Background Trastuzumab is a valuable therapy option for women with ERBB2(HER2)+ breast cancer tumours, often used in combination with chemotherapy and alongside other therapies. It is known to have adverse effects, but these have proved difficult to separate from the effects of other concurrent therapies patients are usually taking. This study aims to assess the adverse effects specifically attributable to trastuzumab, and whether they vary by patient subgroup or concurrent therapies. Methods As registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019146541), we used previous systematic reviews as well as the clinicaltrials.gov registry to identify randomised controlled trials in breast cancer which compared treatment regimes with and without trastuzumab. Neoadjuvant, adjuvant and metastatic settings were examined. Data was extracted from those which had, as of July 2022, reported adverse events. Risk of bias was assessed using ROB2. Primary outcomes were adverse events of any type or severity (excluding death). A standard random-effects meta-analysis was performed for each outcome independently. In order to ascertain whether adverse effects differed by individual factors such as age or tumour characteristics, or by use of trastuzumab concurrently with hormone therapy, we examined individual-level patient data for one large trial, HERA. Results 79 relevant trials were found, of which 20 contained comparable arms of trastuzumab-containing therapy and corresponding matched therapy without trastuzumab. This allowed a comparison of 8669 patients receiving trastuzumab versus 9556 receiving no trastuzumab, which gave a list of 25 statistically and clinically significant adverse effects related to trastuzumab alone: unspecified pain, asthenia, nasopharyngitis, skin disorders (mainly rash), dyspepsia, paraesthesia, infections (often respiratory), increased lacrimation, diarrhoea, myalgia, oedema (limb/peripheral), fever, nose bleeds, cardiac events, insomnia, cough, back pain, dyspnoea, chills, dizziness or vertigo, hypertension, congestive heart failure, increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase, gastrointestinal issues and dehydration. Analysis of individual patient-level data from 5102 patients suggested that nausea is slightly more likely for women taking trastuzumab who are ER+ /also taking hormone therapy than for those who are ER-/not taking hormone therapy; no other potential treatment-subgroup interactions were detected. We found no evidence for significantly increased rates of neutropenia, anaemia or lymphopenia in patients on trastuzumab-containing regimes compared to those on comparable regimes without trastuzumab. Conclusions This meta-analysis should allow clinicians and patients to better identify and quantify the potential adverse effects of adding trastuzumab to their treatment regime for breast cancer, and hence inform their decision-making. However, limitations include serious risk of bias due to heterogeneity in reporting of the outcomes and the open-label nature of the trials.


PID control is the most widespread technique for the control of industrial robot arms. However, the adoption of PID control is not adequately supported by a theoretical basis, since the results presented in the literature are of dubious interpretation and difficult, when not impossible, to verify. Motivated by this lack of theoretical support, this paper presents a novel proof for the stability of rigid robot arms controlled by PID algorithms: the proof is based on a model of the robot where the nominal decoupled linear part is emphasized. The main result consists in a simple condition between the exponential stability degree of the nominal closed loop system and the parameters of a bound on the nonlinear terms in the dynamic model of the mechanical manipulator. Some considerations are also worked out on the relations between the eigenvalues of the nominal system and the extension of the stability region. The theoretical results are finally verified on a simple two DOF example.


We present new acoustically well-documented observations of Ortolan Bunting males from Norway, singing atypical songs with syllables copied from other species and from non-neighbouring, distant populations of own species. The first case concerns a male singing strophes containing syllables of Yellowhammer and Ortolan Bunting, both most probably copied in central Europe. These songs often had broken syntax. The second case concerns a male that sang both typical strophes and strophes that had the initial part copied from a local dialect of Redwing, but with a typical syntax for the species. That male mated successfully. Causes and consequences of vocal mimicry in the species are discussed.


Much more than fault tolerance, space applications require dependability, which is the combination of availability, reliability and safety. (The main paper will present the relationship between these properties and the roles of robustness and fault tolerance). How to reach high dependability has been an important research theme for a long time, and still today, after 20 or 30 Years of research, there is not THE ONE solution. Big efforts go to improve reliability, for example using reliable radiation hardened components. Many other efforts go to improve robustness by means of fault tolerance. But now, we join efforts from reliability and robustness to reach real dependability. The ESA-funded HiPeRCAR (High Performance Resilient Computer for Autonomous Robotics) project shows how to combine reliability and robustness in an optimal way to get the highest possible dependability using limited resources. This is important because space missions have to be sparing with resources.


The stratal architecture of the Mackenzie Basin was reconstructed based on seismic and well data and used to define a three-dimensional model to reconstruct the so-far poorly known thermal and maturation history of the basin. To correctly account for the complex tectonic history of the Mackenzie Basin, episodes of uplift and erosion were implemented based on interpretations of original depositional surfaces. Our results indicate that the combined effects of basin inversion and low surface temperatures inhibited maturation from the late Miocene forward in all except the most deeply buried parts of the basin. This explains why upper Eocene and younger deposits are mostly immature despite their burial to more than 5000 m (16,400 ft). The specific history of the basin is shown to control the time intervals of potential hydrocarbon generation. Predictions of transformation ratios using a variety of published kinetics to account for source rock kinetic variability indicate that potential generation from Paleocene and older strata occurred mainly before the late Oligocene. The generation from Eocene strata, however, occurred mainly during the Miocene and, therefore, is interpreted to be a source for Oligocene and younger gas-rich reservoirs. These findings contribute to a better understanding of hydrocarbon systems in the Mackenzie Basin and are the basis for future studies of hydrocarbon migration and accumulation.


In the new normal era, the government has made many adjustments, including the state budget posture. The wider budget deficit faced by the government has encouraged the government to further optimize the ability of funding from the domestic market. This policy is not only to minimize risks due to exchange rate fluctuations but also to further strengthen the internal strength and role of society in national development. This article aims to identify strategies carried out by the government to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Analysis was done using literature studies from various data references and literature sources. From the results of the data study, it was identified that there were many strategies rolled out by the government to strengthen the domestic economy. For one of them, the government is increasingly intensively issuing state sukuk with a variety of series that can accommodate many interests of individual investors. In addition, the published series of state sukuk are more based on accommodating environmental, social, and energy issues.
Keywords: new normal, state Sukuk, state budge


We once again acknowledge our reviewers for the insight and developmental critique which they so unstintingly offered. Each journal article is anonymised and subjected to 'blind' peer review by two reviewers and, in this process, it is inevitable that variations of interpretation and evaluation occurred, at times resulting in a third reviewer being consulted. We are grateful for the grace with which reviewers engaged and attempted to resolve any sticking points on such occasions. This has served to enhance the quality of our articles and strengthen our authors going forward.
Thanks to all the authors who made submissions to JOVACET and subjected their work to scrutiny. We trust that you will continue to contribute to this important vehicle for research in vocational, adult and continuing education and training.
Finally, the publication of this third issue of JOVACET was made possible by the Teaching and Learning Development Capacity Improvement Programme (TLDCIP) which is being implemented through a partnership between the Department of Higher Education and Training and the European Union. We are grateful for this support to the third issue of the journal, Volume 2, Issue 2.
We look forward to the ongoing support of our Editorial Committee and Advisory Board members who are advocates for JOVACET in the various spheres of their lives, and thank you all most sincerely.


A new rapid method for titrating baculovirus stocks has been developed using a novel cell line Sf-9 Easy Titer (Sf-9ET). The Sf-9ET cell line has been transfected with plasmid DNA containing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene under the control of the baculovirus polyhedrin promoter. When used in the titration assay, the Sf-9ET cells turn green when they are infected with baculovirus due to the activation of the polyhedrin promoter/eGFP complex by baculovirus gene products expressed during the infection. Using a 96-well plate format end-point dilution assay, baculovirus titers can be determined in three days using a fluorescence microscope.


We propose an original model for inferring team strengths using a Markov Random Field, which can be used to generate historical estimates of the offensive and defensive strengths of a team over time. This model was designed to be applied to sports such as soccer or hockey, in which contest outcomes take value in a limited discrete space. We perform inference using a combination of Expectation Maximization and Loopy Belief Propagation. The challenges of working with a non-convex optimization problem and a high-dimensional parameter space are discussed. The performance of the model is demonstrated on professional soccer data from the English Premier League.


Trophic organisation defines the flow of energy through ecosystems and is a key component of community structure. Widespread and intensifying anthropogenic disturbance threatens to disrupt trophic organisation by altering species composition and relative abundances and by driving shifts in the trophic ecology of species that persist in disturbed ecosystems. We examined how intensive disturbance caused by selective logging affects trophic organisation in the biodiversity hotspot of Sabah, Borneo. Using stable nitrogen isotopes, we quantified the positions in the food web of 159 leaf-litter ant species in unlogged and logged rainforest and tested four predictions: (i) there is a negative relationship between the trophic position of a species in unlogged forest and its change in abundance following logging, (ii) the trophic positions of species are altered by logging, (iii) disturbance alters the frequency distribution of trophic positions within the ant assemblage, and (iv) disturbance reduces food chain length. We found that ant abundance was 30% lower in logged forest than in unlogged forest but changes in abundance of individual species were not related to trophic position, providing no support for prediction (i). However, trophic positions of individual species were significantly higher in logged forest, supporting prediction (ii). Consequently, the frequency distribution of trophic positions differed significantly between unlogged and logged forest, supporting prediction (iii), and food chains were 0.2 trophic levels longer in logged forest, the opposite of prediction (iv). Our results demonstrate that disturbance can alter trophic organisation even without trophically-biased changes in community composition. Nonetheless, the absence of any reduction in food chain length in logged forest suggests that species-rich arthropod food webs do not experience trophic downgrading or a related collapse in trophic organisation despite the disturbance caused by logging. These food webs appear able to bend without breaking in the face of some forms of anthropogenic disturbance.


Background Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disorder in which mutations of the HFE gene, and less frequently in the transferring receptor 2 (TFR2) gene, result in an increase in intestinal iron absorption. Clinically this disorder manifests itself in the deposition of iron in tissues such as the liver, heart and pancreas. Almost one half of HH patients will develop arthritis if left untreated. Objectives Because joint pain and swelling are prominent symptoms of HH, many patients find their way into the rheumatology practice before the disease is diagnosed. In order to determine the incidence of HH in our practice, we have routinely investigated iron metabolism in new patients over the last 5½ years. Methods We measured in serum concentrations of ferritin, transferrin and iron in 10,035 patients and calculated the iron-transferrin saturation. Patients were tested for HH by determining mutations of the HFE gene C282Y and H63D if the iron saturation was >45% and ferritin levels were elevated. In cases where iron overload persisted in the absence of HFE mutations, the non HFE genes homojuvelin, herceptin, transferrin, transferrin receptor and ferroportin were analyzed for possible mutations. In patients that had been treated by phlebotomy or iron chelation therapy the liver iron concentration was measured using the MRI-based FerriScan technology. Results Of patients showing an iron overload (iron transferrin saturation >45% and elevated ferritin), 42 were diagnosed as having HH by genetic analyses: 24 C282Y homozygotes, 7 H63D homozygotes, 7 compound heterozygotes C282Y/H63D, 1 homozygote for the non-HFE-gene ferroportin, 2 homozygotes for the transferrin receptor 2, and 1 H63D/transferrin receptor 2 heterozygote. All patients suffered from arthralgias and about one half had typical HH-arthopathy of the metacarpalia-phalangeal joints II and III of the hands. Most patients could be treated successfully by phlebotomy or iron chelation therapy. The effect of these treatments could be monitored by measuring the reduction in liver iron concentration using FerriScan MRI. Conclusions HH is an important differential diagnosis in cases with undifferentiated joint pain. Parameters of iron metabolism should be routinely determined in these patients. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.1132


Finite element methods for Maxwell's equations are highly sensitive to the conformity of approximation spaces, and non-conforming methods may cause loss of convergence. This fact leads to an essential obstacle for almost all the interfaceunfitted mesh methods in the literature regarding the application to Maxwell interface problems, as they are based on nonconforming spaces. In this work, a novel immersed virtual element method for solving a 3D Maxwell interface problems is developed, and the motivation is to combine the conformity of virtual element spaces and robust approximation capabilities of immersed finite element spaces. The proposed method is able to achieve optimal convergence for a 3D Maxwell interface problem. To develop a systematic framework, the H1, H(curl) and H(div) interface problems and their corresponding problem-orientated immersed virtual element spaces are considered all together. In addition, the de Rham complex will be established based on which the HX preconditioner can be used to develop a fast solver for the H(curl) interface problem.


Two species belonging to the genus Andrena are recorded for the first time in Korea. They are Andrena fukuiana Hirashima et Haneda of the subgenus Laradreana and Andrena luridiloma Strand of the subgenus Euandrena


The V4+ (3d(1)) center in 4H SiC is investigated using photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE). The energy position of the ground state of the defect is determined to be 2.1 +/- 0.1 eV below the conduction band for both the hexagonal and the quasi-cubic site. A broad peak in the PLE spectrum is tentatively ascribed to the excited A(1) state, previously believed to be located in the conduction band.


Therapeutic efficacy of mesalazine controlled-release suppository 1 g once daily was compared with that of a placebo during 2 weeks in 50 patients (26 in the mesalazine group, 24 in the placebo group) with ulcerative proctitis, in a double-blind randomized trial. Endoscopic and clinical remission was seen in 69 and 65% of mesalazine-treated patients and in 33 and 25% of placebo-treated patients respectively (P < or = 0.01). No side effects were seen. It is concluded that a once-a-day administration of 1 g mesalazine controlled-release suppository is effective for topical treatment of patients with ulcerative proctitis.


Modern neural networks are typically trained in an over-parameterized regime where the parameters of the model far exceed the size of the training data. Such neural networks in principle have the capacity to (over)fit any set of labels including pure noise. Despite this, somewhat paradoxically, neural network models trained via first-order methods continue to predict well on yet unseen test data. This paper takes a step towards demystifying this phenomena. Under a rich dataset model, we show that gradient descent is provably robust to noise/corruption on a constant fraction of the labels despite overparameterization. In particular, we prove that: (i) In the first few iterations where the updates are still in the vicinity of the initialization gradient descent only fits to the correct labels essentially ignoring the noisy labels. (ii) to start to overfit to the noisy labels network must stray rather far from from the initialization which can only occur after many more iterations. Together, these results show that gradient descent with early stopping is provably robust to label noise and shed light on the empirical robustness of deep networks as well as commonly adopted heuristics to prevent overfitting.


The thermal borehole resistance in a groundwater-filled borehole heat exchanger (BHE) is affected of both conductive and convective heat transfer through the borehole water. To calculate this heat transport, different models are required compared to calculation of only conductive heat transfer in a back-filled BHE. In this paper some modelling approximations for groundwater-filled, single U-pipe BHEs were investigated using a 3D CFD model. The purpose is to find approximations that enable to construct a fast, simple model including the convective heat transfer that may be used in thermal response test analyses and BHE design programs. Both total heat transfer calculations (including convective and conductive heat transport) and only conductive heat transfer calculations were performed for comparison purposes. The approximations that are investigated are the choice of boundary condition at the U-pipe wall and using a single pipe in the middle of the borehole instead of the U-pipe. For the total heat transfer case, it is shown that the choice of boundary condition hardly affects the calculated borehole thermal resistance. For the only conductive heat transfer case, the choice of boundary condition at the pipe wall gives large differences in the result. It is also shown that using an annulus model (single pipe in the middle of the borehole) results in similar heat transfer as the U-pipe model provided that the equivalent radius is chosen appropriately. This approximation can radically decrease the number of calculation cells needed. Copyright © 2010 International Energy and Environment Foundation - All rights reserved.


Abstract : The primary objective of the digital sensor simulation investigations being conducted at the Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center (DMAAC) is to establish an editing and analysis capability for digital culture and terrain data bases. These data bases are being produced by DMAAC to support advanced aircraft simulators by providing an improved low level radar training capability offered by digitally generated radar landmass images. As a result of the technology developed for aircraft simulator support, sensor guidance references scenes, visual, and microwave scenes are also being digitally generated. Currently, intensive studies are underway to generate synthetic input data bases with apparent resolutions finer than in the original data bases, using supportive data base information. Highly realistic sensor simulations have been generated, and the continuing emphasis is on modeling new sensors as well as improving resolution without increasing data base production costs. (Author)


A book annotation or description is not the same as an evaluative review. This guide lists commonly used resources for finding book reviews of fiction and nonfiction books for youth, from preschool to teens.


Abstract This contribution analyses the viability of the new Spanish financial landscape which has been drawn by the European authorities and the national administration in order to overcome the progressive deterioration of social wealth in Spain since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008. The adoption and the implementation of a new legal framework during the last two years, establishing tougher requirements on capital adequacy, leverage ratios and counter-cyclical and other buffers, as well as the shaping of the Banking Union, are not enough to transform the Spanish banking system into the key tool for the creation of wealth. There is a paradox of both legal and institutional outcomes. While, on the one hand, some positive changes in the functioning and the structure of the banking industry have been prompted by the regulatory reform, there are, on the other hand, some uncertainties linked to the recapitalisation costs of a relevant group of credit institutions and the persistence of serious structural problems of the Spanish economy. Moving faster to full banking union will reduce financial market stress in Spain.


The dependence of arid and semiarid ecosystems on seasonal rainfall is not well understood when sites have access to groundwater. Gradients in terrain conditions in northwest México can help explore this dependence as different ecosystems experience rainfall during the North American monsoon (NAM), but can have variations in groundwater access as well as in soil and microclimatic conditions that depend on elevation. In this study, we analyze water‐energy‐carbon fluxes from eddy covariance (EC) systems deployed at three sites: a subtropical scrubland, a riparian mesquite woodland, and a mountain oak savanna to identify the relative roles of soil and microclimatic conditions and groundwater access. We place datasets during the NAM season of 2017 into a wider context using previous EC measurements, nearby rainfall data, and remotely‐sensed products. We then characterize differences in soil, vegetation, and meteorological variables; latent and sensible heat fluxes; and carbon budget components. We find that lower elevation ecosystems exhibited an intense and short greening period leading to a net carbon release, while the high elevation ecosystem showed an extensive water use strategy with delayed greening of longer duration leading to net carbon uptake during the NAM. Access to groundwater appears to reduce the dependence of deep‐rooted riparian trees at low elevation and mountain trees on seasonal rainfall, allowing for a lower water use efficiency as compared to subtropical scrublands sustained by water in shallow soils. Thus, a transition from intensive to extensive water use strategies can be expected where there is reliable access to groundwater.


— Two finite element (FEM) models are presented in this paper to address the random nature of the response of glued timber structures made of wood segments with variable elastic moduli evaluated from 3600 indentation measurements. This total database served to create the same number of ensembles as was the number of segments in the tested beam. Statistics of these ensembles were then assigned to given segments of beams and the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) method was called to perform 100 simulations resulting into the ensemble of 100 deflections subjected to statistical evaluation. Here, a detailed geometrical arrangement of individual segments in the laminated beam was considered in the construction of two-dimensional FEM model subjected to in four-point bending to comply with the laboratory tests. Since laboratory measurements of local elastic moduli may in general suffer from a significant experimental error, it appears advantageous to exploit the full scale measurements of timber beams, i.e. deflections, to improve their prior distributions with the help of the Bayesian statistical method. This, however, requires an efficient computational model when simulating the laboratory tests numerically. To this end, a simplified model based on Mindlin's beam theory was established. The improved posterior distributions show that the most significant change of the Young's modulus distribution takes place in laminae in the most strained zones, i.e. in the top and bottom layers within the beam center region. Posterior distributions of moduli of elasticity were subsequently utilized in the 2D FEM model and compared with the original simulations.


Casticin (3',5-dihydroxy-3, 4',6,7-tetramethoxyflavone) has been revealed to possess various kinds of pharmacological activities, including immunomodulatory, anti-hyperprolactinemia, anti-tumor and neuroprotetective activities. In order to gain an understanding of the biotransformation of casticin in vivo, a systematic method based on liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS(n) ) was developed to identify the metabolites of casticin in rats after oral administration of single dose of casticin at 200 mg/kg. By comparing their changes in molecular masses (ΔM), retention times and spectral patterns with those of the parent drug, the parent compound and 25 metabolites were identified in rat plasma, urine and six selected tissues. This is the first systematic metabolism study of casticin in vivo. The results indicated that methylation, demethylation, glucuronidation and sulfation were the main biotransformation pathways of casticin in vivo.


Detection and identification of irregular red-cell antibody in the serum or plasma of a patient is of prime importance for the prevention of hemolytic transfusion reactions and the biological supervision of the hemolytic disease of the foetus or the newborn. Practice in these tests is replete with complex biological problems. Using problem solving strategies, we discuss the recognition and resolution of the most frequent difficulties encountered in red cell antibody identification.


In the context of pervasive environments, multimodal interaction plays a pivotal role because multimodality provides flexibility and naturalness for interaction. The challenge of multimodal interfaces in pervasive environments is then to build reliable and autonomic processing systems able to analyze and understand multiple interaction modalities and reconfigure itself in real-time. Addressing this issue, we have developed an autonomic framework called DynaMo (Dynamic multiMOdality) for the development and runtime management of multimodal interaction in pervasive environments. DynaMo is composed by a specification language dedicated to the multimodality domain and a runtime machine that instantiates these specifications. In this paper, we present the overall architecture of our solution DynaMo that is based on partial interaction models, and how these models are completed at runtime to build multimodal interfaces adapted to the local execution environment.


This paper comments on two publications by Monk on Fresnel zone binning (FZB). The first one was published in the Round Table department of The Leading Edge in 2009, and the second one is chapter 3 in the 2020 Distinguished Instructor Short Course (DISC) book. The main message of these two papers is captured by the following assertion from the DISC book: "the point is that adequate interpolation is only possible if the Fresnel zone is well sampled at the beginning." This assertion, if true, would form a new law in geophysics; therefore, it deserves rigorous proof. Unfortunately, such a proof has not been provided. Instead, an assessment of its validity is provided by the results of one data set with considerable feathering of the long offsets acquired in an area with moderate dip. For this data set, FZB predicts that interpolation can be applied successfully. Indeed, there is no significant difference between the data set after interpolation and the data set after infill shooting. However, these results do not prove the validity of FZB; they only show the power of the interpolation technique. Even if the assertion would be true, to prove it would require a theoretical derivation of the validity of the method. Confidence in the method may also be built by successful application of the idea to several seismic data sets in areas with complex geology, while not losing any high frequencies and with accurate amplitude retrieval.


In the United States sex education is a hot button issue. While the debates are largely centered around grade school and high school level sex education, there has been very little discussion around sexuality education at the collegiate level and beyond. This indicates a failing to recognize how beneficial this type of education can be at every level. With the many resources available in various disciplines for sexuality and gender there is no reason this particular area should be skirted around, or ignored by institutions of higher learning, most especially because the common reason for denying sexuality education, the age of students, plays no part at the collegiate level. The aim of this paper is to explore the benefits of teaching sexuality and gender courses for both students and educators while also discussing methods by which these types of courses could be implemented. This paper will define sexuality education by both the more traditional sexual education courses along with any course focused on human sexuality, gender, and martial relations in any discipline. The broad range of courses further explores the thesis that sexuality education could be easily presented in various formats and within various programs. This paper will also discuss some of the various reasons that sexuality education is sometimes not included in collegiate programs and how these blocks could be overcome. Improving and implementing sexuality education in higher education is possible and should be prioritized for those institutions hoping to produce well rounded, empowered students regardless of their discipline or area of study.


We outline the common features of teaching autistic children and computers various forms of reasoning. Peculiarities of autistic reasoning about mental world and under adjustment of action to a particular environment are addressed. We discuss how our experience accumulated while teaching children with autism in the above domains can be applied to the design of software intelligent systems.


Improving the model-based predictions of plant species under a projected climate is essential to better conserve our biodiversity. However, the mechanistic link between climatic variation and plant response at the species level remains relatively poorly understood and not accurately developed in Dynamic Vegetation Models (DVMs). We investigated the acclimation to climate of Cedrus atlantica (Atlas cedar), an endemic endangered species from northwestern African mountains, in order to improve the ability of a DVM to simulate tree growth under climatic gradients. Our results showed that the specific leaf area, leaf C:N and sapwood C:N vary across the range of the species in relation to climate. Using the model parameterized with the three traits varying with climate could improve the simulated local net primary productivity (NPP) when compared to the model parameterized with fixed traits. Quantifying the influence of climate on traits and including these variations in DVMs could help to better anticipate the consequences of climate change on species dynamics and distributions. Additionally, the simulation with computed traits showed dramatic drops in NPP over the course of the 21st century. This finding is in line with other studies suggesting the decline in the species in the Rif Mountains, owing to increasing water stress.


This article examines the conditions when predatory pricing or exclusive dealing antitrust principles should be the controlling legal standard for the evaluation of single product loyalty discount contracts. Following Meritor, it clarifies what it means for price to be "the predominant mechanism of exclusion" in a loyalty contract, and therefore for price-cost considerations to be a relevant element of the analysis. Loyalty contracts are shown to be a way by which firms efficiently reduce the price of incremental sales, with effects similar to the commonly recognized competitive use of price discounts in Brooke Group. Rather than assuming a loyalty contract involves exclusive dealing, antitrust analysis in all cases requires determining whether a de facto exclusive dealing arrangement has been created where equally efficient rivals cannot compete for contestable sales.


The origin of high velocity stars observed in the halo of our Galaxy is still unclear. In this work we test the hypothesis, raised by results of recent high precision N-body simulations, of strong acceleration of stars belonging to a massive globular cluster orbitally decayed in the central region of the host galaxy, where it suffers of a close interaction with a super massive black hole, which, for these test cases, we assumed 10 M in mass.


Weyl semimetals could be used to build a range of electronic devices, from superlenses for scanning tunneling microscopes to transistors.


A network software COMNET III can be used to simulate a large varieties of network conditions, that include numerous kinds of network protocols such as ethernet, token ring, frame relay, ATM and so on. As the SCADA system for the energy distribution grid is getting more sophisticated and demanding, there is a need to compare different network topologies such as to find out the most suitable candidate to be applied in the power system communication network under some specified conditions. Appropriate models for SCADA main and second level master station, as well as the remote terminal units (RTUs) are developed. The software gives a wide selection of different kinds of network protocols, which can help investigate which network protocol is best suitable for a particular system. Application software running in the system are modeled by specifying CPU time, message/frame size, disk access time, packet waiting time etc. Different types of system network configuration for various system activities adopting a destined network protocol can be easily investigated and proved. Simulated results focusing on an underlying network configuration provide a valuable source of data to help determine the conforming of an optimized system communication network to be applied in the SCADA system.


The agglutinating antibody responses in duodenal fluid and serum were measured serially in 15 infants with enteropathogenic E. coli gastroenteritis. Peak levels of duodenal agglutinins were recorded eight to 18 days after the onset of symptoms, and the titres fell within the next seven to 14 days. These antibodies were mainly of the IgA class but IgM antibodies were detected early in the response, especially in the youngest infants. Serum antibody responses were detected in eight patients, but they correlated poorly with the titres of intestinal antibodies. No rise in serum antibodies was found in six infants. Further studies are required to determine whether these differences are host-derived or whether they reflect different pathogenic properties of the infecting organisms.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the cellular response of the diaphragm, extensor digitorum longus (EDL), and soleus (Sol) muscles to clinically relevant doses of cyclosporine administered to male rats over 4 wk. Control rats were provided with vehicle only. Muscle fiber types, cross-sectional areas, indexes of capillarity, and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity were determined by quantitative histochemistry. Myosin heavy chain isoforms were identified by SDS-PAGE, and their proportions were measured by scanning densitometry. Serum cyclosporine level, 20-24 h after the last dose of cyclosporine, was 145 +/- 81 ng/ml. Final body weight and muscle mass were similar between the cyclosporine and control groups. In the diaphragm, EDL, and Sol, no differences were observed between the groups with regard to fiber type proportions, fiber cross-sectional areas, and proportions of myosin heavy chain isoforms. In the EDL, reductions, both in SDH activity in type I, IIx, and IIb fibers (-26 to -37%) and in indexes of capillarity (-18 to -37%), were noted. In the Sol, SDH activity and capillarity were similar between the groups. In the diaphragm of cyclosporine-treated rats, there was significant reduction in the number of capillaries around individual fibers (-5%), whereas levels of SDH activity tended to be lower. This suggests that activation history may in part determine muscle-specific responses to cyclosporine. We speculate that reduced oxidative activity and capillarity of some limb muscles contribute to reduced exercise capacity and the "deconditioned state" observed in patients receiving cyclosporine after successful solid-organ transplantation.


With advent of sophisticated equipment we know much in life science,but in many aspects we understand little, consider unexplained phenomena as gift of nature. But nature cannot act in self styled spontaneous manner. It should obey certain defined physical rules. Simple classical chemical reactions failed to solve various natural puzzles. Nature keeps continuity in the formation of universe to tiny creatures up to smallest bacteria, virus or plasmid. Role of invisible force of self gravity in life science has been explored from terrestrial environment to journey through space microgravity and detailed in the book that may help to explore options, manage solutions and optimize results for better management of health and well being of living bodies. Potential binding energy of self gravity that acts universally on mass is the factor that keeps such continuity which can no longer be denied. Various century-old biological conundrums have been resolved through astrophysical principles on incorporation of concept on self gravity. Book is thus must reading for academicians, practitioners and students not only of all disciplines of life science but also to all branches of physical science.


Introduction: the epidemic of the AIDS and pregnancy have given visibility to the youthful sexuality. One of the greatest obstacles of the injunction is the fact that public policies do not take the sexual culture of the populations and focused subpopulations into account. Objective: to describe profiles of vulnerability to STD and AIDS of adolescent students from public and private school in the city of Joao Pessoa – PB. Methods: participated 1.068 adolescents participated, students from public and private schools with age varying from 13 to 18 years old, 53% were women. A bio-demographic questionnaire and questionnaire concerning the sexual behavior and vulnerability to AIDS were used. The results were submitted to the descriptive statistical analyses and to the use of bivaried tests. Results: the precocious sexual initiation with older partners, and the multipartnership that increased vulnerability, aggravated by the non-systematic use of condom: always (54%), were factors in the first sexual intercourse (40%), in the last sexual relationship (29%) and confirmed by the occurrence of pregnancy were predisponent factors (7%) and abortion (4%). The perception of vulnerability to the AIDS emerges for 37% of the adolescents, being lesser for the pupils from private schools. The AIDS was seen as destination by 48% of the pupils from private education and 31% of students from state schools. The results varied for sort, sexual experience and type of school. Conclusion: the results show that two points are necessary to the effective preventive intervention: the need to extend the discussion about the culturally constructed masculine and feminine models and the development of studies that evaluate the consistency of the condom use to define strategies to increase its use, once higher use of condom rate does not imply a continued use.


Urine samples from control and mexiletine-treated human subjects or rabbits (test group) were collected and passed through an ion exchange resin to isolate polar compounds. Methanolic eluates from control and test urines were analyzed by TLC. Exposure to p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde gave an additional intense pink band at Rt 0.40-0.45 in TLC analysis of test urine eluate when compared to control urine eluate. Non-exposed silica at this Rt was scraped and metabolites were extracted with methanol. Hydrolysis of this methanolic extract at 100 degrees C with hydrochloric acid released mexiletine. GC/MS and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry analyses of nonhydrolyzed methanolic extracts evidenced the presence of two conjugated metabolites of mexiletine, namely, N-hydroxymexiletine glucuronide and mexiletine alcohol glucuronide. Synthetic compounds corresponding to these metabolites were obtained and spectra compared with those of isolated metabolites from urine. Definite structure assignment of N-hydroxymexiletine glucuronide was obtained from NMR spectrometry which confirmed the structure to be a hydoxylamine glucuronide (N-O-C link) and showed that the glycoside moiety was in the beta configuration. Thus, it is proposed that N-hydroxymexiletine glucuronide corresponds to mexiletine acid-labile conjugate and represents a major metabolic pathway in the disposition of mexiletine.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the using behavior of the balcony space in apartment housing for improving apartment balcony as dwelling space. For that, it is needed to identify the practical meaning of balcony space as function so balcony expansion and the using behavior of balcony space were investigated and analyzed. For this study, survey and depth-interview methods were used for data collection. The major findings were as followings: 1) Balcony expansion mainly occurred in balcony of livingroom and bedroom. Balcony expansion showed several phases according to the type of plan and function of balcony space and few residents chose expansion of all balconies. 2) The using behavior of balcony space was categorized by these various functions of balconies. It was also related to unit-plan type of apartment housing. These results can provide improvement guidelines for the balcony with the differentiation of design factors for residents.


Introduction For patients with known malignancy, development of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a poor prognostic marker: median survival with effusion at presentation is five months (Zamboni et al., 2015), but for the majority of those developing MPE during active cancer management, prognosis is much worse. Management of pleural fluid in this setting should be individualised, depending on symptoms, functional status, prognosis and fully informed patients preferences. Pleural drainage whether single aspiration, short term drain or semi-permanent drain are all highly invasive procedures with risks attached. Locally, patients developing MPE were frequently referred to the respiratory service for insertion of an indwelling drain inappropriately (either too unwell, or single drainage preferable, or without understanding their prognosis) and were often not known to palliative care services. Aim To create a pathway ensuring patients developing MPE had a holistic palliative care assessment and creation of an effusion management plan appropriate to their symptoms, prognosis and informed preferences. Method Patients developing MPE are referred to the respiratory consultant and advised they will have a palliative care review as part of the assessment process. A hospice palliative care CNS who has undertaken additional training on assessing these patients, visits at home within five days – assesses palliative care needs, discusses prognosis and options for management (semi-permanent drain/single drainage/medical management of breathlessness) with patient/family. If drainage is appropriate, the palliative care CNS liaises with the respiratory team and the patient is booked in, as well as arranging on-going palliative care support. Results Patient and staff satisfaction results will be available at conference, along with the first six months of data from the pathway. Conclusion Collaboration between specialties and between services can ensure patients receive timely assessment of needs and are fully informed in order to make choices about potentially invasive interventions.


This article describes general review such as introduction and historical background; legal ground such as Indonesian Constitution of 1945, Act Number 6 Year 1994, Act Number 23 Year 1997, Act Number 17 Year 2004, Act Number 25 Year 2004, Act Number 1 Year 2009, Act Number 32 Year 2009 and Presidential Regulation Number 46 Year 2008; action to be taken to reduce climate change in the international as well as national level such as membership of UNFCCC, commits to support ICAO's recommendation, environmental measure project (EMP), cooperation with IATA and other agencies, discussion with Switzerland related to climate change, such as the policy approach to climate change, socialization and coordination of a national action plan, eco-friendly airport, alternative fuel for aircraft operation , sustainable air transport and aviation alternative fuels, the emission trading scheme; establishment of national committee on climate change , aviation biofuels and renewable energy at the airport; and two kinds of legal aspect such as liability regime and responsibility regime related to dispute arrangement to achieve sustainability development.


: Hemileia vastatrix is a fungus that causes coffee rust disease and, depending on the level of severity, reduces the photosynthetic capacity of the plant and of new shoots, leading to low coffee yields and even death; its symptoms are visible on the leaf. Systems based on computer algorithms have been developed to predict diseases and pests in coffee. The objective of the manuscript was to analyse the detection of rust occurrence in coffee plantations, through field determinations of climatological, agronomic and crop management variables using data mining algorithms. A systematic review of studies published from 2001 to 2021 was carried out in the Scopus, Ebsco Host and Scielo databases, considering as an inclusion criterion the works that used experimental design in data collection. The studies included in this review were 22, 64% of which came from the top two coffee-roducing countries in Latin America (Brazil and Colombia); the analysis of these studies revealed that the input variables were climatic, soil fertility properties, management and physical properties of the crops. In addition, they used supervised (decision tree, artificial neural networks, multiple linear regression, among others) and unsupervised (clustering) algorithms, with the support of experts in the study of the fungus and used statistics such as coefficient of determination, root mean square error, among others, to validate the proposals. Overall, this systematic review provides evidence of the effectiveness of data mining algorithms implemented to detect the occurrence of rust in coffee plantations.


This essay focuses on Husserl's conception of the natural attitude, which, I argue, is one of his most important contributions to contemporary phenomenology. I offer a critical exploration of this concept's productive explanatory potential for feminist theory, critical race theory, queer theory, and disability studies. In the process, I draw attention to the rich, multi-faceted, and ever-changing social world that can be brought to life through this particular phenomenological concept. One of the most striking features of the natural attitude, as Husserl describes it, is that it is not natural at all, but rather, is a developmental phenomenon that is acquired through, and profoundly influenced by, specific socio-cultural practices. To de-naturalize the natural attitude, then, is to recognize that the natural attitude is not fixed or innate but relative to a particular time period and culture, and therefore always capable of being changed.


One in every five occupants thrown from a car receives fatal injuries. A motorist who uses a safety belt, in all probability, will not be thrown from the car during a crash. The rate of fatal injury for ejected occupants was found to be 40 times the rate for occupants not thrown from their cars, as determined from national accident sampling data. These data refute the popular notion that "being thrown clear" has survival benefit. In addition, there was no evidence that wearing a safety belt increased fatality risk from vehicle fire or submersion.


In Underwater Sensor Network (UWSNs) there are several problems with limited bandwidth, long propagation delay, low battery power, location problems because of having adverse environment. In Grid Based Fuzzy Optimized (GBFO) routing protocol the whole network is divided by different virtual grids. Then energy estimation of an active node with in a grid has been performed. After making sequence of active nodes, only one node is in active mode and remaining nodes will perform as sleeping node. Having multiple characteristics and packet forwarding among active nodes in fuzzy optimized active node selection phase the activeness ratio takes into account the eligible neighbor's based on link expiration time, Number of packets within a node. Active node will select from fuzzy. It will compensate loss energy of networks. Provides facilities where a node can communicate with centroid infrastructure.


Rice blast (Magnaporthe oryzae) is a devastating disease affecting rice production globally. The development of cultivars with host resistance has been proved to be the best strategy for disease management. Several rice-resistance genes (R) have been recognized which induce resistance to blast in rice but R gene-mediated mechanisms resulting in defense response still need to be elucidated. Here, mutant lines generated through CRISPR/Cas9 based targeted mutagenesis to investigate the role of Pi21 against blast resistance and 17 mutant plants were obtained in T0 generation with the mutation rate of 66% including 26% bi-allelic, 22% homozygous, 12% heterozygous, and 3% chimeric and 17 T-DNA-free lines in T1 generation. The homozygous mutant lines revealed enhanced resistance to blast without affecting the major agronomic traits. Furthermore, comparative proteome profiling was adopted to study the succeeding proteomic regulations, using iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis. We identified 372 DEPs, among them 149 up and 223 were down-regulated, respectively. GO analysis revealed that the proteins related to response to stimulus, photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolic process, and small molecule metabolic process were up-regulated. The most of DEPs were involved in metabolic, ribosomal, secondary metabolites biosynthesis, and carbon metabolism pathways. 40S ribosomal protein S15 (P31674), 50S ribosomal protein L4, L5, L6 (Q10NM5, Q9ZST0, Q10L93), 30S ribosomal protein S5, S9 (Q6YU81, Q850W6, Q9XJ28), and succinate dehydrogenase (Q9S827) were hub-proteins. The expression level of genes related to defense mechanism, involved in signaling pathways of jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and ethylene metabolisms were up-regulated in mutant line after the inoculation of the physiological races of M. oryzae as compared to WT. Our results revealed the fundamental value of genome editing and expand knowledge about fungal infection avoidance in rice.


PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to determine the correlation between having a baby of the desired gender and related factors.

DESIGN AND METHODS
The participants were 612 women who gave birth to their babies in the postpartum unit of a hospital in Malatya, Turkey.

FINDINGS
Factors linked to having a baby of the desired gender were: having had a gender preference in a previous pregnancy (2.13 times on average; P = 0.001), their partners having a gender preference (2.87 times on average; P = 0.001 and 0.005).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
It was found that having a baby of the desired gender was an important factor that affected some fertility characteristics.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
It is important to recognize that gender preference exists and investigate it as a variable.


Objectve: Event-related potentals (ERPs) are among the most useful and dynamic tools for monitoring informaton flow in the brain. The auditory P300 is a well-established ERP component in the neurophysiological assessment of cogniton-related processes. In this study, we evaluated effects of gender, level of educaton and non-invertng electrode sites on P300 ERP parameters (latency and amplitude) in healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: In this descriptve, analytcal and non-interventonal study, P300 potentals were measured in oddball paradigm using two-tone burst stmuli (1000 & 2000 Hz) in 25 healthy females and 25 healthy males with different levels of educaton (diploma and bachelor's degree), at Fz and Cz noninvertng electrode sites. Results: At Cz site, compared to Fz site, the mean P300 latency was signifcantly shorter ( p =0.002) and the mean P300 amplitude was signifcantly larger ( p =0.001) in both males and females. Amplitude, at Cz site, was signifcantly larger in females ( p =0.039). There was no signifcant difference between two levels of educaton in both genders at both electrode sites ( p >0.05). Conclusion: Signifcant increase in P300 latency and decrease in its amplitude at Fz site are associated with its related neural generators. The proximity of the Cz site to these neural generators, leads to a faster auditory informaton processing (shorter latency) and larger amplitude.


This paper studies the expressive power of graph neural networks falling within the message-passing framework (GNNmp). Two results are presented. First, GNNmp are shown to be Turing universal under sufficient conditions on their depth, width, node attributes, and layer expressiveness. Second, it is discovered that GNNmp can lose a significant portion of their power when their depth and width is restricted. The proposed impossibility statements stem from a new technique that enables the repurposing of seminal results from distributed computing and leads to lower bounds for an array of decision, optimization, and estimation problems involving graphs. Strikingly, several of these problems are deemed impossible unless the product of a GNNmp's depth and width exceeds a polynomial of the graph size; this dependence remains significant even for tasks that appear simple or when considering approximation.


The shakedown limit load multiplier problem for elastic plastic structures subjected to a combination of fixed and seismic loads is treated. In particular, reference is firstly made to the unrestricted dynamic shakedown theory. The relevant seismic load history is modeled as a repeated one and, with reference to classically damped structures, appropriate modal analyses are utilized. With the aim of evaluating the reliability of the results arising from the application of the cited theory, a recent probabilistic approach is also utilized. This approach adopts the Monte Carlo method in order to define the necessary seismic acceleration histories and finally compute the related shakedown limit load multiplier distribution. The probabilistic approach relies on a generalized Ceradini theorem which allows to define the limit load multiplier cumulative distribution function and, therefore, to characterize the shakedown sensitivity of the structure. The comparison between the two described approaches is effected and an improved computational procedure is proposed. The effected applications are related to plane steel frames.


Aalinkeel et al. (1) have recently reported that gene expression of angiogenic factors correlates with metastatic potential of prostate cancer cells. The rationale for the study of Aalinkeel et al. is that a variety of growth factors, among them interleukin-8 (il-8), can induce angiogenesis (2). Further, parathyroid hormone related peptide (PTHrP) acts to induce il-8 production in prostate cancer cells via an intracrine pathway independent of its classical nuclear localization sequence. This novel pathway could mediate the effects of PTHrP on the progression of prostate cancer (3). We measured il-8 in the serum of 39 men with biopsy-proven prostate cancer. Their average age was 69 +/- 9 (mean +/- SD). Serum il-8 was measured with an automated chemiluminometric high sensitivity il-8 protein assay (Immulite, Diagnostic Products Corporation, Los Angeles, CA). We noted a significant elevation of il-8 in men with bone metastases, diagnosed by Tc-99 MDP bone scan, when compared to men with localized disease (Figure 1). Aalinkeel et al. found that il-8 was significantly higher in the more metastatic PC-3 and DU-145 prostate cancer cell lines, when compared to the poorly metastatic LnCAP cells. The results of our study of il-8 in men with prostate cancer support the findings of Aalinkeel et al. Therefore, new anti-angiogenic therapies targeting specific genes controlling prostate tumor metastasis may be of benefit in treating prostate cancer.


Cerebral collateral circulation is a network of blood vessels which stabilizes blood flow and maintains cerebral perfusion whenever the main arteries fail to provide an adequate blood supply, as happens in ischemic stroke. These arterial networks are able to divert blood flow to hypoperfused cerebral areas. The extent of the collateral circulation determines the volume of the salvageable tissue, the so-called "penumbra". Clinically, this is associated with greater efficacy of reperfusion therapies (thrombolysis and thrombectomy) in terms of better short- and long-term functional outcomes, lower incidence of hemorrhagic transformation and of malignant oedema, and smaller cerebral infarctions. Recent advancements in brain imaging techniques (CT and MRI) allow us to study these anastomotic networks in detail and increase the likelihood of making effective therapeutic choices. In this narrative review we will investigate the pathophysiology, the clinical aspects, and the possible diagnostic and therapeutic role of collateral circulation in acute ischemic stroke.


This work compares the performances of univariate and multivariate time series models. Five time series variables from Nigeria's gross domestic products were used for the comparative study. These series were modelled using both the univariate and multivariate time series framework. The performances of the two methods were evaluated based on the mean error incurred by each approach. The results showed that the univariate linear stationary models perform better than the multivariate models.


In this paper we propose an appearance-based approach to recognition of facial action units (AUs) and their temporal segments in frontal-view face videos. Non-rigid registration using free-form deformations is used to determine motion in the face region of an input video. The extracted motion fields are then used to derive motion histogram descriptors. Per AU, a combination of ensemble learners and hidden Markov models detects the presence of the AU in question and its temporal segment in each frame of an input sequence. When tested for recognition of all 27 lower and upper face AUs, occurring alone or in combination in 264 sequences from the MMI facial expression database, an average sequence classification rate of 94.3% was achieved.


Abstract In this paper it is shown that the sum of class numbers of orders in complex cubic fields obeys an asymptotic law similar to the prime numbers as the bound on the regulators tends to infinity. Here only orders are considered which are maximal at two given primes. This result extends work of Sarnak in the real quadratic case. It seems to be the first asymptotic result on class numbers for number fields of degree higher than two.


Radiation-induced upset levels in SA3001 static random access memories (SRAMs) and SA3246 clock integrated circuits (ICs) have been measured in a medium-energy flash X-ray environment (average photon energy approximately 100 keV), where dose-enhancing effects are very important. By comparing device responses using a non-dose-enhancing ceramic package lid and a dose-enhancing Kovar/gold lid, dose-enhancement factors for photocurrent and upset were generated. The observed upset enhancement factors of 3.0+or-0.5 (SRAM) and 2.2+or-0.2 (clock IC) are in excellent agreement with measurements of photocurrent enhancement factors (2.5+or-0.5) in diodes processed with the same diffusions as the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) ICs irradiated in a steady-state X-ray environment. These results indicate that upset is dominated by the radiation-induced transient supply current in these ICs, and that steady-state diode photocurrent measurements are a good predictor of both photocurrent and upset enhancement for ICs made with this technology. >


Abstract : The Philippines is one of the foremost supporters of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), responding to the call for robust counter-terrorism (CT) measures through policy and legislation, intelligence-sharing, and military and law enforcement cooperation. As a strategic ally, the United States (US) has renewed political and security relations with Manila, strained since the base closures in 1991; Washington has given hundreds of millions of dollars in military and economic aid since 9/11. However, instead of improving the country's CT capabilities to eradicate terrorism, the GWOT and related US policy have created a cyclical incentive structure: certain actors within the government, military, and insurgency groups in the Philippines profit politically and financially from US aid and the warlike conditions, and thus sustain, at a minimum, a presence of conflict and terrorism in order to continue drawing future benefits. This paper will investigate how such actors profit from the GWOT and perpetuate conflict, as well as examine the implications of these finding and recommendations on future US policy and Philippine counter-terrorism efforts.


Human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3, also known as ErbB3) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that lacks catalytic activity but is essential for cellular homeostasis due to its ability to allosterically activate its heterodimeric partners, EGFR and HER2 (also known as HER1/ErbB1 and ErbB2, respectively). HER3 is an important therapeutic cancer target because the signaling emanating from HER3 heterodimers is critical for the progression and maintenance of several human epithelial malignancies. This is primarily due to the potent ability of HER3 to recruit and activate the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). This ability has been attributed to the presence of multiple direct binding sites for PI3K located in the intracellular tail of HER3. The advantage of having multiple recruitment sites is unclear and our recent data show that they provide little advantage to the ability of HER3 to activate PI3K. In addition, we have identified an alternative mode by which HER3 can activate PI3K, demonstrating a complex mechanism by which HER3 phosphorylation is coupled to activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Our results have important implications for therapeutic targeting of a number of human cancers in which HER3/PI3K signaling axis is abnormally activated and contributes to disease progression. Citation Format: Nicole Michael, Michael Hopkins, Natalia Jura. Mechanism of PI3K activation by the HER3/ErbB3 receptor. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4590.


Stainless steels are very unique in that they offer a wide range and combination of resistance to corrosion, resistance to oxidation at high temperature and good mechanical properties at room temperature. With rapid industrialization all over the world, these very properties have led to extensive use of stainless steels in different industries. Austenitic stainless steels containing molybdenum exhibit corrosion resistance in both sulphuric acid and nitric acid. Stainless steel undergoes severe attack in sulphuric acid having concentrations in the range of 20‐85 per cent, whereas they are immune to nitric acid in any concentration. However, sensitized stainless steels are prone to intergranular attack in acids, even in nitric acid. Further, the attack is aggravated in the presence of aggressive ions. Study of the behaviour of stainless steels in a mixture of acids (nitric and sulphuric acid) is lacking in the literature. This paper, therefore, discusses the performance of AISI‐316 and 316‐L in sulphuric acid and nitric acid and a mixture thereof at room temperature. It is observed that the steels are quite resistant to sulphuric acid and nitric acid, but in the acid mixture they are not so resistant, especially in AISI‐316 SS in respect of corrosion resistance, even in acid mixture containing C1‐ and Cu++ ions.


The PIM kinases (PIM1, PIM2, and PIM3) are constitutively active serine/threonine kinases that promote tumorigenesis in mouse models and are associated with drug resistance. Upregulation of PIM kinase expression has been reported in many malignancies including renal cell carcinoma (RCC), suggesting that inhibition of PIM kinase activity may be an attractive therapeutic strategy. SGI‐1776 is a novel orally available small molecule inhibitor of PIM kinase activity that is currently in Phase I clinical trials. We hypothesized that inhibition of PIM kinase activity would reduce the viability of RCC cells and enhance the activity of the multi‐targeted receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor sunitinib. Cell viability and apoptosis assays demonstrated that SGI‐1776 possessed significant in vitro activity in a panel of RCC cell lines. One of the mechanisms by which the PIM kinases have been reported to inhibit apoptosis is by phosphorylating the BH3‐only protein Bad to abrogate its pro‐apoptotic function. Accordingly, SGI‐1776‐mediated apoptosis was associated with decreased levels of the phosphorylated form of Bad. Moreover, targeted knockdown of Bad expression significantly decreased sensitivity to SGI‐1776 indicating that Bad is an important mediator of the anticancer activity of this agent. Treatment with SGI‐1776 also led to a markedly decrease in phosphorylated and total c‐Myc levels and enhanced the activity of sunitinib in RCC cells. The addition of sunitinib to SGI‐1776 further reduced c‐Myc expression. Silencing of the gene suggested that c‐Myc plays a significant role in sensitivity to the SGI‐1776/sunitinib combination. To further evaluate this drug combination, Caki‐1 and 786‐O RCC xenografts were established in nude mice and they were treated orally with SGI‐1776, sunitinib, or the combination. The SGI‐1776/sunitinib combination significantly reduced tumor burden in both xenograft models compared to single agent therapy and was very well tolerated. Analysis of the tumors revealed that the drug combination strongly decreased tumor proliferation and induced apoptosis as measured by PCNA and TUNEL immunohistochemistry, respectively. These data indicate that PIM kinase signaling has a significant role in the biology of RCC and warrants further investigation. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):B272.


This paper draws on case study data from a study of independent schools in Scotland, to examine school space as a site of mediation of educational dis/advantage and in/exclusion. A threefold and scalar conceptualisation of space is used together with social capital theory to analyse staff and student identifications with relations within and beyond school space. The analysis indicates the existence of specific territorial bonding and prevailing spatio-temporal boundaries, both of which produce educational advantage of benefit to students and the institution but can also, for some, lead to alienation and frustration. The conclusion reached is that strong in-school bonding is central to the reproduction of educational advantage, but that possibilities exist for its interruption which may offer key messages for schools more generally. The approach to analysis is discourse-based and draws on spatial and social and multiple capitals theory.


Thiocyanates, versatile building blocks in organic synthesis, are shown to be easily accessible via an interrupted Pummerer reaction of sulfoxides. This facile dealkylative functionalization proceeds under mild conditions through electrophilic activation of the sulfoxide partner. The resulting thiocyanate itself can serve as a handle for diversification in a straightforward one-pot procedure.


The effect of magnesium on potassium fluorocarbon cardioplegia was studied in 20 rabbits. Isolated hearts with ascending aortas were perfused with oxygenated and cooled (+4 degrees C) fluorocarbon solutions. In 10 experiments, the solution contained 20 mmol/l of potassium, in 10 further experiments, 20 mmol/l of potassium and 15 mmol/l of magnesium. Ultrastructural preservation of the myocardium was studied using transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the cation contents of the myocardium were studied by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (calcium, magnesium) or electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry (copper). After 120 minutes of ischaemia, areas of moderate or severe ultrastructural myocardial cell damage were observed in both groups but severe damage was more extensive and commoner in the group with no access to magnesium. Preservation of the capillary endothelium was also worse in that group. There was a highly significant increase in magnesium content, a decrease in calcium content and an increase in the magnesium/calcium ratio following magnesium-potassium fluorocarbon infusion. The copper content remained unchanged. A protective effect of magnesium was observed. The electrolyte content of cardioplegic solutions also alters the electrolyte content of the myocardium. This may be important in reperfusion.


The Near Infrared Spectrograph and Photometer (NISP) is one of the two instruments on board the EUCLID mission now under implementation phase; VIS, the Visible Imager is the second instrument working on the same shared optical beam. The NISP focal plane is based on a detector mosaic deploying 16x, 2048x2048 pixels^2 HAWAII-II HgCdTe detectors, now in advanced delivery phase from Teledyne Imaging Scientific (TIS), and will provide NIR imaging in three bands (Y, J, H) plus slit-less spectroscopy in the range 0.9÷2.0 micron. All the NISP observational modes will be supported by different parametrization of the classic multi-accumulation IR detector readout mode covering the specific needs for spectroscopic, photometric and calibration exposures. Due to the large number of deployed detectors and to the limited satellite telemetry available to ground, a consistent part of the data processing, conventionally performed off-line, will be accomplished on board, in parallel with the flow of data acquisitions. This has led to the development of a specific on-board, HW/SW, data processing pipeline, and to the design of computationally performing control electronics, suited to cope with the time constraints of the NISP acquisition sequences during the sky survey. In this paper we present the architecture of the NISP on-board processing system, directly interfaced to the SIDECAR ASICs system managing the detector focal plane, and the implementation of the on-board pipe-line allowing all the basic operations of input frame averaging, final frame interpolation and data-volume compression before ground down-link.


ABSTRACT The high cost of offshore infrastructure provides continuous encouragement for optimisation of design practices. Development of a more rational method to interpret results from simple shear tests with cell pressure confinement can reduce costs and improve reliability of offshore infrastructure. This paper addresses a commonly overlooked issue affecting design parameter selection: specimen shape varies from right cylinder to oblique cylinder after loading along a single shearing direction. Thus, horizontal stresses are not always equal to the cell pressure and their magnitude varies throughout the specimen's lateral surface. An analysis is proposed that accounts for changing specimen geometry and lateral surface area during shearing and for the actual effect of cell pressure during testing. The analysis also describes how the intermediate principal stress can be assessed. Test results for medium dense silica sand are interpreted following de Josselin de Jong's alternative shearing mechanism hypothesis. Conventional interpretation methods yield conservative design parameters for this soil. Failure states develop when the intermediate principal effective stress is halfway between major and minor principal effective stresses. Typical results for the soil tested show equipment performance meets standard direct simple shear requirements for shear strain rate, vertical stress and specimen height control.


Abstract Within a football team, it is vital for coaches to acknowledge the importance of their players having the knowledge of what is required in specific roles in the team and what their other team members are likely to do in certain situations. This mutual knowledge can be defined as shared understanding – the ability for two or more people to have similar thoughts in specific situations based on their experience together. This paper considers what shared understanding is, its importance within team sports like football and the positive implications for teams who have players with accurate shared understanding. This paper provides practical suggestions for how coaches can develop shared understanding within their team.


Background: Trichomoniasis is the most common sexually transmitted parasite in the world. The mainstay treatment for trichomoniasis is metronidazole, but some resistant strains to this treatment have also been detected. Considering the therapeutic properties of Pelarqonium roseum in traditional medicine, this study aimed to examine the antitrichomonal effects of Pelarqonium in vitro.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 1203 persons referred to Kashan Medical Centers randomly tested for Trichomonas vaginalis. Of them, 23 persons were infected with T. vaginalis. Three T. vaginalis isolates were cultured in a TYI-S-33 medium and were used to study the effect of Pelarqonium extract. Different concentrations (12.5, 25, 50,100,200,400,800, 1000µg/ml) of Pelarqonium extracts were tested in three different times (24, 48 and 72h) on T. vaginalis trophozoeites. Also the effect of metronidazole (0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 µg/ml) was investigated as the drug control. In all tests the numbers of live and dead parasites were counted by trypan blue staining.Results: Result showed that the alcoholic and aqueous extracts of Pelarqonium had the inhibitory effects on the growth of T. vaginalis trophozoeites. The IC50 of the aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Pelarqonium and metronidazole after 24h were 54.67, 27.63 and 0.0326, respectively. Conclusion: While the alcoholic and aqueous extract of Pelarqonium have anti-Trichomonas effect, the anti-Trichomonas properties of alcoholic extract is more than its aqueous extract. Since Pelarqonium is a herbal drug, it can be tested in vivo.


The lambertian behaviour of an optical diffuser is analyzed. A simple model, coupled to a Monte-Carlo approach, has been used to study the angular dependence of the reflected rays and obtain some performance parameters of the diffuser. The origin of the Lambertian distribution of the reflected rays, as well as of some deviation from it, are discussed in terms of that model.


The word laser has taken on a new meaning: a beam of atoms marching in quantum lockstep, like the photons of a light laser. Two years ago, physicists achieved the crucial starting point for an atom laser, which could aid everything from atomic clocks to chipmaking, when they created an exotic brew of atoms all merged in a single quantum state. Now, a group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports in this issue (p. 637) that they have shaped this "Bose-Einstein condensate" into pulses, each one a single, coherent "matter wave."


Australia's native reptile, the Shingleback lizard (Tiliqua rugosa) is under threat from a variety of causes including a newly discovered Nidovirus(1). This flu has caused an influx of Shinglebacks into rehabilitation centres, demonstrating upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). Therefore, understanding other factors that can impact on the progression of this infection is extremely important for the conservation of the Shingleback lizard population. Such factors include the effects of co-infections, which are composed of two or more pathogens working synergistically or antagonistically against each other. Interactions seen in co-infections tend to cause enhancement of pathogenesis(3). In this study we investigated the association between gastro-intestinal (GI) parasites and the Nidovirus within the Tiliqua rugosa population.

The main aims and hypothesis of this study is to investigate if any association exists between the abundance and diversity of individual parasitic loads, with the presence/absence of the novel Tiliqua rugosa Nidovirus. This will be completed by three objectives, (i) obtaining baseline data on the prevalence of infection, (ii) confirming the proportion of animals infected by coinfections and (iii) examine any possible relationship seen in co-infected Shingleback lizards.

Samples were collected from Shingleback lizards entering Native ARC Rehabilitation Centre and Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Oral swabs were taken for virology analysis which was completed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. Faecal samples were collected when naturally produced and were analysed at Murdoch University laboratories, through malachite stained faecal smear(4) and zinc sulphate faecal flotation techniques(5).

There were three main findings from this study. First, prevalence of infection was relatively high, with 73 % of Shinglebacks infected with at least one species of gastro-intestinal parasite and 58.1% of Shinglebacks infected with the T. rugosa Nidovirus. Secondly, co-infections with gastro-intestinal parasites and Nidovirus were common; 48.4% of Shinglebacks carried both parasitic and viral infections, while 26% had only parasitic infections and 9% had only viral infections. Finally, evidence was found corroborating my initial hypothesis that the major clinical signs of viral infection, discharge from the eyes or nose, were enhanced in Shinglebacks which were co-infected with the virus and gastro-intestinal parasites.

This study suggests that the Nidovirus seen in the Tiliqua rugosa population is part of the multi dynamic route of disease seen in reptiles(6), in particular an emerging pattern between co infection with GI parasites suggest synergistic interaction may be a possible factor in the progression of pathogenesis in this viral infection. Therefore, possible immunological enhancement of the virus or/and the parasites may be seen within an individual host. It is not clear yet if this enhancement of infection is caused due to the immunosuppressive characteristics of the virus or due to high parasitic abundance causing immunological stress on the hosts.

This is the first comprehensive study of gastrointestinal parasitism in wild populations of Tiliqua rugosa and the first study of co-infections of gastro-intestinal parasites and Nidovirus. This paper will allow a clearer understanding of natural co-infections, synergistic and/or antagonistic relations between pathogens and the potential cause of pathogenesis.


[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2024] This thesis introduces novel consistency-based approaches for solving nonnegative/ positive matrix and tensor completion problems in the context of recommender systems. The proposed framework focuses on preserving unit-scale consistency as a single property, ensuring both the existence and uniqueness of solutions. Key theoretical contributions include a general unit-consistent tensor-completion framework with proofs of its properties, e.g., consensus-order and fairness, and algorithms with optimal runtime and space complexities, e.g., O(1) term-completion with preprocessing complexity that is linear in the number of known terms of the matrix/tensor. From a practical perspective, the seamless ability of the framework to generalize to exploit high-dimensional structural relationships among key state variables, e.g., user and product attributes, offers a means for extracting significantly more information than is possible for alternative methods that cannot generalize beyond direct user-product relationships. Finally, we propose our consensus ordering property as an admissibility criterion for any proposed RS method. In the context of recommender system (RS) applications, we prove that two reasonable properties that should be expected to hold for any solution to the RS problem are sufficient to permit uniqueness guarantees to be established within our framework. The theoretical contributions include a general unit-consistent tensor-completion framework with proofs of its properties, such as consensus-order and fairness. Efficient algorithms are developed with optimal runtime and space complexities, including O(1) term-completion with preprocessing complexity linear to the number of known terms. From a practical perspective, the framework leverages highdimensional structural relationships among user and product attributes, enabling the extraction of valuable information beyond direct user-product relationships. Additionally, a new constraint called shift-consistency is proposed for matrix/ tensor completion in recommender systems. The method guarantees key mathematical properties, satisfying a recently established admissibility criterion, fairness definition, and offering robustness through provable uniqueness of missing-value imputation. A rigorous mathematical description is provided, encompassing the generalization from matrix to tensor form to represent and exploit complex structural relationships among user and product attributes. The analysis suggests a structured means for defining latent-space projections, enabling provable performance properties for machine learning methods. The thesis further explores pre- and post-processing methods to induce desired consistency and invariance properties in blackbox systems, specifically AI-based approaches. We demonstrate our approach in the context of blackbox SVD-based matrix-completion methods commonly used in RS applications. Empirical results demonstrate the effectiveness of enforcing unit-consistency and shift-consistency, leading to improved performance according to generic RMSE and MAE metrics, irrespective of initial hyperparameter choices.


Mainstream teachers face particular challenges when newly arrived ESL students enter their classrooms. Some of these challenges stem from linguistic barriers, but others are cultural issues so endemic that neither the teacher nor the student is fully aware of their impact. "Your Land, My Land" is the story of four children's acculturation into elementary school, as seen by the author, the teachers, the parents, and the children themselves. Clayton focuses on two primary questions: Is there some kind of underlying pattern of acculturation that the four students share? What is the role of the school and the classroom teacher in the process? Aged nine through eleven, Erik, Carina, Yevgeny, and Raina were all newly arrived and attending three different schools. Their exposure to English was non-existent to minimal. With the help of translators, Clayton was able to reach these students and get their perspectives on what was happening to them, which she documents here. Even though the focus is on the children, their teachers and parents also participated. These teachers shared their strategies, hopes, victories, and frustrations along with assumptions that weren't always clear even to them. They saw these students as eventual assets to their classrooms, but often felt stymied in their efforts to help them. The parents, despite having to learn new ways themselves, also offered insight. All of those involved took part in ongoing interviews and maintained journals to reflect on the children's progress. "Your Land, My Land" is a valuable resource for any teacher or administrator with minimal- or non-English speaking students. It will shed new light on the cultural adjustment these students must make and on theoretical and practical ways you can reach across cultures to understand the values of your students and yourself.


The assessment of performance in the real world of medical practice is now widely accepted as the goal of assessment at the postgraduate level. This is largely a validity issue, as it is recognised that tests of knowledge and in clinical simulations cannot on their own really measure how medical practitioners function in the broader health care system. However, the development of standards for performance‐based assessment is not as well understood as in competency assessment, where simulations can more readily reflect narrower issues of knowledge and skills. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for the development of standards that reflect the more complex world in which experienced medical practitioners work.


1. Cells from the ventricles of newborn rats were cultured for 8 days in flasks attached to a rocker apparatus to ensure an adequate oxygen supply. 2. The rocked cultures, which had previously been found to be low in lactate and subsensitive to the positive chronotropic action of the beta-adrenergic agonist isoprenaline (ISO; EC50 of (+/-)-ISO around 7 x 10(-7) M), became resensitized and even highly supersensitive to the catecholamine upon treatment with 3 mM L(+)-lactate or 1 mM pyruvate. 3. The resulting concentration-response curves were anomalous in that they extended over 8 log units, with a threshold at about 10(-13) M, but with little or no change in the height and the position of the maximum (at 10(-5) M). The EC50 values and 95% confidence intervals were 2.4 (1.9-3.0) and 5.4 (4.9-6.0) x 10(-11) M, respectively, for the lactate- and pyruvate-induced components of the chronotropic response to (+/-)-ISO. 4. The supersensitive portion of the ISO concentration-response curve was abolished by (-)-propranolol (10(-6) M), indicating that it was due to beta-adrenoceptor stimulation. 5. The cultured heart cells had to be incubated with L(+)-lactate or pyruvate for a minimum of 45 min before an increase in sensitivity to ISO became apparent. This latency was not due to a requirement for protein synthesis. 6. The adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) response to ISO was not noticeably altered by lactate, but (+/-)-ISO, which at 10(-8) M had no effect on the activation state of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), caused a significant increase in the activity of the enzyme following a 2-h exposure of the cells to 3 mM L(+)-lactate. 7. alpha-cyanocinnamate, an inhibitor of transmembrane transport of lactate and pyruvate, severely inhibited the utilization of L-[U-14C] lactate by the cultured cells at a concentration (5 microM) that eliminated the lactate-evoked potentiation of the chronotropic action of ISO without significantly affecting its unpotentiated action. 8. The beat-accelerating action of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine (IBMX) and the lipophilic N6,2'-O-dibutyryl derivative of cAMP (dbcAMP), both of which are capable of elevating myocardial cAMP levels, was not potentiated by 1 mM pyruvate. 9. The question is raised, whether accumulation of lactate, a biochemical hallmark of anaerobiosis, might be a factor in some of the catecholamine-triggered events occurring in acute myocardial ischaemia and infarction.


The book trade is going through wide-ranging changes pushed by digital technology and e-books, and there is considerable concern over the consequences this will have for literature, culture and reading. The article proposes that the present development can be compared with similar changes in the book trade in the past, and that the effects of sales of e-books might not be all-encompassing as has been feared. A comparison between sales in the Swedish book clubs in the 1970s and the Internet bookshops in the 1990s, offers a range of similarities and differences. These are then related to the e-book sales since 2010. While the e-book might be a disruptive technology, put in a historical perspective and in a Swedish context, it appears less radical and the impact not as far-reaching as has been predicted. The comparison with book clubs and Internet sales gives an indication of the structural changes to be expected and what aspects are fundamental and new. (Less)


Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) catalyzes the condensation of homocysteine with serine or cysteine to form cystathionine and water or hydrogen sulfide (H2S), respectively. In addition to pyridoxal phosphate, human CBS has a heme cofactor with cysteine and histidine as ligands. While Fe(III)-CBS is inert to exogenous ligands, Fe(II)-CBS can be reversibly inhibited by carbon monoxide (CO) and reoxidized by O2 to yield superoxide radical. In this study, we have examined the kinetics of Fe(II)CO-CBS formation and reoxidation. Reduction of Fe(III)-CBS by dithionite showed a square root dependence on concentration, indicating that the reductant species was the sulfur dioxide radical anion (SO2(•-)) that exists in rapid equilibrium with S2O4(2-). Formation of Fe(II)CO-CBS from Fe(II)-CBS and 1 mM CO occurred with a rate constant of (3.1 ± 0.4) × 10(-3) s(-1) (pH 7.4, 25 °C). The reaction of Fe(III)-CBS with the reduced form of the flavoprotein methionine synthase reductase in the presence of CO and NADPH resulted in its reduction and carbonylation to form Fe(II)CO-CBS. Fe(II)-CBS was formed as an intermediate with a rate constant of (9.3 ± 2.5) × 10(2) M(-1) s(-1). Reoxidation of Fe(II)CO-CBS by O2 was multiphasic. The major phase showed a hyperbolic dependence on O2 concentration. Although H2S is a product of the CBS reaction and a potential heme ligand, we did not find evidence of an effect of exogenous H2S on activity or heme binding. Reversible reduction of CBS by a physiologically relevant oxidoreductase is consistent with a regulatory role for the heme and could constitute a mechanism for cross talk among the CO, H2S, and superoxide signaling pathways.


Objectives: Lunasin is a bioactive peptide originally derived from soy protein which is being marketed as a nutraceutical product for its potential beneficial effects. Functionality of lunasin depends on its presence in circulation after digestion and metabolism. We studied safety, tolerability, and presence of lunasin in blood for the first time in humans in a well-controlled randomized clinical trial. Methods: In a triple-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study, 31 subjects (female: 19, male: 12, age = 61 ± 9.9 years) were randomized into an 8-week intervention period with capsules containing either 335 mg/d lunasin-enriched soy extract (LES) or corn fiber (placebo). This was followed by a 3-week wash-out period after which participants switched treatment groups for the next 8 weeks. In this crossover randomized study, plasma samples of subjects were collected after ingestion of a daily dose of lunasin-enriched capsules for 8 weeks, which provided 50 mg/d of lunasin. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay was used to detect plasma lunasin level after an overnight fast. In order to assess the dietary intake of lunasin, two 24-hour dietary recalls (one in each intervention period) were obtained from each participant. Dietary intake data were collected and analyzed using Nutrition Data System for Research software version 2015, developed by the Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Results: During the intervention, no major safety concerns related to lunasin consumption were noticed. Ingestion of 335 mg/d LES for 8 weeks resulted in higher lunasin level in plasma compared to placebo. Fasting plasma lunasin levels ranged 0–10 ng/mL. The mean lunasin concentration in plasma increased by 44% after 8 weeks of daily supplementation with LES. Conclusions: Lunasin was detectable in plasma after overnight fast in higher levels among LES takers. The difference in lunasin concentrationwas due to LES capsules andnot dietary intake of lunasincontaining foods. Funding Sources: The study was funded by Soy Labs Inc.


Data from multiple sensors provide independent and complementary information, which may improve the robustness and reliability of scene analysis applications. While there exist many large-scale labelled benchmarks acquired by a single sensor, collecting labelled multi-sensor data is more expensive and time-consuming. In this work, we explore the construction of an accurate multispectral (here, visible & thermal cameras) scene analysis system with minimal annotation efforts via an active learning strategy based on the cross-modality prediction inconsistency. Experiments on multispectral datasets and vision tasks demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. In particular, with only 10% of labelled data on KAIST multispectral pedestrian detection dataset, we obtain comparable performance as other fully supervised State-of-the-Art methods.


The purpose of the present studies was to elucidate the mechanism of lead transport, and especially the particular similarities or dissimilarities between lead and calcium in this process. The absorption of these metals was determined in 3-week old White Leghorn cockerels, raised on a commercial diet or on a specified diet, using in vivo ligated loop procedure. The dose administered into the loop contained 0.5 ..mu..Ci /sup 203/Pb (and/or 0.1 ..mu..Ci /sup 47/Ca), and 0.01 mM lead acetate (and/or 1 mM CaCl/sub 2/) in 0.5 ml 0.15 M NaCl,pH 6.5. It was shown that lead is rapidly taken up by the mucosal tissue, and slowly transferred into the body, whereas less calcium is retained by the tissue and the transfer of calcium is many times as effective as that for lead. They appear to respond in a similar manner to a low calcium intake and vitamin D treatment. Certain differences were, however, observed in the absorption process. Increasing luminal stable lead concentration from 0.01 to 1.00 mM Pb, significantly reduced the percentage of radiolead absorbed, but did not affect the absorption of calcium. Also, vitamin D enhanced the transfer of plasma /sup 47/Ca into the lumen but did not affectmore » the transfer of plasma /sup 203/Pb. Intravenous administration of 1,25(OH)/sub 2/CC to rachitic chicks enhanced calcium and lead absorption, but the maximal absorption of these metals occurred at slightly different times after administering this metabolite, and the effect on calcium outlasted that on lead, indicating that two different transport systems may be involved. It was concluded that lead is transported across the epithelial wall by a passive diffusion and this process is affected by vitamin D in a similar manner as this vitamin affects the diffusional component of calcium transport.« less


On the basis of the so called Washington Consensus, different "consensus" ensued, such as that of SanPablo, Santiago de Chile, and the cycle came to a close in 2001 with the lesser known Disensus of Washington. At different stages of the Washington Consensus, an analytical, ideographic and practical link was posed between first, second and third generation reforms. This paper tries to understand the relationship between first and second generation reforms under the heading of the two–stage model. Its main thesis is that there is an ideographic and logical coherence between the two generations of reform, although an insufficient epistemological construct prevails, which allows questioning the continuity between the two points in the two–stage model.