Purpose of reviewPartial renal ablation in laboratory animals leads initially to compensatory glomerular hyperfiltration and progressive, sclerotic kidney disease. In addition, modest declines in kidney function are associated with premature mortality in epidemiological studies. Hence, the long-term safety of living-kidney donation is an important issue. The purpose of this review was to examine existing research on outcomes among living-kidney transplant donors, with a focus on longer term outcomes. Recent findingsAlthough studies with sibling controls are unavailable, the current evidence base suggests that kidney donors have mortality and end-stage renal disease risks that are equivalent to similar individuals in the general population. Although findings for albuminuria and hypertension vary between studies, risks may be acceptable if donors receive optimal follow-up and care. Parenthetically, viewed as an experimental model of kidney-function loss, the neutrality of outcomes among donors may have major implications for the population at large: the robust associations between modest declines in kidney function and mortality seen in the general population suggest a confounded relationship and finding these confounders could have major implications for future research directions and for public health. SummaryLong-term outcomes suggest that kidney donation is not a major threat to longevity.


Water distribution networks (WDNs) are critical contributors to the social welfare, economic growth, and public health in cities. Under the uncertainties that are introduced owing to climate change, urban development, aging components, and interdependent infrastructure, the WDN performance must be evaluated using continuously innovative methods and data acquisition. Quantitative resilience assessments provide useful information for WDN operators and planners, enabling support systems that can withstand disasters, recover quickly from outages, and adapt to uncertain environments. This study reviews contemporary approaches for quantifying the resilience of WDNs. 1508 journal articles published from 1950 to 2018 are identified under systematic review guidelines. 137 references that focus on the quantitative resilience methods of WDN are classified as surrogate measures, simulation methods, network theory approaches, and fault detection and isolation approaches. This study identifies the resilience capability of the WDNs and describes the related terms of absorptive, restorative, and adaptive capabilities. It also discusses the metrics, research progresses, and limitations associated with each method. Finally, this study indicates the challenges associated with the quantification of WDNs that should be overcome for achieving improved resilience assessments in the future.


Introduction: For the identification and treatment of overweight and obesity is important the measurements of overall adiposity and abdominal obesity.Objective: Determining the percentile distribution of arm, waist and hip circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio, as well as obesity cut-off points in adolescents aged 10 to 15 years old.Methods: A total of 43 (32 public and 11 private) schools picked at random in the different areas of the city of Sao Paulo, participated in this study. The distributions of the circumferences were charted as 5 to 95 percentiles. The analyses of Receiver Operator Characteristic Curve was carried out in order to determine the values indicating adiposity.Results: A total of 8,020 adolescents (54.5% females and 45.5% males) were examined. The percentiles were charted for age and gender yielding the following measurements associated with adiposity in female and male subjects, respectively: arm circumferences 27,07 and 26,97 cm, waist circumference 74,28 and 77,5 cm, hip circumference 94,79 and 91,7 cm, waist-to-hip ratio 0,80 and 0,86. The arm, waist and hip circumference were found to be parameters of better sensibility and specificity regarding, adiposity when compared with waist-to-hip ratio.Conclusion: The present study evidences the importance of establishing national anthropometrical parameters in order to avoid biased assessment of nutritional status in adolescents aged 10 to 15 years old.


The study explores the lives of children growing up HIV-positive in the eastern Zimbabwean town of Mutare at a time of severe crisis in the state, marked by impoverishment, organized violence and mass death. This ethnography grew out of a psychotherapeutic engagement with a group of children living with HIV. The study examines children's experiences through the institutional domains of family and kin, clinics and other forms of healing, churches and religious practices, and experiences of dying and bereavement. Against patrilineal norms, much daily caring occurs in mothers' families. Clinics continue to offer partial western medical care despite daunting resource constraints. Western medicine sits on older templates of 'traditional' and 'spiritual' healing. Anti-retrovirals and other basic medicines are available but may exacerbate domestic discord and fail to meet more obvious physical symptoms. Children and their families appear to prefer spiritual alternatives to medical care, perhaps partly as a result of the severe limitations placed on the latter. A wide variety of religious practices, primarily Christian in a plethora of forms, flourish in the context. Dying may come to be seen by children as preferable to continued struggle against severe adversity. Child deaths are deeply imbued with religious practice and given voice through religious idioms. Ross Parsons has extensive experience as a psychotherapist, a writer and a social researcher. He lives in Mutare and teaches anthropology and psychology at Africa University. Weaver Press: Zimbabwe and Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia)


BACKGROUND: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising liquid biopsy for various diseases. For the first time, using plasma and urinary EVs, we assessed the activity of renin-angiotensin system (RAS), a central regulator of renal, cardiac, and vascular physiology, in patients with control (Group I) or uncontrolled (Group II) primary hypertension. METHODS: EVs were isolated from 34 patients with history of hypertension, and characterized for size and concentration by nanoparticle tracking analyses, exosomal biomarkers by immunogold labeling coupled with transmission electron microscopy, flow cytometry and immunoblotting. EVs were analyzed for the hydrolytic activity of chymase, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, and neprilysin (NEP) by HPLC. RESULTS: Plasma and urinary EVs were enriched for small EVs and expressed exosomal markers (CD63, CD9, and CD81). The size of urinary EVs (but not plasma EVs) was significantly larger in Group II compared to Group I. Differential activity of RAS enzymes was observed, with significantly higher chymase activity compared to ACE, ACE2, and NEP in plasma EVs. Similarly, urinary EVs exhibited higher chymase and NEP activity compared to ACE and ACE2 activity. Importantly, compared to Group I, significantly higher chymase activity was observed in urinary EVs (p = 0.03) from Group II, while no significant difference in activity was observed for other RAS enzymes. CONCLUSIONS: Bioactive RAS enzymes are present in plasma and urinary EVs. Detecting chymase in plasma and urinary EVs uncovers a novel mechanism of angiotensin II-forming enzyme and could also mediate cell-cell communication and modulate signaling pathways in recipient cells.


WHY NOT ACADEMIA? – THE STREAMLINED CAREER CHOICE PROCESS OF BLACK AFRICAN WOMEN ENGINEERS: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY By Yeukai Angela Mlambo Black African women are grossly underrepresented as academic staff in engineering programs at South African universities. The problem is exacerbated at historically White institutions (HWI) where Black women are simply absent as engineering research and teaching staff. The absence of Black African women in the academy occurs despite Black African women enrolling and graduating with engineering postgraduate degrees making them eligible for academic jobs. Furthermore, despite Black African women representing the largest population in South Africa at 41% of the population overall, and affirmative action policies in place, engineering academic spaces remain predominantly White and male, not representative of the country's population. In fact White women are overrepresented in engineering academe and in some cases White women are the only female presence in engineering higher education employment. If Black African women are graduating with engineering degrees why are they not equally represented in engineering academe as their White female counterparts? How can the absence of Black African women engineering academics be explained? I use Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory (CGT) to understand the career choice processes of Black African engineering alumni women in South Africa to explain why their career choices thus far have not included the academy. Approaching the research from a social constructivist paradigm, loosely guided by a conceptual framework of African feminism(s) and CGT, and borrowing from life history interview methods this study addresses the underrepresentation of Black African women in engineering academe. Findings indicate Black African women's career choices in engineering are driven by prospects of socio-economic mobility and family/community responsibilities, a product of historical circumstances during apartheid that created social inequalities with Black families relegated to lower socio-economic statuses. In this study career choices were heavily influenced by teachers in pre-tertiary schooling, student academic competencies in mathematics and science, and industry practices that included providing bursary funds to only support engineering higher education endeavors, thereby dictating to students from low income households which careers to pursue especially in cases where the absence of such funding meant one would not be able to afford university costs. The academy was not viewed as a place of work seen instead as a transitory space. The image of the academy as made up of older White males also created the perception that it was not a place for Black women. The combination of the factors influencing career choices in school and the image of the academy as an unwelcoming space for Black women explains Black women's absence in South African engineering academia. Postsecondary institutional leaders should work on changing the image of the academy and marketing it as a career option for students in pre-tertiary and postsecondary education. Institutional culture and representation needs to reflect the diverse student population while actively working to ensure all students, academic and administrative staff feels welcome and valued. More importantly financial resources need to be made available and leveraged to support Black African women's education in a bursary-style format to encourage more Black women to follow academic career pathways. Copyright by YEUKAI ANGELA MLAMBO 2017


Abstract The spout-fluid bed (SFB) is a very successful synthesis of the spouting and fluidization. The hydrodynamics of SFB are more complex than both fluidized beds and spouted beds. Up-to-date information on the fundamentals and applications of SFBs has been briefly presented, based on the limited work reported, in the new spouted bed book edited by Norman Epstein and John R. Grace (Spouted and spout-fluid beds: fundamentals and applications, 2011). In the past three years, nearly 30 papers have been published in international journals. They reported interesting studies on hydrodynamic characteristics, numerical simulations and new applications of SFBs. This article reviews the major research and development on SFB from the year 2010 and recommends further research topics. This review is intended not only as an important supplement to the SFB chapter of the spouted bed book but also helpful guidance for future research.


The aim was to determine clinical features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Materials and methods. 250 NAFLD patients were examined: 141 (56.4%) with T2D (group I) and 109 (43.6%) without T2D (group II). In group I, liver steatosis (LS) was revealed in 59 (41.8%), steatohepatitis (SH) in 79 (56.0%) and liver cirrhosis (LC) in 3 (2.1%) patients. It group II, LS, SH, and LC were found in 47 (43.1%), 62 (57.9%), and 0 (0%) patients, respectively. Routine laboratory tests were performed, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was determined by ELISA. Results. 235 (94.0%) patients developed diabetes after NAFLD. Women accounted for 59.6% of NAFLD patients with T2D, the average age of this group was 10 years higher than that of NAFLD patients without T2D, and 3 (2.1%) patients of group I had cirrhosis. In NAFLD patients without T2D, nobody has LC. Mean age in LS+T2D subgroup was 61.80±11.80 years, in LS without T2D subgroup 53.81±10.06 (p<0.05), in SH+T2D subgroup 60.00±10.90 years, in SH without T2D subgroup 47.75±10.18 years (p<0.05). Alkaline phosphatase activity was higher in subgroups with T2D: 248.5±40.4 IU/l for LS+T2D, 210.85±48.51 IU/l for LS without T2D (p<0.05), 232.94±48.68 IU/l for SH+T2D, 201.88±36.44 IU/l for SH without T2D (p<0.05). Triglycerides were also higher in patients with T2D: 3.34±1.30 mmol/l for LS+T2D, 2.10±0.95 mmol/l for LS without T2D (p<0.05), 3.08±2.13 mmol/l for SH+T2D, 2.60±1.43 mmol/l for SH without T2D (p>0.05). TNF- level was higher in patients with T2D: 5.61±0.40 pg/ml for LS+T2D, 5.14±0.36 pg/ml for LS without T2D (p<0.05), 6.34±0.38 pg/ml SH+T2D, 5.90±0.43 pg/ml SH without T2D (p<0.05). Platelet rates were lower in subgroups with T2D: 227.00±58.05х10 9 /l for LS+T2D, 246.15±54.85х10 9 /l for LS without T2D (p<0.05), 228.36±40.26х10 9 /l for SH+T2D, 249.05±51.90х10 9 /l for SH without T2D (p<0.05). Conclusions. 1) Patients with T2D (56.4%) predominated among examined patients. In 94% of cases, T2D developed later than NAFLD. 2) Female gender and age were predictors of T2D development in patients with NAFLD. 3) NAFLD associated with T2D was characterized by more pronounced changes of clinical and laboratory parameters of hepatocellular inflammation and cholestasis, thus confirming its progressive course.


A 61-year-old man with chronic chest pain was referred for a myocardial perfusion scan. Following dipyridamole infusion, 99mTc-MIBI was injected and the reconstructed images showed decreased activity in the anteroseptal wall, which prompted the supervising physician to review the cinematic data. Reviewing the cinematic images revealed abnormal 99mTc-MIBI uptake by the ribs, clavicles, and more intensely in the sternum. The next morning, whole-body planar imaging was performed 20 minutes after injection of 99mTc-MIBI at rest, which again revealed widespread abnormal 99mTc-MIBI uptake. Subsequently, a skull X-ray showed multiple areas of osteolysis, typical of punched-out lesions. In view of this evidence, the patient underwent bone marrow aspiration, which revealed marked plasmocytosis and confirmed the diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Our case indicates a false positive perfusion defect induced by sternal sestamibi uptake secondary to sternal tumoral involvement. As the sternum is in close proximity to the myocardium, the effects of its unusual radiotracer uptake on the pattern of myocardial perfusion can be significant. The interpretation of a myocardial perfusion scan should not be limited to the heart and, as the ultimate goal is the patient's wellbeing, any available information should be interpreted.


The under-investigation in diplomatic studies of processes of persuasion in explaining diplomatic outcomes needs to be addressed in the interests of better scholarly explanations and diplomatic practice. Although such processes are implicit in nearly all concepts and practice of diplomacy, neither scholars nor practitioners explicitly investigate them. Yet other related fields of study and disciplines examine persuasion and demonstrate its explanatory value. Drawing on this literature, but also bearing in mind the nature of outcomes that diplomatic studies seeks to understand, this article offers a model of processes of persuasion and illustrates its potential for explaining a 2003 peace process negotiation in the Solomon Islands.


The author's attention has, in recent years, been drawn to an article with the headline, "Womb theft accused testifies", and to another titled "Sentence reduced for attempted womb theft". Both articles referred to "womb theft" as the appropriation of a fetus from an expectant woman by a female perpetrator who fakes a pregnancy, and then brutally kills the pregnant woman in order to appropriate the unborn child to keep as her own. Such criminals literally slash open an expectant woman's womb to reach for the fetus in what can be described as a bizarre replication of a Caesarean section procedure. The author was not entirely clear on what writers meant by "womb theft", which, defined literally, indicates that the object of theft is the womb/uterus and not a fetus/newborn. If a womb in its literal sense qualifies to be an object of theft, a writer could surely foresee the confusion that would follow headlines such as "Sentence reduced for attempted womb theft" or "Womb theft accused testifies." The failure to do so exposes a conceptual skew in the discursive construction of the nature of the crime. There has been little research into problems in the language used to describe Caesarean kidnappings from the standpoint of those interested in improving legal language construction. Perhaps a special category of figurative language is required to explain how "womb theft" is used and understood here. The author pursues this task through metonymic analysis, a method that has found little application in legal theory in the South African context. The author argues that figurative expressions are repeatedly used without critical reflection, thereby confusing the recipient and obscuring communication rather than enlightening it. The author does not argue that the use of metonym in legal contexts should be eradicated since, in some instances, they enhance the understanding of legal concepts; instead, legal scholars must see through figurative language, and develop critical dialogue on the stylistic use of metonym and in so doing, master the art of legal communication.


Aim: Rapid diagnosis is prerequisite for effective treatment and reducing mortality and morbidity of malaria. Microscopy has been the Gold standard for malaria diagnosis for decades. Recently, many new rapid diagnostic tests like Quantitative Buffy Coat (QBC) examination and rapid antigen detection methods are being widely used. We made an attempt to compare peripheral smear, QBC and rapid antigen detection methods for the diagnosis of malaria. Materials and Methods: A total number of 500 samples were collected from patients presenting with classical symptoms of malaria. Thick and thin blood smears were prepared and stained with Leishman's stain. QBC, Histidine Rich Protein@II an tigen test and plasmodium Lactate Dehydrogenase tests were done using commercially available kits. Results: Taking thick smear as gold standard, thin smear had sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 90.9%, 100%, 100% and 98.6% respectively. QBC showed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 95.45%, 100%, 100% and 99.31% respectively. HRP@II antigen detection showe d sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 56.06%, 100%, 100% and 94.20%. pLDH showed sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 95.45%, 100%, 100% and 99.40% respectively. Conclusion: In our study, QBC had highest sensitivity followed by pLDH assay. Leishman's stained thick smear is cost effective but requires technical expertise to interpret the results, so if


I report a case of photocontact dermatitis due to piroxicam gel, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. A 62-year-old man developed pruritic eczematous lesions after applying the gel for 2 days. The patient reacted positively to photopatch testing with ultraviolet A and piroxicam (1% and 0.1% in petrolatum). In addition, the patient had positive patch tests to thimerosal, thiosalicylate, and in vitro-irradiated solution of piroxicam plus human serum albumin, but the tests with the mercurial compounds were negative. These results support the close relationship between sensitivity to thiosalicylate component of thimerosal and photosensitivity to piroxicam, as indicated recently.


The authors after a review of the literature report a case of anterior tibial artery false aneurysm in a seventeen year old male, due to traumatic sprained ankle during a basketball match. Surgical techniques used in repairing the lesion as well as microsurgical technique for the direct suture of the artery, which allowed to resolve the problem, are discussed.


The temperature, duration, activation energy, and Avrami exponent of the solid phase transformation β1 → α + β2 of TC4 titanium alloy treated at 3 GPa in a cooling process are calculated by means of differential scanning calorimetric curves. Then the effects of high pressure on the β1 → α + β2 phase transformation dynamics of TC4 alloy in a cooling process are investigated. The results show that 3 GPa high pressure treatment can increase the activation energy of the TC4 alloy. The beginning time, end time, and duration of the β1 → α + β2 phase transition of the 3 GPa high pressure treated TC4 alloy at the cooling rate of 10°C/min are increased by 2.90°C, 7.78°C and −29.28 s respectively. It is known that 3 GPa high pressure treatment has little effect on the phase transition mechanism.


Pedestrian casualties form a large proportion of road user casualties in most developed countries. Car design measures to reduce the severity of pedestrian injuries will also benefit many pedal cyclists and a small number of motor cyclists. Historically, funded by the DETR, TRL undertook a large proportion of the research that has led to the current EEVC pedestrian protection test methods. The aim of the research project 'Pedestrian protection test procedures and design' was to support the development of the EEVC pedestrian test methods and the adoption of these test proposals as an EC Directive. The research project 'Pedestrian protection test procedures and design' commenced in April 1992 and was completed in March 1999. The work in this period included the evaluation and improvement of the test procedures; the assessment and development of the test tools; the reconstruction of accidents to obtain biomechanical data for the femur and pelvis contact with the bonnet leading edge acceptance values; a study of the cost and benefits of improved pedestrian protection and an initial study of the value of using a code of practice to improve the pedestrian protection of bull bars and is summarised in this final report. (A)


Background:

A rare disease is defined by the European Health Commission as a disorder affecting less than 5/10,000 population. There are at least 20 rare liver diseases seen frequently in the adult and paediatric liver clinic, signifying that the hepatology community can be influential in developing such patient databases for registering patients with rare hepatic conditions. The aim of this systematic review was to 1) identify registries for rare liver diseases in Europe and 2) design a universal blueprint for the development of a registry for rare liver diseases by using lessons learnt from the already established European registries.
Methods:

We searched PubMed, google scholar and clinicaltrials.gov using the MESH terms "registries", "database management systems", "database" and the non-MESH terms "database$", "registry", "repository" and "repositories". We only included studies in English from countries/consortia of the European Union (EU). Our literature search was performed in 2020.
Results:

We identified 37 registries for rare liver disease in Europe. Using information from the design of these registries we developed a blueprint for the development of a patient registry for rare liver diseases consisting of a theoretical, technical and maintenance phase.
Interpretation:

It is believed that rare diseases may affect as much as 6–8% of the EU population across its 28 member states. Here we have provided a toolkit for designing a registry for rare liver disease. Our article will complement the efforts of loco-regional, national and international groups seeking to establish robust systems for data collection and analysis for orphan liver diseases.


Despite significant technological innovation in retail banking services delivery, the number of Nigerian bank branches has grown steadily over time. This paper assesses the implications of these developments by examining the contribution of the branches to banks performance. The study uses the whole banks in Nigeria during the period 1981 and 2013 using a pooled data analysis on ordinary least square(OLS).The variables used include the total number of banks branches in rural and urban area and those domiciled abroad regarded as foreign branches. It also considered the total number of banks at each period and year of study while the growth in Total Asset is proxied as the dependent variable. Our findings showed that there is a positive relationship between the growths of the branches in the rural, urban and foreign centres which implies that there is need to open more branches if the banks wants the Asset to grow. We find no systematic relationship between number of banks and Asset growth perhaps because banking organizations optimize the size of their branch network operations as part of an overall strategy involving both branch-based and non-branch-based activities. The study suggested that branching activities should be a major work and decision of the banks so as to bring more customers to the bank who will now use the various electronic platforms for service installed by the banks. Keywords : Banking, Bank Branches, Deposits, Retail banking, Total Asset,1981-2013


Neurotoxicity was produced in 1-yr-old hens (five hens per treatment) by continual 90-d exposure in inhalation chambers to atmospheres containing 50, 100, 200, or 400 ppm technical grade methyl butyl ketone (MBK) containing 70% methyl n-butyl ketone (MnBK) and 30% methyl isobutyl ketone (MiBK). A 30-d observation period followed. Severity of clinical condition and progression or improvement of neurological deficit signs were dependent on the concentration of MBK and duration of exposure. Hens exposed to the two highest levels developed ataxia and paralysis; they died or were sacrificed before the designated exposure period ended. The intermediate level of MBK (100 ppm) caused severe ataxia; most treated hens showed no change in clinical condition during the observation period. Hens exposed to 50 ppm exhibited gross ataxia, with most demonstrating partial regression of neurological deficit after the exposure ceased. Hens exposed to the lowest tested level (10 ppm) remained normal. Only hens exposed to 400 or 200 ppm showed significant weight loss. Some hens from the 50-400 ppm treatment groups showed unequivocal histopathologic changes in the spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Severity of histopathologic changes depended on the level and duration of MBK exposure. These changes were characterized by excessive swelling, phagocytosis, degeneration, and demyelination of the axons.


This paper reports on the findings of an empirical study conducted on the strategies employed by a sample of undergraduate Saudi translator trainees while translating. The study uses the think-aloud protocol (i.e. the subjects' verbal reports of what's going on in their heads while translating) as a technique for soliciting the data. The researcher has found that the strategies of ST and TT monitoring at the word or sentence level are employed most frequently (i.e. language-based strategies). Other important strategies, namely text contextualization and inferencing and reasoning are the least frequently used (i.e. knowledge-based strategies). Hence, the need for training translator trainees in the use of these strategies as well as the recognition and utilization of larger textual elements. MOTS-CLES/KEYWORDS contextualization, inferencing, think-aloud protocol, translation strategies, Saudi students Overview


This article is based on a reflection on the concept of frontier, to present a double premise, that everyday life has undergone a radical transformation in the last twenty years and that this transformation has been particularly striking in the Mediterranean area. An overview of several ways of analysing everyday life is presented, complemented with the discussion on some examples from contemporary Spanish cinema. There is an emphasis on the common attitude of the exiled and the emigrated, that is the defence before a foreign culture, thus perpetuating a life in the margins, emphasizing that daily life, in its apparent difficulty of being detected, has a marginal centrality. Sumario 1 Fronteras. – 2 Vida cotidiana. – 3 Estudiar la vida cotidiana. – 4 Representar las migraciones. – 3 Estrategias de lo cotidiano.


Background: Various studies have debated intravenous paracetamol as analgesic agent However, there are no significant trials regarding comparison of paracetamol with other agents like Tramadol regarding analgesic effect on labor pain.
Objective: To compare the efficacy of intravenous paracetamol infusion versus intramuscular tramadol as an intrapartum labour analgesia.
Methodology: In this quasi experimental study, a total of 110 women with active phase of labour of term pregnancy, 18 to 40 years of age, were included. Duration and setting: May to November, 2019 at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shaikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan. In Group A, single 100 ml intravenous infusion containing 1000 mg of paracetamol while in Group B patients, tramadol hydrochloride 100 mg intramuscular, was given. All patients in both groups were evaluated by visual analogue scale and efficacy (yes/no) was noted. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis.
Results: The mean age of women in group A was 27.73 ± 5.35 years and in group B was 27.36 ± 5.61 years. The mean gestational age in group A was 39 ± 1.53 weeks and in group B was 38.95 ± 1.56 weeks. Parity was from 0 to 5 with mean parity of 2.46 ± 1.17. Efficacy (in terms of VAS score 0-3) was seen in 21 (38.18%) in group A (intravenous paracetamol infusion) and 09 (16.36%) in group B (intramuscular tramadol) with p-value of 0.010.
Conclusion: This study concluded that efficacy of intravenous paracetamol infusion is better than intramuscular tramadol as an intrapartum labour analgesia.


The reaction of uranyl nitrate with asymmetric [3O, N] Schiff base ligands in the presence of base yields dinuclear uranyl complexes, [UO2(HL1)]2.DMF (1), [UO2(HL2)]2.2DMF.H2O (2), and [UO2(HL3)]2.2DMF (3) with 3-(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)propane-1,2-diol (H3L1), 4-((2,3-dihydroxypropylimino)methyl)benzene-1,3-diol (H3L2), and 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)propane-1,2-diol (H3L3), respectively. All complexes exhibit a symmetric U2O2 core featuring a distorted pentagonal bipyramidal geometry around each uranyl center. The hydroxyl groups on the ligands are attached to the uranyl ion in chelating, bridging, and coordinate covalent bonds. Distortion in the backbone is more pronounced in 1, where the phenyl groups are on the same side of the planar U2O2 core. The phenyl groups are present on the opposite side of U2O2 core in 2 and 3 due to electronic and steric effects. A similar hydrogen-bonding pattern is observed in the solid-state structures of 1 and 3 with terminal hydroxyl groups and DMF molecules, resulting in discrete molecules. Free aryl hydroxyl groups and water molecules in 2 give rise to a two-dimensional network with water molecules in the channels of an extended corrugated sheet structure. Compound 1 in the presence of excess Ag(NO3) yields {[(UO2)(NO3)(C6H4OCOO)](NH(CH2CH3)3)}2 (4), where the geometry around the uranyl center is hexagonal bipyrimidal. Two-phase extraction studies of uranium from aqueous media employing H3L3 indicate 99% reduction of uranyl ion at higher pH.


This paper proposes a novel scheme for target localization using a deployed wireless sensor network (WSN). The goal is to have mobile autonomous robots navigate from any point within the WSN-covered region to an identified target through interaction with the WSN. Reaching the target is achieved in two ways, by: (i) producing gradients in the WSN region that give the maximum peak closest to the target, (ii) having the sensors guide the robot to the target efficiently. This scheme uses the topology of the network to create a navigation path. The robot follows the pseudo-gradient in the WSN to reach the global maximum. In this method, there is no global coordinate reference available for the region i.e., the WSN and robots only make use of the relative neighborhood information to attain their goal. The performance of the scheme is analyzed in simulation using a variety of node-densities.


This paper focuses on the figure of St Antoninus and his representation in visual imagery. At its centre are Giambologna's bronze reliefs in the Salviati Chapel in Florence's church of San Marco, dating from 1581 to 1587, illustrating the life of Archbishop Antoninus (Antonino Pierozzi), who was active in Florence in the mid‐fifteenth century. Giambologna was also responsible for the design of the chapel itself. By and large, these reliefs have attracted little attention on the part of art historians and sermons specialists – perhaps because at the height at which they are set into the walls, they are largely inaccessible. Although executed a century after the demise of St Antoninus, these reliefs provide us with a valuable impression of the activities of the archbishop and their impact on Florence. Moreover, they shed important light on the cult of St Antoninus and its connection with the politics of Medicean Florence.


Rapidly growing global demand for technical textiles industries is stimulated to develop new materials based on hybrid materials (yarns, fabrics) made from natural and glass fibres. The influence of moisture on the electrical properties of metal and metal oxide coated bast (flax, hemp) fibre and glass fibre fabrics are studied by electrical impedance spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. The bast fibre and glass fiber fabrics are characterized with electrical sheet resistance. The method for description of electrical sheet resistance of the metal and metal oxide coated technical textile is discussed. The method can be used by designers to estimate the influence of moisture on technical data of new metal coated hybrid technical textile materials and products.


Objective: In this study, we sought to characterize the tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) baseline operational capacity in mature fetuses and their mothers prior to the onset of labor. Materials and Methods: We used an experimental pregnant nonhuman primate model to measure the plasma concentration of TNFα, TNF transmembrane receptor I (TNFRI), and TNFRII with validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Coefficients of correlations between the maternal and the fetal values and the soluble TNFα, TNFRI, or TNFRII concentrations and ratios were calculated. Results: The TNFα/TNFRI ratio was 3 times lower in fetal circulation than in maternal circulation. No correlations were noted between the maternal and the fetal TNFα, TNFRI, or TNFRII plasma concentrations. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the fetal and maternal baseline circulatory operational capacities of TNFα are independent of each other and tuned differently. This differential regulation of TNFα in fetal and maternal circulation at the end of pregnancy may be guided to protect the fetus from the systemic inflammatory response that is essential for the mechanisms of labor to proceed in the mother.


The non-von Neumann computer architecture has been widely studied towards preparing for the post-Moore era. The authors implemented the architecture, which finds the lower energy state of the Ising model using circuit operations inspired by simulated annealing, in SRAM-based integrated circuits. Our previous prototype was suited for the Ising model because of its simple and typical structure such as its three-dimensional lattice topology, but it could not be applied to real world applications. A reconfigurable prototyping environment is needed to develop the architecture, and to make it suitable for applications. Here, we describe an FPGA-based prototyping environment to develop the architecture of the annealing processor for the Ising model. We implemented the new architecture using the prototyping environment. The new architecture performs approximated simulated annealing for the Ising model, and it supports a highly complex topology. It consists of units having fully-connected multiple spins. Multiple units are placed in a two-dimensional lattice topology, and the neighboring units are connected to perform interactions between spins. The number of logic elements is reduced by sharing the operator among multiple spins within the unit. Furthermore, the pseudo-random number generator, which produces the random pulse sequences for annealing, is also shared among all the units. As a result, the number of logic elements is reduced to less than 1/10, and the solution accuracy becomes comparable to the simulated annealing running on a conventional computer.


For long-life operation, easy to mount and compact in size penning type ion sources are widely used in different fields of research such as neutron generators, material research, and surface etching. One penning type ion source has been developed in our laboratory. Applying high voltage of 2 kV between two oppositely biased electrodes and using permanent magnet of 500 gauss magnetic field along the axis, we had produced the glow discharge in the plasma region. The performance of this source was investigated using nitrogen gas. Deuterium ions were produced and extracted on the basis of chosen electrodes and the angle of extraction. Using a single aperture plasma electrode, the beam was extracted along the axial direction. The geometry of plasma electrode is an important factor for the efficient extraction of the ions from the plasma ion source. The extracted ion current depends upon the shape of the plasma meniscus. A concave shaped plasma meniscus produces converged ion beam. The convergence of extracted ions is related to the extraction electrode angle. The greater the angle, the more the beam converges. We had studied experimentally this effect with a compact size penning ion source. The detailed comparison among the different extraction geometry and different electrode angle are discussed in this paper.


The relation between the structure and activities of the catalysts which were prepared by the methods of mixing, impregnation and coprecipitation has been investigated by X-ray diffraction and the cetane-steam. reaction.On the mixing and impregnation catalysts, the peaks of X-ray diffraction of nickel aluminate spinel decreased with the rise of calcinating temperature of alumina carriers. The amounts of soluble nickel oxide by hydrogen chloride and the diffractive intensity of metallic nickel produced by the hydrogen reduction increased with the rise of calcination temperature of carriers. When the alumina carriers treated on the same condition, the X-ray diffraction of nickel aluminate spinel was intensified with the increase of the severity of the after treatment of catalysts.On the coprecipitation catalysts, the diffractive intensity of nickel aluminate spinel was increased and the amount of soluble nickel oxide by hydrogen chloride was decreased with the rise of calcinating temperature of the catalysts.The activities of the mixing and impregnation catalysts on cetane-steam reaction increased with the rise of treating temperature of alumina carriers. That is, the amount of gas produced and conversion increased with lowering of the diffractive intensity of nickel aluminate spinel. This tendency of activity agreed with that of the amount of soluble nickel oxide by hydrogen chloride and the diffractive intensity of nickel produced by the reduction. On the coprecipitation catalysts, the activity increased with the rise of treating temperature of catalysts, and reversed to the diffractive intensity of nickel aluminate and the amount of the soluble nickel oxide by hydrogen chloride.


Training is a company strategy to improve employee performance competencies. However, in the current Covid 19 pandemic, companies cannot conduct training directly because of the government's rules to cdo work and study activities from home. During the Covid 19 pandemic, companies tried to develop employee performance skills, virtual training is one of the methods used to improve employee performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bank Mandiri use virtual training solutions  to provide training for employees to maintain employee performance so that the company's goals could be achieved even in difficult circumstances such as the current Covid 19 pandemic. The study aims to determine whether virtual training has an effect on improving the performance of Bank Mandiri employees by using qualitative research to describe facts about an incident at Bank Mandiri and a situation that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected using a survey method by distributing questionnaires to employee respondents. The results showed that the Virtual Training conducted by Bank Mandiri had a very good effect on improving the performance of Bank Mandiri employees.


Background and aims The SubQStim study showed subcutaneous nerve stimulation (SQS) plus optimized medical management (OMM) was more effective in reducing back pain than OMM alone in patients with failed back surgery syndrome.1 We explore the use of pain medications by the study participants. Methods Ethics committee approval was obtained for each site. Analysis of prescribed pain medications between the SQS+OMM (n=38) and OMM (n=36) arms from baseline through 9-months post-randomization was performed using descriptive statistics and complete cases approach. Total daily dose was calculated by multiplying the prescribed dose by quantity and then by daily frequency. Morphine Milligram Equivalent (MME) dose was calculated by multiplying the total daily dose of each applicable opioid by the MME conversion factor.2 Results From baseline to 9 months, the SQS+OMM arm showed a decrease in the proportion of subjects on NSAIDs (-7.9%) and opioids (-10.5%), whereas the OMM arm showed a slight reduction in antidepressants (-2.8%) and other category (-2.8%) (figure 1). Most subjects (64%) were taking opioids at baseline. From baseline to 9 months, mean MME dose increased by 8.8 mg in the OMM arm (42.5±92.1 to 51.2±107.2); whereas the SQS+OMM arm decreased by 8.9 mg (29.8±42.3 to 20.9±37.3)(figure 2–3). At 9 months, 31.6% of SQS+OMM subjects reduced MME compared to 8.3% of OMM subjects. Only 13.2% of SQS+OMM subjects had an increase in MME opioids compared to 27.8% of OMM subjects. Conclusions There is a positive trend that pain medication and morphine intake as assessed by MME may be reduced in patients receiving SQS. References Eldabe SS, et al. Neuromodulation 2018; DOI:10.1111/ner.12784. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Prescription-Drug-Coverage/PrescriptionDrugCovContra/Downloads/Opioid-Morphine-EQ-Conversion-Factors-vFeb-2018.pdf


BACKGROUND
The increasing incidence of diabetes worldwide has urged researchers to explore for novel antidiabetic agents from natural products. Ethnomedicinal field studies on diabetes have expanded across the globe documenting large numbers of folk medicinal plants against diabetes. Nonetheless, a systematic review of these surveys has not been conducted so far. This study documents the medicinal plants traditionally used globally for managing diabetes.

METHODS
Key databases including Sciencedirect, Medline/PubMed, and Google Scholar were scrutinized. The Plant List and The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) were used to validate the scientific plant names.

RESULTS
2004 traditionally used plants belonging to 1112 genera and 197 families were reported across 92 countries for the management of diabetes. Leguminosae (105 genera and 193 species), Compositae (97 genera and 188 species), and Lamiaceae (47 genera and 121 species) were the main plant families reported. Momordica charantia L., Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels, Allium sativum L., Azadirachta indica A.Juss., Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don, Olea europaea L., Trigonella foenum-graecum L., Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R.Br. ex Sm., Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f., and Allium cepa L were the species mostly reported. Indeed, the antidiabetic properties of these main species have been evidenced by experimental studies. Several antidiabetic compounds acting via different mechanisms have been identified including momordicoside, karaviloside , cucurbitacin , charantin, and charantoside from M. charantia, cuminoside from S. cumini, S-allyl cysteine sulfoxide from A. sativum, limonoids from A. indica, alkaloids including vindoline, vindolidine, vindolicine and vindolinine from C. roseus, oleuropein and oleanolic acid from O. europaea, flavone C-glycosides such as vicenin-1, isoschaftoside, and schaftoside from T. foenum-graecum seeds, gymnemosides, gymnemagenin, and pregnane glycosides from G. sylvestre, chysalodin from A. vera, and quercetin from A. cepa.

CONCLUSION
This review is the first to provide a compiled list of traditional medicinal plants used worldwide against diabetes.


Abstract : This research led to the design and development of a financial management database system for the Aeronautical Systems Center (AS C) Environmental Management (EM) Systems Program Office (SPO), which has the responsibility of managing the environmental contracts for the Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated (GOCO) plants that are owned by the Air Force. This thesis investigated the various 'development strategies' and 'methodologies' described in the Management Information Systems literature in order to devise an end-user development strategy capable of meeting the EM SPO's requirements. In addition, the information requirements, conceptual design and prototyping, and procedures phases of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) are discussed in detail. Even though the objective of providing accurate and timely information to program managers was met, problems arose during the design and development phases as a result of changes in requirements. The author thinks that defining information requirements is the most important step in the development process because the ultimate effectiveness of the system depends on how accurately the information requirements are determined initially. Therefore, it is recommended that before a project of this magnitude is undertaken in the future, a firm baseline of system requirements be established early and be adhered to throughout the duration of the project.


Objectives: As in adult patients, "Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy" treatment is a frequently used treatment in pediatrics. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the results and the complications of ESWL treatment in children for renal and ureteral stones. Material and Methods: In this study, we included the data of 282 pediatric patients that underwent ESWL using Stonelith PCK V-5 Lithotriptor device for the treatment of renal and ureteral stones between January 1998 and February 2013. ESWL procedure is conducted in the supine position and with sessions of 20-45 mins. Each ESWL session exercised at least 2000 up to 3500 shock waves with 13 kV increasing up to 17 kV according to the severity of the case. Results: The mean age of 105 girls and 177 boys was 10.41 (range: 1-17). The mean stone burden was 1.3 cm2 (range: 0.5-5 cm2) (1.58 cm2 for kidney stones and 1.02 cm2 for ureteral stones) and a total of 392 ESWL sessions were performed. Fentanyl and/or ketamine sedo-analgesia were required in 204 patients. The complete stone free rate was 82.2 %. Hematuria, in 87 patients, and skin brushing, in 62, were the only minor complications. Ureterorenoskopy in 14 patients and percutaneous nephrolithotomy in 19 patients were performed as additional intervention for the treatment of the residual stones. Conclusion: ESWL is a commonly used treatment method with low morbidity, applicability with minimal need for anesthesia, and high stone-free rate in the treatment of pediatric urolithiasis. Key words: Pediatric; Stone; ESWL.


FORWARD Dear Colleagues, I would like to welcome you to the UNAIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Fundamentals series. As the response to the global HIV epidemic continues to evolve, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) has become more important than ever. Determining what programs do or do not work; implementing programs with proven cost-effectiveness; monitoring progress towards achieving targets; and ensuring accountability are objectives which are especially important now in the HIV response, as well as in other health and development areas. Thus, it is increasingly important that M&E is better understood, communicated in simplified language, and conducted in a coordinated and sustainable manner that generates information that can be easily used. Further, it is essential that M&E addresses the needs of and involves all key stakeholders right from the start and that results are made publicly available and utilized strategically in policy-making, planning, and program improvement. This series provides a common sense introduction to a range of M&E issues. It covers the fundamentals and their practical applications and includes techniques and tools for managing M&E of the HIV epidemic and response. Although the series uses HIV as its focus, the M&E fundamentals are also relevant to other areas of public health and development. As such, these books may also be useful in strengthening national M&E systems designed to track progress in other health and development goals, such as those outlined in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). I hope you find this series useful and welcome your feedback and suggestions on this and future topics for the series.


The matter density field exhibits a nearly lognormal probability density distribution after entering into the nonlinear regime. Recently, it has been shown that the shape of the power spectrum of a logarithmically transformed density field is very close to the linear density power spectrum, motivating an analytic study of it. In this paper, we develop cosmological perturbation theory for the power spectrum of this field. Our formalism is developed in the context of renormalized perturbation theory, which helps to regulate the convergence behavior of the perturbation series, and of the Taylor series expansion we use for the logarithmic mapping. This approach allows us to handle the critical issue of density smoothing in a straightforward way. We also compare our perturbative results with simulation measurements.


From 2004 to 2012, the German social health insurance levied a co-payment for the first doctor visit in a calendar quarter. We develop a new model for estimating the effect of such a co-payment on the individual number of visits per quarter. The model allows for a one time increase in the otherwise constant hazard rate determining the timing of doctor visits, and uses a difference-in-differences strategy to identify the reform effect. The model can be adapted to a situation where the reporting period and the calendar quarter differ. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we do not find an effect of the co-payment on demand for doctor visits.


Nozzle banks for an ejector-chemical oxygen-iodine laser consisting of two-dimensional slit nozzles with a trip-jet mixing system were tested in the cold- and hot-flow operation regimes. Horizontal Pitot scan experiments demonstrated that the mixing ability of the trips is excellent. The Mach number of the mixed flow was approximately 3. The gain measurements were conducted, and the results of measurements revealed that the maximum gain was around 0.6%/cm. The gain cut-off length was more than 200mm. The lasing experiments were also conducted, and the power was about 3kW at the chemical efficiency of about 20%.


Abstract This study aimed to investigate the impacts of dietary threonine on intestinal immunity and inflammation in juvenile grass carp. Six iso-nitrogenous semi-purified diets containing graded levels of threonine (3·99–21·66 g threonine/kg) were formulated and fed to fishes for 8 weeks, and then challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila for 14 d. Results showed that, compared with optimum threonine supplementation, threonine deficiency (1) decreased the ability of fish against enteritis, intestinal lysozyme activities (except in the distal intestine), acid phosphatase activities, complement 3 (C3) and C4 contents and IgM contents (except in the proximal intestine (PI)), and it down-regulated the transcript abundances of liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide (LEAP)-2A, LEAP-2B, hepcidin, IgZ, IgM and β-defensin1 (except in the PI) (P<0·05); (2) could up-regulate intestinal pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-17D mRNA levels partly related to NF-κB signalling; (3) could down-regulate intestinal anti-inflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, TGF-β2, IL-4/13A (not IL-4/13B) and IL-10 mRNA levels partly by target of rapamycin signalling. Finally, on the basis of the specific growth rate, against the enteritis morbidity and IgM contents, the optimum threonine requirements were estimated to be 14·53 g threonine/kg diet (4·48 g threonine/100 g protein), 15.05 g threonine/kg diet (4·64 g threonine/100 g protein) and 15·17 g threonine/kg diet (4·68 g threonine/100 g protein), respectively.


According to revealing the DNA sequence of human and living things, it increases that a demand on a new computational processing method which utilizes DNA sequence information. In this paper we propose a classification algorithm based on negative selection of the immune system to classify DNA patterns. Negative selection is the process to determine an antigenic receptor that recognize antigens, nonself cells. The immune cells use this antigen receptor to judge whether a self or not. If one composes n group of antigenic receptor for n different patterns, they can classify into n patterns. In this paper we propose a pattern classification algorithm based on negative selection in nucleotide base level and amino acid level.


One outcome of the UK Government's commitment to inclusive educational policies was an increase in the number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) being taught in mainstream schools. From the perspective of SENCos, this article analyses whether parents and pupils are able and willing to influence the development of SEN provision and distribution of SEN resources, both of which aim to ensure that pupils have more meaningful experiences of mainstream education. The findings of the study cast light on the power and influence of parents when it comes to SEN provision and resources, the importance of consulting parents and the ways in which parents empower SENCos to make decisions on behalf of themselves and their children. The importance of negotiating and attempting to seek a compromise with pupils was another key issue identified in the article. Ultimately, however, the power to decide where resources go and what is done with them appears to reside with SENCos.


In India, so far not much efforts have been made to use coal ash as backfill material in underground/ open cast mines and to predict its subsequent effect on ground water quality. One of the main problems in disposing of big quantities of coal ash is the possible leaching of different pollutants, including manganese. A thorough investigation regarding leaching of manganese from different fly ashes is required to know the impact of manganese due to its leaching from fly ash to ground water as well as surface water. In the present study, short term and long term leaching studies have been carried out on fly ash, bottom ash, pond ash and weathered ash of Chandrapura thermal power plant, Bokaro, Jharkhand and Ramagundam thermal power plant, Ramagundam, Andhra Pradesh. The amount of manganese released in different experiments has been evaluated. The leachate of Chandrapura fly ash has more manganese concentration (0.2001 mg/L) than the leachate of bottom ash, pond ash and weathered ash. A field investigation at Damoda abandoned open cast mine, filled with pond ash of Chandrapura thermal power plant revealed that concentration of manganese in ground water beneath the ash filled mine has been found very high (maximum up to 6.0 mg/L). But its migration to a long distance has not been seen. Remedial measures for coal ash disposal have also been formulated.


Tuff is of interest for use as an isolation medium for high heat producing wastes because it provides high ly sorptive minerals and suitable thermomechanical pro perties. Also, tuff is widespread in areas that offer long and deep groundwater flow paths. The occurrence and geologic/hydrologic setting of tuff are discussed. The properties of the rock are discussed and compared with other isolation media. The favorable and unfavor able aspects are presented. Also, unresolved issues are discussed along with the investigative program for addressing these issues.


The methodology for predicting the distribution of compounds between Blood and Brain, i.e. their brain/blood partition coefficients (logBB values), was studied using a nonlinear regression analysis in this work. The equations were established on the basis of the different states (neutral, cationic and anionic) of the compounds distributing into the three dominating composition (lipid, protein and water) of the brain. The equations bear strong fitting and predictive power for the distribution of compounds (total set: n=160, r=0.906, s=0.326; training set: n=139, r=0.908, s=0.320; testing set: n=21, r=0.903, s=0.297), and can describe the distribution of the different states of the compounds in three compositions of brain. The compounds in the dataset contained many different types, such as drug molecules, small structure-simple molecules, carboxylic acids and also alkaloids. Therefore the equations were very useful and instructional for the prediction of the compound distribution into the brain and blood. Finally, the percentages of the amount of a compound in lipid, protein and water in brain were calculated using the model, such subdivision will be very useful in drug research and discovery. By an analysis of the percentages a conclusion can be obtained that a well distributed drug is mainly affected by distribution of lipid and protein.


Vasopressin injection (pitressin®) has become widely accepted as a useful aid in roentgen visualization of the gallbladder. Through its ability to increase peristalsis, vasopressin injection results in rapid expulsion of gas from the intestine, thus removing obscuring gas shadows. The drug may cause only transient and minor toxic reactions. Collins and Root 1 recognized three contraindications: coronary heart disease, hypertension and hypotension (systolic blood pressure under 100). Kirklin 2 in reporting on the use of vasopressin injection in 100 cases, noted no serious ill effects although numerous minor reactions were observed, the most frequent being pallor. Recently, Mills and co-workers 3 directed attention to the possibility of serious myocardial effects of the drug. We observed two cardiac accidents following vasopressin injection during cholecystography. On the basis of generally accepted principles governing its use, no contraindication to the use of the drug was evident in these cases. REPORT OF CASES Case


In German language learning, students are required to be able to increase the ability to communicate orally and in writing. Writing skill is one of German language skills that is considered difficult by students. Based on observations made by the author, it is due to the low ability students of ideas / ideas, a lack of vocabulary in German, lack of mastery of language structure, and low motivation of students in writing German. To overcome these problems, need to be supported by an appropriate learning models. Learning model that can be used is a discovery learning model (discovery learning). The discovery learning model (discovery learning) is learning that regulates structure teaching with students actively involved in order to solve their own problems and find solution. This study aims to determine and describe the results of essay writing skills in learning German language in class XI IIS 1 by using discovery learning model. The method used is a qualitative research that will produce descriptive data. Sources of data in this study are 31 students of class XI IIS 1 SMA Negeri 1 Mojosari. The instrument used in this study is a written test. Data retrieval is executed in four meetings. The results show that, by using discovery learning model in essay writing skills in learning German languag in class XI IIS 1 SMA Negeri 1 Mojosari, the students can improve their learning outcomes that are originally bad to good, better and very good. It was shown from the average student learning outcomes increasingly.
Keywords             : Writing Skills, Discovery Learning Model (Discovery Learning)


The objectives of the research are to identify and prioritize issues that affect the performance of the tire production process, give a number of solutions, and map the value stream of the future (future state mapping). One of the tools used to accurately map the current conditions of the production process in lean manufacturing concept is value stream map/VSM. Another measuring instrument used to increase productivity is the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), which includes time availability, engine performance and quality. From the three variables, it can be seen that the downtime variable has the largest contribution resulting in low value of the OEE. Based on the OEE data, product time change reached 18,8%, and waiting period contributed as much as 4,9% of the total downtime. To reduce the product change time, SMED method (Single Minutes Exchange Dies) is applied at the change of bladder in curing machine, and visual control and poka-yoke applications are also applied to reduce the waiting time. All improvement activities conducted are reflected in the map of the future, including the increase in outputs from the curing machine from 7,814 tires to 8,205 tires per day. Keywords: lean manufacturing, OEE, tire, SMED, map of value chart


Atmospheric correction plays an important role in the retrieval of land surface temperatures and emissivities from remotely sensed thermal infrared images. When imaging technology upgrades from multispectral to hyperspectral, an opportunity appears that atmospheric compensation can be resolved only according to hyperspectral thermal infrared data itself. A set of methods is now proposed to carry out atmospheric correction for the purpose of land surface temperature/emissivity separation: A segmental linear model is proposed to retrieve water vapor line absorption transmittance, a "H2O-CO2 two channel groups" method is designed to retrieve water vapor continuum absorption transmittance, and a procedure to extract atmospheric upwelling radiance is presented. Tests with the simulated hyperspectral thermal infrared (TIR) data demonstrate that these techniques can provide good results for atmospheric compensation.


Flood frequency analysis should consider small and frequent floods. Despite the complexities in partial duration series implementation, it can give a better flood estimation in a way that it does not exclude any significant high flow events, even if it is not the highest event of the year. This study employs the streamflow data recorded at Kajang station, Sungai Langat, Malaysia over a 36-year period spanning from 1978 to 2013. The paper attempts to conduct flood frequency analysis using two approaches, annual maximum and partial duration series. The optimal threshold value is selected to be 48.7 m3/s, where the dispersion index stabilizes at around 1, DI = 1 . The results have shown that generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution describes the annual maximum data while the lognormal (LN3) and generalized Pareto (GPA) distribution is chosen as the best fit distribution at Kajang station for a partial duration series. There is a slight difference between estimated streamflow magnitude when using GPA and LN3 for selected return periods, while a considerable difference was observed when using annual maximum at a higher return period. As a conclusion, PDS gives more relevant magnitude estimation rather than AMS. Flood frequency plays an important role in understanding the nature and magnitude of high flow, which in turn can assist relevant agencies in the design of hydrological structures and reduce flood impacts.


In hydrometallurgical processing and acidic wastewater treatment, one of the neutralizing agents employed is MgO or Mg(OH)2. At the end of this process, the resulting solution, which is rich in SO42− and Mg2+ is treated with lime to remove (or minimize the amount) of these ions via the precipitation of Mg(OH)2 and CaSO4·2H2O (gypsum). In our work, an attempt was made to separate the two solids by increasing the induction time of the gypsum precipitation, thus regenerating relatively pure Mg(OH)2 which could be reused in wastewater treatments or hydrometallurgical processing circuits, and in this way, significantly enhancing the economic viability of the process. During our experiments, the reaction of an MgSO4 solution with milk of lime prepared from quicklime was studied. The effects of a range of organic additives, which can slow down the precipitation of gypsum have been assessed. The process was optimized for the most promising inhibiting agent—that is, the citrate ion. The reactions were continuously monitored in situ by conductometric measurements with parallel monitoring of solution pH and temperature. ICP-OES measurements were also carried out on samples taken from the reaction slurry. The composition of the precipitating solids at different reaction times was established by powder XRD and their morphology by SEM. Finally, experiments were carried out to locate the additive after the completion of the precipitation reaction to get information about its potential reuse.


INTRODUCTION In recent years, Janus particles have attracted much attention in nanoscience due to their interesting properties, both for academic as well as for technological reasons. In general, Janus structures have a compartmentalized surface and can be divided into three classes according to their architecture – spherical Janus micelles (3D) , two types of Janus cylinders (1D) and Janus sheets or discs (2D), representing the intermediate case of dimensionality (see scheme 1). The synthesis of such non-centrosymmetric structures with compartmentalized coronas is a demanding task for the synthetic chemist. Hence, only a few real nanosized polymer-based Janus structures are known in literature.


In this paper, the second-order and fourth-order relativistic chromatic variational functions for all kinds of relativistic chromatic aberrations of a combined electrostatic-magnetostatic focusing-deflection system have been derived in detail. Here, the relativistic chromatic aberrations produced by the variations of accelerating voltage, currents of magnetostatic round lenses, voltages of electrostatic round lenses and excitations of deflector multipoles are considered.


Abstract The aminolysis of 2-(2-hydroxybenzyl)phenyl acetates with n-butylamine in dioxane is much faster than for the corresponding 2-(2-methoxybenzyl)phenyl acetates or 2-methyl-phenyl acetates. The kinetic results can be explained by two equivalent mechanisms. Both of them include the formation of a 1:1-complex between 2-(2-hydroxybenzyl)phenyl acetate and n-butylamine which is formed in an equilibrium. The reaction of this complex according to a second order rate law seems to be more probable than the reaction of the free ester according to a third order rate law.


Cement concrete is a complex mixture of different materials. Behaviour of concrete depends on its mix proportions and constituents when it is subjected to elevated temperatures. Principal effects due to elevated temperatures are loss in compressive strength, loss in weight or mass, change in colour and spall of concrete. The experimental results of normal concrete and high strength concrete subjected elevated temperatures at 200°C, 400°C, 600°C, and 800°C and different cooling regimes viz. air cooling, water quenching on different grade of concrete are reported in this paper. Keywords—High strength concrete, Normal strength concrete, Elevated Temperature, Loss of mass.


This article explores the role of national institutional factors--more specifically, the level of skill transparency of the education system and labour market coordination--in accounting for cross-national differences in the relationship between education and occupational status. Consistent with previous research, our findings suggest that skill transparency is the primary moderator. Countries with a highly transparent educational system (i.e., extensive tracking, strong vocational orientation, limited tertiary enrolment) tend to be characterized by a strong relationship between education and occupational status. These findings hold even after controlling for the level of labour market coordination. Nevertheless, we also find that labour market coordination plays an independent role by dampening the effect of education on occupational status. Taken together, these results suggest two quite different policy implications: (1) strengthening the skill transparency of the education system by increasing secondary and tertiary-level differentiation may strengthen the relationship between education and occupation, regardless of the level of coordination, and (2) increasing labour market coordination could lead to improved social inclusion and a reduction in inequalities related to educational attainment.


Canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, immunologically mediated intestinal disorder, resulting from the complex interaction of genetic, environmental and immune factors. Hydrolyzed diets are used in dogs with food-responsive diarrhea (FRD) to reduce adverse responses to immunostimulatory proteins. Prebiotics (PRBs) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) have previously been demonstrated to show anti-inflammatory activity in the intestinal mucosa. Notably, hydrolyzed diets combined with the administration of PRBs and GAGs offer a promising approach for the treatment of canine IBD. Our aim was to investigate the effects of hydrolyzed diet and GAG+PRB co-treatment on the serum metabolomic profile of IBD dogs. Dogs with IBD randomly received either hydrolyzed diet supplemented with GAGs and PRBs (treatment 1) or hydrolyzed diet alone (treatment 2) for 10 weeks. A targeted metabolomics approach using mass spectrometry was performed to quantify changes in the serum metabolome before and after treatment and between treatment 1 and 2. Principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and univariate statistics were used to identify differences between the treatment groups. PCA, PLS-DA, and HCA showed a clear clustering of IBD dogs before and after hydrolyzed diet, indicating that the treatment impacted the serum metabolome. Univariate analysis revealed that most of the altered metabolites were involved in lipid metabolism. The most impacted lipid classes were components of cell membranes, including glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and di- and triglycerides. In addition, changes in serum metabolites after GAG+PRB co-treatment suggested a possible additional beneficial effect on the lipid metabolism in IBD dogs. In conclusion, the present study showed a significant increase in metabolites that protect gut cell membrane integrity in response to hydrolyzed diet alone or in combination with GAG+PRB co-treatment. Administration of such treatment over 70 days improved selected serum biomarkers of canine IBD, possibly indicating improved intestinal membrane integrity.


Barrett's oesophagus (BE) is a segment of columnar lined epithelium in the distal oesophagus, above the gastrooesophageal junction. So it is important to localize this junction endoscopically; the proximal margin of the gastric folds is the anatomic landmark. Another important feature of BE is the specialized intestinal metaplasia. In the aetiology of this condition, acid reflux is a primary event but there is evidence that other factors are causal. As BE is a well known premalignant condition, detection of dysplastic epithelium and its severity is the crucial element. Practical guidelines are presented for endoscopic surveillance program. The purpose is the early detection of high grade dysplasia and carcinoma to advise oesophagectomy or endoscopic ablation therapy for patients unfit to undergo surgery.


The research objective is to analyse the effect of organizational culture on employee performance with the mediation of the variable organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Data analysis in this research is quantitative using a path analysis model (Path) with the help of Smart PLS Software version 3.2 .8. The results found that organizational culture had a positive and significa and job satisfaction. Interestingly, it indicate insignificant effect on employee performance. Organizational commitment and job satisfaction both show a significant positive effect on employee performance. For testin the indirect effect is found empirical facts that organizational culture has a significant positive effect on employee performance if mediated by organizational commitment. The organizational culture does not have a significant positive effect on employee performance if mediated by job satisfaction.


The purpose of this paper is to highlight certain features of a dynamic optimisation problem in an economic growth model with environmental negative externalities that gives rise to a two-dimensional dynamical system. In particular, it is demonstrated that the dynamics of the model, which is based on a production function with perfect substitutability (perfect substitution technologies), admits a locally attracting equilibrium with a basin of attraction that may be considerably large, as it can extend up to the boundary of the system phase plane. Moreover, this model exhibits global indeterminacy because either equilibrium of the system can be selected according to agent expectation. Formulas for the calculation of the bifurcation coefficients of the system are derived, and a result on the existence of limit cycles is obtained. A numerical example is given to illustrate the results.


The number of enterprises implementing knowledge management (KM) has grown dramatically in recent years. However, few companies could achieve their target and successfully implement KM, especially in Taiwan. There are several factors that need to be considered while developing or implementing knowledge sharing system. This paper is intended to specify factors which effect knowledge sharing as perceived by R&D engineers. The study conducted a questionnaire survey along with literature review. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the fitness between the model and data. Based on the results, two conclusions were made as follows. First, six aspects composed factors affecting one to share knowledge on-line, which were organizational culture, base construction of discussion board, rewards, job stress, knowledge sharing design, and willingness of sharing knowledge. Second, among the six aspects, the factor of knowledge sharing design influenced most, and then organizational culture, rewards, base construction of discussion board, job stress, and willingness of sharing knowledge orderly.


A cyclic variation in plasma levels of pregnancyassociated murine protein-1 (PAMP-1) during the oestrus cycle in outbred Pan : Thei mice was recorded. PAMP-1 plasma levels were significantly elevated in dioestrus as compared with the three other stages of the murine oestrus cycle. Until day 7 of gestation the PAMP-1 plasma levels remained low, and no significant differences could be observed between pregnant and pseudopregnant female mice. The PAMP-1 levels increased markedly in the circulation on day 8 of pregnancy, and continued to increase until peak values were reached at day 11 of pregnancy. In the latter half of pregnancy the PAMP-1 levels declined until day 17 of pregnancy, at which stage the normal non-pregnant values were recorded.


Previous studies have shown that tolerogenic anti-CD4 (W3/25) and anti-LFA-1 mAb (LRTC1) which block T cell activation paradoxically enhance T cell-mediated antigen presentation. Lasting T cell APC (T-APC) activity requires and initial exposure of T cells to these mAb in the presence of professional APC and antigen. This study revealed a central mechanism regulating the duration of T-APC activity. T cell recognition of class II MHC complexes of T-APC catalyzed a rapid decay in the presentation of agonistic antigens, whereas partial agonistic signals decayed at a shower rate. Likewise, blockade of agonistic T-T cell autorecognition by these mAb led to the persistence of agonistic MHC/antigen on T-APC. The best predictor of T-APC activity was related to the ability of clonal T cells to respond to antigen presented by neighboring T cells. Strong responders were inefficient T-APC, whereas inefficient responders were strong T-APC. Addition of irradiated myelin basic protein (MBP0-specific responders to T-APC cultures specifically inhibited the subsequent presentation of MBP but not conalbumin, and vice versa. T-APC presentation of antigen to responder T cells also resulted in reduced surface expression of class II MHC I-A glycoproteins on T-APC. These findings indicate that agonistic recognition of antigen of T-APC specifically inhibits subsequent presentation of that antigen, whereas antagonistic MHC/antigen complexes are preserved for an enduring T-APC activity.


In this study, we empirically investigate the relationship between credit default swap (CDS) spreads and financial market indicators belonging to bond, equity, and foreign exchange markets for the selected emerging market countries. This study has several findings. The empirical results suggest that the CDS spreads have a cointegrating relationship with the remaining financial market indicators for the whole sample. Another finding that deserves particular attention is that in the long run, the CDS spread is negatively related with the CDS market uncertainties. We argue that this negative relationship indicates low liquidity in the elevated uncertainty, which decreases CDS prices. The time-varying effects of each variable on the CDS spread are in line with the results obtained from the cointegration analyses. These findings have several implications for investors and policymakers in emerging market countries.


This paper provides a survey of the state of the art in terminologies and ontologies applied to Biology and Medicine. Not intending to be fully comprehensive, we describe some of the most relevant resources that currently attract interest from industry and academia. We introduce a description framework and compare the systems in terms of their architectural elements, their expressiveness, and coverage, as well as analyze the nature of entities they denote. In particular, we scrutinize the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), the Gene Ontology (GO), the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), the Generalized Architecture for Languages, Encyclopaedias and Nomenclatures (openGALEN), the Foundational Model of Anatomy (FMA), the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), and the Open Biomedical Ontologies (OBO) Foundry.


Vector quantization (VQ) is a signal compression technique which can provide high compression rates, and the self-organizing map (SOM) can be employed in the generation of VQ codebooks. Exploiting the ordering property of SOM, the encoding process can be considerably accelerated by using a two-level search. In this paper, we deal with the VQ of prediction error (residual) images in image sequence coding. The results show that the codebooks generated by SOM and the widely-used LBG algorithm achieve almost the same performance, but the encoding process can be realized in a more efficient way by exploiting the ordering property of SOM.


The Optic Disc (OD) is a round area in the back of the eye where retinal nerve fibers collect to form the optic nerve. The OD is the entry point for the major blood vessels that supply the retina. OD attends as a revolutionary for fundus features, such as relatively constant distance between OD and macula center (Fovea). OD and Macula detection is the vital step for the automatic extraction of retinal anatomical structures for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). Changes in OD shape and area may indicate disease processes, particularly glaucoma, and accurate identification of the disk boundary may be used to quantify changes. Besides, the distance between two center points of the OD for an individual is unique that can be used in security purpose. This paper describes a technique for identifying the boundary of the OD in fundus images of the retina, using an approach based on active contours (snakes) and mathematical morphology. For accurate boundary detection, some pre-processing of the image is essential. This pre-processing minimizes improper boundary detection due to blood vessels crossing the OD. Pre-processing techniques based on local minima detection and morphological filtering was developed. After preprocessing, the optic disk boundary was identified using an active contour. The contour was driven by a novel external image-derived field called the Gradient Vector Flow.


Data management strategies have become increasingly important as new computer technologies allow for larger and more complex data sets to be analyzed easily. As a consequence, data management has become a specialty requiring specific skills and knowledge. Many new investigators have no formal training in management of data sets. This paper describes common basic strategies critical to the management of data as applied to a data set from a longitudinal study. The stages of data management are identified. Moreover, key components and strategies, at each stage are described.


The concentrations of atmospheric compounds such as greenhouse gases, heavy metals and trace gas air pollutants have rapidly changed. Many of these compounds interact with agricultural systems and influence crop performance, both directly by affecting growth and quality or indirectly by altering the plant's ability to cope with other abiotic and biotic stresses. Some atmospheric compounds have little or no discernible impact on the environment; others reach levels that exceed thresholds for damage to crops. In this review, we analyse the literature on airborne species that directly impact crop growth and health. In Europe and North America emissions of SO2, NOx and heavy metals have declined during the past decades and are currently not considered as a major threat to crops. By contrast, air pollutant emissions have been increasing in rapidly growing regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Ozone is the most phytotoxic of the common air pollutants. The widespread distribution of O3 already presents a risk to crop growth and health in many regions of the world. It is concluded that the continuous increase in background O3 concentrations will pose a critical threat to future world food security. Interactions with both biotic and abiotic factors must be taken into account in assessing risks of air pollutants in the field. There is evidence that these indirect effects could be more important under certain circumstances than the direct effects of air pollutants on plants. The parallel rapid increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations accompanied by climate change has two major implications: (1) a possible benefit to crop growth by direct stimulation of photosynthesis and by mitigation of gaseous air pollutants and water stress; and (2) a threat to crop production due to an enhancement of crop quality losses.


This article aims to ascertain the extent to which probabilistic decision making can enable managers to make crucial decisions in a world of uncertainty associated with globalization. Existing evidence suggests that probabilistic decision making can be deployed for risk management purposes if two conditions are satisfied: the decision maker must be aware of a complete list of possible future events; and the decision maker must be able to revise his/her expectations in the light of new information about such events. This article demonstrates that the satisfaction of these conditions requires a sound understanding of the sources of risks, quantifying those risks, and assessing the probability associated with each. To ensure that these conditions are satisfied, a risk management strategy must aim to maximize the amount of information that will be available at the time of taking the decision rather than wait to learn from outcomes. Outcomes‐based justification of decisions may no longer be an effective decision‐making strategy because the stakes involved, i.e. the risks and opportunities associated with globalization, are too high. An information‐driven, proactive decision‐making strategy requires higher levels of information pooling and exchange within companies.


Abstract Neuromuscular dystrophy is a progressive disease, interesting skeletal muscles by progressive weakness and loss of voluntary motor function. Material and Methods: A prospective study was developed on 16 patients with progressive neuromuscular dystrophy, over a three months period. The initial and final assessment included muscle manual testing, range of motion and, for the functional outcomes, the Vigos Scale, Barthel Scale, Activity of Daily Living (ADL) Score, and Muscular Dystrophy Scale were used. The physiotherapy program was developed on four stages and a guiding protocol was used for the individualization of the physical therapy program. The statistical analysis was performed in Microsoft Excel, using a Paired samples T-test. Results: Statistical significant results were obtained within all assessment tools. Muscle strength and ADL capacity improved, with the highest increases in patients with low levels of disability. Conclusion: The main results suggest that individualized physiotherapy can slow the progressivity of the disorder and improve the quality of life, especially when started at an earlier stage of the disease.


Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have recently advanced image synthesis by learning the underlying distribution of the observed data. However, how the features learned from solving the task of image generation are applicable to other vision tasks remains seldom explored. In this work, we show that learning to synthesize images can bring remarkable hierarchical visual features that are generalizable across a wide range of applications. Specifically, we consider the pre-trained StyleGAN generator as a learned loss function and utilize its layer-wise representation to train a novel hierarchical encoder. The visual feature produced by our encoder, termed as Generative Hierarchical Feature (GH-Feat), has strong transferability to both generative and discriminative tasks, including image editing, image harmonization, image classification, face verification, landmark detection, and layout prediction. Extensive qualitative and quantitative experimental results demonstrate the appealing performance of GH-Feat.1


Herein we review aspects of leading-edge research and innovation in chemistry which exploits big data and machine learning (ML), two computer science fields that combine to yield machine intelligence. ML can accelerate the solution of intricate chemical problems and even solve problems that otherwise would not be tractable. But the potential benefits of ML come at the cost of big data production; that is, the algorithms, in order to learn, demand large volumes of data of various natures and from different sources, from materials properties to sensor data. In the survey, we propose a roadmap for future developments, with emphasis on materials discovery and chemical sensing, and within the context of the Internet of Things (IoT), both prominent research fields for ML in the context of big data. In addition to providing an overview of recent advances, we elaborate upon the conceptual and practical limitations of big data and ML applied to chemistry, outlining processes, discussing pitfalls, and reviewing cases of success and failure.


A recent endogenous growth literature has focused on the transition from a Malthusian world where real wages were linked to factor endowments, to one where modern growth has broken that link. In this paper we present evidence on another, related phenomenon: the dramatic reversal in distributional trends -- from a steep secular fall to a steep secular rise in wage-land rent ratios -- which occurred some time early in the 19th century. What explains this reversal? While it may seem logical to locate the causes in the Industrial Revolutionary forces emphasized by endogenous growth theorists, we provide evidence that something else mattered just as much: the opening up of the European economy to international trade.


We briefly describe the Monte Carlo likelihood method in estimating CAR models and the implementation in the pkgmclcar. Then we demonstrate the usage of the package through examples of Gaussian, Binomial and Poisson data.


Lysine-specific demethylase 5B (KDM5B) exerts its tumor-promoting functions in numerous malignancies, although the possible mechanisms by which KDM5B promotes cancer aggressiveness in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been preliminarily explored, the role of this gene in regulating sorafenib-resistance in HCC has not been studied. Thus, the present study was designed to resolve this problem, and our data suggested that KDM5B was significantly upregulated in the HCC tissues collected from patients with sorafenib treatment history. Consistently, continuous low-dose sorafenib administration increased KDM5B expression levels in the sorafenib-resistant HCC cells compared to their sorafenib-sensitive counterparts. Next, by performing the functional experiments, we found that KDM5B positively regulated sorafenib-resistance and cancer stem cell (CSC) properties in HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, upregulation of KDM5B-degraded phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), results in the activation of the downstream oncogenic PI3K/Akt pathway. Subsequently, the rescuing experiments verified that the promoting effects of KDM5B overexpression on chemoresistance and cancer stemness in HCC cells were all abrogated by PI3K (p110) knockdown and PTEN overexpression. Collectively, those data hinted that KDM5B influenced CSC properties and sorafenib-resistance in HCC cells through modulating the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway, and KDM5B could be used as a potential target for the treatment of HCC in clinic.


Spleen cells of BALB/c mice immunized with purified BALB/c myeloma protein (MP) caused idiotype-specific suppression of DNA synthesis and colony formation by myeloma cells in vitro. Lymphocytes from mice immunized with 315-MP inhibited only MOPC-315 plasmacytoma cells; conversely, lymphocytes from mice immunized with 167-MP inhibited only MOPC-167 plasmacytoma cells. Antisera from those mice that showed cell-mediated inhibition of myeloma growth had no significant effect. The suppressive activity of the spleen cells was markedly reduced by treatment with anti-Thy 1.2 and complement, and the immune cells responsible for the suppression did not adhere to nylon wool. The suppressor cells adsorbed to myeloma protein-coated plates, and after elution, inhibited myeloma cells specifically at a 1:1 effector to target cell ratio. Suppression of myeloma growth was due to cytostatic rather than cytolytic effects. These findings suggest that mice immunized with purified myeloma protein have idiotype-specific T cells that can regulate myeloma cell growth. This mechanism may provide an explanation for the transplantation resistance to myelomas induced by immunization with myeloma protein. Similar idiotype-specific T cells may also play a role in the idiotype-specific regulation of immune responses by acting late in differentiation to block the proliferation of antibody-secreting normal B cells.


S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet, also known as SAM and SAMe) is the principal biological methyl donor synthesized in all mammalian cells but most abundantly in the liver. Biosynthesis of AdoMet requires the enzyme methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT). In mammals, two genes, MAT1A that is largely expressed by normal liver and MAT2A that is expressed by all extrahepatic tissues, encode MAT. Patients with chronic liver disease have reduced MAT activity and AdoMet levels. Mice lacking Mat1a have reduced hepatic AdoMet levels and develop oxidative stress, steatohepatitis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In these mice, several signaling pathways are abnormal that can contribute to HCC formation. However, injury and HCC also occur if hepatic AdoMet level is excessive chronically. This can result from inactive mutation of the enzyme glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT). Children with GNMT mutation have elevated liver transaminases, and Gnmt knockout mice develop liver injury, fibrosis, and HCC. Thus a normal hepatic AdoMet level is necessary to maintain liver health and prevent injury and HCC. AdoMet is effective in cholestasis of pregnancy, and its role in other human liver diseases remains to be better defined. In experimental models, it is effective as a chemopreventive agent in HCC and perhaps other forms of cancer as well.


Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) NEAT1 has been reported to play critical roles in various human tumor entities and related to the survival of patients with malignancies. However, little is known about the role of lncRNA NEAT1 in glioma patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of NEAT1 in human glioma and its correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis in human glioma; we analyzed the relationship of lncRNA NEAT1 expression with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in glioma patients. In our results, the relative level of NEAT1 expression was higher in cancer tissues compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues (p < 0.001). High NEAT1 expression was observed to be closely correlated with larger tumor size (p = 0.023), higher WHO grade (p = 0.005), and recurrence (p = 0.011). Kaplan–Meier curves showed that patients with high NEAT1 expression showed unfavorable overall survival (OS) than the low NEAT1 expression group (p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis results revealed that NEAT1 overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for OS in addition to postoperative chemoradiotherapy and WHO grade. Moreover, high NEAT1 expression in patients with stage III~IV disease and postoperative chemoradiotherapy conferred unfavorable OS (stage III~IV p = 0.002, postoperative chemoradiotherapy p = 0.000). This study supports NEAT1 as a potential prognostic predictor with its high expression in cancer tissues and its association with carcinogenesis and progression in glioma.


The article deals with verb construction in West and East Flemish dialects in the 1960s and 1970s. The research was based on the unique dialect collection of the Ghent University Stemmen uit het Verleden ("Voices from the Past"). The main objective of the paper is to find verb constructions that are specific only for the Flemish dialects and to describe them. Based on a number of criteria, 21 recordings were examined. The article gives a detailed analysis of the use of such verb constructions as weten te + inf. ('to know where something is located') and durven te + inf. ('to dare to do something'), gaan + inf. ('going to') and the infinitive constructions om/voor/van te + inf. In some cases, the results of the research correspond to the standard of Belgian Dutch, in other cases the constructions appear to be used in a specific way. We conclude that both weten + inf. and durven + inf. are used in the texts without the particle te. Auxiliary verb gaan can never occur as the only verb and is always doubled or even tripled. Besides, voor te + inf. turned out to be the most commonly used construction to express the aim of an action, although om te + inf. also frequently occurs in the function. Van te + inf., however, is used in other functions and never expresses purpose.