Background Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) play important roles in diagnosis and management of cardiac diseases. However, the issue of the accuracy and reliability of LVEF and GLS remains to be solved. Image quality is one of the most important factors affecting measurement variability. The aim of this study was to investigate whether improved image quality could reduce observer variability. Methods Two sets of three apical images were acquired using relatively old- and new-generation ultrasound imaging systems (Vivid 7 and Vivid E95) in 308 subjects. Image quality was assessed by endocardial border delineation index (EBDI) using a 3-point scoring system. Three observers measured the LVEF and GLS, and these values and inter-observer variability were investigated. Results Image quality was significantly better with Vivid E95 (EBDI: 26.8 ± 5.9) than that with Vivid 7 (22.8 ± 6.3, P < 0.0001). Regarding the inter-observer variability of LVEF, the r-value, bias, 95% limit of agreement and intra-class correlation coefficient for Vivid 7 were comparable to those for Vivid E95. The % variabilities were significantly lower for Vivid E95 (5.3–6.5%) than those for Vivid 7 (6.5–7.5%). Regarding GLS, all observer variability parameters were better for Vivid E95 than for Vivid 7. Improvements in image quality yielded benefits to both LVEF and GLS measurement reliability. Multivariate analysis showed that image quality was indeed an important factor of observer variability in the measurement of LVEF and GLS. Conclusions The new-generation ultrasound imaging system offers improved image quality and reduces inter-observer variability in the measurement of LVEF and GLS.


The advancement in computer vision has assisted drivers in the form of automatic self-driving cars etc. The misadventure are caused by driver's fatigue and drowsiness about 20%. It poses a serious problem for which several approaches were proposed. However, they are not suitable for real-time processing. The major challenges faced by these methods are robustness to handle variation in human face and lightning conditions. We aim to implement an intelligent processing system that can reduce road accidents drastically. This approach enables us to identify driver's face characteristics like eye closure percentage, eye-mouth aspect ratios, blink rate, yawning, head movement, etc. In this system, the driver is continuously monitored by using a webcam. The driver's face and the eye are detected using haar cascade classifiers. Eye images are extracted and fed to Custom designed Convolutional Neural Network for classifying whether both left and right eye are closed. Based on the classification, the eye closure score is calculated. If the driver is found to be drowsy, an alarm will be triggered.


Behçet's disease is a chronic systemic vasculitis with unknown etiology characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcerations, ocular inflammation, having manifestations related to the skin and joints. Neurologic, pulmonary and gastrointestinal findings can also be observed during the course of the disease. In this report a case of Behçet's disease that had amyloidosis due to renal parenchymal involvement of the disease showing itself by nephrotic syndrome is presented.


We prove that we can always construct strongly minimal linearizations of an arbitrary rational matrix from its Laurent expansion around the point at infinity, which happens to be the case for polynomial matrices expressed in the monomial basis. If the rational matrix has a particular self-conjugate structure we show how to construct strongly minimal linearizations that preserve it. The structures that are considered are the Hermitian and skew-Hermitian rational matrices with respect to the real line, and the para-Hermitian and para-skew-Hermitian matrices with respect to the imaginary axis. We pay special attention to the construction of strongly minimal linearizations for the particular case of structured polynomial matrices. The proposed constructions lead to efficient numerical algorithms for constructing strongly minimal linearizations. The fact that they are valid for {\em any} rational matrix is an improvement on any other previous approach for constructing other classes of structure preserving linearizations, which are not valid for any structured rational or polynomial matrix. The use of the recent concept of strongly minimal linearization is the key for getting such generality.


Abstract Research on labour disputes in China has primarily adopted a political economy perspective to focus on state-owned enterprises inland and foreign-invested plants in economically developed zones. Research has neglected community-based protests in small private firms in urbanising areas and their implications for human resource management and employment relations. This paper addresses this gap through an in-depth case study of a community-based, village cadres and clan leaders-led protest (including strike actions) against a privately-owned metal work factory located in a local community. Deploying the notion of community politics and 'acquaintance society', the study enriches our knowledge of industrial actions in China by extending the analytical scope of the context to understand the motive and choice of actions of individuals in participating in the disputes, and modes of dispute resolution. The study reveals the important role of social institutions and cultural norms, as well as the significance of discrete interventions of bureaucrats in the outcome of the dispute. We find that the settlement of community-based (labour) disputes may not officially involve key formal institutional actors, such as the trade union and legal/government authority. Rather, these institutional actors may be involved in an unofficial capacity, though drawing on power derived from their bureaucratic position in the intervention.


Gene tree correction aims to improve the accuracy of a gene tree by using computational techniques along with a reference tree (and in some cases available sequence data). It is an active area of research when dealing with gene tree heterogeneity due to duplication and loss (GDL). Here, we study the problem of gene tree correction where gene tree heterogeneity is instead due to incomplete lineage sorting (ILS, a common problem in eukaryotic phylogenetics) and horizontal gene transfer (HGT, a common problem in bacterial phylogenetics). We introduce TRACTION, a simple polynomial time method that provably finds an optimal solution to the RF-Optimal Tree Refinement and Completion Problem, which seeks a refinement and completion of an input tree t with respect to a given binary tree T so as to minimize the Robinson-Foulds (RF) distance. We present the results of an extensive simulation study evaluating TRACTION within gene tree correction pipelines on 68,000 estimated gene trees, using estimated species trees as reference trees. We explore accuracy under conditions with varying levels of gene tree heterogeneity due to ILS and HGT. We show that TRACTION matches or improves the accuracy of well-established methods from the GDL literature under conditions with HGT and ILS, and ties for best under the ILS-only conditions. Furthermore, TRACTION ties for fastest on these datasets. TRACTION is available at https://github.com/pranjalv123/TRACTION-RF and the study datasets are available at https://doi.org/10.13012/B2IDB-1747658_V1.


Abstract This paper adds axiology to ontology and epistemology. These three together address the ultimate questions of what (is being observed), how (to know and respond) and who (adds meaning). This is not about producing knowledge about one true reality. Instead, these three aspects will differentiate their questions about the what, how and who, depending on the circumstances. As these circumstances differ in varying degrees of uncertainty, it is the uncertainty of a situation that determines which ontological, epistemological and axiological questions are asked. This paper proposes three categories into which these questions can fall, for simple, complex and highly complex issues. For each of these categories of 'uncertainty', the ontological, epistemological and axiological questions must be in balance. With the addition of axiology and the differentiation of reality into various uncertainties, a much more powerful method of knowing and understanding the world in which we live arises.


From 1974--1977 anthropometric investigations were performed in 173 healthy infants during the first year of life. Weight, height, skinfold thickness, head-, chest-, and abdominal circumferences had been measured as parameters for growth. Birth weight increased ceased threefold on 12th month in males only. There is no difference in the increase of height in males and females. Width of skinfold thickness increases rapidly until month 5, except abdominal skinfold. A radual decrease follows thereafter. The difference in decreasing velocity of skinfold thickness indicates changes in distribution of subcutaneous fat tissue during infancy. Growth of head-, chest-, and abdominal circumferences of males are similar to that of females.


The emerging Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology is becoming more and more important in society, with applicability in many areas, such as Smart Cities, Intelligent Transportation Systems and Domotics (Smart Buildings). IoT deployments are by nature a very heterogeneous environment built on numerous "things" (actuators, sensors, etc.). These "things", are based on hardware platforms which can differ widely, implement different tasks and can use distinct Operating System (OS). They are mainly used for environment awareness, giving to people a more truly interaction with the surrounding world. With such diversity, a complex problem emerges for developers regarding the selection of a proper, more suitable device for an IoT deployment. Make a right decision depends on multiple criteria and a challenge for science and technology managers. An IoT System (device) is characterized by several parameters. It presents, among other special characteristics, low processing capabilities, battery-powered, very specific OS, and the major concern to engineers the energy efficiency. This work proposes a multi-criteria model and a framework to analyze the most suitable solution in the design of a System of IoT Systems. Assist in the decision of a suitable solution for an IoT System, during the design phase and IoT deployment.


Summer internships present an opportunity for Computer Science (CS) students to expand and test their skills in "the real world." These multi-faceted experiences call on students to use technical tools and critical thinking in collaboration with others to solve problems. There are many opportunities for learning and growth: which of these do students find most valuable? In this project, we collect and analyze open-ended reflections by undergraduate CS students at the conclusion of a summer internship. We see that students focus on technical skills, expanding professional networks, and the satisfaction of completing a product that will be of use to others. These insights help inform academic programs that support Computer Science students engaging in these internships and strengthen their connection to on-campus education.


Facial expression and eye gaze provide a shared signal about threats. While averted-gaze fear clearly points to the source of threat, direct-gaze fear renders the source of threat ambiguous. Dual processing routes have been proposed to mediate these processes: reflexive processing via magnocellular (M-) pathway and reflective processing via parvocellular (P-) pathway. We investigated how observers' trait anxiety modulates Mand P-pathway processing of clear and ambiguous threat cues. We performed fMRI on a large cohort (N=108) widely ranging in trait anxiety while they viewed fearful or neutral faces with averted or directed gaze. We adjusted luminance and color of the stimuli to selectively engage M- or P-pathway processing. We found that higher anxiety facilitated processing of averted-gaze fear projected to M-pathway, but impaired perception of direct-gaze fear projected to P-pathway. Increased right amygdala reactivity was associated with higher anxiety, only for averted-gaze fear presented to M-pathway. Conversely, increased left amygdala reactivity was associated with higher anxiety for P-biased, direct-gaze fear. This lateralization was more pronounced with higher anxiety. Our findings suggest that trait anxiety has differential effects on perception of clear and ambiguous facial threat cues via selective engagement of M and P pathways and lateralization of amygdala reactivity.


It is likely that the velocity limitation observed in some types of rotating plasma devices is caused by an enhanced plasma-neutral gas interaction at the end walls bounding the plasma in the magnetic field direction. If the mechanism underlying the interaction is due to some process which forms anomalous azimuthal electric fields, a short-circuit of the latter would eliminate the velocity limitation If these predictions are true, new possibilities will open up in the use of rotating plasmas. In particular, the power losses due to ions and electrons escaping from a hot isotropic plasma through the magnetic mirror ends can then be kept small enough to balance the thermonuclear power at technically realizable beta values, plasma densities, and magnetic field strengths. At the same time such a strong confinement can only be achieved by very large centrifugal forces, rotational velocities and applied voltages, the technical feasibility of which has to be further examined.


Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used clinically for more than 10 years in pulmonary and cardiopulmonary failure. Intravascular devices were developed and introduced. But, due to lack of efficiency, they did not gain clinical acceptance. However, progress was made in improving the extracorporeal devices in terms of biocompatibility: less traumatizing oxygenators and pumps were developed. In addition heparin coating of the extracorporeal circuit was introduced. The cannulation technique became less invasive due to a transcutaneous approach. New treatment strategies and ventilator techniques were introduced in the last decade for respiratory insufficiency with the implication of less requirement for ECMO. However, these new treatment strategies, like nitric oxide ventilation or surfactant replacement, may be used as cotherapy with ECMO to reduce complications on ECMO or shorten the time ECMO is required. Further technical improvements are evolving like sophisticated pump control systems to reduce negative inlet pressure or pulsatile pump flow. Therefore ECMO devices have become safer and less invasive. Pharmacological cotherapy will both shift the inclusion criteria for ECMO and improve ECMO efficacy and safety.


The use of a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) device to monitor etching of thin films is described. The device is a delay-line-stabilized SAW oscillator in which the propagation path is coated with a thin film of the material to be etched. Removal of material decreases the mass loading on the delay line and this increases the frequency of the oscillator. The frequency of a 75-MHz oscillator is found to increase by more than 690 KHz for 1-µm decrease in film thickness. Using dual-oscillator arrangement, one can simultaneously monitor substrate temperature as well as thickness of material removed.


Summary
(1) Aerial transect sample censuses were undertaken in the Masai Amboseli Game Reserve, counting several species simultaneously. The following comparisons were made between different variants of the census technique:

(a) Flying height–500 ft (152 m) versus 300 ft (91 m).

(b) Strip-width–371 m versus 197 m.

(c) Viewing angle–inner versus outer half of the wide strip used in (b).

(2) In each comparison, transects representing the two treatments to be compared were randomly interspersed. Two population estimates, with variances, were obtained for each species, one for each of the treatments being compared.

(3) A rf-test was used to see whether the two estimates for each individual species differed from each other. In addition, a Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test was applied to the complete list of pairs of estimates, obtained from each comparison of treatments.

(4) Significant differences were found, indicating that the low flying height gave bigger estimates than the high, and that the narrow strips gave bigger estimates than the wide. No difference was found between the inner and outer strips.

(5) Measurements of variations in the aircraft's angle of bank were made in smooth and in rough air. The amount of upward bias attributable to this source was estimated for the combinations of height and strip-width used, and a general formula is also given, from which this bias can be estimated for other combinations.

(6) A flying height of 300 ft (91 m), and a strip-width of 300 m were finally selected as most suitable for multi-species counts in the partially-wooded habitat of Amboseli.


The Lagrangian dynamics of zonal jets in the atmosphere are considered, with particular attention paid to explaining why, under commonly encountered conditions, zonal jets serve as barriers to meridional transport. The velocity field is assumed to be two-dimensional and incompressible, and composed of a steady zonal flow with an isolated maximum (a zonal jet) on which two or more traveling Rossby waves are superimposed. The associated Lagrangian motion is studied with the aid of the Kolmogorov–Arnold–Moser (KAM) theory, including nontrivial extensions of well-known results. These extensions include applicability of the theory when the usual statements of nondegeneracy are violated, and applicability of the theory to multiply periodic systems, including the absence of Arnold diffusion in such systems. These results, together with numerical simulations based on a model system, provide an explanation of the mechanism by which zonal jets serve as barriers to the meridional transport of passive tracers under commonly encountered conditions. Causes for the breakdown of such a barrier are discussed. It is argued that a barrier of this type accounts for the sharp boundary of the Antarctic ozone hole at the perimeter of the stratospheric polar vortex in the austral spring.


The Satellite Attitude Sensor (SAS) utilizes IR bolometer arrays to perform the role of a staring horizon sensor with good accuracy and a wide field of view that avoids mechanical scanning. An innovative concept has resulted in simple and inexpensive design suitable for the requirements of both low and high altitude orbits. Although SAS was designed especially for Earth-observing micro-satellites, it is applicable to satellites with geosynchronous or highly elliptical orbits and the update rate is sufficient for use with a spinning satellite or a rocket. The ability of the sensor to operate in both spinning and 3-axis stabilized modes will allow it to fulfill the needs of large variety of scientific and remote sensing applications. Laboratory test are in process to verify the design.


A nondestructive method for estimating quality of single-crystal Si ingots is proposed. The method provides a three-dimensional pattern of the lifetime and diffusion length of charge carriers inside Si ingots up to 300 mm in diameter and 1 m in length. The method employs laser-induced photoinjection of charge carriers followed by laser-assisted monitoring of their spatial distributions and time evolution in any part of the ingot.


Determining the likelihood of a disaster is a key component of any comprehensive hazard assessment. Tsunami is a natural disaster, which is usually caused by a severely disturbance happening undersea or activity in the ocean or near the coast. It leads to a series of large waves with very long wavelength and period as well as is a result of a large-scale vertical displacement of the sea over a short duration in time. This paper presents a model that will predict whether tsunami can occur at the specific coordinate that executes based on 100 years tsunami history data. The main contribution of this paper is that the Markov chain approach is used for prediction model based on probabilities at a time interval depending upon the value of the number at the previous time. The method also uses specific action to predict and is aimed specially for calculating the tsunami potential. Keyword: Tsunami, Markov chain, Prediction, Probability


ABSTRACT Background: The unique perspectives of patients and caregivers on their experiences as users of rehabilitation services help identify areas for improvement for the continuum from acute care to community integration. Objective: This study reports perceptions of persons with stroke and their caregivers in an existing continuum of stroke care, social services, and rehabilitation in the Province of Quebec. Methods: A total of 10 focus groups were held, 5 with persons with stroke (n = 37, mean age 59.6 years (SD = 11.6); 21 men) and 5 others with caregivers (n = 31; mean age 58.8 years (SD = 15.1); 8 men). Discussions were transcribed and were the object of thematic content analysis using Nvivo. Results: Participants expressed their general satisfaction toward the care received in inpatient, hospital, and rehabilitation settings. The information received about acute care, however, was deemed insufficient and fragmented, and access of rehabilitation services was often perceived to be difficult. In the community integration phase of the continuum, most participants stated that they had experienced poor accessibility to services of any kind. Conclusions: Persons with stroke and their relatives' perspectives about the services that they obtained throughout the rehabilitation continuum vary importantly according to the services examined. Adopting a continuum perspective is helpful to target priorities for improvement.


In this paper, a novel repetitive frequency steep front pulse generator is proposed. Based on the topology of a three-stage magnetic pulse compressor followed by a three-stage Marx generator, in which conventional spark gaps are replaced by magnetic switches, the generator realizes a repetitive frequency of 1 kHz, an output pulse magnitude of 17 kV, and a rise time of 80 ns. Dielectric barrier discharge driven by it has also been conducted; voltage and current waveforms along with a gas discharge image have been presented. Calculation of air gap voltage and barrier voltage, and discharge current and displacement current shows that two discharges of opposite polarity occur in one voltage pulse and the secondary discharge consumes much lower energy than the first one.


Semiconductors are the most widely used catalysts for CO2 photoreduction. However, their efficiencies are limited by low charge carrier density and poor CO2 activation. Towards solving these issues, a metal–organic framework (MOF)-based ternary nanocomposite was synthesized through self-assembly of TiO2/Cu2O heterojunctions via a microdroplet-based approach followed by in situ growth of Cu3(BTC)2 (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate). With increased charge carrier density and efficient CO2 activation, the hybrid ternary nanocomposite exhibits a high CO2 conversion efficiency and preferential formation of CH4. Systematic measurements by using gas chromatography, photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and time-resolved in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy reveal that the semiconductor heterojunction and the coordinatively unsaturated copper sites within the hybrid nanostructure are attributable to the performance enhancements.


When a catastrophic landslide occurred in a small river basin on the left bank of the Tamega valley, in the Northeast of Portugal, which involved the sudden sliding of several tons of arable land and rocks and caused the destruction of a house and the death of fifteen people, the authors decided to carry out a careful investigation of this geomorphological phenomenon. After having formulated a number of hypotheses, they did a lot of field workin the area and carried out measurements to determine, as accurately as possible, both the real extension and the causes of the occurrence of such a phenomenon in that particular place and at that particular time of the year. A series of studies enabled the authors to come the conclusion that the natural and human-induced causes had been responsible for the disaster. Disasters like this don't unfortunately constitute isolated incidents. Therefore, the authors think it is very important to study the local geomorphology carefully before any houses or the setting up of any human activity within the territory it is responsible for.


Evidence shows that volcanic island chains and aseismic ridges are formed by plate motion over fixed-mantle "hot-spots" (Iceland, Hawaii, Galapagos, etc.) and new arguments link these hot-spots with the driving mechanism of continental drift. It is assumed that the hot-spots are surface expressions of deep mantle plumes roughly 150 km in diameter, rising 2 m/year, and extending to the lowest part of the mantle. The rising material spreads out in the asthenosphere, producing stresses on the plate bottoms. Order-of-magnitude estimates show these stresses are sufficiently large to influence plate motion significantly. the total upward flow in the plumes is estimated at 500 cu km/year, which would require the entire mantle to overturn once each 2 billion years.


Future management options for residual inorganic solid wastes are likely to include land disposal. While the environmental ramifications of this option are now better understood, additional data is required to permit a thorough assessment of contaminant leachability from solid wastes. As part of this data gathering exercise, Environment Canada9s Wastewater Technology Centre has been actively researching and developing test methods designed to measure intrinsic waste properties that affect contaminant leachability, such as metal solubilities and speciation. Based on this approach the leachability of heavy metals from sewage sludge, char and ash, municipal solid waste ashes, hazardous waste incinerator fly ashes, power plant ashes and a solidified synthetic waste were assessed. The results indicate that incineration of sewage sludge produces a benign ash with most of the metals speciated as insoluble oxides or silicates. By contrast, incineration of municipal solid waste or hazardous wastes produces fly ashes exhibiting significant metal leachability. Environmentally sensitive metals such as Cd, Zn, Ni and Cu in these fly ashes were readily leachable and probably speciated as water soluble chloride salts. The intrinsic properties approach appears to be an effective method of assessing waste leachability.


Without footnotes or an index, this interesting and well-written book is easier for the layman to read and enjoy than to understand. Largely avoiding professional jargon, in hopes of broadening readership, Plath addresses his unconventional message to cultural anthropologists. Coining suitable technical terms to exploit a fresh concept, he tells the story of four middleaged and middle-class Japanese, two men and two women, of the Osaka-Kobe area, whom he interviewed in depth to gain new insights into how the character of mature persons takes shape over a period of


BIOTERRORISMThe traditional smallpox vaccine, a virus called vaccinia that's harvested from the pustules on the skin of infected calves, is very effective--and also quite dangerous. So current talk of vaccinating thousands or millions makes some experts rather nervous. But it's not yet clear what the alternatives are.


The protein kinase C (PKC) family has been described with its role in some cancers, either as a promoter or suppressor. PKC signaling also regulates a molecular switch between transactivation and transrepression activity of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha). However, the role of different PKC enzymes in tumor immunity remains poorly defined. This study aims to investigate the correlation between PKC genes and tumor immunity, in addition to studying the probability of their use as predictive biomarkers for tumor immunity and immunotherapeutic response. The ssGSEA and the ESTIMATE methods were used to assess 28 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the immune component of each cancer, then correlated with PKC levels. Prediction of PKC levels-dependent immunotherapeutic response was based on human leukocytic antigen (HLA) gene enrichment scores and programmed cell death 1 ligand (PD-L1) expression. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic role of PKC genes in cancers. Methylation level and CNAs could drive the expression levels of some PKC members, especially PRKCI, whose CNGs are predicted to elevate their level in many cancer types. The most crucial finding in this study was that PKC isoenzymes are robust biomarkers for the tumor immune status, PRKCB, PRKCH, and PRKCQ as stimulators, while PRKCI and PRKCZ as inhibitors in most cancers. Also, PKC family gene levels can be used as predictors for the response to immunotherapies, especially HLAs dependent and PD-L1 blockade-dependent ones. In addition to its prognostic function, all PKC family enzymes are promising tumor immunity biomarkers and can help select suitable immune therapy in different cancers.


Age in dogs is associated with the risk of many diseases, and canine size is a major factor in that risk. However, the size effect is not as simple as the age effect. While small size dogs tend to live longer, some diseases are more prevalent among small dogs. Utilizing owner-reported data on disease history from a substantial number of companion dogs, we investigate how body size, as measured by weight, associates with the prevalence of a reported condition and its pattern across age for various disease categories. We found significant positive associations between weight and prevalence of skin, bone/orthopedic, gastrointestinal, ear/nose/throat, cancer/tumor, brain/neurologic, endocrine, and infectious diseases. Similarly, weight was negatively associated with the prevalence of eye, cardiac, liver/pancreas, and respiratory disease categories. Kidney/urinary disease prevalence did not vary by weight. We also found that the association between age and disease prevalence varied by dog size for many conditions including eye, cardiac, orthopedic, ear/nose/throat, and cancer. Controlling for sex, purebred/mixed breed, and geographic region made little difference in all disease categories we studied. Our results align with the reduced lifespan in larger dogs for most of the disease categories but suggest potential avenues for further examination.


Scientific conferences have an important role in the exchange of ideas and knowledge within the scientific community. Conferences also provide early-career researchers with opportunities to make themselves known within their field of research. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has brought traditional in-person conferences to a halt for the foreseeable future, the growth of virtual conferences has highlighted many of the disadvantages associated with the in-person format and demonstrated the advantages of moving these events online. Here, based on data from in-person and virtual conferences in a range of subjects, we describe how virtual conferences are more inclusive, more affordable, less time-consuming and more accessible worldwide, especially for early-career researchers. Making conferences more open and inclusive will provide both immediate and long-term benefits to the scientific community.


This study was aimed to isolate and identify the potential probiotic bacteria from broiler chickens and their related environment of the two districts in Bangladesh by using cultural and biochemical techniques and detection of the selected isolated probiotic potential bacterial species by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In this context five probiotic bacteria species of five bacteria genera were screened out from 750 samples in where there were 186 Lactobacillus genus isolates, 102 Bacillus genus isolates, 112 Streptococcus genus isolates, 220 Enterococcus genus isolates and 33 Bifidobacterium genus isolates on the basis of biochemical properties like 10% solution of total 22 different sugars. Other biochemical tests like MR-VP, Oxidase, Catalase, Citrate utilization, MIU and Indole test were major. Genus was detected through specific genus target gene and 16S r DNA based PCR. Selected probiotic bacteria species were detected through species specific target gene PCR. We confirmed 23 Lactobacillus acidophilus species isolates, 14 Bacillus subtilis isolates, 19 Streptococcus thermophilus isolates, 31 Enterococcus faecium isolates and 09 Bifidobacterium bifidum isolates at species level with ddl gene, apr-E gene, 16S-23S ITS gene, BIBI gene, Stp-TH gene primers. The novelty of this study is at first time in Bangladesh, we isolated and identified five selected potential probiotic species from the gastro-intestinal tract of broiler chickens and their related environmental sources by not only using traditional cultural, biochemical techniques but also genus and species specific target gene based PCR.


The legacy of apartheid in the social and economic fabric of South Africa is pervasive. More than two million households, with an average of five persons per household, are living in shacks or in hostels. Thus, the South African Government of National Unity as its most urgent priority has endeavoured to find solutions to this disastrous housing crisis. Thus, the Government proposed--amongst other measures--to establish a Governmentsupported Mortgage Indemnity Scheme. However, such loan-guarantees are not cost free. Moreover, since they are contingent liabilities, the contingency of which may be realised and thus impose a cost to the Government, it is important that such cost be known or estimated. Using the modified Merton's model of an analytic derivation of the cost of loan guarantees, this paper evaluates the potential cost that may be imposed to the Government. While the paper recognised that there may be scope for some kind of the Government loan guarantees, the overriding theme is that the Government should charge a fee for its loan guarantee. Moreover, it has also been illustrated that the main beneficiaries of the MIS will be: (a) households at the upper end of the low-cost housing market, and (b) private financial institutions which will be indemnified by the terms of MIS . Accordingly, the mere fact that the main beneficiaries will be those two categories of end-users and not these at the lower segment of the low-cost housing market 1 suggests that the MIS may not attain its principal purpose--that of serving these in the lowest income group. Thus, there is no reason why the Government should bear the likely cost of the MIS . In contrast, the Government should charge a fee for its guarantee. 1Based on the fact that the households at the upper-end of low-cost housing market could presumably afford home loan and that private financial institutions would enter this segment of the market regardless of the government loan guarantee.


Foeniculum vulgare (FV) has long been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In addition, it is usually known as an important medicinal and aromatic plant widely used as a carminative, digestive, lactogogue, and diuretic, and for treating respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders. The skin barrier protects against the invasion of pathogens, fends off chemical and physical assaults, and protects against extensive water loss. In this study, the effects of solvent-fractionated FV fruits on strengthening the skin barrier and maintaining moisture, as well as their antifungal activity, were investigated in human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. The expression of involucrin, loricrin, filaggrin, hyaluronic acid synthase, human β defensin, and cathelicidin genes and proteins was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. The production of hyaluronic acid was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The butanol fraction increased the expression of involucrin and filaggrin. Both the ethyl acetate and the butanol fractions increased hyaluronic acid production by promoting the expression of hyaluronic acid synthase-1. Although the antimicrobial peptides were increased by FV crude extract and its fractions, the samples did not show a significant effect compared to the normal group. These results suggest that the butanol fraction of FV could be very useful in cosmetics for the treatment of dermatological diseases.


A study designed to determine the nutritional needs of coconut from nursery to full-bearing was conducted from 1974 to 1988 in a Cl-deficient soil (Topic Tropudalf) of Davao, Southern Philippines. At nursery stage, only chlorine application improved the growth of the seedlings based on girth size which was highly correlated with increased leaf Cl. During the first five years in the field, K and Cl significantly influenced the growth of the palms which were positively correlated to ail growth parameters, i.e. girth, number of leaflets, living fronds and leaf production. During the fifth year, Cl-fertilization resulted in 115% more flowering palms than the unfertilized ones. From then on, Cl application consistently increased nut production, copra weight per nut and copra yield per tree which was correlated with leaf Cl. However, the positive effects of other nutrients like N, K and Mg on yield as well as interaction effects were inconsistent over the years. The nutritional needs of palms for Cl at the nursery stage is 30 g Cl per seedling. Under field condition, the requirement increases with age from 40 g to 1,000 g per palm leveling off at fifth year from planting.


Surface-associated communities of bacteria, called biofilms, pervade natural and anthropogenic environments. Mature biofilms are resistant to a wide range of antimicrobial treatments and therefore pose persistent pathogenic threats. The use of surface chemistry to inhibit biofilm growth has been found to only transiently affect initial attachment. In this work, we investigate the tunable effects of physical surface properties, including high-aspect-ratio (HAR) surface nanostructure arrays recently reported to induce long-range spontaneous spatial patterning of bacteria on the surface. The functional parameters and length scale regimes that control such artificial patterning for the rod-shaped pathogenic species Pseudomonas aeruginosa are elucidated through a combinatorial approach. We further report a crossover regime of biofilm growth on a HAR nanostructured surface versus the nanostructure effective stiffness. When the 'softness' of the hair-like nanoarray is increased beyond a threshold value, biofilm growth is inhibited as compared to a flat control surface. This result is consistent with the mechanoselective adhesion of bacteria to surfaces. Therefore by combining nanoarray-induced bacterial patterning and modulating the effective stiffness of the nanoarray—thus mimicking an extremely compliant flat surface—bacterial mechanoselective adhesion can be exploited to control and inhibit biofilm growth.


The work investigates the application of artificial neural networks and logistic regression for the recognition of activities performed by room occupants. KNX (Konnex) standard-based devices were selected for smart home automation and data collection. The obtained data from these devices (Humidity, CO2, temperature) were used in combination with two wearable gadgets to classify specific activities performed by the room occupant. The obtained classifications can benefit the occupant by monitoring the wellbeing of elderly residents and providing optimal air quality and temperature by utilizing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning control. The obtained results yield accurate classification.


BACKGROUND
Aortic artery disease (AAD), such as aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm rupture, is fatal, with an extremely high mortality. Because of its low incidence, the risk for the development of AAD has not yet been elucidated. Hypertension (HT) is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but there has been no prospective study on the effect of HT on AAD-related mortality. Methods and Results: We used a nationwide database of 276,197 subjects (aged 40-75 years) who participated in the annual "Specific Health Check and Guidance in Japan" from 2008 to 2010. There were 80 AAD-related deaths during the follow-up period of 1,049,549 person-years. On multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression, HT was an independent risk factor for AAD-related death in apparently healthy subjects. On receiver operating characteristics curve analysis for AAD-related death, abnormal systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were 130 mmHg and 82 mmHg, respectively. The prediction capacity was significantly improved by the addition of SBP to confounding risk factors. Notably, further improvement of the C index was observed by addition of DBP to the model with SBP.

CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report to prospectively show that HT is a risk factor for AAD-related death. Both SBP and DBP are of critical importance in the primary prevention of AAD-related death in apparently healthy subjects.


A part of the psychological program at the United States Coast Guard Academy consists of an extended series of academic entrance tests. To accompany these an effort has been made to develop tests to predict the leadership or "adaptability for service" ratings made of cadets at the Academy in connection with all of their activities. This article discusses a validation study of some personality and other measures given to entering cadets in the summer of 1950. Adaptability ratings made during the first year at the Academy, while consistent with one another, were found to be unrelated to academic entrance tests, course grades, and, to a large extent, to the experimental tests administered in this study. However, there was confirmation of earlier findings that memory is of importance to these ratings, and there were significant findings that social ability and a tendency to overstate one's knowledge fit slightly into the picture of adaptability.


Volcanic activity worldwide and carbonaceous phases in mantle xenoliths demonstrate that carbon is present in trace amounts in the modern mantle. We have determined that carbon solubility in olivine at 0.1 GPa and 1200 °C is below our detection limit (30 ppm by weight) but dissolves in excess of 100 ppm wt at 3.0 GPa, 1180–1530 °C. The significant solubility in mantle silicates may explain the rarity of carbonate-bearing xenoliths and the extreme age of diamonds. We propose a model in which low-pressure melting during mantle convection scavenges hydrogen and carbon from the primitive mantle and thereby reduces the content of these volatiles to below the silicate saturation limit and restricts carbonaceous and hydrous phases to the roots of continents isolated from convection.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of electronic portfolios, as a nontraditional tool, on the writing autonomy of Iranian EFL learners. A particular concern was to examine the potential effect of gender on electronic portfolio by taking the learners writing autonomy into account. The participants were 90 male and female EFL learners to whom the Writing Autonomy Questionnaire was administered to check their homogeneity prior to the study in terms of writing autonomy. The participants were then randomly divided into 2 groups: experimental group (23 females and 22 males) and control group (22 females and 23 males). Whereas members of the control group developed traditional paper portfolios, members of the experimental group used the Internet and online resources to develop and present the same essay portfolios. The results showed that the electronic portfolio procedures improved the writing autonomy of the participants. Also, gender had no impact on writing autonomy.


The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria is a serious problem worldwide. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen that causes severe infections because it can form a biofilm that protects it from immune system mechanisms such as the production of oxidative stress. Ribonucleotide reductases are essential enzymes which synthesize deoxyribonucleotides used in the replication of DNA. ABSTRACT Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are key enzymes which catalyze the synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides, the monomers needed for DNA replication and repair. RNRs are classified into three classes (I, II, and III) depending on their overall structure and metal cofactors. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen which harbors all three RNR classes, increasing its metabolic versatility. During an infection, P. aeruginosa can form a biofilm to be protected from host immune defenses, such as the production of reactive oxygen species by macrophages. One of the essential transcription factors needed to regulate biofilm growth and other important metabolic pathways is AlgR. AlgR is part of a two-component system with FimS, a kinase that catalyzes its phosphorylation in response to external signals. Additionally, AlgR is part of the regulatory network of cell RNR regulation. In this study, we investigated the regulation of RNRs through AlgR under oxidative stress conditions. We determined that the nonphosphorylated form of AlgR is responsible for class I and II RNR induction after an H2O2 addition in planktonic culture and during flow biofilm growth. We observed similar RNR induction patterns upon comparing the P. aeruginosa laboratory strain PAO1 with different P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. Finally, we showed that during Galleria mellonella infection, when oxidative stress is high, AlgR is crucial for transcriptional induction of a class II RNR gene (nrdJ). Therefore, we show that the nonphosphorylated form of AlgR, in addition to being crucial for infection chronicity, regulates the RNR network in response to oxidative stress during infection and biofilm formation. IMPORTANCE The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria is a serious problem worldwide. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen that causes severe infections because it can form a biofilm that protects it from immune system mechanisms such as the production of oxidative stress. Ribonucleotide reductases are essential enzymes which synthesize deoxyribonucleotides used in the replication of DNA. RNRs are classified into three classes (I, II, and III), and P. aeruginosa harbors all three of these classes, increasing its metabolic versatility. Transcription factors, such as AlgR, regulate the expression of RNRs. AlgR is involved in the RNR regulation network and regulates biofilm growth and other metabolic pathways. We determined that AlgR induces class I and II RNRs after an H2O2 addition in planktonic culture and biofilm growth. Additionally, we showed that a class II RNR is essential during Galleria mellonella infection and that AlgR regulates its induction. Class II RNRs could be considered excellent antibacterial targets to be explored to combat P. aeruginosa infections.


This paper reports on the analysis of a subset of the data related to a wider project about perspectives on language learning as part of the launch event of the Scottish Government's 1+2 language policy in November 2012. Transcriptions of interviews with learners from primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors were compared and contrasted using an iterative coding process. The findings suggest that the lack of challenge in the language curriculum, previously identified by McPake et al in 1999, continues to act as a demotivating factor, compounded by poor transition arrangements between education sectors. A subsequently conducted literature review revealed commonalities with our own findings. Some recommendations for stakeholders in languages education are put forward for consideration.


BackgroundThis study focused on the treatment protocol for macrogenia and surgical techniques of the semicircular ostectomy of the mandibular inferior border. MethodsSeven patients with macrogenia were treated following our treatment protocol including a preoperative assessment (the Delaire analysis), an operative design (three-dimensional reconstruction and simulation), operation techniques (semicircular ostectomy of the mandibular inferior border), and a postoperative evaluation. ResultsOur treatment procedure provided an overall harmonizing effect on the lower facial contour. All 7 patients were satisfied with their aesthetic results. A few complications such as numbness and submental soft-tissue excess were observed, but they improved to different extent as time went by. ConclusionsOur treatment protocol for macrogenia is of great use to make the surgeries to be precisely and safely done with satisfactory results.


A case of cochlear otospongiosis in a 14-year-old is reviewed. The patient, who had a strong family history of otosclerosis corrected with stapes surgery, presented with a mild-to-moderate predominantly neurosensory hearing loss and absent stapes reflexes. A CT scan demonstrated changes characteristic of otospongiosis. The relevant literature was reviewed and fluorides as a possible therapy discussed.


The rates of proton exchange in the reaction H2O + D2O ⇄ 2HDO have been studied in the solvents nitromethane and dioxane. For the solution in nitromethane to the upper limit of solubility of water (about 7 mol%) and in dioxane to a concentration of about 60 mol% the exchange remains rather slow. At higher concentrations the rate of exchange in dioxane increases rapidly with water concentration, indicating the promotion of the exchange via large water clusters. The isotope shift Δδ = δHDO − δH2O appears to be dependent on the concentration of water in the solvent, and an equation describing this dependence is proposed.


The methods for forming carbene complexes in catalysis are analysed in the case of the catalytic conversions of hydrocarbons, acids, carbonyl compounds, carbon monoxide, and methanol. The bibliography includes 85 references.


UNLABELLED
Anesthetic methods used during cesarean section have advantages and disadvantages to both mothers and infants and may result in short and long term neonatal effects.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of general and regional anesthesia on the infants, a prospective, randomized trial was performed in Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
341 uncomplicated pregnant women who were to be delivered at term by Cesarean section were recruited and randomized to receive general anesthesia, GA (103); epidural anesthesia, EA (120) and spinal anesthesia, SA (118). The immediate fetal and neonatal effects were assessed by cord blood gas analysis and the infant's Apgar scores. The Neurologic and Adaptive Capacity Scores (NACS) was performed within 4 hours after birth by two pediatricians who were blind to the anesthetic method.

RESULT
Maternal age, weight, height, duration of the operation and infants' birth weight were not different among the study groups. In the EA and SA group, maternal systolic blood pressure decreased more than 20 per cent from the baseline in more than half. The infants' Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes were 8.3 +/- 1.9; 8.2 +/- 1.6; 6.7 +/- 2.8, and 9.7 +/- 0.9; 9.8 +/- 0.7; 9.2 +/- 1.6 in EA, SA and GA group respectively. The adaptive capacity, active tone, passive tone, general assessment and primary reflexes of the NACS were not statistically different.

CONCLUSION
Apgar scores of the infants whose mothers received general anesthesia were lower than infants whose mothers received regional anesthesia but the NACS were not statistically different among the three study groups.


As part of a systematic investigation of their use with Ciment Fondu, the rheology of pastes containing three superplasticizers is reported. The effects were not as dramatic as those observed with Portland cements, and at low concentrations the yield values and plastic viscosities were higher than in pastes without admixture. However, at 0·6% and 1% (dry weight of cement) a sulphonated phenol formaldehyde resin reduced these parameters for long enough to be of practical use. A naphthalene-type resin was effective over a shorter time, but pastes containing a melamine-type resin stiffened too rapidly to be useful. The stiffening was generally less rapid at 5°C than at 20°C, and is attributed to the precipitation of alumina gel in the paste.


Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an adaptation of conventional cardiopulmonary bypass techniques to provide cardiopulmonary support. ECMO provides physiologic cardiopulmonary support to aid reversible aspects of the disease process and to allow recovery. ECMO does not provide treatment of the underlying disease. The indications for ECMO support have expanded from acute respiratory failure to acute cardiac failure refractory to conventional treatments from wide patient subsets involving neonates to adults. Vascular access for ECMO support is either percutaneous through a single-site, dual-lumen bicaval cannula or transthoracic via separate cannulas. The modes of support are either veno-venous or veno-arterial ECMO. In this article, the physiologic aspects of ECMO support are outlined.


This note introduces the student to the dynamics of the hostile takeover setting and characterizes the decision problem as a "game." In this context, it is necessary to understand other players and their modes of thought, defensive tactics, and rules (laws and court precedents) by which players compete. The survey covers these considerations and discusses the probabilistic analysis by which players can assess the possible actions of various parties. The paper was prepared to supplement case discussions on hostile takeovers.


Objective The aim of this study was to assess the effects of dancing (using the Feldenkrais method) on motor and non-motor symptoms, quality of life (QoL), and objective parameters of gait at the time of intervention and at the end of the 1-year study period. Methods This was a single-arm study in which 12 subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) received dance intervention during a 6-month period. Objective motor scales, gait analysis, and questionnaires on non-motor symptoms were evaluated at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months. Results Dance intervention decreased motor scale (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and Tinetti scale) scores and improved gait disturbance (gait velocity and step length) without increasing levodopa equivalent dose. Furthermore, dancing decreased non-motor scale (Non-Motor Symptoms Scale and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) scores and improved QoL. Conclusion Our findings suggest that dance intervention can be a complementary management method for PD patients.


Efforts to regulate international migration have resulted in a global architecture that seeks to incorporate states of origin and transit. As a country of origin, transit and destination, Morocco occupies a particular place in this architecture. Adopting a Foucauldian governmentality approach, the present article considers the latter as a dispositif meant to align state perception and action. Such an approach allows one to conceptualize the regulation of Euro-Mediterranean migration, not as a simple externalization of the demands of the European Union towards a third country, but rather as a neoliberal governmentality. This is reflected in a dispositif of the conduct of conduct, the cartography of which reveals a political rationality and governmental technologies that aim to transform states of origin and transit into responsible, self-disciplining partners. Studying this dispostif, however, also reveals that it is unstable and traversed by its partners' reluctance and counter-conducts.


Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and instantaneous normal mode (INMs) analyses are used to study the vibrational relaxation of the C-H stretching modes (ν(s)(CH₃)) of deuterated N-methylacetamide (NMAD) in aqueous (D2O) solution. The INMs are identified unequivocally in terms of the equilibrium normal modes (ENMs), or groups of them, using a restricted version of the recently proposed Min-Cost assignment method. After excitation of the parent ν(s)(CH₃) modes with one vibrational quantum, the vibrational energy is shown to dissipate through both intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR) and intermolecular vibrational energy transfer (VET). The decay of the vibrational energy of the ν(s)(CH₃) modes is well fitted to a triple exponential function, with each characterizing a well-defined stage of the entire relaxation process. The first, and major, relaxation stage corresponds to a coherent ultrashort (τ(rel) = 0.07 ps) energy transfer from the parent ν(s)(CH₃) modes to the methyl bending modes δ(CH₃), so that the initially excited state rapidly evolves into a mixed stretch-bend state. In the second stage, characterized by a time of 0.92 ps, the vibrational energy flows through IVR to a number of mid-range-energy vibrations of the solute. In the third stage, the vibrational energy accumulated in the excited modes dissipates into the bath through an indirect VET process mediated by lower-energy modes, on a time scale of 10.6 ps. All the specific relaxation channels participating in the whole relaxation process are properly identified. The results from the simulations are finally compared with the recent experimental measurements of the ν(s)(CH₃) vibrational energy relaxation in NMAD/D₂O(l) reported by Dlott et al. (J. Phys. Chem. A 2009, 113, 75.) using ultrafast infrared-Raman spectroscopy.


Background Sleep disturbances are prominent correlates of acute mood episodes and inadequate recovery in bipolar disorder (BD), yet the mechanistic relationship between sleep physiology and mood remains poorly understood. Using a series of pre-sleep mood inductions and overnight sleep recording, this study examined the relationship between overnight mood regulation and a marker of sleep intensity (non-rapid eye movement sleep slow wave activity; NREM SWA) during the interepisode phase of BD. Methods Adults with interepisode BD type 1 (BD; n = 20) and healthy adult controls (CTL; n = 23) slept in the laboratory for a screening night, a neutral mood induction night (baseline), a happy mood induction night, and a sad mood induction night. NREM SWA (0.75–4.75 Hz) was derived from overnight sleep EEG recordings. Overnight mood regulation was evaluated using an affect grid pleasantness rating post-mood induction (pre-sleep) and the next morning. Results Overnight mood regulation did not differ between groups following the sad or happy inductions. SWA did not significantly change for either group on the sad induction night compared with baseline. In BD only, SWA on the sad night was related to impaired overnight negative mood regulation. On the happy induction night, SWA increased relative to baseline in both groups, though SWA was not related to overnight mood regulation for either group. Conclusions These findings indicate that SWA disruption may play a role in sustaining negative mood state from the previous night in interepisode BD. However, positive mood state could enhance SWA in bipolar patients and healthy adults.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the energy intake of obese and normal nutritional status preschoolers, from four to five years old, attending several day care centres (JUNJI), in the eastern area of Santiago. The sample comprised 85 normal nutritional status and 35 obese children, representative of a population of 450 children. The food intake was evaluated twice a week and on one weekend day. At the day care centre, food intake was measured by food weighing and at the home; it was measured by food-recording. FAO 2001 energy requirements were used to calculate the energy requirements of the children. In both obese and normal nutritional status, energy intake was similar in the educational institution and home, although this energy intake corresponds to there meals time at JUNJI and only one serving at home. In respect to energy requirements of preschool children, both obese and normal nutritional status boys are at energy balance during the week (90 versus 110%). In the corresponding female groups, energy intake exceeds their energy requirement (116 and 111% respectively). In conclusion, energy intake at home, is greater and of minor quality, situation that worsens over the weekend in all preschoolers, independently of their nutritional condition (energy adequacy > 114%).


We consider an $M^{[x]} / G / 1$ queue with two phases of service, with different general (arbitrary) service time distributions. The first phase of service is essential for all customers, as soon as the first service of a customer is completed, then with probability $\theta$, he may opt for the second service or else with probability $(1-\theta)$, he leaves the system. At each service completion, the server will take compulsory vacation. The vacation period of the server has two heterogeneous phases. Phase one is compulsory and phase two follows the phase one vacation in such a way that the server may take phase two vacation with probability $p$ or return back to the system with probability $(1-p)$. The service and vacation periods are assumed to be general. The time dependent probability generating functions have been obtained in terms of their Laplace transforms and the corresponding steady state results have been obtained explicitly. Also the average number of customers in the queue and the waiting time are also derived.


Paclitaxel (PTX) is frequently suffered from multidrug resistance (MDR), resulting in lower chemotherapeutic efficacy and even chemotherapy failure. To combine the P-glycolprotein (P-gp) inhibitor would be a useful strategy to overcome MDR. However, what is needed now is an efficient vehicle to deliver multiple drugs into tumor simultaneously. In this study, PTX and Borneol (BNL), a natural compound with P-gp inhibition effect confirmed in intestinal absorption, were co-loaded in the fabricated PEG-PAMAM nanoparticle (NPs) by a one-step nano-precipitation method with high drug loading efficiency, narrow size distribution and low hemolysis rate. Based on P-gp inhibition activity of BNL, confirmed by drug efflux test and molecular docking model, the combination of PTX and BNL could improve intracellular concentration of PTX in A2780/PTX cells. Furthermore, compared to both free PTX and PTX+BNL, PB/NPs and P/NPs plus BNL exhibited higher cellular uptake and cytotoxicity in A2780/PTX cells, as well as the decreased MMP and enhanced apoptosis rate. More importantly, although PB/NPs and P/NPs+B showed similar tumor accumulation in tumor-bearing mice, PB/NPs could significantly decrease tumor growth of A2780/PTX tumor-bearing mice, in comparison to P/NPs+B. These results indicated the advantage of PTX and BNL co-delivery NPs for MDR reversal. These findings demonstrate that the co-delivery nano-sized system comprised by PEG-PAMAM polymer with PTX and BNL co-loaded would be a promising candidate for MDR treatment.


A soluble form of CD74 was recently discovered in autoimmune liver disease. With its ligand, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), they might be suitable candidates for evaluation as biomarkers of disease activity. As our previous study, consistent with others, has shown that MIF was highly expressed in acute lung injury (ALI), in present study, we investigated the existence of soluble form of CD74 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI mouse model and burn or trauma related ALI patients, preliminarily exploring the possibility of CD74 as a biomarker of ALI. We found that soluble CD74 did exist in serum from both patients and healthy people and its levels from ALI patients (n=67) were significantly higher than those from healthy controls (n=58). In ALI mouse model, similar results were obtained in serum. Furthermore, the soluble CD74 was also found in BALF and was obviously elevated in ALI group when compared with control group as well. Next, the expression of CD74 in lung tissue was significantly increased by Real-time PCR and Western blot after LPS induction in mouse model. In addition, the levels of soluble CD74 positively correlated with levels of IL-6, TNFα and MCP-1 in serum both from ALI patients and mouse model. In summary, our data provided the first evidence of existence of soluble CD74 both in serum and BALF from ALI patients and experimental model. Elevated soluble CD74 in serum and BALF of ALI might be released from lung parenchyma and was closely related to accepted inflammatory factors. These results raise the possibility that CD74 may play an important role in ALI and soluble CD74 may be a promising protein to be a biomarker of ALI.


Although the concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates in main stems has been compared between senescent and nonsenescent types of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], nonstructural carbohydrates in axillary branches at upper nodes have not been compared between senescence types. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that nonsenescent hybrids of semidwarf sorghum accumulate more nonstructural carbohydrates in branches and in the main stem than senescent hybrids after black layer. Plants were labeled (exposed to ¹⁴CO₂) 14 d before, at, and 14 d after black layer formation under field conditions. Nonstructural carbohydrates in branches and in lower and upper portions of the main stem were sampled 5 or 7 d after labeling. Comparisons between hybrids 14 d after black layer supported the hypothesis. The content of nonstructoral carbohydrates in branches increased twofold more for nonsenescent than for senescent plants between stages of labeling at and 14 d after black layer. The concentration and content of nonstructural carbohydrates in main stems of senescent plants declined 40% or more during the same period. Branches comprised 84 to 100% of the increase in content of nonstructural carbohydrates even though concentrations and ¹⁴C-photosynthate recoveries in the nonstructural fraction of branches declined after black layer. Nonstructural carbohydrates in branches at upper nodes need to be monitored in addition to those in main stems for comparisons involving the senescence types from this study. Contribution of Texas Agric. Exp. Stn., Technical Article no. 24349. Partially supported by Center for Energy and Mineral Resources, Texas A&M Univ.


ABSTRACT Lee, J.-I.; Kim, Y.-T., and Cho, Y.-S., 2013. Hydraulic experiments for wave transformation over a submerged elliptic shoal. Hydraulic experiments were performed to investigate wave transformation by applying regular and unidirectional irregular waves to wave-propagation process over a submerged elliptic shoal. Under the condition that wave breaking did not occur at the center of the shoal, a wave caustic was observed at the lee side of the shoal and the wave heights of the regular waves were measured to be higher than those of the unidirectional irregular waves. Under the breaking condition, the wave heights measured at the center of the shoal were low, but were high at the lateral sides. For the breaking condition, unlike the nonbreaking condition, the wave heights of the unidirectional irregular waves were measured to be higher than those of the regular waves. It was verified that wave-breaking-induced currents affect the refraction and diffraction of waves in this study.


Objective The goal of this study was to determine if patients with mild scoliosis and age-appropriate sagittal alignment have favorable outcomes following surgical correction. Methods Retrospective review of a prospective, multicenter adult spinal deformity database. Inclusion criteria: operative patients age ≥18 years, and preoperative pelvic tilt, mismatch between pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis (PI–LL), and C7 sagittal vertical axis all within established age-adjusted thresholds with minimum 2-year follow-up. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores: Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), 36-item Short Form health survey (SF-36), Scoliosis Research Society-22R (SRS22R), back/leg pain Numerical Rating Scale and minimum clinically important difference (MCID)/substantial clinical benefit (SCB). Two-year and preoperative HRQoL radiographic data were compared. Patients with mild scoliosis (Mild Scoli, Max coronal Cobb 10°–30°) were compared to those with larger curves (Scoli). Results One hundred fifty-one patients included from 667 operative patients (82.8% women; average age, 56.4 ± 16.2 years). Forty-two patients (27.8%) included in Mild Scoli group. Mild Scoli group had significantly worse baseline leg pain, ODI, and physical composite scores (p < 0.02). Mean 2-year maximum coronal Cobb angle was significantly improved compared to baseline (p < 0.001). All 2-year HRQoL measures were significantly improved compared to (p < 0.001) except mental composite score, SRS activity and SRS mental for the Mild Scoli group (p > 0.05). From the mild Scoli group, 36%–74% met either MCID or SCB for the HRQoL measures. Sixty-four point three percent had minimum 1 complication, 28.6% had a major complication, 35.7% had reoperation. Conclusion Mild scoliosis patients with age-appropriate sagittal alignment benefit from surgical correction, decompression, and stabilization at 2 years postoperative despite having a high complication rate.


Classical close-set semantic segmentation networks have limited ability to detect out-of-distribution (OOD) objects, which is important for safety-critical applications such as autonomous driving. Incrementally learning these OOD objects with few annotations is an ideal way to enlarge the knowledge base of the deep learning models. In this paper, we propose an open world semantic segmentation system that includes two modules: (1) an open-set semantic segmentation module to detect both in-distribution and OOD objects. (2) an incremental few-shot learning module to gradually incorporate those OOD objects into its existing knowledge base. This open world semantic segmentation system behaves like a human being, which is able to identify OOD objects and gradually learn them with corresponding supervision. We adopt the Deep Metric Learning Network (DMLNet) with contrastive clustering to implement open-set semantic segmentation. Compared to other open-set semantic segmentation methods, our DMLNet achieves state-of-the-art performance on three challenging open-set semantic segmentation datasets without using additional data or generative models. On this basis, two incremental few-shot learning methods are further proposed to progressively improve the DMLNet with the annotations of OOD objects.


PURPOSE
To investigate two approaches for femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) in patients with phakic intraocular lenses (IOLs).

METHODS
Anterior capsulotomy and lens fragmentation were performed with an image-guided femtosecond laser. Laser treatment was performed under sterile conditions prior to (technique 1, 5 cases) or after (technique 2, 5 cases) phakic IOL explantation.

RESULTS
In technique 1, gas accumulated between the phakic IOL and the anterior capsule. In 2 (40%) of these cases, an anterior capsule tear occurred during phacoemulsification. In both cases, no anterior vitrectomy was necessary and the IOL was implanted into the capsular bag. In technique 2, no anterior capsule tears or other complications occurred.

CONCLUSIONS
Laser treatment prior to phakic IOL explantation has a risk for anterior capsule tears. Potentially, the laser beam is deflected by the optic of the phakic IOL and gas between the anterior capsule and the phakic IOL induces radial forces. [J Refract Surg. 2018;34(5):343-346.].


Pancreatic cancer is now becoming a common cause of cancer death with no significant change in patient survival over the last 10 years. The main treatment options for pancreatic cancer patients are surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, but there is now considerable effort to develop new and effective treatments. In recent years, CRISPR/Cas9 technology has emerged as a powerful gene editing tool with promise, not only as an important research methodology, but also as a new and effective method for targeted therapy. In this review, we summarize current advances in CRISPR/Cas9 technology and its application to pancreatic cancer research, and importantly as a means of selectively targeting key drivers of pancreatic cancer.


Background Precise timing of action potentials in neural circuitry is often critical for accurate processing of sensory information. This is especially true for the auditory brainstem nuclei responsible for localizing sound on the azimuth. Sound localization is determined by comparing the difference in arrival time of sound to both ears, called interaural time differences (ITDs). In mammals, this computation takes place in the medial superior olive (MSO), which receives bilateral excitation from both cochlear nuclei. The MSO also receives an inhibitory input from the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), which is essential for accurate sound localization. The MNTB receives a large calyceal input from the contralateral cochlear nucleus. This synapse is specialized to relay the precise timing of action potentials from the cochlear nucleus to other brainstem auditory nuclei, including the MSO. Recent evidence demonstrates that the MNTB also receives inhibitory input; however, the source of this inhibition is not known. We hypothesized that this inhibition might be coming from the MNTB itself. Neurons in the MNTB were filled with a neural tracer by electroporation, then the tissue was imaged in order to map the axonal projection of MNTB cells. The presence of MNTB axons terminating in the MNTB would suggest a recurrent source of inhibition. Study Design and Methods Explanted brainstems of Mongolian gerbils were injected with rhodamine and incubated in a physiologic solution for 4 hours. Then brainstems were fixed and sliced on a vibratome at 60 μm and counterstained using green fluorescent NISSL. The sections were then imaged using confocal microscopy. Results The injections were well localized in the MNTB and were refined so that a relatively few number of neurons were filled. Unfortunately, the large calyceal synapses on the MNTB cells took up the neuronal tracer as well, and we were unable to follow MNTB axons through the tissue due to the prevalence of labeled calyces and their axons. However, this method did produce a large number of labeled calyces, which can be used in the future for immunohistochemical studies to localize specific proteins to the calyx. Conclusions This method was inadequate to trace axons of MNTB cells. However, this technique fills calyces in MNTB nicely and may be useful in the future for immunohistochemical studies.


Procaine amide, the amide analogue of procaine, is relatively stable in the body since it is not affected by the enzyme which catalyzes the rapid hydrolysis of procaine. It is rapidly and completely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Plasma levels in man decline only 10 to 20 per cent per hour. Metabolic transformation accounts for part of the decrease but urinary excretion accounts for the larger part. Organ tissues reversibly localize considerable amounts of the drug which are released to the plasma as the drug is lost by metabolic transformation or urinary excretion.

Procaine amide is an effective agent against ventricular arrhythmias. It protects dogs from arrhythmias produced by epinephrine during cyclopropane anesthesia. It suppresses ventricular premature contractions for variable periods in conscious humans. By means of the drug, sustained attacks of ventricular tachycardia have been successfully terminated in thirteen of fifteen patients.

The drug does not usually revert the arrhythmia in chronic auricular flutter and fibrillation but merely slows the auricular rate.

The drug is relatively non-toxic. On intravenous administration in therapeutic dosage, it does not cause the central nervous system stimulation typical of procaine in conscious subjects. With intravenous administration there may be a moderate, though transient, hypotension. In some cases of prolonged ventricular tachycardia where the arterial pressure is low, procaine amide causes a further fall, which disappears promptly with the termination of the tachycardia. Untoward effects have not been seen with daily oral dosage maintained up to three months.

Procaine amide seems more effective and less toxic than quinidine for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias.


Specimens of fungous cultures kept in refrigerators can be preserved for a considerable length of time without risking contamination. However, culture collections which are not stored in refrigerators but are exposed to the dust in cabinets are at times attracted by mites. After perusal of the available American literature we found that no mention is made of these contaminants, and therefore we deem it of interest to report our findings. PRESENT FINDINGS AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE On examining a culture mount of a month-old Microsporum lanosum culture we observed a typical mite with several ova (Figs. 1 and 2), which was identified as Tarsonemus confusus Ewing. There was no macroscopic evidence on the surface of the culture which would have indicated such an infestation. The only informative reference which we have traced is that of Langeron,1who considers these mites as "the enemies of fungus cultures." The mites belong


Title Age, Growth, and Sexual Development in the Self-fertilizing Hermaphroditic Fish Rivulus marmoratus Author(s) Sakakura, Yoshitaka; Noakes, David L. G. Citation Environmental Biology of Fishes, 59(3), pp.309-317; 2000 Issue Date 2000-11 URL http://hdl.handle.net/10069/35743 Right © 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.; The final publication is available at link.springer.com NAOSITE: Nagasaki University's Academic Output SITE


The Tasmanian Department of Education contracted the Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania (UTas) to evaluate the literacy pilot project Raising the Bar Closing the Gap and to subsequently write up their findings and advice in a report that the authors have called Advancing Literacy in Tasmanian Primary Schools. Advancing Literacy in Tasmanian Primary Schools aims to do two tasks. The first is to provide a description of the evaluation procedure and key findings associated with Raising the Bar Closing the Gap initiative. The second aim is to identify and report on how literacy can be maintained, enhanced and advanced within Tasmanian primary schools. Advancing Literacy in Tasmanian Primary Schools is dedicated to the classroom teachers at the core of the process of closing the gap that is so often associated with students who come from homes where there is some level of disadvantage. These teachers are involved in raising the bar so that all students reach their potential and advance in their literacy abilities. The authors wish to earnestly acknowledge the contribution, support and cooperation of all the participating students, teachers, and principals, as well as central office staff to the evaluation of the Raising the Bar Closing the Gap initiative. The overall measures contained in the Advancing Literacy in Tasmanian Primary Schools report indicate that when the literacy data are converted into student growth and improvements data, a clearer picture emerges demonstrating that effective schools and teachers in Tasmania are making a positive difference, and that this difference is sustainable and can be replicated. This report is in sections: Background, Executive Summary, Full Report, and Appendices.


Background Single-cell sequencing (SCS) technologies enable analysis of gene structure and expression data at single-cell resolution. However, SCS analysis in pancreatic cancer remains largely unexplored. Methods We downloaded pancreatic cancer SCS data from different databases and applied appropriate dimensionality reduction algorithms. We identified 10 cell types and subsequently screened differentially expressed marker genes of these 10 cell types using FindAllMarkers analysis. Also, we evaluated the tumor immune microenvironment based on ESTIMATE and MCP-counter. Statistical enrichment was evaluated using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. We used all candidate gene sets in KEGG database to perform gene set enrichment analysis. We used LASSO regression to reduce the number of genes in the pancreatic risk model by R package glmnet, followed by rtPCR to validate the expression of the signature genes in different pancreatic cancer cell lines. Results We identified 15 cell subpopulations by dimension reduction and data clustering. We divided the 15 subpopulations into 10 distinct cell types based on marker gene expression. Then, we performed functional enrichment analysis for the 352 marker genes in pancreatic cancer cells. Based on RNA expression data and prognostic information from TCGA and GEO datasets, we identified 42 prognosis-related genes, including 5 protective genes and 37 high-risk genes, which we used to identified two molecular subtypes. C1 subtype was associated with a better prognosis, whereas C2 subtype was associated with a worse prognosis. Moreover, chemokine and chemokine receptor genes were differentially expressed between C1 and C2 subtypes. Functional and pathway enrichment uncovered functional differences between C1 and C2 subtype. We identified eight genes that could serve as potential biomarkers for prognosis prediction in pancreatic cancer patients. These genes were used to establish an 8-gene pancreatic cancer prognostic model. Conclusions We established an 8-gene pancreatic cancer prognostic model. This model can meaningfully predict prognosis and treatment response in pancreatic cancer patients.


List of Contributors. Introduction by the Editors. Part I: Biological and Genetic Processes. 1. Behavior Genetics and Adolescent Development: A Review of Recent Literature (Joseph Lee Rodgers and David E. Bard). 2. Pubertal Processes and Physiological Growth in Adolescence (Andrea Bastiani Archibald, Julia A. Graber and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn). Part II: The Social Context of Adolescence. 3. Religious Development in Adolescence (Geoffrey L. Ream and Ritch C. Savin-Williams). 4. The Family Ecology of Adolescence: A Dynamic Systems Perspective on Normative Development (Isabela Granic and Thomas J. Dishion). 5. Sports and Leisure (Steve Danish). 6. The World of Work and Careers (Fred W. Vondracek and Erik J. Porfeli). 7. Education: Junior and High School (Jacque Eccles). 8. College as a Transition to Adulthood (Marilyn J. Montgomery and James E. Cote). Part III: Developmental Patterns and Processes. 9. Autonomy Development during Adolescence (Melanie J. Zimmer-Gembeck and W. Andrew Collins). 10. Identity Development during Adolescence (Jane Kroger). 11. Cognitive Development during Adolescence (James P. Byrnes). 12. Moral Development During Adolescence (Judith G. Smetana and Elliot Turiel). 13. Emotional Development in Adolescence (Gianine D. Rosenblum and Michael Lewis). 14. Self-Concept and Self-Esteem Development (Jerome B. Dusek and Julie Guay McIntyre. Part IV: Personal Relationships. 15. Dating and Romantic Experiences in Adolescence (Heather A. Bouchey and Wyndol Furman). 16. Crowds, Cliques, and Friendships (B. Bradford Brown). 17. Relationships Outside the Family: Unrelated Adults (Nancy Darling, Stephen F. Hamilton and Katherine Hames). 18. Adolescent Sexuality: Behavior and Meaning (Lisa J. Crockett, Marcela Raffaelli, and Kristin Moilanen). 19. The Intimate Relationships of Sexual-Minority Youths (Lisa M. Diamond and Ritch C. Savin-Williams). Part V: Problem Behaviors. 20. Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing (Brent C. Miller, Bruce K. Bayley, Mathew Christensen, Spencer C. Leavitt, and Diana D. Coyl). 21. Alcohol and Other Substance Use and Abuse (Michael Windle and Rebecca C. Windle). 22. Understanding Conduct Problems in Adolescence From a Life-Span Perspective (Deborah M. Capaldi and Joann W. Shortt). 23. Leaving Home: The Runaway and the Fogotten Throwaway (Thomas P. Gullotta). 24. Crime, Delinquency and Youth Gangs (Daniel J. Flannery, David Hussey, Laurie Biebelhausen, and Kelly Wester). 25. Eating Disorders in Adolescence (Janet Polivy, C. Peter Herman, Jennifer Mills, and Heather Brock). 26. Depression and Suicide during Adolescence (A.D. Seroczynski, Farrah M. Jacquez, and David Cole). 27. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Adolescents: Risk Factors, Antecedents, and Prevention Strategies (Ralph J. DiClemente and Richard A. Crosby). Author Index. Subject Index.


Every year, thousands of cats are relinquished to animal shelters in Sweden and around the world. To house these solitary animals in confined environments, and in close proximity to their conspecifics, is something that can lead to issues regarding their welfare. In this study cats housed singly or in pairs were observed to investigate whether the behavioural protocol "Cat Behaviour and Wellbeing protocol" (Cat-Be-Well) could predict how long time a cat spent at the animal shelter before adoption and whether the characteristics of a cat had any influence on this time. An accompanying literary study was conducted to determine how a cat's environment could be adapted so that the cat would display behaviours previously associated with adoption.
The results of this study indicate that the behavioural protocol used can, indeed, predict time spent at the shelter. This means that the shelter personnel will potentially be able to use the protocol to identify which cats are at risk of spending a longer time at the shelter, and thus may need extra resources. The study also shows that a cat's characteristics might influence the adopter's choice of cat, though it seems like the behaviour of the cat is more important. According to this study a cat that is not stressed has a better chance at getting adopted than a cat that is stressed. This means that a cat's environment should be adapted in a manner that allows the cat to live a life that is as stress-free as possible. This can be done by modifying the cat's surroundings, not only after its natural behaviours by adding shelves, hides, and hunting opportunities, but also to its senses. As cats have a better sense of smell, better hearing and better eyesight than humans, stimuli adapted to humans can be perceived as aversive by cats. By considering everything from the lightbulbs to the cleaning solutions from a cat's point of view, a lot of the aversive stimuli can be removed, which leads to more comfortable cats with a greater chance for adoption.


We used the Fourier decomposition technique to investigate the stability of the X-ray pulse profile of a young pulsar PSR B1509–58 by studying the relative amplitudes and phase differences of its harmonic components with respect to the fundamental using data from the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer. Like most young rotation powered pulsars, PSR B1509–58 has a high spin down rate. It also has less timing noise, allowing accurate measurement of higher order frequency derivatives which in turn helps in the study of the physics of pulsar spin down. Detailed investigation of pulse profiles over the years will help us establish any possible connection between the timing characteristics and the high energy emission characteristics for this pulsar. Furthermore, the study of pulse profiles of short period X-ray pulsars can also be useful when used as a means of interplanetary navigation. The X-ray pulse profile of this source has been analyzed for 15 yr (1996–2011). The long term average amplitudes of the first, second and third harmonics (and their standard deviation for individual measurements) compared to the fundamental are 36.9% (1.7%), 13.4% (1.9%) and 9.4% (1.8%) respectively. Similarly, the phases of the three harmonics (and standard deviations) with respect to the fundamental are 0.36 (0.06), 1.5 (0.2) and 2.5 (0.3) radian respectively. We do not find any significant variation of the harmonic components of the pulse profile in comparison to the fundamental.


Abstract Health impact assessment (HIA) focuses on minimizing inequities when studying the effects of a policy on the population's health. Nevertheless, it is seldom simultaneously quantified, multivariate, and visually graphically comprehensible for non-statisticians. This paper aims to address that gap, assessing a policy promoting the quality of Electronic Health Records, linking hospital and primary health care data (Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Triglycerides, Waist Circumference, Body Mass Index) to mortality outcomes and regional inequities. Acute Myocardial Infarction patients admitted in the hospital are then followed regularly in Portuguese NHS Primary Care. Regional disparities regarding recorded information are observed and different association patterns with mortality identified, ranked, and visualized through adjusted ORs for sex, age, and indicators of severity of hospital admission, complemented with multivariate correspondence analysis. A pathway to handling equity within quantitative HIA shows that complexity in data and methods may generate simplicity and clarity through visual graphical aids. Tackling Big Data with Data Science in HIA may even be at the center of future health reforms, assessing impacts of health promotion and chronic disease policies.


After more than 30 years, reconfigurable computing has grown from a concept to a mature field of science and technology. The cornerstone of this evolution is the field programmable gate array, a building block enabling the configuration of a custom hardware architecture. The departure from static von Neumannlike architectures opens the way to eliminate the instruction overhead and to optimize the execution speed and power consumption. FPGAs now live in a growing ecosystem of development tools, enabling software programmers to map algorithms directly onto hardware. Applications abound in many directions, including data centers, IoT, AI, image processing and space exploration. The increasing success of FPGAs is largely due to an improved toolchain with solid high-level synthesis support as well as a better integration with processor and memory systems. On the other hand, long compile times and complex design exploration remain areas for improvement. In this paper we address the evolution of FPGAs towards advanced multi-functional accelerators, discuss different programming models and their HLS language implementations, as well as high-performance tuning of FPGAs integrated into a heterogeneous platform. We pinpoint fallacies and pitfalls, and identify opportunities for language enhancements and architectural refinements.


Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), either central or obstructive in nature, is common in patients with acromegaly. However, no study has systematically examined the collapsibility of the pharynx in acromegaly to date. We evaluated intrinsic mechanical properties of passive pharynx in 10 anesthetized and paralyzed patients with active acromegaly before transsphenoidal adenomectomy for their pituitary adenoma. Static pressure-area relationships of the velopharynx and oropharynx were obtained by step changes in airway pressure during endoscopic cross-sectional area measurement of each segment. Moreover, curve fitting analysis by an exponential function estimated the closing pressure (P'close) of each segment. Preoperative nocturnal oximetry identified five acromegalic patients with an oxygen desaturation index (ODI) greater than 10 h-1 and clinical symptoms suggesting presence of SDB. The pharyngeal airway of all five acromegalic patients with SDB was highly collapsible at both velopharynx and oropharynx with positive P'close. Compared with age-, body mass index (BMI)-, and ODI-matched SDB patients without acromegaly, SDB patients with acromegaly had a higher P'close of the oropharynx, indicating that the etiology of SDB in acromegaly appears to differ from that of ordinary sleep apnea. Our results suggest that anatomic abnormality, especially at the base of the tongue, appears to play a significant role in development of SDB in acromegaly.


Rifaximin is an oral antibiotic with promising efficacy in the reduction of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence. Development of microbial resistance to rifaximin is not studied yet in HE. The study aim was to assess the microbial resistance, safety and efficacy of rifaximin as secondary prophylaxis of HE.


The receptor of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), c-met induces different physiological responses in several cell types. Little is known about the role of HGF in exocrine pancreas. However, abnormal HGF signaling has been strongly implicated in pancreatic tumorigenesis and association of HGF with pancreatitis has been demonstrated. We have studied the presence of c-met and activation of their intracellular pathways associated in rat pancreatic acini in comparison with cholecystokinin (CCK) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). C-met expression in rat exocrine pancreas was identified by immunohistochemistry and immunoprecipitation followed by Western analysis. Tyrosine phosphorylation of c-met is strongly stimulated as well as kinase pathways leading to ERK1/2 cascade. HGF, but not CCK or EGF, selectively caused a consistent increase in the amount of p85 regulatory subunit of PI3-K present in anti-phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates. Downstream of PI3-K, HGF increased Ser473 phosphorylation of Akt selectively, as CCK or EGF did not affect it. HGF selectively stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of phosphatase PTP1D. HGF failed to promote the well-known CCK effects in pancreatic acini such as amylase secretion and intracellular calcium mobilization. Although HGF shares activation of ERK1/2 with CCK, we demonstrate that it promotes the selective activation of intracellular pathways not regulated by CCK or EGF. Our results suggest that HGF is an in vivo stimulus of pancreatic acini and provide novel insight into the transduction pathways and effects of c-met/HGF in normal pancreatic acinar cells. D 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


When asking whether consciousness is an "essentially quantum effect", one must first lay down criteria for considering an effect quantum mechanical. After a brief survey of the interpretations of quantum theory, three such sufficient criteria are proposed and examined: wave-particle duality (or collapse), entanglement ("non-locality"), and quantum condensation (involving "identical" particles). A fourth criteria could involve the use of quantum field theories, but this problem is left open. If a quantum effect played an essential role in the brain, it would probably follow the first criterion, since the entanglement of many particles would be rapidly washed out by decoherence, and there is no strong evidence for the existence of biological condensates.


A novel method to estimate unsteady aerodynamic force coefficients from pointwise velocity measurements is presented. As opposed to other existing methodologies, time-resolved full velocity fields are not required. The methodology is based on a resolvent-based reduced-order model which requires the mean flow to obtain physical flow structures and pointwise measurement to calibrate their amplitudes. A computationally affordable time-stepping methodology to obtain resolvent modes in non-trivial flow domains is introduced and compared with previous existing matrix-free and matrix-forming strategies. The technique is applied to the unsteady flow around an inclined square cylinder at low Reynolds number. The potential of the methodology is demonstrated through good agreement between the fluctuating pressure distribution on the cylinder and the temporal evolution of the unsteady lift and drag coefficients predicted by the model and those computed by direct numerical simulation.


Highly-configurable systems encompass thousands of interdependent configuration options, which require a non-trivial configuration process. Decision propagation enables a backtracking-free configuration process by computing values implied by user decisions. However, employing decision propagation for large-scale systems is a time-consuming task and, thus, can be a bottleneck in interactive configuration processes and analyses alike. We propose modal implication graphs to improve the performance of decision propagation by precomputing intermediate values used in the process. Our evaluation results show a significant improvement over state-of-the-art algorithms for 120 real-world systems.


While the role of environmental filters, usually described by elevation as proxy, and anthropogenic disturbance as drivers of non-native plant diversity and abundance in mountains have been extensively studied, the impact of herbivores are less explored. Livestock grazing can facilitate the introduction of non-native species by seed dispersal and reduce biotic resistance due to consumption and trampling of native plants, even in the highest protected areas in the Andes. We here explored the effects of elevation, livestock and distance to the road on non-native and native plant distributions. Our results confirm the largely negative relationship of non-native plant richness and cover with elevation, with a peak in richness and cover at low to intermediate elevations. Similarly, we show a strong decline in non-native richness with increasing distance to the road, especially at low elevations, accompanied by a strong negative effect of roads on native species richness. Most importantly, however, we show that the presence of non-native herbivores greatly increases the cover of non-native species away from the roadside, identifying herbivore disturbance as a potential catalyst of non-native plant invasion into natural vegetation of high-Andean protected areas. Our results confirm the often-shown role of disturbance as driver of plant invasions in mountains, yet highlight the interactive effects of disturbance by roads and herbivory: roads funnel non-native species towards higher elevations, while non-native herbivores can promote non-native plant success away from the roadside and into the natural vegetation. Hence, regulating soil and non-native herbivory disturbance is important for minimizing plant invasions at high elevation in the Arid Andes.