In an attempt to identify new immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-containing human molecules that may regulate hitherto unknown immune cell functions, we BLAST searched the National Center for Biotechnology Information database for ITAM-containing sequences. A human expressed sequence tag showing partial homology to the murine TJ6 (mTJ6) gene and encoding a putative ITAM sequence has been identified and used to clone the human TJ6 (hTJ6) gene from an HL-60-derived cDNA library. hTJ6 was found to encode a protein of 856 residues with a calculated mass of 98 155 Da. Immunolocalization and sequence analysis revealed that hTJ6 is a membrane protein with predicted six transmembrane-spanning regions, typical of ion channels, and a single putative ITAM (residues 452-466) in a juxtamembrane or hydrophobic intramembrane region. hTJ6 is highly homologous to Bos taurus 116-kDa subunit of the vacuolar proton-translocating ATPase. Over-expression of hTJ6 in HEK 293 cells increased H+ uptake into intracellular organelles, an effect that was sensitive to inhibition by bafilomycin, a selective inhibitor of vacuolar H+ pump. Northern blot analysis demonstrated three different hybridizing mRNA transcripts corresponding to 3.2, 5.0 and 7.3 kb, indicating the presence of several splice variants. Significant differences in hTJ6 mRNA levels in human tissues of different origins point to possible tissue-specific function. Although hTJ6 was found to be a poor substrate for tyrosine-phosphorylating enzymes, suggesting that its ITAM sequence is non-functional in protein tyrosine kinase-mediated signaling pathways, its role in organellar H+ pumping suggests that hTJ6 function may participate in protein trafficking/processing.


The research described in this thesis had the aim of preparing and investigating a new series of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrons with a fluorescent core for use in biological applications (e.g. labelling and imaging). Potential fluorophore cores based on N-alkylamino, N-arylamino or imidazole naphthalimide derivatives were screened and derivatives of 7H-benz[de]benzimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline-7-one were selected. Using this core several new water soluble fluorescent PAMAM dendrons were prepared and their photochemical and physicochemical properties studied. The dendrons are all fluorescent due to the core but in some cases this is modulated by interactions with the amine units in the dendritic structure. For all dendrons the fluorescence is linearly correlated with concentration and the pH of the aqueous solvent has a significant effect for both UV absorbance (ground state) and fluorescent emission (excited state). The strongest fluorescent emission of all carboxylate-terminated dendrons was pH 6. Physiochemical studies indicate that the self-diffusion coefficient and hydrodynamic radii are unaffected by concentration suggesting that there is no aggregation.  The confirmed properties (i.e. water solubility, high fluorescence at near neutral pH, and no aggregation) indicate that these new dendrons are promising for applications in biological studies. For example, initial studies suggest that the permeability of fluorescent core PAMAM dendrons across cell monolayers appear to be a function of the size of the dendrons. Preliminary studies also show that the fluorescent core binds to DNA, presumably by interaction of the aromatic core.


PURPOSE
To optimize the dose in bladder and rectum and show the different shapes of the isodose volumes in Co60-HDR brachytherapy, considering different utero and vaginal sources dwell ratio times (TU:TV).

METHODS
Besides Ir192-HDR, new Co60-HDR sources are being incorporated. We considered different TU:TV times and computed the dosis in bladder, rectum and at the reference points of the Manchester system. Also, we calculated the isodose volume and shape in each case. We used a EZAG-BEBIG Co0.A86 model with TPS HDRplus3.0.4. and LCT42-7, LCT42-2(R,L) applicators. A reference dose RA= 1.00 Gy was given to the A-right point. We considered the TU:TV dwell time ratios 1:0.25, 1:0.33, 1:0.5, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4. Given TU:TV, the stop time at each dwell position is fixed for each applicator.

RESULTS
Increasing TU:TV systematically results in a decreasing of the dose in bladder and rectum, e.g. 9% and 27% reduction were found in 1:0.25 with respect to 1:1, while 12% and 34% increase were found in 1:4 with respect to 1:1. Also, the isodose volume parameters height (h), width (w), thickness (t) and volume (hwt) increased from the 1:0.25 case to the 1:4 value: hwt is 25% lower and 31% higher than the 1:1 reference volume in these cases. Also w decreased for higher TU:TV and may compromise the tumoral volume coverage, decreasing 17% in the 1:0.25 case compared to the 1:1 case. The shape of the isodose volume was obtained for the different TU:TV considered.

CONCLUSION
We obtained the shape of isodose volumes for different TU:TV values in gynecological Co60-HDR. We studied the dose reduction in bladder and rectum for different TU:TV ratios. The volume parameters and hwt are strongly dependent on this ratio. This information is useful for a quantitative check of the TPS and as a starting point towards optimization.


Kalman filters have been used in numerous phased array radars to track satellites, reentry vehicles, and missiles. This paper considers the design of these filters to reduce computational requirements, ill-conditioning, and the effects of nonlinearities. Several special coordinate systems used to represent the Kalman filter error covariance matrix are described. These covariance coordinates facilitate the approximate decoupling required for practical filter design. A tutorial discussion and analysis of ill-conditioning in Kalman filters is used to motivate these design considerations. This analysis also explains several well-known phenomena reported in the literature. In addition, a discussion of nonlinearities and methods to mitigate their ill effects is included.


Reported observed intention-to-treat eradication rates for ranitidine bismuth citrate plus clarithromycin for 14 days range from 70-86% in studies from the USA and 82-96% in multinational studies carried out primarily in Europe. Two double-blind head-to-head comparisons with omeprazole plus clarithromycin or amoxycillin have shown that ranitidine bismuth citrate plus clarithromycin gives considerably higher eradication rates than the omeprazole based regimens. Ongoing studies will define the efficacy of shorter duration dual therapies and provide further data on two antibiotics with ranitidine bismuth citrate. The possibility that ranitidine bismuth citrate may help in the eradication of resistant organisms and even in the prevention of primary resistance requires further work to expand the preliminary in vitro observations. In the meantime, it can be concluded that ranitidine bismuth citrate, when used in conjunction with clarithromycin for 14 days, is an effective therapy for the eradication of H. pylori.


Preparing students to become top managers in today's global economy represents a major challenge for higher education. This article outlines the statistical data showing the importance of language skills and cultural competence for Europe's economy, and places in the context of European language policy the roles to be played by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the European Language Portfolio in assuring that those entering the business world will be prepared for a plurilingual and pluricultural Europe. How can schools and universities turn students into global leaders? How do we guarantee that our European graduates meet their employers' future needs for language skills and cultural competence? How does European language policy relate to the higher education curriculum and act as a quality assurance tool? To address these issues, we will describe the international and global context our students face, and then explore how the Council of Europe's common language rating scale and its complementary language portfolio together function as tools for quality assurance as required by the Bologna process


This paper proposes a technique to analyze surface acoustic wave (SAW) scattering at discontinuity in grating structures using the hierarchical cascading technique. The traveling wave excitation is applied to generate a specific SAW mode. Then the displacement distribution is obtained for the passive regions. The incident, reflected, and transmitted components are selectively evaluated by the Fourier transform so as to determine the scattering coefficients at the discontinuity. Rayleigh SAWs on the SiO2/128°YX-LiNbO3 structure and SH SAWs on the 42°YX-LiTaO3 structure are used as examples, and the behavior of two kinds of discontinuity are analyzed, and the obtained results are compared with those obtained by the COM model.


Position statement Today, in the world, there are more embedded systems then people. The use of digital systems pervades all areas of our lives, and this trend of producing digitally-aware environments will keep growing. In the future it will be normal to live surrounded by large numbers of heterogeneous devices, from domestic systems to complex applications like automotive, transportations, and medical control systems, which will communicate together through distributed and wireless interfaces. These complex heterogeneous digital systems will provide higher productivity and greater flexibility, but it is also accepted that they will not he fault-free. Moreover, the percentage of faults detected by any Endof-Production test will not be enough to guarantee the level of availability and reliability required by the market. In this context, the ability of a complex digital system to detect and possibly correct a fault (self-healing) plays a critical role. The state-of-the-art of the research in digital systems' self-healing has only recently started to address this problem from a system-level point of view.


Abstract In the random intercept model for clustered data, the random effect is typically assumed to be independent of predictors. Violation of this assumption due to unmeasured cluster-level confounding (endogeneity) induces bias in the estimates of effects of within-cluster predictors. Treating cluster-specific intercepts as fixed rather than random avoids this bias. The Hausman test contrasts the fixed effect estimator with the traditional random effect estimator in the random intercept model to test for the presence of cluster-level endogeneity and has a known asymptotic -distribution under correct model specification. Unmeasured cluster-level heterogeneity may, however, interact with predictors as well, necessitating random slope models. Relying on either cluster or residual resampling in a bootstrap procedure, we propose two extensions of the Hausman test that can easily be used beyond the random intercept model. We compare the original Hausman test and its robust version to the newly proposed bootstrap tests in terms of empirical type I error rate and power. Under additive unmeasured heterogeneity, all methods perform equally well, whereas the original and robust Hausman tests are too liberal or too conservative under additional slope heterogeneity, both bootstrap Hausman tests maintain appropriate performance. Moreover, both bootstrap tests show robustness against misspecification in the presence of unit-level heteroscedasticity and temporal correlation.


Judicial delays and high pendency is a serious problem that has rule of law and fundamental rights implications. Law and judicial reform in India aimed at reducing judicial delays and pendency have met with limited success since they have been almost solely focused on increasing the number of courts and such other supplydriven mechanisms without ascertaining the causes of delay. This paper argues for re-orienting law and judicial reform by engaging in empirical methods. In so arguing, this paper also exposes the difficulties in using empirical methods in India owing to the unavailability of crucial data. It also suggests some nonconventional solutions for more effective and efficient civil and criminal justice systems.


The authors report the results of a spectroscopic investigation of the radiative recombination processes occurring in a dense electron-hole plasma confined in quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor quantum wires. Intersubband transitions involving quantum wire states with quantum number as high as ny=5 are observed in the photoluminescence spectra recorded under stationary conditions of high excitation intensity. The temporal evolution of the luminescence is characterized by a decay time of about 800 ps longer than the one measured in the two-dimensional reference heterostructure.


This case study takes the reader through the multiple methods approach that was adopted for the research project "Influencers and Consequences of Organisational Commitment Within Sheffield City Region's mid-sized businesses." Quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (semi-structured, one-on-one interviews) were combined to answer the research question. The questionnaire was developed from an existing tool to measure organizational commitment, and the interviews were designed to dig deeper into the topic of commitment. The limitations and benefits of each approach are explored and the process of combining two styles of data is also considered.


In the present study, a CFD (computational fluid dynamics) three-dimensional model is performed to investigate the effects of the inlet temperature on the power density, pressure and local transport phenomena of a single cell PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) with straight channels. Deferent inlet temperatures of the reactants (333, 343 and 353 K) have been investigated using ANSYS-FLUENT. The interest of our work is focused on obtaining I-P and I-V curves as well as the pressure, hydrogen, oxygen and water mass fraction profiles to analyze the effect of the oxygen and hydrogen inlet temperature on the current, voltage and power densities of the studied PEMFC. From the results obtained its appears that the variation in the inlet temperature values of the PEMFC has a significant influence on the cell performances at medium and higher current density. Therefore, the results analysis of the three-dimensional and single-phase model indicates that the increase in the reactants' inlet temperature of the studied PEMFC shows a negative impact on the generated power densities, which have an inversely proportional effect.


In a reservoir, gravity forces lead fluids to stratify according to their density, and transitions zones appear around contacts (water-oil and gas-oil contacts). These transitions zones are gradual variations of saturation of each phase. These saturations are often generated using geostatistical methods leading to errors in the calculations of fluid in place. They must be calculated in a physical manner using capillary pressure curves associated with lithofacies. In this paper, a physical volumetric method to calculate the hydrocarbon in place with a high-resolution geological model is used on data coming from a synthetic field: the Brugge field. The uncertainties on hydrocarbons in place are evaluated using the Monte-Carlo method.


In view of the widespread difficulties being encountered in introducing the kilopascal for blood pressure measurements, the 1981 World Health Assembly endorsed an earlier recommendation for a gradual change to the SI unit, but recommended that both the millimetre of mercury and the kilopascal be used simultaneously in the interim. A new name, "the sievert" (Sv), for the SI unit of dose equivalent (ionizing radiation), and other changes related to the "litre", the "candela", and the "radian" and "steradian" are reported.


Innovation strategies of firms in industrial clusters will change at different stages of the lifecycle of industrial cluster. Innovation ability and organizational forms of firms in cluster also evolve with the development of industrial clusters. Government policies and regulations contribute to cluster growth and technical innovation. But the role of government in cluster development also differs at different stages of cluster lifecycle.


viii, 71 p. : ill. A Master's Project
Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the
Master's Degree in Arts Management,
Arts and Administration Program,
School of Architecture and Allied Arts,
University of Oregon,
June 2011


Minimally actuated millirobotic crawlers navigate unreliably over uneven terrain-even when designed with inherent stability-mostly because of manufacturing variabilities and a lack of good models for ground interaction. In this paper, we investigate the performance of a legged robot as it traverses three distinct rough terrains: tile, carpet, and gravel. Furthermore, we present an accurate, robust, low-lag, and efficient algorithm for terrain classification that uses vibration data from the on-board inertial measurement unit and motor control data from back-EMF sensing and magnetic encoders.


When a layered half-space is subjected to loads which move uniformly along its surface, the deformation of the half-space depends on the manner in which the load couples into the surface-wave modes. The uniform speed of the load selects those parts of the modal spectra that have phase velocities equal to the load speed. The restriction that the phase velocity be real leads to novel dispersion relations for the leaky modes, but the trapped mode dispersion relations are the usual ones. In this paper general expressions are derived for the solution for uniformly moving line loads on an elastic half-space containing an arbitrary number of layers. In addition to the modal contributions, the solution contains contributions from source singularities and a line integral that reduce to the static solution as the load speed tends to zero. The details are worked out for the special case of a single low-speed layer lying on a high-speed half-space. For the modes, real and imaginary parts of frequency and velocity amplitudes at various depths are presented as functions of frequency. Total velocity waveforms are shown for selected load speeds and depths.


A new pyridine functionalized N-heterocyclic silane with ambident reactivity as a ligand has been synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C{1H}, 29Si), mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and X-ray crystallography. This ligand reacts with iridium and rhodium cod precursors (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) to yield two new complexes that possess divergent, and unexpected, binding properties. In particular, no oxidative addition occurs at the intraligand Si-H unit. With the iridium(I) center, the ligand acts as a tertiary amino-pyridine chelator, whereas coordination of rhodium(I) to the ligand occurs with arene π-complexation on an opposite side. The latter interaction yields an unprecedented, electronically induced, coordination change at the silicon center over a long spatial distance. The new iridium and rhodium compounds are of high interest as they provide two potentially different reactions sites in one complex and as these sorts of complexes are known to activate small molecules like d...


Aim: the aim of this survey was twofold: (i): to assess medical students' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding nutrition in general, in order to identify their level of competences in the field of nutrition which will be useful in their future role of providers/health care professionals, and; (ii) to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the discipline of public health nutrition in order to identify the needs for improving the curriculum of this subject in all the branches of the University of Medicine in Tirana.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in June-July 2013 including a representative sample of 347 students at the University of Medicine in Tirana, Albania (61% females and 39% males; overall mean age: 23±2 years; response rate: 87%). A nutritional questionnaire, adopted according to the models used in previous international studies, was used to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices among the university students.
Results: Overall, about one third of the students was not satisfied with the quality and quantity of nutritional education and demanded a more scientifically rigorous curriculum. In general, students' knowledge about infant feeding practices was adequate. However, there were gaps in the students' knowledge regarding the commencement of breastfeeding, or the duration of exclusive breast-feeding. Furthermore, there was evidence of an insufficient level of knowledge among students regarding diet and nutrition in general and their health impact, especially on development and prevention of chronic diseases.
Conclusion: This survey identified significant gaps in the current curriculum of public health nutrition at the University of Medicine in Tirana. Our findings suggest the need for intervention programs to improve both the quantitative and the qualitative aspects of nutrition curricula in all the branches of the University of Medicine Tirana, in accordance with the professional expectations of this teaching institution, as well as the urge for a movement towards a more integrated curriculum and problem-based learning approach.


High resolution reflectance spectra, in the range from 400 to 850 nm, were acquired in Lake Kinneret during a period when dense populations of the dinoflagellate Peridinium gatunense dominated phytoplankton. Chlorophyll concentrations ranged from 5.1 to 185 mg.m-3 and from 2.4 to 187 mg.m-3 in the samples of two independent experiments. The most prominent features of the reflectance spectra were: 1) a wide minimum from 400 to 500 nm; 2) a maximum at 550-570 nm, which did not surpass 3% in samples with high chlorophyll concentration (> 20 mg.m-3), indicating a strong absorption by pigments in the green range of the spectrum; 3) a minimum at 676 nm. It was approximately 1%, and was almost insensitive to variation in chlorophyll concentration > 10 mg.m-3; and 4) a maximum reflectance showed near 700 nm. Its magnitude and position were highly dependent on chlorophyll concentration. High spectral resolution data were used as a guideline for the selection of the most suitable spectral bands for chlorophyll remote sensing. The ratio of the red reflectance maximum, near 700 nm, to the red minimum, near 670 nm, and also reflectance height above the baseline from 670 to 850 nm were used for construction of algorithms for chlorophyll determination. The best model, validated by independent data set, enabled estimation of chlorophyll concentration with an error of < 6.5 mg.m-3. For the purpose of chlorophyll mapping in Lake Kinneret, the use of three relatively narrow spectral bands was sufficient. Therefore, a relatively simple sensor, with only few bands will be employed in future applications for chlorophyll monitoring in inland waters. Radiometric data were also used to simulate radiances in the channels of TM Landsat and to find the algorithm for chlorophyll assessment. The ratio of channel 4 to channel 3 was used and enable chlorophyll estimation with an error of < 15 mg.m-3. This algorithm was used to map chlorophyll in the entire area of Lake Kinneret with 10 gradations.


Foundation species, which help maintain habitat and ecosystem functioning, are declining due to anthropogenic impacts. Within the rocky intertidal ecosystem, studies have investigated the effects of foundation species on community structure and some resource fluxes; however, how intertidal foundation species loss will affect multiple facets of ecosystem functioning in concert remains unknown. We studied the direct and indirect effects of foundation species loss of mussels Mytilus californianus and surfgrass Phyllospadix spp. on community structure, fluxes (light, temperature, dissolved oxygen [DO], dissolved inorganic nutrients, pHT), and ecosystem metabolism (net ecosystem calcification [NEC] and net ecosystem production [NEP]) in central Oregon using in situ tide pool manipulations. Surfgrass loss increased microalgae cover, increased average maximum light by 142% and average maximum temperature by 3.8°C, increased DO and pHT values, and indirectly increased NEP and NEC via increased maximum temperature and pHT respectively. Mussel loss increased microalgae cover, increased average maximum light by 5.8% and average maximum temperature by 1.3°C, increased DO and pHT values, and indirectly increased NEP via increased producer cover. Shifts in baseline nutrient concentrations and temperature values from coastal upwelling influenced ecosystem metabolism in pools with intact foundation species. Our results indicate that as communities respond to foundation species loss, ecosystem functioning depends on the dominant community present and biologically or physically driven shifts in biogeochemistry. This study highlights the importance of the connection between community and ecosystem ecology in understanding the magnitude of changes occurring with anthropogenicallydriven intertidal foundation species loss.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the aqueous humor concentration of levofloxacin 0.5%, gatifloxacin 0.3% and levofloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution after topical dosing in human eyes.

METHODS
A randomized, double-blind and parallel study was conducted. Senile cataract patients (150 eyes in 150 cases) receiving phacoemulsification in eye center affiliated second hospital of Zhejiang university were randomized into three groups: levofloxacin 0.5%, 50 eyes;gatifloxacin 0.3%, 50 eyes and levofloxacin 0.3%, 50 eyes. Each group was randomized into five sub-groups, with 10 eyes in each sub-group. Each group received either levofloxacin 0.5% or topical gatifloxacin 0.3% or levofloxacin 0.3% preoperatively. One drop of antibiotic was administered every 15 minutes for 4 doses. More than 100 microl aqueous samples were obtained from different sub-groups during surgery, 15.0, 30.0, 60.0, 120.0 and 180.0 min after the last drop, respectively. Then 100 microl aqueous samples were put into test tube by sample injector accurately. Concentration of the antimicrobial agents was determined by the HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography). Variance analysis was performed to detect differences among the antibiotic treatment groups. The differences between two groups were assumed by t-test.

RESULTS
Humor concentration of levofloxacin 0.5% (1.61 +/- 0.48), (2.41 +/- 0.80), (2.93 +/- 0.50), (2.56 +/- 0.63), (1.87 +/- 0.88) mg/L was significantly higher than that of gatifloxacin 0.3% (0.70 +/- 0.18), (1.29 +/- 0.54), (1.59 +/- 0.67), (1.41 +/- 0.50), (1.13 +/- 0.28) mg/L and levofloxacin 0.3% (0.55 +/- 0.39), (1.15 +/- 0.42), (1.38 +/- 0.49), (1.02 +/- 0.33), (0.55 +/- 0.31) mg/L at the same period after the last drop (F = 23.64, 12.82, 21.13, 25.00, 12.22;P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
Topically applied levofloxacin 0.5% had the higher aqueous humor drug level than gatifloxacin 0.3% and levofloxacin 0.3%.


There are an estimated 10000 severe cervical spinal cord injuries and fatalities in the US annually of which about half are attributed to auto accidents. Sports injuries including diving accidents account for about one quarter of them. Severe neck injuries seldom occur without head impact. Hyperextension and hyperflexion injuries which are usually not incapacitating are the most numerous. The mechanisms of the common types of neck injury are described. Protection of the neck is difficult as helmets provide essentially no neck protection. The three point harness is the most effective protection against neck injury.(a) for the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 809721.


To evaluate the effect of straight-chain alkanes on normal detoxication reactions, we studied the in vitro effect of the homologous series n-hexane through n-dodecane on two cytochrome P-450 (EC 220.127.116.11) enzyme activities. Benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase (BaPOHase) and 7-ethoxycoumarin deethylase activities were measured in liver and lung microsomes of control and beta-naphthoflavone-treated rats. In the presence of 2 mM n-hexane through n-dodecane, liver BaPOHase activity decreased from 67% of control with n-dodecane to 21% of control with octane. Lung benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase was insensitive to all tested alkanes at 2 mM. In the presence of 2 mM alkanes, liver 7-ethoxycoumarin deethylase activity decreased from 73% of control with n-octane to 28% with n-octane. Lung 7-ethoxycoumarin deethylase was also sensitive to the alkane series. In the presence of 2 mM alkane the greatest effect was obtained with n-octane and represented a 56% loss in activity. Alkane concentration-dependence measurements showed 0.02-0.20 mM as the sensitive region of the curve for n-octane with maximal loss of activity achieved at 0.20 mM. Liver ethoxycoumarin deethylase activity from beta-naphthoflavone-treated rats was less sensitive towards the reactive alkane, n-octane, than the activity from control rats. Double-reciprocal-plot analysis revealed the maximal velocity (Vmax) was decreased in the presence of 0.2 mM n-octane. Hence this hydrocarbon did not exert its effect solely as an alternate substrate. The data show the n-alkanes, n-hexane through n-dodecane, interfered with a normal detoxication pathway in a manner that was chainlength-dependent, tissue-specific, and dependent on the preexposure history of the animal.


Monocyte activation and adhesion to the endothelium play important roles in inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. These processes are further aggravated by hyperglycemia, leading to cardiovascular complications in diabetes. We have previously shown that high glucose (HG) treatment activates monocytes and induces the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha via oxidant stress and nuclear factor-kB transcription factor. To determine the effects of HG on the expression of other inflammatory genes, in the present study, HG-induced gene profiling was performed in THP-1 monocytes using cytokine gene arrays containing 375 known genes. HG treatment upregulated the expression of 41 genes and downregulated 15 genes that included chemokines, cytokines, chemokines receptors, adhesion molecules, and integrins. RT-PCR analysis further confirmed that HG significantly increased the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), TNF-alpha, beta(2)-integrin, interleukin-1beta, and others. HG treatment increased transcription of the MCP-1 gene, MCP-1 protein levels, and adhesion of THP-1 cells to endothelial cells. HG-induced MCP-1 mRNA expression and monocyte adhesion were blocked by specific inhibitors of oxidant stress, protein kinase C, ERK1/2, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases. These results show for the first time that multiple inflammatory cytokines and chemokines relevant to the pathogenesis of diabetes complications are induced by HG via key signaling pathways.


BACKGROUND: Berberine is a natural compound found to have numerous pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It has been the subject of intensive scientific research; however, there has been scanty information on its subacute effect on appetite and body weight. This work was done to evaluate the body weight, organ weight, and appetite of adult albino Wistar rats treated with berberine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty adult apparently healthy rats having a weight range between 200 and 230 g were used for this study. The rats were divided into four groups of five per group and fed with pellets and water ad libitum. Group A served as the control, Group B were fed with 2 mg/kg of berberine, Group C with 20 mg/kg, while Group D were fed with 200 mg/kg body weight. Doses were administered once daily using oral gavage for 28 days. Feed and water intake were monitored, calculated, and values recorded. Body weights of the animals were also monitored weekly and the values recorded. The animals were anesthetized with chloroform before the time of sacrifice. Necropsy was performed and the tissues (liver, lungs, heart, and kidneys) were weighed and values recorded. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in the feed (119.21 ± 5.22 and 120.83 ± 5.54) and water (148.26 ± 6.30 and 153.21 ± 5.02) intake in the 20 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg berberine-treated rats, respectively. Statistical differences in the body weights (253.83 ± 5.63 and 255.04 ± 5.47) of the 20 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg berberine-treated rats, respectively, were noted when compared to the control. CONCLUSION: The result showed that berberine caused a significant increase in appetite and weight at concentrations as high as 20 mg/kg.


Extreme event attribution characterizes how anthropogenic climate change may have in fl uenced the probability and magnitude of selected individual extreme weather and climate events. Attribution statements often involve quanti fi cation of the fraction of attributable risk (FAR) or the risk ratio (RR) and associated con fi dence intervals. Many such analyses use climate model output to characterize extreme event behavior with and without anthropogenic in fl uence. However, such climate models may have biases in their representation of extreme events. To account for discrepancies in the probabilities of extreme events between observational datasets and model datasets, we demonstrate an appropriate rescaling of the model output based on the quantiles of the datasets to estimate an adjusted risk ratio. Our methodology accounts for various components of uncertainty in estimation of the risk ratio. In particular, we present an approach to construct a one-sided con fi dence interval on the lower bound of the risk ratio when the estimated risk ratio is in fi nity. We demonstrate the methodology using the summer 2011 central US heatwave and output from the Community Earth System Model. In this ex-ample, we fi nd that the lower bound of the risk ratio is relatively insensitive to the magnitude and probability of the actual event.


Let G be a Lie group modelled on a locally convex space, with Lie algebra g, and k be a non-negative integer or infinity. We say that G is C^k-semiregular if each C^k-curve c in g admits a left evolution Evol(c) in G. If, moreover, the map taking c to evol(c):=Evol(c)(1) is smooth, then G is called C^k-regular. For G a C^k-semiregular Lie group and m an order of differentiability, we show that evol is C^m if and only if Evol is C^m. If evol is continuous at 0, then evol is continuous. If G is a C^0-semiregular Lie group, then continuity of evol implies its smoothness (so that G will be C^0-regular), if smooth homomorphisms from G to C^0-regular Lie groups separate points on G and g is (e.g.) sequentially complete. Further criteria for regularity properties are provided, and used to prove regularity for several important classes of Lie groups. Notably, we find that the Lie group Diff(M) of smooth diffeomorphisms of a paracompact finite-dimensional smooth manifold M (which need not be sigma-compact) is C^1-regular. We also provide tools which enable to show that the Lie group of analytic diffeomorphisms of a compact real analytic manifold is C^1-regular.


Background . Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the common neurodegenerative diseases. Several genes are known (SNCA, PARK2, PINK1, PARK7 (DJ-1) and LRRK2), mutations in which have a pathological significance in the development of monogenic PD; association with PD of other genes (for example, UCHL1, ATP13A2) requires further study. It is also known, that GBA gene is associated with an increased risk of PD developing. Aim . Analysis of mutations and polymorphisms in the PARK2, PINK1, SNCA, ATP13A2, PARK7, LRRK2, UCHL, GCH1 and GBA genes in patients with PD from Krasnoyarsk region. Material and methods . The 60 patients with sporadic and familial forms of PD were included in the study. The SALSA MLPA Holland P051 and P052 kits («MRC Amsterdam», The Netherlands) were used to detect deletions and duplications in the PARK2, PINK1, SNCA, ATP13A2, PARK7, LRRK2, UCHL, GCH1 genes, as well as point mutations A30P in the SNCA gene and G2019S in the LRRK2 gene. Analysis of the GBA gene was carried out by Senger sequencing. Results . None of the 60 patients had mutations that were searched with the SALSA MLPA Holland P051 and P052 kits. 6 different mutations in the GBA gene were found in 9 out of 60 patients with PD. L444P («severe» PD — associated mutation) — in two patients, D409H («severe» PD — associated mutation) — in one patient, T369M (polymorphism, possibly associated with PD) — in two patients, E326K (polymorphism, possibly associated with PD) — in one patient, V460V (synonymous variant, which is part of the composition of the complex RecNcil mutation (p.L444P; p.A456P; p.V460V) associated with PD) — in two patients and variant C.*92g>A (3' — UTR polymorphism, possibly associated with PD) — in one patient. Two patients had compound heterozygous carriers of two variants. Conclusion . This paper presents the genetic analysis results of the PD associated genes among patients from the Krasnoyarsk region. No mutations were detected in the PARK2, PINK1, SNCA, ATP13A2, PARK7, LRRK2, UCHL and GCH1 genes. Genetic variants analysis of the GBA gene showed similar frequency in the patients from the Krasnoyarsk region as in European populations.


The life of the chemist Mario Betti (1875-1942) is presented by focusing on the activity performed at the University of several Italian cities. Born in Bagni di Lucca, a small town in Tuscany, in 1897 he graduated in chemistry at the University of Pisa, under the supervision of Roberto Schiff, nephew of the famous Ugo. In 1900, he moved to the University of Florence, where he published a three component reaction which became known world-wide as the Betti reaction and, nowadays, represents a synthetic tool of increasing use. The product deriving from the reaction can be easily obtained optically resolved and used as ligand in catalysts of nucleophilic attack on carbonyl compounds. Since then, stereochemistry was the subject in which the most relevant achievements of the Italian chemist were made. After working in Florence, Betti spent a ten years long period at the University of Siena, where he covered the role of faculty dean and rector. In 1922 he was hired by the University of Bologna as successor of the famous Giacomo Ciamician. In this article the many merits of this open minded and farsighted man will be presented against a background with chemistry and chemists of the 20th century playing  on the scene. The conclusion is reached that the chemical heritage of Mario Betti, after a long time from his death, appears richer than previously thought.


BACKGROUND
Despite observed huge progress in understanding the immunological basis of transplantation and the development of new immunosuppressive agents that have significantly improved both -- the patient and graft survival, still the kidney donation from live volunteers remains the most consistent factor which affects the long-term survival. The conventional, open method of donor nephrectomy is associated with significant surgical trauma. The laparoscopic live-donor nephrectomy (LDN) is the alternative for open approach.

CASE REPORT
We present our experience of the case of laparoscopic removal of the kidney from a living donor. We applied retroperitoneoscopic access, the operation time was 210 minutes. Kidney was implanted shortly after LDN and its immediate function was observed. We have observed no serious postoperative complications either in donor or recipient.

CONCLUSIONS
We hope that this successful initial case of LDN will have a positive effect on cooperation between transplantologists and urologists, and on rate of kidney donation in Poland.


Current technologies allow designers to use several components, like processors, memories or hardware accelerators to build a multiprocessor system on-chip. In such systems, communication can be done by passing messages between components. In this paper, a flexible subset implementation of the message passing standard, called SoC-MPI, for multiprocessor systems on-chip is presented. The implementation hides the complexity of hardware from the programmer, but then uses hardware supported functions to enhance communication. Additionally, the message passing library is integrated in an architecture synthesis flow, which has the goal to create the best possible architecture from a given parallel application. Hence several communication networks (currently limited to Xilinx FPGAs) are supported by the library to enhance design flexibility. The SoC-MPI library is evaluated with several benchmarks, including the singular value decomposition.


Summary
The livers of mice infected with S. mansoni showed a reduced ability to oxidize succinic acid despite the fact that endogenous respiration was little affected. The effect on the succinoxidase activity is possibly, in part, attributable to the incorporation within the liver of extra-hepatic tissues, but the existence of a toxic influence by the infection was not ignored. The total nitrogen of infected liver was slightly higher than that of normal liver and an increase in liver collagen accompanied the present infections. No effect of preliminary extracts of infected liver and adult worm were obtained on the succinoxidase system of normal mouse liver. Tyrosinase activity of mouse liver was unaffected by the infection but the glycolytic mechanism was somewhat reduced in activity.


Supply chain management (SCM) is the term used to describe the management of the flow of materials, information, and funds across the entire supply chain, from suppliers to component producers to final assemblers to distribution (warehouses and retailers), and ultimately to the consumer. A case on the supply chain cost has been presented and the optimum cost is found out using numerical method. 16.35% efficiency increment observed after applying supply chain systems.


The effect of different methods of transanal excision on the recurrence rate of rectal adenomas is unknown. We report on a retrospective comparison of the effectiveness of excising rectal adenomas using Park's submucosal method with "piece-meal" excision. Over a 5 year period, 59 patients had 43 rectal adenomas excised by Park's submucosal method, and 65 removed by "piece-meal" excision involving the use of biopsy forceps and diathermy snares. The groups were matched for age (average 69 years), sex (male:female ratio 2:1), and follow-up period (average 27 months). Compared with piece-meal excision, submucosal excision more often completely excised the tumour (F=11.0, p=0.001), but was unable to reach as far from the anal margin (F=8.7, p=0.004). More patients required subsequent adenoma excisions in the piece- meal excision group than the submucosal group (F=6.1, p=0.01). In conclusion, rectal adenomas should be removed by Park's submucosal method if possible, but careful follow-up is always recommended. Immunohistochemical studies in liver biopsies have shown that several vascular adhesion molecules are induced in a variety of liver diseases, eg. transplant rejection, viral, alcoholic and autoimmune hepatitis. Recently soluble forms of these molecules have been described but their diagnostic and prognostic importance have yet to be defined. METHODS. Enzyme linked immunoassay techniques were used to measure soluable ICAM-1, E-selectin and GMP-140 (P-selectin) in serum of patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (AI-CAH, n=6) and hepatitis C related liver disease (HCV, n=7). RESULTS. Increased levels of soluble ICAM-1 were found in all patients with AI-CAH (823.5 + 263.4 ng/ml, mean + SD) and patients with HCV infection (845.6 + 240 ng/ml). The levels of soluble E-selectin were slightly increased in 50% of patients with AI-CAH and HCV. Similarly, the levels of soluble P-selectin were increased in 50% of patients with AI-CAH and HCV. In patients with active AI-CAH the levels of soluble ICAM-1 and E-selectin fell with subsequent steroid therapy. Levels of soluble ICAM-1 correlated with serum ALT and the levels of E-selectin correlated with P-selectin (p<0.01), no other correlations were noted. CONCLUSIONS. We have found increased levels of ICAM 1, E-selectin and P-selectin in patients with AI-CAH and HCV related liver disease. The increased levels in active AI-CAH fall with steroid therapy. bile acids (e.g. chenodeoxy cholic acid, CDCA) and that the therapeutic effectofthe hydrophilic acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is that it reduces this damage; but the mechanism involved in liver damage and the production of anti mitochondrial antibodies have not been defined. Ouraim was to examine the effect of hydrophobic and hydrophilic bile acids on structure and function of human hepatocyte mitochondria. Mitochondria were prepared using sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation from wedge liver biopsies obtained from patients without liver disease . To investigate structural effect, we measured mitochondrial protein solubilisation by CDCA and UDCA (0-10 mM). To investigate functional effect, we studied mitochondrial electron transfer by measuring the activity of succinate cytochrome C reductase. Protein solubilisation by CDCA was detected at 0.5mM bile acid concentration and reached a maximum of 50%; with UDCA it was detected at 2mrM and reached a maximum of only 20%. CDCA markedly inhibited mitochondrialelectrontransferbycomparson to UDCA for all given bile acid concentrations. At 1 mM bile acid concentration, CDCA achieved an inhibition of 80%, whereas UDCA only achieved a maximal inhibition of 30% at a concentrationof10 mM. We have demonstrated that hydrophobic bile acids damage hepatocyte mitochondrial structure and function and that addition of UDCA is protective. We speculate that the beneficial effectofUDCA in PBC may be related to the improvement in mitochondrial oxygen udlisation and ATP formation, and thathydrophobic bile acid damage to mitochondria related to the formation of antimitochondrial antibodies. driven immune response, resulting in an expansion of that the rate of GE increases with increasing volumes of VP8+ve T cells, is important in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. sclerosant injected. These results suggest that injection sclerotherapy results in progressive vagal damage which alters GE and may exacerbate PHG. Microalbuminuria greater than 20 micrograms/min in early morning urine samples in diabetics, hypertensive and elderly independendy predicts diabetic nephropathy and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Microalbuminuria is also considered to be a non-specific marker for acute illness (including myocardial infarction) when it may be an indicator of the acute phase response, and for malignancy when it probably reflects a microvascular response to tumor related mediators. Microalbuminuria may have a prognosdc value in acute illness or response to treatment. Microalbuminuria has not been previously described in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We studied microalbuminuria in 70 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [ulcerative colitis (n = 49), Crohn's disease (n = 21)]. 38 patients were in complete clinical remission and 32 patients had active disease. Microalburinuria was detected in all patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease including 10 patients who were not receiving any medication, (212 +/- 234 vs controls mean 26 +/- 13 mg/24hrs, x +/- SD, < 0.007). Padents with active IBD had higher levels of microalbuninuria compared to patients in remission (mean 298 +/- 179 vs 94 +/-82 mg/24hrs, p < 0.001). Five patients with acdve IBD were than sequendally followed up with measurements of nicroalbuminuria; significandy lower levels were detected when the disease was inactive (acdve IBD mean 276 +/- 181 vs inacdve IBD mean 92 +/- 56, p < 0.03). We have also measured serum Interleukin-6 and Amyloid-A (SAA) as indicators of the acute phase response in the same patients. Stadsdcally significant high levels of SAA were recorded in patients with IBD (111 +/- 177 vs controls mean 11 +/- 9 ug/ml, p < 0.05). SAA was significantly increased in acdve disease as compared to inacdve disease (151 +/- 204 vs 33 +/-27 ug/ml, p < 0.03). Interleukin 6 levels were detectable in 17 patients with IBD but did not correlate with disease activity. However microalbuminuria correlates more closely with actdve disease than serum Interleucin-6 and SAA. There was no correlation between levels of SAA and microalbuminuria. CONCLUSION: Microalbuminuria is present in abnormal amounts in all ! padents with active inflamnatory bowel disease and levels fall when the disease is inactive. Microalbuminuria is probably a consequence of an acute phase response and provides a simple, rapid and cheap test which may potentially be used to monitor the inflammatory bowel disease activity and response to therapy. a distinct group of female patients who the onset of severe constipation to hysterectomy. These data suggest that The basal MI was 4561 + 468. Infusion of octreotide resulted in a gives excellent funct ofMI (E3C50 3x10-12M; max inhibition 24%) regard to night leakag and decrease in peak pressures in the ranges 10-20 and >20 mmHg but putative neoplastic i not 0-10 mmHg (1C603x10-12M; max inhibition of peak waves > 20 mmHg mucosa. 63%). These data indicate that octreotide decreases the motility index by inhibition of high pressure waves in the rabbit distal colon. It is possible that octreotide may prove a useful pharmacotheapeutic probe for the amelioration of the postoperative motility perturbations generally characterized as lleus. The non-specificity of symptoms results in large number of negative DCBEs. Barium enemas are inconvenient and unpleasant for the patient and involve exposure to ionising radiation. It is desirable to reduce the number of DCBEs requested without reducing the diagnostic yield for carcinomas. We report the results of a six year prospective study of all new patients presenting with symptoms of colorectal disease. The data was analyzed after 4 years and the contribution that the DCBE made to the overall diagnostic yield for carcinomas determined. These results were reported back to the clinicians and the study continued for a further two years to measure the effect. The clinicians formed two groups: a consultant who remained throughout the study, and surgical trainees who changed every six months. No selection policy was used to allocate patients to either group. In all 2992 patients were seen over six years. Over the first four years the consultant saw 1527 patients and requested 312 enemas (20.4%) while the trainees saw 277 patients and requested 102 enemas (36.8%) (significant difference X2=45.8, p<0.001). The consultant detected 101 carcinomas (6.6% yield), the trainees found 15 (5.4% yield) (no significant difference X2=0.64,p=0.01). During the last two years the consultant saw 902 patients, requested DCBEs on 60 (6.7%) and diagnosed 44 carcinomas (4.9% yield). In contrast the trainees saw 286 patients, requested 72 DCBEs (25%) and diagnosed 13 carcinomas (4.5% yield). This represents a significant fall in the overall request rate for DCBEs (X2=94.2,p<0.001) with no significant change in the diagnostic yield for carcinomas (X2=5.26,p=0.O1). Conclusion: The process of auditing the use and results of barium enemas has resulted in a significant fall in the request rate for barium enemas without a concomitant fall in the overall diagnostic yield for carcinomas. A number of prognostic serum markers are emerging which may have equal or superior sensitivity and specificity to scoring systems in acute pancreatitis (AP). No single study has prospectively evaluated these serum markers viz. interleuldn-6 (IL-6), polymorphonuclear elastase (PMNE), C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF). The purpose of the present study was to compare the serum markers with


Nepali women constitute more than half of the country's population. Due to the continuous dominance of the patriarchal value system they remain discriminated and treated as second-class citizens. The current Constitution incorporates specific provisions to provide some political support to women. Despite special measures set by the government for women's political participation, women have not been benefited from such measures. Present paper is an attempt made to analyse status of Nepalese women in various sphere of socio-economic life.   Key words: Patriarchal; Constitution; Political participation; Special measures.  The Himalayan Review 35-36 (2004-2005) 65-77


Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate effective management strategies for 14 sources of supply chain uncertainty, with a particular emphasis on uncertainties or strategies that involve ethical issues. Design/methodology/approach Manufacturing strategy theory, underpinned by alignment and contingency theory, is used as the theoretical foundation. Multi-case study data are collected from 12 companies in the Indonesian food industry, including four focal manufacturers, four first-tier suppliers, and four first-tier customers (retailers). Findings Within the context of appropriately aligned management strategies to address 14 sources of uncertainty, three ethical issues are empirically identified: first, collusion amongst suppliers to ration supplies and increase prices; second, unethical influences on government policy; and third, "abuse" of power by large retailers at the expense of smaller competitors. Joint purchasing is argued to be a key strategy for combatting the first of these ethical issues. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to the Indonesian food industry, and so further research is needed in other cultures/contexts. Practical implications Management strategies that aim to reduce an uncertainty at its source lead to better overall supply chain performance than strategies that merely cope with uncertainty, which only have an impact on firm-level performance. Social implications The ethical issues identified have implications for fair negotiations between customers and suppliers. Originality/value This study is unique in its in-depth case study-based empirical investigation of the management of multiple supply chain uncertainties; and in its discussion of ethical issues in this context.


Statement of Problem: Complete root canal seal is one of the most important aims of root canal treatment. Elimination of smear layer plays an important role in this regard. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the apical microleakage of Tubliseal sealer when 17% EDTA, 7% citric acid, or 20% citric acid was used to remove the smear layer. Materials and Method: In this experimental study, 80 single rooted teeth were selected. The crowns were removed from cemento enamel junction (CEJ). Instrumentation of the canal was performed by the step back method. The teeth were randomly divided into 3 experimental groups of 20 and 2 control groups of 10 (positive and negative groups). Final irrigation was implemented as follows:  group1; EDTA17%+NaOCl, group2; 7% citric acid + NaOCl and group3; 20% citric acid + NaOCl. Then, the groups were obturated with gutta percha and Tubliseal sealer. Lateral condensation technique was carried out in all groups. The teeth were stored in 100% humidity and 37oC for 48 hours. The root surfaces other than the apical 2mm were covered with 2 layers of nail polish. After that, the teeth were placed in metylene blue dye for 72 hours.  Then, the teeth were sectioned longitudinally with a diamond disk and the degree of dye penetration was measured. The results were statistically analyzed by one-way Variance and Post Hoc Tukey tests. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the groups ( p < 0.05). The least amount of dye penetration (2.59mm) was belonged to 17% EDTA group and the highest mean dye penetration occurred in the group in which 20% citric acid was used (3.59mm). Conclusion: The results of this in vitro study indicates that when a ZOE-based sealer is used for obturation of the root canal system, EDTA is recommended to remove the smear layer. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the main purpose of removing the smear layer is not only to clean the dentinal tubules from organic and inorganic debris, but also to create a dentinal surface structure that best fits the characteristics of the sealer used for root canal obturation. Key words: Smear layer, Irrigation protocols, Dye penetration, Tubliseal


Asthma is characterized by discordant responses among cells of the adaptive and innate immune systems. This interplay involves a complex pattern of cytokine‐driven processes resulting in cell migration and recruitment, inflammation, and proliferative states. The significant majority of asthmatic patients respond well to conventional inhaled treatments. However, about 5% of asthmatics have severe refractory asthma and account for 50% of the health expenditure on asthma. Human(ized) monoclonal antibodies (hMabs) targeting inflammatory pathways are promising therapeutic agents in asthma management. The anti‐IgE hMab omalizumab was the first biologic treatment approved for the treatment of allergic asthma. Potential future strategies and targets include interleukin (IL)‐5, IL‐4, and IL‐13, anti‐TSLP, IL‐25, and IL‐33. hMabs targeting IL‐5 have shown great promise in severe refractory asthma with a persisting eosinophilia, and clinical trials with hMabs against IL‐13 and IL4Rα have also shown clinical benefit. Studies of hMabs against other cytokines in severe asthma are under way.


This paper presents the problem of nonlinear observer design for a class of time-delay nonlinear systems with uncertainty. The nonlinearity of this class of systems has to satisfy the Lipschitz condition whilst the uncertain term is a bounded function. Various performance indices are analysed to test the stability of the error system when all nonlinear terms satisfying the Lipschitz condition. A discontinuous observer for the system in the presence of a timedependent uncertainty based upon the sliding mode techniques is designed to yield feedforward compensation input to stabilize the error estimation system. The delays are not constant but they are bounded with bounded derivatives. A sufficient condition is required to ensure the stability of a nonlinear observer for systems with uncertainties.


BACKGROUND
Baicalin constitutes a natural bioactive flavonoid extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi that mediates bone formation. However, the biological functions of baicalin in cementoblasts remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of baicalin on osteogenic differentiation of human cementoblast (HCEM) cells.

METHODS
HCEM cells were cultured and treated with 0, 0.01, 0.1 or 1 µM baicalin. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) mRNA and protein levels were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, respectively. Cell mineralization was assessed using Alizarin red staining. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β) phosphorylation was measured in 1 µM baicalin-treated HCEM cells with or without the Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor, DKK-1 using ELISA and western blotting.

RESULTS
The protein levels of ALP and Runx2 and the intensity of Alizarin red staining were enhanced by baicalin in a dose-dependent manner compared to that of the non-treated control. The ratio of phosphorylated to total GSK3β increased in the presence of baicalin but was reduced by the addition of DKK-1. Treatment of HCEMs with baicalin up-regulated mRNA levels of ALP and Runx2, which were reduced by DKK-1. In addition, the protein levels of ALP and Runx2, ALP activity, and calcium deposition were also enhanced by baicalin, and these parameters were inhibited by DKK-1.

CONCLUSION
Baicalin enhanced osteogenic differentiation of HCEM cells through the Wnt/beta catenin signaling pathway which may be useful for periodontal tissue regeneration.


A wide class of operations on images can be performed directly in the wavelet domain by operating on coefficients of the wavelet transforms of the images and other matrices defined by these operations. Operating in the wavelet domain enables one to perform these operations progressively in a coarse-to-fine fashion, operate on different resolutions, manipulate features at different scales, trade off accuracy for speed, and localize the operation in both the spatial and the frequency domains. Performing such operations in the wavelet domain and then reconstructing the result is also often more efficient than performing the same operation in the standard direct fashion. In this paper, we demonstrate the applicability and advantages of this framework to three common types of image operations: image blending, 3D warping of images and sequences, and convolution of images and image sequences.


Compound Chuanxiong Capsule (CCC), a Chinese herbal compound, can exhibit antiatherosclerotic effect; however, its mechanism is still unclear. This study is designed to study the mechanism of CCC on atherosclerosis in the ApoE-knockout (ApoE−/−) mice fed with a high-fat diet. After 6 weeks of high-fat feeding, 40 ApoE−/− mice were randomized (n = 10) and treated with lipitor, high-dose or low-dose CCC, or distilled water (ApoE−/− group) for 7 weeks. The blood lipids in serum and the plaque areas of the mice were measured and the mRNA expressions of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3K), Akt, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) of the aortae were determined. The data showed that CCC can significantly decrease the levels of blood lipids, atherosclerosis index, and plaque areas and increase collagen proportion in plaques as compared with the untreated mice (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). In addition, CCC can significantly reduce the mRNA expressions of PI3K, Akt, NF-κB, IL-6, and TNF-α in the mice fed with a high-fat diet (p < 0.001). Thus, we concluded that CCC can inhibit inflammatory reaction in the ApoE−/− mice fed with a high-fat diet. This mechanism may be attributed to regulating PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.


We use the eclectic paradigm as an analytical framework to explain the MNE e-commerce company's activities in China. Grounded in the rich data, we argue that the dynamic interplay between the ownership advantage and local institutional context that have emerged— particularly in the information age—plays a significant role in explaining the trajectory of MNE e-commerce companies in China. We propose On, Ln and In by embedding networkbased advantages within the OLI paradigm. With the acceleration of technological change and non-ergodic uncertainty, such a network-embedded eclectic paradigm will lead to MNE ecommerce companies' sustainable development in the emerging economy.


Condensation of anilines with Et 4,4,4-trifluoroacetoacetate to afford the corresponding 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-oxobutaneanilides, precursors to 4-(trifluoromethyl)-2-quinolinones, can be favored and the competing condensation to produce the Et 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-(phenylimino)butanoate, the precursor to 2-(trifluoromethyl)-4-quinolinones, avoided if water is occasionally added to the reaction mixt. while ethanol is continuously removed by distn. The 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-oxobutaneanilides also form selectively when 4,4,4-trifluoroacetoacetyl chloride is allowed to react with anilines. The cyclization of the anilides has to be accomplished under carefully controlled conditions. The resulting 4-(trifluoromethyl)-2-quinolinones can be converted into 4-(trifluoromethyl)quinolines, 4-(trifluoromethyl)-2-quinolinecarboxylic acids, and 2-bromo-4-(trifluoromethyl)quinolines, the last of which may in turn be converted into 2-bromo-4-(trifluoromethyl)-3-quinolinecarboxylic acids and eventually 4-trifluoromethyl-3-quinolinecarboxylic acids. [on SciFinder (R)]


To investigate the possible diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), an integrated study of accumulated data was conducted to obtain more reliable information and more feasible measures. Using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Data Analysis Portal (UALCAN), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Kaplan-Meier plotter database, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA2) database, cBioPortal, and Metascape, we analyzed the expression profiles and prognoses of six members of the GATA family in patients with KIRC. Compared to normal samples, KIRC samples showed significantly lower GATA2/3/6 mRNA and protein expression levels. KIRC's pathological grades, clinical stages, and lymph node metastases were closely related to GATA2 and GATA5 levels. Patients with KIRC and high GATA2 and GATA5 expression had better overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), while those with higher expression of GATA3/4/6 had worse outcomes. The role and underlying mechanisms of the GATA family in cell cycle, cell proliferation, metabolic processes, and other aspects were evaluated based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses. Furthermore, we found that infiltrating immune cells were highly correlated with GATA expression profiles. These results showed that GATA family members may serve as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for KIRC.


Managed pressure drilling (MPD) is a technology that allows for precise wellbore pressure control, especially in formations of uncertain geomechanical properties (in specific: Fracture pressure and pore pressure gradients). The rotating control device (RCD) is the backbone to the MPD equipment. A new condition monitoring system was developed to improve the reliability of the RCD elements and to eliminate its catastrophic failures during MPD jobs.
 The new method to increase the reliability of an RCD is based on understanding and quantifying the factors affecting the lifetime of the RCD components. The condition monitoring system was designed to be attached onto the RCD and collect data from an array of sensors during the MPD jobs.
 Sensors are measuring: vibrations, acoustic emissions, rotation, pipe movement, temperatures and contamination level in the coolant fluid.
 System is capable to display the measurements in the real time to the operator, giving early warnings to take actions in order to prevent catastrophic failures of the RCD during the job. Data is also recorded to allow further processing and analysis using ML and AI techniques.
 The authors will discuss in detail the background and rationale to the new technology, including a review of the condition monitoring system, its elements, and functionality. The system design and intended operation will be explained including, sensors and data collection points in the condition monitoring process.
 No catastrophic failures of the RCD were encountered when the RCD condition monitoring system was installed and running in the field up to date. The measurements collected from the array of sensors and presented in the real time to the MPD operators, allows to monitor changes in condition of the critical RCD elements. From the system design, sensor type, and frequency of data inputs, it was concluded that the quantification of some parameters affecting the lifetime of RCD could be successfully performed in post analysis, using advanced AI techniques.
 This condition monitoring system can optimize the MPD operations, making MPD jobs safer and reducing the Non Productive Time.
 The novelty of this condition monitoring system is in the approach of measuring and displaying critical values to the operator during the job and possibility to quantification of the factors affecting the RCD elements lifetime.


The photothermal effect is undergoing great interest due to advances in new photosensitizing materials and better-suited light sources, but studies are frequently hampered by the need to employ exogenous photothermal agents and expensive irradiation devices. Here we present a simple strategy based on direct NIR irradiation of the melanin pigment with a commercial 808-nm laser pointer. Proof-of-concept studies showed efficient photothermal effects on melanin in vitro and in vivo. After NIR irradiation, BALB/c mice bearing B16-F10 melanotic melanoma tumors revealed severe histopathological damage and massive necrosis in melanin-containing tumor tissue, while surrounding healthy tissues showed no damage. Therefore, the feasibility of this approach may allow implementing direct procedures for photothermal therapy of pigmented tumors.


Anger is a salient symptom of traumatized victims and a major sign for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the causes for the increased level of anger remain almost unknown. The present study investigates the interrelationship of anger, posttraumatic stress reactions, and social support in a group of former East German political prisoners (N = 91). Assessments included the German version of the Anxiety Disorders Schedule (DIPS) as well as measures of anger (STAXI), posttraumatic stress reactions (IES-R), and social support (SSQ). As expected, participants reported a high level of anger. Most measures of anger, posttraumatic stress reactions, and social support were significantly correlated. Within structural equation modeling, trait-anger was shown to be directly activated by the experience of chronic posttraumatic intrusions. Social support appeared to lessen the level of anger. The results confirm findings from studies on other traumatic events and provide additional information on the relationship between posttraumatic anger and social support. The findings indicate that treatments for PTSD might be effectively supplemented by addressing anger and social support.


Purpose
Pandemics are a serious challenge for humanity, as their social and economic impacts can be tremendous. This study aims to understand how innovation based in the sharing economy (SE) business models can contribute to overcoming the challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach
Following a netnographic approach, the authors studied the computer-mediated social interactions of internet-based virtual innovation communities.

Findings
This study found that the SE business models contribute to overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic by redistributing idle resources to lessen the impacts of confinement. This was achieved through process innovations and an innovative use of the network, which enabled fast-open and decentralized innovation processes, and quick implementation of innovations. This innovation process is based on a decentralized decision-making approach, clear rules, informal relationship among community members and open communication channels, as well as in evasive strategies to avoid facing challenges, institutional restrictions and barriers in the adoption of innovations.

Research limitations/implications
This study was limited to a virtual innovation community of highly specialized and educated experts and nine community projects focused on institutional contexts of a developed country. Future research should focus on the institutional contexts of less specialized communities and developing countries and study other community innovation projects in pandemics to understand the processes of fast-open, decentralized and evasive innovation and the importance of relational capabilities for innovation in digital contexts.

Practical implications
The findings can guide innovation managers and public policymakers in implementing effective strategies and policies to overcome pandemic challenges using SE business models. This research also provides important insights into the types and processes of innovation in organizations that create solutions to overcome social and business challenges during pandemics. In addition, this study highlights the contributions of netnographic approaches to conducting research on innovation and in pandemic periods when measures of confinement are in place.

Originality/value
This study uses an innovative framework to map the types of innovation and highlights two different types of innovation processes.


In this article we study a corpus of written work by allophonic secondary school pupils (aged 11-15), the majority of which are Turkish native speakers whose language at school is French.
Although their written work in French does not conform with conventional spelling due to the fact that it is based on sound, the linguistic description of the corpus also shows that it does not comply either with phonetic spelling. Their written work both testifies to a number of skills acquired through learning and provides an explanation as to the origin of their spelling mistakes. It is our contention that the strategies of French language spelling are for the most part based on the paradigmatic dimension of the language, independently of its segmental dimension structuring its verbal or nominal units.


The microclimatic conditions characterizing the domestic environment, are reviewed by the author, based on personal 40-year experience, including an evaluation of its various important formative components. The author examines the general state of unawareness regarding the necessary features of the domestic microenvironment required to ensure its inhabitants thermal comfort. In conclusion a proposal is made to the authorities, requesting that they direct greater attention to this problem.


A three-dimensional ultrasound imaging system includes an ultrasound probe to direct ultrasound waves to and to receive reflected ultrasound waves from a target volume of a subject under examination. The ultrasound probe is swept over the target volume along a linear scanning path and the reflected ultrasound waves are conveyed to a computer wherein successive two-dimensional images of the target volume are digitized. The digitized two-dimensional images can be used to generate a three-dimensional image with virtually no delay. A user interface allows a user to manipulate the displayed image. Specifically, the entire displayed image may be rotated about an arbitrary axis, a surface of the displayed image may be translated to provide different cross-sectional views of the image and a selected surface of the displayed image may be rotated about an arbitrary axis. All of these manipulations can be achieved via a single graphical input device such as a mouse connected to the computer.


The Nazi invasion of Poland was the first step in an unremittingly brutal occupation, one most infamously represented by the network of death camps constructed on Polish soil. The systematic murder of Jews in the camps has understandably been the focus of much historical attention. Less well-remembered today is the fate of millions of non-Jewish Polish civilians, who—when they were not expelled from their homeland or forced into slave labor—were murdered in vast numbers both within and outside of the camps. Drawing on both German and Polish sources, In the Shadow of Auschwitz gives a definitive account of the depredations inflicted upon Polish society, tracing the ruthless implementation of a racial ideology that cast ethnic Poles as an inferior race.


We investigate the potential and limits of interior point based cutting plane algorithms for semideenite relaxations on basis of implementations for max-cut and quadratic 0-1 knapsack problems. Since the latter has not been described before we present the algorithm in detail and include numerical results.


Sheet-bulk metal forming is a new production process capable of performing deep-drawing and massive forming steps in a single operation. However, due to the high forming forces of the forming process, continuous process control is required in order to detect wear on the forming tool before production quality is impacted. To be able to measure the geometry of the forming tool in the limited space of forming presses, a new inspection system is being developed within the SFB/TR 73 collaborative research center. In addition to the limited space, the process restricts the amount of time available for inspection. Existing areal optical measurement systems suffer from shadowing when measuring the tool's inner elements, as they cannot be placed in the limited space next to the tool, while tactile measurement systems cannot meet the time restrictions for measuring the areal geometries. The new inspection system uses the fringe projection optical measurement principle to capture areal geometry data from relevant parts of the forming tool in short time. Highresolution image fibers are used to connect the system's compact sensor head to a base unit containing both camera and projector of the fringe projection system, which can be positioned outside of the moving parts of the press. To enable short measurement times, a high intensity laser source is used in the projector in combination with a digital micro-mirror device. Gradient index lenses are featured in the sensor head to allow for a very compact design that can be used in the narrow space above the forming tool inside the press. The sensor head is attached to an extended arm, which also guides the image fibers to the base unit. A rotation stage offers the possibility to capture measurements of different functional elements on the circular forming tool by changing the orientation of the sensor head next to the forming tool. During operation of the press, the arm can be travelled out of the moving parts of the forming press. To further reduce the measurement times of the fringe projection system, the inverse fringe projection principle has been adapted to the system to detect geometry deviations in a single camera image. Challenges arise from vibrations of both the forming machine and the positioning stages, which are transferred via the extended arm to the sensor head. Vibrations interfere with the analysis algorithms of both encoded and inverse fringe projection and thus impair measurement accuracy. To evaluate the impact of vibrations on the endoscopic system, results of measurements of simple geometries under the influence of vibrations are discussed. The effect of vibrations is imitated by displacing the measurement specimen during the measurement with a linear positioning stage. The concept of the new inspection system is presented within the scope of the TR 73 demonstrational sheet-bulk metal forming process. Finally, the capabilities of the endoscopic fringe projection system are shown by measurements of gearing structures on a forming tool compared to a CAD-reference.


Melioidosis is an emerging infection in Brazil and neighbouring South American countries. The wide range of clinical presentations include severe community-acquired pneumonia, septicaemia, central nervous system infection and less severe soft tissue infection. Diagnosis depends heavily on the clinical microbiology laboratory for culture. Burkholderia pseudomallei, the bacterial cause of melioidosis, is easily cultured from blood, sputum and other clinical samples. However, B. pseudomallei can be difficult to identify reliably, and can be confused with closely related bacteria, some of which may be dismissed as insignificant culture contaminants. Serological tests can help to support a diagnosis of melioidosis, but by themselves do not provide a definitive diagnosis. The use of a laboratory discovery pathway can help reduce the risk of missing atypical B. pseudomallei isolates. Recommended antibiotic treatment for severe infection is either intravenous Ceftazidime or Meropenem for several weeks, followed by up to 20 weeks oral treatment with a combination of trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole and doxycycline. Consistent use of diagnostic microbiology to confirm the diagnosis, and rigorous treatment of severe infection with the correct antibiotics in two stages; acute and eradication, will contribute to a reduction in mortality from melioidosis.


Key recognition tasks such as fine-grained visual categorization (FGVC) have benefited from increasing attention among computer vision researchers. The development and evaluation of new approaches relies heavily on benchmark datasets; such datasets are generally built primarily with categories that have images readily available, omitting categories with insufficient data. This paper takes a step back and rethinks dataset construction, focusing on intelligent image collection driven by: (i) the inclusion of all desired categories, and, (ii) the recognition performance on those categories. Based on a small, author-provided initial dataset, the proposed system recommends which categories the authors should prioritize collecting additional images for, with the intent of optimizing overall categorization accuracy. We show that mock datasets built using this method outperform datasets built without such a guiding framework. Additional experiments give prospective dataset creators intuition into how, based on their circumstances and goals, a dataset should be constructed.


Objective: Nutritional factors play an important role in the regulation of blood pressure (BP) and in the development of hypertension. The quality of food is influenced by regional habits. We explored the associations of serum Na+, K+, Ca++ and urea and their urinary excretions with BP level and the risk of hypertension in the Swiss population taking regional linguistic differences into account. Design and method: The Swiss Survey on Salt is a population based, cross sectional study that included 1336 subjects from the 3 main linguistic (French, German and Italian) regions of Switzerland. BP was measured with a validated device. Hypertension was defined as current antihypertensive treatment or a mean systolic BP >140 mmHg and/or diastolic > 90 mmHg, based on 8 BP measures. Na, K, Ca++ and urea excretions were assessed in 24-hour urine collections. Multiple logistic/linear regression explored the associations with BP/hypertension. Results: In the Swiss population, besides age, sex, and body mass index, urinary sodium excretion was positively associated with systolic and diastolic BP and hypertension. The slope of the association was comparable in men and women but steeper in subjects >50 y of age and overweight subjects (Figure). Urinary K excretion was not associated with BP unless urinary Na excretion was included in the model. Urinary calcium and urea excretion were not associated with BP. When compared to normotensive, hypertensive participants were characterized by a higher urinary Na but lower urinary K excretion and protein intake. Participants of the German-speaking regions had a higher likelihood of having a high BP and being hypertensive. The prevalence of hypertension was higher in German-speaking participants: this was true for men but not for women. Figure. No caption available. Conclusions: In Switzerland, urinary Na excretion is associated positively with BP and hypertension with a greater effect in subjects > 50 y and overweight subjects. Potassium modulates the effect of sodium on BP. A higher prevalence of hypertension is found in the German-speaking region of Switzerland due, in part, to dietary factors. These results highlight the importance of nutritional factors in hypertension and emphasize the need to adapt national prevention strategies to regional considerations.


The structural and aerodynamic performance of a low aspect ratio SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) high pressure turbine (HPT) blade was determined. The application was a NASA notional single aisle aircraft engine to be available in the N + 3, beyond 2030, time frame. The notional rpm was maintained, and to satisfy stress constraints, the annulus area was constrained. This led to a low span blade. For a given clearance, low span blade is likely to have improved efficiency when shrouded. The efficiency improvement due to shrouding was found to strongly depend on the axial gap between the shroud and casing. Axial gap, unlike clearance or reaction, is not a common parameter used to correlate the efficiency improvement due to shrouding. The zero clearance stage efficiency of the low aspect ratio turbine was 0.920. Structural analyses showed that the rotor blade could be shrouded without excessive stresses. The goal was to have blade stresses less than 100 MPa (14.5 ksi) for the unshrouded blade. Under some not very restrictive circumstances, such as blade stacking, a one-dimensional radial stress equation accurately predicted area averaged Von Mises stress at the blade hub. With appropriate stacking, radial and Von Mises stresses were similar.


The article discusses features of the conceptual foundations of the political and legal analysis of the communication media as a means of legitimizing state power in the modern Ukrainian society. It is shown that modern power tools require new conceptual designs, concepts, allowing to understand the need to use those or other methods of constructing a political reality and political processes with the help of the communication media.


Abstract This contribution reviews different forms of resistance against the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). While backlash is rare, various forms of pushback are more common than accounts of the CJEU's apparent success suggest. It is not uncommon that national policy-makers, administrations and the judiciary fail to comply with individual rulings. Moreover, Member State authorities have developed multiple strategies to limit the practical effect of controversial lines of CJEU case-law. The availability of 'work-arounds' that national authorities can live with shields the CJEU against significant backlash. At the same time, the multiple processes of pushback in the Member States lead to an outcome of considerable heterogeneity.


The aim of this research is to explore the extent to which consumers perceive the physical environment of the food superstore and its implications for store design. It develops a holistic qualitative approach to develop knowledge of store image and atmosphere, using a photo-elicitation approach to respondents' perceptions of both the interior and exterior of the store. The findings demonstrate that consumers value product variety and accessibility matched by consistent operational efficiencies. The store design, visual appearance, layout and organisation support these activities as independent elements in the store environment. The research concludes with implications for store design and low-cost structures, and then for the methodology itself.


BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
Contact with amniotic fluid (AF) causes intestinal damage in gastroschisis. Intraamniotic meconium has been shown to be responsible for intestinal damage, and occurrence of this damage has been shown to depend on the concentration of intraamniotic meconium. When intraamniotic meconium concentration is lowered below threshold level by exchanging AF with saline in gastroschisis, intestinal damage can be prevented. Theoretically, induction of fetal diuresis with intraamniotic furosemide may increase AF volume and fetal swallowing rate, thus, increase absorption of AF by intestines; therefore, the clearance of meconium from the AF may increase. An experimental study was planned to investigate the effects of intraamniotic diuretic injection on the clearance of intraamniotic substances.

METHODS
Pregnant rabbits on the 23rd to 25th gestational day were divided into 2 groups as furosemide and control. Technetium tc99m labeled "tin colloid" was injected into the amniotic cavity, and AF sample was taken 10 minutes later. Furosemide was injected into the amniotic cavity afterwards. Two and 6 hours later, AF samples were obtained. Intestines were harvested at the end of the study. Control group received intraamniotic saline instead of furosemide. Radioactivities of the AF samples and intestines were determined by gamma counter. Clearance of the radioisotope from AF and intestinal accumulation were calculated.

RESULTS
The clearance of the radioisotope from AF was increased significantly in the furosemide group (n = 10) compared with the control group (n = 8; P <.01). Gastrointestinal accumulation of the radioisotope in the furosemide group was 4-fold higher than that the control group (P <.01).

CONCLUSIONS
Induction of fetal diuresis with intraamniotic furosemide accelerates the clearance of intraamniotic substances. This is probably caused by increased urinary output rate, which increases AF volume and consequently results in increased fetal swallowing of AF. In the diseases like gastroschisis and myelomeningocele, in which the contact with AF causes tissue damage, the elimination of meconium from AF in a somewhat natural manner like this method, should be studied further because it may be an alternative minimal invasive in utero treatment modality.


The efficient and enantioselective hydrosilylation of 3-aryl-1,4-benzooxazines was achieved using an l-phenyl alanine derived new Lewis base catalyst bearing stereogenic carbon and sulfur centers. In the presence of 2 mol % of catalyst, a broad range of 3-aryl-1,4-benzooxazines were hydrosilylated to afford the corresponding chiral 3-aryl-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzooxazine products with good to high yields (66-98%) and enantioselectivities (70-99% ee). This method provides an alternative approach with great practical application potential to access chiral 3-aryl-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzooxazines.


This epidemiological study of the elderly in a Jerusalem neighborhood assessed oral health using five indicators: prevalence of oral mucosal conditions, denture condition, the age of dentures, oral hygiene status and periodontal condition. The utilization by the elderly of dental services and their awareness of their oral problems were also surveyed. Ninety-six percent of the elderly population were assessed as needing oral care. The capacity of the subsidized dental services in Jerusalem covers only about 15% of the elderly in need of such services.


Background and aims This paper reports a further discovery of a new endemic threatened species to science in the context of long-term botanical surveys in the lowland coastal forests of Mount Cameroon specifically and generally in the Cross River-Sanaga interval of west-central Africa. These studies focus on species discovery and conservation through the Tropical Important Plant Areas programme. Methods Normal practices of herbarium taxonomy have been applied to study the material collected. The relevant collections are stored in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London and at the Limbe Botanic Garden, Limbe, and the Institute of Research in Agronomic Development – National Herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé. Key results New species to science continue to be discovered from Mt Cameroon. Most of these species are rare, highly localised, and threatened by habitat destruction. These discoveries increase the justification for improved conservation management of surviving habitat. Drypetes njonji is described as an additional species new to science and appears to be endemic to the lowland coastal forests at the foot of Mt Cameroon. It is placed in and keyed out in Sect. Stipulares, a group confined to Lower Guinea. The conservation status of Drypetes njonji is assessed as Endangered (EN B1+2ab(iii)) according to the 2012 criteria of IUCN. An updated overview of the lowland plant endemics of Mt Cameroon is presented.


With the rapid development of networks, especially Internet of Things, the electronic identity administration is becoming more and more important. And the personal identity administration in cyberspace associated with individuals in reality has been one significant and urgent task for the further development of information construction in China. Thus, the paper presents the RFID-based electronic identity security platform of the Internet of Things to realize the efficient security administration of the personal network identity, and designs and implement the strong and pervasive security platform, and discusses the key technology including security authentication for the electronic identity card, super high frequency RFID with IC cards, and security isolation and single-oriented transmission, and it can well apply to the personal identity management with virtual roles of citizens of the Internet of Things such as E-Government and E-Business, and the electronic identity security platform has been primary implemented and achieved good effects in actual applications.


We show that phonon-induced pure dephasing of an excitonic (charge) quantum bit in a quantum dot (QD) may be reduced by collective encoding of logical qubits in QD arrays. We define the logical qubit on an array of 2, 4 and 8 QDs, connecting the logical |0 state with the presence of excitons in the appropriately chosen half of dots and the logical |1 state with the other half of the dots occupied. We give quantitative estimates of the resulting total error of a single qubit operation for an InAs/GaAs system.


We consider a dual-hop, decode-and-forward network, where the relay can operate in full-duplex (FD) or half-duplex (HD) mode (X-duplex relay). We model the residual self-interference as an additive Gaussian noise with variance proportional to the relay transmit power, and we assume a Gaussian input distribution at the source. Unlike previous work, we assume that the source is only aware of the transmit power distribution adopted by the relay, but not of the symbols that the relay is currently transmitting. This assumption better reflects the practical situation, where the relay node forwards data traffic but modifies physical-layer or link-layer control information. We then identify the optimal power allocation strategy at the source and relay, which in some cases coincides with the HD transmission mode. We prove that such strategy implies either FD transmissions over an entire time frame or FD/HD transmissions over a variable fraction of the frame. We determine the optimal transmit power level at the source and relay for each frame, or fraction thereof. We compare the performance of our scheme against reference FD and HD techniques, which assume that the source is aware of the symbols instantaneously transmitted by the relay, and show that our solution closely approaches such strategies.


Ultrafast lasers that deliver intense femtosecond pulses at carrier wavelengths beyond the well-established emission bands of Yb- or Ti:Sa-based sources have become extremely popular drivers for scientific applications. It is widely known that the long wavelength is a key property to enable new strong-field experiments or to significantly improve existing ones, e.g. in the case of extreme nonlinear frequency conversion to otherwise hardly accessible spectral regions. Those spectral regions of interest range from the deep mid-infrared (based on parametric amplification in non-oxide crystals) up to the soft X-ray regime (via high-harmonic generation). In order to turn such laboratory experiments into real-world applications with improved signal-to-noise-ratios and fast data acquisition and to unlock applications within the industry sector as well, the long wavelength driving laser sources need to deliver high repetition rates and high average powers.


An increasing number of unusual transformer failures caused by high frequency overvoltages was reported in medium voltage networks. An investigation was started to get a better understanding of these fast transient phenomena. Two major steps in this research project are described here. First, a numerical model is built to compute the occurring overvoltage phenomena. In the second part, the material behaviour at high-frequencies is investigated, in order to determine the allowable voltages across the internal transformer insulation.


We present mid-IR to optical properties of 22 representative irregular galaxies: 18 irregular (Im) galaxies, 3 blue compact dwarfs, and 1 Magellanic-type spiral galaxy. The mid-IR is based on images from the Spitzer Space Telescope archives. The 3.6 and 4.5 μm bands and the UBVJHK images are used to examine disk morphology and the integrated and azimuthally averaged magnitudes and colors of stars. The nonstellar contribution to the 4.5 μm images is used to trace hot dust. The 5.8 and 8.0 μm images reveal emission from hot dust and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and both may contribute to these passbands, although we refer to the nonstellar emission as PAH emission. We compare the 8.0 μm images to Hα. Im galaxies have no hidden bars, and those with double-exponential optical light profiles have the same at mid-IR. Most galaxies have similar optical and mid-IR scale lengths. Four galaxies have super star clusters that are not visible at optical bands. Galaxies with higher area-normalized star formation rates have more dust and PAH emission relative to starlight. Hot dust and PAH emission is found mostly in high surface brightness H II regions, implying that massive stars are the primary source of heating. Galaxies with intense, widespread star formation have more extended PAH emission. The ratio of PAH to Hα emission is not constant on small scales. PAHs are associated with shells and giant filaments, so they are not destroyed during shell formation.


ABSTRACT This study entitled "Bentuk-bentuk –ing dalam "Australian Journal of Linguistics volume 23" is the study that focuses on morphosyntax analysis especially the forms and functions used in the article of the journal. It is an attempt to identify and analyze the forms and the functions of –ing in the Australian Journal. This research was done in several stages: preparation, data collection and data analysis. The data of –ing form were collected froms the article of the journal entitled "Origami in a Hurricane: Current Challenges to Linguistic" and were analyzed according to the theory of Aarts&Aarts (1982), Murphy (1994), Lado (2008) and Quirk (1972). The results of this study show the forms and the functions of –ing. There are 7 (seven) forms of –ing which are:  –ing clause that has explicit subject, -ing clause that has no  explicit subject, -ing as a participle clause, -ing as an adjective, -ing as a present continuous tense, -ing as a past continuous tense, and -ing as a gerund. And there are 2 (two) functions of –ing which are : -ing that has functions as an adverbial, and –ing as a gerund which has functions as a subject, an object and an object of preposition. The outcomes of this study are expected to give contributions of the language development in linguistic studies especially in analyzing –ing form and are expected to help the students or readers to have more understanding about the –ing form. Keywords: Morphosyntax, form and function, -ing forms, -ing clause, Australian Journal of Linguistics vol.23