Nipponaphis loochooensis Sorin, 1996 and N. machilicola (Shinji, 1941) form fig‐shaped or globular galls on Distylium racemosum in southern Japan. Nipponaphis machilicola migrates to the lauraceous evergreen Machilus thunbergii. Nipponaphis loochooensis has also been supposed to migrate to M. thunbergii, but its secondary‐host generation has not been found in the field to date. Through sampling Nipponaphis aphids from trees of M. japonica in addition to M. thunbergii, and sequencing their mitochondrial DNA, we found that the two species form colonies on twigs of both Machilus species, and that the two at times colonize on the same trees and even form mixed colonies. Only N. loochooensis forms colonies on leaves of M. japonica, but neither species colonizes on leaves of M. thunbergii. The secondary‐host generations of the two species could be clearly discriminated from each other, based on morphology. It was confirmed by examining the type specimens of Nipponaphis amamiana Takahashi, 1962 that the name is a junior synonym of N. machilicola.


During development motoneurons depend on target contact for their survival. Following injury to the sciatic nerve in neonatal rats, a large proportion of motoneurons die. However, the same injury inflicted at 5 days of age results in no loss of motoneurons. This critical period of postnatal development coincides with the time during which there is a significant increase in the release of transmitter from the nerve terminals at the neuromuscular junction. We have proposed that the role of the target muscle cell during this period is to induce this up‐regulation of transmitter release from motor nerve terminals. It has been shown that stretch‐induced increase in transmitter release from frog motor nerve terminals is accomplished via an integrin‐dependent mechanism. In this study we examined the role of integrins at the rat neuromuscular junction in motoneuron survival. We found that blocking integrin binding at the developing neuromuscular junction delayed the increase in choline acetyltransferase activity that normally takes place during the early postnatal period, and resulted in motoneuron death. Furthermore, the maturation of those motoneurons that survived was delayed so they remained susceptible to subsequent nerve injury. These results support the possibility that integrins, by their involvement in modulating transmitter release, can influence motoneuron survival.


Various constructs of the human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) protease containing flanking Pol region sequences were expressed as fusion proteins with the maltose-binding protein of the malE gene of Escherichia coli. The full-length fusion proteins did not exhibit self-processing in E. coli, thereby allowing rapid purification by affinity chromatography on cross-linked amylose columns. Denaturation of the fusion protein in 5 M urea, followed by renaturation, resulted in efficient site-specific autoprocessing to release the 11-kDa protease. Rapid purification involving two column steps gave an HIV-1 protease preparations of greater than 95% purity (specific activity approximately 8500 pmol.min-1.micrograms protease-1) with an overall yield of about 1 mg/l culture. Incubation of an inactive mutant protease fusion protein with the purified wild-type protease resulted in specific trans cleavage and release of the mutant protease. Analysis of products of the HIV-1 fusion proteins containing mutations at either the N- or the C-terminal protease cleavage sites indicated that blocking one of the cleavage sites influences the cleavage at the non-mutated site. Such mutated full-length and truncated protease fusion proteins possess very low levels of proteolytic activity (approximately 5 pmol.min-1.micrograms protein-1).


'Becoming-animal', a concept devised by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, provides me with a springboard to explore new insights and perspectives outside the human experience. As an art practitioner, I enter paradoxical spaces between the wild and the domestic, to encounter non-human animals. Through shape-shifting and attuning to local ecologies, I enter these entangled worlds using both a playful and serious intent. I use a camera switched to auto and other technologies to create films and sound works from these multispecies alliances and to consider what it might be like to be non-human. These then undergo a transformative process and are given space to become something beyond my control. Ultimately, they create alternative ways of seeing and thinking about interspecies relationships. Sheepology, a film and sound work to emerge from this process, offers the viewer an opportunity to move across the human–non-human boundary, into other alien worlds and domains, to become undone and co-inhabit a multispecies environment. I plan to examine the implications of these multispecies alliances for creating a shift in awareness of the biodiversity emergency.


Capability systems can be used to implement higher-level security policies including the *-property if a mechanism exists to ensure confinement. The implementation can be efficient if the "weak" access restriction described in this paper is introduced. In the course of developing EROS, a pure capability system, it became clear that verifying the correctness of the confinement mechanism was necessary in establishing the security of the operating system. We present a verification of the EROS confinement mechanism with respect to a broad class of capability architectures (including EROS). We give a formal statement of the requirements, construct a model of the architecture's security policy and operational semantics, and show that architectures covered by this model enforce the confinement requirements if a small number of initial static checks on the confined subsystem are satisfied. The method used generalizes to any capability system.


Objective: To describe the intraoperative findings and outcomes of stapedectomy surgery in Teunissen–Cremers syndrome. Patients: A family of three patients with bilateral conductive hearing loss because of Teunissen–Cremers syndrome. Intervention: Six exploratory tympanotomies and stapedectomies, including one revision operation. Main Outcome Measures: Intraoperative findings and postoperative hearing results. Results: There was an increased distance between the incus and the vestibule, a thicker long process of the incus, and slight variation in the relative position of the ossicles in all patients. Surgery resulted in closure of the air-bone gap to less than 10 dB in all five operated ears. Conclusion: We describe anatomic abnormalities of the ossicular chain in Teunissen–Cremers syndrome. Prosthesis availability should include prostheses that can adapt to these potential anatomic abnormalities. Stapedectomy resulted in good long-term hearing outcomes in this series.


We report a case of calcifying panniculitis which occurred in a 67-year old woman suffering from chronic renal failure and primarily involved anticoagulant injection sites. Calcifying panniculitis is a rare condition belonging to the spectrum of calciphylaxis first described by Selye in 1962. This disease seems to imply necessarily a specific morbid background including renal failure together with calcium-phosphate metabolism impairment. Following the action of a so-called "challenger" (in the present case calcium heparinate [Calciparine], a subcutaneously administered anticoagulant drug), the lesions start as painful subcutaneous nodules soon turning into plaques of necrosis. The area involved mainly includes the abdomen and thighs, due to the preferential distribution of fat and the classical use of such regions for subcutaneous injections. In our patients, histological examination disclosed an initial involvement of subcutaneous fat vessels mimicking mediacalcosis, soon followed by calcium-phosphate deposits within interadipocyte spaces. An electron microscopy study confirmed the presence of calcium crystals within the cytoplasms of some connective tissue cells and the extracellular matrix. From a review of the literature, it seems reasonable to normalize the calcium-phosphate product by reducing hyperparathyroidism as a first therapeutic step. Then, wide surgical excision of the necrotic areas should be performed to rule out any possibility of self worsening of the lesions and provide the best chance of healing without superinfection. The use of diphosphonates on pathophysiological grounds is discussed.


Many nurses perceive that the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) reduces the workload, improves the quality of documentation, and improves safety and patient care. However, other nurses reported that the system and environment of healthcare might impede EMR documentation at the bedside.

 The study aimed to describe the nurses' views of the use, quality, and satisfaction with EMR in daily practice in outpatient settings. Furthermore, the relationships among the use, quality, and user's satisfaction of EMR were assessed in the study.

 The proposed study employed a cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design. Inclusion criteria were nurses willing to participate in the study, fluent in the English language, and have been working in the Outpatient Department for more than three months until the time of study implementation. A self-reported questionnaire with strong validity and reliability was used to assess nurses' views of use, quality and satisfaction of EMR.

 The response rate was 77.2% (170 out of 220), 91.2% of the participants were females. Results about the use of EMR have shown positive views ranging from 51.2% to 84.7%, with the lowest scores reported when to write nurse care worksheets (Kardex). For the quality of EMR, the results have shown positive views ranging from 70% to 87.6% with the lowest scores reported related to the EMR system problems and crashes, and for the user's satisfaction, the results have shown positive views ranging from 76.5% to 87.1%. There were significant positive correlations between the three elements use, quality, and user's satisfaction of EMR.

 Participants reported positive views in the domain of use, quality, and satisfaction with EMR. Furthermore, positive correlations were reported between the use, quality, and satisfaction domains of EMR.


In the guinea pig, the epidermal Langerhans cells studied by adenosine triphosphatase and electron microscopic techniques in dinitrochlorobenzene-induced contact dermatitis showed early cellular vacuolar and granular changes and intraepidermal contact with mononuclear cells. At later periods of up to 48 hours, the Langerhans cells migrated to the surface of a thickened epidermis and were lost in the parakeratotic horny layer that was shed. Thus, the Langerhans cell probably has a macrophage-type role in the epidermal reaction of contact dermatitis, and as the sponglosis and the inflammatory reaction develop, these cells are shed with the degenerating keratinocytes.


Please review your manuscript carefully before you send it to the Press. Check facts, such as names, places, dates, and quotations and their original sources. Be especially vigilant for language that might be construed as libelous or biased. Check for consistency in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and notation. Check for correct ranking of headings and subheadings. Check numbering of equations, tables, captions, and illustrations.


Background: Schnitzler syndrome is characterized by chronic urticarial rash and monoclonal IgM gammopathy and is sometimes associated with periodic fever, arthralgias, and bone pain. Current treatment is unsatisfactory. Observations: Eleven patients with Schnitzler syndrome were treated with oral pefloxacin mesylate (800 mg/d). In 10 patients, we observed a dramatic and sustained improvement of urticarial and systemic manifestations. Corticosteroid therapy could be stopped or reduced in 6 patients. In 9 patients, pefloxacin was administered for more than 6 months (10 years), with a good safety profile. Conclusions: Pefloxacin therapy can be considered for patients with Schnitzler syndrome because it usually improves chronic urticaria and the systemic symptoms of the disease.


We report the direct virtual photon invariant yields in the transverse momentum ranges 1 <p T < 3 GeV/ c and 5 <p T < 10 GeV/ c at mid-rapidity derived from the dielectron invariant mass continuum region 0 . 10 < M ee < 0 . 28 GeV/ c 2 for 0-80% minimum-bias Au+Au collisions at √ s NN = 200 GeV. A clear excess in the invariant yield compared to the nuclear overlap function T AA scaled p + p reference is observed in the p T range 1 <p T < 3 GeV/ c . For p T > 6 GeV/ c the production follows T AA scaling. Model calculations with contributions from thermal radiation and initial hard parton scattering are consistent within uncertainties with the direct virtual photon invariant yield.


Food calorie intake has been found to have a strong empirical linkage with both human health and productivity. This study sets out to determine the probable influence of price and income changes on the availability of food nutrients to households in Northern Nigeria. Demand elasticities were obtained from survey respondents and the nutritional effects of changes arising from changes in income and prices were computed using both the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) methodology and a technique developed by Huang. The findings show that yam, maize and guinea corn are the foods that would have the greatest implications for the nutrient status of the households. The study concludes with the likely applications of the methodology used to derive nutrient elasticities.


How can one best grasp the social transformations of the nineteenth century? Social historians have tried training their sights on an exemplary city, a particular social group, an illustrative historical incident, or a single life. Lenard Berlanstein's novel approach is to focus on the microcosm of the Parisian Gas Company during the second half of the century. In examining this publicly chartered private monopoly from the perspectives of four social groups - customers, managers, clerks, and manual workers - Berlanstein produces a rich portrait of the changes in French social relations and mentalite' between 1855 and 1905 against the backdrop of wider political and social history. By treating each group in turn, Berlandstein explores issues that concerned one or two groups in particular. Providing four very different perspectives on key issues of concern to all gives the book remarkable scope and unusual depth. The result is a rewarding monograph that links the local to the general as well as engaging a score of ongoing theoretical debates.


In this paper, an adaptive trajectory tracking controller is proposed for 3-dimensional (3D) underactuated overhead cranes. Considering system frictions and air resistances, this controller is put forward without approximately decoupling or linearizing the complicated nonlinear model of 3D overhead cranes. The proposed controller can accurately position the trolley as well as suppress the payload swing even in the presence of uncertainties of system parameters. The stability of the closed-loop system is proved by Lyapunov techniques and Barbalat 0 s lemma. Subsequent experiment results also demonstrate that the designed controller can achieve a superior performance for underactuated 3D overhead


Many ecosystem functions result from mutualisms, yet mutualism-based
functions have rarely been studied at the scale of whole mutualist
networks. Thus, it is unclear how much biodiversity is needed to provide
function to an entire network of partner species. Here we use 23
plant-pollinator networks to ask how the number of functionally
important pollinator species depends on the number of plant species
studied. We found that, because of complementarity among pollinators in
the plants they pollinate, 3-13 times as many pollinator species were
needed to pollinate an entire network as compared with a single plant
species. Furthermore, many pollinator species that were rare within the
network as a whole, and therefore not important pollinators on average,
were important to the pollination of particular plant species. By not
measuring function across entire mutualist networks, ecologists have
likely underestimated the importance of biodiversity, and particularly
of rare species, for ecosystem function.


A novel synthetic procedure for the preparation of a SiOx-based nanocomposite, involving gelification of resorcinol-formaldehyde and tetraethyl orthosilicate, is reported. The composite is characterized as an anode material in a lithium-ion battery. The micrometric, amorphous material has a characteristic nanostructured configuration and shows an electrochemical process involving both the alloying of Li Si and the insertion of Li into the hard carbon matrix. The electrode reveals in a lithium half-cell a relatively low impedance and a reversible capacity ranging from 650 mAh g , at the lower current, to 400 mAh g 1 at high current regimes, with a cycle life extending to 200 cycles. The anode is combined with a high-voltage LiNi0.5 Mn1.5O4 spinel cathode in a 4.3 V lithium-ion battery delivering a capacity of about 115 mAh g 1 and operating at the high rate of 5C. The suitable synthesis pathway, the low cost and the promising electrochemical behavior suggest the nanocomposite anode for application in high-performance lithium-ion battery.


Many applications in large-scale data mining and offline processing are organized as network services, running continuously or for a long period of time. To sustain high-throughput, these services often keep their data in memory, thus susceptible to failures. On the other hand, the availability requirement for these services is not as stringent as online services exposed to millions of users. But those data-intensive offline or mining applications do require data persistence to survive failures. This paper presents programming and runtime support called SLACH for building multi-threaded high-throughput persistent services. To keep in-memory objects persistent, SLACH employs application-assisted logging and checkpointing for log-based recovery while maximizing throughput and concurrency. SLACH adaptively adjusts checkpointing frequency based on log growth and throughput demand to balance between runtime overhead and recovery speed. This paper describes the design and API of SLACH, adaptive checkpoint control, and our experiences and experiments in using SLACH at Ask.com.


Burkitt Lymphoma (BL) is a very fast growing form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The common characteristic of all BL is the translocation and constitutive activation of the c-myc oncogene. Our present study suggests that BL and Epstein-Barr Virus-transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCL) constitutively express HLA class II proteins and bind peptide ligands. However, unlike B-LCL, BL cells were not capable of activating CD4+ T cells. While BL and B-LCL possessed similar levels of HLA class II, invariant chain (Ii) and HLA-DM, BL cells expressed lower levels of co-stimulatory molecules (CD80/CD86). Biochemical and functional assays showed that addition of external co-stimulatory signals to BL cells failed to functionally deliver HLA class II antigens to CD4+ T cells. Although both BL and B-LCL were capable of binding peptides at neutral and acidic pH, BL cells were only able to activate T cells at low pH (5.5), suggesting that BL-associated inhibitory molecules were eluted at the acidic pH. BL conditioned medium, as well as acid eluent from BL cells and primary B-cell tumors, inhibited functional class II presentation by both B-LCL and mature dendritic cells, while those eluent from B-LCL and primary B-cells did not. No characteristic inhibitory cytokines were identified in the acid eluent from BL or primary B-cell tumors. Taken together, these results suggest that BL-associated molecules may inhibit HLA class II activation of CD4+ T cells.


Axial vibrations and bit-bouncing phenomena in tunnel drilling systems can affect the pre-reinforcement process indispensable in really difficult geotechnical conditions. The aim of this paper is to analyze and control these vibrations arising along the drill pipes to develop an automatic drilling. We present a vibration model as a damped wave equation with Neumann boundary conditions. We use this model as well as the Resonant Sonic Head Drill (RSHD) one to define a reference trajectory. We propose a Flatness-based controller to tackle the position and velocity tracking problem ensuring an exponential convergence of the error dynamics and a desired drilling dynamical behavior. Simulation results confirm the efficiency of the proposed control law.


Carcass data of 114 19-month-old Merino sheep descended from two lines that were divergently selected for maternal multiple rearing ability (H and L lines, respectively) were used. In study A only ram progeny of the same age were slaughtered, while ewes and rams of the respective selection lines were included in study B. Study A: Mean slaughter weight of H line rams was 12% heavier than that of L line contemporaries. A corresponding difference of 13% was found for carcass weight. Carcass component weights, body measurements, retail cut weights and eye-muscle areas were higher in the H line than in the L line, barring a few exceptions. Adjustment for the higher slaughter weight resulted in most of the line differences being eliminated, but the difference in the loin retail cut remained in favour of the H line. Study B: Mean slaughter and carcass weights of H line animals were respectively 7% and 11% heavier than that of L line contemporaries. Adjustment for the higher slaughter weights of H line animals resulted in most of the differences in the retail cut weight being eliminated, but the hindquarters of H line animals remained heavier than that of L line contemporaries. Line did not affect the moisture, protein, lipid or ash content of the M. longissimus dorsi toracis in study B. The effect of gender on the retail cut weights and proximate analysis was consistent with results from the literature. Selection for multiple rearing ability did not result in any unfavourable responses in retail cut weights or meat chemical properties. Carcasses in the H line, in fact, yielded better in the highly priced loin and hindquarters areas, independently of slaughter weight.


Glioma represents the most prevalent malignant primary brain cancer, and its treatment remains a tremendous challenge. Novel and efficient molecular targets are therefore required for improving diagnosis, survival prediction, and treatment outcomes. Additionally, some studies have shown that immunity is highly associated with glioma progression. Our study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological features, prognostic significance, and immunotherapeutic targetability of ELK3, a member of the erythroblast transformation-specific transcription factor family, in glioma using bioinformatics analyses. ELK3 transcript levels in glioma tissues were evaluated using the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. Clinical and transcriptomic data of The Cancer Genome Atlas glioma patients were analyzed to identify the molecular and clinical characterizations of ELK3. The prognostic significance of ELK3 was assessed using Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier analysis. The biological pathways related to ELK3 expression were identified by gene set enrichment analysis. The relationships between ELK3 and inflammatory responses, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoints were explored using canonical correlation analysis and gene set variation analysis. ELK3 was upregulated in gliomas, and its high expression was correlated with advanced clinicopathologic features and unfavorable prognosis. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that several immune-related pathways were tightly linked to high ELK3 expression. gene set variation analysis and correlograms demonstrated that ELK3 was robustly associated with inflammatory and immune responses. Correlation analyses indicated that ELK3 was positively associated with infiltrating immune cells and synergistic with several immune checkpoints. ELK3 may serve as a novel marker of poor prognosis and a potential immunotherapeutic target in glioma.


I just found out that my wife of five years is bulimic. I don't know how I should feel or what I should do. I feel like it is my fault but my wife tells me that she has had this problem for over ten years. I am torn between my emotions, I love her dearly and wish to help but I feel like she has hidden this from me and I don't know about this. How can I help and who can I talk to? My wife told me that I should be supported but not to ask her too many questions. What should I do?


During the last decades states have internationally increased their surveillance measures. Surveillance has become increasingly systematic and integrated in our everyday life. This development was intensified by several terror attacks, specifically the event of 9/11. Surveillance by the state always comes along with the intrusion of privacy rights of individuals. Both privacy and security are essential for a functioning society. To find the right balance between the two interests and to uphold the protection of privacy rights when the threat of terror seems to justify increasingly intrusive measures is difficult but of great importance. This paper looks at two examples of legislations that increased states possibilities for surveillance and how the balance between security and privacy was struck in those legislations. It compares the degree of protection given to privacy rights in a state with a codified constitution, Germany, and in a state with no codified constitution, New Zealand.


Eight cases of primary gastric lymphomas have been investigated by AgNORs method to individualize the patterns of distribution of NORs. Modifying and exemplifying the scheme of Nikicicz and Norback, previously applied to blood smears and bone marrow in patients affected by leukaemia, the authors found 8 principal distribution patterns of AgNORs. Recording the percentage of the single patterns in every case it was possible to individualize two quite homogeneous groups. The authors maintain that in this way, avoiding complex numerical evaluations and statistical analysis, it is possible to easily classify the gastric lymphomas. We suggest that an improvement of the results could be achieved by comparing the immunophenotype of the cellular lymphomatous populations, and the AgNORs pattern with patients survival.


Damage to the bases in DNA by the cupric ion-1,10-phenanthroline complex was investigated. Ten base products in DNA were identified and quantitated by the use of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring. DNA damage by the cupric ion-1,10-phenanthroline complex required the presence of a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid or mercaptoethanol. Products identified were typical hydroxyl radical induced products from the pyrimidines and purines in DNA, well-known from previous studies using various hydroxyl radical producing systems such as ionizing radiation, hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase, or hydrogen peroxide in the presence of transition metal ions. Product formation was not significantly inhibited by typical scavengers of hydroxyl radical such as mannitol and sodium formate, but there was partial inhibition by dimethyl sulfoxide. Catalase substantially decreased formation of base products, and added hydrogen peroxide stimulated it, indicating the hydrogen peroxide dependency of DNA base damage. Superoxide dismutase afforded only a partial reduction in product yields in systems containing ascorbic acid. On the basis of the types of base products formed, the hydrogen peroxide dependency of product formation, and a previous report suggesting that DNA damage is due to a diffusible species [Williams, L. D., Thivierge, J., & Goldberg, I. H. (1988) Nucleic Acids Res. 16, 11607-11615], we propose that DNA base damage is caused by hydroxyl radical.


An LDMOS RF power amplifier for RF multichannel wireless systems with improved IMD performance characteristics is presented. The application of two combined linearization methods is being tested with the help of circuit simulation software ADS. The injection of the fundamental signal's second harmonic in the RF amplifier, as well as a digital predistortion technique, is combined in order to achieve IMD improvement. By proper selection of phase and amplitude of the injected second harmonic signal, it is possible to reduce IMD products that have already been reduced by the well established method of digital predistortion


An all-optical serial header processor is demonstrated using a semiconductor laser amplifier in a loop mirror configuration (SLALOM). The operation of the header processor is discussed and it is experimentally demonstrated with a 10 Gbit/s Manchester encoded (information rate of 5 Gbit/s) packet stream. The operation of the header processor is based on the correlation function of the SLALOM. The header processor can be utilised in devising all-optical packet switches.


Pain involves both somatic and psychological processes, and often requires in cancer patients a multidisciplinary management approach. Psychotropic medications can be helpful as part of adjuvant pharmacological treatment of pain and can be beneficial especially in cancer patients. Anxiety and depression, which may be associated with cancer, can influence the pain experience and can be managed symptomatically with psychotropic drugs. In addition, some psychotropic drugs have analgetic properties, or may be used to reduce some side effects of narcotics.


‡The cycling behavior of Li4Ti5O12 electrode in the ionic liquid (IL)-based electrolytes containing 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide and a small amount of additive (vinylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, fluoroethylene carbonate) was investigated. The Li4Ti5O12 electrode in the IL electrolyte with an additive exhibited reversible cycling behavior with good capacity retention. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and FTIR studies revealed that an electrochemically stable solid electrolyte interphase was formed on the Li4Ti5O12 electrode in the presence of vinylene carbonate and ethylene carbonate during cycling.


The detailed study of the oxidation of thianthrene 5-oxide (1) with methyl(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane (5b) in different solvents and in the presence of (18)O isotopic tracers is reported. Thianthrene 5-oxide (1) is a flexible molecule in solution, and this property allows for transannular interaction of the sulfoxide group with the expected zwitterionic 7 and hypervalent 10-S-4 sulfurane 9 intermediates formed in the oxidation and biases the course of the reaction toward the monooxygenation pathway.


For a ship undergoing roll motion at a resonance frequency, the roll restoring moment and virtual moment of inertia counteract each other and only the damping moment resists the roll exciting moments. Hence, accurate computation of the roll damping moment improves the roll motion prediction. There are several methods to calculate the damping moment; however, most of them fail to consider the viscous effects, such as the potential theory-based method. The experimental measurements take into account the viscous effect; however, they are expensive. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method is an alternative to accurately consider the viscous effect. In this study, a CFD approach based on harmonic exciting roll motion technique is adopted to compute the roll motion characteristics and damping coefficients at different conditions. The impact of appendages, Froude number, and degrees of freedom on roll motion characteristics and damping coefficients are investigated for the model scale and full scale to study the scale effects. The results at the model scale are compared against experimental measurements and good correlation was found.

 Controlling the roll motion of a ship in a seaway is essential for the safety and habitability. The roll motion of a ship is nonlinear, and the nonlinearity increases at the resonance as the ship experiences larger roll motion. Accurately computing the roll damping at the resonance frequency is important because the moment of inertia and restoring moment counteract each other and the damping moment opposes the roll motion. The total roll damping consists of friction damping, body eddy shedding damping, surface wave damping, lift force damping, and appendages damping. The wave and lift force damping can be calculated by potential flow theory based methods, whereas others are influenced by viscosity.
 In general, most roll damping calculation methods are based on empirical models, and Ikeda's method (Ikeda et al. 1978) is most common one. Although this method works quite well for conventional ships, the predicted results are sometimes conservative or underestimated for unconventional ships (Gu et al. 2013). Large roll damping is strongly nonlinear and is influenced by fluid viscosity and flow characteristics such as flow separation and vortex shedding. Empirical or semi-empirical methods cannot account the flow characteristics of such a complex flow. Roll damping calculation for conventional ships by Ikeda's simplified method can fit experimental data quite well at small roll angles. However, when the roll angle is large, it is out of the acceptable range of Ikeda's method, and the accuracy of the computed damping coefficient is low (Kawahara et al. 2012).


Metallene with outstanding physicochemical properties is an efficient two-dimensional electrocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen (H2 ) production applications. However, the controllable fabrication of extended atomically thin metallene nanoribbons remains a formidable challenge. Herein, this work proposes a controllable preparation strategy for atomically thin defect-rich PdIr bimetallene nanoribbons (PdIr BNRs) with a thickness of only 1.5 nm for the efficient and stable isopropanol-assisted seawater electrolytic H2 production. When using PdIr BNRs as catalyst to build an isopropanol-assisted seawater electrolysis system, a voltage of only 0.38 V is required at @10 mA cm-2 to achieve energy-saving H2 production, while producing high value-added acetone at the anode. The aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) clearly reveals that the PdIr BNRs possess abundant structural defects, which can additionally serve as highly catalytically active sites. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies reveal that the introduction of Ir atoms can induce the formation of a localized charge region and shift the d-band center of Pd down, thereby reducing the adsorption energy on the catalyst in favor of the rapid desorption of H2 . This work opens the way for the controllable design and construction of defect-rich atomically thin metallene nanoribbons for efficient electrocatalytic applications.


The interactions between ageostrophic processes and large scale dynamics in the western part of the Gulf of Lion (NW Mediterranean) play a fundamental role in regulating water exchanges between the continental shelf and the open sea. The dominant regimes emerging from these interactions were successfully characterized during the Lagrangian Transport Experiment (LATEX, 2008-2010) thanks to a multi-platform approach which included in-situ observations, satellite measurements and numerical model simulations. During the Latex10 campaign (September 1-24, 2010), in-situ Lagrangian Coherent Structures reconstructed from drifter trajectories allowed to identify an alongshore corridor through which coastal waters escaped the Gulf. Satellite imagery indicated that the offshore boundary of the corridor was associated with a strong frontal region. Glider profiles allowed to reconstruct the vertical structure of the front, and ship-based ADCP currents to estimate the associated horizontal fluxes. Realistic numerical simulations showed that this regime alternates with periods during which the circulation is dominated by coastal anticyclones (also observed in previous campaigns). Model results, along with a regional satellite altimetry product, allowed to characterize the influence of the two regimes in regulating cross-shelf exchanges.


OBJECTIVE
Type 2 diabetes is caused by reduced insulin secretion and insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and liver. We tested the combination therapy with insulin aspart, rosiglitazone, and metformin with the purpose of treating all three defects in order to test the hypothesis that this "triple therapy" will normalize glucose metabolism.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Sixteen obese type 2 diabetic outpatients on human NPH or MIX (regular + NPH insulin) insulin twice daily were randomized to either triple therapy, i.e., insulin aspart (a rapid-acting insulin analog) at meals, metformin (which improves hepatic insulin sensitivity), and rosiglitazone (which improves peripheral insulin sensitivity), or to continue their NPH or MIX insulin twice daily for 6 months. Insulin doses were adjusted in both groups based on algorithms. HbA(1c), insulin dose, hypoglycemic episodes, insulin sensitivity (clamp), hepatic glucose production (tracer), and diurnal profiles of plasma glucose and insulin were used in evaluating treatment.

RESULTS
In the triple therapy group, HbA(1c) declined from 8.8 to 6.8% (P < 0.01) without inducing severe hypoglycemic events. Postprandial hyperglycemia was generally avoided, and the diurnal profile of serum insulin showed fast and high peaks without any need to increase insulin dose. In the control group, the insulin dose was increased by 50%, but nevertheless both HbA(1c) and 24-h blood glucose profiles remained unchanged. Insulin sensitivity improved in both skeletal muscle and the liver in the triple therapy group, whereas no change was observed in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that treatment of the three major pathophysiological defects in type 2 diabetic subjects by triple therapy significantly improved glucose metabolism in obese type 2 diabetic subjects.


In incubated slices of cerebral cortex from Sprague-Dawley rats, methoxamine and clonidine have no effect on basal levels of cyclic AMP. Methoxamine effectively inhibits the noradrenaline-stimulated formation of cyclic AMP. The inhibitory constant for methoxamine was 12.6 mumol/l. In the presence of 100 mumol/l adenosine, methoxamine does not inhibit the activity of noradrenaline, but is capable to activate alpha-adrenergic receptors leading to enhanced formation of cyclic AMP. The mechanism by which adenosine alters adrenergic receptors to become methoxamine-sensitive is not known. Clonidine inhibits the effect of noradrenaline alone or in combination with adenosine on the cyclic-AMP-generating system. It does not, as reported earlier, enhance the activity of submaximal concentrations of the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. These data do not support the concept of adrenergic receptors which require both, alpha- and beta-stimulation for maximal activation of adenylate cyclase.


Antibiotics have revolutionised the treatment of infectious disease and improved the lives of billions of people worldwide over many decades. With the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and corresponding lack of antibiotic development, we find ourselves in dire need of alternative treatments. Bacteriocins are a class of bacterially produced, ribosomally synthesised, antimicrobial peptides that may be narrow or broad in their spectra of activity. Animal models have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of bacteriocins in treating a broad range of infections; however, one of the principal drawbacks has been their relatively narrow spectra when compared with small-molecule antibiotics. In an era where we are beginning to appreciate the role of the microbiota in human and animal health, the fact that bacteriocins cause much less collateral damage to the host microbiome makes them a highly desirable therapeutic. This review makes a case for the implementation of bacteriocins as therapeutic antimicrobials, either alone or in combination with existing antibiotics to alleviate the AMR crisis and to lessen the impact of antibiotics on the host microbiome.


This study examines the properties of spaces where historical and cultural resources have been preserved in the street system of Daegu Yakryeong market district, by using Space Syntax methodology. The results were obtained through ASA(Angular Segment Analysis) on each node (spatial unit) in the street network. An overall characteristic of spatial configuration in street system of the surveyed district is that nodes in the street network tend to form socially integrated spatial structure to allow easy access to each space in the system. There are a small number of socially isolated spaces in the street system, which are located at nodes in narrow streets adjacent to the roadway outside the district, or in narrow alleys between early modern Korean buildings. More than half of the surveyed spaces have high levels of social integration, which contain buildings playing a central role of the community, a traditional street market, symbolic landmarks. In conclusion, it is expected that the achievements of this study will contribute in leading to rational land use planning for sound and sustainable development of historical and cultural resources in an urban district.


AbstractBis[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]ether (CAS No. 3033-62-3; DMAEE) is a liquid industrial chemical whose vapor causes glaucopsia, a transient blue-gray haziness of vision, in exposed workers. The possible role of increased corneal thickness as a basis for the visual disturbances was investigated in groups of five female New Zealand White rabbits exposed for 2 h to mean analytically measured concentrations of DMAEE vapor of 0.1, 0.9, 4.6, 8.8,12.2,14.9, 21.1, and 24.8 ppm; a control group was exposed to air alone. Corneal thickness was measured by an ultrasonic pachymeter before and immediately following exposure and at approximately 30 min, 3, 5, 24, 48, and 72 h postexposure, and thereafter as necessary. Eyes were inspected for signs of conjunctival and corneal inflammation and injury at 30 min; 3,24, and 48 h; at 7 days or longer as considered necessary. No conjunctivalirritation or corneal dullness was seen at 0.1 or 0.9 ppm DMAEE vapor, but at 4.6 ppm and above, exposure-related conjunctivitis and co...


In this paper, we introduce inertial Tseng's extragradient algorithms combined with normal-S iteration process for solving variational inequality problems involving pseudo-monotone and Lipschitz continuous operators. Under mild conditions, we establish the weak convergence results in Hilbert spaces. Numerical examples are also present to show that faster behaviour of the proposed method.


C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker considered as a risk factor of
cardiovascular diseases. This inflammatory marker was widely studied in research.
It was found to be associated with other chronic conditions like metabolic diseases,
diabetes type 2 and certain cancers. CRP levels in healthy people of different
populations also were highlighted in many studies. However no study was done
about the level of this inflammatory marker in Sabah. This cross-sectional study was
conducted in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah to assess the level of this marker in healthy
people from different races to identify the factors associated with high levels of this
marker for early intervention towards health promotion in the community. A total of
232 randomly selected healthy participants were included in this study. The relations
of hs-CRP with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) , among different races, as well as
different age groups, genders, waist circumferences, basal metabolic rate (BMI),
mean arterial pressure (MAP), smoking, marital status and family history of disease
were evaluated using multiple regression mode\. The median for high sensitivity C-reactive
protein (hs-CRP) was 1.2 mg/L and higher in males than females 1.2 mg/L,
1.1 mg/L respectively. There was no significant difference in median hs-CRP levels
in different races in the study population. A significant correlation between high
levels of hs-CRP and ALP was found p <0.001. BMI, MAP, ALP were contributing
significantly to the model p 3 mg/L in females
with high BMI was almost 23 times higher as compared with females of normal BMI
and four times higher in overweight and obese females in comparison to overweight
and obese males. Those with ALP level 1 U/L higher had 5% more odds of having
high risk hs-CRP compared to those with lower ALP level and those with 1mmHg
higher in MAP had 7% more odds of having high risk hs-CRP. The model explained
36% (Nagelkerke R²) of the variance in high hs-CRP (>3 mg/L) and correctly
classified 84% of the cases. In conclusion, this study revealed that BMI, MAP, ALP
were independent predictors of high levels of hs-CRP. High levels of hs-CRP were
found significantly in overweight and obese which was more obvious in females than
males rendering them at higher risk of developing chronic conditions like
cardiovascular disease. Further epidemiological studies are suggested.


UNLABELLED
The influence of dietary fiber on determinants of metabolic syndrome is controversial. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of NUTRIOSE supplementation on insulin resistance and the determinants of metabolic syndrome in overweight men. In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, we supplemented the diets of overweight Chinese men with 250 mL of fruit juice that contained NUTRIOSE (Test group: n = 60, age = 30.4 ± 4.3 years, body mass index (BMI) = 24.5 ± 0.2 kg·m-2) or a maltodextrin placebo (

CONTROL GROUP
n = 60, age = 31.6 ± 4.1 years, BMI = 24.5 ± 0.3 kg·m-2) at a dosage of 17 g twice daily for 12 weeks. Daily caloric intake, body composition, blood chemistry, and blood pressure were evaluated every 4 weeks during the trial. Test subjects consumed fewer calories per day and had greater reductions in body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, and waist circumference than Control subjects. All markers of glucose metabolism improved in the Test group, with increases in adiponectin and reductions in glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance, glycosylated hemoglobin, and glycated albumin (all p < 0.01). Similarly, all lipid measures improved with increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reductions in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides (all p < 0.01). No changes were observed in systolic blood pressure between groups. Most components of glucose metabolism and the lipid profile were significantly better in the Test than in the Control subjects. No adverse events or gastrointestinal complaints were reported in either group. Supplementation with NUTRIOSE for 12 weeks is well tolerated, lowers insulin resistance, and improves determinants of metabolic syndrome in overweight men.


ABSTRACT Objectives In this study we aimed to investigate corpus callosum shape differences between restless leg syndrome patients and healthy controls, and to determine whether disease severity and duration are indicators for corpus callosum deformation in RLS patients. Methods This study was conducted using the magnetic resonance imaging scans of 33 restless leg syndrome patients and 33 control subjects. Landmarks were marked on the digital images and callosal landmark coordinate data were used to assess shape difference by performing Generalized Procrustes analysis. The shape deformation from controls to the patients was evaluated performing the Thin Plate Spline approach. Results There was a statistically significant shape difference between the groups. Highest deformation was determined at the posterior midbody of the corpus callosum. Growth curve analyses showed that with the increase in disease duration and severity, the CC size decreased. Discussion The present study demonstrated callosal shape differences in restless leg syndrome using a landmark-based geometric morphometric approach, considering the topographic distribution of corpus callosum for the first time.


Jogja in A Pocket is a book dedicated to foreigners who are visiting Jogja, will visit Jogja in the near future, and/or to anyone who is fascinated with Jogja. It is a bilingual book, written in English and Indonesian. The process of making this book includes a translation process from Indonesian language to English language. This research is an annotated translation in which the researcher as the translator provides detailed explanation to account for her selection of translation equivalents. It also attempts to elaborate the process, particularly the techniques, and the challenges the translator of the book faced during the process stage. The findings show that the process was not very easy since the source texts contained Javanese specific concepts; Javanese is one of the biggest cultures in Indonesia. There were also many translation techniques from Molina and Albir (2002) applied in the process. As a book for foreigners, it is expected to be able to introduce one of the Indonesian's cultures to world communities through its translation.


High-performance polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs) were successfully fabricated on a glass substrate below 425/spl deg/C by introducing defect control process technologies. The defects in the laser crystallized poly-Si films were terminated by an oxygen plasma treatment to the film and the defects at the SiO/sub 2//Si interface were controlled by a gate SiO/sub 2/ film formation using electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). As a result, high n-channel mobility of 309 cm/sup 2/V/sup -1/s/sup -1/, low threshold voltage of 1.12 V and low subthreshold swing of 250 mV/decade were obtained. In addition, it was demonstrated that the defect control process is quite effective to minimize the variation of TFT characteristics.


Background: With the development of endoscopic technology, the clinical detection rates of duodenal lesions have been significantly increased. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been increasingly applied to the minimally invasive treatment of duodenal space-occupying lesions and has similar therapeutic effects as surgery. However, postoperative complications such as perforation and bleeding easily occur after ESD, but there were few reports about it. We report a case, which we designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ESD treatment for stromal tumor in descending duodenum. Case presentation: A 64-year-old woman suffered from duodenal fistula and retroperitoneal abscess after ESD for stromal tumor in descending duodenum. The purse-string suture therapy of the wound was not very effective for the patient during the operation. Thus, the patient underwent a series of treatment measures successfully, such as endoscopic jejunum feeding tube placement, anti-infection, endoscopic closure of duodenal fistula, etc, and without evidence of perforation of duodenum. Follow-up was done for 6 months without recurrence. Conclusions: ESD is a efficient and promising strategy for treating of stromal tumor in descending duodenum, while the ESD of security needs to be further evaluated.


Heavy traffic over the unlicensed portion of the spectrum along with inefficient usage of the licensed spectrum gave impetus for a new spectrum allocation policy, the main purpose of which is to improve spectrum efficiency through opportunistic spectrum access. Cognitive radios have been proposed as a key enabling technology for such an opportunistic policy. One of the key challenges to enabling multihop CR communications is how to perform opportunistic medium access control while limiting the interference imposed on licensed users. In this article we highlight the unique characteristics of multihop cognitive radio networks, discuss key MAC design challenges specific to such networks, and present some of the work that has been done on MAC design for CRNs.


Abstract Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mediates cholesterol transport into the mitochondria and is essential for ovarian steroidogenesis. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been reported to inhibit FSH-stimulated differentiation in porcine granulosa cells. Previous studies have demonstrated FSH stimulates StAR mRNA accumulation and gene promoter activation in granulosa cells. Treatment of granulosa cells with FSH (5 ng/ml, 6 h) increased StAR mRNA, whereas coaddition of EGF (10 ng/ ml) significantly reduced (P < 0.05) FSH-stimulated mRNA accumulation by 62.7% ± 13.9%. Under these same conditions, FSH-stimulated cAMP accumulation in cultures was unaltered by coincubation with EGF. RNA stability studies showed that cotreatment with FSH and EGF did not alter the StAR mRNA half-life compared with FSH alone, t1/2 = 1.9–3.8 and 2.7–4.1 h, respectively. EGF significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) FSH-stimulated StAR heterogeneous nuclear RNA levels by 47.6% ± 6.8 %, implicating a repressive effect on transcription. Surprisingly, EGF (1–50 ng/ml) did not affect FSH stimulation of a 1423-base pair StAR gene promoter-luciferase construct in transient transfection assays in porcine granulosa cells. To evaluate FSH and EGF effects on the endogenous StAR gene, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed in combination with real-time polymerase chain reaction. FSH increased histone H3 acetylation (lysines 9, 14) within the proximal region of the StAR gene promoter and coincubation with EGF blocked this effect. Dimethylation (lysine 9) of histone H3 was not influenced by treatments. In conclusion, EGF repression of FSH-stimulated StAR transcription in porcine granulosa cells is accompanied by reductions in histone H3 acetylation associated with the StAR gene promoter.


This research was conceded at an institutional level and a six-member team, led by the first author was constituted at Middle East College (MEC)during 2012 and investigates strategies of providing feedback on the academic work of students. The aim of the study was to comprehend the gaps and possible strategies of feed-backing that could be used at MEC for helping in value-addition for enhancing student experience within the learning process. Primary data collection and intense secondary research enabled knowledge expansion on feed-backing. The findings indicated that feed-backing was not focused and did not correspond to international strategies. The conclusions were that a structured and policy driven feed-backing system needs to be practiced at MEC, as the current system of feed-backing doesn't enable enhanced student experience. Further informative sessions and feedback collection from stakeholders need to be carried out to enhance the process for maximum benefits.


Respiratory viruses including the human parainfluenza viruses (hPIVs) are a constant burden to human health, with morbidity and mortality frequently increased after the acute phase of the infection. Although is proven that respiratory viruses can persist in vitro, the mechanisms of virus or viral products persistence, their sources, and their impact on chronic respiratory diseases in vivo are unknown. Here, we used Sendai virus (SeV) to model hPIV infection in mice and test whether virus persistence associates with the development of chronic lung disease. Following SeV infection, virus products were detected in lung macrophages, type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and dendritic cells for several weeks after the infectious virus was cleared. Cells containing viral protein showed strong upregulation of antiviral and type 2 inflammation-related genes that associate with the development of chronic post-viral lung diseases, including asthma. Lineage tracing of infected cells or cells derived from infected cells suggests that distinct functional groups of cells contribute to the chronic pathology. Importantly, targeted ablation of infected cells or those derived from infected cells significantly ameliorated chronic lung disease. Overall, we identified persistent infection of innate immune cells as a critical factor in the progression from acute to chronic post viral respiratory disease.


Background
Although internal mammary vessels are considered the best recipients for free flap breast reconstruction, they present the notable drawback of limited accessibility. The aim of this study was to develop a minimally invasive surgical technique for the dissection of internal mammary vessels as recipients for breast reconstruction.

Methods
From 2008 to 2018, we performed 32 unilateral microsurgical breast reconstructions (mean patient age: 40.1±8.7 years; range, 23-58 years). As internal mammary vessels were exclusively used as recipients, they were dissected using a technique of minimally invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) developed in our hospital.

Results
The mean surgery time was 5.4±0.55 hours (range, 4.5-6.5 hours), and the mean duration of VATS dissection of internal mammary vessels was 20.6±2.9 minutes (range, 16-27 minutes). Of the specific complications associated with VATS, we only observed reductions in forced expiratory volume in the first second of >15% in 3 patients (9.4%), 10-15% in 8 patients (25%), and <10% in 21 patients (65.63%). We did not have any cases of significant bleeding or postoperative infection in this series of patients. With regard to aesthetic complications, we observed 1 and 2 cases of total necrosis and partial necrosis of the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap, respectively and 2 cases of partial necrosis of supercharged transverse rectus abdominis muscle flap.

Conclusions
Endoscopic dissection of internal mammary vessels is a simple and feasible technique. When performed by experienced surgeons, it is a fast procedure that is associated with low rate of complications.


This work was just to look at the causes and the effects of politics within organisation. It started with the reasons for groups within organisations, causes and possible effects of organisational politics on the organisation and the employees. Finally, the work made it clear that employees need to relate which may give room for politicking but moderation and utmost supervision should be the guarding principle.


With the transformation of the market into a provider of relevant symbolic resources, individuals like to demonstrate consumer goods that reflect their values and shared lifestyles. Thus, the aim of this study is to define identity profiles of craft beer enthusiasts based on their consumption practices. Using exploratory qualitative research, 55 consumers were interviewed and observations were made in the city of Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. The results present five consumer identity profiles in the culture of the craft beer consumer: Beginner, Adventurer, Beer Evangelist, Expert, and Beer Snob. The research enriches the studies inherent in consumer culture by presenting identity profiles based on consumption habits, and what is more, the research also makes a contribution by presenting the segmentation methodology in which the suggested identities can serve as a mechanism for industry organizations in the search for relationship strategies with the target audience.


This presentation will showcase the interface of systemic and localized disturbances in metabolism with tumor development, specifically focusing on colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide among both men and women. Risk and preventive factors are well established and include, among others, lack of physical activity and obesity (risk) as well as aspirin use and screening (prevention). Adipose tissue is emerging as a key player in carcinogenesis through the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and adipokines. The colon is surrounded by adipose tissue, which supports the direct (paracrine) adipose-colon crosstalk and influence as a tumor microenvironment, as well as systemic influences on colon carcinogenesis factors secreted into the bloodstream. As part of the ColoCare cohort, an international, multicenter cohort of colorectal cancer patients, we have investigated adipose tissue distribution, composition, characteristics, and possible influence on colorectal tumors. In an integrated analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT, respectively), we showed that there are distinct differences that may play a central role in driving carcinogenesis (1). These analyses are ongoing and have been extended to blood-based measures of the inflammasome and metabolome, as well as tumor characteristics. Adipose tissue biology can also be directly affected by weight-loss interventions through diet and exercise. As part of the Nutrition and Exercise in Women (NEW) study, we showed that weight loss results in changes in adipose tissue gene expression as well as corresponding reductions in biomarkers, including inflammatory biomarkers (2, 3). References 1. Liesenfeld DB, Grapov D, Fahrmann JF, Salou M, Scherer D, Toth R, et al. Metabolomics and transcriptomics identify pathway differences between visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue in colorectal cancer patients: the ColoCare study. Am J Clin Nutr 2015;102(2):433-43. 2. Imayama I, Ulrich CM, Alfano CM, Wang C, Xiao L, Wener MH, et al. Effects of a caloric restriction weight loss diet and exercise on inflammatory biomarkers in overweight/obese postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial. Cancer Res 2012;72(9):2314-26. 3. Campbell KL, Foster-Schubert KE, Makar KW, Kratz M, Hagman D, Schur EA, et al. Gene expression changes in adipose tissue with diet- and/or exercise-induced weight loss. Cancer Prev Res 2013;6(3):217-31. Citation Format: Cornelia M. Ulrich. The adipose-cancer link: From microenvironment to metabolomics [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr SY28-02. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-SY28-02


Abstract. In drylands, characterised by water scarcity and frequent meteorological droughts, knowledge of soil moisture dynamics and its drivers (evapotranspiration, soil physical properties and the timing and sequencing of precipitation events) is fundamental to understanding changes in water availability to plants and human society, especially under a nonstationary climate. Given the episodic and stochastic nature of rainfall in drylands and the limited availability of data in these regions, we sought to explore what effects the temporal resolution of precipitation data has on soil moisture and how soil moisture distributions might evolve under different scenarios of climate change. Such information is critical for anticipating the impact of a changing climate on dryland communities across the globe, especially those that depend on rainfed agriculture and groundwater wells for drinking water for humans and livestock. A major challenge to understanding soil moisture in response to climate is the availability of precipitation datasets for dryland regions across the globe. Gridded precipitation data may only be available for daily or weekly time periods, even though rainstorms in drylands often occur on much shorter time scales, but it is currently unknown how this timescale mismatch might affect our understanding of soil moisture. Numerical modelling enables retrodiction or prediction of how climate translates into dynamically evolving moisture within the soil profile. It can be used to explore how climate data at different temporal resolutions affect these soil moisture dynamics, as well as to explore the influence of shifts in rainfall characteristics (e.g., storm intensity) under potential scenarios of climate change. This study uses Hydrus 1-D, to investigate the dynamics of soil moisture over a period of decades in response to the same underlying rainfall data resolved at hourly, daily, and weekly resolutions, as well as to step changes in rainfall delivery, which is expected under a warming atmosphere. We parameterised the model using rainfall, evaporative demand, and soils data from the semi-arid Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) in SE Arizona, but we present the results as a generalized study of how rainfall resolution and shifts in rainfall intensity may affect dryland soil moisture at different depths. Our results indicate that hourly or better rainfall resolution captures the dynamics of soil moisture in drylands, and that critical information on soil water content, moisture availability to vegetation, actual evapotranspiration, and deep percolation of infiltrated water is lost when soil moisture modelling is driven by rainfall data at coarser temporal resolutions (daily, weekly). We further show that modest changes in rainfall intensity dramatically shift soil water content and the overall water balance. These findings are relevant to the prediction of soil moisture for crop yield forecasts, for adaptation to climate-related risks, and for anticipating the challenges of water scarcity and food insecurity in dryland communities around the globe, where available datasets are of low spatial and temporal resolution.


Background Acute aortic syndromes may be prone to misdiagnosis by nonreferral aortic centers with less diagnostic experience. We evaluated regional variability in these misdiagnosis trends among patients transferred to different regional quaternary care centers with presumed acute aortic syndromes. Methods and Results Two institutional aortic center databases were retrospectively reviewed for emergency transfers in patients diagnosed with acute aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, penetrating aortic ulcer, thoracic aortic aneurysm, or aortic pseudoaneurysm between 2008 and 2020. Transferring diagnoses versus actual diagnoses were reviewed using physician notes and radiology reports. Misdiagnoses were confirmed by a board‐certified cardiothoracic surgeon. A total of 3772 inpatient transfers were identified, of which 1762 patients were classified as emergency transfers. The mean age was 64 years (58% male). Patients were transferred from 203 medical centers by ground (51%) or air (49%). Differences in transfer diagnosis and actual diagnosis were identified in 188 (10.7%) patients. Of those, incorrect classification of Type A versus B dissections was identified among 23%, and 30% of patients with a referring diagnosis of an acute aortic dissection did not have one. In addition, 14% transferred for contained/impending rupture did not have signs of rupture. All misdiagnoses were secondary to misinterpretation of imaging, with motion artifacts (n=32, 17%) and postsurgical changes (n=44, 23%) being common sources of diagnostic error. Conclusions Misdiagnosis of acute aortic syndromes commonly occurred in patients transferred to 2 separate large aortic referral centers. Although diagnostic accuracy may be improving, there are opportunities for improved physician awareness through standardized web‐based imaging education.


Introduction: In-hospital hypernatremia is associated with increased mortality rates. We want to elucidate the impact of in-hospital acquired hypernatremia in mortality of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). Purpose: Is there an association between hypernatremia and mortality in patients with TEN? Method: Retrospective study of 25 patients with TEN. Laboratory electrolyte results, diuresis and survival were analyzed. Patients were separated in two groups without (Group A) or with (Group B) hypernatremia. Results: In Group A 10 patients with a TBSA of 74±25% (mean ± standard deviation), and a SCORTEN-Score of 2.7±0.9 were summarized. Diuresis within the first 10 days after admission was 1±0.3 ml/kg/hour. In Group B 15 patients with a TBSA of 76±19%, and a SCORTEN-Score of 3.5±1 were included. Diuresis within the first 10 days after admission was 1.4±0.4 ml/kg/hour. Hypernatremia occurred on day 3.3±2.4 after admission and persisted for 5.3±2.9 days. Statistical analysis showed a significantly higher diuresis (p=0.007) and SCORTEN-Score (p=0.04) in the hypernatremic patients. One normonatremic and 8 hypernatremic patients died during ICU-stay (overall mortality rate 36%). A significantly higher mortality rate was found in Group B (odds ratio: 13,5; 95% confidence interval: 1.34–135.98; p=0.01) during ICU-stay. Conclusion: TEN patients with an in-hospital acquired hypernatremia have an increased mortality risk. Close electrolyte monitoring is advisable in these patients.


Abstract Developmental plasticity models hypothesize the role of genetic and prenatal environmental influences on the development of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and highlight that genes and the prenatal environment may moderate early postnatal environmental influences on HPA functioning. This article examines the interplay of genetic, prenatal and parenting influences across the first 4.5 years of life on a novel index of children's cortisol variability. Repeated measures data were obtained from 134 adoption-linked families, adopted children and both their adoptive parents and birth mothers, who participated in a longitudinal, prospective US domestic adoption study. Genetic and prenatal influences moderated associations between inconsistency in overreactive parenting from child age 9 months to 4.5 years and children's cortisol variability at 4.5 years differently for mothers and fathers. Among children whose birth mothers had high morning cortisol, adoptive fathers' inconsistent overreactive parenting predicted higher cortisol variability, whereas among children with low birth mother morning cortisol adoptive fathers' inconsistent overreactive parenting predicted lower cortisol variability. Among children who experienced high levels of prenatal risk, adoptive mothers' inconsistent overreactive parenting predicted lower cortisol variability and adoptive fathers' inconsistent overreactive parenting predicted higher cortisol variability, whereas among children who experienced low levels of prenatal risk there were no associations between inconsistent overreactive parenting and children's cortisol variability. Findings supported developmental plasticity models and uncovered novel developmental, gene × environment and prenatal × environment influences on children's cortisol functioning.


We apply a two-dimensional quantum mechanical simulation scheme to study the effect of channel access geometries on device performance. This simulation scheme solves the nonequilibrium Green's function equations self-consistently with Poisson's equation and treats the effect of scattering using a simple approximation inspired by Buttiker. It is based on an expansion of the device Hamiltonian in coupled mode space. Simulation results are used to highlight quantum effects and discuss the importance of scattering when examining the transport properties of nanoscale transistors with differing channel access geometries. Additionally, an efficient domain decomposition scheme for evaluating the performance of nanoscale transistors is also presented. This article highlights the importance of scattering in understanding the performance of transistors with different channel access geometries.


AbstractIn this work we present an efficient method for solving an optimal control problem for a batch reactor, where a temperature dependent exothermic reaction takes place within a preset duration and within specified temperature bounds. The Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation corresponding to the optimal control problem is nonlinear and has infinite boundary conditions due to the state constraints (bounds on temperature and concentration),
which makes it troublesome to solve. However, using a logarithmic transformation, the HJB-equation is transformed into a linear partial differential equation with zero boundary conditions.
Furthermore, the problem can then be solved using variable separation such that the time-
dependent part has an analytical solution and the state dependent part becomes a linear
eigenvalue problem which can readily be solved using standard software.


Home and neighbourhood environment and parents' well-being are among factors that affect children's development in the first years of life. That can in turn have a major impact on important outcomes later on. The New Fathers and Mothers Study, a longitudinal study on origins of early individual differences in self-regulation carried out at the University of Cambridge, explores this topic among others. The current study is based on data from 190 families taking part in the New Fathers and Mothers Study, all containing a father, mother and their first born. It had four aims: (1) to examine the inter-rater reliability of the Windshield Survey, a recent 12 item measurement on children's home and neighbourhood environment consisting of three subscales; (2) to examine the internal consistency of the scale; (3) to assess the validity of the scale by examining its structure and associations with socioeconomic status, stimulation in the home, parental depression and early indicators of children's development; (4) to examine if early indicators of children's development are predicted by any of the above mentioned variables. The results supported the reliability and validity of the Windshield Survey to some extent. The inter-rater reliability was not satisfactory for some items when preliminary analyses were done after 74 families had been seen, so further researcher training was implemented which improved the reliability for most items. The internal consistency was satisfactory (α > .70) for one subscale out of three. Inadequate reliability can be explained by a lack of variability for some items. The structure of the scale represented the three subscales fairly well and a number of correlations between the Windshield Survey subscales and other study variables emerged that supported the construct validity of the scale. Further examination is needed for predictors of children's development as very few associations emerged between children's development and other study variables. A possible explanation is that the measurements on children's development in this study were only preliminary.


The California energy crisis in 2000-2001 showed what could happen to an electricity market if it did not go through a comprehensive and rigorous testing before its implementation. Due to the complexity of the market structure, strategic interaction between the participants, and the underlying physics, it is difficult to fully evaluate the implications of potential changes to market rules. This paper presents a flexible and integrative method to assess market designs through agent-based modeling. Realistic simulation scenarios are constructed for evaluation of the pro- posed PJM-like market power mitigation rules of the California electricity market. Simulation results show that in the absence of market power mitigation, generation company (GENCO) agents facilitated by Q-learning are able to exploit the market flaws and make significantly higher profits relative to the competitive benchmark. The incorporation of PJM-like local market power mitigation rules is shown to be effective in suppressing the exercise of market power.


For consumer products where the product appearance plays an important role in meeting expectations, the visible effects of manufacturing variation can have a negative influence on the product experience. A prerequisite in mass production is that no manufactured units are exactly identical, as a result of variation. However, reducing variation is often associated with increased manufacturing and development costs. The main question addressed in this thesis is therefore how to evaluate the effects of variation on product appearance and perceived quality. The product property controlling these effects is referred to as visual robustness.

Visual robustness is the ability of a product to stimulate the same visual experience as the nominal product, despite small variations. It depends only on the product appearance in terms of form and colours of visible parts. A key suggestion is therefore that product appearance should be made robust to deviations in appearance. The visual consequences of variation are thereby dampened instead of eliminated. Particular focus is set on visual robustness to geometrical manufacturing variation, visible in the split-lines between parts. However, a product can be visually robust to different types of deviations from its intended appearance, such as colour deviations
occurring during manufacture or to the effects of ageing or wear.

As visual robustness controls the effects of deviations on the perceived product quality, special attention is given to this relationship. Different types of aspects that influence
the perceived product quality have been identified and categorized.

The main result of this thesis is a framework describing visual robustness and perceived quality. To explain what makes products visually robust to geometrical manufacturing variation, the concepts of visual references and amplifying factors are introduced. Two different evaluation methods have also been developed using the suggested framework. The fit complexity evaluation method aims to reduce visual
references between different parts in an assembly. The Appearance FMEA is a procedure for enabling detection of different kinds of appearance imperfections, and promotes considerations of visual robustness in early design stages. A study that describes how visual robustness is handled at a Swedish car manufacturer today is also presented.


This work proposes a methodology, using plugins resources, for configuration of finite element simulation attributes in geometric modeling. The attributes are necessary additional information for the complete definition of a finite element model, as they constitute specific characterizations of the simulations. The configuration of these attributes allows a relatively simple extension of a given geometric modeler, so that it may be used in other types of finite element simulations. With the plugin methodology, it is possible incorporate to the modeler specific resources that were not initially considered. The strategy adopted in this work consists of using the plugin resource to link, through an interface, a geometric modeler to a library of classes of the module that manages simulation attributes. A simple example is presented to illustrate the proposed methodology.


Natural fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials have emerged in a wide spectrum of area of the polymer science. The composite produced from these types of materials are low density, low cost, comparable specific properties, and most importantly they are environmental friendly. The composite materials produced from oil palm fibers and commercially available polymers have offered some specific properties that can be comparable to conventional synthetic fiber composite materials. However, these properties are greatly dependent on the compatibility of oil palm fibers and matrix phase with moisture absorption as one of the critical issues that becomes the drawbacks of the oil palm fiber polymer composite materials. Apparently, it greatly affects the physical as well as mechanical properties of the composite materials. The present review reports the work on oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber-reinforced polymer composites with some interest on the OPEFB physical structure, and chemical compositions. Finally, the incorporation of OPEFB into polymeric materials leads to several interesting consequences on the water absorption characteristics and the mechanical properties, which have been reviewed.


This study examines the dynamics of conflict resolution through third party mediation focusing on negotiations carried out as a result of the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007/8. The study objectives are; to examine effectiveness of mediation in managing conflict in Kenya, to determine the various types of mediation process used in management of the post electoral dispute in in Kenya and to determine cultural and ethnic differences and degree of homogeneity that affects the success or failure of mediation in the effort of managing conflict in Kenya. Mediation is gaining popularity all over the world and Kenya is not an exception. Third parties might act as consultants, helping one side or both sides analyze the conflict and plan an effective response. Alternatively, they act as facilitators, arranging meetings, setting agendas, and guiding productive discussions. Kenyans have always held this myth of seeing Kenya 'as an island of peace in a sea of chaos' and could hardly think of a possibility of a full scale conflict. The underlying factors of ethnicity, poverty, discrimination land problems and political intolerance played out during the 2007 elections. Dispute management research has not often compared the effectiveness of mediation as a tool. Consequently, applying conflict management techniques to international disputes has sometimes not been effective This study used both primary and secondary data from available data in the Nairobi and other university libraries and internet sources which analyze by trying to explore and to get explanations that led to the outbreak and trends of the conflict in Kenya while secondary data used text books, journals, and academic papers that are to be found in the University of Nairobi and other libraries. This instrument of data collection enables the researcher to eontrol the setting; it is flexible as one can probe and in the process get in-depth information. Research design used in this study was descriptive and exploratory in nature method. This study presented a detailed background of mediation as a mode of conflict resolution. The finding indicated that mediation process is inherently unpredictable, and the mediator must try to constantly reassess, remain open to ambiguity, and to offer new options when necessary. This study notes that mediators are useful in the process of conflict abatement, and they can make positive and direct contributions by focusing the parties on a termination agreement. Further it notes that success of third party mediations is dependent on credibility ofthe mediators and the level of commitment by the parties. The literature of mediations spans several academic fields including, but not limited to, traditional political science and international relations, labor and industrial relations and management studies. The mediator should always do his best make himself acceptable to the parties to conflict at all times. When the post-election conflict began in Kenya, it was immediately so violent a conflict that the solution was also as urgent


Video-based learning (VBL) is an attractive teaching approach that comprehensively prepares students to solve problems. This study explores the effectiveness of video-based learning media in increasing students' knowledge about post-harvest handling. The research method used is a quantitative descriptive survey. Research respondents were year three students of Undergraduate Plantation Technology and Management from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Melaka, Jasin Campus. Random distribution of questionnaires using Google form. Samples were taken based on a purposive sampling technique, namely those taking post-harvest handling courses. The survey was conducted using research instruments to measure students' understanding before and after being given treatment (watching videos). Data analysis with t-test (α = 5%) shows differences in pre-test and post-test scores, namely differences in knowledge before watching videos and watching videos. The results show that the post-test result score is higher than the pre-test score and can be categorized as high. This treatment indicates that students can understand well the subjects of post-harvest handling. The t-test result shows that the application of VBL had a significant effect on students' understanding of post-harvest handling. Video-based learning can be used as an alternative to learning in the era of the industrial revolution 4.0 to increase students' knowledge of a learning topic.


Sertoli Cells (SCs) in the testes have evolved to possess unique immune privileged properties to protect the developing germ cells from immunological attack. These immune privileged properties are not restricted to the testis, as SCs survive when transplanted across immunological barriers as allo- and xeno-grafts. Here we discuss the therapeutic potential of transplanted SCs in protecting cells, tissues or organs, which could be paramount in the field of transplantation to treat lifethreatening diseases. Similar to the testis, transplanted SCs inhibit and/or modulate the immune response locally (at the transplant site) or systemically. Protection of transplanted cells, present in close vicinity of SCs, along with reduction of inflammation at the transplant site support that SC can inhibit and/or modulate the immune response locally. While protection of skin, islets in the contralateral kidney, and organs by SCs support their role in inducing systemic tolerance. Additionally, amelioration of autoimmune diseases, specifically type 1 diabetes mellitus, further supports this notion. Studies exploring SCs role as a vehicle for the cell based gene therapy further widens the horizon of SCs therapeutic potential in transplantation.


The aim of this study is to investigate eects on stresses of using dierent adherent material in metal-composite hybrid joints. It was assumed that a composite plate was adhesively bonded and pinned to dierent metal plates. The metal plates were aluminum, steel, copper and titanium. For providing a real problem, three-dimensional nite element models were created. Tensile loads at uniform temperature were tested on the modeled hybrid joints. In order to analyze the stresses of the problem, the nite element method (FEM) was chosen, since this method has proved suitable for solving many engineering problems recently. According to the results, high stresses occurred because of the dierent material properties of the composite adherent, metal adherent and epoxy adhesive. Stresses were concentrated around the pin hole zone especially. The higher stresses were observed for the steel-composite joint, whereas the lower stresses were obtained in the titanium-composite joint.


Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the differences of athletes' trust, mental skills associated with athletic performance, and satisfaction in a gambling-legal cycle racing business. A multivariate analysis of variance, using 328 professional racing cyclists in South Korea, showed older athletes (over 40 years old) rated cognition-based trust the highest. The shorter career athletes (1–3 years) rated affect-based trust and mental skills the highest, while a longer career (over 7 years) and the highest class of racing cyclists rated cognitive skills the lowest. The results also suggested that younger athletes (20–29 years old) have higher levels of social satisfaction than older athletes. In addition, athletes with shorter careers rated social and task satisfaction the highest. Finally, we found that longer career athletes had the lowest levels of trust, mental skills, and athlete satisfaction. The results may assist administrators to better understand the important issues of managing athletes in the unique cycle racing business.


The Q(y) transition dipole moment vectors of all eight chlorophylls in the higher-plant antenna protein CP29 were calculated by an original method on the basis of linear dichroism and absorption spectroscopy. The contribution of individual chromophores was determined from difference spectra between wild type and mutant proteins in which a single chlorophyll has been removed by mutating pigment-binding residues. Recombinant proteins were constructed by overexpressing the apoprotein in bacteria and refolding of the pigment-protein complex in vitro [Bassi, R., Croce, R., Cugini, D., and Sandonà, D. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (in press)]. The spectroscopic data are interpreted on the basis of a protein structural model obtained via the homology with the major antenna complex LHCII [Kuhlbrandt, W., Wang, D. N., and Fujiyoshi, Y. (1994) Nature 367, 614-621]. The results allow us to determine the orientation of six chromophores within the protein structure. The orientations of the two remaining chromophores are inferred by considering the symmetry properties of CP29 and fitting steady state absorption and linear dichroism spectra by independent chlorophyll spectral forms. As a consequence, four "mixed" sites with different chlorophyll a and b binding affinities are identified in CP29. Geometrical data and the Förster mechanism for energy transfer suggest that excitation energy equilibrates rapidly among chlorophyll "pure" sites while energy preferentially flows outward from chlorophyll "mixed" sites. The orientation of the dipole moments of two chlorophyll molecules symmetrically located at the center of the protein and parallel to the carotenoid transition vectors suggests a role in energy transfer from xanthophyll to chlorophyll.


We present the results of 938 speckle measures of double stars and suspected double stars drawn mainly from the Hipparcos Catalog, as well as 208 observations where no companion was noted. One hundred fourteen pairs have been resolved for the first time. The data were obtained during four observing runs in 2014 using the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument at Lowell Observatory's Discovery Channel Telescope. The measurement precision obtained when comparing to ephemeris positions of binaries with very well-known orbits is generally less than 2 mas in separation and 0.°5 in position angle. Differential photometry is found to have internal precision of approximately 0.1 mag and to be in very good agreement with Hipparcos measures in cases where the comparison is most relevant. We also estimate the detection limit in the cases where no companion was found. Visual orbital elements are derived for six systems.


BACKGROUND
We aimed to identify changes in the diagnosis and subtype classification of Korean patients with BCR-ABL1-negative MPN related to the revision of the WHO classification in 2016.

METHODS
We evaluated 76 Korean patients with BCR-ABL1-negative MPN who underwent diagnostic work-ups, including bone marrow (BM) examinations and JAK2 V617F mutation analysis, from January 2013 to June 2018. Additionally, we reclassified the subtype of 43 patients who were diagnosed based on the WHO 2008 classification.

RESULTS
From January 2013 to April 2016, 43 patients were diagnosed with BCR-ABL1-negative MPN (12 PV, 17 ET, 14 PMF) according to the 2008 WHO classification, and from May 2016 to June 2018, 33 patients were diagnosed according to the 2016 classification (15 PV, 11 ET, 7 PMF). With the application of 2016 classification, 3 cases of ET were reclassified as pre-PMF, and the proportion of PV increased from 27.9% to 45.5%. There were significant differences in CBC between pre-PMF and overt PMF, between ET and overt-PMF, but no difference between ET and pre-PMF.

CONCLUSIONS
The overall characteristics of BCR-ABL1-negative MPN patients were not significantly different from those of previous reports. 'Masked PV', which could not be diagnosed according to the WHO 2008 classification, may have been diagnosed as PV since 2016 due to the increase in the diagnostic value of the BM findings and the lowering of the hemoglobin (Hb) threshold.


The latest ontology languages can be translated into a description logic (DL), thus providing them with a formal semantics and associated reasoning procedures. We introduce the ordered description logic OSHOQ(D) as a simple decidable extension of SHOQ(D) that supports the direct definition of a preference order on defeasible axioms, thus allowing for a succinct and intuitive expression of defeasible ontologies, containing e.g. exceptions for certain axioms. We demonstrate the usefulness of OSHOQ(D) for solving inconsistencies that may appear e.g. when merging existing ontologies. We present an algorithm that, based on concrete examples of facts that should be true, produces minimal preference orderings on the axioms, in order to make an otherwise inconsistent knowledge base consistent.


Aim To investigate the epidemiology of S. aureus and MRSA nasal carriage among people with diabetes at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, including the prevalence, predictors of carriage, and antibiotic resistance. Methodology This study was cross-sectional, involving 300 diabetes patients and 106 non-diabetic individuals. Swab specimens of the nares were obtained from the participants and bacteriologically-cultured. Identification and characterization of S. aureus and MRSA were based on standard bacteriological methods; antimicrobial susceptibility testing was by the Kirby-Bauer method. Results The prevalence of staphylococcal carriage, the diabetes group relative to the non-diabetes group, were 31.0% and 10.4% (S. aureus), and 3.3% and 0.0% (MRSA). Presence of diabetes predisposed to S. aureus carriage, but not MRSA nor coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) carriage (OR = 3.88; p < 0.0001). Colonization with CoNS was protective of S. aureus (OR = 0.039, p < 0.001) and MRSA (OR = 0.115, p = 0.043) colonization among the diabetics. The antimicrobial resistance patterns recorded among the S. aureus isolated from the diabetic individuals relative to the non-diabetics were as follows: penicillin (95% vs. 91%), tetracycline (37% vs. 27%), cotrimoxazole (30% vs. 36%), erythromycin (17% vs. 0%), norfloxacin (13% vs. 0%), clindamycin (12% vs. 0%), gentamicin (9% vs. 0%), fusidic acid (10% vs. 9%), linezolid (4% vs. 0%), and rifampicin (5% vs. 0%). The proportion of multidrug resistant S. aureus was 41% (n = 38) in the diabetes group and 0% in the non-diabetes group; this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.01). Conclusions The presence of diabetes predisposed the participants to S. aureus carriage by almost four folds, but not MRSA carriage. Colonization with CoNS was protective of S. aureus and MRSA carriage in the diabetes group. Finally, linezolid remains a good therapeutic agent for anti-MRSA therapy.


Abstract The kinetics of isothermal green microwave-assisted extraction of caffeine from guarana seed powder with water at a temperature range from 40°C to 60°C was investigated. The caffeine concentration in the water extract was determined by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. By applying the isoconversional method, it was established that the kinetics of the caffeine extraction from the guarana seed powder with microwave heating is an elementary kinetic process. The model fitting method was used to determine the kinetic model of the caffeine extraction under microwave heating. It was found that the kinetics of the caffeine extraction can, under microwave heating, be modeled by the Jander's model of three dimensional diffusion. The kinetic parameters, activation energy and pre-exponential factor of the caffeine extraction were determined.


Although there is some evidence that online videos are increasingly used by academics for informal scholarly communication and teaching, the extent to which they are used in published academic research is unknown. This article explores the extent to which YouTube videos are cited in academic publications and whether there are significant broad disciplinary differences in this practice. To investigate, we extracted the URL citations to YouTube videos from academic publications indexed by Scopus. A total of 1,808 Scopus publications cited at least one YouTube video, and there was a steady upward growth in citing online videos within scholarly publications from 2006 to 2011, with YouTube citations being most common within arts and humanities (0.3%) and the social sciences (0.2%). A content analysis of 551 YouTube videos cited by research articles indicated that in science (78%) and in medicine and health sciences (77%), over three fourths of the cited videos had either direct scientific (e.g., laboratory experiments) or scientific-related contents (e.g., academic lectures or education) whereas in the arts and humanities, about 80% of the YouTube videos had art, culture, or history themes, and in the social sciences, about 63% of the videos were related to news, politics, advertisements, and documentaries. This shows both the disciplinary differences and the wide variety of innovative research communication uses found for videos within the different subject areas. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


ABSTARCT Qi, Z.; Wang, B.; Qin, Y.; Shi, J., and Zhai, J., 2020. Planar path following control for wave glider and experimental study. In: Zheng, C.W.; Wang, Q.; Zhan, C., and Yang, S.B. (eds.), Air-Sea Interaction and Coastal Environments of the Maritime and Polar Silk Roads. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 99, pp. 16-20. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. This paper addresses a path following problem of Wave Glider along a predefined path in horizontal plane. The path following controller designing is challenging since Wave Glider is weak maneuvering, underactuated, inaccuracy mathematical model and large environmental disturbances. First, a planar curve path tracking error model is established in the Serret-Frenet coordinate frame. Based on the LOS guidance law and the virtual target method, a planar guidance controller for underactuated Wave Glider is presented to ensure the stability of the path following. And then, according to the classic feedback linearization PID controller and fuzzy controller, a fuzzy adaptive PID controller is developed. Fuzzy controller is used to achieve PID controller parameters online adaptive adjust, in order to improve the robustness of the control system under the influence of environmental disturbances and inaccuracy modeling parameters. Furthermore, analyzing the typical application scenarios of Wave Glider, we set two simulation path in horizontal plane named polyline path and circular path. Numerical simulation results illustrate the proposed control design is effective to deal with planar following problem of Wave Glider. Two sea trails show that the controller can achieve the path following task, however, the speed of Wave Glider is directly related to the accuracy of the path following.