of water as well as the fraction of the water lost by drainage following the irrigation method applied.


PurposeNintedanib esylate (NE) is a kinase inhibitor designated for the cure of non-small cell lung cancer suffers from first-pass metabolism which resulted in low oral bioavailability (~4.7%). The intent of this exploration was to increase the oral bioavailability of NE by means of TPGS coated liposomes. MethodsThe NE-loaded TPGS coated liposomes were formulated by high-speed homogenization by optimizing process parameters like phospholipids: cholesterol molar ratio, drug loading and sonication time through the design of experiments. The drug's behaviour was studied using a variety of techniques, including physicochemical characterization, in-vitro and in-vivo studies. ResultsThe NE-liposomes had a particle size of 125±6.68 nm, entrapment efficiency of 88.64±4.12% and zeta potential of +46±2.75 mV. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that NE had been converted to an amorphous state, while transmission electron microscope images showed spherical shape and smooth coating of TPGS on surface of liposomes. The formulation showed Higuchi kinetics with sustained drug release of 88.72 ± 3.40% in 24 hours. Cellular uptake of C-6 labelled liposomes was observed in A-549 cells and cytotoxicity testing revealed that NE-liposomes were more effective than marketed formulation Ofev®. Formulation remained in simulated fluids and for three months in stability chamber and. Liposomal oral bioavailability was ~6.23 times greater in sprague dawley male rats compared to marketed formulation Ofev®, according to in-vivo pharmacokinetic data. ConclusionNE-Liposomal formulations are better for oral administration compared to the marketed capsules because of the prolonged drug release and increased oral bioavailability as a result, the developed formulation can become a successful strategy in cancer chemotherapy.


Background:Children with giant congenital nevomelanocytic nevi (CNN) are referred to our pediatric burn center for the surgical management of this disfiguring and potentially malignant skin disorder. Use of tissue expanders has contributed significantly in limiting donor site morbidity associated with treatment of giant CNN. Cultured skin substitutes (CSS) have also shown promise as an alternative wound coverage. With recent controversy regarding the effectiveness of excision in preventing melanoma risk, we wished to review our surgical management of giant CNN and to determine the incidence of malignancy in these patients. Methods:A retrospective chart review of patients with giant CNN was performed from 1985 to 2003. Charts were reviewed for age, sex, percentage total body surface area (TBSA) involved, age at initiation and completion of treatment, surgical treatment, complications, histopathology, and length of follow-up. Results:Of the 40 patients treated at our facility, the mean extent of skin involvement was 10% TBSA (range: 0.5%–75%). The mean age at initial operation was 5.1 years, and the majority of surgical interventions were completed within a mean of 1.3 years. Twenty-two patients (55%) required more than 1 surgical procedure. Excision and split-thickness skin grafting was the most common surgical procedure (n = 22) followed by excision with primary closure (n = 18). Ten patients were treated with tissue expansion, while 4 received cultured skin replacements. One patient died of extracutaneous melanoma during the course of surgical treatment. Three patients demonstrated histopathologic evidence of cytoatypia but remained clinically free of malignancy during a mean follow-up of 11 years. Conclusions:Giant CNN are both important cosmetic and medical problems. With an associated lifetime risk of melanoma in 4%–10% of patients, excision of CNN is recommended despite the fact that 50% of melanomas arise extracutaneously. Depending on the extent of body surface area involvement, wound closure can be obtained with conventional split- or full-thickness skin grafts, tissue expansion, and/or cultured autologous cultured skin substitutes. The latter 2 modalities provide improved cosmetic results, with minimal donor site morbidity.


Markets are regularly relied upon to realize many different and changing values, a state of affairs that in turn attracts many efforts to engage with them. Such efforts, moreover, may draw on a wide variety of theoretical ideas about markets. Viewing real markets as on-going constructions, our aim is to explore different modes of engaging with markets to have them realize different values. We describe three different modes of engaging with markets based on empirical cases: (1) engaging to incorporate values in market exchanges; (2) engaging to reform the values that are to govern a market; and (3) engaging to represent the values produced by markets. We then use a fourth empirical case to expand on how the current realization of a market may interfere with and prove differentially fertile to efforts to incorporate, reform or represent values. Finally, we discuss when and how efforts to engage with markets may become political.


This study aims to develop furniture industry in eastern district of Gangwondo and a city of Gangneung and Donghae. Case study on furniture complex in Asahikawa, Japan and survey of furniture companies in Gangneung and Donghae city were implemented for understanding of present state, followed by analysis of problems. It can be summarized as follows. First, the basic operation method of Japanese furniture industry is to keep a balance between industry and academy. Universities or centers are in charge of education and fostering talents, such as allowing to promote and to sell products in design center gallery while corporations support it by lending expensive devices and conducting strength test analysis. Second, according to the survey of furniture companies in Gangneung, many difficulties in products development such as a shortage of designer, method, creative design were discovered. With respect to education and human force fostering, education for design and e-commerce were not sufficient, also marketing section has a problem with limited space for display and selling. Corporate support section is facing problems in receiving raw materials, aging of facilities, manufacturing and management methods. Consequently, it is considered that academic and industrial sections should implement their own roles by forming a bilateral network which connects local universities, high schools, relevant organization in the city and providence and furniture manufacturing companies to companies' product development, human force fostering and marketing in an attempt to activate the furniture industry in this area.


Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive and lethal type of skin cancer with a relatively high prevalence. Recent therapeutic breakthroughs have remarkably improved the survival rate of advanced melanoma patients, however, issues with efficacy as well as safety still persist (1). In order to further understand the mechanisms of melanoma progression and thereby discover novel druggable targets, much effort has been focused on the functions of extracellular vesicles, especially exosomes. Exosomes have long been implicated as drivers of cancer progression (2,3) with recent evidence being strongly suggestive of their protumoral functions (4-9). These observations advocate that targeting exosomes could potentially provide a new therapeutic avenue for treating melanoma.


A new facet of image restoration research has begun to emerge in recent years: super‐resolution of images, which we define as the processing of an image so as to recover object information from beyond the spatial frequency bandwidth of the optical system that formed the image. Simple Fourier analysis would indicate that super‐resolution is not possible. Therefore, it is important to reconcile this simplistic view with the existing algorithms that have been demonstrated to achieve super‐resolution. In this article, we consider some of the algorithms that have demonstrated super‐resolution and discuss the common principles that they share which makes it possible for them to recover some of the lost bandwidth of the object. We also consider the question of super‐resolution performance, which is the measure of how much lost bandwidth can be recovered from a super‐resolution algorithm, and how the performance is related to the algorithm principles that allow super‐resolution to occur. We conclude with examples of super‐resolution.


Persistent infections by viruses such as HIV-1 and hepatitis B virus can pose long-term health hazards. Because establishment of persistent infections involves close interactions and adjustments in both host and virus, it would be informative to establish a paradigm with which a normally cytolytic viral infection can be easily converted to persistent infection, so that the different stages in developing persistent infection can be examined. Such a model system is described in this paper. Highly cytolytic encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) infection was shifted to persistent infection as a result of repressed expression of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) in the promonocytic U937 cells. Because of the apoptogenic potential of PKR, a deficiency of PKR resulted in a delay in virus-induced apoptosis in EMCV-infected U937 cells, allowing the eventual establishment of persistent EMCV infection in these cells (U9K-AV2). That this was a bona fide persistent infection was demonstrated by the ability of infected cells to propagate as long-term virus-shedding cultures; electron microscopy studies showing presence of intracellular EMCV virions and chromatin condensation; detection of virus-induced chromosomal DNA fragmentation and sustained expression of apoptogenic p53 and IL-1beta converting enzyme; and demonstration of active EMCV transcription by reverse transcription-PCR. In addition, a host-virus coevolution was observed in U9K-AV2 cultures over time: U9K-AV2 cells exhibited slower growth rates, resistance to viral super-infection, and cessation of IFN-alpha synthesis, whereas the infectivity of EMCV was drastically attenuated. Finally, data are presented on the suitability of this model to study establishment of persistent infection by other viruses such as Sendai virus and reovirus.


Abstract In a continually renewing cell population, stem cells can be regarded as a reservoir of cells with a high capacity for self renewal that give rise to all differentiated progeny. They are the primary source for the generation and maintenance of cellular diversity and tissue homeostasis. In general, neoplasms manifest differentiation pathways similar to those found in the development and renewal of the normal tissues from which they arise. This feature serves as a basis for classification schemes of neoplasms and, as in the normal tissues, there is usually an inverse correlation between proliferative capacity and differentiation within the neoplasms. In our postulate of the histogenesis of salivary gland neoplasia, we evoke the stem cell model to account for the considerable phenotypic heterogeneity seen with these neoplasms. We further consider the neoplasms and, in particular, their myoepithelial constituencies to be manifestations of escape from normal regulatory mechanisms that determine differentiation pathways which a stem cell and its progeny can take. Clinical and basic scientific evidence are presented to support the postulate and also to point to the mitigating role that myoepithelial differentiation has in the biological course of salivary gland neoplasms.


Delta-6-desaturase (D6D) activity is deficient in MCF-7 and other cancer cell lines, but it is not explained by FADS2 gene mutations. This deficient activity was not ameliorated by induction of the FADS2 gene; therefore, we hypothesized that some of the induced FADS2 transcript variants (tv) may play a negative regulatory role. FADS2_tv1 is the reference FADS2 tv, coding for full-length D6D isoform 1 (D6D-iso1), and alternative transcriptional start sites result in FADS2_tv2 and FADS2_tv3 variants encoding D6D-iso2 and D6D-iso3 isoforms, respectively, which lack the catalytically critical N-terminal domain. In MCF-7 cells, FADS2_tv2 and FADS2_tv3 were expressed at significantly higher levels than FADS2_tv1. Overexpression of FADS2_tv2 in HEK293 cells confirmed that D6D-iso2 is non-functional, and co-transfection demonstrated a dominant-negative role for D6D-iso2 in D6D-iso1 activity regulation. FADS2_tv2 was expressed at higher levels than FADS2_tv1 in HeLa, MDA-MB-435, MCF-10 A, and HT-29 cells, but at lower levels in A549, MDA-MB-231, and LNCaP cells. Overexpression studies indicated roles for FADS2 variants in proliferation and apoptosis regulation, which were also cell-line specific. Increased FADS2_tv2 expression provides a new mechanism to help explain deficient D6D activity in MCF-7 and other cancer cell lines, but it is not a hallmark of malignant cells.


Background: Elastin makes important contributions to airway wall biomechanics, collapsibility, and elastic recoil. Loss of elastic recoil has been shown in asthma; elastolysis has been implicated as an etiology. We have demonstrated that IL-13 suppresses elastin expression in airway fibroblasts isolated from subjects with asthma. IL-13 induces matrix metalloproteinases, which can affect mediators of elastin transcription. We sought to determine the effect of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibition on elastin gene regulation. Objective: To determine whether IL-13 and MMP inhibition modulate elastin mRNA expression by airway fibroblasts isolated directly from subjects with asthma. Methods: In an ongoing study, 15 subjects with mild asthma (FEV1 78 6 13% predicted) and 15 normal control subjects (FEV1 107 6 10% predicted) underwent bronchoscopy with endobronchial biopsy. Tissue specimens were placed in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium with fetal bovine serum and antibiotics until confluence, followed by incubation in serum-free media for 48 hours. Experimental conditions included negative controls, as well as IL-13 (10 and 50 ng/ml) in the presence and absence of the MMP inhibitor GM6001 (10 mM). Elastin mRNA was extracted and quantified by RT-PCR. Results: IL-13 (10 and 50 ng/ml) diminished airway fibroblast elastin mRNA expression compared with negative controls (P , 0.0001 for both concentrations). However, the addition of a pan-MMP inhibitor induced elastin transcription by 2.8-fold (after 24 h of incubation), despite the presence of IL-13. Conclusion: We show that in human asthma, IL-13 suppression of elastin transcription is reversed by MMP inhibition.


The contamination of foods by various mycotoxins has been reported as a major public health concern across the world. The most predominant type of fungal toxins are aflatoxins which are synthesized by certain fungi that contaminate agricultural crops or produce. The main aflatoxin producing fungi are Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus which contaminate food crops in the farm and after harvesting. Out of all the types of aflatoxins, the most potent type is aflatoxin B1. The mechanism of toxicity and health effects of aflatoxins have been studied widely and it has been shown that aflatoxin B1 leads to liver necrosis, inflammation and liver cancer. The use of natural products as a remedy to health consequences of aflatoxins in humans and animals is gaining popularity. Owing to its anti-inflammatory effects, Spirulina plantesis has been studied for its immunomodulatory effects. This study evaluated the effects of spirulina extract on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) induced immune dysfunction and inflammation. Male BALB/c mice weighing 28-34g were randomly placed into 6 groups and orally treated as follows: Group 1 was not treated but received food and water for entire experimental period. Group 2 received 200 µg/kg b.w of aflatoxin B1 orally. Group 3 received 1g/kg b.w of activated charcoal and an hour later 200 µg/kg b.w of aflatoxin B1 orally. Group 4, 5 and 6 received 50mg/kg, 100mg/kg and 150mg/kg b.w of Spirulina plantesis respectively then an hour later each group received 200 µg/kg b.w of aflatoxin B1 orally. Treatments were done on a daily basis for 14 days. At the last day of the experiment, all the mice were denied food and water for 12 hours, thereafter sacrificed and samples processed for immunological studies. The results indicated that body weight significantly increased when treated with 100mg/kg spirulina+AFB1 and 150mg/kg spirulina+AFB1 groups in compared to AFB1 treated group (p < 0.05). AFB1 was shown to increase serum level of IFN- γ and IL 2 and decrease levels of IL 4. Treatment with spirulina extract had no significant effect on the serum concentrations of IL-4 and IL-2 (p > 0.05) in comparison with aflatoxin B1 treated group, the serum levels of IFN- γ and IL-2 reduced significantly (p<0.05). Treatment with spirulina extract at different doses had no significant effect on serum levels of immunoglobulins A, G and M (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of IL-4 was downregulated while that of TNFα, and IFNγ were upregulated. The results showed that increasing mRNA expressions of TNFα, and IFNγ as a result of AFB1was prevented (p≤0.01) by administration of spirulina extract. These findings suggests that spirulina extract could be used as a remedy to AFB1 induced immune dysfunction and inflammation.


Fully differential cross sections (FDCS) for proton + helium single capture and transfer-excitation collisions are presented using the Four-Body Transfer-Excitation (4BTE) model. This is a first order perturbative model that allows for any two-particle interaction to be studied. For single capture, the effect of the projectile-nuclear term in the perturbation is examined. It is shown that inclusion of this term results in an unphysical minimum in the FDCS, but is required to correctly predict the magnitude of the experimental results. For transfer-excitation, the role of electron correlation in the target helium atom is studied, and shown to be unimportant in the calculation of the FDCS.


The paper describes a research-development which had the objective to implement and manage the Electronic Patient Record in a multifunctional pilot platform named PROMED. The Electronic Patient Record implemented by PROMED platform is mainly aimed to facilitate both patient and health providers access to the health records and to provide an optimization of diagnostic and decision in healthcare services based on patients' medical history and medical statistics. The project promotes modern information and communication technologies for increasing quality and efficiency of healthcare services in an information based society. The PROMED platform is expected to contribute specifically to the improvement of the healthcare services in Romania by offering a solution for the integration of the main stakeholders involved in national healthcare system: patients, health service providers and public health authorities. The pilot system is first implemented in the "Cuza Voda" Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in Iassy, an important universitary and cultural city in the North East of Romania.


Ibn Ishaq's rhetorical use of genre in his edited biography of the life of the Prophet Muhammad instances the authority accorded by the early Muslim community to Biblical forms familiar to them. The genre in question is the "universal history" modeled by the Genesis-through-Kings saga contained in the Hebrew Bible. At the "center" of this saga stands the Deuteronomic restatement of Mosaic law; likewise, at the "center" of Ibn Ishaq's biography stands a restatement of Qur'anic legislation contained in the Prophet's "Farewell Sermon." Ibn Ishaq's biography subtly accomplishes both Muslim Biblical interpretation and legal interpretation by means of a rhetorical use of allusion.


In this paper, we propose a deep compositional metric learning (DCML) framework for effective and generalizable similarity measurement between images. Conventional deep metric learning methods minimize a discriminative loss to enlarge interclass distances while suppressing intraclass variations, which might lead to inferior generalization performance since samples even from the same class may present diverse characteristics. This motivates the adoption of the ensemble technique to learn a number of sub-embeddings using different and diverse subtasks. However, most subtasks impose weaker or contradictory constraints, which essentially sacrifices the discrimination ability of each sub-embedding to improve the generalization ability of their combination. To achieve a better generalization ability without compromising, we propose to separate the sub-embeddings from direct supervisions from the subtasks and apply the losses on different composites of the sub-embeddings. We employ a set of learnable compositors to combine the sub-embeddings and use a self-reinforced loss to train the compositors, which serve as relays to distribute the diverse training signals to avoid destroying the discrimination ability. Experimental results on the CUB-200-2011, Cars196, and Stanford Online Products datasets demonstrate the superior performance of our framework.1


The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) claim that the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) signal a new approach to tackling the challenges of poverty alleviation and economic development among their low-income clients. Launched in September 1999, the PRSP has replaced the old tripartite Policy Framework Paper (PFP) drawn up between the IMF, World Bank and a country government for concessional loans. Both the IMF and the World Bank are expected to align their respective lending programmes to a country's PRSP: in the case of the IMF, the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF)--the old Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF)--and the Financial Programming Framework are expected to derive from the PRSP; with the World Bank, the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) and all loans and grants must be based on the PRSP.


Nineteenth-century European immigrants bound for America's Great Basin evinced considerable variation in occupational mobility. White-collar and skilled workers frequently abandoned their European human capital to work in agriculture, and European planters remained farmers. Unskilled laborers who entered agriculture in the Great Basin, however, experienced substantial up-ward occupational mobility from their original economic status.


Red oak ( Quercus rubra L.) flakes were chemically extracted under mild conditions to determine the effects on red oak flakeboard properties, particularly dimensional stability. Flakes were extracted with weak acetic acid solutions or water under selected treatment pressures and treatment times. Weight loss values of extracted flakes ranged from 4 to 25%. Phenol formaldehyde (PF) and urea formaldehyde (UF) bonded flakeboards were manufactured using either red oak or chemically extracted red oak flakes. Physical and mechanical properties evaluated were modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, internal bond, water immersion related properties, and linear expansion. Static bending properties of flakeboards using extracted flakes for both resins, even at high levels of flake weight loss, were similar to boards from unextracted flakes. Internal bond average values for the extracted flakes were lower for the PF boards compared to the controls. Internal bond values for the UF boards were similar to the controls. Dimensional stability values for the PF boards were similar for the extracted and control boards. Dimensional stability tests on the UF boards produced the following results: (1) 2-hour dimensional stability values were improved for the extracted versus control boards; (2) 24-hour dimensional stability values for the extracted boards were similar to the control boards; and (3) linear expansion values for the extracted boards were similar to the control values.