Background: Volar plate osteosynthesis in distal radius fractures (DRF) is inherent to various complications. Finite element (FE) analysis could help to improve and compare current treatment approaches. Existing FE models do, however, lack adequate experimental validation. The goal of this study was to generate and validate specimen specific FE models of distal radius fracture (DRF) osteosynthesis in a semi-automatic fashion. The influence of local bone density and orientation on the validation results was conducted as a side study. Materials and Methods: Biomechanical in-vitro experiments and specimen specific FE analysis were conducted on 34 fresh frozen, cadaveric human specimen with artificially created extra articular DRFs and volar locking plate osteosynthesis. The experimental spring stiffness was measured in uniaxial compression tests and compared to the elastic response of the FE models. QCT scans of the prepared samples were used to create the finite element models in rigorous accordance to the experiments. Local bone material data was incorporated based on HR-pQCT scans of the intact specimen. Three types of models were generated, with (a) density and fabric based bone material, (b) density based bone material and (c) homogeneous bone material. The finite element model stiffness was corrected for the machine compliance and linear regression analysis was performed to quantify the goodness of the predictions. Results: All three types of FE models over-estimated the experimental stiffness but were significantly correlated to the experimental results (p<0.0001). The coefficient of determination was similar for types (a) and (b) (R2=0.79) but considerably lower for type (c) (R2=0.55). Section forces at the screw-plate interface of the implant were evaluated in the FE models of type (a) and showed good agreement with experimental observations of screw-plate interface failures. Conclusion: The elastic response of FE models with density based bone material was highly correlated with the experimental spring stiffness. The proposed semi-automatic model generation methodology paves the way for future parameter variation studies which enables the comparison of multiple treatment options.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the selective killing efficacy of adenovirus (Ad)-mediated double suicide genes driven by the kinase domain-containing receptor (KDR) promoter in human breast cancer cells and vascular endothelial cells. Two Ad-mediated double suicide gene systems [with the two suicide genes, thymidine kinase (TK) and cytosine deaminase (CD)] with the KDR promoter (Ad-KDRP-CDglyTK) and the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter (Ad-CMV-CDglyTK) were established and transfected into the KDR-expressing MCF7 human breast cancer, EC304 human vascular endothelial and LS174T human colon carcinoma, which does not express KDR, cell lines. The selective killing efficiency and specificity of the double suicide gene system were measured in vitro by the analysis of cellular proliferation and assayed in vivo by subcutaneous injection of MCF7 cells into nude mice. The microvessel density (MVD) in the transplanted tumor was determined by immunohistochemical staining of CD34 cells. Our results showed that the transgenic CDglyTK genes were expressed in three cell lines (MCF7, ECV304 and LS174T) infected with Ad-CMV-CDglyTK. However, of the cells infected with Ad-KDRP-CDglyTK, the transgenic CDglyTK gene was only expressed in the KDR-expressing MCF7 and ECV304 cells, but not in the KDR-deficient LS174T cells. Cell proliferation was significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner by pre-treatment with ganciclovir (GCV) and 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) in MCF7 and ECV304 cells with transfected KDRP-CDglyTK genes and the three cell lines transfected with the CMV-CDglyTK genes. Similar results were not observed in the LS174T cells with transfected KDRP-CDglyTK genes. The results of this study show that the tumor-targeted expression of CDglyTK driven by the KDR promoter has a high specificity and performance. The killing effect of the CD/TK fusion gene in the target cells was significantly increased compared with the single suicide gene. The cell cycle of MCF7 and ECV304 cells transfected with KDRP-CDglyTK genes was arrested at the S phase following treatment with the prodrugs. The tumors formed by the MCF7 cells with the double suicide gene system were much smaller and the MVD of the tumor tissue was significantly decreased compared with the control. This study demonstrates that tumor‑targeted expression of the CDglyTK gene driven by the KDR promotor may be a novel strategy for the gene therapy of human breast cancer.


The purpose of this article was to examine social work students' perceptions of the role of the government in addressing social issues among social work students from the United States and Mexico. Data were drawn from a sample of 893 social work students from universities in the United States and Mexico, in the fall of 2010. Multivariate ordinary least squares regressions indicated that compared with social work students in the United States, students in Mexico reported significantly higher beliefs that government should do more to lessen social gaps, and ensure housing, employment, health insurance, basic necessities, an adequate standard of living, and equal opportunities.


This paper aims at contributing to our rudimentary knowledge on entrepreneurship in postsocialistic countries, and more specifically investigates the conditions prevailing in Russia for female entrepreneurs starting privately owned and managed ventures. Building on both previous research in entrepreneurship and gender-based research, the paper applies theoretical frameworks emerging from research in Western economies on data depicting the present situation in post-socialistic Russia. Utilizing quantitative data (survey data from 670 respondents) as well as qualitative data (interviews with two focus groups of newly established and potential female entrepreneurs), the study investigates general attitudes towards women in business and the specific opportunities and problems female entrepreneurs are facing in today's Russia. The study concludes by comparing the situation for female entrepreneurs in Russia to women doing business in the former Western Hemisphere.


This paper investigates the seismic performance of an old school building with open ground storey. The building was designed according to an old Egyptian design code that did not consider the earthquake load; thus, the building is vulnerable to sudden lack of stiffness in the open ground storey (soft storey effect). The first check showed that the building is unable to resist the loads from earthquakes in both longitudinal and transverse directions. Therefore, two retrofitting options were suggested and investigated: using steel bracings; and changing the thickness of some ground floor infill walls. Pushover analyses were conducted to evaluate the building seismic performance. For these analyses, the FEA was applied considering both material and geometric nonlinearities. Both retrofitting methods helped to make the building capable to resist the earthquake loads according to the current Egyptian codes. In particular, retrofitting increased the lateral resistance by up to 55% and 25% in longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively. The research findings facilitate an economical and practical upgrading of many old school buildings without violating their function. Based on authors' experience, there are hundreds of such school buildings in Egypt alone.


Two glucuronides (4′-O-, and 7-O-) and a glucuronyl (7-O-) sulfate (4′-O-) of genistein, two glucuronides (4′-O-, and 7-O-) and a glucuronyl (7-O-) sulfate (4′-O-) of daidzein, 7-O-glucuronides of glycitein, dihydrodaidzein and O-desmethylangolensin were isolated from the urine of volunteer subjects fed soy bean curds (Tofu). The estrogenic activities, i.e., i) the effect on the estrogen-dependent growth of MCF-7 cells, ii) the binding ability to human estrogen receptors (hERs) α and β, and iii) the effect on hER-dependent β-galactosidase induction, of these isoflavone metabolites were examined. Two synthetic isoflavone aglycones (dihydrodaidzein and O-desmethylangolensin) and four synthetic sulfates (4′-O- and 4′-, 7-di-O-) of genistein and daidzein were also studied for their estrogenic activities for the purpose of comparison. With respect to estrogenic acivity, the tested isoflavone metabolites were classified into three groups. The first group shows a very poor stimulatory effect toward the growth of MCF-7 cells, binding activity, and β-galactosidase induction. The sulfates belong to this group. The second group shows a moderate binding activity but poor stimulation and β-galactosidase induction. Some glucuronyl conjugates belong to this group. The last group shows a moderate stimulation and β-galactosidase induction but poor binding activity. A mixed type of conjugates having glucuronyl and sulfony moieties belong to this group.


Attacks of cluster headache provoked by the administration of nitroglycerin (1 mg sublingually) or histamine (0.01 mg/kg subcutaneously) were studied. The constant latency time in individual patients during nitroglycerin and histamine provocation suggested that the same mechanism is involved in both methods of headache induction. Repeated nitroglycerin provocation revealed its tendency to lengthen duration of the refractory period at the end of the bout, when the attacks were less frequent. The "cross studies" on spontaneous and nitroglycerin provoked attacks indicated that the underlying mechanism of both is at least partially the same.


Microalloy steels are potentially used for applications in earthmoving equipments and automobile components. Their excellent combination of strength and ductility/formability at lower costs are the distinct advantages over similar high strength low alloy steels. In the present investigation, fatigue behavior/fracture toughness of microalloy steel was studied to evaluate their influence on microstructure. It was found that the fatigue properties (in terms of fracture toughness) as well as the tensile properties (in terms of 0.2% proof stress) of microalloy steels increased with increase in martensite content. Artificial neural network (ANN) based theoretical prediction model was developed and was found to exhibit excellent matching with the experimental results. This simultaneous increase in fatigue and strength properties of microalloy steels makes them potential materials for various engineering applications.


In the last two decades, about a dozen proposals were made to extend object-oriented modeling by multiple abstraction levels. One group of proposals designates explicit levels to objects and classes. The second group uses the powertype pattern to implicitly establish levels. From this group, we consider two proposals, DeepTelos and MLT*. Both have been defined via axioms and both give a central role to the powertype pattern. In this paper, we reconstruct MLT* with the deductive axiomatization style used for DeepTelos. The resulting specification is executed in a deductive database to check MLT* multi-level models for errors and complete them with derived facts that do not have to be explicitly asserted by modelers. This leverages the rich rules of MLT* with the deductive approach underlying DeepTelos. The effort also allows us to clearly establish the relation between DeepTelos and MLT*, in an attempt to clarify the relations between approaches in this research domain. As a byproduct, we supply MLT-Telos as a fully operational deductive implementation of MLT* to the research community.


This research aims to describe the influence of the use of a model Make a Match of the results of the learning civic eduacation a student of class V SDN 09 West Pontianak. Research method used is experimental method with Quasi Eksperimental Design with Design Nonequivalent Control Group Design. Population in this research is all students grade V B and V C academic year 2016 / 2017 which consisted of 68 people. Subjects of the sample were V B students consisting of 34 students (experiments) and 34 students (control) V C class. The research instrument is a matter of multiple choice test with 35 questions. Based on data analysis, the average of post test control class result is 60,06 and average result of post test of experiment class 70,24. Based on the T test obtained tarithmetic 3,6930 and ttable α = 5% equal to 1,998, which means tarithmetic (3,6930)> ttabel (1,998), then alternative hypothesis be accepted. Of reckoning as effect size (ES), obtained effect size of 0,96 ( high criteria ) . This means that the use of Make a Match model gives a high influences on students civic education learning outcomes in class V SDN 09 West Pontianak.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the importance of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

STUDY DESIGN
We analyzed 17 cytologic and 5 architectural features in a series of 320 FNACs from HCC and compared them with 73 FNACs from benign lesions and with 705 FNACs from metastatic carcinomas. One thousand ninety-eight patients who were diagnosed by liver FNAC between December 1988 and July 1998 and had adequate follow-up were included in the study. The specimens were evaluated according to the presence or absence of the cytologic features and cellular arrangement. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed on the data to determine the variables predictive of HCC.

RESULTS
Multinucleated tumor giant cells, cytoplasmic hyaline and central sinusoidal pattern were selected as the 3 most predictive parameters for differentiated reactive hepatocytes from HCC (P < .0001), while bile, centrally located nucleus in an atypical cell and intranuclear inclusion were selected as the 3 most predictive parameters for differentiated metastatic carcinoma from HCC (P < .0001-< .001) by stepwise logistic regression analysis.

CONCLUSION
In the 1,098 patients suspected of having hepatic malignancy, a correct diagnosis was made by a combination of the above features. The sensitivity of this procedure for hepatic malignancy was 99.5%, and the specificity was 100%.


BACKGROUND
This study examined potential survival differences among nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients from various ethnicities in the United States.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
A total of 2436 newly diagnosed NPC patients from 1992 to 2002 were analyzed from the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Five-year survival rate estimates and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were calculated. Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) were used to identify independent prognostic factors for survival.

RESULTS
By multivariate analyses, early age of diagnosis, localized stage at presentation (versus distant, HR=0.35; P<0.0001), radiation therapy (versus none; HR=0.48; P<0.0001), undifferentiated non-keratinizing carcinoma (versus keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma; HR=0.67; P<0.0001), and Chinese ethnicity (versus Caucasian; HR=0.78; P=0.0010) were associated with improved survival. Within keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma histology, the survival advantage of Chinese patients remained even after adjustment for other prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS
The significant survival advantage of Chinese NPC patients within the keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma histology contributed largely to Chinese ethnicity being an independent and favorable prognostic factor for survival in NPC.


Background The global burden of HIV remains significant, particularly in India. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved outcomes for children with HIV, yet understanding the virus's impact on respiratory health is essential. Pulmonary complications, common in HIV-infected adults, are poorly understood in children. Despite India's high HIV prevalence, data on pediatric lung function are lacking. This study aims to evaluate spirometry-based pulmonary function in perinatally HIV-infected children, exploring associations with disease severity, immune status, and other factors. Methods This prospective cross-sectional study conducted in a North Indian tertiary care hospital aimed to assess pulmonary function using spirometry in children (6-18 years) with HIV infection. Ethical approval and informed consent were secured. Data on demographics, clinical history, CD4+ T-cell counts, and viral load were collected. Certified respiratory therapists performed spirometry using standardized protocols. Descriptive statistics were computed, and differences in pulmonary function based on CD4+ T-cell counts, viral load, and opportunistic infection were analyzed. The study adhered to ethical guidelines and maintained participants' confidentiality. Results This cross-sectional study enrolled 57 children (mean age 13.6±3.2 years) with HIV infection. Age distribution was <9 years (24.6%), 9-11 years (28.1%), and >11 years (47.4%). Males constituted 56.1%. The mean BMI was 15.92±2.78 kg/m². HIV viral load (87.23±56.28 copies/μL) and CD4 count (1146.32±103.98 cells/mm³) were recorded. ART duration averaged 6.21±1.36 years. Viral load groups were <1 (52.6%), 1-1000 (26.3%), and >1000 copies/μL (21.1%). CD4 categories were >500 cells/mm³ (47.4%), 200-499 (42.1%), and <200 cells/mm³ (10.5%). Spirometry showed 71.9% normal and 28.1% abnormal (mild/moderate obstruction: 18.8%, mild/moderate restriction: 81.3%). No significant spirometric differences were observed among CD4 or viral load groups (p>0.05), nor with opportunistic infections (p>0.05). Conclusion This study reveals complex associations between spirometric parameters and CD4 count, viral load, and opportunistic infections in children with HIV. Further research, including longitudinal studies, is needed to unravel the intricate interplay and improve management strategies for this population.


The assessment of a patient is an integral part of clinical management. It should be conducted in a way which maximizes the likelihood of patients disclosing all their main problems, whether physical, social or psychological in nature. Unfortunately, professional carers can be uncertain of their ability to do this. This flow diagram leads the carer through key points in the assessment interview.


The incidence of splenic abscesses is currently 0.14–0.7% with a reported mortality of 0–47%. The diagnosis of splenic abscess which has ruptured into the abdomen is often overlooked because of its rarity and its misleading clinical presentations. Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) and coronary stenting procedures increased from 184,000 to 885,000 (from 335 to 1,550) and from 3,000 to 770,000 (from 5 to 1,350 per one million inhabitants), respectively. A 40-year-old Asian male presented to our emergency department with upper abdominal pain 5 days after a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Clinical examination raised the possibilities of acute pancreatitis and intraabdominal sepsis. An initial ultrasound of the abdomen and blood tests were negative. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a splenic abscess that had ruptured into the abdomen. Pus culture revealed a multidrug-resistant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae that was sensitive to meropenem. The patient recovered quickly after open surgical drainage and antibiotic therapy. As this is the second case of splenic abscess and the first case report of a ruptured splenic abscess following a PCI, it will be rational to administer a short course of antibiotic prophylaxis for high-risk immunocompromised patients who are undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention.


Biological control of thrips with Orius strigicollis Poppius was evaluated in a hot pepper greenhouse. To study the biological control strategy of thrips on hot pepper grown in greenhouse, three plots were established: natural enemy removed plot(CNT), pesticide treated plot(PAT) and O. strigicollis released plot with no pesticide application (NRT). The nymphs of O. strigicollis were found on the leaves of lower stratum in CNT and NRT at 13 days after the first release. The density of thrips was suddenly dropped and maintained at low level since 15 day after transplanting in NRT. The densities of thrips on hot pepper flowers was also maintained at much less level in NRT than in CNT. The thrips and O. strigicollis, which were aggregated in flowers, may have resulted in improved predator searching. Average damage indices of CNT, PAT and NRT were 0.31, 0.05 and 0.08 and the percentage of damaged fruit were 80.0, 17.1 and 24.8% respectively. The damage index and percentage of damaged fruit of NRT was slightly higher than PAT, but very lower than CNT. The introduction of the adults of O. strigicollis, which was the biological control agent for the control of thrips, was effective on hot pepper.


It is not practical to calcullate the tension of a towing rope or the configuration of a gill net by the voluminous tables of function or by the electric computer, even if final results are correct. The author suggested in part I that the loop described by the towed rope or aplane net at constant velocity could be considered as the catenary curve. Its advantages were shown by comparing with the experimental values. When only the loop functions of the basic catenary σ',ξ', η' are given, the objective value can be obtained by formulas (16) and (18), however, the calculation process is rather complex for practical use. In this paper, the author simplified the calculation using the functions A, B and C (cf. Table 3) derived fromσ',ξ' and η', and the order of the calculation was obtained from the examples.


A speech signal contains important paralinguistic information, such as the identity, age, gender, language, accent, and the emotional state of the speaker. Automatic recognition of these types of information in adults' speech has received considerable attention, however there has been little work on children's speech. This paper focuses on speaker, gender, and age-group recognition from children's speech. The performances of several classification methods are compared, including Gaussian Mixture Model - Universal Background Model (GMM-UBM), GMM - Support Vector Machine (GMM-SVM) and i-vector based approaches. For speaker recognition, error rate decreases as age increases, as one might expect. However for gender and age-group recognition the effect of age is more complex due mainly to consequences of the onset of puberty. Finally, the utility of different frequency bands for speaker, age-group and gender recognition from children's speech is assessed


Based on the static load tests and stress tests results of two cases in Karsts area, the bearing behavior of piles were analyzed and compared in this paper, caves in the base of piles not only affect the base resistances, but also affect the frictions of piles. The finite element method was applied to analyze the influence of rocks in the base of piles on bearing capacities of piles, according to the calculated results; the modulus of rocks affects the bearing capacities greatly, bearing capacities increase with the modulus of rocks increasing.


Aromatic substances are widely applied in the creation of fragrances for cosmetic, detergent and food products, as well as medical preparations for external use. Environmentally friendly enzymes obtained using green chemistry methods are of particular value. Therefore, the enzymatic synthesis of esters of aromatic aliphatic acids and aromatic alcohols is of great practical interest. This approach has significant advantages over chemical methods, since it is carried out at low temperatures without the formation of byproducts, thus requiring no special purification techniques. Although the cost of enzyme preparations is rather high, immobilized enzymes can be used repeatedly and continuously. In the present work, we investigate the possibility of using non-immobilized freeze-dried lipase (Lipase from porcine pancreas, Type 11) for repeated esterification of butyl alcohol with butyric acid. The synthesis was carried out in hexane. The completeness of the process was controlled by titration of the residual acid with aqueous alcoholic alkali in the reaction medium. The resulting enzyme preparation was separated from the reaction mixture and reused with a new portion of the substrate. It is shown that the obtained enzyme can be used for more than 10 cycles. It was found that, starting from the second cycle, the enzyme activity increases depending on its concentration in the medium. In addition, the butyric acid conversion increases by 6–180% reaching the initial level only after the 10th cycle. The unusual effect of increasing the enzymatic activity of lipase in recycles can be explained by both the phenomenon of autocatalysis, i.e. activation of the enzyme by water released as a result of esterification, and structural features of the active site of pancreatic lipase.


ABSTRAT: The populational aging, observed in the World and also in Brazil, must be comprehended by the urban planning. This study, from some observations made in Uberlândia, concerns about the populational aging question, concentraded in the subject of elderly people's needs and alternatives of moving. We pretend to approach the ambient acessibility as the essencial agent for the elderly people's autonomy and social inclusion. The Urbanism, as both science of drawing and art of cities construction, must be considerated as public politician. In this way, It will be possible take into consideration, independent of their social class, the whole elderly people.


In copper extrusion, billet temperatures of 600°C or more are very common and the dies are therefore exposed to high thermo-mechanical stress. This causes deflection and wear of the dies and thus reduced quality of the extruded profile. In the present study, die deflection and residual deformation after several extrusion cycles was investigated by means of extrusion trials and numerical analyses. Material models of four tool materials (hot-work tool steels 1.2367 and CS1, nickel-based alloy 718, cobalt-based alloy Stellite 1) and the copper alloy CW024A were provided by hot compression tests. Extrusion trials were carried out applying four different dies, each made of another tool material. Using the FEM based software DEFORM 2D, the extrusion trials were modeled and decoupled die stress analyses were performed, which simulated three consecutive load cycles. The focus of the data interpretation was in die deflection in proximity of the die land due to the thermo-mechanical load and residual plastic deformation after relief of the mechanical load. Larger values of deflection close to the die land were observed for the hot-work tool steels, while the deflection of nickel- and cobalt-based alloys was negligibly small. Also, remarkable plastic deformation was only determined for the hot-work tool steels, with increasing values for every simulated load cycle. This analysis characterizes the performance limits of hot-work tool steels and the benefits of nickel- and cobalt-based alloys regarding contour accuracy during high temperature copper extrusion.


In the world of hard-hitting sports, a deadly consequence has come up in the past years: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (commonly known as CTE). This brain condition has long eluded scientists attempting to find a treatment and the effects of it are some of the worst we have ever seen. Moreover, the appearance of the disease has only increased in occurrence over recent years. Football, hockey, and other physical sports continue to get more and more popular across the world and if treatment for CTE is not found promptly, the effect of the dangerous sports will be seen in the players' brains like never before. CTE has claimed countless lives on the record and even more that have never quite been proven. However, though most believe the cause is the constant head trauma experienced by players, perhaps this mystery does not stop at just that. The specific causes of CTE and still not completely known, and this paper intends to answer that with at least one cause: alcohol. Alcohol has been a favorite among many players and its presence is undeniable in the sporting community. Its effects on the liver, kidney, and other organs are clear already, and perhaps after this research and more, its effects on the brain can become clearer as well. A connection between alcohol and CTE can be seen here in this research and this link can be built upon in efforts to create a treatment for the horrible disease, eventually hoping to render this issue nonexistent.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the mechanical behavior in fatigue tensile mode of different cross-ply laminates constituted of unidirectional carbon fibers, hybrid fibers and glass fibers in an epoxy matrix; and to identify and characterize the local damage in the laminated materials with the use of the acoustic emission (AE) technique.

Design/methodology/approach

The tests in the fatigue mode permitted the determination of the effect of the stacking sequences, thickness of 90° oriented layers and reinforcement types on the fatigue mechanical behavior of the laminated materials. The damage investigation in those materials is reached with the analysis of AE signals collected from fatigue tensile tests.

Findings

The results show the effects of reinforcement type, stacking sequences and thicknesses ratio of 90° and 0° layers on the mechanical behavior. A cluster analysis of AE data is achieved and the resulting clusters are correlated with the damage mechanism of specimens under loading tests.

Originality/value

The analysis of AE signals collected from tensile tests of the fatigue failure load allows the damage investigation in different types of cross-ply laminates which are differentiated by the reinforcement type, stacking sequences and thicknesses ratio of 90° and 0° layers.


Biomimetic multilayers based on layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly were prepared as functional films with compact structure by incorporating the mussel-inspired catechol cross-linking. Dopamine-modified poly(acrylic acid) (PAADopa) was synthesized as a polyanion to offer electrostatic interaction with the prelayer polyethylenimine (PEI) and consecutively cross-linked by zinc to generate compact multilayers with tunable physicochemical properties. In situ layer-by-layer growth and cross-linking were monitored by a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) to reveal the kinetics of the process and the influence of Dopa chemistry. Addition of Dopa enhanced the mass adsorption and led to the formation of a more compact structure. An increase of ionic strength induced an increase in mass adsorption in the Dopa-cross-linked multilayers. This is a universal approach for coating of various surfaces such as Au, SiO2, Ti, and Al2O3. Roughness observed by AFM in both wet and dry conditions was compared to confirm the compact morphology of Dopa-cross-linked multilayers. Because of the pH sensitivity of Dopa moiety, metal-chelated Dopa groups can be turned into softer structure at higher pH as revealed by reduction of Young's modulus determined by MFP-3D AFM. A deeper insight into the growth and mechanical properties of Dopa-cross-linked polyelectrolyte multilayers was addressed in the present study. This allows a better control of these systems for bioapplications.


We present a semi-analytic method for computing the bit error rate of the decorrelating detector in the presence of phase and timing errors (synchronization errors). These errors in effect introduce multiple access interference. We first compute the moment generating function of the variate which determines the probability of error of a user. It can be shown that the probability of error is obtained by computing the Laplace inverse integral of a modified version of the moment generating function. Helstrom (1986) used this approach to analyze a BPSK system corrupted with intersymbol interference. In this paper are show that this method can be used for computing the probability of errors of users in the presence of multiple access interference. Due to the analytic approach used systems with larger packet sizes and larger user populations can be tackled.


Who exactly defines the internal flows of the city, and what happens when this 'flow' is rendered bottom-up? Rather than exploring the ways in which the digital affects the organisation of the city, in this paper, I aim to show how certain smart systems of coordination – based on a non-digital 'smartness' – exist in parallel to the increasingly digital smart city today. Various forms of improvised coordination and humanled calculation are an integral part of the smartness of a city and must not be overlooked. Drawing on ethnography of train ticket sharing networks in Germany, this paper explores the assemblages of human and non-human, digital and analogue actors that can attach themselves to an existent system, acting as 'parasitic infrastructure'. Understanding how these parasitic infrastructures emerge highlights how systems of calculation and computation exist beyond just the digital. doi: 10.15307/fcj.29.218.2017


This case report presents a rare instance of dextrocardia with situs solitus in a centenarian patient, where the heart is abnormally positioned on the right side of the chest due to embryological development anomalies. The patient, a 102-year-old male with no significant medical history, sought medical attention for cataract surgery and was incidentally found to have a systolic murmur over the left upper sternal border, prompting further evaluation. Echocardiographic assessments revealed moderate aortic stenosis. Further imaging with an upright chest X-ray confirmed the presence of dextrocardia with situs solitus. This intriguing case exemplifies the complexities of diagnosing rare congenital anomalies and underscores the importance of comprehensive evaluations even in elderly patients.


Let $ (T_i)_i$ be a sequence of independent identically distributed (i.i.d.) random variables (r.v.) of interest distributed as $ T$ and $(X_i)_i$ be a corresponding vector of covariates taking values on $ \mathbb{R}^d$. In censorship models the r.v. $T$ is subject to random censoring by another r.v. $C$. In this paper we built a new kernel estimator based on the so-called synthetic data of the mean squared relative error for the regression function. We establish the uniform almost sure convergence with rate over a compact set and its asymptotic normality. The asymptotic variance is explicitly given and as product we give a confidence bands. A simulation study has been conducted to comfort our theoretical results


A 49-year old female with palatal perforation due to congenital syphilis is reported. She was diagnosed on the basis of clinical, serological and epidemiological features. Clinical examination showed a 'Saddle nose' deformity, and 'palatal perforation'. Her clinical course was as follows: Her hard palate perforated at the at the age of 10 years. At the age of 16, a fistula closure operation was executed, but soon after the operation perforation of the hard palate recurred. At the age of 37, she lost all teeth of the upper jaw.She has been using a complete denture of the upper jaw since age 41.She recently felt uneasiness with the denture, probably due to thinning of the bone around the premaxilla. She therefore visited our clinic through the introduction of a dental practitioner for examination of the palatal perforation. Her disease history was unnoteworthy. Her laboratory data were all within the normal except for a positive TPHA reaction. Her father was treated for syphilis before her birth. Due to advances in treatment against syphilis, progressively fewer cases of syphilis are encountered. Late congenital syphilis has become particularly rare recently.


We study a novel mechanism design model in which agents each arrive sequentially and choose one action from a set of actions with unknown rewards. The information revealed by the principal affects the incentives of the agents to explore and generate new information. We characterize the optimal disclosure policy of a planner whose goal is to maximize social welfare. One interpretation of our result is the implementation of what is known as the "wisdom of the crowd." This topic has become increasingly relevant with the rapid spread of the Internet over the past decade.


We scrutinize the magnetic properties of $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Hg(SCN)$_2$Cl through its first-order metal-insulator transition at $T_{\rm CO}=30$ K by means of $^1$H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). While in the metal we find Fermi-liquid behavior with temperature-independent $(T_1T)^{-1}$, the relaxation rate exhibits a pronounced enhancement when charge order sets in. The NMR spectra remain unchanged through the transition and no magnetic order stabilizes down to 25 mK. Similar to the isostructural spin-liquid candidates $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu$_2$(CN)$_3$ and $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Ag$_2$(CN)$_3$, $T_1^{-1}$ acquires a dominant maximum (here around 5 K). Field-dependent experiments identify the low-temperature feature as a dynamic inhomogeneity contribution that is typically dominant over the intrinsic relaxation but gets suppressed with magnetic field.


Neutrino radiation is expected to impose major design and siting constraints on many-TeV muon colliders. Previous predictions for radiation doses at TeV energy scales are briefly reviewed and then modified for extension to the many-TeV energy regime. The energy-cubed dependence of lower energy colliders is found to soften to an increase of slightly less than quadratic when averaged over the plane of the collider ring and slightly less than linear for the radiation hot spots downstream from straight sections in the collider ring. Despite this, the numerical values are judged to be sufficiently high that any many-TeV muon colliders will likely be constructed on large isolated sites specifically chosen to minimize or eliminate human exposure to the neutrino radiation. It is pointed out that such sites would be of an appropriate size scale to also house future proton-proton and electron-positron colliders at the high energy frontier, which naturally leads to conjecture on the possibilities for a new world laboratory for high energy physics. Radiation dose predictions are also presented for the speculative possibility of linear muon colliders. These have greatly reduced radiation constraints relative to circular muon colliders because radiation is only emitted in two pencil beams directed along the axes of the opposing linacs.


A field experiment was conducted in three factorial strip-split-plot design to evaluate the effect of two establishment methods (EM) [transplanted in puddled soil (PuTPR) and direct seeded in zero tillage (ZT-DSR)], two residue levels [residue kept at 3 t ha-1 (RK) and residue removed (RR)] with two nitrogen doses [recommended dose (100 kg N ha-1) (RD) and farmers' dose (50 kg N ha-1) (FD)] with six replications on rice variety "Ramdhan" during the year 2016. PuTPR, RK, and RD of nitrogen had taller plant height in almost all the days of observation. Similarly, the number of tillers per square meter and leaf area index was significantly higher in ZT-DSR and RD of nitrogen in all the days of observation. Number of effective tillers (ET) and sterility percentage were significantly higher in ZT-DSR but thousand grain weight (TGW), grain per panicle and panicle weight were significantly higher in Pu-TPR. Residue incorporation produced more number of ET. ET, TGW, panicle length and weight were significantly higher in RD. Days to heading and physiological maturity was significantly lower in PuTPR than ZT-DSR. Grain yield was significantly higher in residue kept treatment and recommended nitrogen dose.

 Key words: Conservation agriculture, direct seeded rice, leaf area, nitrogen, sterility, tiller.


The relative magnitudes of the electric multipole (E1, E2, E3) and magnetic multipole (M1, M2 and M3) radiative decay rates, calculated by the fully relativistic multiconfiguration Dirac - Fock (MCDF) approach, have been compared for all the transitions involving the lowest 17 or 37 levels of highly ionized nickel-like and palladium-like ions, respectively. The importance of the E3 and E2 contributions to the decay processes of the highest ionization stages along the Ni and Pd sequences is underlined. The respective merits of the pseudo-relativistic Hartree - Fock (HFR) and of the MCDF techniques are compared in the case of E1 radiation emitted by uranium ions.


In recent years, with the rapid development of Wide Area Monitoring System (WAMS) and Wide Area Monitoring Analysis Protection-control (WAMAP) in China, more and more synchronized Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) have been put into services. So far nearly all the regional power systems have established systems to meet the requirement of sharing PMU synchrophasors among multiple parties. As PMU plays a significant role in the power system, selecting the models with excellent performance is of great importance. Therefore, PMU testing and evaluation have become a concerned subject by many professionals. A testing and evaluation (T&E) architecture should be built to do the integrated evaluation, including testing platform, testing method and result evaluation. This paper also put forward specific testing method and procedure for PMU, which are comprised of static performance testing and dynamic performance testing. Three testing sub-platforms will be introduced in this paper: the environment adaptability testing platform, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing platform and performance testing platform. What's more, the evaluation method for PMU is described in detail in this paper, and examples of PMU device tested on these platforms is described in the paper.


Through an analysis of immigrant Spanish in Georgia, potential contact-induced language change is investigated through the lens of subject pronoun expression. Pronoun variation among Mexican speakers is examined using sociolinguistic interview data. Tokens of subject pronouns (N = 4,649) were coded for linguistic variables previously shown to constrain subject expression (e.g. person/number, tense-mood-aspect [TMA], polarity) as well as social variables (e.g. English proficiency, age), and then analysed using multivariate analyses in Rbrul. Results indicate an overall pronoun rate of 27%, which is slightly higher than what has been reported for monolingual Mexican Spanish. Several linguistic variables (e.g. person/number, switch-reference, morphological ambiguity, polarity) and one social variable (age) played a significant role in pronoun variation. Moreover, differential effects were revealed when compared to monolingual Mexican Spanish for variables such as TMA. These findings point in the direction of dialect contact influences and the presence of a unique variety of Mexican Spanish in the U.S.


A lively dialogue on pneumatology took place in JPT 4 (April 1994) be tween Jurgen Moltmann and Pentecostal scholars. I want to return to this dialogue and examine two of the key differences in understanding, suggest ing that Pentecostals focus on the 'particular' and the 'transcendent' whereas Moltmann emphasizes the 'universal' and the 'immanent'. These differences are of significant importance in the theology and practice of mission. Although both Moltmann and Pentecostals share a desire for mission to be holistic and experiential, they differ over the means of mission and charac teristics of mission. In some ways this difference reflects the wider differ ence between ecumenical and evangelical theologies of mission. Building on the dialogue, I want to suggest the outline of a way beyond these differences by suggesting a pneumatological framework for mission. This framework grounds mission in movements of the Holy Spirit and is suggestive of a new way forward in the theology of mission.


As a new form of industry that integrates manufacturing and service, manufacturing servitization is not only conducive to high-quality economic development, but also has a positive effect on reducing carbon emissions. Using panel data of 30 provincial sub-sectors in China, this study systematically investigates the effect of manufacturing input servitization on carbon emission reduction. The results showed that input servitization can reduce carbon emissions. Concerning the regional heterogeneity, input servitization plays a relatively more important role in China's central region. Concerning the industrial heterogeneity, the carbon reduction effect of input servitization in pollution-intensive manufacturing sectors is greater than in non-pollution sectors. Furthermore, the mediating test demonstrates that input servitization reduces carbon emissions by improving technological innovation and optimizing the structure, while technological innovation is more effective in achieving carbon emission reduction. These conclusions show that improving the input servitization level of the manufacturing industry is feasible to coordinating the development of the manufacturing industry and the attaining the goals of China's carbon emission reduction.


In a noiseless linear estimation problem, the goal is to reconstruct a vector from the knowledge of its linear projections . There have been many theoretical works concentrating on the case where the matrix is a random i.i.d. one, but a number of heuristic evidence suggests that many of these results are universal and extend well beyond this restricted case. Here we revisit this problem through the prism of development of message passing methods, and consider not only the universality of the -transition, as previously addressed, but also the one of the optimal Bayesian reconstruction. We observed that the universality extends to the Bayes-optimal minimum mean-squared (MMSE) error, and to a range of structured matrices.


Steroidogenesis by Y-1 adrenal tumor cells in culture is stimulated by ATP, adenyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate (App(NH)), adenosine 5'(beta, alpha-methylene)triphosphate (App(CH2)p), ADP, AMP, NAD, FAD, and adenosine but not by adenine or other nucleoside triphosphates. ATP, App(NH)p, App(CH2)p, and adenosine are active in the micromolar range. Like adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), the onset of stimulation is immediate and occurs to the same extent. Also active are 2'- and 5'-deoxyadenosine and 2-chloroadenosine whereas adenine xyloside, L-riboside, or arabinoside have very low activity. Stimulation is accompanied by rounding of the cells. Dipyridamole, an inhibitor of adenosine transport, increased the response to low concentrations of adenosine, suggesting that adenosine acts externally. Stimulation of steroidogenesis by adenosine or phosphorylated adenosine compounds fails to occur in the presence of crystalline adenosine deaminase, and the effect of the enzyme on adenosine, ATP, or NAD stimulation is reversed by the competitive inhibitor erythro-9-[3-(nonane-2-ol)]adenine. This suggests that the enzyme acts specifically on adenosine and a requirement for the conversion of the above compounds to adenosine seems probable. The inhibition of cAMP effects by adenosine deaminase suggests that some of its effects are also mediated by conversion to adenosine. Similar stimulation is seen in I-10 Leydig tumor cells, but an ACTH-resistant mutant of Y-1 cells, called OS-3, is relatively resistant to adenosine. Adenosine and 2-chloroadenosine stimulate adenylate cyclase in membranes from Y-1 and I-10 cells at concentrations slightly greater than are effective for steroidogenesis. Other nucleosides are ineffective. Like the NH2-terminal 24 residues of adrenocorticotropic hormone (1-24 ACTH), the adenosine effect in Y-1 membranes is rapid and is on the Vmax intercept (versus ATP) and not on the Km. In contrast to steroidogenesis, adenosine is only a partial agonist for adenylate cyclase. It effect occurs in the presence of ITP, GTP, or guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p). Theophylline inhibits adenosine-stimulated steroidogenesis. Inhibition of adenylate cyclase occurs in the same concentration range but is of the mixed type.


In this paper, we propose and use two novel procedures for the analysis of microarray gene expression data. The first is correspondence analysis which visualizes the relationship between genes and tissues as two 2 dimensional graphs, oriented so that distances between genes are preserved, distances between tissues are preserved, and so that genes which primarily distinguish certain types of tissue are spatially close to those tissues. For the inference of genetic links, partial correlations rather than correlations are the key issue. A partial correlation between i and j is the relationship between i and j after the effect of surrounding genes has been subtracted out of their pairwise correlation. This leads to the area of graphical modeling. A limitation of the graphical modeling approach is that the correlation matrix of expression profiles between genes is degenerate whenever the number of genes to be analyzed exceeds the number of distinct expression measurements. This can cause considerable problems, as calculation of partial correlations typically uses the inverse of the correlation matrix. To avoid this limitation, we propose two practical multiple regression procedures with variable selection to measure the net, screened, relationship between pairs of genes. Possible biases arising from the analysis of a subset of genes from the genome are examined in the worked examples. It seems that both these approaches are more natural ways of analyzing gene expression data than the currently popular approach of two way clustering.


The Department of Geomagnetism of the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) has compiled a new global database of monthly mean values of geomagnetic elements. This database was originally compiled for a study of "geomagnetic jerks"—apparent sudden step changes in secular acceleration, either side of which the secular variation appears to be approximately linear—for which time series of annual mean values had been the principal source of observational data.

Researchers at IPGP encourage geomagnetic observatories throughout the world to submit their monthly mean values for inclusion in the database as soon as possible at the end of each month. The values submitted must be at least provisionally corrected to absolute values at the reference point of the observatory. The preferred method to submit data is by e-mail in a specified format, but observatories that lack e-mail facilities may send their results by fax or mail.


The structure and dynamics of polymyxin B (PxB), an N-acylated cyclic decapeptide that displays antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria, is characterized by NMR and compared to results for the inactive nonapeptide, which is missing the N-terminal amino acid along with the attached acyl chain. Aqueous trifluoroethanol (TFE) was chosen as the solvent since the overall structure of PxB in TFE is similar to the structure when bound to vesicles. No differences were observed between the two peptides for (1)H H(alpha) chemical shifts or patterns of cross peaks in NOESY spectra, indicating that the overall structures are quite similar. The sign and intensity of NOESY spectra obtained at different temperatures were used to assess the relative mobility of the peptides. For both peptides, differential mobility is observed in different parts of the molecule, with greater mobility observed for the linear portion than the ring and faster motion seen for the side chains than the peptide backbone. However, all motion is faster in the nonapeptide, indicating that the presence of the N-terminal acyl chain restricts the mobility of PxB compared to the nonapeptide, which lacks this structural feature. For both peptides, differential mobility is also observed within the cyclic portion of the peptide. This supports a proposed model whereby the more rigid residues serve as pivot points, allowing the ring conformation to change in response to different binding partners. However, conformational flexibility within the cyclic ring is not sufficient for antimicrobial activity since both the active and inactive peptides exhibit the same flexibility. The N-terminal acyl chain on PxB, which is essential for activity, exhibits rapid, independent motion, and this flexibility may facilitate penetration of the outer membrane.


Internalization of higher education is one of the important transformation processes of developing countries towards globalization. Further, globalization and democratization of higher education in Malaysia has raised much interest among educators and researchers to understand this phenomenon. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to survey the adaptation needs of international students within their academic and social communities in Malaysian universities. This study was aimed at investigating the relationship between self-efficacy and socio-cultural adjustment. The sample consisted of 185 (100 females, 85 males) international students in the university. The socio-cultural adjustment and self-efficacy dimensions of university international students were measured using the Socio-Cultural Adjustment Scale (SCAS) developed by Ward and Kennedy (1999) and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995) respectively. Correlational analysis was employed to analyze data. Self-efficacy was not correlated with all dimensions of socio-cultural adjustment (cultural empathy, impersonal endeavors, and cultural relatedness).


Abstract Dysregulation of normal adrenal structure and function contributes to a spectrum of diseases from hypoplasia to cancer. Peripheral adrenocortical progenitor cells in the zona glomerulosa (zG) centripetally migrate and differentiate to replenish steroidogenic cells of the zG and the inner cortex over time. Both the fate of progenitor cells and aldosterone production by steroidogenic cells in the zG are regulated by Wnt/β-catenin signaling, but the cell-specific effects of individual WNT ligands in the adrenal cortex are not fully understood. To further characterize Wnt signaling components crucial for progenitor cell fate and zG identity, we analyzed mouse adrenals using single molecule in situ hybridization, which revealed the previously unknown expression of Wnt2b exclusively in the adrenal capsule. Wnt2b is co-expressed in the capsule with the Wnt signaling potentiator Rspo3, the loss of which causes zG depletion and reduced adrenal size in mice. Therefore, we hypothesized that capsular WNT2B activates Wnt signaling in the underlying zG to maintain the undifferentiated state of progenitor cells. To define the role of WNT2B in these processes, we first generated whole body Wnt2b knockout (KO) mice, which exhibit complete zG loss, as defined by known markers of zG identity (β-catenin and DAB2). To more fully determine the mechanism by which Wnt2b deletion results in zG loss, we crossed Wnt2b-floxed and capsule-specific Gli1-CreERT2 mice to generate a Wnt2b conditional knockout (cKO) model and study the effects of Wnt2b loss on the zG during homeostasis of the adult adrenal cortex. Gli1-CreERT2 activation by tamoxifen in 6-week-old mice significantly decreased Wnt2b expression and resulted in a lower adrenal-to-body weight ratio in Wnt2b cKOs compared to controls four weeks later. Adrenocortical proliferation (Ki67) was also significantly decreased in Wnt2b cKO mice, suggesting that WNT2B may promote progenitor cell self-renewal. To characterize the consequences of WNT2B loss on canonical Wnt signaling, we assessed activation of β-catenin, the primary Wnt signaling effector. High β-catenin activity in the zG observed in wild-type mice was disrupted in Wnt2b cKO mice, together with markedly reduced expression of adrenocortical Wnt target genes Axin2 and Wnt4. In addition, Wnt2b loss resulted in downregulation of steroidogenic genes Cyp11b2 and Hsd3b6. Together, these data reveal that capsule-derived WNT2B is required for zG differentiation and maintenance, potentially through activating adrenocortical Wnt/β-catenin signaling and downstream target gene expression involved in both progenitor cell fate and steroid-producing cell function. Studies to more fully elucidate the dynamic effects of WNT2B on the adrenal zG are ongoing as they have important implications for adrenal homeostasis and disease, including both primary adrenal failure and neoplasia.


The article investigates whether Hobbes's political theory gives us reason to expect the systematic subordination of women. It argues that who dominates whom is a matter of victory in the quest to pull allies into ordered alliances. The primary means of gaining allies—force and wiles—depend on both skill-fitness and affective fitness. The analyses suggest that it is sex-linked and gender-linked differences in affective fitness—particularly in the intensity of men's desire to use religious wiles—that most plausibly explain the subjection of women, both across the spectrum of states of nature and within civil societies. Although Hobbes's political theory enables us to make sense of how it happened, there is nothing in that theory that either necessitates or should cause us to expect the systematic subordination of women.


Ortholog detection methods present a powerful approach for finding genes that participate in similar biological processes across different organisms, extending our understanding of interactions between genes across different pathways, and understanding the evolution of gene families. We exploit features derived from the alignment of protein-protein interaction networks to reconstruct KEGG orthologs for Drosophila melanogaster, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Mus musculus and Homo sapiens protein-protein interaction networks extracted from the DIP repository for protein-protein interaction data using the decision tree, Naive-Bayes and Support Vector Machine classification algorithms. The performance of our classifiers in reconstructing KEGG orthologs is compared against a basic reciprocal BLAST hit approach. We provide implementations of the resulting algorithms as part of BiNA, an open source biomolecular network alignment toolkit.


STUDY QUESTION
Could human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (hucMSC-Ex) accelerate vaginal epithelium cell (VK2) growth?

SUMMARY ANSWER
HucMSC-Ex play a significant role in promoting proliferation of VK2 cells by accelerating the cell cycle and inhibiting apoptosis through exosomal microRNAs in vitro.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Numerous studies have reported that MSC-Ex play an important role in tissue injury repair.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
hucMSC and exosomes isolated from their conditioned medium were used to treat a vaginal epithelial cell line (VK2). Normal human fibroblasts (HFF-1) were used as negative control to hucMSC.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
VK2 cells were co-cultured with hucMSC whose paracrine effect on the viability, cell cycle and cell apoptosis of VK2 vaginal epithelial cells was further assessed by the CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. HucMSC-Ex isolated from culture medium by ultracentrifuge were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and Western blot. HucMSC-Ex at different concentrations and HFF-1 exosomes were used to treat VK2 cells. High-throughput RNA sequencing was utilized to reveal the profile of microRNAs in hucMSC, hucMSC-Ex, HFF-1 and HFF-1 exosomes and GO analysis was applied to demonstrate their functions. To evaluate the function of these specific microRNAs in hucMSC-Ex, VK2 cells were treated with RNA-interfered-hucMSC-Ex (RNAi-hucMSC-Ex) and their proliferation was measured by Label-free Real-time Cellular Analysis System.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
The study showed that hucMSC stimulate VK2 cell growth possibly through a paracrine route by promoting cell cycle and inhibiting apoptosis. Compared with control and low dose groups, hucMSC-Ex of high concentration (more than 1000 ng/ml) significantly increased VK2's growth after treatment in a dose-depended manner (P < 0.05). HucMSC-Ex raised the proportion of cells in S-phase and reduced the percentage of apoptotic cells in VK2 cells in comparison with the HFF-1 exosomes and control groups (P < 0.05). microRNAs, including miR-100 (16.92%), miR-146a (9.21%), miR-21 (6.67%), miR-221 (6.39%) and miR-143 (4.63%), were found to be specifically enriched (P < 0.05) in hucMSC-Ex and their functions concentrated on cell cycle, development and differentiation. Collectively, our findings indicate that hucMSC-Ex may play a significant role in accelerating VK2's proliferation by promoting cell cycle and inhibiting apoptosis through exosomal microRNAs in vitro.

LARGE-SCALE DATA
N/A.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
Our study did not confirm the function of hucMSC-Ex or specifically enriched exosomal microRNAs in vivo. miR-100 and miR-146a are well-known immunomodulatory miRNAs that participate in the regulation of inflammatory disorders and may enhance the therapeutic effect of hucMSC-Ex by promoting the surgical injury repair after vaginal reconstruction. But whether it acts through anti-inflammatory responses needs further study.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
This finding supports the potential use of hucMSC-Ex as a cell-free therapy of Meyer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKHS) after vaginoplasty.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
This study was supported by the Chinese National Nature Sciences Foundation (grant number 91440107, 81471416 and 81771524) and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB19040102). All authors state that there is no conflict of interest to disclose.


Over the history of human settlements, approximately 30% of the world's population lived in brick made structures by 1990. It is also projected that the brick product segments will raise 3.5% during 2017-2027 and it is anticipated to dominate over the forecast period. So far, energy regulations have pushed the innovation of bricks towards better U-values especially in northern and central Europe however there has been less attention to see brick as a climate active material able to improve microclimate conditions. Within this regard this research is investigating the potentials of irrigated solid bricks as a component for climate adaptive façades able to enhance urban microclimate in urban canyons. The study shaped in two layers including field measurements and simulations. An experiment setup of façade panel is demonstrated to test different irrigation scenarios under varying environmental conditions and hours of the day to quantify surface temperatures and intensity of evaporative cooling effect. The results are validated with transient hygro-thermal simulation models in WUFI. The results show that in average wet bricks can have 7 °C lower surface temperatures compared to dry ones. Also the color of the bricks is influencing the temperature curve where the difference of 5.4 °C recorded between light and dark colored ones.


In this paper is proposed a methodology for designing a CMOS class-E PA used to drive an inductive link. In order to satisfy the operating conditions imposed by the PA specifications and the available technology, a differential class-E PA with split slab inductor and high level of integration was both designed and simulated. The proposed methodology uses the analytical solution of the ideal class-E PA equations as the first point of an iterative procedure for solving the optimization of the PA. Further, the proposed design set solve the trade-off between ON-resistance and gate capacitance of the switches, resulting in the optimal choice of the power transistors width for a class-E PA with finite DC-feed inductance. In the post-layout simulation, the PAE of the PA was 45.7% when 20.7 dBm.


With strong evidence coming to light for the toxicity of aluminium (Al), especially to the brain, investigation into the effects of inhalation oflow concentrations ofAl dust in animal models has become important. This study follows up previous observations on the effects ofAl on the concentrations of essential metals in serum of workers exposed to inhalation of low concentrations of Al dust, with a study of the concentrations of Al in tissues of rabbits exposed to Al dust at one twentieth of the threshold limit value (TLV). Even at this low concentration, the amount of Al in the brains of these animals was nearly two and a half times as high as that of the control animals. The concentrations in other tissues were similar to normal. At the same time, the concentrations of Al in the serum was only slightly raised, indicating that this variable is a poor marker for the effects ofAl on the body. It is suggested that an extensive study is needed to determine a more correct TLV and health based permissible concentration for occupational exposure to Al. New evidence of a link between Al and neurotoxic effects in occupationally exposed subjects emerged at the second international conference on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, held in July 1990 in Toronto, Canada. Sandra Rifat of the University of Toronto studied a group of retired Canadian mine workers who had been exposed during their working life to inhalation of a finely ground Al powder, thought to be a prophylactic measure against silicosis. She found that those miners had suffered a degree of mental impairment.' She also found a clear dose-response effect. Although Al can be absorbed through the respiratory organs, little research has been done on its toxic effects in workers exposed in industry, although such exposure is common. Hosovski et al studied the mental abilities ofworkers exposed to high concentrations of Al dust in an Al foundry and found changes in their psychomotor and intellectual abilities.2 In a previous study of foundry workers we established that very small changes in serum Al concentrations (although statistically significant) are accompanied by conclusive changes in the concentrations of two essential metals-namely, copper and zinc.' The most interesting observation was that these changes were seen at an atmospheric Al dust concentration well below 1 mg/m' as measured at those foundries. We concluded that the effect on the essential metals was possibly due to the displacement of these metals from the tissues by Al. To study this -further, we needed to establish if a deposition ofAl in body organs occurred as a result of exposure to low concentrations of Al dust similar to the concentration that is present in these foundries. We therefore designed an experiment that enabled us to monitor changes in the concentrations of Al in the serum of rabbits exposed to low concentrations of Al dust (0-56 (SD 0 17) mg Al/m') over a period of five months. After completion of the dust exposure period selected tissues were removed and analysed for Al content. We chose rabbits because it was found by Yokel4 that aluminium has the ability to produce behavioural defects in rabbits and persistently raised tissue concentrations of Al that mimic the pattern in man. Materials and Methods Sixteen young adult female specific pathogen free New Zealand white rabbits were used. The animals were divided without conscious bias into groups of eight controls and eight exposed. Each was housed in a separate cage for the duration ofthe experiment and given a standard laboratory diet and tap water. The group of eight exposed rabbits was dusted in the dusting chamber with A1203 at a concentration of Department of Biochemistry, National Centre for Occupational Health, PO Box 4788, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa H B Rollin, P Theodorou, T A Kilroe-Smith 389 group.bmj.com on July 5, 2017 Published by http://oem.bmj.com/ Downloaded from


The concrete's production was analyzed in five housing projects in Colombia in order to identify the variables that intervene in the final resistance of the prepared concrete in five housing projects of priority interest in Colombia, this objective was sustained in different studies as by Chan, Solis and Moreno (2003), demonstrated that some characteristics of the materials demonstrate certain influence on the final resistance of the concrete, as well as the investigations of Minor and Milanes (2001) who identified as reasons of the deficiency of the concrete one, the lack of a suitable design of mixture, the bad use of raw materials and the water excess in the mixtures as basic processes that affect in the final quality of a structure.


UNLABELLED
The authors compared the length of labour periods, number of surgical deliveries, the use of oxytocin, analgetics, spasmolytics and intensity of pain in two groups of primiparae, who were in labor under continuous epidural analgesia (CEA). In the first group CEA was started when the cervix was dilated not more than 3 cm, in the second one when the cervix was dilated more than 3 cm. The length of labour, oxytocin consumption and frequency of vaginal surgery did not differ in the two groups. In the first group there was great consumption of analgetics and spasmolytics, more motor blocks of the lower extremities and a higher rate of Caesarean sections on account of dystocia. In some of the women of the first group the intensity of pain at the end of the first stage of labour and during the second stage was higher than before the onset of CEA.

CONCLUSION
It seems to be better to start CEA when the cervix is dilated more than 3 cm.


Interleukin-11 (IL-11) is a member of the gp130 family of cytokines. These cytokines drive the assembly of multisubunit receptor complexes, all of which contain at least one molecule of the transmembrane signaling receptor gp130. A complex of IL-11 and the IL-11 receptor (IL-11R) has been shown to interact with gp130, with high affinity, and to induce gp130- dependent signaling. In this study, we have identified residues crucial for the binding of murine IL-11 (mIL-11) to both the IL-11R and gp130 by examining the activities of mIL-11 mutants in receptor binding and cell proliferation assays. The location of these residues, as predicted from structural studies and a model of IL-11, reveals that mIL-11 has three distinct receptor binding sites. These are structurally and functionally analogous to the previously defined receptor binding sites I, II, and III of interleukin-6 (IL-6). This supports the hypothesis that IL-11 signals via the formation of a hexameric receptor complex and indicates that site III is a generic feature of cytokines that signal via association with gp130.


A calculation of the electron velocity in heavily doped GaAs has been performed. A model to account for the LO phonon-plasmon coupling effects is proposed in a full Monte Carlo simulator; we believe this is the first time this fact has been tried out. Nonequilibrium screening effects are considered in the simulation. The Pauli exclusion principle is extended to the hot electron regime by the use of the electron temperature, which is calculated self consistently from the mean energy. A direct comparison with experimental velocities is made to show the accuracy of the simulation at both 77 and 300 K. Comparisons with simpler Monte Carlo models are also presented to illustrate the influence of the different effects considered.


A system is described which uses a real-time fast Fourier transform (FFT) spectrum analyzer to monitor radio interference near 408 MHzs occurring at a radio observatory. Direction of arrival, frequency, intensity, and time of occurrence are recorded under the control of a microcomputer. A sensitive receiver can be connected to any one of eight directional antennas to establish direction of arrival. The receiver output is digitized to 8 b, and analyzed by the FFT spectrum analyzer which has a real-time bandwidth of 0.5 MHz. A total bandwidth of 20 MHz is analyzed in segments of 0.4 MHz. The analyzer uses the modified periodogram method developed by P.D. Welch (IEEE Trans. Audio Electroacoust., vol.AU-15, p.70-3, June 1967), and a Kaiser-Bessel windowing function is applied to ensure low sidelobes. Dynamic range is 40 dB, and the interference monitor obtains high sensitivity to very weak interfering signals by time averaging. Several general design principles which arise out of certain constraints are elucidated. Some new results are presented concerning the detectability of small signals by FFT processors. >


This paper investigates partially redundant logic detection and gate modification coverage in both reversible and irreversible (classical) logic circuits. Our methodology is to repeatedly compare a benchmark circuit with a modified copy of itself using an equivalence checker. We have found many instances in the irreversible logic ISCAS85 benchmarks where single gate replacements were not detected, indicating no change in functionality after gate replacement. In contrast, we demonstrate that the Maslov reversible and quantum logic benchmarks exhibit very high gate modification fault coverage, in line with the expectation that reversible circuits, which implement bijective functions, have maximal information content.


The intertidal biota of Hatakejima Island in Tanabe Bay , central Japan, was investigated in May, 1993. A survey of selected animal species around the entire coast of the island revealed different patterns of distribution in relation to wave exposure and substratum type. Comparison between the present data and those obtained in 1983 shows that several species obviously extended or contracted their distribution ranges around the island . In the survey of a selected area on the south coast, 173 macro-benthic species including 112 animal and 61 plant species were recorded. Mollusca and Crustacea were dominant among the animals, and Rhodophyta among the plants, in terms of number of species . Comparison between the present data and those obtained in 1969 and 1984 on the south coast reveals that the total number of animal species and their distribution ranges decreased from 1969 to 1984 and increased from 1984 to 1993. The species with a southern geographical distribution (<35•‹N) contracted and the indicator species of eutrophic water expanded their ranges from 1969 to 1984, and the reverse changes occurred from 1984 to 1993 . Photographs show drastic changes in the shore scene: obvious sedimentation in 1984 and alternation of the dominant sessile bivalves between 1969 and 1993 . The fluctuation in abundance of the species with a southern geographical distribution paralleled changes in the water temperature, and the fluctuation in abundance of the indicator species of eutrophic water paralleled changes in the indices of nutrient level. An influence of these environmental factors on the f aunal changes of the intertidal Hatakejima Island during the last 25 years is inferred .


This report documents the efforts and results of several photometric evaluations performed by researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute to assess the performance of steady-burn warning lights in temporary traffic control devices used to delineate the correct travel path in work zones. The research included an assessment of the potential incremental increase in luminance (and benefit of that increase to drivers) during vulnerable driving conditions. These conditions included periods of heavy fog, periods when dirt and grime had accumulated on the channelizing device, and misalignment of warning lights. The researchers found that fog adversely affected the apparent luminance (and thus the visibility distance) of both retroreflective sheeting and warning lights. However, retroreflective sheeting was still likely to be visible at distances needed for purposes of path guidance and delineation, and the use of warning lights was unlikely to provide much additional value to motorists. The researchers also found that the accumulation of dirt and grime on the retroreflective sheeting of drums in Florida work zones did have an impact on device luminance. Although the use of warning lights did increase the overall luminance of channelizing drums, a greater increase in luminance was noted when the drums were clean. Finally, misalignment of lights significantly reduced their photometric value.


Helping military veterans successfully transition to civilian life is an important issue. Education can help with this transition. No prior studies were found on the general type of undergraduate major United States (US) Chapter 31 veterans enroll in. Chapter 31 provides tuition benefits to help entitled transitioning military veterans, with service-connected disabilities, go to college to obtain a degree. Self-determination theory (SDT) suggests two general categories of majors, intrinsic (I) versus extrinsic (E). Intrinsic motivation emphasizes doing a task for its inherent satisfaction, while extrinsic motivation targets doing the same task to achieve external rewards, such as compensation. Archival data was analyzed using small samples of undergraduate Chapter 31 military veterans in 2016, 2018 and 2020. Overall, the results supported the research question, i.e., Chapter 31 veterans will be more likely to choose intrinsically motivating versus extrinsically motivating college majors. Results, including limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.


The exogenous action of a sulphur-containing nucleotidepeptide on Anabaena cylindrica caused an increase in the biomass of the alga by 76% as a result of acceleration of growth and larger dimensions of cells. The content of nucleic acids per cell also increased: that of DNA by 40%, that of RNA, by 11%.


Convergence insufficiency (CI) is a binocular anomaly associated with difficulty of the two eyes to converge during near vision. This study investigated the performance of binocular vision in subjects with CI. The performance of binocular vision that comprised of distant binocular visual acuity (VA), near binocular VA and stereoacuity of subjects with CI were compared with normals. Thirty subjects with CI of mean age 17.33 ±5.49 year-old and 30 normal subjects of mean age 18.77 ± 6.08 year-old with visual acuity of VA 6/6 or better, spherical refractive error of no more than ± 4.00 DS, astigmatism no more than 2.00 DC, non-strabismic and never had vision therapy, with good general and ocular health were recruited for the study. The monocular VA of the right eye, monocular VA of the left eye, binocular VA and stereoacuity of the two groups of subjects were measured and the data were compared. Results of the study showed significant differences in the distance binocular VA (t = 2.31, p < 0.05), near binocular VA (t = 0.89, p < 0.05) and stereoacuity (Z = -2.81, p < 0.01) between CI and normal subjects. The study concludes that subjects with CI experienced reduced performances distance binocular VA, near binocular VA and stereoacuity compared with normal subjects.


The study aims to develop an effective technological scheme for growing high quality strawberry planting material in a greenhouse, while minimizing the application of growth substrates. Mother plants of Darselect, Asia, Florence, Kimberly, Alba varieties were planted in peat-filled container blocks, which were placed on a special surface of technological tables on which trays with water were installed. The trays were previously covered with a thin water- and breathable synthetic material Agril (density of 17 g/m2), which prevented the stolons from immersing into water. The stolons grew from the mother plants, and rosettes rooted. The efficiency of the process depended on the number of stolons developing from the mother plants and the number of rosettes. Stolons with rosettes were isolated from the mother plants, while extracting the roots that penetrated into the synthetic material. Plants were planted in cassettes with peat and regularly watered using the finely-dispersed method. One week was enough for 100 % survival of plants. On 1 m2 greenhouse area, during the first year, 124.0–139.5 daughter plants were grown.


Mitochondria are organelles derived from an intracellular α-proteobacterium. The biogenesis of mitochondria relies on the assembly of β-barrel proteins into the mitochondrial outer membrane, a process inherited from the bacterial ancestor. Caulobacter crescentus is an α-proteobacterium, and the BAM (β-barrel assembly machinery) complex was purified and characterized from this model organism. Like the mitochondrial sorting and assembly machinery complex, we find the BAM complex to be modular in nature. A ∼150 kDa core BAM complex containing BamA, BamB, BamD, and BamE associates with additional modules in the outer membrane. One of these modules, Pal, is a lipoprotein that provides a means for anchorage to the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall. We suggest the modular design of the BAM complex facilitates access to substrates from the protein translocase in the inner membrane.


Introduction: Brain regions are anatomically and functionally interconnected in order to facilitate important functions like cognition and movement. It remains incompletely understood how brain connectivity contributes to the pathophysiology of Tourette's disorder (TD). By using resting-state functional MRI, we aimed to identify alterations in the default mode network (DMN), frontal-parietal network (FPN), sensori-motor network (SMN), and salience network (SN) in TD compared with healthy control (HC) subjects. Method: In 23 adult TD patients and 22 HC, 3T-MRI resting-state scans were obtained. Independent component analysis was performed comparing TD and HC to investigate connectivity patterns within and between resting-state networks. Results: TD patients showed higher involvement of the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex in the connectivity of the DMN and less involvement of the inferior parietal cortex in the connectivity of the FPN when compared to HC. Moreover, TD patients showed a stronger coupling between DMN and left FPN than HC. Finally, in TD patients, functional connectivity within DMN correlated negatively with tic severity. Conclusion: We tentatively interpret the increased functional connectivity within DMN in TD patients as compensatory to the lower functional connectivity within left FPN. The stronger coupling between DMN and left FPN, together with the finding that higher DMN intrinsic connectivity is associated with lower tic severity would indicate that DMN is recruited to exert motor inhibition.


.................................................................................................................... ix 1 Background....................................................................................................... 1 2 Workshop Organization ................................................................................... 3 3 Invited Talk: Consolidating Software Variants into Software Product Lines—A Research Outline.............................................................................. 5 4 Quality-Driven Conformance Checking in Product Line Architectures....... 7 4.


The structure and distribution of pulmonary lymphatics and their permeability to fluids and particulate materials have been investigated in the lungs of rats following fixation by combined intratracheal and vascular perfusion. In such preparations, the lymphatics remain in a distended state, and a close relationship to other structural components of the pulmonary interstitium is maintained. They were identified in regions with an abundant amount of connective tissue, forming an eleborate plexus within the pleura, the interlobular septum, peribronchial and perivascular areas. Recent data have shown that water-soluble molecules and particulate matter are removed from the interstitium along the lymphatic capillary (initial lymphatics) segment. It is distinguished by attenuated endothelial cells with extensively overlapping cell margins which are easily separated. We have studied this segment of the lymphatic vascular system following intratracheal injections of colloidal particles (ferritin and carbon) to determine the structural features responsible for the transport of large molecules and particulate materials across the lymphatic endothelial wall in the lung. The results showed that the tracer particles cross the lymphatic endothelial wall via the clefts of intercellular junctions. While the tracer particles were observed within vesicles, the question of transport across the lymphatic endothelium via plasmalemmal vesicles is still not settled since the number and size of vesicles containing tracer particles also increased with time. Intravascular injected dextran was also localized within the clefts of intercellular junctions and plasmalemmal vesicles. The results obtained with intratracheal and intravascular injected tracer substances are consistent with those observed in lymphatic capillaries for other tissues. ImagesFIGURE 1. 1aFIGURE 1. 1bFIGURE 2.FIGURE 3.FIGURE 4.FIGURE 5.FIGURE 6.FIGURE 7.FIGURE 8.FIGURE 9.FIGURE 10.FIGURE 11.FIGURE 12.FIGURE 13.FIGURE 14.FIGURE 15.FIGURE 16.FIGURE 17.FIGURE 18.FIGURE 19.


Abstract Background Quality indicators (QIs) have been increasingly used as tools to assess and improve the quality of care for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, it is not known if it is feasible to use the 2020 iteration of international AMI QIs using routinely collected data and, if so, whether higher performance is associated with improved outcomes. Objective To investigate if routine data are available to measure care quality against the 2020 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Association for Acute Cardiovascular Care (ACVC) QIs for AMI, investigate whether higher performance is associated with reduced mortality, and to report quality of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Cohort study of linked data from the AMI and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) registries in England and Wales with outcome data from the Civil Registration of Deaths Register between 2017 and 2020 (representing 236 743 patients from 186 hospitals). Baseline ischaemic risk was estimated using the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score. The likelihood of attainment for each QI based on GRACE risk was quantified using logistic regression and the association with mortality at 30 days, 6 months, 1 year and long-term (maximum 1243 days) was obtained from Cox proportional hazard models. Results Of 26 QIs, 17 (65.3%) could be directly measured using nationwide registry data and were each inversely associated with risk-adjusted 1-year and long-term mortality. At 30 days, the measured QIs with exception of early invasive coronary angiography for non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, were associated with improved survival, and the QIs that had the greatest magnitude for a reduction in mortality were the prescription of secondary prevention medications at discharge; hazard ratio 0.13 (95% CI 0.12–0.14) for statins, 0.16 (95% CI 0.15–0.18) for adequate P2Y12 inhibition, and 0.18 (95% CI 0.17–0.20) for dual antiplatelet therapy (Figure 1). The magnitude of association between the composite QI (CQI) and survival attenuated over time, with greater long-term survival gains observed for the high GRACE risk compared with low- and intermediate-risk (Figure 2). During the first UK lockdown there was an improvement in the attainment for 62.5% of the measured QIs compared with before the COVID-19 pandemic, with a higher attainment for the CQI (43.8% to 45.2%, odds ratio 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.10). Conclusion Care quality for AMI may be evaluated using routinely collected clinical data from the national registries, whereby higher performance is associated with reduced mortality. Such QIs will have a role in monitoring hospital care as demonstrated for COVID-19. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Figure 2. QI association with long-term mortality


Humic substance (HS)-based biostimulants show potentials as sustainable strategies for improved crop development and stress resilience. However, cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the agronomically observed effects of HS on plants remain enigmatic. Here, we report a global metabolic reprogramming of maize leaves induced by a humic biostimulant under normal and nutrient starvation conditions. This reconfiguration of the maize metabolism spanned chemical constellations, as revealed by molecular networking approaches. Plant growth and development under normal conditions were characterized by key differential metabolic changes such as increased levels of amino acids, oxylipins and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) intermediate, isocitric acid. Furthermore, under starvation, the humic biostimulant significantly impacted pathways that are involved in stress-alleviating mechanisms such as redox homeostasis, strengthening of the plant cell wall, osmoregulation, energy production and membrane remodelling. Thus, this study reveals that the humic biostimulant induces a remodelling of inter-compartmental metabolic networks in maize, subsequently readjusting the plant physiology towards growth promotion and stress alleviation. Such insights contribute to ongoing efforts in elucidating modes of action of biostimulants, generating fundamental scientific knowledge that is necessary for development of the biostimulant industry, for sustainable food security.


In China, Aphidius gifuensis is one of the most common endoparasitoids of the green peach aphid Myzus persicae and grain aphid Sitobion miscanthi in the field. Insect odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) play vital roles in odor perception during feeding, host searching, mating and oviposition. In addition, some OBPs are involved in other physiological processes such as gustation and reproduction. In the present study, a comparative antennal transcriptomic analysis was applied between male and female A. gifuensis. The spatial expression patterns among antennae, heads, thoraxes, abdomens and legs of OBPs in both sexes were further profiled. Fifteen AgifOBPs were predicted, and 14 of them were identified by gene cloning, including 12 classic OBPs and 2 min-C OBPs. As expected, all OBPs were mainly expressed at high levels in antennae, heads or legs which are sensory organs and tissues. Finally, ligand binding properties of 2 OBPs (AgifOBP7 and AgifOBP9) were further evaluated. Female leg specifically expressed AgifOBP9 displays a broad and high binding property to aphid alarm pheromones, plant green volatiles and aphid sex pheromones (Ki < 10 μΜ). However, female leg specifically expressed AgifOBP7 displays poor affinity for all tested ligands except CAU-II-11 ((E)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-yl-2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoate), a reported (E)-β-farnesene (EBF) analog with an exceptionally high binding affinity (Ki = 1.07 ± 0.08 μΜ). In summary, we reported the spatial expression pattern of the OBP repertoire in A. gifuensis, and further studied the binding properties of OBP7 and OBP9, which are mainly expressed in female legs, laying the foundation for the dissection of the contribution of OBPs to chemosensation in A. gifuensis.


The Customer Dispute Resolution Scheme (CDRS) is the primary dispute resolution mechanism for financial disputes involving retail clients in the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC). As the QFC has grown the CDRS has also correspondingly developed. The Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) is currently reviewing the CDRS rules in an effort to further improve the performance of the tribunal. In support of this initiative, this paper reviews the regulatory framework underpinning the tribunal and offers recommendations as to how best to tighten and clarify the applicable rules and regulations. Similar tribunals are growing in popularity in many other parts of the world. As the prevalence of these tribunals increases, our understanding of the relationship between these bodies and the broader legal and regulatory environment also continues to develop. This paper contributes to the expanding body of research and literature on these types of forums, and places this emerging ADR trend specifically in the context of Qatar.


At of the end of 2005, Asia had the highest number of active civil war dyads. The number of active dyads in other regions was either low or declining. Africa, in particular, experienced a sharp drop in the number of active dyads from 2001 to 2005. Civil wars in Asia also last longer than wars in other regions. With a high number of warring dyads fighting in long wars, the expectation would be that the region would be the focus of third-party conflict management, but this is not the case. In this article, we use an original data set to take a closer look at this gap in expectations by focusing on third-party efforts in Southeast Asia between 1993 and 2004. Bilateral talks were the most common form of third-party engagement, but mediation has been the most likely form to lead to agreements between warring parties. We conclude the article with a discussion of the policy implications of this research.


The mucosa of the urinary bladder is protected from herniation through the bladder wall when the intracystic pressure is suddenly raised by the arrangement of the three interlacing muscle layers. The outer longitudinal layer has large loosely woven bundles, as has the inner longitudinal layer; the middle circular layer has small bundles and is much more closely woven. In sectioning bladder walls, it was found that frequently there are left loose fibrous tissue pathways extending entirely through the bladder wall when the intracystic pressure is suddenly raised, bundle interruption to cause them to be oblique (fig. 1). Such pathways, I consider to be the necessary congenital etiologic factor in the formation of diverticula. The acquired factor is the intracystic pressure which varies according to the strength and irritability of the bladder wall, the strength being influenced chiefly by any degree of muscular hypertrophy secondary to an obstruction. Opinion in late


In this talk I briefly summarize different models for σ2γtot (e+e−→γγ→hadrons) and contrast model predictions with the data. I will then discuss the capability of the future e+e− and γγ colliders to distinguish between various models and end with an outlook for future work.


Specimens from 20 human term placentas were stained with 4 different antisera produced against porcine relaxin (Rlx) using the avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase procedure. Cells of the parietal decidua adherent to the fetal membranes, cells of the chorionic cytotrophoblast, as well as cells of the placental basal plate consistently stained with all 4 anti-Rlx sera. Occasionally, Rlx was detected in epithelial cells lining the amniotic membrane. The syncytiotrophoblast stained for Rlx in 2 specimens only. This response was seen only in syncytiotrophoblast that lined villi in close proximity to the basal plate. Syncytiotrophoblast of the chorionic villi either did not stain at all or gave very weak positive immunostaining with the anti-Rlx sera in all specimens. No difference was noted in staining patterns among placentas delivered by elective cesarean section or vaginal delivery.


Background: Transitional object use is psychologically beneficial for young children, but research suggests that maintaining transitional object use into middle childhood may be associated with negative behaviour. Little is known about the continuation of transitional object use into adolescence, and few studies have been conducted with non-Western populations. Aim: To examine differences in attachment and attitudes to help seeking in adolescents who did and did not use a transitional object. Method: 723 adolescents from Taiwan (mean age 14 years) were asked about their current and past use of transitional objects. Measures of attachment were obtained using the Revised Adult Attachment Scale, and attitudes towards help was measured using the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help scale. Results: In total, 37% of the sample continued transitional object use in adolescence. Current use of a transitional object differentiated the sample on the measures of attachment and help seeking. Transitional object users were less likely to have secure attachments and less likely to express positive attitudes towards seeking help. Conclusion: Transitional object use is prevalent in Taiwanese adolescents, and we suggest that continued use of a transitional object acts as an indicator of potential withdrawal from support offered in schools.


Munchausen's syndrome by Proxy is a well-described entity that may not always be immediately considered in a complicated case. We describe this syndrome being portrayed through the guise of gastrointestinal bleeding in a 15 month old male and discuss not only the difficulty involved in solidifying this diagnosis but also the consequences that may occur should this diagnosis not be entertained. Failure to diagnose Munchausen's syndrome by proxy often results from failure to consider the diagnosis. These cases frequently have specific characteristics that allow seasoned clinicians to suspect the diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is considered, it is crucial to take steps to protect not only the index patient but also siblings who not infrequently are also recipients of this life threatening form of child abuse.


Background. Nurses engaged in mental health-related practice experience stress and burnout. We assessed the role of the practice of mindfulness in coping with these aspects of providing care in mental health settings. Methods. Mindfulness as a coping method was explored using qualitative methods to illuminate its impact on practice from the perspective of mental health nursing graduate students at the College of Nursing, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were obtained by semi-structured interviews in focus groups of these nurses. Results. The themes that emerged were (i) positive techniques; (ii) recognized stress; (iii) managing stress; (iv) acceptance; (v) psychological reaction; and (vi) physical responses. Conclusions. The themes that emerged in this study confirm the stresses faced by nurses practising in mental healthcare and suggest improved coping methods.