Background CD70 expressing CD4 T cells are enriched in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and promote autoimmunity via costimulatory CD70-CD27 interaction. To date, it is unknown whether CD70+ CD4 T cells contribute to RA pathogenesis via other mechanisms than the CD70-CD27 interaction. Objectives To explore the phenotype and cytokine production of CD70+ CD4 T cells in RA. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 32 RA patients were isolated and frequencies of CD70+ cells within different CD4 T subsets were analyzed using flow cytometry. Interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-17 production were compared between the CD70+ and CD70- cells. Expression of master transcription factors T-bet, GATA3 and retinoic-acid-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) were examined by real time-PCR. Results were in mean ± standard error of the mean. Results CD4 T cells of healthy controls rarely expressed CD70 as compared to CD4 T cells of RA patients (0.9±0.3% vs. 7.6±0.6%, p<0.001, panel A). In RA, CD70+ cells were present within all CD4 T cell subsets, i.e. CD45RA+ CCR7+ naïve, CD45RA-CCR7+ central memory, CD45RA-CCR7- effector memory, and CD45RA+ CCR7- terminally differentiated effector memory T cells with a frequency of 3.9±1.1%, 4.0±0.5%, 4.2±0.7%, and 9.4±4.3%, respectively (panel B). As compared to CD70- CD4 T cells, CD70+ CD4 T cells produced significantly more IFN-γ (panel C) and IL-17 (panel D) after short activation. CD70+ CD4 T cells preferentially expressed transcription factor RORγt. Conclusions CD70+ CD4 T cells are enriched in RA and may directly contribute to RA pathogenesis by producing IFN-γ and IL-17. Targeting CD70+ CD4 T cells might offer new therapeutic opportunities in RA. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.2780


ABSTRACT Cyclins associate with cyclin-dependent serine/threonine kinase 1 (CDK1) to generate the M phase-promoting factor (MPF) activity essential for progression through mitosis and meiosis. Although cyclin B1 (CCNB1) is required for embryo development, previous studies concluded that CCNB2 is dispensable for cell cycle progression. Given previous findings of high Ccnb2 mRNA translation rates in prophase-arrested oocytes, we re-evaluated the role of this cyclin during meiosis. Ccnb2−/− oocytes underwent delayed germinal vesicle breakdown and showed defects during the metaphase-to-anaphase transition. This defective maturation was associated with compromised Ccnb1 and Moloney sarcoma oncogene (Mos) mRNA translation, delayed spindle assembly and increased errors in chromosome segregation. Given these defects, a significant percentage of oocytes failed to complete meiosis I because the spindle assembly checkpoint remained active and anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome function was inhibited. In vivo, CCNB2 depletion caused ovulation of immature oocytes, premature ovarian failure, and compromised female fecundity. These findings demonstrate that CCNB2 is required to assemble sufficient pre-MPF for timely meiosis re-entry and progression. Although endogenous cyclins cannot compensate, overexpression of CCNB1/2 rescues the meiotic phenotypes, indicating similar molecular properties but divergent modes of regulation of these cyclins. Summary: The altered timing of maturation caused by CyclinB2 loss results in aneuploidy, ovulation of immature oocytes and decreased fecundity, indicating that CyclinB2 is essential for oocyte re-entry and progression through meiosis.


Emission lines in X-ray spectra of clusters of galaxies reveal the presence of heavy elements in the diffuse hot plasma (ICM) in virial equilibrium in the dark matter potential well. Thanks to the X-ray satellites Chandra and XMM-Newton we are now able to measure with good accuracy the distribution and evolution of Iron up to redshift z ~ 1.3. The capability of studying the chemical and thermodynamical properties of the ICM in high redshift clusters is an efficient tool to constrain the interaction processes between the cluster galaxies and the surrounding medium. We confirm that the ICM is already significantly enriched at a look-back time of 9 Gyr, and find that the Iron abundance change with redshift as (1+z)^(-1.25), implying an increase of a factor of ~2 with respect to z=1.3. This result can be explained by a prompt enrichment by star formation processes in massive ellipticals at z>2, followed by a slower release of enriched gas from disk galaxies into the ICM, associated to a morphological transition from disk to S0.


Abstract : In this report, we study tolerance of semantic faults, one of the crucial Issues In the Simplex(TM) architecture. In particular, we examine semantic faults that cause the controlled device to be unsafe (i.e., unable to carry out its normal operation) and eventually cause the device to become damaged. We also consider fault detection as a safety check. For the class of control systems operating around an equilibrium, the objective of maintaining the safety of the controlled device is formulated as a stabilization problem, and the safety of the controlled device is tested against the stability region of the device under the safety control. To establish the stability region, we apply the Lyapunov stability theory and linear matrix inequality (LMI) methodologies. It is shown that the stability region for a given safety controller as well as a safety control law can be systematically derived by LMI based approaches. We conclude the report with a summary of the procedure for deriving the safety check and safety controller for a given application.


Abstract. Anoxic sediments as compared to oxic settings encompass a much higher proportion of relatively labile and thus more reactive organic matter, naturally giving rise to condensation reactions (such as vulcanisation) transforming the original biomolecules into geomolecules. For the oxic environment where the labile, reactive, component is rapidly removed, such transformation and condensation is much less likely so that one would expect a structurally much better preservation of the more refractory initial biomolecules. To test this hypothesis, initially identical biomolecules need to be compared between different preservational environments. Here, we use the species specific morphology of organic microfossils to assure a single initial biosynthetic product (the cysts of the fossil dinoflagellate species Thallasiphora pelagica) for comparison. We assess the macromolecular structures of cysts from the Eocene (~ 40 Ma) sulphidic Rhine Graben and the oxic Kerguelen Plateau and compare them with each other and the structures of recent cysts. While between the sites the T. pelagica cysts are morphologically identical, pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectroscopy and micro Fourier transform infra red analyses show that their macromolecular characteristics are strongly different. The cysts deposited in the sulphidic Rhine Graben show a strong contribution of long-chain aliphatic moieties and organic sulphur, absent in the material deposited on the oxic Kerguelen Plateau. Comparison with recent cyst walls suggests a much better molecular preservation for the oxic depositional environment, confirming our initial hypothesis. This leads to the conclusion that the best preservation of molecular structure is not necessarily where most organic matter gets preserved, which, in turn, is important for understanding the nature and fate of sedimentary organic matter.


Summary We investigated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by spermatozoa in two species of sea urchin. ROS generation was accompanied by the initiation of motility and respiration and influenced the motility and fertilizability of spermatozoa. The sea urchin performs external fertilization in aerobic seawater. Sperm motility was initiated after spawning through Na+/H+ exchange. ROS generation was dependent on the respiration and sperm concentration and its generation was first observed at initiation of motility, via activation of respiration through ATP/ADP transport. The ROS generation rate increased at higher dilution ratios of spermatozoa, in a manner that was synchronous with the respiratory rate. This phenomenon resembled the previously defined 'sperm dilution effect' on respiration. The loss of motility and fertilizability was induced not only by treatment with hydrogen peroxide but also by sperm dilution. Storage of spermatozoa with a higher dilution ratio also accelerated the decrease in fertilizability. Thus, optimum sea urchin fertilizability is maintained by storage of undiluted spermatozoa on ice, in order to minimize oxidative stress and to maximize longevity.


The moments-based spray model has been developed as an alternative to the widely used discrete droplet models; the model does not characterize sprays using droplet size classes, rather the moments of the droplet size distribution are used. 2, 5-Dimethylfuran (DMF) has been receiving some interest of late as a potential gasolinelike biofuel. Compared to bio-ethanol, DMF is attractive because the gravimetric energy density is higher, it is easier to store, less volatile, and easier to transport. In the present study, the moments-based spray model has been used to predict the hydrodynamic properties of DMF fuel sprays. The results of the evaluation of DMF fuel sprays at 50 bar injection pressure and different ambient (1 to 6 bar) pressure values are presented, evaluated and compared with experimental data. The results are characterized by the fuel spray penetration values at the end of injection and at various times after the start of injection. This information is important for the design of injection and combustion systems in internal combustion engines, especially as fuel spray impingement on walls can lead to increased emissions. The results indicate that DMF fuel spray penetration reduces with increases in ambient pressure as the fuel droplets are slowed due to the increased frictional resistance offered by the carrier gas. The predicted results for the fuel spray tip penetration at the end of injection are representative of the measured experimental fuel spray development. The predictions are also compared with results from a spray model based on the widely used discrete droplet method. The results show that the moments-spray model can be a valuable tool for evaluating the characteristics of emerging biofuel sprays.


Abstract The overexpression of sialic acids and sialyltransferases (STs) during malignant transformation and progression could result in the aberrant sialylation of cancer cells. Therefore, interfering the sialic acid synthesis might be an effective pathway in cancer therapy. In this study, we assessed that the antitumor inhibitors of 20(S)-ginsenosides Rg3, 20(R)-ginsenosides Rg3, 20(S)-ginsenosides Rh2, and 20(R)-ginsenosides Rh2 could block the sialoglycans in liver cancer cells HepG2. The results showed that these four compounds could inhibit the expressions of the total and free sialic acid at different levels in HepG2, respectively; also, it showed dose dependence. In addition, the results of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that the above four compounds can inhibit the expression of STs significantly. We also found that these compounds could mediate the block of sialylation of α2,3- and α2,6-linked sialic acids in HepG2 cells by flow cytometry. Meanwhile, the results of the molecular docking investigation showed that these compounds showed strong interaction with ST6GalI and ST3GalI. These results verified that the ginsenosides have a powerful inhibiting aberrant sialylation, and it laid a theoretical foundation for further research on the investigation of ginsenosides as the target inhibitors on STs.


This evaluation study on tandem learning among future teachers of Russian in school-based internships aims at examining the development of teacher language competences for institutional Russian teaching. The focus is on development of competencies of L2teachers in student teacher internships. The article deals with the tandem-method as one of the ways of training teacher language for educational purposes in the classroom. Teacher language always has didactic implications. The teacher serves as an educational role model in his foreign verbal actions, but the level of command of the language for using it professionally as teacher language in university internships is very heterogeneous. The reasons are manifold and related to worldwide migration and the efforts of reforming the educational system in Europe. That is why the subject of interest for this research is the development of teacher language as a part of linguistic competence. The individual perception of future Russian teachers of the functional logic and quality of tandem language learning and support is examined on the basis of learning diaries and interviews. The paper concludes with discussion


HER2 is a pillar biomarker in breast cancer, and it is assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using a three-tier scoring system and reflex in situ hybridization (ISH) for IHC score 2+. Novel HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugates have demonstrated significant antitumor activity in breast cancers with low levels of HER2 expression, i.e. IHC score 1+ or ISH-negative IHC score 2+. Both primary and acquired resistance to anti-HER2 therapies remains a challenge in the treatment of breast cancers according to the HER2 positivity continuum. Thus, the ability to precisely discriminate among HER2-zero, HER2-low, and HER2-positive breast cancers is no longer a mere academic exercise. HER2 testing criteria, guidelines, and quality controls are re-gaining momentum for this new clinical need. Therefore, all preanalytical and analytical variables that might trouble the sensitivity and reproducibility of this test should be carefully considered to address all possible issues and open all possible therapeutic opportunities for breast cancer patients.


International economic integration yields large potential welfare effects, even in a static constant returns competitive world economy. Our method is novel. The effect of border barriers on trade flows is often inferred from gravity models. But their rather atheoretic structure precludes welfare analysis. Computable general equilibrium models are designed for tight welfare analysis, but lack econometric foundation. Our method combines these approaches. Gravity models based on Anderson's (1979) interpretation are full general equilibrium models of a special simple sort. In Anderson and van Wincoop (NBER WP 8079, 2001) we develop and estimate this structure, then calculate the comparative static effects on trade flows of border barriers. In this paper we further deploy the model to explore the comparative statics of welfare with respect to borders, to currency unions and to NAFTA. Our NAFTA exercise does a much better job of replicating the actual trade flow changes than do computable general equilibrium models. An interesting implication is that terms of trade changes are very important, even for small' countries such as Mexico.


The goals of this study were to determine L-ascorbic acid concentrations in various milk products, and to evaluate the effect of storage time on L-ascorbic acid in milk. Commercial plain milk samples were obtained from either a raw-food market or a supermarket, in Mae Hia, Mueang District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, during July, 2008. The types of milk were separated based on fat percentages (non fat-0%, low fat-1.5%, full fat-3%), and their method of processing (pasteurization, UHT). All samples were collected, transported, and measured for their L-ascorbic acid concentrations on the same day. The expiration date, type of milk, and source of milk were recorded. Pasteurized milk had higher L-ascorbic acid levels than UHT milk (p < 0.05), but no differences of L-ascorbic acid levels were seen among the milk fat percentage groups. The L-ascorbic acid level was significantly positively related to time before the expiration date of the milk, indicating that increased storage time of milk is related to decreased L-ascorbic acid concentration in the milk. Longer milk storage times resulted in lower- L-ascorbic acid levels and pasteurized milk has higher L-ascorbic acid levels than UHT milk.


Atomic emission and cavity field spectra of the Jaynes-Cummings model are analytically compared. We show that the two spectra are in general different, except for the special case where the interaction is resonant, the cavity is initially empty and the retarded time of one-photon emission is considered in calculations of the spectra. In this case,the two spectra are the same. We also show that this result comes from the fact that the two-time autocorrelation function of the cavity field is not directly proportional to that of the atom.


Rat kidneys were isolated and perfused with a modified Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing 4% albumin. Perfusate recirculated except during L-platelet activating factor (L-PAF), angiotensin II (ang II), and norepinephrine (NE) infusions. L-PAF caused a dose-dependent decrease in renovascular resistance (RVR): -6 +/- 3% at 10(-9)M, -12 +/- 6% at 10(-8)M, -18 +/- 3% at 10(-7) and -20 +/- 7% at 10(-6)M. L-PAF increased immunoreactive PGE (iPGE) and thromboxane (iTXB) release into the venous effluent from 2.4 +/- 0.2 to 3.9 +/- 0.4 ng/min (p less than 0.05) and from 2.1 +/- 0.4 to 3.5 +/- 0.5 ng/min (p less than 0.05), respectively. Vasodilation by L-PAF (10(-7) M) in the presence of indomethacin (INDO) (5 microM) was enhanced compared to the non-INDO response (RVR change: L-PAF = -18 +/- 3% vs. L-PAF = -26 +/- 3%; p less than 0.05). As a control for specificity, the was infused at 10(-9) M, 10(-8) M, and 10(-7) M. None of these concentrations changed renal vascular resistance. To study the vascular receptor responsible for L-PAF-induced vasodilation, dose-response curves to NE and ang II were established with and without L-PAF (10(-7) M). The NE dose-response curve was unchanged by L-PAF, whereas the ang II dose-response curve was shifted to the right by one order of magnitude. In kidneys pretreated with INDO (5 microM), the L-PAF-induced shift of the ang II dose-response relation was increased to 2-3 orders of magnitude.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


This case-control study was conducted to identify factors associated with peptic ulcer disease (PUD) among patients admitted at Champasak Hospital, Lao PDR during August 2018 and October 2018.  Sample consisted of 96 female and male patients aged 18 and over. Subjects were divided into 2 groups. Cases were 48 patients with PUD and controls were 48 patients without PUD (Non-PUD). Data were collected from medical record reviews and PUD ecological risk factors questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarized PUD risk factors and simple and multiple logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with PUD.  Results revealed that there were 3 groups of factors associated with PUD. 1) Personal factors included H. pylori infection (OR= 4.88, 95% CI:  1.87-12.73, p=.001), NSAIDs use (OR= 107.81, 95% CI: 12.64-919.11, p <0.001), alcoholic beverages consumption (OR= 31.61, 95% CI: 3.38-295.66, p=.002), and frequent meal-skipping (OR= 45.22, 95% CI: 4.84-422.05, p=.001). 2) Interpersonal factors included friends' acceptance of alcohol-drinking behavior (OR=7.37, 95% CI: 1.47-36.87, p= .01) and family approval of alcohol-drinking (OR= 3.98, 95% CI:  1.24-12.21, p=.02). 3) Socio-cultural and legal factor included buying alcohol beverages after 4 pm. (OR=5.02,95% CI:1.42-17.72, p= .01).  As a result, effective PUD prevention needs to target these 3 levels of risk factors.


A family with Angle's Class ii malocclusion was identified in West China Stomatological Hospital of Sichuan University. The proband was a 22-year-old woman with Angle's Class II Division 2 malocclusion with congenitally missing teeth. A total of 15 members of the 3 generations in the family were investigated. There were 7 members (3 males, 4 females) with Angle's Class II malocclusion in the family. The results provide the primary basis for further study to localize the virulence gene.


BACKGROUND: When feasible, the management of iatrogenic internal carotid artery (ICA) injury during skull base surgery is mainly endovascular. OBJECTIVE: To propose a cerebral revascularization procedure as a rescue option when endovascular treatment is not feasible. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass procedures performed between July 2007 and January 2014. RESULTS: From 235 procedures, we identified 8 consecutive patients with iatrogenic ICA injury managed with an EC-IC bypass. Injury to the ICA occurred during an endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (n = 3), endoscopic transfacial-transmaxillary surgery (n = 1), myringotomy (n = 1), cavernous sinus meningioma resection (n = 1), posterior communicating artery aneurysm clipping (n = 1), and cavernous ICA aneurysm coiling (n = 1). Endovascular management was considered first-line treatment but was not successful. All patients received a high-flow EC-IC bypass. At a mean clinical/radiographic follow-up of 19 months (range, 3-36 months), all patients had a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 or 1. All bypasses remained patent. CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic injury of the skull base ICA is uncommon but can lead to lethal consequences. Many injuries can be treated with endovascular techniques. However, certain cases may still require a cerebral revascularization procedure. ABBREVIATIONS: EC-IC, extracranial-intracranial ICA, internal carotid artery IST, in-stent thrombosis MCA, middle cerebral artery RAG, radial artery graft


Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents the most frequent pancreatic malignancy, with stromal and epithelial heterogeneity reflected in outcome variability. Therefore, a molecular classification is promoted based on the validation of new diagnostic and prognostic markers. Galectin-8 (Gal8) has been pointed out as a prognostic factor for survival in several types of tumors. Due to limited existing data on PDAC, our study aimed to evaluate the Gal8 profile in PDAC alongside its prognostic status. A total of 87 cases of PDAC were immunohistochemically investigated, and Gal8 immunoexpression was qualitatively and semi-quantitatively assessed and correlated with classical clinicopathological parameters and survival. Gal8 immunoexpression was identified to be mostly nuclear and cytoplasmic, followed by exclusively cytoplasmic and exclusively nuclear. A statistical analysis between Gal8 profiles defined by negative, low, or high scores and clinicopathological characteristics showed significant differences in tumor size, pN stage, and lympho-vascular invasion. Although a Cox regression analysis did not support the prognostic status of Gal8, and we did not confirm its relationship with OS, our results show that exclusively nuclear labeling was associated with an increased mean OS compared with cytoplasmic and nuclear labeling (29.37 vs. 17.93 months). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report a detailed pattern of Gal8 immunostaining in PDAC and to correlate this pattern with clinicopathological characteristics and survival. Our results show that Gal8 immunoexpression is associated with a more aggressive phenotype, thus opening perspectives for larger studies to validate Gal8 as a prognostic factor.


This study is a comparison of locomotor behavior and postcranial form in two species of capuchin monkey, the brown capuchin (Cebus apella), and the weeper capuchin (Cebus olivaceus). Behavioral data from groups of wild C. apella and C. olivaceus in Guyana were collected during the period of December 1999 through November 2000. Postcranial variables including 40 measurements and three indices were taken from 43 adult and subadult specimens of C. apella and 14 adult and subadult specimens of C. olivaceus housed in American museums, as well as two wild-caught adult specimens of C. olivaceus from the Georgetown Zoo in Guyana. The results of this study indicate that these two capuchins exhibit similar patterns of locomotor behavior, but that there are important differences in how they move through their homerange, particularly with respect to quadrupedalism. These differences in behavior are reflected in their postcranial morphology and can be related to differences in foraging strategies. This study provides an example of the importance of using more exclusive categories of quadrupedal behaviors when comparing closely related arboreal quadrupeds, as well as an alternative explanation for some of the postcranial features of C. apella that may relate to foraging postures and foraging strategy rather than traditionally categorized patterns of locomotor behavior. Am. J. Primatol. 69:736‐756, 2007 r 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.


Two centuries ago, Pellier de Quengsy suggested the implantation of a glass plate in the cornea, and the Chevalier de Tadini the replacement of the crystalline with a glass lens. This was the beginning of ophthalmic prostheses. Since, material sciences have made tremendous progress with respect to ocular implantation. As postoperative implant rejection and complications have to be minimized, several requirements on the materials to be selected can be given: In order to minimize stress locations and local tissue deformation, the physical properties of the implants should be similar to those of the replaced tissue. The material should remain stable in time and not degrade and, in some instance, they should be colonizable. The implants should not induce reactions to surrounding tissues, and therefore should be non-carcinogenic, nonallergenic and non-immunogenic. When the material is implanted within the optical path, its optical properties should be similar to those of the replaced tissue. Especially, a high transparency is required in the visible part of the spectrum (400-700 nm) with a low scattering. As the retina and the lens need to be protected from UV radiations and, to a lesser extend, from radiations in the deep-blue, the materials should also present a high degree of absorption at those wavelengths. To avoid potential complications at long term, an absorption as large as that of the eye tissues should also exist in the infrared part of the spectrum. Because light has to be focused sharply on the retina, the implant geometry and index of refraction have to accurately selected. In addition, the surface quality and the homogeneity of the implants have to be as high as possible. Ideally, to respect the natural physiology of the eye, the materials' index of refraction should match that of the tissue it is design to replace. Consequently, whenever possible the implant material should mimic the properties of ocular tissues. Certain glasses and crystals (sapphire) mounted on metal alloys or ceramics fixation devices (haptic), have been used for the fabrication of intraocular lenses and keratoprostheses. However, the most well-known material for ophthalmic implantation is the thermoplastic polymer PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate) obtained by polymerization of its monomer, methylmethacrylate. Its ocular stability was accidentally demonstrated after the second world war [1]. Ridley took first advantages of this material for intraocular lenses [2] and, a few years later, MacPherson and Anderson for intracomeal implants [3]. Synthetic polymers are made of very large molecules consisting of either three-dimension (bulk) or two-dimension (linear chains) crosslinked repeating monomers. Thermoplastics are organic polymers having in common a long repetitive carbon chain [-C-]. The mechanical properties of these polymers depend principally on the van der Waals intermolecular forces. In some other polymers the various chains are chemically linked to each other by covalent bonds. Carbon, however, is not the only atom possessing the ability to form very large molecule with other atoms. Silicon is another element that exhibits similar properties. The chain is made in this case of repetitive siloxane units [-Si-O-], whereby the molecular weight of the polymer is determined by the chain's length and type of cross-linking. At low molecular weight, a few thousands centistokes (ctsk), and end-crosslinking, polymers are fluid. Because of their viscosity and their ability to repel water, they are often referred to as silicone oils [4]. Gels are another form of matter, an intermediate between solid and liquid, that can also be used for the fabrication of implants. Gels consist of long chain molecules (generally polymers) that are bulk cross-linked to create a topological complex network immersed in a liquid medium. The latter prevents the polymer network for collapsing while the former traps the liquid. Such gels have been found to be very sensitive to external parameters such as temperature, pH, pressure and salt concentration. The rigidity of a gel is function of the number of crosslinks per linear chain composing the bulk. Most ocular tissues, such as the vitreous, a loose low rigidity network made of proteins (<99 % H20), and the corneal stroma (or the sciera), a dense network composed of collagen (<75%H20),could be considered as gels.


Unsolved problems in cerebral physiology and pathology demand an understanding of intracranial vascular changes. Until recently it has been taught that all intracranial vessels are devoid of vascular nerves and of vasomotor control, and that changes in blood flow through these vessels are produced only passively as a result of changes in systemic blood pressure. The physiologic 1 evidence (which will not be summarized here), however, has always been conflicting. Anatomic evidence of vascular nerves on meningeal vessels has been steadily accumulating. After a preliminary negative report, Gulland 1a described nerves on the blood vessels of the pia mater. Huber, 2 in an excellent piece of work, pointed out that there were nerves of two kinds on the pial vessels: ( a ) medullated fibers that terminated in nonmedullated branches, which he considered sensory, and ( b ) nonmedullated nerves, which he considered vasomotor. Stohr's 3 exhaustive studies of the vegetative nervous system demonstrated


AIM
The aim of our study was to identify clinicopathological predictors of survival among patients undergoing potentially curative resections for gastric carcinoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
From January 1987-March 2004, 1074 patients have been submitted to curative gastric resection for gastric cancer (647 males and 427 females, mean age, 65 +/- 12, min 22, max 92). The surgical procedure consisted of 289 (27%) total and 785 (63%) subtotal gastrectomies. The extent of lymph node dissection was limited D1 (n = 376, 35%) or extended D2 (n = 578, 54%) and D3 (n = 12, 1%); no lymphadenectomy was performed in 108 (10%) cases. The pathological nodal status has been defined based on the number of involved lymph nodes (N1: 1 to 6 positive nodes; N2: 7 to 15 positive nodes; N3: more than 15 positive nodes). The distribution of N stage was: N0 = 278 (26%), N1 = 344 (32%); N2 = 215 (20%); N3 = 129 (12%). Univariate analyses were performed for gender, age, pT stage, pN stage, tumor site, tumor size, and extent of lymphadenectomy. Significant factors were then entered into a Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS
The median number of examined lymph nodes was 17 (mean, 18). Overall, 688 (64%) of patients had lymph node metastases. Of these patients, the median number of involved nodes was 2 (mean, 6). In the univariate analysis age, pT stage, pN stage, tumor size, and extent of lymphadenectomy were found to be significant factors. In the multivariate analysis T stage, N stage, and extent of lymphadenectomy were all independent predictors of survival. The median and mean survival time were 69 and 87 months, respectively. Overall survival was 80%, 51% and 40% at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
T stage, N stage, and extent of lymphadenectomy were all independent predictors of survival in patients submitted to curative gastric resections.


This paper presents the issue that is predicting the movement of an agent in an enclosed space by using the MDP (Markov Decision Process). Recent researches on the optimal path finding are confined to derive the shortest path with the use of deterministic algorithm such as A * or Dijkstra. On the other hand, this study focuses in predicting the path that the agent chooses to escape the limited space as time passes, with the stochastic method. The MDP reward structure from GIS (Geographic Information System) data contributed this model to a feasible model. This model has been approved to have the high predictability after applied to the route of previous armed red guerilla.


* Corresponding author, Email: email@example.com, 2 email@example.com ABSTRACT Tax is one of the largest revenues the state has and it is compulsory for both citizens and companies to pay to the state. The collected funds are used by the state to build state infrastructure and others. However, not all individuals or companies are willing to pay tax voluntarily. Some taxpayers even carry out tax avoidance. There are many factors that may affect tax avoidance practices, such as institutional ownership, gender diversity on board of directors, audit committee, and fi rm size. This study aims to determine the effect of institutional ownership, gender diversity on board of directors, audit committee and fi rm size on tax avoidance by using current effective tax rate approach and SPSS test tool version 22. The sample consists of 568 banking sector companies in Southeast Asia and they are listed on Orbis that publish fi nancial statements in English, gain profi t, and pay taxes in the research period. Based on the research results, it is found that institutional ownership has a signifi cant effect on tax avoidance. Likewise, audit committee and fi rm size also have a signifi cant effect on tax avoidance. However, gender diversity on board of directors has no signifi cant effect on tax avoidance.


Dynamic planning involves continuously updating a map by sensing changes in the environment and planning appropriate actions, with all tasks sharing common computational resources. We use harmonic functions for dynamic planning. Analogous representations of harmonic functions as Markov chains and resistor networks are used to develop the notion of escape probability and energy dissipation. These measures are used to indicate convergence (event that permits resources to be devote to non-planning tasks) more robustly than monitoring maximum or average field changes between iterations. The convergence of the harmonic function is related quadratically to the number of grid elements. An example of an irregular sampling strategy - quad tree - is developed for harmonic functions, which is complete yet imprecise. Quad trees are not a sufficient sampling strategy for addressing the exponential growth of multiple dimensions and therefore current investigations include other sampling strategies or dimensional parallelization.


The main purpose of the present paper is to define and study the notion of quasi bi-slant submanifolds of almost contact metric manifolds. We mainly concerned with quasi bi-slant submanifolds of cosymplectic manifolds as a generalization of slant, semi-slant, hemi-slant, bi-slant and quasi hemi-slant submanifolds. First, we give non-trivial examples in order to demostrate the method presented in this paper is effective and investigate the geometry of distributions. Moreover, We study these types of submanifolds with parallel canonical structures.


The current development process for spacecraft consists of designing for mission goals first and mitigation for environmental requirements second. Environmental issues often arise late in the design process, leading to longer design times and less efficient use of the available volume and mass. Faster and more efficient development of spacecraft can be achieved through a novel design methodology, Multi-Physics Topology Optimization (MPTO). The work presented provides an overview of a MPTO for small satellite design, combining thermal management and structural design into a single, streamlined process. This method results in a more effective use of allotted mass and volume, providing opportunities to increase system functionality. An example case is provided using an existing 3U CubeSat, where the proposed methodology was used to improve specific performance attributes. As topology optimization technologies continue to develop, this method can be expanded to include new capabilities, such as multi-material optimization, as well as new objectives, such as optical and electrical performance.


Abstract : The Joint Synthetic Battlespace for Research and Development (JSB-RD) is a distributed simulation environment that is intended to facilitate research into both advanced Air Force command and control concepts and simulation science. The JSB-RD environment includes a computer generated forces (CGF) system, the JSB-RD Viewer, which provides theater- level situation awareness and mission status information in multiple formats, weather and environment simulations, a collection of sensor simulations, and a gateway(s) to C4lSR systems. A variety of AFRL/IF programs require a flexible, multi-purpose, modeling and simulation environment in order to represent various aspects of the joint battlespace, and to stimulate and react to prototype C4lSR systems and components. The JSB-RD system forms the starting point for such an environment. This effort focused on Visualization, System Integration and Modeling and Simulation Facility Planning. NG developed improvements and enhancements to the existing JSB-RD Viewer application to allow it to more effectively be used to evaluate and demonstrate advanced visualization and GUI techniques for theater-level situation awareness, integrated the enhanced JSB-RD Viewer application with the other major components of the JSB-RD federation, developed test and demonstration scenarios, and assessed how the existing JSB-RD system, and its individual components, could be used as the starting point for the development of a more complete 041 SR modeling and simulation environment.


The efficient and environmentally friendly method for the one-pot synthesis of polyhydroquinolines has been developed in the presence of CuO nanoparticles. The multi-component reactions of aldehydes, dimedone, ethyl acetoacetate andammonium acetate were carried out under solvent-free conditions to afford some polyhydroquinoline derivatives. This method provides several advantages including high yields, low reaction times and little catalyst loading.


Purpose: We had studied the results retrospectively in displaced intraarticular calcaneal fractures treated with internal fixation by screw for thalamic portion and percutaneous pinning by K-wire using minimal Ollier's lateral approach, so we had reported good results, but recovery of Bohler angle loss was difficult technically. So, we used intraoperative external distractor combined with previous our method. Materials and Methods: We analysed retrospectively Bohler angle and clinical results on 12 cases with calcaneal fracture, who underwent an operation for displaced intraarticular calcaneal fracture by using external distractor from January 1997 to August 1998. Bohler angles were measured at preoperative, postoperative and last follow-up X-ray. Surgical technique is through minimal Ollier's lateral approach, reduced and fixed with screw of displaced posterior facet and used intraoperative external distractor for restoring of depressed calcaneal tuberosity and then did percutaneous pinning with K-wire. Results: In the previous our reports, the mean preoperative and postoperative Bohler angle were-0.9。, 19.1。 each other and the mean recovery of Bohler angle was 20.1。. After we use the intraoperative external distractor, the mean preoperative and postoperative Bohler angle were 0.92。, 26.0。 each other and the mean recovery of Bohler angle is 26.9。. It is nearly normal range of Koreans Bohler angle(31.1±0.4). Also there is no complication such as intraoperative calcaneal tuberosity fracture and soft tissue injury(skin necrosis, neurovascular injury). Conclusion: We obtained enough restoration of Bohler angle to normal range by using our previous method combined with intraoperative external distractor.


The purpose of this study was to ascertain the sources and forms of post-commencement finance (PCF) available for distressed companies in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa (SA). PCF is finance approved for a company in business rescue, which is regulated by section 135 of the South African Companies Act. There has been prior research done on the impact of post-commencement finance but not on the forms and sources of finance for business rescue in KZN. Insights of business rescue practitioners were obtained in KZN to address challenges of forms and sources of PCF available. The study utilised a qualitative research design to explore the sources of funding and forms of PCF. The findings confirm that PCF hasn't been widely utilised for business rescue and respondents concurred there are barriers and challenges in obtaining finance for distressed companies in KwaZulu-Natal. The implication of these results is that firms have limited sources of finance for PCF in KZN and although development financiers are perceived as appropriate funders, procedures are cumbersome and inflexible. This study contributes to the available sources and forms of PCF for companies in distress in KZN.


Abstract After discussing the limits and potentialities of the definitions of travel writing proposed by Paul Fussell (1980). Patrick Holland and Graham Huggan (1998) and Jan Borm (2004), the article presents a characterization of travel writing both as a genre with a precise rhetorical status, as well as a praxis of knoivledge, which derives from the interplay between travelling and writing. Building on this, a comparison between two Italian travel books and two Italian travel blogs about China is proposed. Specifically, by considering these texts as "intermedial transpositions" (Wolf 2008) that realize the same generic and epistemological matrix (i.e. travel writing), a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) is conducted in order to assess: 1) how the book and the blog, as different medial formats, interpret the rhetorical features of the travel writing genre: and 2) to what extent the gnoseological and cross-cultural potentials of travel writing, as a praxis of knowledge, is affected by the process of transposition.


Development of the internal structures of the caudal region (muscles, bones, cartilages, nerves, and blood vessels) of the Da/Da mutant medaka and of wild‐type +/+ fish was compared. Muscles and nerves were immunochemically stained by using an antibody to troponin T and antibodies to neurofilament proteins, respectively. Bones and cartilages were stained with alizarin red and alcian blue. In stages 31–32 of the Da/Da embryo, the rudiments of epurals 1, 2, and 3 differentiated dorsally opposite the sites of the ventral rudiments of the parhypural, the lower hypural plate, and the upper hypural plate, respectively. In the +/+ embryo, the rudiments of epurals 1 and 2 differentiated in the later developmental stages (after stage 34), but the rudiment of epural 3 did not differentiate. In the Da/Da embryo, the deep dorsal flexor passed dorsalwards and ended at the rudiment of epural 2, whereas the muscle passed ventralwards and ended at the rudiment of the upper hypural plate in the +/+ embryo. In the Da/Da fry, the epichordal region of the caudal fin fold grew and the notochord extended straight into the tail without bending, while in the + /+ fry, the epichordal region did not grow and the notochord turned dorsalwards within the tail. In the Da/Da fry, extra skeletal rudiments and musculature differentiated in the epichordal region of the caudal fin, whereas these supernumerary structures did not develop in the +/+ fry. The pattern of the epichordal skeleton and musculature in the caudal region of the adult Da/Da fish was an almost mirror‐image duplication of the hypochordal structures. These observations suggest that the characteristic expansion of the dorsal fin and epichordal lobe in the caudal region of the adult Da/Da fish is due to a process of ventralization, whereby the dorsal skeleton, musculature, and fin fold are stimulated to differentiate in a pattern like that which is restricted to the anal fin and hypochordal lobe of the wild type.


In situ neutron diffraction was used to characterize the effect of temperature on the crystal structure of LiNiPO4. LiNiPO4 adopts an ordered olivine structure at room temperature, but, with increasing temperature, this work shows that a significant amount of Li and Ni cation exchange occurs, for example, ∼15% at 900 °C. The antisite disorder is detected by residual nuclear densities on the M1 and M2 octahedral sites in the olivine structure using difference Fourier maps and by changes in cation site occupancies, lattice parameters, and mean ⟨M-O⟩ bond distances. The antisite disorder is also responsible for chemical expansion of the crystal lattice in addition to thermal expansion. Antisite defect formation at high temperature and its reversibility on cooling can be understood as an entropically driven feature of the crystal structure of LiNiPO4. The lithium ion diffusion pathway, that follows a curved trajectory along the b axis in the olivine structure, is, therefore, susceptible to be blocked if synthesis conditions are not carefully controlled and should also be influenced by the chemically expanded lattice of the disordered structure if this is preserved to ambient temperature by rapid cooling.


The second half of the 20th century was the dawn of information technology; and we now live in the digital age. Experimental studies of prosody develop at a fast pace, in the context of an "explosion of evidence" (Janet Pierrehumbert, Speech Prosody 2010, Chicago). The ease with which anyone can now do recordings should not veil the complexity of the data collection process, however. This article aims at sensitizing students and scientists from the various fields of speech and language research to the fact that speech-data acquisition is an underestimated challenge. Eliciting data that reflect the communicative processes at play in language requires special precautions in devising experimental procedures and a fundamental understanding of both ends the elicitation process, speaker and recording facilities. The article compiles basic information on each of these requirements and recapitulates some pieces of practical advice, drawing many examples from prosody studies, a field where the thoughtful conception of experimental protocols is especially crucial.


Sequences of picosecond pulses with a total energy in the pulse train of about 1 mJ are transmitted through a hollow-core photonic-crystal fibre with a core diameter of approximately 14 μm. The fluence of laser radiation coupled into the core of the fibre under these conditions exceeds the breakdown threshold of fused silica by nearly an order of magnitude. The laser beam coming out of the fibre is then focused to produce a breakdown on a solid surface. Parameters of laser radiation were chosen in such a way as to avoid effects related to the excitation of higher order waveguide modes and ionization of the gas filling the fibre in order to provide the possibility to focus the output beam into a spot with a minimum diameter, thus ensuring the maximum spatial resolution and the maximum power density in the focal spot.


The mixture of substances in the photochemical smog could be detected by different reduction rates of exposed bacteria. Beside ozone other products of the ozone/olefine-reaction could reduce the survival of exposed bacteria. For Staph. epidermidis a toxic influence from the reaction products could be found only after UV-irradiation. The main components were aldehydes, hydrocarbons, radicals, peroxiradicals and radicaloxides. For peroxiacetylnitrate (PAN) no bactericidal effect could be found for bacteria adsorbed on membrane filters in concentrations of 300 ppb in the smog (UV-irradiation was put off for two hours) and even in concentrations of 1000 ppb prepared by gaschromatography. The influence on lipopolysaccharide (lps) defective mutants of Salmonella minnesota showed the protection of the lps-layer against e.g. relative humidity and ozone (500 ppb), but no specific protection against smog components.


BORIANI, G., et al.: Rhythm Discrimination by Rate Branch and QRS Morphology in Dual Chamber Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators. Morphology Discrimination is a discriminator based on QRS morphology analysis that has been recently implemented in dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). Detected events are initially classified according to median atrial and ventricular rates (Rate Branch). Then, a series of discriminators (Morphology Discrimination, Stability, Sudden Onset) analyze the rhythm according to specific criteria and the number of discriminators required for VT diagnosis (i.e., requiring "any" or "all" of the specific discriminators to indicate VT). The discriminating accuracy of the algorithm was evaluated in 645 detections recorded during the follow‐up of 25 patients. The overall specificity for 397 supraventricular arrhythmias was 73.5% (292/397) with the tachycardia diagnosis criteria set to "any" and 90.9% (361/397) with the tachycardia diagnosis criteria set to "all." Sensitivity for VT was 100% and 98.7% (231/234) with the tachycardia diagnosis criteria set to "any" and "all," respectively. With the tachycardia diagnosis criteria set to "any," specificity for atrial fibrillation was 88.6%, for atrial flutter 40.3%, for atrial tachycardia 0%, and for sinus tachycardia 97.0%. With the tachycardia diagnosis criteria set to "all," specificity for atrial fibrillation was 92.40%, for atrial flutter 93.5%, for atrial tachycardia 54.7%, and for sinus tachycardia 99.0%. The contribution of Morphology Discrimination was crucial to improve the specificity of the Rate Branch algorithm. The implementation of Morphology Discrimination in a dual chamber ICD with Rate Branch rhythm classification allows the attainment of high specificity and high sensitivity for ventricular tachyarrhythmias. (PACE 2003; 26[Pt. II]:466–470)


Smooth muscles forming the wall of tissues having conduit and reservoir functions (including blood vessels, intestinal tract, and stomach, gall bladder, urinary bladder, respectively) are organized into sheets or layers. The pathway for force transmission emanates from myosin interaction with actin filaments attached to intracellular dense bodies linked by the cytoskeleton to plasma membrane dense bodies which are adhesion sites for the extracellular matrix. The extracellular matrix is continuous throughout and between muscle layers, facilitating their coordinated function. There are a few instances where smooth muscles are organized in small longitudinal bundles with elastic tendinous ends, such as the pilomotor muscles of skin, the ciliary muscle of the eye, and costo‐uterine muscle. In this study, we examine ultrastructure of two tendons that tether the anococcygeus muscle of the rat from the spine to the colon, the former a true tendon (myotendinous junction) and the latter a layer of connective tissue (intramuscular tendon). These regions show morphological specializations in the distribution and thickness of dense bodies, basement membrane, fiber shape and quantity of extracellular matrix. At the plasma membrane between dense bodies are caveolae, flask shaped structures primarily responsible for signal transduction, proliferation and electromechanical coupling. Changes also occur in caveolar regions, where the basement membrane is thickened and attachments to extracellular matrix are seen. Together, both regions of the plasma membrane are designed to facilitate force transmission. Anat Rec, 297:1714–1733, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


A new segmentation method based on the morphological characteristic of connected components in images is proposed. Theoretical definitions of morphological leveling and morphological spectrum are used in the formal definition of a morphological characteristic. In multiscale segmentation, this characteristic is formalized through the derivative of the morphological profile. Multiscale segmentation is particularly well suited for complex image scenes such as aerial or fine resolution satellite images, where very thin, enveloped and/or nested regions must be retained. The proposed method performs well in the presence of both low radiometric contrast and relatively low spatial resolution. Those factors may produce a textural effect, a border effect, and ambiguity in the object/background distinction. Segmentation examples for satellite images are given.


Olive oil hydrolyzing fraction (F-3) of Mucor lipase was separated into two fractions, F-3A and F-3B, by means of CM-Sephadex column chromatography. Both fractions were homogeneous and F-3A was crystallized. The pH optimum for olive oil hydrolysis of F-3A was at 9.0 and that of F-3B was at 8.0. Chain specificities of the both enzymes were different with each other. Sedimentation coefficient (s20,w) of F-3A was 2.8 S and that of F-3B was 3.1 S. Molecular weights calculated from sedimentation equilibrium data were 25,400 for F-3A and 29.000 for F-3B.


AIMS
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) were used to diagnose or screen for minimal residual disease (MRD) in Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive leukemia. We compared the diagnostic utility of FISH and QRT-PCR at various time points in the course of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and to determine the mean initial values for patients whose QRT-PCR results were not known at the time of diagnosis.

RESULTS
We analyzed 135 results for 78 CML patients tested by FISH and QRT-PCR for the Ph chromosomal translocation. All newly diagnosed cases were positive by both methods. On follow-up following treatment, 1 case was FISH positive and QRT-PCR negative; 61 cases were FISH negative and QRT-PCR positive. Overall concordance was 54.1%. There was good concordance between QRT-PCR results and cytogenetic response categories.

CONCLUSIONS
We confirmed that QRT-PCR allows precise measurement of low levels of BCR-ABL transcripts and can serve as a sensitive indicator of MRD. We also demonstrated 100% correlation between QRT-PCR and FISH in newly diagnosed CML.


The drift velocity for hot electrons is expected to depend on the gradient of an inhomogeneous field, dF/dx, through a term proportional to a phenomenological length constant. Estimates suggest that the field gradient effect can be significant in short channel devices. Monte Carlo calculations of this length coefficient have been made, and numerical results are presented for electrons in silicon.


Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in the United States. Most lung cancer cases are diagnosed in advanced, inoperable stages and are treated with chemoradiation; while chemoradiation is effective in suppressing tumor progression, recurrence following treatment is not infrequent. As there is no well-accepted preclinical model for tumor dormancy and disease recurrence, we hypothesize that the promotion of transient autophagy and senescence could be developed as a model of tumor growth and recovery following treatment. Studies were performed utilizing H460 NSCLC cells as well as a primary NSCLC cell line isolated and grown in our laboratory from a stage IV adenocarcinoma. After treatment with etoposide (1 uM), growth arrest was accompanied by the robust induction of autophagy and senescence. This growth arrest was transient and was followed by proliferative recovery in the course of several days. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of autophagy failed to interfere with the ability of the cells to regrow, indicating a non-cytoprotective function of autophagy in response to etoposide (in contrast to the cytoprotective function of autophagy exhibited in response to radiation). Quantification of senescence over time based on C12FDG staining and flow cytometry demonstrated that the reversal of growth arrest coincided with a decline in the extent of senescence. To more precisely define the source of the recovered cells, senescent and non-senescent but growth arrested cells were separated by flow cytometry based on their relative β-galactosidase expression and replated. Both cell populations demonstrated the ability to re-emerge from the growth-arrested state and recover proliferative capacity. These observations suggest that senescence is ultimately a transient process in that at least a subpopulation of tumor cells can and will recover proliferative capacity. Furthermore, the reversibility of therapy-induced senescence (TIS) might prove to be a useful model both in cell culture and in vivo to study tumor dormancy and disease recurrence. Studies are currently in progress to determine the impact of senescence inhibition on tumor recovery as well as sensitivity to subsequent therapy given that recurrent disease tends to be relatively refractory to further treatment. Citation Format: Tareq Saleh, Theresa Thekkudan, Moureq R. Alotaibi, David A. Gewirtz. Proliferative recovery after chemotherapy-induced senescence in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells as a model of tumor dormancy and disease recurrence. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2846.


The bivalves of early late Anisian (Middle Triassic) age from Leidapo (also Bangtoupo) in the northeastern vicinity of Qingyan in the south-central part of Guizhou Province, southwestern China (Fig. 1), are highly diverse and fairly well studied (e.g., Chen et al., 1974; Yin, 1974; Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, 1976; Gan and Yin, 1978; also Stiller, 2001). The study of these Anisian fossil assemblages began with Koken (1900) and Hsu and Chen (1943). The renewed study of this site and its fossil assemblages by Stiller (1997, 2001) and Chen et al. (2001) yielded a bivalve taxon with unusual and, for an early Mesozoic species, unexpected hinge features. The new taxon is fairly common at Leidapo/Bangtoupo; nevertheless it was only recently recognized (Stiller, 2001) and has not heretofore been described.

Figure 1 —Geographic location of Qingyan in Guizhou Province, southwestern China, and map of the northeastern vicinity of Qingyan with the hillock Leidapo/Bangtoupo

The only bivalve group having comparable hinge features is the Philobryidae (Arcoida, Limopsoidea). This small bivalve family has only been described from Eocene and more recent rocks (Keen, 1969; Tevesz, 1977), but Skelton and Benton (1993, p. 246) mentioned a yet undescribed philobryid from the Kimmeridgian (Upper Jurassic) without giving any further information. The features of the new taxon from southwestern China, particularly those of the hinge region, strongly suggest an assignment to the Philobryidae. The finding of the new taxon described herein thus significantly extends the stratigraphic range of this family to the lower upper Anisian (lower Middle Triassic).

The specimens are from the highly fossiliferous section at the hillock called Leidapo (or Bangtoupo) (Fig. 1), which comprises a succession of generally thinly bedded, more or less marly and mostly slightly silty mudstones with thin, more calcareous intercalations …


Purpose The LipidCardio Study was established for in-depth analyses of cardiovascular risk factors, providing well-defined cardiovascular and metabolic phenotypes. Particularly the role of lipoproteins in the pathobiological process and treatment of cardiovascular disease will be a main focus. Participants 1.005 individuals aged 21 years and older undergoing cardiac catheterization during 17 months at a tertiary academic cardiology center were enrolled. The baseline data set contains detailed phenotyping, broad biochemical parameters, genetic data, but also standardized personal and family history, a screening test for cognitive impairment, pulse wave analysis and measurements of hand grip strength, amongst others. Blood samples were stored in a biobank for future analyses. Findings to date The mean age of the participants at enrolment was 70.9±11.1 years (70% male). Coronary angiography provided evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in 69.9% of participants. Those with evidence of CAD were significantly more likely to be male, inactive, diabetic and with a family history of cardiovascular disease than participants without CAD. 20% of patients had lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentrations above 106.9 nmol/L (fifth quintile). These patients had significantly increased odds of obstructive CAD compared to participants in quintiles 1-4 (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.48, p=0.005). There was reasonable evidence that with increasing severity of CAD the odds of having elevated Lp(a) increased. We were able to replicate the established strong association between specified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the LPA gene (rs10455872, rs3798220 and rs186696265) and the APOE gene (rs7412), and the concentration of Lp(a), validating our phenotype database and biobank. Future plans Mortality information will be obtained in two-year intervals. Follow-up phone interviews will be conducted at 3, and 6 years after enrolment. We seek to cooperate with other researchers in the field, e.g. by sharing data and biobank samples. Registration not applicable, purely observational study


The antitumour activities of four triorganophosphinegold(I) thiolates, R2PAu(S′R) [R = Ph, Cy, Et; SR′H = 6-mercaptopurine and R Et; SR′H = 6-thioguanine] against the National Cancer Institute (NCI) panel of 60 cell lines are reported The [Cy3PAu(6-MP)] complex proved to be the more cytotoxic of the four complexes tested. For the 6-MP series, an order of cytotoxicity was established such that the activity followed the order R = Cy > Ph > Et. Sub-panel selectivity against the Leukemia cell lines was found for each of [Cy3 PAu(6-MP)] and [Et3PAu(6-TG)].


This study examines the seasonal variability of water properties under mining activities in Awe and Keana Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State.. A total number of eighty (80) water samples were collected and analysed for the physical and chemical and environmental impact of brine water in the two areas. The results of the chemical analysis revealed that the cation concentration are in order of Ca 2+ < Mg2 > Na, while that of anions are in the order HCO3 > SO2 2+ > SO4 2+ > Cl. The concentrations of heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Nm, N, Pb, Zn, Al, Cr, and Fe) were determined in salt water using Aua Regia Extraction analysis. The concentration of heavy metal in the soil samples ranges as follows (ppm): Cd (0.001 trace), Cu (0.01 – 8), Nm (12 – 60), Ni (Trace), Pb (0.01 – 8), Zn (0.001 – 6), Al (0.65 – 2.50), Cr (Trace), Fe (0.02 > 10). In percentage, the degree of metal concentration is comparable in the two study areas, except for some non metals. Significant positive correlations were observed between and among the metals. The geo accumulation index order for brine in Fe > Cu > Zn > Mn > Al > Pb > Al > Cd > Ni > Sn. Evaluation of chemical analysis results revealed that there are significant variations between metals. The major salts identified were HCO3 2, SO4 2, Cl , and NO3 2., The high conductivity value recorded in the HCO3 is as a result of high concentration of brine water in the study areas.


The greatest part of yield of cultivated plants is known to result from work of the photosynthetic apparatus, in which the chlorophyll molecule occupies a key place. In this paper, photosynthetic pigments content, leaf surface and dry matter weight were investigated in the terminal leaf of wheat cultivars. Investigations were included five wheat cultivars which grew on the unfertilized and four fertilization variants of soil. All measurement were performed in wheat flowering phase. Results of investigation showed that fertilization had a great influence on examination parameters. The greatest amounts of chlorophyll and carotenoids content were measured at plants cultured on the soil fertilized with nitrogen and phosphorus as well as dry matter weight. Leaf surface extent was the biggest on the variant fertilized with nitrogen and potassium. Nitrogen fertilization variant was next favorable variant.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the experience with diagnosis and surgical treatment of visceral artery aneurysms (VAAs).

METHODS
From June 2003 to December 2008, 8 patients (2 male and 6 female) with 9 VAAs underwent surgical treatment. Mean age was 49 years (ranged from 30 to 72 years). The site of aneurysmal disease was splenic artery in 4 cases, superior mesenteric artery in 2 cases, renal artery in 2 cases (3 aneurysms). In 1 patient of splenic artery aneurysm, portal vein hypertension coexisted. All the VAAs of preoperative diagnostic workup consisted of a ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) scan, and digital subtraction angiography. Six patients were operated on and two patients was treated with endovascular procedures. Only one small VAAs was treated with follow-up.

RESULTS
No deaths or major complications occurred in the perioperative period. All the patients remained symptom free during a follow-up of 26.5 months (ranged from 2 to 60 months). Follow-up consisted of clinical and ultrasound scan examinations or CT scan at 1 and 6 months, and yearly thereafter.

CONCLUSIONS
Aggressive approach to the treatment of VAAs is essential. Elective open surgical treatment and an endovascular procedure of visceral artery aneurysms are both safe and effective, and offers satisfactory early and long term results. There is some evidence that small (< 2 cm) and asymptomatic VAAs may be safely observed.


Description of Video:

'Thirteen Points, Expanded' is a 14 minute HD Video that was filmed over 18 months in Belfast, systematically visiting each of the thirteen urban clusters of Interfaces that divide Nationalist and Unionist communities. Contemporary HD Video footage is overlayed with historical archival footage and sound to render a layered representation of the various 'Interface Areas' of the city. Composited text presents a commentary on the implementation and resilient longevity of the 'Peacewalls', from a number of different points of view – British, Northern Irish and Irish, both Catholic and Protestant, ranging widely from historical to contemporary accounts. Rather than looking at specific walls or clusters of urban barriers, the work positions the interface as a vast urban system that includes walls, derelict spaces, urban infrastructure, telecommunications, historical events, surveillance, policing and policy documents as all part of the same resilient organism.

Curators of the Istanbul Design Biennial, who had invited graphic designers, architects, artists, film producers, associations, and NGO's from around the world to submit 2 minute videos that address the theme "Are We Human?" posed by the biennial. Thirteen Points, Expanded was submitted and selected for exhibition by an international and interdisciplinary jury consisting of curators Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley, Director of Istanbul Film Festival Kerem Ayan, Director of the Storefront for Art and Architecture Eva Franch i Gilabert, artist and film producer Amie Siegel and curator Ivan Lopez Munuera. The jury evaluated more than 200 videos from 68 cities in 36 countries and the selected videos were exhibited in a dedicated section within the main exhibition and online on the biennial website. This event hosted over 120.000 visitors.

Description of Event:

Are We Human
The 3rd Istanbul Design Biennial,
organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
22 October - 20 November, 2016

With the aim of underlining the importance of design for production, economy, cultural interaction and quality of life, the Istanbul Design Biennial is open to all disciplines of the creative industries in major fields such as urban design, architecture, interior, industrial, graphic, new media and fashion design, as well as their subfields. The biennial aims to explore the products, creative ideas and discourses of the relevant fields and generate interactive relations within the society.

Turkey's growing role as an economic, political and cultural center has highlighted the importance of innovation and design and encouraged the development of creative industries, particularly in the multicultural metropolis of Istanbul. One of the biennial's primary objectives, therefore, is to celebrate this creative potential and share it with the international audience in the belief that diverse perspectives and the distinctive design discourse of Istanbul will enrich the global design culture.

The Istanbul Design Biennial primarily aims to raise public awareness with regards to "design" issues, to create a platform that supports the development of design and innovation policies and to support the constitution of a design archive on national and international scale. The biennial exhibitions aim to tackle global design problems by displaying various solutions and reveal the creative potential inherent in this area.

By displaying important examples both from Turkey and abroad, the Istanbul Design Biennial aims to discuss the notion of design and introduce different tendencies, movements and progressive thoughts to the audience. The biennial does not only intend to be an event that brings together a variety of activities lasting for two months, but also seeks to ensure long-term developments in social and cultural fields and to create an ongoing process with its yearlong activities.


1 Sir: W new reports indicating a higher incidence than previously published, transgender individuals see their medical needs increasing proportionally. Similarly to many other subspecialties, transgender medicine and surgery include a wide variety of providers working together in a multidisciplinary environment. Plastic surgeons play a key role in providing diverse surgical procedures contributing to helping relieve the significant distress encountered by transgender individuals.1 The line between the cosmetic or reconstructive nature of these procedures can somewhat appear difficult to draw. Overall, it is not uncommon in our specialty to get the excitement of being able to restore a function while achieving beauty and vice versa, but it can also be misinterpreted by third party payers and cause of frustration to our patients. It becomes even more complex when the function is conserved, making all procedures virtually "nonmedically needed." It is commonly accepted to consider the surgical treatment of a defect as reconstructive, whereas more elective surgeries might be considered cosmetic and imputable to the patient. This dichotomy might not be as clearly defined in the reality of various situations that the plastic surgeon deals with. Patient factors and clinical context may influence widely the nature of a procedure and the qualification of cosmetic versus reconstructive. For example, shall we consider reconstructive or cosmetic the extreme case of a facial allotransplantation procedure that gives a blind patient a better chance to interact with peers, especially if his oral function was conserved but his appearance was discriminated against? In this specific situation, one acknowledges that the patient's life is impacted only by the peer pressure and accepts to proceed with a corrective reconstruction to provide the patient with a more balanced life.2 Even though appearing physically intact, the gender dysphoric patient wears the mask of a gendered body he/ she/they do(es) not assimilate to, which provides a mismatch between society expectation and self-feeling. For the sole purpose of dichotomy, the transgender patient could be considered as having a birth defect by not having a body envelope corresponding to their true gender. Gender confirmation (also called sex reassignment) with hormones, mental therapy, and surgical transition, has been shown to relieve symptoms of gender dysphoria and to provide patients with a regained socialization in their true gender, as opposed to their gender assigned at birth.3,4 As a society and more specifically as a scientific community, it is our role to provide guidelines for interpretation and to publish appropriately in the "cosmetic" versus "reconstructive" sections of peer-reviewed journals, based on our knowledge and expertise. We do believe that it is crucial to recognize gender confirmation surgical procedures as reconstructive and classify/publish them accordingly. The alternative would consider a life-changing operation as purely cosmetic and could threaten the insurance coverage for our patients in the long term. Furthermore, it perpetrates the wrong idea that being gender dysphoric is a choice and that undergoing medical, psychiatric, and surgical therapy is a chosen way to enhance one's physical appearance.


In light water reactor plants, inner surface of reactor pressure vessel made from low-alloy steel is cladded by austenitic stainless steel to improve the corrosion resistance of the vessel. In the evaluations of the crack propagation at the J-welding portions of bottom mounted instrumentations in pressurized water reactors or at the build-up welding portions of control rod drive housings in boiling water reactors, it is assumed that crack may propagate crossing the dissimilar materials interface between the base metal of low-alloy steel and the stainless steel cladding. Crack growth rate of the cladding is predicted to be captured by that of the base metal because the thickness of the cladding is very thin compared with that of the base metal. In this study, fatigue crack growth analyses of cladded plate under cyclic loading were carried out using XFEM, which can model crack independently of finite elements.


The development of novel and targeted cancer drugs requires innovative clinical trial designs to define drug (pharmacokinetic) and host (pharmacodynamic) relationships early in the development process. For most new cancer agents there is increased emphasis on pharmacodynamic (PD) endpoints measured in tumor and surrogates as biomarkers of response. Accordingly, novel tissue collection procedures and instruments are needed to ensure that PD endpoint assessments are representative of their actual in vivo "state". The Cassi Rotational Core Biopsy Device (Cryobiopsy) (Sanarus Medical, Inc, Pleasanton, California) is a biopsy instrument capable of incisional tissue collection and simultaneous freezing. In rodent xenograft models it demonstrated superiority in consistency for tumor analyte detection compared to traditional biopsy techniques. Whether this value would translate to the clinical setting was unknown. Use of naturally occurring cancers in pet dogs provides a model system to validate and optimize instrumentation techniques prior to use in human trials. A prospective clinical trial in dogs with lymphoma was conducted through the National Cancer Institute-Comparative Oncology Trials Consortium (NCI-COTC) to 1) determine if Cyrobiopsy provides sample quality advantages over conventional tru-cut, and open biopsy procedures, and 2) validate a "practice setting" Cryobiopsy Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that could be followed by multiple users providing consistent high-quality biopsy samples. Ten dogs with newly diagnosed lymphoma enrolled. Cryobiopsy and tru-cut samples were collected in each patient from two lymph nodes in three planes via alternating techniques. A whole lymph node was then removed via excisional biopsy from the same dog. No adverse events were reported with Cryobiopsy or standard biopsy methods. The SOP for cryobiopsy collection of tissues was successfully implemented in a relevant clinical setting. Cryobiopsy collected samples successfully preserved target phospho-proteins (p-AKT: tAKT, p-ERK: tERK, p-MEK: tMEK) collected from tumor tissue. No difference in phospho-protein detection by Western was seen across biopsy techniques. In conclusion, this effort highlights the utility of the comparative approach to model medical device evaluation and PD biomarker assay validation in the clinical theatre. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4207.


The philosophy of the storage of high-grade radioactive wastes in salt seems to be based on the assumption that the salt glaciers of Iran are no longer moving. Monitoring the movements of markers painted onto one of the salt glaciers suggests that the glacier deforms elastically as a result of temperature changes most of the time but flows plastically when it is sufficiently wet during each annual rainy season.


Maritz (1966) and Lemon & Krutchkoff (1969) each describe discrete empirical Bayes smoothing techniques. These techniques essentially attempt to approximate the prior distribution function. Here a continuous smoothing technique which is based on a smooth and continuous approximation to the prior density function is presented. Results from a Monte Carlo study of the Poisson distribution are reported which show that the continuous smoothing technique has desirable small-sample properties. Some comparisons with discrete smoothing techniques are also made.


The article deals with one of the forms of artistic communication communication of composer and listener. It appears as inter-subjective relations, based on equivalence, equality, mutual interest of the partners to each other, the constant addition and concentration of circulating information between them. The author focuses on the problem of understanding of contemporary music. The peculiarities of the temporal organization of postmodern musical work in conjunction with the temporality of its spatial characteristics are revealed. The question of possibility of musical communication in the culture of the future is examined. A positive solution to this problem is seen in the infinite multiplicity of artistic meanings, open forms, new space-temporal features of creative work and perception.


Current scientific knowledge regarding the physiology of emotion has its roots in Galenical medicine. Four "humors"-sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and mel· ancholic-were considered to determine differences in temperament. The humors were believed to be organ secretions, and modem biomedical research has supplemented these primitives with a host of endocrine and exocrine hormones that even today must be seriously considered in any comprehensive treatment of the biological regulations that determine feelings of emotion and motivation. In addition to the multiplication and specification of humors, several other m~jor developements have occurred in the scientific study of the biology of emotions. The first of these developments points to the role of nonhumoral mechanisms in the emotional process: Lange's "visceral" theory made famous by William James (1890), and Nina BuU's "muscle" based attitude theory (1951) are probably the most important of these. Furthermore, brain mechanisms have been shown to be central to understanding emotions. The realization that the brain is involved in the experience and expression of emotions began with the work of Gall and Spurzheim (1809/1969), at the beginning of the 19th century, and achieved considerable sophistication by its end. Currently, these developments have become enshrined in two central themes that can be identified in practically all biological approaches to emotion: One theme explores the relationship between visceral-glandular reactions and the brain in producing emotion; the other deals with the quantitative relationship between neural excitation and emotion. As we see later, these relationships, although substantial, by themselves form neither an adequate framework for understanding the complexities of emotional processes nor an outline for understanding the intricacies of the relevant neural apparatus. Nonetheless, they do Karl H. Pribram Stanford University


satisfactory therapeutic response. The total available evidence suggests that had lower degrees of prothrombin activity been consistently maintained the results might have more closely resembled those of the Anticoagulant Committee of the American Heart Association,2 Loeliger and his co-workers,' and Meuwissen and Hart,' Aspenstrbm and Korsan-Bengtsen,' and the results of the U.S. Veterans Administration Long-Term Study,'' as well as many other studies both shortand long-term from the British Isles and from other countries.


Abstract The endomyocardial biopsy is invasive, reduces quality of life and cannot be repeated daily. Initial studies on noninvasive cardiac graft monitoring have been presented recently. During the heart transplant procedure, we implanted wideband telemetric pacemakers and fractally coated, epimyocardial electrodes. On biopsy days and during each follow‐up, intramyocardial electrogram sequences were obtained. The maximum T‐slew rate from the ventricular evoked response (VER) was automatically calculated and compared to the biopsy results (n = 331, ISHLT grading). The VER T‐slew rate was significantly lower during rejection grade 2 or higher. The negative predictive value to exclude rejection was 98%. Using a single threshold diagnosis model, 74% of the biopsies could have been avoided. Noninvasive cardiac graft monitoring can reduce the need for surveillance biopsies and may offer a tool to optimize immunosuppressive therapy after heart transplantation


This informative book provides a comprehensive examination of the dynamics of institutional reform and the transition of the South Korean economy. The analysis, based on an institutional approach, stretches over three decades of remarkable economic success under a state-led system, through the 1997 financial crisis, to the current market-oriented system.


Abstract The tourism sector, due to its specificities, is one area of economic activity where collaborative strategies can most contribute to increasing productivity and competitiveness. The need for immediate responses to customer interests and requirements has led companies to become more proactive, which in turn leads to the pursuit of external collaboration to develop business networks that increase business dynamism and the operational flexibility of partners. Encouraging collaboration lies in the pressures brought on by globalization and increased competitiveness, supported by the development of information and communications technologies. Collaboration promoting strategic and organizational alignments in the field of tourism is revealed to be decisive for the qualification and sustainability of destinations, promoting new markets, and facilitating synergies of larger dynamism between companies. Serra da Estrela corresponds to a medium mountain destination, classified as a UNESCO World Geopark, where the development of collaborative relationships is valued as a resource for businesses and as expanding the offer of tourist products, as well as a source of competitive advantage.


150 cases of prostate cancer treated with estrogens at the Urology clinic of the Hotel-Dieu from 1963 to 1974 are presented. The men ranged in age from 50 to 91; the majority were 60-69 years. Their clinical stages were 29% Stage 1 no perceptible mass; 43% Stage 2 nodule felt on rectal exam; 13% Stage 3 tumor extended outside the prostate but not metastases normal prostatic phosphatases; and 15% Stage 4 elevated prostatic phasphatases and metastases. Diagnosis was by urinary symptoms in Stage 2 or above rectal palpation and puncture biopsy under local anesthesia. Estrogen treatment consisted of diethylstilbestrol stilbelstrol diphosphate or TACE (Chlorotraianisene) or estradiol. Estrogen side effects were loss of libido after 1 month gynecomastia and nausea. Other treatments included prostatectomy in Stages 1 and 2 cobalt in 5 cases castration in 3 cases 1 endo-uretral resection and 1 hypophysectomy. 50% died in 1 year and 16% were lost to follow up and presumed dead in 1 year; the mean survival of the others was 3 years. Estrogen therapy improved symptoms and reversed tumor growth temporarily in hormone-dependent cancers but these tumors all escape hormone control eventually.


The cellular and subcellular localization of proteinase inhibitor I and inhibitor II proteins in the fruit of the wild tomato species Lycopersicon peruvianum (L.) Mill., LA 107 was determined by immunoanalysis of tissue blots and protein-A gold immunocytochemistry. Tissue blot analysis showed that the proteinase inhibitor I proteins were located throughout the fruit tissue, with the exception of the seeds. Light microscopy, using immunocytochemical labeling, indicated that all the parenchyma cells of the pericarp contained inhibitor I and II proteins in dense vacuolar protein aggregates that were not membrane bound. The size, number, and morphology of the aggregates within individual cells varied greatly. The funiculus, ovule, and early embryonic tissues were devoid of inhibitor I and II. Immunocytochemical analysis using transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the proteinase inhibitor I proteins were principally located and stored in protein aggregates within the vacuole of the fruit parenchyma cells. Some cytoplasmic protein-A gold immunolabeling of inhibitor I proteins was evident, which may be related to the synthesis and intermediate transport steps preceding storage of the inhibitor I proteins in the vacuoles.


Mycobacterium bovis is a bacterium belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex that causes tuberculosis in cattle and in other domestic and wild animals, as well as in humans. Disease control measures are carried out by slaughtering animals tested positive in the intradermal tuberculinization test and sanitation of their original living spaces, in addition to epidemiological surveillance carried out through the sanitary inspection of bovine carcasses in slaughterhouses. In the latter, official inspection services collect samples from macroscopic lesions suspected of bovine tuberculosis, which are then sent for laboratory analysis. Knowledge concerning the variables associated with the occurrence of M. bovis can aid in decision-making regarding control and disease eradication efforts. In this context, the aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for a positive M. bovis diagnosis in suspected bovine tuberculosis lesions obtained during epidemiological surveillance activities in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. A total of 105 suspicious lesions were analyzed using the Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (nested q-PCR) method, of which 14 (13.33%) tested positive for M. bovis. Univariate and bivariate statistical analyses indicated that the variable "animal slaughter" was the only risk factor presenting statistical significance associated with the diagnosis of M. bovis (p < 0.05), demonstrating that macroscopic lesions suspected as being caused by bovine tuberculosis from animals with an in vivo diagnosis were 2.82 - fold more likely to result in a positive M. bovis diagnosis by molecular tests.


Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder which is characterized by multiple long-term complications that affect almost every system in the body. Foot ulcers are one of the main complications of diabetes mellitus. However, there is limited evidence on the occurrence of foot ulcer and influencing factors in Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gondar University Hospital, Ethiopia, to investigate foot ulcer occurrence in diabetic patients. Systematic random sampling was used to select 279 study participants. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with diabetic foot ulcer. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was computed to determine the level of significance. Diabetic foot ulcer was found to be 13.6%. Rural residence [AOR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.42, 5.93], type II diabetes mellitus [AOR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.22, 6.45], overweight [AOR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.15, 3.10], obesity [AOR = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.25, 5.83], poor foot self-care practice [AOR = 2.52; 95% CI: 1.21, 6.53], and neuropathy [AOR = 21.76; 95% CI: 8.43, 57.47] were factors associated with diabetic foot ulcer. Diabetic foot ulcer was found to be high. Provision of special emphasis for rural residence, decreasing excessive weight gain, managing neuropathy, and promoting foot self-care practice would decrease diabetic foot ulcer.


Integrated database used to develop a population growth rate model in young females with Turner Syndrome Sara Linderson Supervisor: Dr. Jan Freijer, research director PK/PD at Centre of Human Drug Research, The Netherlands, Degree Project in Pharmacokinetics D, 30 credits, Examiner: Dr. Margareta Hammarlund-Udenaes, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala University Introduction: Girls with the chromosomal disorder Turner Syndrome (TS) reach an adult stature 20 cm less than average healthy growing girls. In treatment of TS, growth hormone, estrogens and androgens are thought to enhance growth. However, it remains unclear what the optimal doses are and when they should be initiated and halted. Optimization of treatment can be supported using a growth model that includes the effect of treatment in different stages of growth. Aim: To continue the development of a population mixed effects model based on growth rate that will be used in research of treatment effects. Secondly, to create an integrated database that supports the modeling of treatment effects in girls with TS. Materials and Methods: Different datasets were merged into a database. Height data from the datasets was used in calculation of growth rate. Both height and growth rate was used in modeling. Results: A large integrative database with uniform coding and variable names was created. Data for no treatment and treatment was simultaneously used in modeling of the population growth rate model. The model was built on three growth stages representing infancy, childhood and puberty. Each of the stages described the growth rate well and could predict height correctly, but only if a combination of height and growth rate was used in the modeling. A clear treatment effect of x cm height gain can be quantified by the model. Conclusions: The developed population mixed effects model based on growth rate is an suitable tool in future researches of treatment effects in girls with TS, with the awareness that height and growth rate should be combined in the model. Treatment effects can be studied in more detail by using database information.


This paper presents Dynamically Pooled Complementary Features (DPCF), a unified approach to dynamic scene recognition that analyzes a short video clip in terms of its spatial, temporal and color properties. The complementarity of these properties is preserved through all main steps of processing, including primitive feature extraction, coding and pooling. In the feature extraction step, spatial orientations capture static appearance, spatiotemporal oriented energies capture image dynamics and color statistics capture chromatic information. Subsequently, primitive features are encoded into a mid-level representation that has been learned for the task of dynamic scene recognition. Finally, a novel dynamic spacetime pyramid is introduced. This dynamic pooling approach can handle both global as well as local motion by adapting to the temporal structure, as guided by pooling energies. The resulting system provides online recognition of dynamic scenes that is thoroughly evaluated on the two current benchmark datasets and yields best results to date on both datasets. In-depth analysis reveals the benefits of explicitly modeling feature complementarity in combination with the dynamic spacetime pyramid, indicating that this unified approach should be well-suited to many areas of video analysis.


Apples as one of the commercial fruits consumed mostly by society are economically high value plants as world commodity moreover they are favorable and rich in vitamin. Formalin is a harmful preservative and is not allowed to be used on food. Although, formalin utilization is inhibited by the government, yet it is still used numerously by many sellers. This study aimed to understand behavioral factors of fruit seller toward formalin contents on imported apples of Fruit market in Kendari 2015. This study was descriptive with laboratory test to describe behavioral factors of fruit seller toward formalin contents through exhausted sampling technique. The object of study was 12 respondents with 48 samples of apples spread out of Fruit Market in Kendari City. The results of the study indicated that all knowledge of seller about formalin literally was good which was 100%, all attitude of seller about formalin was good which was 100%, and all practice of seller about formaline was good which was 100% of fruit sellers did not add formalin to the fruits. On the other hand, based on laboratory test it showed that 8 apples (16.7%) positively contained formalin. It is suggested to improve control and inspection periodically on apples to diminish prohibited preservative like formalin on fruits. Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Formalin, Apples


The Fourth Industrial Revolution is causing considerable changes to the world of work. The interaction between technology and work, which takes many forms such as digitalization, automation, and augmentation, is happening quickly and broadly, impacting economic sectors left almost untouched by previous industrial revolutions. In this scenario, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) must be able to foresee changes to prepare future professionals to match the needs of this new digital age. The professionals that are being prepared today need to learn a new set of skills related to emerging and disruptive technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Big Data. In this paper, we propose a Knowledge Management model to help manage the HEIs' teaching staff knowledge about the future of work, specifically, the expected skills and competencies to be highly demanded from professionals in the future. Therefore, we performed a brief review of related work about Knowledge Management in the context of HEIs, Management of Future-oriented Knowledge, and the application of the Delphi method to studies concerning the Future of Work. Considering this previous work, we propose a Knowledge Management model that combines the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model framework with a Delphi process that is used during the Knowledge Generation step of the Knowledge Management process. The proposed model considers that professors are experts in their areas of concentration and, as such, are capable of helping their HEIs with their knowledge that can be used to improve the courses' curricula. The model also considers that HEIs can help professors make this knowledge explicit, then store, transfer, and apply it. We provide detailed information about how to apply the model, how to deal with potential application problems and the model limitations. The proposed Knowledge Management model can help HEIs to keep up with the trends of demands of the labor market.


English language enjoys an appreciably high status in Nigeria. It is the official language, the language of law, government, education and international communication. It is also the language of the banking industry in Nigeria. It has however been observed that banks' training programmes incorporate little or no teaching of any aspect of the English language. This paper is therefore designed to investigate the English Language needs for Nigerian bankers as a way of proposing a syllabus framework based on the needs identified as the bankers' priorities. The main instrument for the study was a researcher-designed questionnaire. The major findings from this study showed that bankers perceived English language as very important to their professional duties and functions.


Indonesia has a great potential to develop hydropower, because Indonesia's mountainous topography and hilly and is drained by numerous rivers (large and small), and in certain areas t here are lakes or reservoirs and the potential of water as an energy source. Hydroelectric Power Plant (PLTA) is a technology that has been proven to not harm the environment, support the diversification of energy as renewable energy, support the use of fuel reduction program, and most of the construction using local materials. Kinetic Turbine is one of the options in utilizing the potential of the kinetic energy in the form of velocity, kinetic studies using vertical shaft turbine, blade-shaped bowl that can withstand the flow in order to increase the tangential force generated. Amount of kinetic turbine blades is one of the variables that affect the rotation and tangential style of a turbine, so the effect on the value of the power and efficiency of a kinetic turbine. The results showed the influence of the number of blades on the power and efficiency of blade number 5, 7, 9 and 11,where the number of blades 11 have a greater influence than the number of blade 5, 7 and 9. Keywords: Water turbine, number of blades, performance


Because of the variations of transmission route and environment, reduced-guard interval coherent optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (RGI-CO-OFDM) has difficulty removing chromatic dispersion (CD) accurately by the use of over-lapped frequency domain equalizer (OFDE) according to the predicted CD value. To make RGI-CO-OFDM systems adaptive to CD change without extra cyclic prefix (CP) overhead, an effective CD estimation (CDE) algorithm is proposed to calibrate the CD compensation value of OFDE. The detailed simulation results prove the excellent abilities of the proposed CDE algorithm to resist inter-symbol interference and suppress amplified spontaneous emission noise. Comparing with the traditional RGI-CO-OFDM systems, its tolerable dynamic CD range can be increased >30 times at the same training symbols and CP overheads at the transmission rate of 480 Gb/s.