We describe a case in which reflection of a palatal flap for removal of a mesiodens is presented as the triggering factor for bradycardia caused by stimulation of the trigeminocardiac reflex. The management of the case, as well as the reflex arc, is discussed.


The effects of preparation methods, supports and active parts on both the activation and stability of catalyst for the sodium borohydride hydrolysis were studied, and the results showed that the activation and stability of the catalysts prepared by impregnation method is better than that prepared by chemical plating. Compared to exchange resin and activated alumina, the diatomite with high BET surface area and porosity is more suitable for as the catalyst's support. Co is much better than Ni when used as catalytic active part.


A B S T R A C T Introduction: Thyroid disorders are among the most common endocrine disorders in India. The prevalence and pattern of the thyroid disorders depends on age, sex, geographical factors, food habits and on iodine intake. Aim and Objective : To assess the prevalence and role of geographical factors, family history, medical history, menstrual history and food habits in the incidence of thyroid disorders. Materials and methods :1000 responders from 4 different geographical areas were interviewed using a pre-designed proforma, demographic details, family history, food habits and suspecting symptoms of the responders were collected. Results: Food habits plays an important role in the fluctuation of thyroid hormone. The distribution of the thyroid patients were found to be more in Coastal area(%) where as Non coastal , Mid-land, Hilly area have low prevalence of thyroid disorder. Conclusion: The factors associated with the prevalence are mainly food habits especially the intake of sea food, coconut, tapioca. It was also found that geographical feature of the area plays an important role in inducing the disorder.It was observed that anything too much can induce fluctuation in thyroid hormones.


Pilicides block pili formation by binding to pilus chaperones and blocking their function in the chaperone/usher pathway in E. coli. Various C-2 substituents were introduced on the pilicide scaffold by design and synthetic method developments. Experimental evaluation showed that proper substitution of this position affected the biological activity of the compound. Aryl substituents resulted in pilicides with significantly increased potencies as measured in pili-dependent biofilm and hemagglutination assays. The structural basis of the PapD chaperone-pilicide interactions was determined by X-ray crystallography.


Game-theoretical models of incentive mechanisms in organizations are considered. General formulation of incentive problem is introduced and classification of special cases is explored. It is stated below that in most of the incentive models under interval, stochastic and fuzzy uncertainty jump or compensating incentive functions are optimal. The study of the uncertainty role leads to the conclusion that with the growth of uncertainty the guaranteed efficiency of management decreases.


Molecular dynamics simulations of the melting curves of six metals including Ag, Cu, Al, Mg, Ta, and Mo for the pressure range (0 to 15) GPa are reported. The melting curves of Ag, Cu, Al, and Mg fully confirm measurements and previous calculations. Meanwhile, the melting curves of Ta and Mo are consistent with previous calculations but diverge from laser-heated diamond-anvil cells values at high pressure. Our results suggest that the melting slope at 100 kPa is related to the electronic configuration of the element. In addition, the pressure dependence of fusion entropy and fusion volume are calculated up to 15 GPa. The overall fusion entropy is separated into topological entropy of fusion (ΔSD) due to the configuration change in melting and the volume entropy of fusion (ΔSV) due to the latent volume change in melting. Furthermore, we checked the R ln 2 rule under high pressure, according to which the value of ΔSD is a constant at ambient pressure. Result shows that the value of ΔSD is close to R ln 2 at...


Strong confinement in semiconductor quantum dots enables them to host multiple electron-hole pairs or excitons. The excitons in these materials are forced to interact, resulting in quantum-confined multiexcitons (MXs). The MXs are integral to the physics of the electronic properties of these materials and impact their key properties for applications such as gain and light emission. Despite their importance, the electronic structure of MX has yet to be fully characterized. MXs have a complex electronic structure arising from quantum many-body effects, which is challenging for both experiments and theory. Here, we report on the investigation of the electronic structure of MX in colloidal CdSe QDs using time-resolved photoluminescence, state-resolved pump-probe, and two-dimensional spectroscopies. The use of varying excitation energy and intensities enables the observation of many signals from biexcitons and triexcitons. The experiments enable the study of MX structures and dynamics on time scales spanning 6 orders of magnitude and directly reveal dynamics in the biexciton manifold. These results outline the limits of the simple concept of binding energy. The methods of investigations should be applicable to reveal complex many-body physics in other nanomaterials and low-dimensional materials of interest.


Basic multicellular unit (BMU)‐based remodeling of lamellar bone causes bone turnover, net gains and losses of bone on some bone surfaces or "envelopes," and a remodeling space comprising bone temporarily absent due to evolving resorption spaces and incomplete refilling of them by new bone. Those features depend (a) on how many new BMU arise annually, (b) on how much bone each BMU has resorbed and (c) formed upon its completion, and (d) on how long the typical BMU takes to become completed. Because a, b, and c have limiting or maximal values in life that direct and/or indirect effects of mechanical usage of the skeleton can change, the theory presented here derives mechanical usage functions that express what fractions of those maxima a given mechanical usage history allows to happen. The theory predicts some changes in bone formation, resorption, balance, turnover, and remodeling space that depend on how remodeling responds to the vigor of a subject's mechanical usage. The theory can predict specific effects of specific mechanical challenges that experiments can test, and it fits abundant published evidence. As the kernel of a new approach to the problem it awaits critique and refinement by others. It plus the 3‐way rule can redefine Wolff's law conceptually and also in mathematical and quantifiable form.


Recent statistics from the Patients Association show 17 per cent of patients raised poor pain relief as a concern in calls to its helpline. In the third of our four-part series examining the four strands of fundamental care, we look at how competing demands can affect effective pain relief and how some organisations have made improvements.


AIM
Partial body weight support (PBWS) is an accepted treatment for hemiplegic patients. The aim of this study is to compare the efficiency of gait trainer with conventional treatment on the gait management after stroke.

METHODS
Forty chronic post-stroke hemiplegics were part of a prospective research. Inclusion criteria were: first ever stroke in a chronic stage with stabilised motor deficits; age >18 and <80 years; cognitive and communication skills to understand the treatment; absence of cardiac, psychological and orthopedic contraindications. Patients were randomised into two groups: the control group (CG) that used the Bobath method in 40 minutes sessions, 5 times a week, for 5 weeks, and the experimental group (EG) that used the gait trainer, for the same period of time and frequency. Assessment tools: Motricity Index (MI); Toulouse Motor Scale (TMS); modified Ashworth Spasticity Scale (mASS); Berg Balance Scale (BBS); Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI); Fugl-Meyer Stroke Scale (F-MSS); Functional Ambulation Category (FAC); Barthel Index (BI); 10 meters, time up and go (TUG), 6 minutes, and step tests. EG and CG did the assessments before treatment (T(0)), right after treatment (T(1)), and on follow-up, 3 months later (T(2)).

RESULTS
CG and EG were homogenous in all the variables at T(0). CG and EG showed improvement in almost all the assessment scales after treatment, although only some with relevant differences. EG showed statistically relevant improvement on T(1) and on T(2) in several of the assessment tools, whereas CG only showed statistically significant improvement after T(1) and only in some of the assessment tools.

CONCLUSIONS
Both groups of chronic hemiplegic patients improved after either PBWS with gait trainer or Bobath treatment. Only subjects undergoing PBWS with gait trainer maintained functional gain after 3 months.


PolyJet technology is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology commonly used for modeling, prototyping, and production applications. It is one of the techniques used for 3D printing. The PolyJet technique is a process that joins materials to fabricate a product from 3D CAD data in a layer-by-layer manner. The orientation of a layer can affect the mechanical properties of the product manufactured by the PolyJet technique because of its anisotropy. In this paper, tensile and shearing tests of specimens were developed with the PolyJet technique in order to study the mechanical properties according to the orientation of a layer. The mechanical properties of the specimens were determined on the basis of true stress-strain curves from tensile and shearing tests. In addition, the tensile and shearing tests were simulated under the same conditions as those of experiment, and the experiment and simulated results were compared. Through this study, the fracture criteria could be established.


Increased gut permeability (leaky gut) and endotoxin‐mediated Kupffer cell activation are proposed as the mechanisms of alcoholic liver injury. Although ethanol feeding is shown to sensitize the liver for injury induced by parental administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), how enteral LPS loading affects alcoholic liver injury is yet to be tested. The present study provides direct evidence for enhanced entrance to portal circulation of LPS enterally administered to the intragastric ethanol infusion model. Portal and systemic blood endotoxin levels increased to 43.0 ± 4.1 and 6.2 ± 4.3 pg/mL at 2 hours following enteral LPS administration (5 mg/kg) in alcohol‐fed animals, while no such increases were observed in pair‐fed controls. However, endotoxin levels in systemic blood of alcohol‐fed rats were reduced to 0 to 1.5 pg/mL 16 hours after LPS administration. Weekly enteral administration of LPS to the model for 9 weeks exacerbated an increase in plasma alanine transaminase (ALT) levels (227 ± 75 vs. 140 ± 70; P < .01), mononuclear infiltration (25 ± 22 vs. 6.4 ± 4.4/10 mm2; P = .02), sinusoidal congestion, and spotty necrosis, and induced diffuse coagulative necrosis and centrilobular fibrosis in some animals. Reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis confirmed the LPS effect at the tissue level by demonstrating accentuated induction of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) and Cox‐2 mRNA. In conclusion, enteral LPS administration potentiates alcoholic liver necrosis, inflammation, and fibrosis despite efficient endotoxin clearance by the liver and mild systemic endotoxemia that occurs episodically following enteral LPS challenge.


Abstract Alcohol-related cognitive impairment (ARCI) is highly prevalent among patients with alcohol dependence. Although it negatively influences treatment outcome, this condition is underdiagnosed and undertreated. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the existing evidence regarding both cognitive and pharmacological interventions for ARCI. We systematically reviewed PubMed, Scopus and Science direct databases up to May 2019 and followed the PRISMA guidelines. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Jadad Scale. Twenty-six studies were eligible for inclusion (14 referring to neuropsychological interventions and 12 to pharmacological treatments). Among neuropsychological interventions, computerised treatments, errorless learning and component method showed positive effects on working memory, memory measures and general cognitive function. On the other hand, thiamine, memantine and methylphenidate improved working memory, long-term memory and general cognitive function. Nevertheless, these studies have several limitations, such as small sample size, lack of replication of the results or low specificity of the interventions. Therefore, no gold-standard intervention can yet be recommended for clinical practice, and further research based on promising strategies (e.g. digital interventions, thiamine) is required.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed at understanding clinical features, biochemistry and gene mutation in one Chinese pedigree which had a neonatal-onset ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) boy, and exploring the significance of ornithine transcarbamylase analysis in prenatal diagnosis.

METHOD
The clinical and biochemical data of one case were analyzed. The amino acids in blood and organic acids in urine were analyzed by mass spectrum technology. The OTC gene mutation was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA direct sequencing for the case, his parents and the fetus amniocyte and her blood after birth.

RESULT
The age of onset was 3 days after birth, he began to have poor reaction, difficulty to feed, high blood ammonia, infection, slight metabolic acidosis, which were consistent with the clinical diagnosis of urea cycle disorders. The boy died at the age of 9 days. Citrulline of blood was detected twice, and were 0.86 µm and 1.06 µm, respectively. The orotic acid was elevated (124 µm/M Creatinine), and urine lactic acid was significantly elevated. The citrulline and orotic acid in his parents and their second baby were normal in DBS and urine. One nonsense mutation in the OTC gene was found at the exon 9 (C. 958 C > T) and his mother was the heterozygote, which caused an arginine to terminate the code at position 320 of the protein (R320X). Two other mutations were also detected at intron 9 (C.1005 + 132 InsT) and intron 5 (C.542 + 134 G > G/A). But the analysis of his father's DNA, the fetus amniocyte and her blood was normal.

CONCLUSION
The mutation of C. 958 C > T in OTC gene may occur during neonatal period. This mutation would result in a very severe symptom, even die suddenly several days after birth, if it was a boy. It needs more researches to discuss whether the C.1005 + 132 InsT in intron 9 and C.542 + 134 G > G/A in intron 5 were associated with the neonatal-onset OTCD. The DNA analysis of OTC gene could be utilized for the prenatal diagnosis.


In this work the control problem in a single stage absorption heat pump is shown, in particular case for the water - Carroltrade absorption pair, and the operating conditions of the system are determined. The dimensionless tendencies of inlet powers are shown as a function of the final temperature of revaluation from waste energy. The used software is described for the temperature sensors calibration, as well as the software for in-line calculations of powers and mass flows into the thermodynamic cycle. Finally, a proposal correlation for working fluid control into the absorption heat pump is shown


A double-blind crossover study was carried out to investigate the effects of cyclopenthiazide and oxprenolol on blood lipids in 20 previously untreated patients with mild to moderate hypertension. After a 4-week placebo period, patients received at random either 8-weeks' treatment with the two drugs followed by 8 weeks on cyclopenthiazide alone, or the reversed sequence. Daily doses were 160 mg slow-release oxprenolol and/or 0.25 mg cyclopenthiazide during the first 4 weeks of each treatment period, after which the dosage was doubled. Data from 13 patients who completed the trial showed no significant changes in the blood levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol or LDL and HDL cholesterol fractions. These findings are discussed in relation to published studies on the effects of other beta-blockers on blood lipids.


This paper examines and models the financial distress prediction using neural network approach. Nine different neural network models, considering various predicting time horizons and information structures, are considered. in order to test models' predictive capability we used a set of 15 financial ratios. Based on financial statements (balance-sheets, result accounts and cash flow statements) for 87 Tunisian firms from 1993 to 1996, results prove that more the predictability horizon is short and the input information structure recent, more and better is the predictive capability of the neural model. Short debt, capital structure and sales growth and liability ratios contribute meaningfully in discriminating and predicting the firm financial distress. the best model is based on the information structure giving the best predictive capability.


Diffraction gratings written in films of nematic liquid crystals doped with multiwall carbon nanotubes were investigated by measurements of exponential beam-coupling coefficients. These phase gratings were induced by the interference modulation of two coherent optical beams, in conjunction with an externally applied dc field. Systematic and consistent results of the gain properties indicate that the bserved coherent-beam amplification depends strongly on the pump-to-probe intensity ratio.


It has become obvious that certain singular phenomena cannot be explained by a mere investigation of the configuration space, defined as the solution set of the loop closure equations. For example, it was observed that a particular 6R linkage, constructed by combination of two Goldberg 5R linkages, exhibits kinematic singularities at a smooth point in its configuration space. Such problems are addressed in this paper. To this end, an algebraic framework is used in which the constraints are formulated as polynomial equations using Study parameters. The algebraic object of study is the ideal generated by the constraint equations (the constraint ideal).
 Using basic tools from commutative algebra and algebraic geometry (primary decomposition, Hilbert's Nullstellensatz), the special phenomenon is related to the fact that the constraint ideal is not a radical ideal. With a primary decomposition of the constraint ideal, the associated prime ideal of one primary ideal contains strictly into the associated prime ideal of another primary ideal which also gives the smooth configuration curve. This analysis is extended to shaky and kinematotropic linkages, for which examples are presented.


Purpose: We assessed the immunogenicity and safety of the BNT162b2 vaccine in a large cohort of patients with cancer (CP). Experimental Design: From March 1, 2021 to March 20, 2021, this prospective cohort study included 816 CP afferent to our institution and eligible for the vaccination. A cohort of 274 health care workers (HCW) was used as age- and sex-matched control group. BNT162b2 was administered as a two-dose regimen given 21 days apart. Blood samples to analyze anti-Spike (S) IgG antibodies (Ab) were collected prevaccination [timepoint (TP) 0], and at 3 weeks (TP1) and 7 weeks (TP2) after the first dose. Results: Patients characteristics: median age 62 (range, 21–97); breast/lung cancer/others (31/21/48%); active treatment/follow-up (90/10%). In the whole CP cohort, the serologic response rate (RR) and the titre of anti-S IgG significantly increased across the TPs; at TP2, the responders (IgG >15 AU/mL) were 94.2%. Active chemotherapy and chronic use of steroids were independent predictors of lower RR. Adverse events (AE) after the booster predicted higher likelihood of response (OR, 4.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.63–9.99; P = 0.003). Comparing the matched cohorts, the responders were significantly lower in CP than in HCW at TP1 (61.2% vs. 93.2%) and TP2 (93.3% vs. 100%), while the geometric mean concentration of IgG did not significantly differ at TP2 being significantly lower in CP (23.3) than in HCW (52.1) at TP1. BNT162b2 was well tolerated in CP; severe-grade AEs were 3.5% and 1.3% after the first and second doses, respectively. Conclusions: BNT162b2 assures serologic immunization without clinically significant toxicity in CP. The second dose is needed to reach a satisfactory humoral response.


Mental health problems are highly prevalent in Australia, with one in five Australian adults experiencing a common mental disorder in the previous 12 months. Many people with mental health problems use complementary medicines, including herbal medicines; however, relatively few of these people consult with herbal medicine practitioners. While naturopaths and herbalists are not integrated within the mental health care system, they have the potential to play an important role in the treatment and prevention of mental illness; however, there are a number of barriers to achieving this. This article outlines the prevalence of common mental illness in Australia, herbal medicine use for mental health, the current mental health care system in Australia, the role of herbal medicine practitioners in managing mental health, the barriers for herbal medicine practitioners to effectively manage mental health, and proposes a way forward to ensure people with mental illness can have access to quality mental health care provided by Western herbalists and naturopaths.


In this work, we present an architecture and algorithmic framework where topographic and non-topographic computation is combined on the basis of several artificial neural network models. The algorithm cores utilize an analogic (analog and logical) architecture consisting of a high resolution optical sensor, a low resolution cellular sensor-processor (cellular nonlinear network-CNN-based chip) and a digital signal processor. The proposed framework makes the acquisition of a spatially and temporally consistent image flow possible even in case of extreme variations in the environment. It ideally supports the handling of difficult problems on a moving platform such as terrain identification, navigation parameter estimation and multi-target tracking. The proposed spatio-temporal adaptation relies on a feature based optical flow estimation that can be efficiently calculated on available CNN chips. The paper illustrate how multi-channel visual flow analysis and classifier (ART, KN) driven visual attention-selection mechanisms can be efficiently supported by an analogic architecture. The experiments performed on an analogic CNN hardware prototype highlights some of the application potentials for unmanned air vehicle (UAV) applications.


Although the true incidence of ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction in the lower-pole moiety of an incompletely duplicated renal collecting system remains elusive, the description of this entity in the published literature is exceedingly rare. To our knowledge, we report the first case of this entity managed successfully by ureteroscopic holmium laser incision of the stenotic UPJ segment. This case underscores the utility of minimally invasive techniques in the management of selected cases of UPJ obstruction associated with a partially duplicated collecting system.


The single molecular conductance of viologen derivative VSMe and supramolecular compound VSMe-PA[5] (pillararene[5]) was investigated. The difference of their conductance demonstrated the gating effect of cation-π interaction. Theoretical calculations showed that the higher conductance of VSMe-PA[5] is a result of the planar structure of the VSMe component and the narrowed HOMO-LUMO bandgap of VSMe-PA[5], which is due to the cation-π interaction between the VSMe and PA[5] components.


In this article the results of the impact characterization of PETG and PA6 thermoplastics are presented, they have been characterized statically and dynamically by the indentation test, and mathematical models developed in previous works have also been used to adjust the obtained models. The thickness of the specimen used and the mass of the impactor used were studied. The results have shown that the specimen thickness influences the value of some of the measured properties as the thickness increases, as well as that the impactor mass influences the velocity that is printed during the test run.


This brief discusses the design tradeoffs for cascaded delta-sigma (DeltaSigma) analog-to-digital converters. Increasing the order of the first loop allows a tradeoff between aggressive noise shaping and moderate operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) specifications. A comparison between fourth-order topologies indicates that for a cascade 3-1 topology, 55-dB OTA gain is sufficient for 96-dB signal-to-noise-distortion ratio while 5% coefficient mismatch results in less than 4-dB degradation. Dependent on the ratio between the power consumption of the digital recombination and decimation filter and that of the analog loop filter, the optimal topology can be chosen. A cascade 3-1 converter is most efficient when this ratio lies between 0.54 and 0.97. A design in a 65-nm CMOS technology demonstrates the performance of a cascade 3-1 converter.


Part 11 of the Federal Communications Commission's Rules and Regulations—Rules Governing Industrial Radio Services, effective July 1, 1949, now governs the use of radio in connection with geophysical prospecting. Paragraph 11.57e specifies that an application for authority to operate on one of the frequencies in the range 1.6–6.0 mc must be fully justified and accompanied by a showing that it is impossible to use a higher order of frequencies for accomplishment of the same purposes. This applies to the traditional medium frequencies 1602 to 1700 kc used in geophysical prospecting communications.


Abstract Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) is a hereditary syndrome associated with tumours of the endocrine system. Principally, it is characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) with some individuals also developing phaeochromocytoma and hyperparathyroidism. Patients with fewer than two clinical features require either an identification of a germline rearranged in transfection mutation, or MEN2A characteristics in first-degree relatives, to establish a diagnosis of MEN2A. We present the case of a 54-year-old female with MEN2A, diagnosed by genetic screening, due to a substantial history of the disease in her ancestry. This case outlines the successful treatment of recurrent phaeochromocytoma, through the medium of radioactive iobenguane as an adjunct to surgical management. The report focuses particularly on the significance of innovative treatment strategies and forthcoming approaches to improve patient care in treating phaeochromocytoma in MEN2A.


The spacing and distribution of lateral roots are critical determinants of plant root system architecture. In addition to providing anchorage, lateral roots explore the soil to acquire water and nutrients. Over the past several decades, we have deepened our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing lateral root formation and development. In this review, we summarize these recent advances and provide an overview of how auxin and cytokinin coordinate the regulation of lateral root formation and development.


This paper presents a model for predicting the damage-induced mechanical response of particle-reinforced composites. The modeling includes the effects of matrix viscoelasticity and fracture, both within the matrix and along the boundaries between matrix and rigid particles. Because of these inhomogeneities, the analysis is performed using the finite element method. Interface fracture is predicted by using a nonlinear viscoelastic cohesive zone model. Rate-dependent viscoelastic behavior of the matrix material and cohesive zone is incorporated by utilizing a numerical time-incrementalized algorithm. The proposed modeling approach can be successfully employed for numerous types of solid media that exhibit matrix viscoelasticity and complex damage evolution characteristics within the matrix as well as along the matrix-particle boundaries. Computational results are given for various asphalt concrete mixtures. Simulation results demonstrate that each model parameter and design variable significantly influences the mechanical behavior of the mixture.


The autoimmune diabetic syndrome of the BioBreeding diabetes–prone (BBDP) rat is a polygenic disease that resembles in many aspects human type 1 diabetes (T1D). A successful approach to gain insight into the mechanisms underlying genetic associations in autoimmune diseases has been to identify and map disease-related subphenotypes that are under simpler genetic control than the full-blown disease. In this study, we focused on the β cell overexpression of Ccl11 (Eotaxin), previously postulated to be diabetogenic in BBDR rats, a BBDP-related strain. We tested the hypothesis that this trait is genetically determined and contributes to the regulation of diabetes in BBDP rats. Similar to the BBDR strain, we observed a time-dependent, insulitis-independent pancreatic upregulation of Ccl11 in BBDP rats when compared with T1D-resistant ACI.1u.lyp animals. Through linkage analysis of a cross-intercross of these two parental strains, this trait was mapped to a region on chromosome 12 that overlaps Iddm30. Linkage results were confirmed by phenotypic assessment of a novel inbred BBDP.ACI-Iddm30 congenic line. As expected, the Iddm30 BBDP allele is associated with a significantly higher pancreatic expression of Ccl11; however, the same allele confers resistance to T1D. Analysis of islet-infiltrating T cells in Iddm30 congenic BBDP animals revealed that overexpression of pancreatic Ccl11, a prototypical Th2 chemokine, is associated with an enrichment in Th2 CD4+ T cells within the insulitic lesions. These results indicate that, in the BBDP rat, Iddm30 controls T1D susceptibility through both the regulation of Ccl11 expression in β cells and the subsequent Th1/Th2 balance within islet-infiltrating T lymphocytes.


The role of cytokine in neuronal injury was examined in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells under chemical hypoxia (i.e. KCN) and glucose deprivation. The mRNA levels of interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in PC12 cells exposed to 0.5 mM KCN for various time intervals. Cytokine mRNA levels expressed to peak levels 30 minutes after KCN treatment and declined gradually until 240 min. The IL-1alpha activity reached the highest levels 2 hr after the same KCN treatment. Under parallel conditions, KCN increased cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the absence of glucose. However, IL-1alpha mRNA induction by KCN was not altered under calcium-free conditions in PC12 cells, indicating its induction was Ca2+-independent. However, the phosphatidylcholine (PC)-specific phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor D609 decreased the KCN-induced IL-1alpha mRNA and protein in PC12 cells suggests that PC-PLC might play a role in cytokine induction during hypoxia.


Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections diagnosed at hospital admission are often referred to as community acquired. This designation may include MRSA strains previously acquired in a healthcare setting (healthcare associated) as well as those that have emerged from community-based S. aureus strains. Tacconelli et al. from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, conducted a case-control study to further understand the epidemiology of MRSA from the community. During 1997 to 2002, 254 patients with and without MRSA bacteremia at hospital admission were studied. All patients with MRSA bacteremia during the first 24 hours of hospital admission had had a recent exposure to a healthcare setting: true community-acquired MRSA was not detected. Independent risk factors for healthcare-associated MRSA bacteremia, defined as MRSA bacteremia during the first 24 hours of hospital admission among patients with a recent exposure to a healthcare setting or intervention, included previous MRSA infection or colonization (odds ratio [OR], 17; P < .001), cellulitis (OR, 4; P = .006), presence of a central venous catheter (OR, 3; P< .001), and skin ulcers (OR, 3;P=.007).


Abstract—Creative industries are predominantly viewed within the frame of visual make-up or gimmick buzzwords, reduced to highly marketable, gleaming spectacular add-ons to certain lifestyles. Within popular discourses in Surabaya, partly due to the dependence on large mainstream media, corporate and state outlets, local scenes are generally considered too unremarkable to merit public discourse, often disregarded for more international, exotic issues, talents and products. Yet without any contextual local knowledge of what actually takes place across many areas—particularly in terms of how local economies operate, how decisions get made, how available resources are put to work—the sense of what is possible is limited and often not related to the real interests and capacities of residents as either the producers, distributors or consumers. Ayorek! was initiated as a platform to balance the uneven knowledge production and distribution processes within the existing infrastructures of Surabaya. Set to kick-start within a period of one year (March 2012 to February 2013), Ayorek! aims to: (1) generate and circulate knowledge in and about Surabaya, (2) connect and facilitate dialogues between various disconnected circles within Surabaya and beyond, and (3) provide a platform where diverse media, popular cultures and critical research can intersect. While these aims are taking longer than the estimated period to realise, nonetheless some rewarding experiences and practical ends have been achieved through a monthly discussion called cangkruk, regional exchange programs, community history workshop, urban research and writing workshops, publications in multimedia formats (website, books, booklets), and directories of creative initiatives and spaces in Surabaya. Ayorek! is still at its early stage, and has yet to achieve all its intended aims, but by generating and building the access to local urban knowledge, interlinked with other cities, it has witnessed the slow emerging of more creative interactions and collaborations among different groups, and is working on subsequent stages of building, publishing and circulating the projects.


Malnutrition remains a major public health problem in the developing world. It is a major underlying factor in many childhood diseases; and it is still one of the leading causes of under-five mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is particularly prevalent in rural areas where it affects one out every three preschool age children. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition and associated socio-demographic factors that affect malnutrition among under-fives in Mil-Goma community, Kaduna State, North Western Nigeria. This cross-sectional descriptive survey was carried out using structured questionnaires and anthropometric measurements of height and weight of 288 children selected by multi-staged sampling method. Data was analyzed based on descriptive statistics, chi-square and logistic regression analysis using SPSS version 20. The SPSS results were presented in tables. The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting in the children under-five years were 59.72%, 36.81% and 13.54% respectively. Malnutrition was found to be higher in children in their second year of life as compared to children in other age groups. There was a statistically significant association between maternal education, family income, mother's occupation and stunting. Mothers who had only Quranic education were 11 times more likely to have stunted children than those with secondary education. There was also a statistically significant relationship between family income, maternal occupation and the prevalence of underweight among under-fives. There was a high prevalence of stunting observed among the children. Maternal education, maternal occupation and economic status of the family were important associations of poor nutritional status among under-five children. There is an urgent need for mounting nutritional intervention programmes to improve the nutritional status of the children. Keywords: Malnutrition, Under-Fives, Stunting, Wasting, Underweight.


Methanol, ethanol, and i-propanol were converted under methanol-to-gasoline (MTH)-like conditions (400 degrees C, 1-20 bar) over zeolite H-ZSM-5. For methanol and ethanol, the catalyst lifetimes and conversion capacities are comparable, but when i-propanol is used as the reactant, the catalyst lifetime is increased dramatically. In fact, the total conversion capacity (calculated as the total amount of alcohol converted before deactivation in g(alcohol)/g(zeolite)) is more than 25 times higher for i-propanol compared to the lower alcohols. Furthermore, when i-propanol is used as the reactant, the selectivity toward alkanes and aromatics declines rapidly over time on stream, and at 20 bar of pressure the liquid product mixture consists almost exclusively of C(4)-C(12) alkenes after approximately a third of the full reaction time. This discovery could open a new route to hydrocarbons via i-propanol from syn-gas or biobased feedstocks.


The influence of shot peening on the fatigue strength in an extruded magnesium alloy AZ80 treated with T6 was investigated and its anisotropic behavior was discussed. The specimen was machined from different orientations in as-extruded rod. One was loaded in the transverse direction (T specimen). The other was loaded in the longitudinal direction (L specimen). The arc height value of shot peening was set to 0.15 and 0.40 mmN. The specimen surface became rough and hardness became high with an increase in the arc height value. Irrespective of specimen orientation, shot peening at low arc height value improved the fatigue strength. However, the shot peening at high arc height value did not improve the fatigue strength. The same tendency appeared in the case of T4-treated sample, suggesting that precipitation did not affect the fatigue strength degradation by hard shot peening. To investigate the influence of surface roughness formed by shot peening, fatigue tests were conducted using some specimens polished after shot peening. In the L specimen, the polishing after shot peening improves the fatigue life significantly. Therefore, the surface roughness formed by shot peening is one of the important factors in fatigue strength of shot-peened specimen. On the other hand, the fatigue life of T specimen decreased by polishing after shot peening. It was suggested that microstructural damage induced by shot peening decreases the fatigue strength in T specimen.


Fifteen lambs were fed diet with normal (0.11%) or deficient levels of sodium ( 0.035%), respectively, for five weeks on each diet. At the end of each period saliva was collected by three different methods: swabbing with a 5 x 5 x 1.25cm synthetic sponge, aspiration with a 15cm long plastic tube connected to a 20ml syringe and sucking with a 4mm x 45cm long plastic tube through a water-jet aspirator pump or an eletric motor pump. The volume of saliva collected/min and the salivary sodium: potassium ratio were analysed. Larger volume of saliva was obtained with the developed sucking apparatus than with the sponge or the syringe. There was no influence of the method of saliva collection on the values of salivary Na:K ratio in both periods. Nevertheless, the lower the sodium dietary level was, the smaller the salivary Na:K ratio. Five weeks of low sodium diet intake resulted in a decrease in the salivary Na:K ratio values by half. However, the lambs did not exhibit any clinical sign of sodium deficiency. The advantages of the developed method to collect saliva are discussed.


COMMENT: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on your recent editorial' and the correspondence this has prompted in the Journal. The editorial by Celermajer and Harris is timely and will promote debate on the use of computed tomography (CT) screening for coronary artery calcification, Almost all the published reports relate to the use of electron beam CT, which is not available in Australia. There is limited information about how helical CT compares with electron beam CT for detecting coronary calcification.? Indeed, information about the validity of data obtained by most of the machines on the market is not available. An expert American Heart Association scientific statement" noted that, of the radiological techniques available (fluoroscopy,


The present work discusses the development and validation of chemometric assisted UV spectroscopic methods for analyzing two  drugs amitriptyline hydrochloride and propranolol hydrochloride in their marketed formulation. The developed methods are two  prominent chemometric models namely, principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares regression (PLS) on which  several research articles have been published for their immense contribution in the quantification of multi-component formulations.  Linearity of the UV spectroscopic method was in the concentration ranges of 3-15 μg/mL of amitriptyline hydrochloride and 5-45 μg/mL of propranolol hydrochloride. The PCR and PLS chemometric models were established by employing fourteen mixtures as a calibration set and five mixtures as a validation set and were executed in the wavelength range of 240-320 nm with data interval of 5 nm. The  statistical parameters obtained from both the methods revealed their validity and hence allows their suitability for analysis in regular  quality control laboratories.


Background: Multiple immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated sensitizations and/or allergies often coexist in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR). Several simultaneous allergen exposures in multiple IgE-mediated sensitizations and/or allergies may increase the allergen load and be related to disease severity. No study has verified whether positive allergen serum IgE levels and allergen categories together are associated with AR severity in adults. Objective: To investigate the effects of perennial dust mites (DMs) allergy and multiple serum sIgE-mediated autumn pollen allergy coexistence on symptom severity in adult patients with AR in autumn. Methods: In total, 153 patients with AR and with autumn pollen allergy (Artemisia argyi, ragweed, and hop) with or without DMs allergy were recruited in the autumn pollen season. Symptom severity was assessed by using the Chinese version of the visual analog scale (VAS): four rhinitis symptoms (sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal pruritus, and nasal congestion) and two ocular symptoms (ocular itching and/or grittiness and/or redness, and ocular tearing) were scored at approximately the same period. We measured allergen serum sIgE levels for the inhaled allergens. The effects of DMs allergy and multiple autumn pollen allergy coexistence on symptom severity were analyzed. Results: Neither the sum of the autumn pollen allergens categories (total number of positive autumn pollen allergens, i.e., Artemisia argyi or ragweed or hop positive: 1; Artemisia argyi and ragweed positive: 2; Artemisia argyi, ragweed, and hop positive: 3) nor serum sIgE levels( total sIgE levels of positive autumn pollen allergens) exerted any influence on the severity of nasal and ocular symptoms (p > 0.05). When the concomitant DMs allergy status was considered, the sum of the positive autumn pollen allergen categories and accumulated positive autumn pollen and DMs serum sIgE levels (total levels of serum sIgE of positive autumn pollen allergens plus the levels of serum sIgE of DMs) had no influence on patients' symptom severity (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The coexistence of perennial DMs allergy and multiple autumn pollen allergy did not affect the severity of symptoms among adult patients with AR and with autumn pollen allergy in autumn.


We present new evolutionary synthesis models for simple stellar populations for a wide range of ages and metallicities. The models are based on the Padova isochrones. The core of the spectral library is provided by the medium resolution Lejeune et al. atmosphere models. These spectra are complemented by Non Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (NLTE) atmosphere models for hot stars that have an important impact on the stellar cluster's ionizing spectra: O, B and WR stellar spectra at the early ages, and spectra of post asymptotic giant branch stars and planetary nebulae, at intermediate and old ages. At young ages, our models compare well with other existing models, but we find that the inclusion of the nebular continuum, not considered in several other models, significantly reddens the integrated colours of very young stellar populations. This is consistent with the results of spectral synthesis codes particularly devised for the study of starburst galaxies. At intermediate and old ages, the agreement with the literature model is good and, in particular, we reproduce the observed colours of star clusters in Large Magellanic Cloud well. Given the ability to produce good integrated spectra from the far-ultraviolet to the infrared at any age, we consider that our models are particularly suited for the study of high-redshift galaxies. These models are available on the web site http://www.fractal-es.com/SEDmod.htm and also through the Virtual Observatory Tools on the PopStar server.


This study evaluated the occurrence of enteric bacteria in oral cavity of periodontitis patients, gingivitis patients, periodontally healthy subjects and edentulous patients wearing complete denture undergoing dental treatment in Aracatuba School of Dentistry. Forty one edentulous wearing complete dentures, 89 gengivitis patients, 70 periodontitis patients and 50 periodontally realthy subjects were submitted to clinical examination, and periodontal and oral conditions were registred. Saliva, oral mucosa, subgingival and supra gingival biofilm samples were colleted and enteric bacteria were detected by culture and PCR. Targeted microorganisms were isolated from 75,61% of edentulous patients, 25,84% of gingivitis patients, 30% of periodontitis patients and from 18% of healthy individuos. By PCR, the detection frequencies were 87,8%, 38,2%, 64,29% and 18%, respectively. Significant resistance to antimicrobial agents was observed in most of isolates, and it was veriied a great heterogeneity of resistance markers to ampicillin and tetracycline. Key-words: Mouth, Enterobacteriaceae, Yeasts, Polymerase Chain Reaction Artigo 1: Ocorrencia de bacterias entericas, pseudomonados e leveduras na cavidade oral: relacao com condicoes periodontais e presenca de protese total Tabela 1 Pares de Primer usados na amplificacao do DNA. 59 Tabela 2 Deteccao de bacterias entericas, pseudomonados e leveduras em pacientes edentulos, pacientes com gengivite ou periodontite. Resultados obtidos por cultura. 60 Tabela 3 Deteccao das bacterias alvo por PCR. 61 Tabela 4 Fatores associados com a presenca de bacterias alvo e fungos na cavidade oral de edentulos, pacientes com gengivite e periodontite. 62 Artigo 2: Resistencia a antimicrobianos de microrganismos isolados da cavidade oral de pacientes com baixo padrao de higiene oral. Tabela 1 Susceptibilidade a -lactâmicos de aerobios e anaerobios facultativos isolados da cavidade oral de edentulos, pacientes com gengivite e periodontite. 99 Tabela 2 Susceptibilidade a -lactâmicos de 280 isolados de anaerobios estritos e microaerofilos isolados da cavidade oral em pacientes edentulos, pacientes com gengivite e periodontite. 101 Tabela 3 Susceptibilidade a amicacin, cloramfenicol, ciprofloxacin, doxiciclina, gentamicina, acido nalidixico, rifampicina, e tetraciclina de aerobios e anerobios facultativos isolados da cavidade oral de pacientes edentulos com protese total, pacientes com gengivite e pacientes com periodontite. 103 Tabela 4 Susceptibilidade a clindamicina, doxiciclina, metronidazol, rifampicina e tetraciclina de 270 isolados de anaerobios estritos e microaerofilos isolados da cavidade oral de pacientes edentulos usuarios de protese total, pacientes com gengivite e pacientes com


Drawing on Wittgenstein's (1953) argumentation in Philosophical Investigations, in this article we demonstrate that theories of 'entrepreneurial action' do not definitively represent objective things because (a) we can always find cases that violate the conditions of the definition or (b) we can ex post explain any empirical case due to the conditions that delimit application being unspecified. Furthermore, we draw on Wittgenstein's private language argument and 'beetle in the box' thought example to show that it is not possible to sustain the idea of an 'inner' mental world within which the 'outer' world is rendered and 'judged', 'known' or 'motivated'. We conclude with an exposition of an alternative way of talking about and conceiving of 'entrepreneurial action', and, importantly, what this means for 'theory development' in entrepreneurship studies. Following the practice tradition set forth by Wittgenstein, we discuss how it is through practices that 'entrepreneurial action' gains and retains its meaning. The implication for the field is a re-orientation towards the logic of practice in researching and theorising entrepreneurial phenomena.


The thesis addresses the question of how the essentialist and exclusivist representation of the Croatian nation that underlies the post-socialist democratic order came into being. It does so by examining the emergence of the Croatian Democratic Union's nationalist discourse in the context of Yugoslavia's dissolution, revealing its historical specificity.
 The analysis covers the form of social division instituted by the Yugoslavian regime, the politicizations of the Croatian nation during the Croatian Spring movement (1968-1971), the identitary logics that underpinned Yugoslavia's constitutional order, their contestations and the emergence of the League of Communist of Serbia's transformist project in the 1980s, the disarticulation of the form of social division instituted by the Yugoslavian regime, and the contending democratic discourses that emerged in the Socialist Republic Croatia during the first democratic elections (1990).
 Drawing on a combination of Poststructuralist Discourse Theory and James Tully's work on constitutional development, the analysis develops a critical account of the `nationalist' CDU's emergence without reproducing the party's own representations of its origins, social unity, division and Croatian nationhood. Central to this analysis is the broader movement from the Yugoslavian imaginary horizon to the `new' myths that emerged in the process of its dissolution and the discursive constructions of the nation in this process. The thesis seeks to expose the limitations of CDU's nationalist discourse and the complex process of political identity formation and dissolution that made the party's emergence possible and that continues to shape Croatian politics today.


A mixed valent copper complex [Cu(II)Cu(I)(L)(μ-SCN)(μ(3)-SCN)](n) (LH = N'-((pyridin-2-yl)methylene)acetohydrazide) has been synthesized and characterized. It is a unique example of a 2D mixed valent Cu(II)-Cu(I) interlinked molecular assembly with a very unusual bridging property of the hydrazone ligand. An extraordinary in situ partial Cu(II)→ Cu(I) reduction is observed in this system at room temperature.


Color is important in helping users effectively process information like text and symbols when performing tasks on digital displays. Interface designers in safety- and mission-critical industries often utilize human factors design guidelines and standards to make important design decisions like the use of color for legibility and distinguishability. However, such guidance sometimes requires additional interpretation and calculation to readily apply to the design question at hand. This work describes a simple tool that can be used to evaluate the adequacy of color choices from a palette for being legible or distinguishable. The tool eliminates having to manually convert colors to a readable format while providing a specific set of colors that are acceptable from select human factors standards. This paper provides an exemplary case study applied to a digital modification at a nuclear power plant to highlight how the tool may be used in safety-and mission-critical industries.


Background: Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin (GO) is a humanized anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody linked to calicheamicin. It was developed to treat relapsed CD33+ AML patients, first at the dose of 9 mg/m² administered twice at day +1 and +14, than combined with chemotherapy but with reduced dose to lower toxicity. In 2008, we reported a 63% (50% of complete remission (CR) + 13% of CR with incomplete platelets recovery (CRp), platelets Materials and Method: This was a single center retrospective study including all CD33+ relapsed/refractory AML patients who received the MIDAM regimen, from 2008 to March 2015. Between 2008 and July 2012, all patients received GO as a single dose at 9 mg/m² day +4 (s-MIDAM group) and after until March 2015 it was decided to fractionate the GO dose according to Castaigne9schedule at 3 mg/m²/day day +1 +4 and +7 (fra-MIDAM group). All patients were treated as part of a compassionate use program as GO is not available in France for routine use. The main objective was to compare the incidence of SOS and related-deaths between both groups (s-MIDAM vs fra-MIDAM). Secondary objectives were to compare ORR (CR+CRp), median time of neutrophils and platelets (>20 Giga/L, >50 Giga/L, >100 Giga/L) recovery and overall survival (OS). Results: 33 patients were included in the study, 15 in the fra-MIDAM group and 18 in the s-MIDAM group. Characteristics of patients were similar between the former and the latter in terms of age (median: 55 vs 52 years, p=NS), gender (male: 60% vs 66%, p=NS), cytogenetics risk (favorable 33% vs 28%, intermediate 60% vs 39%, high: 7% vs 33%, p=NS) or median CD33+ expression (99% vs 99.5%, p=NS).There were more refractory patients in the s-MIDAM group (39% vs 7%, p=0.04) but more patients for whom adapted lower dose of Ara-C (4 g/m² instead of 10 g/m² total dose, for one patient) or mitoxantrone (3 patients did not received any, and 1 received 2 days instead of 3 days) were prescribed in the fra-MIDAM group (27% vs 0%, p=0.04). Also, 20% and 28% of patients received a reduced dose of GO (6 mg/m², administered in 2 fractionated dose (3 mg/m² twice) or a single dose) in the fra-MIDAM and the s-MIDAM groups, respectively (p=NS). ORR was similar between both groups (fra-MIDAM: 53% vs s-MIDAM: 61%, p=NS) as well as the CR rate (33% vs 39%, p=NS) or the CRp rate (20% vs 22%, p=NS). Median time to neutrophils and platelets (>20 Giga/L, >50 Giga/L and >100 Giga/L) recovery were also similar (fra-MIDAM: 29 days vs s-MIDAM: 26 days, p=0.25; 24 vs 26 days, p=NS; 27 vs 34 days, p=0.13 and 38 vs 36.5 days, p=NS). Among patients in response, 40% vs 67% were allotransplanted after the fra-MIDAM and the s-MIDAM regimens, respectively, (p=NS). With a median follow-up of 139 days and 782 days for the fra-MIDAM and the s-MIDAM groups, respectively, median OS was 7.2 months for the former and 10.2 months for the latter (p=NS). Sixty percent of patients died in the fra-MIDAM group vs 72% in the s-MIDAM group (p=NS), with no significant differences in terms of causes of death. Regarding our primary objective, 2 and 3 cases developed SOS after the fra-MIDAM and the s-MIDAM regimen, respectively, and these 5 patients died of SOS. Conclusion: Use of fractionated GO doses compared to single GO dose as part of the MIDAM salvage regimen for relapsed/refractory AML patients showed no advantages in terms of outcomes or lower toxicity, especially regarding incidence of SOS or death due to SOS. Both schedules are equivalent and can be used. Disclosures Mohty:Janssen: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Moreau:Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Millennium: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen-Cilag: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees.


We describe a 48-year-old man with nodular intrahepatic lesions accompanied by communication between the inferior vena cava and portal systems as well as absence of intrahepatic portal veins. After infection with malaria in childhood, end-to-side portacaval shunting had been performed to treat upper gastrointestinal bleeding at the age of 15 years. A biopsy specimen obtained under ultrasonographic guidance showed hyperplastic nodules suggestive of focal nodular hyperplasia. The estradiol concentration in the blood was elevated (55 pg/ml). This case suggests that portacaval shunting may be associated with hyperplastic liver nodules through hyperestrogenemia and abnormal hepatic hemodynamics.


The Genetic Analysis Center (GAC) of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) developed an Integrated Computing and Tracking system (ICT) in order to perform genome-wide and other genetic association studies automatically and efficiently, while documenting all analysis specifications. This system provides easy-to-use analysis set-up and computing procedures, automatic reports, and analysis search functionality due to integration with an on-site database. In this paper we describe the ICT and demonstrate how it satisfies key principles of reproducible research, while respecting constraints and challenges arising from using very large, restricted access, human-subjects data. This case study may benefit other groups that have similar requirements for high-throughput analysis execution and management.


Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004

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Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a placental glycoprotein hormone that induces mammary gland differentiation, inhibition of cell proliferation, increase in the DNA repair capabilities of the mammary epithelium, decreased binding of the carcinogen to the DNA, and activation of genes controlling programmed cell death (PCD). The activation of these mechanisms accounts for the inhibitory effect that this hormone exerts on mammary cancer initiation and progression. For investigating the effect of hCG on DNA repair gene expression in human breast epithelial cells (HBEC), normal immortalized MCF-10F cells and its derived tumorigenic cell line BP-1Tras T J#4 (Int. J. Oncol 23:411-419, 2003) were treated with 100IU of recombinant hCG (r-hCG) for 24, 48 or 72 hours. RNA was extracted and hybridized to a human cDNA customized glass-microarray in which 256 genes involved in mismatch repair (MMR), nucleotide excision repair (NER), double strand break (DSB), base excision repair (BER) and regulatory enzymes had been arrayed. Gene upregulation was confirmed by real time PCR. The first 24 hour r-hCG treatment induced in MCF-10F cells upregulation (>2.5 fold, p<0.05) of 60 genes, which included N-methylpurine DNA glycosidase (MPG), GADD 45, GADD 34, RAD50, ERCC1, XRCC5 and mutS (E.Coli) homologs 3 and 2. In BP-1Tras T J#4 cells the most important genes up-modulated were PCNA, MutS (E.Coli) homolog 2, damage-specific DNA binding protein 1, MPG, growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible 34 protein, methyl CpG binding domain protein 3, growth arrest and DNA -damage inducible beta, Thymine DNA glycosidase, casein kinase 1 delta and X-ray repair complementing defective repair protein. Although the functional role of these genes in cancer initiation and progression is still under investigation in our laboratory, our data suggest that the protective effect induced by hCG in mammary carcinogenesis could be mediated by genes that are repairing the damaged DNA. (This work was supported by NIH R21 CA87230, UO1-ESO 012771, DAM17-01-0249 and DAM17-03-1-0229).


The integrated assessment model, Abatement Strategies Assessment Model (ASAM) is described and applied to the reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions in order to ameliorate European acidification in a cost-effective manner. The use of critical loads to map the spatial variation of environmental sensitivity is a key factor underpinning this approach. Since these critical loads are not in practice attainable, intermediate target loads are required. ASAM is used in this paper to show that the use of the 'gap-closure' approach, to define target loads, and in particular the 60% gap-closure target used as a basis for the Oslo protocol, is particularly appropriate. The unique feature of ASAM it its step-wise approach to optimisation which allows examination of an abatement strategy aiming at a particular environmental target at any required overall European expenditure level, even if the target is not attained at this point. This is key to ASAM's ability to compare the cost-effectiveness of strategies based upon different target-loads. Similarly, ASAM has been used to demonstrate the influence of the use of current reduction plans as a starting point for optimisation in countries which plan substantial emissions reductions. ASAM is also used to show that abatement strategies are robust to large uncertainties in abatement cost estimates in individual countries. Finally, the role played by individual countries in a typical model strategy is investigated by comparing the ecosystem areas brought under protection by expenditure in each country. This work was undertaken in the context of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) preparations for a second sulphur protocol.


This study is applicablity of Negativism spatial concept as space system design for Adolescence Culture Center planning. Kim Swoo Geun's negativism criticizes Functionalism and Rationalism which has been produced human environmental deomolition by dehumanization and mechanization. Space concept of Negativism is summarized definitly like this, Appropriate Space, Natural space Integrated Space, Public space, Mood space, and Womb Space which are based on Ultimate space. It is 'extra Sapce in Time' and 'Extra time in Space' that means spatial existence and place.Again, that is a Negative Phillosophy with having a critical understanding of Functionalism and Rationalism's limtation, and relates with Korean tradition spatial concept by environmental determinational study.


Heterogeneous information network (HIN) embedding has gained increasing interests recently. However, the current way of random-walk based HIN embedding methods have paid few attention to the higher-order Markov chain nature of meta-path guided random walks, especially to the stationarity issue. In this paper, we systematically formalize the meta-path guided random walk as a higher-order Markov chain process,and present a heterogeneous personalized spacey random walk to efficiently and effectively attain the expected stationary distribution among nodes. Then we propose a generalized scalable framework to leverage the heterogeneous personalized spacey random walk to learn embeddings for multiple types of nodes in an HIN guided by a meta-path, a meta-graph, and a meta-schema respectively. We conduct extensive experiments in several heterogeneous networks and demonstrate that our methods substantially outperform the existing state-of-the-art network embedding algorithms.


Significance This work presents a concept for promoting the neuronal regenerative potential by engineering the expression of a stem cell marker, Prom1. We identify Prom1 as a developmentally down-regulated neuronal intrinsic factor of axon regeneration. Replenishing Prom1 expression amplifies the axonal regenerative potential by transcriptionally inhibiting cholesterol metabolism via Smad-dependent signaling. We provide evidence that a reduction in cholesterol synthesis empowers neuronal regrowth capacity. This work suggests that Food and Drug Administration-approved cholesterol-lowering drugs are potential candidates for neuroregenerative medicine. Axon regeneration is regulated by a neuron-intrinsic transcriptional program that is suppressed during development but that can be reactivated following peripheral nerve injury. Here we identify Prom1, which encodes the stem cell marker prominin-1, as a regulator of the axon regeneration program. Prom1 expression is developmentally down-regulated, and the genetic deletion of Prom1 in mice inhibits axon regeneration in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cultures and in the sciatic nerve, revealing the neuronal role of Prom1 in injury-induced regeneration. Elevating prominin-1 levels in cultured DRG neurons or in mice via adeno-associated virus-mediated gene delivery enhances axon regeneration in vitro and in vivo, allowing outgrowth on an inhibitory substrate. Prom1 overexpression induces the consistent down-regulation of cholesterol metabolism-associated genes and a reduction in cellular cholesterol levels in a Smad pathway-dependent manner, which promotes axonal regrowth. We find that prominin-1 interacts with the type I TGF-β receptor ALK4, and that they synergistically induce phosphorylation of Smad2. These results suggest that Prom1 and cholesterol metabolism pathways are possible therapeutic targets for the promotion of neural recovery after injury.


In vitro studies utilising conventional two dimensional (2D) culture systems have been used regularly in countless research, although this approach has its own drawbacks. Cells loses their multi-layered histological organisation and interact only on one plane with a flat plastic surface. Furthermore, the competency of 2D culture has also become increasingly questionable when tackling complex 3D biological problems, such as response of the central nervous system (CNS) to injury or infection. Microglia is a type of macrophage that is found in the brain and acts as the main line of defence in the CNS by evoking inflammatory responses. With an interest in modelling the mechanical state of microglia embedded in CNS parenchyma, this study explored the use of type I collagen as a matrix for growth of microglial cells in a three dimensional (3D) manner. For this, BV2 microglia or primary mouse microglia cell suspensions were prepared with type I collagen and cast into culture plates. Keen to also determine whether microglia cultured in 3D were capable of shifting to an activated phenotype, cultures were treated with 1 μg/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or costimulated with LPS and IFN-γ (for primary microglia). Concurrently, conventional 2D culture (monolayer and collagen coated-monolayer) were set-up for comparison. BV2 microglia cultured in 3D had a doubling time of 39.90  2.86 hours. It was also determined by the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay that LPS was not cytotoxic to BV2 microglia. The expression of NO was determined using the Griess Assay. At 48 hours, the expression of NO for unstimulated BV2 microglia (resting state) in 3D was 2.33  0.56 μM. Upon LPS stimulation, the expression of NO by BV2 microglia in 3D significantly increased to 24.47  2.14 μM. Using RT-qPCR, the expression of inflammatory cytokine mRNA (IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-12β, MCP-1 and TNF-α) of poststimulated BV2 microglia in 3D culture were significantly upregulated. Additionally, a bead array was used to measure the level of cytokine protein expression (IL-6, IL-10,MCP-1, IFN-γ, TNF, and IL-12p70) by post-stimulated BV2 microglia. Expression of IL-10, IFN-γ and IL-12p70 were negligible. At 48 hours after LPS stimulation, only the protein levels of IL-6, TNF-α and MCP-1 of BV2 microglia significantly increased from 0.7 ± 0.8 pg/ml, 8.1 ± 3.1 pg/ml and 284.0 ± 73.5 pg/ml to 1999.0 ± 685.2 pg/ml, 1744.0 ± 911.6 pg/ml and 5403.0 ± 517.6 pg/ml (*p<0.5, **p<0.1; Mann Whitney Test) respectively. Primary microglia was obtained from brains of C57BL/6 mice. The viability of primary microglia in 3D was determined using DAPI/PI staining method. Primary microglia showed low PI staining (viable) after 72 hours of LPS and IFN-γ co-stimulation in 3D culture. The expression of NO by primary microglia cultured in 3D was in 3D 0.95  1.01 μM to 39.37  9.53 μM after a 72 hour co-stimulation. Using flow cytometry, CD40 expression of primary microglia cultured in 3D was determined. Percentage of CD40 expression increased from 59.0% and 39.3% to 85.7% and 90.9% after a 72 hour costimulation. In summary, microglia cultured in 3D undergo a robust activation response when stimulated with LPS/LPS with IFN-γ. Importantly, the 3D culture is able to model this activation response with minimum cell death, and the availability of both culture supernatant and cells for analysis can be done with relative ease. This model could provide a platform for other research to be conducted on the pathophysiology of neuroinflammatory processes.


This research aims to explore the information related to the service quality, which influence on the students loyalty. Based on this the purpose of this research is to present in-depth details regarding those factors which influence positively on the students. In today's competitive market the service industry is growing in which educational sector is gaining more benefits. Based on the modern tactics used by educational institutes the students are retained and new customers are attracted. Hence, this research present the information based on business school and the satisfaction level of students based on services provided to them. Methodology/sample : This research was based on quantitative research design. The questionnaire was prepared which was distributed to 116 participants. However, 100 questionnaire were received back which were pooled in to SPSS. The participants were approached through convenience sampling, the Pearson correlation test, linear regression analysis and reliability analysis were applied in order to test research hypothesis. Findings: The findings of the research reveals that tangibility, assurance, reliability, responsiveness and empathy are the most important factor in maintaining the service quality which influence on customer and make them loyal with the organization. In this way, the entire five research hypotheses were accepted. Practical Implications: Based on this research the business school can explore various strategies that can help them in improving their existing services and gaining sustainable advantage in educational sector.


Several new amide derivatives of the heterocyclic 2,2,3,4,4-pentamethylphosphetan 1-oxide (1) have been prepared by heating together the corresponding chloride and amine at elevated temperatures. The products have been characterized by 1H and 13P n.m.r. spectroscopy and in particular by i.r. spectroscopy over the range 400–4000cm–1. In one case a mass spectrum is reported in detail. Evidence for hindered rotation about the P–N bond is discussed and interpreted in terms of pπ–dπ contributions to the bonding.


Natural killer (NK) cell specifically lyse cancer cells or infected cells and play important roles in immune surveillance against tumor and infection. Probiotics, live bacteria and their metabolic products beneficial to humans, are reported to modulate NK Cell activity and result in the prevention of tumor development. In this study, we examined the effect of metabolic products of strain Bacillus subtilis AK, selective strain from Bacillus subtilis natto (AK) on NK cell activity. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells was enhanced in 50% of the rats orally inoculated with AK. In the experiments using AK-containing product, AKH, increasing frequency of NK cell activation was observed in volunteers as does depending manner. These results suggested that supplemental intake of AK enhanced NK cell activity and indicated the possible utility of AK as complementary and alternative medicine, although susceptibility is individually various.


Hematodinium perezi Chatton and Poisson 1931 (Dinophyceae: Syndiniales) is reported from one of its type hosts, Liocarcinus depurator, from Rye Bay in the English Channel, a site in a similar geographical location to that of the type description. The histology and ultrastructure of vegetative trophont stages, and rDNA sequences of the parasite infecting this host are reported for the first time. Ultrastructurally, H. perezi was confirmed by the presence of condensed chromatin profiles, trichocysts, an alveolar membrane, and micropores. The pathology of H. perezi was similar to other Hematodinium descriptions with large numbers of parasites present within the haemolymph and host tissues. No host responses against the parasite were observed. Molecular analysis of the ITS rRNA regions from H. perezi infecting L. depurator suggests that Callinectes sapidus from the United States, and Portunus trituberculatus and Scylla serrata from China are infected with different genotypes of H. perezi. The morphological and molecular characterization of H. perezi in one of the type hosts from Europe will allow for a better understanding of the phylogeny of these pathogens of commercially important Crustacea.


Abstract This study aimed to determine the changes in the performance, welfare, and productivity level of broiler chickens reared at various group sizes (GS3000, GS4000, GS6000, and GS20 000) under intensive field conditions. The study was carried out according to a randomized block design with four different group sizes (GS) in three trials. Weekly body weights (BWs) were determined randomly in 150 individuals from each GS group. Feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and European production efficiency factor (EPEF) were determined for each GS treatment. Body defects (footpad dermatitis, FPD, hock burn, HB, and the breast burn, BB) were measured randomly in 150 chickens (75 male and 75 female) from each group using a visual scoring system with a 0–3 scale. At 1 and 2 weeks of age, GS3000 broilers had similar BW to GS6000 and higher than GS4000 and GS20 000. However, this situation changed at 6 weeks of age and the male chickens in GS6000 became heavier than in GS3000, GS4000 and GS20 000 ( P   =  0.007). No differences in mean values of temperature, humidity, air velocity and litter moisture levels were observed among GS treatments. GS3000 and GS4000 chickens had significantly lower levels of FPD, HB, and BB than chickens reared in GS6000 and GS20 000 ( P   <  0.001). The EPEF values from highest to lowest were 425.8, 404.5, 358.8, and 354.0 in the GS6000 GS3000, GS4000, and GS20 000 groups, respectively. In conclusion, our study results showed that rearing in groups of 6000 broilers had both better performance and higher overall productivity than other groups but tended to show more severe body defects.


In this paper, we analyse the total cost minimization scheduling problem on a single machine, where jobs can have different release dates and the cost of a job is expressed as the increasing power function dependent on its completion time. We prove that this problem is at least NP-hard even if the cost weight of each job is equal to its processing time and release dates of all jobs are the same. Therefore, to solve the problem we implement parallel algorithms that are based on NEH, tabu search and simulated annealing. Numerical analysis shows the algorithms not only find solutions that are close to optimum, but the decreasing ratio of their running times (parallel tabu search and simulated annealing) is close to the number of threads, thereby multi-core CPU are efficiently utilized by these algorithms.


A new kind of statistical fuel failure analysis procedure has been developed at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. For reactor safety considerations, it is essential to have a calculation tool for the evaluation of the number of fuel rods expected to fail in the course of an accident. Particularly, the safety regulations in Finland require that the number of failed fuel rods in the most limiting design basis accident scenario would be less than 10 % of all the rods. Statistical best-estimate methods have acquired an established position in this field worldwide during the past two decades. These methods are based on the selection and variation of parameters that are important in accident conditions. The accident scenario is simulated with a designated computer programme several times with different parameter values between simulations, and that way an estimation of the number of failed rods is obtained. An enormous number of simulation runs is needed in order to the results to be statistically reliable. Thus the analysis requires a lot of computer resources, and this has been a limiting factor for the breakthrough of these methods. Different approaches have been used to reduce the number of simulations. Since 2006, a calculation system for statistical fuel failure analysis has been under development at VTT. The calculation procedure introduces neural networks as a new way to reduce the number of simulations. Neural networks are familiar from other applications in nuclear plant modelling but the concept is a novelty in this context. The developed method utilizes the results of nonparametric statistics, the Wilks' formula in particular. With the help of neural networks, the number of fuel performance code calculations can be substantially reduced from what would be necessary if all the rods in the reactor were to be simulated 59 times as required by the Wilks' formula. A neural network is trained with results from stacked fuel performance code calculations, and then the network is used as a substitute for the analysis code. Neural networks are chosen for this purpose because those are more flexible than the alternative technique, the response surfaces. The applied analysis programme is the coupled fuel performance – thermal hydraulics code FRAPTRAN-GENFLO. Here the FRAPTRAN code provides the criteria for fuel failure. The system has been successfully tested with a small-scale analysis with a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) scenario which is considered to be the worst design basis accident in PWRs. The system is now ready for full reactor scale applications.


It is well known that the minimal change principle was widely used in knowledge base updates. However, recent research has shown that conventional minimal change methods, eg. the PMA (Winslett 1988), are generally problematic for updating knowledge bases with disjunctive information. In this paper, we propose two different approaches to deal with this problem - one is called the minimal change with exceptions (MCE), the other is called the minimal change with maximal disjunctive inclusions (MCD). The first method is syntax-based, while the second is model-theoretic. We show that these two approaches are equivalent for propositional knowledge base updates, and the second method is also appropriate for first order knowledge base updates. We then prove that our new update approaches still satisfy the standard Katsuno and Mendelzon's update postulates.


The genus Rhododendron belongs to the family Ericaceae and was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1737 in Genera Plantarum. Joseph Hooker's visit to Sikkim Himalaya between 1848 and 1850 unfold the rhododendron world of this area. Within the brief span that he travelled in Sikkim, he gathered and described 34 new species and details of 43 species including varieties from the Indian region in his monograph entitled 'Rhododendron of Sikkim Himalaya'. Since then many workers had added to the list, and currently about 121 taxa have been recorded from India, out of which 117 (98%) taxa are distributed in north-east India. The paper presents the distribution of the genus Rhododendron in north-east India and world based on literature, field studies and examination of herbarium specimens. It also discussed the status of the genus in natural habitat in recent years and the need for conservation. Key-words: Rhododendron, distribution, north-east India


During these last three years the production of cashew nuts is expanding across West Africa, and according to the USAID the sub-region produces 85 % of the world harvest. Furthermore, after the tourism, cashew nuts are one of the pillars of Casamance economy, (In Senegal, cashew nuts yield 35 million CFA francs a year). Cashew nut shells are a residue obtained from cashew shelling. This biomass residue is abundant, cheap and generates high energy content. Currently, cashew nuts shells are rejected by artisanal traders without being valued. They were often burned in open air and cause several socioenvironmental problems. Therefore, the issue of energy recovery by thermochemical process arises to overcome this cashew nuts shells rejection and open air burning. Nevertheless, gasification technology is suitable for biomass residues conversion and remains an economical alternative for the valorisation of cashew nut shells in small scale industries. In order to evaluate the cashew net shells valorisation by gasification, several experiments were conducted on a char obtained from the pyrolysis of this biomass and using a fixed bed reactor. As gasifying agents, carbon dioxide, steam and the mixture of carbon dioxide and steam were used at different temperatures for the gasification of fine particles size (630 m) and gross particles size (3,000 m) CNS char. In order to compare the effect of each parameter studied, carbon conversion rate was calculated from gasification experiments results, by carbon mass balance, of the char carbon content and the produced gas carbon content. Kinetics parameters of CNS char gasification reaction were also determined, using a volume reaction model, in order to compare reactivity of the char, by the activation energy and pre-exponential factor comparison. From the results obtained, temperature has a positive effect on the kinetic of carbon conversion. The results obtained show clearly an improvement of CNS char reactivity with temperature increasing and using steam as gasifying agent. However, char particles size has no significant effect on the gasification reactivity.


Primate research of the 20th century has established the validity of Darwin's postulation of psychological as well as biological continuity between humans and other primates, notably the great apes. Its data make clear that Descartes' view of animals as unfeeling "beast-machines" is invalid and should be discarded. Traditional behavioristic frameworks--that emphasize the concepts of stimulus, response, and reinforcement and an "empty-organism" psychology--are in need of major revisions. Revised frameworks should incorporate the fact that, in contrast to the lifeless databases of the "hard" sciences, the database of psychology entails properties novel to life and its attendant phenomena. The contributions of research this century, achieved by field and laboratory researchers from around the world, have been substantial--indeed revolutionary. It is time to celebrate the progress of our field, to anticipate its significance, and to emphasize conservation of primates in their natural habitats.


The intestinal absorption mechanism of captopril was investigated in fasted rats using a single-pass perfusion method. Captopril and captopril disulfide were analyzed by HPLC. A modified boundary-layer solution was applied to determine the apparent intestinal wall permeabilities (Pw*). The results indicated that captopril is very permeable in the small intestine but not in the colon, and the permeability in the small intestine is both pH and concentration dependent. The estimated parameters for the carrier are: Km*, 6 mM; Jmax*, 12 mM; and Pc*, 2. There is also a significant passive component to captopril absorption in the small intestine. Furthermore, the intestinal permeability of captopril was significantly decreased by the withdrawal of sodium from the perfusate (3 times), and the addition of 85 mM of gly-gly (2.5 times), 15 mM of gly-pro (4 times), dipeptide mixture (4.5 times), 0.5 mM of 2,4-dinitrophenol (4 times), and 10 mM of cephradine (6 times). This is the first demonstration that an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor is at least in part transported by a carrier-mediated process in the intestine via the peptide carrier system. In addition, the results showed that the peptide carrier system can transport a substrate without a "N" terminal nitrogen atom.


'Introduction: Noise, which has negative effects on human-beings and community is one of the most important indoor pollutants. The aim of this study is to determine the sources and perception of residential noise, the ideas about the solutions to prevent residential noise. Material-method: This cross-sectional study is conducted in Eryaman residential area, and 325 households participated. A questionnaire form including 22 questions is applied to a member of each households who is ≥15 years old. Results: Twenty percent of the participants (65 individuals), stated that there was noise in their houses during night-time. Most of them told that the source of noise was children in their houses. 70.8 % told that they are annoyed by noise. 65.2 % of the participants complained about their neighbors' noise. The 49.0% of them told that their neighbours are talking very loudly. The most important source of noise for the people living on the first floor and the top floor was the outdoor noise (68.2 %) and elevator noise (34.3%) respectively. 56.0 % of the residents who were complaining about neighbor noise did not do anything. 60.9 % of the participants accepted that flushing and the noise coming from the taps were main sources of noise pollution, but 75.8 % of these people stated that they did nothing tu reduce the pollution. Conclusion: Most of the people think that they do not create noise, but their neighbors do. People are affected more by the environmental noise when compared with the household noise. It is important to train the community on the health effects of noise which is an environmental pollutant and supply their participation in decreasing noise.'


Within the nascent GeoWeb, democratization of GIS and cartographic practices is on the way with more and more map makers and map consumers looking for answers to their geographic and cartographic needs. This paper explains how standards are used as common languages to open the doors of collaborative edition of cartographic content. As more and more users get stuck in the making of maps, this paper describes some solutions to create adequate mapping tools adapted to various user profiles of skills. Especially for thematic mapping, until now the field of specialists, map makers want to take benefits of the analytical power of such maps. This paper brings some elements to anticipate this phenomena. Also, this paper explains how structuring cartographic content helps to make publication easier. The aim of this paper is to develop an innovative method of cartographic publication based on a polypublishing/crossmedia approach : one source, many media, many targets. It defines a cartographic document that needs to be adapted to these different media and targets while benefiting from all the winning cards of each.


Objectives: Natural extracts can modify the dental surface to improve bond strength. This study evaluates the bond strength of restorative material to dentin treated with natural solutions. Methods: Ninety fragments of bovine dentin were etched with 35% phosphoric acid and divided according to the natural solutions: GI Untreated (control), GII Camellia sinensis (green tea), GIII Punica granatum (pomegranate), GIV Vitis vinifera (grape seed), GV Lycium barbarum (goji berry). Sixty Specimens were used on the microtensile bond strength test (μTBS) were restored and sectioned ± 1mm 2 sticks (n=12). For adhesive interface analysis, fifteen fragments were treated with solutions, restored and prepared for SEM (n=3) and others fifteen fragments destined for surface analysis were treated with solutions and prepared for SEM (n=3). Results: Data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey test (α=0.05). The highest values of μTBS (p<0.05) were obtained in the control groups (25.69 ± 6.32a), Camellia sinenis (28.14 ± 7. 66a) and Vitis vinifera (25.55 ± 4.00a), which are similar to each other (p>0.05). The fragments treated with Punica granatum (17.42 ± 4.82b) showed lowest values of μTBS (p <0.05). Fragments treated with Lycium barbarum showed intermediate values (23.44 ± 6.78ab) (p>0.05). SEM analysis of the dentin demonstrated a regular surface, without smear layer and the interface showed good hybridization of the entrance of dentin tubules and resin tags. Conclusion: The extracts solutions of Camellia sinensis, Vitis vinifera and Lycium barbarum did not interfere negatively on the bond strength of restorative material to dentin.


The pattern of dunes within the Gran Desierto of Sonora, Mexico, is both spatially diverse and complex. Identification of the pattern components from remote‐sensing images, combined with statistical analysis of their measured parameters demonstrate that the composite pattern consists of separate populations of simple dune patterns. Age‐bracketing by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) indicates that the simple patterns represent relatively short‐lived aeolian constructional events since ∼25 ka. The simple dune patterns consist of: (i) late Pleistocene relict linear dunes; (ii) degraded crescentic dunes formed at ∼12 ka; (iii) early Holocene western crescentic dunes; (iv) eastern crescentic dunes emplaced at ∼7 ka; and (v) star dunes formed during the last 3 ka. Recognition of the simple patterns and their ages allows for the geomorphic backstripping of the composite pattern. Palaeowind reconstructions, based upon the rule of gross bedform‐normal transport, are largely in agreement with regional proxy data. The sediment state over time for the Gran Desierto is one in which the sediment supply for aeolian constructional events is derived from previously stored sediment (Ancestral Colorado River sediment), and contemporaneous influx from the lower Colorado River valley and coastal influx from the Bahia del Adair inlet. Aeolian constructional events are triggered by climatic shifts to greater aridity, changes in the wind regime, and the development of a sediment supply. The rate of geomorphic change within the Gran Desierto is significantly greater than the rate of subsidence and burial of the accumulation surface upon which it rests.


Alt text (short for "alternative text") is descriptive text associated with an image in HTML and other document formats. Screen reader technologies speak the alt text aloud to people who are visually impaired. Introduced with HTML 2.0 in 1995, the alt attribute has not evolved despite significant changes in technology over the past two decades. In light of the expanding volume, purpose, and importance of digital imagery, we reflect on how alt text could be supplemented to offer a richer experience of visual content to screen reader users. Our contributions include articulating the design space of representations of visual content for screen reader users, prototypes illustrating several points within this design space, and evaluations of several of these new image representations with people who are blind. We close by discussing the implications of our taxonomy, prototypes, and user study findings.


Double-side replication of polymer substrates is beneficial to the design and the fabrication of 3-demensional devices. The ultrasonic embossing method is a promising, high efficiency and low cost replication method for thermoplastic substrates. It is convenient to apply silicon molds in ultrasonic embossing, because microstructures can be easily fabricated on silicon wafers with etching techniques. To reduce the risk of damaging to silicon molds and to improve the replication uniformity on both sides of the polymer substrates, thermal assisted ultrasonic embossing method was proposed and tested. The processing parameters for the replication of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), including ultrasonic amplitude, ultrasonic force, ultrasonic time, and thermal assisted temperature were studied using orthogonal array experiments. The influences of the substrate thickness, pattern style and density were also investigated. The experiment results show that the principal parameters for the upper and lower surface replication are ultrasonic amplitude and thermal assisted temperature, respectively. As to the replication uniformity on both sides, the ultrasonic force has the maximal influence. Using the optimized parameters, the replication rate reached 97.5% on both sides of the PMMA substrate, and the cycle time was less than 50 s.


No linkages were found in 31 new combinations of visible mutants, nor in 5 new combinations with the X locus, conducted mainly with eyeless (e), garnet (g), short (sh), truncate (tr), and wrinkled (wr). Eyeless was epistatic to eye colors; cream (cr), and ivory (i) were epistatic to garnet (g). Selective mortality was invariable with e, sh, and tr, and occasionally with bl, cd, and g.


Abstract Notwithstanding its defining feature of normative pluralism, the socialist state of Vietnam basically adopts a legal centralist approach to regulation. The judiciary is arguably the most illustrative of this approach, since it is the main forum where legal centralism encounters normative pluralism. Our research examines the choice of norms in judicial adjudication in Vietnam to check the effectiveness of its legal centralist approach. It finds that, despite lacking institutional support, judges managed to apply customary norms at their discretion against the state's emphasis on top-down legal rules. A legitimacy-based analysis explains this phenomenon. It points out that judges conceptualized their legitimacy under the influence of both legal and extra-legal rules, thus making it apart from the legality. Judges attempt to bridge the gap between legitimacy and legality enabled de factor normative pluralism. In looking at the influence of customary norms over judicial adjudication, the article aims to make both theoretical and practical contributions. Theoretically, it enriches the scholarship of normative pluralism by showing how legitimacy-building keeps normative pluralism effective, irrespective of the dominating legal centralism. Practically, it proffers insightful implications for the ongoing court reforms in Vietnam based upon the findings.


Using Michigan public health data, we assessed geographical access to specialist providers for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in urban and rural areas in Michigan and explored correlates of HCV in these areas to help inform HCV elimination planning and resource allocations. We found higher HCV incidence in urban areas, lower treatment specialist access in rural areas, but few correlates of HCV across adult populations in both areas. State and local HCV elimination planning should include population‐based screening among all adults and address geographical barriers to care.


Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasingly thought to result from low-level deficits in synaptic development and neural circuit formation that cascade into more complex cognitive symptoms. However, the link between synaptic dysfunction and behavior is not well understood. By comparing the effects of abnormal circuit formation and behavioral outcomes across different species, it should be possible to pinpoint the conserved fundamental processes that result in disease. Here we use a novel model for neurodevelopmental disorders in which we expose Xenopus laevis tadpoles to valproic acid (VPA) during a critical time point in brain development at which neurogenesis and neural circuit formation required for sensory processing are occurring. VPA is a commonly prescribed antiepileptic drug with known teratogenic effects. In utero exposure to VPA in humans or rodents results in a higher incidence of ASD or ASD-like behavior later in life. We find that tadpoles exposed to VPA have abnormal sensorimotor and schooling behavior that is accompanied by hyperconnected neural networks in the optic tectum, increased excitatory and inhibitory synaptic drive, elevated levels of spontaneous synaptic activity, and decreased neuronal intrinsic excitability. Consistent with these findings, VPA-treated tadpoles also have increased seizure susceptibility and decreased acoustic startle habituation. These findings indicate that the effects of VPA are remarkably conserved across vertebrate species and that changes in neural circuitry resulting from abnormal developmental pruning can cascade into higher-level behavioral deficits.


We construct a formal transformation from a Schrödinger type equation that has a Stokes curve of loop type to a modified Bessel type equation near the loop. We also prove the transformation series are formal series of Gevrey 1. §


Social-ecological transitions in the silvopastoral system of San Isidro, Rosario, Batangas, Philippines were analyzed using land cover trends and community perceptions. A combination of remote sensing processing, randomized survey, and participatory approaches were conducted. Four of six land cover categories (forests/orchards, grasslands, crop fields and water bodies) were identified to be sources of ecosystem services in the landscape which are essential for cattle farming. In 2000, the landscape became an on-farm research site on cattle farming. Coupled with other social factors such as land privatization and infrastructure development, this has reshaped land cover changes over time. In response, cattle farming dynamics, especially during critical dry periods, have adapted through measures such as switching to greater supplementation of commercial feeds. Despite social-ecological transitions, the cattle-based silvopastoral system in the landscape has persisted by exhibiting key principles of resilience such as diversity, connectivity, and feedback management. However, concerns on further impacts of key issues (e.g., land privatization) should be addressed to sustain the cattle-based silvopastoral system in the landscape. This study provides critical insights on how natural resource management by communities and policies by decision makers should carefully consider their potential impacts in sustaining locally important ecosystem services in the face of rapidly transitioning social-ecological systems.