Software architecture modeling and representation became a main phase of the development process of complex systems. In fact, software architecture representation provides many advantages during all phases of software life cycle. Nevertheless, for many systems, like legacy or eroded ones, there is no available representation of their architectures. In order to benefit from this representation, we propose, in this paper, an approach called ROMANTIC which focuses on extracting the architecture of an object-oriented system. The main idea of this approach is to propose a quasi-automatic process of architecture recovery based on the quality characteristics of an architecture by formulating it as a search-based problem. This last acts on the space composed of all possible architectures abstracting the object-oriented system.


Many data exist regarding the safety of the static and time-varying magnetic and electromagnetic fields used in MR environments for the developing fetus. Many of these data, however, are confusing and nebulous. The literature in this area is reviewed, and the issues related to MR imaging of the pregnant patient and MR and the pregnant health care practitioner are discussed. Practice guidelines also are suggested.


OBJECTIVES: To describe age and sex specific rates of ocular/orbital involvement in thyrotoxic
patients, to determine the rates of all components of NOSPECS classification system in patients
with thyroid orbitopathies and to determine the relative magnitude of low and high index orbitopathies.
STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 100 thyrotoxic patients of all age groups and both sexes
were examined at the Department of Ophthalmology, JPMC, Karachi.
RESULTS: Male to female ratio was1:2.5. Age range was12-80years. Mean age was 36.59+13.81.
The difference in age according to sex was found statistically non significant (P=0.60). Seventyfour
percent patients had some sort of orbitopathy. Lid sign happened to be the most persistent
sign of the orbitopathies (74%). The rates of the components of the NOSPECS classification
system were N=26%, O=56%, P=16%, E=11%, C=13%, S=7% respectively. Patients with low index
thyroid orbitopathy were 83% and 17% patients were with high index orbitopathy. High index
orbitopathy was found to be more common in the males with age above 40 years.
CONCLUSION: The occurrence of thyroid orbitopathy appears to be independent of age and
sex. Low index orbitopathies are more common than high index orbitopathies. Males are more
at risk of developing high index orbitopathy than females.


Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of live combined Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus capsules in treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Methods: Eighty-five patients [male 32, female 53; age (45.31±11.72) years] were given live combined Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus capsules 1260 mg/d t.i.d.×4 weeks. Syndrome scales were used to evaluate the efficacy in gastrointestinal syndrome. Fecal flora was also measured before and after the treatment. Six bacteria were cultured and the colony forming units were counted in stool. SPSS was used for data analysis. Results: Seventy-four patients finished the follow-up. No side-effect was found. For treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, the effective rate of live combined Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus capsules was 56.8% in the second week, 74.3% in the fourth week and 73.0% in the sixth week. Single symptom was improved, especially in abdominal pain and stool character. The probiotica containing live combined Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus could increase bifidobacterium count (P<0.01) and lactobacillus count (P<0.05); decrease bacteroides count (P<0.05) and enterococci count (P<0.01); No obvious changes were observed in clostridium difficile colonitis and enterobacteriaceae (P>0.05). Conclusion: The result of the study indicated that the administration of live combined Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus improved the symptom of irritable bowel syndrome and that there was a gradual increase of this effect. Thereafter conditions remained stable for 2 weeks. That improvement may be associated with alterations in gastrointestinal flora.


The development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapeutics is widely recognized as a significant advancement for the treatment of cancer. However, several obstacles currently impede the broad use of CAR T cells, including the inherent process variability, cost of manufacturing, the absolute requirement for precise and uniform genetic editing in the allogeneic setting, and the challenge to keep pace with clonal heterogeneity and tumor growth. Utilizing our previously described induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived T (iT) cell platform, we illustrate here the unique ability to address these challenges by creating a consistent CAR iT cell product that can be repeatedly manufactured in large quantities from a renewable iPSC master cell bank that has been engineered to mitigate the occurrence of graft versus host disease (GvHD), antigen escape and tumor relapse.
 Utilizing our proprietary cellular reprogramming and engineering platform and stage-specific T cell differentiation protocol, we demonstrate that iPSC can be engineered at the single cell level to generate a fully characterized clonal iPSC line, which can then be accessed routinely to yield CAR iT cells in a highly scalable manufacturing process (>100,000 fold expansion). Through bi-allelic targeting of a CAR into the T cell receptor alpha constant (TRAC) region, we generated CAR iT cells with uniform CAR expression (99.0 ± 0.5% CAR+) and complete elimination of T cell receptor (TCR) expression to avoid GvHD in the allogeneic setting. We elected to utilize the 1XX-CAR configuration, which has demonstrated superior anti-tumor performance relative to other CAR designs and when introduced into iT cells displayed enhanced antigen specificity (% specific cytotoxicity at E:T=10:1, antigen positive group: 86.4 ± 7.8; antigen null group: 8.9 ± 3.5). To enhance persistence without reliance on exogenous cytokine support, we engineered signaling-fusion complexes, including IL-7 receptor fusion (RF), into iPSC and studied its impact on iT phenotype, persistence, and efficacy. In vitro, IL-7RF clones demonstrated improved anti-tumor activity in a serial antigen dependent tumor challenge assay (Day 10, relative tumor counts, IL-7RF group: 1.95 ± 0.01; control group: 57.56 ± 4.55, P<0.000001). In a preclinical in vivo model of disseminated leukemia, IL-7RF clones demonstrate enhanced tumor growth inhibition (Day 34, Log [BLI], IL-7RF group: 6.68 ± 1.93; control group: 9.99 ± 0.23, P=0.0143). We next investigated a unique strategy to incorporate multi-antigen targeting potential into anti-CD19 1XX CAR iT cells with the addition of a high-affinity non-cleavable CD16 (hnCD16) Fc receptor. The combination of hnCD16 with anti-CD19 1XX CAR culminated in iT cells capable of multi-antigen specificity through combinatorial use with monoclonal antibodies to tackle antigen escape. Utilizing CD19 negative leukemia cells as targets, superior antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) was demonstrated by the combination of hnCD16 CAR iT and Rituximab (% specific cytotoxicity at E:T=1:1, hnCD16 group + Rituximab: 75.64 ± 2.12; control group + Rituximab: 16.98 ± 3.87, P<0.001). To address T cell fitness, the role of CD38 knockout (KO) in T cells was investigated, which we have previously shown to mediate NK cell resistance to oxidative stress induced apoptosis. CD38 gene was disrupted at the iPSC stage to generate 1XX-CAR T cells that lack CD38 expression (% CD38+ population, CD38WT group: 69.67 ± 24.34; CD38KO group: 0.12 ± 0.11) and upon antigen mediated stimulation, CD38KO CAR iT cells showed higher percentages of degranulation (2.3-fold increase in CD107a/b), and IFNγ (4.1-fold increase) and TNFα (2.5-fold increase) production. Antigen specific in vitro tumor killing also was enhanced in CD38KO CAR iT cells (EC50, 3.2-fold decrease). Lastly, to avoid the potential host-mediated rejection, the inclusion of allogeneic defense receptor (ADR) which has been shown to significantly reduce host-mediated rejection will be discussed.
 Collectively, the described studies demonstrate that iPSCs are an ideal cellular source to generate large-quantities of uniformly multi-edited off-the-shelf CAR T cell products that include a best-in-class CAR design, enhanced product modalities, and complete elimination of TCR expression to avoid the potential of GvHD while maintaining high anti-tumor efficacy in allogeneic setting.

 Hsia: Fate Therapeutics Inc.: Current Employment. Clarke:Fate Therapeutics Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Lee:Fate Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment. Robbins:Fate Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment. Denholtz:Fate Therapeutics, Inc: Current Employment. Hanok:Fate Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment. Carron:Fate Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment. Navarrete:Fate Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment. ORourke:Fate Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment. Sung:Fate Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment. Gentile:Fate Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment. Nguyen:Fate Therapeutics, Inc.: Current Employment. Valamehr:Fate Therapeutics, Inc: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.


We analyse risk-taking behaviour of banks in the context of a model based on spatial competition. Banks mobilise deposits by offering deposit rates. We show that when the market concentration is low, banks invest in the gambling asset. On the other hand, for sufficiently high levels of market concentration, all banks choose the prudent asset to invest in, and some depositors may even be left out of the market. Our results suggest a discontinuous relation between market concentration and social welfare.


�Oral narrativeis a term that covers a number of different types of storytelling: spontaneous conversational narrative ( �natural narrative �); institutionalized oral narrative in an oral culture context; oral bardic poetry; simulations of orality in written texts by means of narrative strategies such as pseudo-orality or skaz . For narratology, oral narrative has been important at two different stages of the discipline. In Russian formalism (especially in the work of Propp) and during the 1960s (especially in the work of Bremond and Greimas) fairytales, which had their basis in orally transmitted storytelling, were used to analyze the deep structure of narrative and to discover functions of plot elements and typical actant structures (Jannidis !i Character (1)). More recently, Herman, Fludernik and others, inspired by discourse analysis, have concentrated on conversational storytelling both as an interesting type of narrative in and by itself and as a prototype of all narration. This work has additionally had a close affinity with cognitive studies (Herman !i Cognitive Narratology (2)). Institutionalized oral narrative as in the Homeric epics focuses on both the deep and the surface structure of narrative, analyzing plot-related motifs and the repetition of epitheta and formulae on the discourse level. The technique of pseudo-orality, finally, is a secondary phenomenon. It refers to the evocation of charactersmode of utterance (especially in terms of dialect and colloquiality) in the written representation of speech.


In the long run, the eventual extinction of any biological population is an inevitable outcome. While extensive research has focused on the average time it takes for a population to go extinct under various circumstances, there has been limited exploration of the distributions of extinction times and the likelihood of significant fluctuations. Recently, Hathcock and Strogatz [PRL 128, 218301 (2022)] identified Gumbel statistics as a universal asymptotic distribution for extinction-prone dynamics in a stable environment. In this study, we aim to provide a comprehensive survey of this problem by examining a range of plausible scenarios, including extinction-prone, marginal (neutral), and stable dynamics. We consider the influence of demographic stochasticity, which arises from the inherent randomness of the birth-death process, as well as cases where stochasticity originates from the more pronounced effect of random environmental variations. Our work proposes several generic criteria that can be used for the classification of experimental and empirical systems, thereby enhancing our ability to discern the mechanisms governing extinction dynamics. By employing these criteria, we can improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving extinction processes.


Background According to the recent 2007 Jordan Population and Family Health Survey (JPFHS), Jordan has been successful in increasing the use of modern family planning (FP) methods among married women ages 15–49. Since 2002, the country has made strides in expanding the availability of high-quality FP services and products through two Reproductive Health Action Plans (RHAP-I and RHAP-II). However, population growth, high unmet need for FP methods, and marked disparities in FP indicators for certain populations create near-term challenges for the government of Jordan to fully meet the FP needs of its population. This paper presents the findings of a market segmentation analysis to help inform policy and program implementation for family planning in Jordan. Objectives The purpose of this study was to conduct a desk-based analysis of the JPFHS 2007 to better understand and define the roles of the public, commercial, and nongovernmental organization (NGO) sectors in serving current and potential FP users. Specifically, the Health Policy Initiative analyzed socioeconomic and demographic characteristics across the five standard of living (SLI) quintiles and compared method use and provider sources by wealth quintiles to determine the extent to which FP use and provider choice behavior differed. Where data were available, 2007 results were compared to 2002 and 1997 JPFHS data to understand trends over time. Results Fifty-seven percent of currently married women are currently using some method of contraception, ranging from 48 percent of the poorest quintile to 62 percent of the wealthiest quintile. The methods of contraception used also vary by quintile; 26 percent of the wealthiest women use intrauterine devices (IUDs), compared with only 16 percent of the poorest women. Marked disparities in contraceptive use also exist between urban and rural residence for all methods. In particular, modern method use is five to 10 times higher in urban areas versus rural areas, depending on the method. Modern contraceptive use in rural areas is 31 percent among the poorest quintile, compared with 45 percent among the wealthiest quintile. A similar pattern between wealth quintiles was also observed for urban areas. Use of the public sector is highest among the poorest quintile, while use of the commercial sector is highest among the wealthiest quintile. Of the 42 percent of users who obtain family planning from the public sector, 54 percent are in the poorest quintile and 25 percent are in the wealthiest quintile. Trends over the last 10 years indicate that the poorest women are shifting from the NGO and commercial sectors to the public sector. From 2002 to 2007, women's use of contraceptives obtained through NGOs decreased from 33 percent to 24 percent in the poorest quintile and 20 percent to 14 percent in the wealthiest quintile. During this same period, use of contraceptives from the commercial sector increased from 15 to 19 percent in the poorest quintile and decreased from 62 to 60 percent in the wealthiest quintile. In 2007, among the 7 percent of women ages 15–49 who were currently pregnant, 26 percent of their pregnancies, as well as their births in the last five years, were unintended—they were either mistimed (14.7%) or unplanned (11.3%). These figures represent a significant decline from 2002, when one-third of all births where mistimed (17.2%) or unplanned (15.9%). When broken down by quintile, unmet need for spacing and limiting vary greatly.


of deficits, a therapeutical of functional recovery in in order to the efficacy of the acute of an earlier with the conventional cumulative-event-rate-at-temporal- endpoint analysis are valid where the shapes of the curves are dissimilar, as illustrated so convincingly in the example using a 15% peri-operative stroke and/or death rate. Where the peri-operative complication rate is 3%, the conventional analysis we adopted gives a good approximation of the overall surgical therapeutic effect, and is less cumbersome than Dr Jonas' method. Neither method of analysis summarises the results better than graphical comparison of cumulative event rates in surgical and non-surgical groups.


Counseling psychology doctoral programs across the country are working to develop new approaches to bring social justice to the curriculum. Boston College has done so, in part, through a course titled Counseling in Context. The three core emphases are (a) ongoing self-examination of power and privilege, (b) applying traditional counseling skills to community-level problems, and (c) building from a clear intellectual and values framework. Building on an ally development conceptual frame, we illustrate how these principles were used to develop an intervention to combat Islamophobia on campus in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings. The Don't Meet Hurt With Hate. Love Islam Campaign served to support Muslims and engage non-Muslims in ally behavior, engaging more than 400 students on campus and 10,000 people virtually. In demonstrating how students can act with and for oppressed communities, we hope to provide a template for similar actions on other campuses.


It is known that the progression of oral cancer is accompanied by changes in both tissue biochemistry and morphology. A multimodal imaging approach combining functional and structural imaging modalities could therefore provide a more comprehensive prognosis of oral cancer. This idea forms the central theme of the current study, wherein this premise is examined in the context of a multimodal imaging system that combines fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Towards this end, in the first part of the present study, the diagnostic advantage obtained by using both fluorescence intensity and lifetime information is assessed. In the second part of the study, the diagnostic potential of FLIM-derived biochemical features is compared with that of OCT-derived morphological features. For an objective assessment, several quantitative biochemical and morphological features from FLIM and OCT data, respectively, were obtained using signal and image processing techniques. These features were subsequently used in a statistical classification framework to quantify the diagnostic potential of different features. The classification accuracy for combined FLIM and OCT features was estimated to be 87.4%, which was statistically higher than accuracy based on only FLIM (83.2%) or OCT (81.0%) features. Moreover, the complimentary information provided by FLIM and OCT features, resulted in highest sensitivity and specificity for the combined FLIM and OCT features for discriminating benign (88.2% sens., 92.0% spec.), pre-cancerous (81.5% sens., 96.0% spec.), and cancerous (90.1% sens., 92.0% spec.) classes.


PURPOSE
To assess the performance and accuracy of CT-guided needle insertion for clinical biopsies using a novel, hands-free robotic system that balances accuracy with the duration of the procedure and radiation dose.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A prospective, multi-center study was conducted on 60 clinically indicated biopsies of abdominal lesions at two centers (Center 1, n=26; Center 2, n=34). CT datasets were obtained for planning and controlled placement of 17g and 18g needles using a patient-mounted, CT-guided robotic system with 5 degrees of freedom. Planning included target selection, skin entry point, and predetermined checkpoints where additional imaging was performed to permit stepwise correction of the needle trajectory. Success rate, needle tip-to-target distance, number of checkpoints used, number of trajectory corrections, procedure duration, and effective radiation dose were recorded and compared between centers.

RESULTS
In 55 of 60 procedures (91.7%), the robot positioned the trocar needle successfully on target. In the remaining 5 patients, the procedure was manually performed by the operator due to technical failure (n=3) or patient-related factors (n=2). The average lesion size was 2.8 ± 1.7cm with a lesion depth from the skin of 8.7 ± 2.6cm, and there was no difference between centers. The overall accuracy (needle tip-to-target distance) was 1.71 ± 1.49 (range 0.05-7.20mm), with an accuracy of 2.06 ± 1.45 mm at Center 1 and 1.45 ± 1.52 mm at Center 2 (p=0.1358). Center 1 used significantly more checkpoints (4.96 ± 1.08) and performed target adjustments in 20 of 24 (83%) cases compared to Center 2 (2.77 ± 0.6 checkpoints and target adjustments in 13 of 31 cases, 42%) (p=0.0024). Accordingly, the steering duration from skin entry to the target varied between Centers 1 and 2; 13.1min ± 4.25min vs. 5.7min ± 2.7min, respectively (p <0.001). The average DLP for the entire procedure was 1147 ± 820 mGycm, with a slightly lower average at Center 2 (1031 ± 724 mGycm) compared to Center 1 (1297 ± 925 mGycm) (p=0.236).

CONCLUSION
Accurate needle-targeting within an error of 2mm can be achieved in patients using a CT-guided robotic system. The variation in the number of checkpoints did not affect system accuracy but was related to shorter steering times and may contribute to a lower radiation dose. Accurate needle insertion using a hands-free CT-guided robotic system may facilitate difficult needle placement and enhance the performance of less-experienced interventionalists.


In this paper, we demonstrate a packaged sub-millimeter wave solid-state power amplifier (SSPA). The SSPA is implemented in coplanar waveguide (CPW) and uses an advanced high fMAX InP HEMT transistor with a sub 50-nm gate. A monolithically integrated CPW dipole-to-waveguide transition eliminates the need for wirebonding and additional substrates. On-chip compact tandem couplers are used for power combining. The amplifier demonstrates 15-dB small-signal gain at 340 GHz. Peak saturated output power of 10 mW at 338 GHz is obtained at the waveguide flange out-put for the SSPA module.


It is often asserted that writing in English had lower status than Latin during the twelfth century. However, palaeographers have generally established the characteristics of lower-grade script by looking at Caroline minuscule used for Latin, and this has lead to vernacular script seeming lower-grade than it probably was. This article seeks to establish new criteria for formality in vernacular script by studying cartularies with charters in Latin but boundary-clauses in English. Differences in scribal practice when writing each language are analysed, and the relationship between the (Latin) bodies and (vernacular) bounds are addressed, particularly in a twelfth-century cartulary from Evesham in which many of the Latin portions of the texts were erased, leaving just the English.


ObjectivesConsumers have varied preferences for beef flavor and it is known that dry-aging changes the flavor profile of beef. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize flavor differences and compositional changes of ground beef blends with varying levels of dry-aged beef.Materials and MethodsBeef shoulder clods were collected from a commercial processing facility and ground to create 3 treatments: 100% fresh beef, 100% dry-aged beef, and a 50% fresh and 50% dry-aged ground beef blend. Clods used for dry-aged beef were vacuum packaged for 21 d, then opened and aged for an additional 21 d exposed to oxygen. Clods for fresh beef were held in plastic lined combos for 4 d postmortem. Upon completion of its aging protocol, each clod was trimmed and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments. Five batches of each treatment were made to include equal numbers of clods and contain 15% fat. Each batch was ground and formed into 151 g patties. Panelists were trained to evaluate samples for standard beef flavor and textural attributes on a 10 cm line scale. Patties for descriptive sensory were cooked to 71°C on griddle pans over open gas burners. Cooked patties were cut into 8 wedge-shaped pieces for evaluation. Total lipid fatty acids were analyzed from 1 g of homogenized raw sample. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were quantified via gas chromatography, with each individual FAME being reported as a percentage of the total amount of FAME identified. Volatile flavor compounds were measured from cooked patties. Immediately after cooking, sample was placed in a capped glass vial. Volatiles were collected from the headspace via a solid phase microextraction fiber. Quantification was performed using a 7-point internal standard method and compounds were identified from authentic external standards. Treatment comparisons for all analyses were tested for significance using the general linear model procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC).ResultsSamples comprised of 100% dry-aged beef were rated greatest (P < 0.01) for browned/grilled, earthy/mushroom, and nutty/roasted nut flavors; however, panelists also found more intense (P ≤ 0.01) sour/acidic and bitter flavors. Dry-aged beef also increased (P < 0.01) hardness and reduced (P < 0.01) tenderness. Dry-aging caused a shift in saturated fatty acids (SFA), as shorter chain SFA (≤ 16:0) were reduced (P ≤ 0.03) compared to stearic acid (18:0). Meanwhile, increases (P < 0.05) of trans-octadecenoic acid (18:1 trans) and decreases (P < 0.05) of cis monounsaturated fatty acids were seen in dry-aged beef. Concentrations of 18:2 conjugated linoleic isomers were greatest (P < 0.01) in fresh beef and decreased with the addition of dry-aged beef. Several lipid-derived volatile compounds were greater (P < 0.05) in dry-aged beef compared with fresh beef. Dry-aged beef showed increases (P ≤ 0.03) of 3- and 2-methyl butanal, both of which are amino acid-derived Strecker aldehydes. Additionally, 2,3-butanedione and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, which can be byproducts of spoilage organisms, were greatest (P ≤ 0.04) in dry-aged beef. Alterations of fatty acids and volatile compounds with dry-aging were determined to be related with intensity of individual flavor attributes.ConclusionThe inclusion of dry-aged trimmings impacts the flavor profile of ground beef, altering the composition of fatty acids and volatile compounds. This supports the idea that dry-aging may be utilized to impart a more intense beef flavor experience.


Tuberculosis (TB) disease can be characterized by genotypic and phenotypic complexity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli within a single patient. This microbiological heterogeneity has become an area of intense study due its perceived importance in drug tolerance, drug resistance and as a surrogate measure of transmission rates. This review presents a descriptive analysis of research describing the prevalence of mixed-strain TB infections in geographically distinct locations. Despite significant variation in disease burden and a rampant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-TB co-epidemic, there was no difference in the prevalence range of mixed infections reported in African countries when compared to the rest of the world. The occurrence of recurrent TB was associated with a higher prevalence of mixed-strain infections, but this difference was not reported as statistically significant. These interpretations were limited by differences in the design and overall size of the studies assessed. Factors such as sputum quality, culture media, number of repeated culture steps, molecular typing methods and HIV-infection status can affect the detection of mixed-strain infection. It is recommended that future clinical studies should focus on settings with varying TB burdens, with a common sample processing protocol to gain further insight into these phenomena and develop novel transmission blocking strategies.


In this paper, we present for the first time a mathematical framework for solving a special instance of the scheduling problem in control-flow dominated behavioral VHDL descriptions given that the timing of I/O signals has been completely or partially specified. It is based on a code-transformational approach which fully preserves the VHDL semantics. The scheduling problem is mapped onto an integer linear program (ILP) which can be constrained to be solvable in polynomial time, but still permits optimizing the statement sequence across basic block boundaries.


CONTEXT
We investigated the role of 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT in detecting somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) in 19 patients with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) and explored the activity of 90Y/177Lu-DOTATOC Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT).

CASE DESCRIPTION AND METHODS
68Ga uptake in metastatic sites was scored in terms of intensity and anatomical uptake distribution of standard uptake value (SUV). Tissue expression of SSTR2A and SSTR5 was also evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on primary tumors. Eight patients (42%) displayed radiometabolic uptake of any grade intensity with focal and limited distribution. Two patients (11%) displayed strong uptake in multiple lesions and were treated with PRRT. Both obtained an overall disease control lasting 4 and 12 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
ACC can express SSTRs as detected by IHC and 68Ga-DOTATOC PET. SSTRs-based PRRT may represent a potential treatment opportunity for a minority of advanced ACC patients. This treatment modality deserves further investigation.


The allocation of firing units to hostile targets is an important process within the air defense domain. Many algorithms have been proposed for solving various weapon allocation problems, but evaluation of the performance of such algorithms is problematic, since it does not exist any standard scenarios on which to test the algorithms. It is to a large extent unknown how weapon allocation algorithms compare to each other when it comes to solution quality. We have developed the testbed SWARD, making it possible to systematically compare algorithm performance, and to support the development of new weapon allocation algorithms.


The U.S. federal tax framework for virtual currency remains ambiguous. In the face of emerging technology, the IRS has taken a cautious approach using a "best guess" tax treatment until the technology is sufficiently mature. In particular, for this rapidly evolving ecosystem, a careful regulatory approach is prudent. Regulations that are hastily written have the chance of stifling innovation or force companies to seek jurisdiction elsewhere. However, legal ambiguity and uncertainty in this wait and see approach may have a negative impact on startup investment and impact individuals honestly using the technology. This paper looks at IRS statements and previous actions in the space while highlighting current gaps that must be filled. Until the IRS can give more complete tax guidance, Congress should provide safe harbor legislation so users and businesses are not unnecessarily penalized for attempts to comply with their tax liabilities.


Healthy development during adolescent age is very important. The major issue is experimentation to understand the base of thinking direction of this age group. The questions were given to participants in a workshop. The answers analyzed. Total 48 female students between age group 14 and 16 responded. Fifty percent wanted economical independence but 30% have it. Majority of those who wanted this independence felt that friendship between boys and girls is necessary and they found communication with parents difficult, shared feelings with friends. Improvement in communication between children and parents will help in solving issues about irresponsible behavior of the children.


As one of the most intriguing elemental 2D materials beyond graphene, stanene is a unique material possessing strong quantum spin Hall effect and is promising for spintronics applications. Since most of these exotic phenomena are associated with the edge states of stanene and their responses under external stimuli, here, we first investigate the electronic and transport behavior of the edge states of stanene. Through examining the acoustic phonon-limited scattering of transporting carriers, we reveal a staggering behavior in the effective mass and mobility varying with the width of stanene nanoribbons. Remarkably, an opposite oscillating trend of the quantum confinement effect with respect to the electrons and holes is found and this trend is in sharp contrast to graphene. Moreover, through group-theory analysis, we further analyze the symmetry-permitted light absorptions and predict a much smaller band gap at Γ compared with other IV-group 2D materials like graphene and silicene, allowing for a red-shift of optical π-π* absorption in stanene. The presence of the narrow flat bands along the M-K path in stanene suggests appreciable density of states of low-energy carriers and a strong light-matter interaction for low-energy photons, which are beneficial for its applications in low-frequency optoelectronics.


This research was carried out with the objective to develop a thermal analysis protocol into a method of damage assessment and claims support for a new semi-permanent hair straightening technology. The investigation determined the effects of the treatment on hair fibre composition and properties using Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (MDSC) [1], Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) [2], Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) [3] and curl retention tests [4]. The effects of the new cysteamine treatment are compared with effects of a standard thioglycolate treatment and the daily use of straightening irons. Virgin, Caucasian hair was treated once with each chemical treatment and washed every day for 84 days. In a parallel study, hair was washed and straightened repeatedly using a standardised protocol at 190oC for 84 days. Samples were taken after 2, 28, 56 and 84 days for analysis by MDSC in water, ATR- and Trans-FTIR. Separate samples were treated once and subjected to curl retention tests and protein analysis. DSC measurements in water yield the keratin denaturation enthalpy (?HD), which relates to the thermal stability of the keratin intermediate filaments (KIFs), and the denaturation temperature (TD), which relates to the properties of the keratin associated-proteins (KAPs). The results show that chemical and thermal straightening cause a reduction in ?-helix content and matrix viscosity. FTIR measurements give information on the formation of cysteic acid in the cuticle cells and the cortex. ATR-FTIR showed that the cysteamine?based treatment produces less cysteic acid in the cuticle layers than the standard treatment. Curl retention and SDS-PAGE were used to show the variability in the efficacy of the cysteamine treatment related to the heterogeneity of human hair. The results from both tests show that an individual?s hair will react with the product to a different extent, depending on the extractability of the keratin protein groups.In conclusion, we deduce that all straightening techniques, chemical and thermal, have a pronounced effect on the structural and chemical properties of hair fibres. These effects can be used to further develop and optimize this and related products. DSC has been shown to be an integral synergistic technique for the investigation of changes to hair morphology.This research was supported by the UK Technology Strategy Board under the Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme.Cyril Keattch Award, Thermal Methods Group, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2014.[1] F.J. Wortmann, G. Wortmann, J. Marsh, K. Meinert. J. Struct. Biol., 177 (2012) 553. [2] V. Signori, D. Lewis. Int. J. Cosmet. Sci., 19 (1997) 1-13.[3] A.M. Zalfen, G. Wortmann, F.J. Wortmann. SOEFW Journal, 131 (2005) 40.[4] F.J. Wortmann, M. Stapels, L. Chandra. J Appl.Polym.Sci., 113 (2009) 3336.


Introduction Infected pancreatic necrosis remains associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Historically open necrosectomy operative mortality reached 50%. Minimally invasive techniques have been demonstrated to decrease morbidity but not mortality compared to open surgery as highlighted in the PANTER trial. We present our own series of patient results treated with this innovative procedure. Method All patients managed with ETN at our HPB unit were identified. Patient demographics, diagnosis, primary and secondary outcomes were recorded. Primary outcomes included 30 and 90 day mortality, major morbidity ie: new onset organ failure, haemorrhage or perforation. Secondary outcomes included length of stay in hospital, ITU stay, number of procedures, other interventions required and endocrine/exocrine insufficiency. Results 12 patients were treated with ETN, 8 males, 4 females with an age range of 21–81. All patients underwent endoscopic ultrasound guided cyst-gastroscopy with stent insertion as initial therapy. A median of two (1–6) endoscopic pancreatic necrosectomies were required with a median of three (1–4) admissions. Average length of stay per admission was 10 days (1–65). One patient was treated with a percutaneous drain initially and then went on to endoscopic treatment and early removal of drain. 25% of patients (3/12) required intensive care admission. No perforations, haemorrhage, 30 or 90 days deaths were recorded. Conclusion Endoscopic, transgastric pancreatic necrosectomy appears a safe and effective procedure for the management of this patient group. Our results compare favourably with those following open necrosectomy and are similar to published minimally invasive technique outcomes. Disclosure of interest None Declared. References Van Santvoort, Besselink MG, et al. A step up approach or open necrosectomy for necrotising pancreatitis. N Eng J Med.2010 Apr 22;362(16):1491–502. Kokosis G. Surgical managemnt of necrotising pancreatitis an overview. Worls J of Gastroenterol. 2014 Nov 21;20/43:16106–16112 Charnley RM. Endoscopic necrosectomy as primary therapy in management of infected pancreatic necrosis. Endoscopy 2006;38:925–928. Baron TH. Endoscopic therapy for organised pancreatic necrosis. Gastroenterology 1996;755–61. Branum G. Pancreatic necrosis results of necrosectomy packing and ultimate closure over drains. Ann Surg. 1998;227(6):870–877.


The aim of the licentiate's thesis was to understand the colloidal behaviour of phospholipids in vegetable oils and to study the adsorption of phospholipid nanostructures onto the surface of cellulose nanofibrils. Water concentration, temperature and free fatty acid had an effect on the formation of reverse micelles of phospholipids in vegetable oil. At low water concentration, phospholipids formed solubilized reverse cylindrical micelles above critical micelle concentration (cmc) in the oil. Increasing temperature decreased the cmc of phospholipids in oil. Addition of moderate amount of water into oil caused solubilized phospholipids to form lamellar liquid crystal structures that were precipitated from the oil and formed separate phase. Oleic acid in rapeseed oil increased the solubility of lecithin and suppressed the formation of phospholipid reverse micelles at low water content. In presence of more water, the oleic acid stabilized the reverse micelles and consequently more water was needed to induce the phase separation. Thus it could be concluded that moderate amounts of oleic acid (5 wt.-%, 10 wt.-% and 20 wt.-%) in the oil delayed the removal of phospholipid reverse micelles upon addition of water, and the formation of lamellar structures required more water. This was caused by the increased solubility of lecithin into oil due to the cosolvent effect of oleic acid. Nanocellulose has shown many potential applications in foods, such as emulsifiers, fillers, structuring agents and cholesterol binders. An interesting application for nanocellulose would be the replacement of saturated fats in foods to decrease the fat content and the energy content of the products. To increase the compatibility of nanocellulose with the vegetable oil, the adsorption of phospholipid nanostructures was studied by immersing cellulose nanofibril film into the oily liquid containing phospholipid lamellar structures. The contact angle measurement seemed not to be an optimal way to measure the adsorption of phospholipids onto the surface of nanocellulose due to the variation in the results. Some of the contact angle measurement results indicated that the addition of the oily liquid containing phospholipid lamellar structures onto the surface of nanocellulose decreased the hydrophilicity of the surface after rinsing it with chloroform. In addition, two measurements indicated that the addition of oily liquid containing phospholipid lamellar structures decreased the hydrophilicity of the surface.


Many important innovations on LC display mode for wide-viewing angle color TFT-LCDs were reported within this several years, and recently the volume productions of LC monitors and LC TVs have been started using them. To realize good wide-viewing angle color TFT-LCDs, we have to design not only optical property of LC layer but also film polarizers and back lights. Typical wide-viewing angle LC display modes are classified into several categories and discuss their features.


The maximum speedup of a multiprocessor system is limited by the sequential part of an algorithm and in loosely coupled processor systems, a large part of this sequentiality is caused by the communication between processors. As this communication is dependent on the distribution of data the data distribution must be optimised in order to achieve the maximum speedup. In this paper we present a new method of achieving this optimisation for loosely coupled multiprocessors using a branch and bound technique based on the Moore-Skelboe interval arithmetic. Two key issues of this algorithm have been addressed, namely, the branch selection criterion, and an efficient data structure to keep track of the branches. A blocked data structure is shown to have the desirable properties of dynamic list length, and minimal disk thrashing. When this method is applied to an FFT algorithm running on a pipeline of transputers, the optimised data distribution is shown to yield an improved speedup over the equal and random distributions, which do not take into account communication overheads.<<ETX>>


Himalayas has one of the largest resources of snow and ice, which act as a freshwater reservoir for all the rivers originating from it. Monitoring of these resources is important for the assessment of availability of water in the Himalayan Rivers. The mapping of Glaciers is very difficult task because of the inaccessibility and remoteness of the terrain. Remote sensing techniques are often the only way to analyze glaciers in remote mountains and to monitor a large number of glaciers in multitemporal manner. This paper presents the results obtained from the analysis of a set of multitemporal Landsat MSS, TM and ETM+images for the monitoring and analysis of Burphu Glacier.


Abstract Carotid bruits are supposed to indicate the presence of high-grade common carotid or extracranial internal carotid artery stenosis in a large proportion of patients. Using a stethoscope, we prospectively auscultated 273 carotid arteries of 145 patients blinded to the results of a complete extracranial and intracranial Doppler investigation including extracranial color-coded duplex ultrasound. Fifty-four arteries showed stenosis of ≥ 50%-99%, or occlusion of the extracranial internal or the common carotid artery. In 25 of these arteries, a bruit was present. In 9 out of 16 patients with extracranial stenosis from 70%-99%, a bruit was detected. In one additional patient with a middle-grade external carotid artery stenosis, a bruit was also present. In seven additional patients, a bruit was present in the absence of any carotid artery stenosis, cardiac vitium or goiter. The sensitivity of carotid auscultation for the detection of a 70%-99% stenosis of the common or extracranial internal carotid artery was 56% and specificity was 91%. The positive predictive value of a bruit found during carotid auscultation was 27%, and the negative predictive value of a normal auscultation was 97%. Carotid auscultation is a useful screening procedure in the detection of carotid stenosis or occlusion, but requires confirmation by carotid ultrasound.


This report assesses the impact of alliances on the maritime transport chain and its main stakeholders. Alliances have become a dominant feature of container shipping, with around 95% of the major East-West container trades covered by carriers that form part of three global alliances. The report discusses the impacts on competition and asks whether alliances bring benefits, and for whom. Finally, it presents policy options for governments based on the findings.


This study researches the relationship between FDI and negative environmental externalities in 13 Asian countries in the period 2003 to 2012. The pollution haven hypothesis, the pollution halo hypothesis, and the EKC hypothesis are addressed. The analyses are performed using the random effects model and the pooled OLS model as robustness check. The main analyses are performed using Total FDI as main explanatory variable and CO2 emissions and N2O emissions as dependent variables. Additional analysis are performed using sectoral FDI - i.e. construction FDI, manufacturing FDI, resource FDI, and service FDI - as main explanatory variables. The results provide no base for a clear conclusion regarding the existence of the pollution haven hypothesis or the pollution halo hypothesis. Though, the results indicate that the relationship between FDI and negative environmental externalities is an inverted U-shaped curve. Therefore, support for the EKC hypothesis is found in this study.


Baculovirus has emerged as a novel vector for in vivo and in vitro gene delivery. In addition, the applications of baculovirus-mediated gene transfer have been explosively expanded to drug screening, eucaryotic gene display, cancer therapy and tissue engineering, etc. The capability of baculovirus viral envelope for protein/peptide display also renders itself a potential vaccine delivery platform. This paper reviews the history, factors influencing baculovirus-mediated gene delivery and emerging in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo applications. Efforts aimed at overcoming current existing bottlenecks and recent progresses in addressing the safety concerns are particularly emphasized.


High harmonic generation (HHG) records the ultrafast electronic response of matter to light, encoding key properties of the interrogated quantum system, such as chirality. The first implementation of chiral HHG [Cireasa et al, Nat. Phys.11, 654 (2015)10.1038/nphys3369] relied on the weak electronic response of a medium of randomly oriented chiral molecules to the magnetic component of an elliptically polarized wave, yielding relatively weak chiro-optical signals. Here we apply state-of-the-art semi-analytical modelling to show that elliptically polarized light can drive a strong chiral response in chiral molecules via purely electric-dipole interactions - the magnetic component of the wave does not participate at all. This strong chiro-optical response, which remains hidden in standard HHG experiments, can be mapped into the macroscopic far-field signal using a non-collinear configuration, creating new opportunities for imaging chiral matter and chiral dynamics on ultrafast time scales.


Development of reliable and environmentally gracious routes for the fabrication of metal oxide nanoparticles is a crucial step in nano-biotechnology. Among the all zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) draws more attention due to its significant biocompatible, electrical, mechanical, and optical properties. Many natural biomolecules in plant extracts such as alkaloids, amino acids, enzymes, proteins, polysaccharides, polyphenols, steroid, and vitamins could be involved in bioreduction, formation, and stabilization of ZrO2 NPs. In the last decade, numerous efforts were made to develop ecofriendly methods of synthesis to avoid the hazardous byproducts. In this review, green synthesis of ZrO2 NPs, their characterization techniques, and miscellaneous applications were discussed.


Steady supersonic two-dimensional flows governed by the Navier–Stokes equations are considered. For flows past a thin body, the Oseen theory is shown to fail at large distances. An investigation of the equations bridging the linear and non-linear zones is made. From this, it follows that the resulting equations are a system of Burgers and diffusion equations. The Whitham theory is shown to result under the inviscid limit of our analysis. Various other limits are also obtained. An explicit expression for flows past a thin airfoil is given, and the flow past a double wedge is exhibited in terms of known functions.


In advancing children's rights, and human rights more broadly, this article supports the view that participation through deliberation by children is desirable. Practising Philosophy with Children, through an approach such as Community of Philosophical Inquiry, is proposed as a powerful way forward as a rights-based means of supporting children to deliberate about matters affecting them in society. In considering that children are educated about, through and for rights, an example of children's philosophical dialogue is provided to illustrate children deliberating on rights issues, and how teachers might use such dialogue to influence their teaching in this area. The suggestion is that participating in practical philosophy enables children to practise human rights behaviour as means of participating beyond consultation exercises and as an approach to facilitating their engagement with ideas and issues that are important to the promotion of rights for all.


Production of reanalysis data is important since it contributes to develop all fields of atmospheric sciences and to profit national economy. The developed countries such as USA, EU, and Japan have manufactured the global reanalysis data since the 1990s, but their data present a lack of detailed regional climates. For those who need to analyze the regional climate in/around Korea, a high-resolution reanalysis data should essentially be made. This study reviewed the existing reanalysis data and the applications, and the available observations for the data production. We also investigated the opinions and needs of the potential data users in Korea. We suggest the specifications of the data to have the domain of 55-5N, 80-150E (which includes Mongolia and most Southeast Asian countries), the spatial resolution of 10-20 km, and the period of most recent 30 years. With the specifications and climate models operated in KMA, this study argues that production of the reanalysis data with functional climate information is feasible in both technical and economic aspects. Finally, for successful data production, the framework of the future reanalysis data project was suggested.


Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fill time of influent on the physical characteristics of biological floc for sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treating low C/N ratio wastewater. The fractal dimension and size of floc were measured for characterizing floc. The fractal dimension of floc was analyzed by using Small Angle Laser Light Scattering (SALLS) method. SBR with short fill time showed higher removal efficiencies of COD, BOD, T-N, and T-P than with long fill time. Larger floc size and fractal dimension were generated at SBR with short fill time. Short fill time generated the sludge with better settling and thickening properties. Alternating anaerobic and aerobic condition in the cycle also affected the floc size and fractal dimension. The floc size decreased under anaerobic phase, and floc size increased under aerobic phase. During fill time, the fractal dimension of floc decreased. As the fill stop, the fractal dimension of floc increased. Therefore, the fill time condition more affected the fractal dimension of floc. More efficient nitrification and phosphorus release were observed during a cycle with short fill time operation.


Dupuytren's disease is a common fibroproliferative condition of the hand that results in disability through progressive digital contracture. Despite advances in operative technique, recurrence remains an unsolved problem. The matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are a large family of proteolytic enzymes that have been shown to play a critical role in cell-mediated collagen contraction and tissue scarring. The aim of this project was to investigate the effect of ilomastat, a broad-spectrum MMP inhibitor, on matrix contraction and remodelling by Dupuytren's fibroblasts in vitro. Paired nodule and cord-derived fibroblasts were isolated by explant culture from five Dupuytren's patients, carpal ligament fibroblasts acted as the control. We employed two different in vitro models to assess the effect of ilomastat on contraction and remodelling by each cell population. A stress-release fibroblast populated collagen lattice (FPCL) model was employed to assess collagen contraction. Generation of mechanical tension was determined using a culture force monitor (CFM). Following dynamic force generation, treatment with cytochalasin-D was used to assess residual matrix tension (RMT) in the collagen lattice, allowing quantification of matrix remodelling. The expression of a range of MMPs (MMP-1, MMP-2, MT1-MMP) and Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases (TIMP-1, TIMP-2), was established by RT-PCR. Protein levels and enzyme activity were assessed by western blotting, zymography and ELISA. In the FPCL model, ilomastat significantly (p<0.01) inhibited contraction by all tissue-derived fibroblasts at 100uM. In the CFM model, ilomastat significantly reduced force development by cord and nodule-derived fibroblasts (p<0.01), but did not significantly affect RMT. In both models, treatment with ilomastat suppressed activity of MMP-1 and MMP-2, however gene expression and levels of secreted protein were unaffected. Conversely, the expression and activity of MT1-MMP was upregulated in response to ilomastat, whereas, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were unaffected. Our findings demonstrate an important role for MMP activity in matrix processing and organisation by Dupuytren's fibroblasts in vitro and suggest that inhibition of MMP activity may well provide a means of controlling or reducing contracture in vivo, by reducing fibroblast-mediated matrix contraction and remodelling.


Surficial sediment from 31 lakes along a transect spanning treeline in northeast Siberia was analyzed for midge remains in order to assess the modern distribution of midges relative to treeline. Taxa distinct to tundra, forest-tundra, and forest areas were identified. Abiskomyia, Parakiefferiella nigra, and Hydrobaenus/Oliveridia were found predominantly in tundra lakes, whereas Zalutschia zalutschicola and Microtendipes were restricted to forest-tundra or forest lakes. A sharp delineation exists at the tundra/forest-tundra transition zone with respect to the genus Corynocera. Corynocera oliveri was found chiefly in tundra lakes whereas C. ambigua was found solely in forested areas. Thirty-two environmental variables describing the physical, chemical, and limnological characteristics of the lakes in the transect were measured. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that statistically significant relationships exist between chironomid distributions and six of the measured environmental variables (particulate organic carbon, particulate organic nitrogen, iron, zinc, lake depth, and Secchi depth), but not surface lake-water temperature. Canonical variate analysis (CVA) demonstrated that chlorophyll a, lake depth, pH, and strontium maximized separation of tundra, forest-tundra, and forest lakes from one another. These results illustrate the importance of treeline as an ecological boundary for the distribution of chironomids. The abrupt changes in distribution that occur at treeline for specific chironomid taxa suggest that subfossil chironomid analysis may be used to infer past changes in the position of treeline.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

In hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, the interferon-inducible, dsRNA-activated protein kinase, PKR, is a central mediator for the anti-proliferative effects of a wide variety of hematopoietic, inflammatory or cytotoxic stresses such as deprivation of IL-3, IL-5 or GM-CSF from hematopoietic factor-dependent cells. Once activated, PKR inhibits protein synthesis by phosphorylation of eIF2alpha, inhibits mitochondrial function by activating PP2A-dependent Bcl2 dephosphorylation, and activates signaling pathways such as NF-kappaB, p53 and STAT1 to regulate proliferation and apoptosis in response to cellular stress. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal hematologic malignancies characterized by peripheral cytopenias, a hypercellular marrow with ineffective hematopoiesis and risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Significantly, PKR is highly activated in myeloid progenitor cells from MDS patients and inhibition of PKR activity or siRNA-knockdown partially reverses the suppressive effects of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha on hematopoietic colony formation using normal or MDS-derived CD34+ cells. Thus, increased PKR activity in hematopoietic stem cells may cooperate with driver/founder mutations to promote bone marrow failure and apoptosis characteristic of MDS, and inhibitors of PKR may be therapeutically useful to delay the onset and/or reduce the severity of MDS and its evolution to AML. Since there is only one commercially available pharmacologic PKR inhibitor that targets ATP binding and has been reported to have off target effects, we performed studies to identify novel small molecule compounds that specifically inhibit PKR-substrate association. Using the crystal structure of the PKR kinase domain-eIF2alpha complex, we employed a molecular docking strategy to screen in silico the NIH Developmental Therapeutic Program's repository of over 300,000 small molecules for compounds that interact with and inhibit PKR. The top 195 scoring small molecule compounds identified were obtained and validated in vitro using a LanthaScreen PKR kinase assay and 32P PKR assay. In addition, we screened the NIH/DTP Diversity and Challenge Compound Sets for inhibitors of PKR (2047 compounds total). Using these methods, we have identified 27 novel PKR inhibitors with an IC50 < 100 μM. Significantly, five are competitive inhibitors for eIF2alpha binding to PKR while the remaining inhibit ATP binding. These results identify a novel class of PKR inhibitors that specifically disrupt association of PKR with its substrate, eIF2alpha, and lay the groundwork for future studies that test whether these PKR inhibitors may be therapeutically useful to delay the onset of cytopenias and bone marrow failure associated with MDS and MDS evolution to AML.

Citation Format: Richard L. Bennett, David A. Ostrov, W. Stratford May. Novel inhibitors of the interferon-inducible, dsRNA-activated kinase PKR for myelodysplastic syndrome. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5673. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5673


Selfand cross-velocity correlation functions and related transport coefficients of molten salts are studied by molecular-dynamics simulation. Six representative systems are considered, i.e., NaCl and KCl alkali halides, CuCl and CuBr noble-metal halides, and SrCl2 and ZnCl2 divalent metal-ion halides. Computer simulation results are compared with experimental self-diffusion coefficients and electrical conductivities. Special attention is paid to dynamic cross correlations and their dependence on the Coulomb interactions as well as on the size and mass differences between anions and cations.@S0163-1829~97!13017-X#


The activities of indicative enzymes involved in the dihydroxyacetone, glycolytic and pentose phosphate pathways, the citric acid cycle and the glyoxylate shunt were studied comparatively in the yeast Candida methylica growing in media with methanol, glucose and ethanol. Differences in the enzyme levels indicate that the pathways of substrate metabolism in methylotrophic yeast cells are regulated in an alternative and complicated manner. The nature of a carbon source, its concentration in the medium and the general direction of metabolic processes which, in turn, depend on the growth phase of the methylotrophic yeast are important regulatory factors of enzyme synthesis and activity.


BackgroundThe purpose of this paper was to build an intervention course for university students which promotes both students' well-being as well as their learning and study skills. Research has shown that psychological flexibility has a great effect on well-being as well as studying in higher educationCase presentationThe basis of our intervention course is to promote psychological flexibility and students' study skills with the help of peer support and reflection.ConclusionsWe argue that an online, 8-week intervention course, which promotes both student well-being and their study skills, is a good way to support students in higher education and both aspects should be taken into account when supporting university students.


: The purpose of this work was to find out single pathogenetic mechanisms of epilepsy development in elderly patients with chronic brain blood-circulation deficiency. There were results of 49 patients' clinical study aged 64-86, suffering from epilepsy with the disease onset after 60. The correlation between the degree of atherosclerotic lesions of brain vessels and epileptic activity presented in EEG is given in the paper. The clinical example of successful treatment of hemodynamic-valuable stenosis of carotic artery in patients with symptomatic post-stoke epilepsy is supplied. The question of drug ethiopathogenic treatment and anti-convulsant application in elderly patients is discussed.


Background We are aware that the number of care home residents dying in hospital in our local area is higher than average. We conducted a mortality review focusing on this population to identify areas for improvement. Particular attention was paid to understanding the number of hospital admissions in last 90 days of life, impact of advance care planning (ACP) and barriers to achieving preferred place of death (PPD). Methods A retrospective review of care home residents who died in hospital over a 3 month period starting on 13.09.18 was undertaken. These patients were known to the hospital palliative care team. Data was collected from the palliative care referral list, electronic patient records and further discussion in MDT. Results 34 care home residents were admitted and died in hospital. A larger proportion of patients (56%) were admitted from residential homes compared to nursing homes (38%). The vast majority of these patients had a non-cancer diagnosis (91%). 59% patients had previous emergency admissions in the last 90 days of life and were discharged. 34% of these were discharged from A&E. Despite 41% of patients having a DNACPR in place prior to admission, only 29% had EPaCCs record created, and only 15% of patients had a clear PPD documented. Multiple barriers to achieving PPD were highlighted. Results suggested that the most significant were that care homes were unable to meet patients' needs (36%), rapid deterioration during admission (35%) and missed opportunities for ACP (21%). 32% of these patients changed PPD to hospital, as they were happy with care received. Conclusions Lack of ACP and communication has been improved with a dedicated palliative care section on hospital discharge letters. Education tailored to acute areas of the trust (A&E and MAU) is being provided, and increased integrated working in these areas is being explored.


Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by anti-platelet autoantibody-mediated platelet destruction. Antigen-presenting cell (APC) dysfunction is considered to play crucial roles in ITP. However, how APC affects autoreactive B cells in ITP is still unknown. Using a mouse model of immune thrombocytopenia, we demonstrated an increase in levels of TLR7 in splenic mononuclear cells (SMCs). Using both TLR7 agonist and TLR7 silencing lentivirus, we found stimulation of TLR7 decreased platelet counts and increased levels of platelet-associated IgG (PAIgG) in ITP mice, which correlates TLR7 with platelet destruction by autoantibodies. Levels of serum BAFF increased significantly in ITP mice and stimulation of TLR7 promoted secretion of BAFF. Among the three BAFF receptors, only BAFF receptor (BAFF-R) increased in ITP mice. However, activation of TLR7 showed no effect on the expression of BAFF receptors. These findings indicate that upregulation of TLR7 may augment BAFF secretion by APC and through ligation of BAFF-R promote autoreactive B cell survival and thus anti-platelet autoantibody production. The pathway of TLR7/BAFF/BAFF-R provides us with an explanation of how activation of APC affects autoantibody production by B cells in ITP and thus might provide a reasonable therapeutic strategy for ITP.


Objectives:To develop an in vivo intestinal permeability assay applying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor real-time gut barrier defects in animal models of acute mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) insult. Materials and Methods:Twenty Wistar rats were divided to 2 groups for I/R challenge or sham controls. I/R rats received occlusion of superior mesenteric artery for 20 minutes and reperfusion for 1 hour. Sham-operation controls received laparotomy without manipulation of artery. To assess gut permeability, a 10-cm jejunal sac was created distal to the ligament of Treitz in both groups of rats after laparotomy, and a contrast agent (gadodiamide) was injected into the lumen of the ligated intestinal sac. The signals produced by gadodamide in the liver, kidney, and plasma before and after the start of reperfusion were examined by 1.5 Tesla MRI (GE Signa Excite), and the increment of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in these organs that parallels the luminal-to-serosal flux rate of the probe was used as an indicator of gut permeability. At the end of procedures, jejunal tissues and mucosal scrapings were collected for histologic examination and Western blotting for epithelial tight junctional proteins. Moreover, liver and spleen homogenates were cultured on fresh blood agar plates to measure the bacterial colony-forming units per gram of tissue. Results:In I/R rats, disrupted villous structure and decreased epithelial tight junctional expression were seen in the jejunum associated with massive enteric bacterial translocation to the liver and spleen. The SNR in the liver of I/R rats was higher than sham controls (2.65 ± 0.56 vs. 0.65 ± 0.26, P < 0.01) at 15 minutes postreperfusion. Elevation of SNR in the kidney was also found in I/R rats compared with sham controls (11.61 ± 2.07 vs. 3.06 ± 1.15, P < 0.05). The plasma gadodiamide concentration in I/R rats was significantly increased compared with sham controls (0.220 ± 0.044 vs. 0.006 ± 0.004 mM, P < 0.01) at 15 minutes postreperfusion. Conclusions:This novel MRI-based intestinal permeability assay has shown a significant increase in the signal intensity in liver, kidney, and plasma samples that correlated with mucosal barrier defects in experimental models of acute mesenteric I/R.


A chemical ranking and scoring system, CRS-Korea, has recently been developed and proposed to use to prioritize on a screening level the toxic chemicals for monitoring and risk assessment. As CRS-Korea requires rigorous assessments prior to its wide application, an assessment was conducted in this study by examining the contribution of individual parameter score to the final chemical score or ranking. The sensitivity of the system to the default values for various parameters of missing data was also tested. The chemical ranking/score was found to depend primarily on the score of a single parameter, i. e., the chemical release, while toxicity scores show little correlation with the priority. Further analysis indicated that the dominating effect of the chemical release results from i) its multiplicative relationship with the other two exposure parameters (biodegradation and persistent) and ii) the fact that a maximum score of 10 was assigned to the chemical release parameter while 5 was assigned for all others. As the fraction of the data that are missing exceeded 70% for various toxicity parameters as compared to less than 10% for exposure parameters, the sensitivity of the ranking to the default value was not significant (rank correlation coefficient = 0.98) for toxicity parameters. Based on this assessment, an improved CRS system (CRS-Korea II) was proposed in which the impact of the chemical release was properly adjusted by changing the multiplicative relationship to additive one and the maximum score to 5. Chemical priority was derived for each of 16 provinces by using CRS-Korea II. The chemical priority was found to significantly vary among the provinces. It was concluded that not only the national chemical priority but the local chemical priority should be taken into account in setting the nationwide chemical monitoring and risk assessment strategy.


The article by Brown et al. (6) in this issue of Journal of Bacteriology makes it possible to integrate a series of investigations that have given us a high-resolution picture of the rotational flagellar motors of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. Although details will surely differ, it should also serve as a model for the flagellar architectures found within a wide spectrum of prokaryotes.

The beauty of the bacterial flagellum is captured in reconstructions of the basal body (21) and the external rod, hook, and filament, which comprise the propeller (18, 24). The output of this device is also impressive: E. coli flagella spin at hundreds of rotations per second, either clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW), and rotation is driven by a transmembrane proton current that brings up to a million H+ ions per motor into the cell per second. (For reviews of bacterial flagella and motility, see references 2, 11, and 13.) The reversibility of the motor generates alternating straight runs (CCW rotation) and reorienting tumbles (CW rotation) to create a three-dimensional random walk. During chemotaxis, the random walk is biased so that runs become longer when a cell happens to run up a gradient of an attractant chemical or down a gradient of a repellent chemical. (For reviews of bacterial chemotaxis, see references 1, 15, and 23.) The CheY protein, activated by phosphorylation at the chemoreceptor patch, binds to the motor to promote CW rotation and therefore tumbling.

Much of the bacterial flagellum can be extracted from the cell envelope as an intact basal body/hook/filament complex (8). This portion of the flagellum consists of three rings that encompass a central rod attached to a flexible hook that in turn is attached to a long, left-handed helical filament. The rings are, from the cell-proximal to cell-distal end of the basal body, MS, P, and L. Each is a polymer of one polypeptide. The rings associate with the cell membrane, the peptidoglycan wall, and the lipopolysaccharide-containing outer membrane, respectively. The P and L rings constitute a bushing that allows the rotating rod to penetrate the cell envelope. The diameter of the M portion of the MS ring is about 25 nm.

This description ignores two key components of a functional flagellum: the cytoplasmic C ring, which must firmly attach to the MS ring, and the membrane-spanning Mot protein complexes, which supply the transmembrane proton channel and anchor Mot complexes to the peptidoglycan cell wall to serve as stator elements for the motor. The symmetry of the MS ring is between 24- and 26-fold, and the symmetry of the C ring is 32- to 36-fold (21), at least for a CW-locked motor. These are not average values; they represent numbers for individual MS and C rings. What is more, there is no fixed relationship between the symmetries in the MS ring and the C ring of a given motor. This chaos is compounded by the fact that an individual rotating motor can contain from as few as 1 to as many as 12 (3, 17) MotA4MotB2 complexes (4, 19).

A clever approach using a chimeric Vibrio alginolyticus/E. coli Mot complex that employs Na+ rather than H+ ions has demonstrated that the 26-fold symmetry of the MS ring is reflected in 26 steps per single 360o rotation of the motor (20). The data leading to this conclusion were collected under conditions in which the sodium motive force was maintained at a low value and the number of Mot complexes per motor was manipulated to approach one. As a result, the motor turns very slowly, and individual steps can be counted. The 26 steps may reflect that the motors observed contained only one functional Mot complex.

The MS ring is made up of the FliF protein, which associates at its cytoplasmic face with the FliG protein. FliG connects the MS ring to the C ring, and it also interacts with the cytoplasmic loops of MotA to generate rotation in response to transmembrane proton flow. The partial crystal structure of FliG from Thermotoga maritima (5, 12) strongly suggests that two distinct and rather distant domains are responsible for interactions with FliF and MotA, respectively. A long helix and a flexible linker connect these two domains. The bulk of the C ring is made up of the FliM and FliN proteins, with 32 to 36 FliM monomers, most of which probably bind a FliN tetramer (16). (FliN exists in ≥100 copies per basal body.)

The structure of the large middle domain of FliM was recently solved (14). It is rather compact, with dimensions of 5 by 3.5 by 3 A. At one end of the long axis there is a poorly resolved flexible GGXG-containing loop that joins the two pseudosymmetric domains of the folded polypeptide. At the other end is the C-terminal region that binds the FliN tetramer. The N-terminal sequence that binds to phospho-CheY is also not resolved. The C ring is ∼44 nm in diameter and can accommodate 32 to 36 FliM subunits if the long axis of FliM is perpendicular to the ring and the intermediate axis is parallel to the circumference of the ring. Cross-linking studies using introduced cysteine residues are consistent with that organization (14).

The work of Brown et al. (6) ties all this information together. Tryptophan-scanning mutagenesis of FliG implicates two regions, which flank the connecting helix, as being important for flagellar assembly, motility, and directional control. The region in the domain closer to the MS ring contains an EHPQ…R sequence that is conserved in FliG proteins from a wide range of bacteria. The second region includes a hydrophobic patch that is on the opposite side of the motility domain from the ridge of charged residues that interact with the cytoplasmic loop of MotA to drive flagellar rotation (25). So far, so good. But what about the numerical mismatch between the MS and C rings, and how can one region on a FliM subunit simultaneously interact with two distinct and rather distant sites on FliG?

The solution offered by Brown et al. (6) is ingenious and compelling. If, for example, the MS ring of a particular basal body has 26-fold symmetry, implying that 26 FliF subunits attach to 26 FliG subunits, then 26 FliM subunits can contact the hydrophobic patches on the motility domains of FliG. The remaining 6 to 10 FliM subunits could face inward to interact with the EHPQ…R motif, which is close to the N-terminal region of FliG that attaches to FliF. Indeed, Thomas et al. (21) found that the most proximal part of the C ring has the same symmetry as the MS ring. Thomas et al. (21) also found that, at the level of FliM, there was a lower electron density inside the high-density outer wall of the C ring, a feature consistent with a 26 + 8 arrangement of FliM subunits.

Figure Figure11 presents several views of a model for how the C ring may be configured in a CW-rotating motor, based on the most recent data. Phospho-CheY is not shown. It may bind only to the outward-facing FliM subunits that contact the FliG motility domain. CheY binding presumably generates a change in the conformation of FliM (and FliN) that is transmitted to FliG to reposition the motility domain with respect to the Mot protein complexes. The inward-facing FliM subunits might serve to stabilize the association of the MS and C rings.

FIG. 1.

Schematic model for C-ring architecture in a CW-locked flagellar motor. (A) Two alternative associations of a FliM monomer with FliG. The middle domain of FliM is in cyan, the flexible GGXG-containing loop that contacts FliG is in red, the N-terminal ...

This model raises a number of questions. How can FliM within the C ring accommodate two orientations of FliM monomers, which must lead to nonequivalent subunit contacts? Does phospho-CheY bind only to the outward-facing or inward-facing FliM subunit or to both, and does CheY binding change the distribution of FliM between the two conformations? How does phospho-CheY binding modify the way that FliM interacts with the FliG motility domain? What coordinates the movements of FliM subunits within the ring (7, 9) to give essentially instantaneous switching from CCW to CW rotation and back? How do interactions between MotA and FliG change to produce the two different directions of rotation, and how are Mot complexes recruited to, and distributed around, the MS and C rings (10, 22)? The answers to these questions must be found before we can say that we have attained an in-depth understanding of the relationship between flagellar structure and flagellar function.


Polyphagous Apolygus lucorum has become the dominant insect in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton fields. Hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) regulates multiple insect development and physiology events. 20E responses are controlled by pathways triggered by phospholipase C (PLC)-associated proteins. However, 20E-modulated genes and related proteins that can be affected by PLC still remain unknown. Here, isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) and immunoblotting techniques were used to compare differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in A. lucorum in response to the treatment of 20E and the PLC inhibitor U73122 as well as their combination. A total of 1,624 non-redundant proteins and 97, 248, 266 DEPs were identified in the 20E/control, U73122/control, and 20E + U73122/control groups, respectively. Only 8 DEPs, including pathogenesis-related protein 5-like, cuticle protein 19.8, trans-sialidase, larval cuticle protein A2B-like, cathepsin L1, hemolymph juvenile hormone-binding protein, ATP-dependent RNA helicase p62-like, and myosin-9 isoform X1, were detected in all three groups. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that the DEPs were involved in diverse signaling pathways. The results were validated by immunoblotting, which highlighted the reliability of proteomics analysis. These findings provided novel insights into the function of PLC in 20E signaling pathway in A. lucorum.


In this paper, we researched the application of NS2 network simulation based on clustering algorithm. With the development of Internet, more and more information transferred by network. Thus the increasing of bandwidth cannot keep up with the demand of information transmission. The content distribution technique is a novel network technology that efficiently delivers the content to end user on behalf of origin web sites. It works by distributing content to the nearest server, so content will closer to users, and avoid congestion. In this paper, a simulation model of content delivery net- works based on NS2 is put forward, and compared with C/S mode, we found that the system performance is more better than C/S.


This article aim to understand the gender typology in each location. Its was conducted a combination approach, quantitative and qualitative. By involved 240 respondents and 16 person as informants. This study held in four regions; District of Tulung Agung, Kupang, Pesisir Selatan and Gorontalo. The findings of study indicates that majority of participants program are  traditional category/typology, namely feminism and masculine, has reached in 77.5%. This indicated that the pattern of family relationships is still dominated by sexist behavior. The recommendation is, make to ensure that the intervention targets are parallel with the program's target. This means, if the target units of Program Keluarga Harapan is whole of family, make sure all of family members could be participate, icluded the mothers, children and the husband also. Its mean, the PKH could be to build the gender equality in the family also.


Dopamine has emerged as an important regulator of immunity. Recent evidence has shown that signalling through low-affinity dopamine receptors exerts anti-inflammatory effects, whilst stimulation of high-affinity dopamine receptors potentiates immunity in different models. However, the dopaminergic regulation of CD8+ T-cells in anti-tumour immunity remains poorly explored. Here, we studied the role of dopamine receptor D3 (DRD3), which displays the highest affinity for dopamine, in the function of CD8+ T-cells and its consequences in the anti-tumour immune response. We observed that the deficiency of Drd3 (the gene encoding DRD3) in CD8+ T-cells limits their in vivo expansion, leading to an impaired anti-tumour response in a mouse melanoma model. Mechanistic analyses suggest that DRD3 stimulation favours the production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and the surface expression of CD25, the α-chain IL-2 receptor, which are required for expansion and effector differentiation of CD8+ T-cells. Thus, our results provide genetic and pharmacologic evidence indicating that DRD3 favours the production of IL-2 by CD8+ T-cells, which is associated with higher expansion and acquisition of effector function of these cells, promoting a more potent anti-tumour response in a melanoma mouse model. These findings contribute to understanding how dopaminergic signalling affects the cellular immune response and represent an opportunity to improve melanoma therapy.


The Forest Inventory and Analysis program at the North Central Research Station focuses on understanding the forested ecosystems in the North Central and Northern Great Plains States through analyzing the results of annual inventories. The program also researches techniques for data collection and analysis. The FIA process measures the above-ground vegetation and the site (soils) factors, but not climatic data. This pilot study, centered around three inventory units in southern Missouri, assigned weather data obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to particular forest inventory plots, based on nearest distance. We incorporated precipitation and maximum and minimum temperatures into a temporary database, then analyzed the growth and forest health data for the plots for any relationships among the climate data. We found an apparent relationship between precipitation and the hypothesized relationship between the variables believed to predispose the stand toward oak decline and mortality variables, particularly in larger, older trees. Adding precipitation as an independent variable helped increase the quality of the predictions of the mortality models in situations where we concentrate on size/age groups more prone to forest health problems. Finally, we found evidence of spatial patterns of precipitation across the Ozark Plateau in southern Missouri that appear to be correlated with landscape-level patterns of mortality. Management activities need to address the role of the predisposing variables in influencing susceptibility to oak decline. As the level of precipitation seems to exacerbate the predisposing variables? effects, historical patterns of rainfall and soil moisture retention need to be taken into account when regenerating and managing oak forests in the Missouri Ozarks.


Self-reports on drinking among alcoholics (100 men inpatients) were compared with descriptions of their consumption given by collaterals (one friend or relative each) at 10 points during an 18-month follow-up study. The correlations between the two were only moderate; barely one-half of the variance in the alcoholics' self-reports corresponded to the collaterals' assessments. Patients underestimated collaterals' descriptions about three times as often as they overestimated them, but their over- and underestimations appeared to be of roughly equal size. The relationships between alcoholics' and collaterals' reports tended to be curvilinear. Among subjects whom the collaterals had described as abstinent or controlled drinkers, patients' and collaterals' assessments were similar but patients' descriptions grossly underestimated collaterals' reports when uncontrolled consumption was reported by the latter. The results support a moratorium on the use of patients' self-reports in follow-up studies on alcohol consumption.


Abstract Background Dry, itchy skin can lower quality of life (QoL) and aggravate skin diseases. Moisturizing skin care products can have beneficial effects on dry skin. However, the role of a daily skin care routine is understudied. Objective To understand how daily skin care with a mild cleanser and moisturizer impacts skin health and patients' QoL, in dry skin population. Methods A randomized, investigator-blinded study of 52 participants with moderate to severe dry skin. The treatment group (n = 39) used mild cleanser and moisturizer twice daily for two weeks whereas the control group (n = 13) used mild cleanser without moisturizer. Total Clinical Score (TCS; erythema, scale and fissures), Visual Dryness Score (VDS) and subjective itch-related quality of life (ItchyQoL) were collected. Results The treatment group showed significantly more improvement in TCS and VDS compared to the control group after two weeks. Among the three components of the ItchyQoL (symptoms, functioning, and emotions), symptom showed significantly greater improvement in the treatment compared to the control group. Over 80% of participants in the treatment group agreed that the regimen led to decrease in dryness/pruritus and improved skin texture. Conclusions A consistent skin care regimen should be an integral component of management of dry skin.


INTRODUCTION
Study of the efficacy of intermittent endocrine therapy after failure of local treatment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
74 patients were treated for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy (n = 30), radiotherapy (n = 28) or radical prostatectomy followed by radiotherapy (n = 16). Treatment (63 patients were treated by antiandrogens alone, 8 by LHRH analogue and 3 by complete androgen suppression) was continued for 6 months after obtaining undetectable PSA levels for patients after radical prostatectomy (and restarted when PSA > 4 ng/ml) or a PSA nadir < 4 ng/ml for the other patients (and restarted for PSA > 10 ng/ml).

RESULTS
The duration of periods without treatment represented 50% of the total treatment cycle. With a mean follow-up of 43.8 months, the overall 5-year biochemical progression-free survival rate was 54.6%. On multivariate analysis, factors predictive of biochemical progression were age less than 70 years (p = 0.05), Gleason score greater than or equal to 8 (p = 0.038) and the presence of lymph node metastases (p = 0.05).

CONCLUSION
Intermittent endocrine therapy is a treatment option for patients with recurrence after local treatment. Candidates for intermittent endocrine therapy must be over the age of 70, with localized adenocarcinoma and a Gleason score less than or equal to 7.


Mesoporous silica nanoparticles coencapsulating gadolinium oxide and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) have been synthesized in the aqueous core of sodium bis-(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)–hexane–water reverse micelle. The average diameter of these silica particles is around 25 nm and the particles are spherical and highly monodispersed as depicted using transmission electron microscopy. The entrapment efficiency of HRP was found to be as high as 95%. Practically, the entrapped enzyme shows zero leachability up to 90 days. The enzyme entrapped in these silica nanoparticles follows Michaelis–Menten kinetics. Peroxidase entrapped in silica nanoparticles shows higher stability towards temperature and pH change as compared to free enzymes. The gadolinium oxide-doped silica nanoparticles are paramagnetic as observed from the nuclear magnetic resonance line-broadening effect on the proton spectrum of the surrounding water molecule. The entrapped enzyme, HRP, has been used to convert a benign prodrug, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), to a toxic oxidized product and its toxic effect has been tested on cancerous cell lines through thiazolyl blue tetrazolium blue (MTT) assay. In vitro studies on different cancerous cell lines show that the enzyme has been entrapped and retains its activity inside the silica nanoparticles. IAA alone has no cytotoxic effect and it becomes active only after oxidative decarboxylation by HRP.


Aims Difficulties in communication between Orthopaedic on call and Paediatric Accident and Emergency (A and E) clinicians due to split site, prompted virtual consultation via e-folder. (Orthopaedic doctor not available on Paediatric A and E site to review patient; senior orthopaedic input not available for all patients) A shared orthopaedic e-folder, set up as an iterative Quality improvement programme to facilitate and streamline orthopaedic referrals from Paediatric A and E, was reviewed. Was the process safe? Demographic profile of children referred Outcome of referral Methods Paediatric A and E clinician inputs into the shared folder (set up as columns), patient demography, mechanism and nature of injury, clinical findings. These details along with X-ray are reviewed in Orthopaedic consultant-led trauma meeting following day and management plan communicated via e-folder, which is actioned by Paediatric A and E clinician by 9 AM. The e-folder data were analysed retrospectively for a 12 month period of January to December 2015. Results 283 children were referred for virtual consultation through shared e-folder (1% A and E attendances). Date of birth of patient was missing in six; name and GMC/NMC number of clinician was available only in 38.9%. 161 cases (57%) were discussed over the phone with orthopaedic on call in addition to ereferral. Orthopaedic referrals peaked during June – October. Radius, radius and ulna, humerus, and elbow fractures were most common. Trauma meeting outcome: 192 cases were reviewed in fracture clinic within one week. Surgery was planned in 40 (manipulation under anaesthesia alone or plus K-wire/ORIF); 40 cases needed other procedures/conservative management; outcome was not recorded in 11 cases. Tertiary centre consultation/ referral was made in 9 cases only. Conclusion Clinical information provided in the folder (columns) was adequate in streamlining referrals. Documentation was good. Recording of name, GMC number of Paediatric A and E/Orthopaedic clinician requires improvement. Understanding demographics will help in arranging targeted services and education. Majority of cases were dealt with locally, only a few requiring tertiary hospital consultation/referral. Virtual consultation via shared folder has shown to be an effective quality improvement programme in a setting of split site services. It provides consultant-led decisions in a timely fashion for all children referred.


OBJECTIVE
To study the changes in cortisol levels during and after cardiac surgery after an inductive dose of either etomidate or thiopentone and their consequences.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
A prospective, randomized, double-blinded study was conducted in 26 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. They received either etomidate or thiopentone for induction. Serum cortisol levels were measured preoperatively, and then at 2-, 4-, 8-, and 24-hour All of the patients received standard anesthesia and surgery. The data also included patients perioperative management and outcome.

RESULTS
There is no difference in patients' characteristics. The baseline plasma morning cortisols in the two groups were comparable (11.7 ± 7.5 mcg/dL in etomidate group vs. 12.0 ± 8.2 mcg/dL in thiopentone group). In both groups, during surgery, the cortisol levels rose to higher levels and reached peak levels at four to eight hours and related to surgical stress. At all times, the etomidate group had lower cortisol levels but only at 8-hour the etomidate group had significantly lower cortisol level (39.9 ± 14.2 vs. 65.9 ± 20.0 mcg/dL). At 24 hours, in both groups, cortisol levels were lower than at 8-hour but did not return to normal baseline levels. There were no differences in the dose of inotropic use and ICU stay. However surprisingly the etomidate group had shorter hospital stay.

CONCLUSION
A single dose of etomidate usedfor induction in elective cardiac patients can partially and reversibly inhibit of the cortisol synthesis for, at least, 24 hours, but its association with any hemodynamic consequences cannot be concluded.

REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01495949.


The 'special relationship' between the United States and Israel has endured for more than four decades and is one of the more anomalous global political alliances. Conventional explanations have consistently failed to elucidate the underlying nuances of a relationship that has endured the transition from the Cold War to the unipolar world to the present day 'war on terror' and is often costly to the USA in economic and geostrategic terms. This article argues that the nebulous but still valuable concept of political culture provides a crucial ingredient to any understanding of the special relationship. In perceiving their society to be a beacon of what they like to call 'freedom' and 'democracy,' in a world in which these values are largely absent, Americans have been encouraged to believe that they share a political kinship with societies similarly imbued and that they have an obligation to assist where such values are under threat. This process of identification is reinforced by the activities of the pro-Israel lobby and the beliefs of America's increasing number of Christian Evangelicals who support Israel for largely religious reasons. It is the many dimensions of this cultural identification that sets Israel apart from other nations and forms the bedrock of the US-Israeli special relationship.


Mefloquine enantiomers (+) -1, (-) -1 were found to be stereospecific in their inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, (-) -1 being the more potent inhibitor in both cases. Similar observations were also made with respect to (-) -quinine and (+) -quinidine, which are configurational analogues of (+) -1 and (-) -1, respectively. A positive synclinical conformation for the "N-C-C-O" segment of mefloquine appeared to be necessary for good activity.


For an arbitrary p, propose a new and computable method which can determine the values of unknown constants in constraints on a tau function which satisfies both the p-reduced KP hierarchy and the sting equation. All the constants do not equal 0, unlike what people usually think of. With these values, obtain the precise algebra that the constraints compose. This algebra includes none of {tmp} and also includes the Virasoro algebra as a subalgebra.


The carbon dioxide released and dissolved in rumen fluid may easily permeate across the epithelial cell membrane. Thus, we hypothesized that CO2 may act as proton carrier and induce epithelial damage under acidotic conditions. Ovine ruminal epithelia were mounted in Ussing chambers under short-circuit conditions. The serosal buffer solution had a constant pH of 7.4 and was gassed either with 100% oxygen or with carbogen (95% O2 /5% CO2 ). The mucosal solution was gassed with either 100% oxygen or 100% carbon dioxide. The mucosal pH was lowered stepwise from 6.6 to 5.0 in the presence or absence of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). The transepithelial conductance (Gt ) as an indicator of epithelial integrity and the short-circuit current (Isc ) as an indicator of active electrogenic ion transfer were continuously monitored. At an initial mucosal pH of 6.6, there was no significant difference in Gt between the treatment groups. In the absence of both SCFA and CO2 , Gt remained constant when the mucosal solution was acidified to pH 5.0. In the presence of SCFA, mucosal acidification induced a significant rise in Gt when the solutions were gassed with oxygen. A small increase in Gt was observed in the mucosal presence of CO2 . However, no difference in final Gt was observed between SCFA-containing and SCFA-free conditions under carbon dioxide gassing during stepwise mucosal acidification. The SCFA+proton-induced increase in Gt could also be minimized by serosal gassing with carbogen. Because of the SCFA+proton-induced changes in Gt and their attenuation by CO2 , a protective role for mucosally available carbon dioxide may be assumed. We suggest that this effect may be due to the intraepithelial conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate. However, the serosal presence of CO2 at a physiological concentration may be sufficient to protect the epithelia from SCFA+proton-induced damage for a certain period of time.


Two pregnant women considered symptomatic for inflammatory bowel disease were referred for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assistance in establishing a diagnosis. Breath-hold gradient echo and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fat-suppressed spin echo sequences were used. The MR appearance of the terminal ileum was consistent with Crohn's disease in both patients. The diagnosis of Crohn's disease was subsequently confirmed histologically. MRI is a safe, noninvasive modality that may be useful in confirming a suspected diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, especially in patients who cannot be evaluated with standard techniques.