English as a medium of instruction has great influence in school education in Nepal. It is taken as a pluralistic language which promotes harmony and tolerance, and increases career, opportunities, hope and progress. At the same time, there is a danger of survival for local languages due to the imperialistic role of English. In such a context, this paper has tried to explore the results created due to the extensive use of English as a medium of instruction. To address this objective, the study employs a phenomenological research design under the qualitative approach. The information was collected from eight teachers and eight parents of eight different community schools through interviews and purposively selected two focus group discussions. The collected information from both the tools and sources were coded, triangulated, analyzed, interpreted and presented into three different themes. The results show the use of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in school education as a debatable issue due to the fear of loss of local languages despite its advantages. This implies that the government should make an appropriate language policy and education system to maintain a harmonious and mutual relationship between English and other languages in school education so that children can get opportunities in English language, and become aware of their languages.


A structural retirement model is estimated using data for tenured, male faculty employed in the 1970's at 26 high quality private colleges and universities. Simulations of raising and then abolishing the mandatory retirement age suggest very large increases in full time work by faculty members in their late 60's and early 70's. Simulations also suggest that early retirement incentive programs would offset only a small fraction of the increase in work due to changes in mandatory retirement, and that rents created by these programs exceed savings from induced early retirements, with salaries of replacements further adding to costs.


Need analysis in the development of HOTS-oriented project assesment instruments on Android-based Science learning was carried out with the aim of identifying teacher need about HOTS-oriented project assesment instruments in the form of modules and Android applications. The problem found by researchers is project assessment on Science learning heat transfer material is not HOTS-oriented and proven when observation, the assessment book only assesses two indicators, namely the completeness of the tools and materials and the suitability of the trial and step. Two indicators are not enough to assess project skills and have not been able to measure the ability of the students' HOTS, so teachers need the development of HOTS-oriented project assessment instruments on Android-based Science learning. Android application made with simple codding. The method used for research is research and development (R&D). Qualitative data analysis is used to describe triangulation of data sources, while quantitative data analysis is used to test validity, reliability and practicality. The results of the need analysis of 20 statement items filled by fifth grade teachers in the Sunan Kalijaga Cluster of Gemuh Subdistrict to 8 teachers obtained validity, each statement item was greater than r-table, 0.707 and was declared to be valid. Reliability obtained 0.973 and declared to be reliable. It is hoped that modules and Android applications will be available which can be accessed through Google Drive. The practicality of the module is carried out after the instrument is valid and reliable. Teachers can use HOTS-oriented project assessment instrument manuals on Andoid-based Science learning in classroom learning.


The integrity of cells and biomolecules in stressed environments is enhanced within microhabitats. Despite desiccation and low temperatures in Antarctic deserts, the greatest near-surface factor is solar radiation. Photosynthetic microbial communities that pioneer polar deserts harness photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) whilst concurrently adopting protective strategies against UVB with screening pigments or avoidance in stratified habitats. To analyse whole communities in situ, we use laser Raman spectroscopy as a non-intrusive technique for organic compounds and mineral substrata. We use the distinctive spectra of cyanobacterial and lichen UV-screening pigments, and energy-quenching carotenoids to define their functional locations. Their occurrence in extreme habitats and in the fossil record permits extrapolation to conditions on early Earth and analogous habitats on early Mars. We describe our Raman spectral database accumulated with a laboratory FT Raman spectrometer and expansion to Antarctic fieldwork and astrobiology with a novel miniature 1064 nm laser system with an Indium-Gallium-Arsenide detector.


Infants in Institutions is a major contribution to our understanding of early childhood and is a moving documentation of the adverse influences of maternal deprivation, prolonged institutional care, and relative isolation upon early development. The study by Provence and Lipton reports in rich detail an institutional setting and, as measured by standardized baby tests and clinical evaluations, the development of the infants residing there. These observations are accompanied by the authors' stimulating impressions of the pathological influences these environmental conditions have had upon the infants' emotional and physical development, particularly their motor behavior and relationships to people and inanimate objects and themselves. This research deals with fundamental processes of ego development, autonomous ego functions, fixations, impairments in early object attachments and their later effects. This book is "must" reading for those who accept institutional-rearing with a complacent attitude insensitive to the deleterious effects upon psychological development. It also will be


The first indications that the spinal marrow could contain the basic nervous system necessary to generate locomotion date back to the early 20th century. According to MackayLyons (2002), the existence of nets of nervous cells that produce specific rhythmic movements for a great number of vertebrates is something unquestionable. Nervous nets in the spinal marrow are capable of producing rhythmic movements, such as swimming, jumping, and walking, when isolated from the brain and sensorial entrances. These specialised nervous systems are known as nervous oscillators or central pattern generators (CPGs). Grillner (1985), Collins & Stewart (1993), Pearson (1993), and Collins & Richmond (1994) are some interesting works about the locomotion of vertebrates controlled by central pattern generators. According to Moraes (1999), the relation between spinal marrow and encephalus in the central nervous system of domestic animals is most significant than relation in human beings. This occurs because the most motor activities in the animals is performed by reflexes and not by the cerebral activity. In relation to the total activity of the central nervous system, it is estimate that exist approximately ten times more activity in the spinal marrow of dogs than in humans. However, the human locomotion is controlled, in part, by a central pattern generator, which is evidenced in the works as Calancie et al. (1994), Dimitrijevic et al. (1998) and Pinter & Dimitrijevic (1999). Coupled nonlinear oscillators can be used in control systems of locomotion as pattern generators similar to the pattern of human gait, providing the approach trajectories of the legs. The central pattern generator is composed of a set of mutually coupled nonlinear oscillators, where each oscillator generates angular signals of reference for the movement of the legs. Each oscillator has its proper amplitude, frequency and parameters, and coupling terms makes the linking to the other oscillators. Some previous works on central pattern generators formed by nonlinear oscillators, applied in the locomotion of bipedal robots, can be seen in Bay & Hemami (1987), Dutra (1995), Zielinska (1996), Dutra et al. (2003) and Pina Filho et al. (2005). The objective of this chapter is to present the modelling of a bipedal robot using a central pattern generator formed by a set of coupled nonlinear oscillators. We present some


Reading is an extremely effective means of extending our command of language, so it has a crucial place in classroom in which language learning is a central purpose. In teaching reading, a media is needed; it can make the students motivating and interesting. One of the media used was blog. Blog media can be adopted in any classroom to encourage active learning among students. The problems stated in this study are what extent that blog as teaching media effective in teaching reading at first semester of STKIP Hamzanwadi Selong in the academic years 2011-2012? and how to use blog as teaching media in teaching  reading at first semester of STKIP Hamzanwadi Selong in the academic years 2011-2012? This is a classroom action research. In this study, there were three cycle must be conducted with total of students were 35 students as a research subject. The writer used an observation of students activity and a test to evaluate the students' learning result in reading comprehension in form of multiple choices test that consisted of 20 items which each items consisted of four options After collecting and calculating the data, the researcher found that the successful percentage of each cycles were: for observation of students learning result got at cycle I (2,7), cycle II (4,6), cycle III (8,0) and the result of students learning evaluation got at cycle I (54,28%), cycle II (68,57%), cycle III (91,42%). Based on the result of data collection, using blog as a media in teaching reading comprehension was more effective than students who were taught by conventional strategy. Key Words: Blog as a media and Teaching Reading


Self care and self-medication are a vital component of modern healthcare. Pharmacists can play an important role in supporting people's self care of minor ailments, from advising on self care and supplying non-prescription medicines to identifying the need for GP referral. The available literature about self care and the role of community pharmacists in Oman is scarce. A knowledge gap was identified in areas related to people's experiences of self care and self-medication, and how they utilise the healthcare services available when responding to their minor ailments. It is also not clear how and when the public utilise community pharmacy or how pharmacists contribute to patient care within the primary care setting. This study aims to identify the factors that influence the self care of minor ailments in Oman by exploring the perceptions of the public and healthcare professionals.
A qualitative approach was used to answer the research question. Two groups of subjects were interviewed: people recruited from public places e.g. shopping centres (phase one), and pharmacy staff and general practitioners working within primary care (phase two). The pharmacy staff and general practitioners were recruited from both the public and private health sectors. Data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The data was analysed thematically using the principles of constructivist grounded theory. Data management and analysis were performed using NVivo, a qualitative data analysis software. Results from the two phases were triangulated to provide a better understanding about the factors influencing self care of minor ailments in Oman.
Individual interviews were conducted with 21 members of public, 14 general practitioners and 17 pharmacy staff. Three main themes were identified that influenced the self care of minor ailments in the Omani health system: individual knowledge, beliefs and attitudes; communication and relationships; and the healthcare system. Individual factors that were identified to influence the public illness behaviour and the healthcare professionals' approach to manage minor ailments were: attitudes to medicines; understanding of self care and minor ailments; and attitudes to self-medication. Attitudes to pharmacy staff; poor communication and language barriers; and interprofessional relationships had an impact on supporting self care and accessing the community pharmacy for advice. Role responsibilities; standard and quality of practice; and information support and health literacy were the three health-system-related factors that influenced self care of minor ailments.
This research represents the first holistic understanding of the factors that influence self care and management of minor ailments in Oman, including the opportunities and challenges for the pharmacy profession in providing patient care. This conceptual model could help in adapting a comprehensive approach to effectively address factors related to optimising the self care of minor ailments and improve utilisation of healthcare services. The three main themes influencing self care in Oman have highlighted a number of important implications for future practice and research to improve primary healthcare provision and the role of pharmacy profession in patient care.


[1] We present results of observations of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) made using the telescopes of the MERLIN and EISCAT networks in which the beam separation approached 2000 km, much larger than in any previous IPS experiments. Significant correlation between the scintillation patterns was observed at time lags of up to 8 s and fast and slow streams of solar wind were very clearly resolved. One observation showed clear evidence of two discrete modes of fast solar wind, which we interpret as originating in the crown of the northern polar coronal hole and in an equatorward extension of the polar hole. We suggest that experiments of this type will provide a new and important source of information on the temporal and spatial variation of small-scale turbulence in the solar wind. The improved velocity resolution available from extremely long baseline measurements also provides new information on the development of the large-scale velocity structure of the solar wind in interplanetary space.


Cholestatic liver disease causes severe risk of malnutrition which includes protein-energy malnutrition and specific nutritional deficiencies. The nutritional status can be assessed based on anthropometric measurements, which can be misleading because of ascitis and peripheral edema. Biochemical determinations of lipid-soluble vitamin status are important to evaluate requirements. Based on nutritional status assessment, nutritional therapy should be planned according to a well-defined schedule. The basic principle of nutritional management is to correct the nutritional status as well as to reduce the risk of nutritional deficiencies. Children with cholestasis usually need extra energy supply that can be obtained by increasing energy density of feeds or addition of glucose polymers and lipids. For catch-up growth, usually, protein intake should be increased. Lipid-soluble vitamin supplementation deserves special attention and it is not easy to correct poor vitamin E status. For some children, parenteral administration of vitamin K is needed. Since recently, a water-soluble vitamin E (d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate) given by oral route is used with a good therapeutic effect. As the liver disease progresses to liver failure in many chronic cholestatic diseases, nutritional therapy can often be regarded as 'bridging' for liver transplantation to improve prognosis. Thus, invasive nutritional support is justified in severe liver disease which usually includes nocturnal nasogastric tube feeding, or even parenteral nutrition.


Five Phase 3 SURPASS trials have shown robust efficacy of novel dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, tirzepatide, in glycaemic control and body weight (BW) loss in adults with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) . A key secondary endpoint investigated the effect of tirzepatide (5, 10, and 15 mg) versus placebo or active comparators on mean BW change from baseline to endpoint. To determine whether weight-lowering effects of tirzepatide depend on the sex of study participants, we conducted a post-hoc subgroup analysis of SURPASS (S) -1 to -5 trials. BW change in the sex subgroups was assessed in patients while on treatment without rescue medication (efficacy estimand) in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population, defined as all randomized patients who received at least one dose of study drug. All tirzepatide doses significantly reduced BW compared to placebo or active comparators regardless of the sex of study participants (S-1 to -5 p<0.001) . The most frequent AEs were mild-to-moderate, GI-related, and occurred during the dose-escalation period.

 A.W.Plat: None. N.Rasouli: Advisory Panel; Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Research Support; Allergan, Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk. J.Peleshok: Employee; Eli Lilly and Company, Eli Lilly and Company. H.Sapin: Employee; Eli Lilly and Company. J.Wilding: Advisory Panel; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, Mundipharma, Novo Nordisk A/S, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi, Research Support; AstraZeneca, Speaker's Bureau; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Lilly Diabetes, Novo Nordisk A/S, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.

 Eli Lilly and Company


Abstract Many countries in the Baltic Sea basin have initiated enhancement programs for Baltic migratory sea trout, Salmo trutta L., to compensate for losses stemming from anthropogenic pressure that has resulted in the declining population abundance of this species. Regular stock enhancement has been conducted in Poland since the 1960s. Currently, over one million sea trout smolts are released into Polish rivers annually. In most Baltic countries, including Poland, stock enhancement depends on hatcheries producing material using spawners caught in native rivers. However, increasing difficulty obtaining spawners in recent years in Poland has meant that stock enhancement performed in the Vistula has been done largely with material obtained from broodstocks. Simultaneously, there is a lack of information regarding the proportion of wild and cultured sea trout in this river basin. This paper is a review of methods applied to identify individuals from natural and artificial sea trout spawning in rivers, and it proposes using genetic techniques as an alternative to traditional marking methods. A set of 13 microsatellite loci are proposed that are characterized by high selectivity. Using negative controls while simulating the assignment of parental pairs revealed that the number of loci in the set was highly significant and should not be reduced. This method could be useful in the proposed assessment of the proportions of wild and cultured fish in Polish rivers.


Retrospective analysis of 165 patients (105 males, 60 females) with a mean age of 21.2 years (range 14 to 25 years) of 6933 surgically treated patients from January 1987 to May 1999 focused on age and sex distribution, body mass, familial predisposition, trauma, histology, and clinical course. The incidence of herniated lumbar discs was 2.3% in patients aged up to 25 years. A valid family history was obtained in 121 patients and a positive history was found in 82 of these patients (67.8%). The patients had a higher body mass index compared to a group of individuals with a similar age structure. Radiography demonstrated bony changes in 124 patients (75.2%), primarily attributable to postural deformities such as scoliosis. The condition of the bony structures seems to be more important than the condition of the disc tissue in the occurrence of this disease in young patients.


Here, "an attempt has been made to gather up and to explain with succinctness those aspects of European social development since the later eighteenth century which, by common acceptation, seem to possess enduring significance." The material has been well selected and handled with splendid skill. The facts are there with dates and details in plenty but always so arranged as to contribute to the exposition and interpretation of the progressive tendeneies in modern social development in Europe. It is of great importance to the religion, sociology and politics of the world that men of to-day shall understand the developments of recent time. This book helps definitely toward that understanding. An extended, selected bibliography is appended for those who wish to extend their studies.


Study Design: This was a retrospective study. Purpose: The purpose was to retrospectively evaluate long-term outcome of anterior stabilization in three-column injury of the subaxial cervical spine. Overview of Literature: Literature shows varied results regarding the approach to be chosen. Most studies prefer a combined approach since biomechanically forms more stable construct. The isolated posterior approach is preferred by many as it is easy to reduce and fix three-column injuries. There are very few studies which show the isolated anterior approach to be better than the other two. Materials and Methods: Seventy-eight patients of three-column injury operated by anterior approach with follow-up of atleast 2 years were included and retrospectively analyzed. Clinical data included age, sex, time to surgery, methods of reduction, postoperative mobilization, and neurological evaluation using the ASIA scale. Radiological data included pre- and postreduction X-ray, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). X-rays taken post-operatively at 1,3, 6 months, 1yr and 2yrs.Variables like fracture type (AO Classification), overall alignment, localized kyphosis, time for fusion and grade of fusion mass were noted. Results: Of 78 patients, 61 had bifacetal dislocation and 17 unifacetal. The most common site was C5-6, followed by C3-4 and C6-7. The mean patient age was 35.98 years with 60 males and 18 females. The mean time to surgery was 4.4 days. Forty dislocations were reduced by closed method and 38 by open anterior approach. Fifty-six percent of patients had traumatic disc injury on MRI. All are managed by single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with iliac crest autograft for fusion. The mean preoperative lordosis: 4.44° (range −13.4° to 25°) and mean postoperative lordosis: 28.57° (P < 0.0001) mean loss of alignment: 2.59° by 2 years, 100% fusion with mean time – 22.82 weeks, neurological recovery in 34.6% with atleast one grade improvement in ASIA scale. No neurological worsening or need for revision surgery was observed. Conclusion: The goal of surgery in cervical injury is bony stabilization and fusion using a least morbid approach and one with good long-term outcome. Above study concludes that only anterior stabilization after reduction of three-column injury would suffice with good long-term outcome, thereby obviating need for global fusion.


Ionization of 2-, 3- and 4-hydroxy-methylbenzoate by free electron transfer (FET) to n-butyl chloride parent radical cations results in different product patterns. Whereas 3- and 4-hydroxybenzoate directly form comparable amounts of solute radical cations and phenoxyl radicals, from 2-hydroxybenzoate arise only radical cations. We interpret this finding as a molecule dynamic effect connected with the femtosecond rotation of the phenoxyl group which leads to a marked n-electron density shift. For 3- and 4-hydroxybenzoate, the diversity of all solute rotamers transforms in two different kinds of radical cations, unstable ones which promptly dissociate and longer living ones. Because of the H bridge bonding to the ester carbonyl, in 2-hydroxymethylbenzoate the phenoxyl group rotation is practically excluded and this should be the reason that exclusively stable radical cations derived from the planar molecule structure are formed.


In addition to glomerular filtration and passive back diffusion of urea, there occurs across the renal tubule bidirectional transport of urea inhibitable in one or both directions by specific analogs of pyrazinoylguanidine (PZG). Effect of PZG on the profiles of sodium and urea concentrations along the tubule (stop flow) are consistent with their independent transport. Inhibition of urea and sodium reabsorption by PZG is dose dependent. PZG does not inhibit potassium excretion.


The diagram and resonant x-ray emission spectra are calculated for each atomic species in the OCS molecule. In particular, the emission spectra due to the presence of the (O K), (C K), and (S L) core holes and a resonant electron are calculated. The SCF method is used in a relaxed orbital Hartree - Fock framework to determine the transition energies. Rates were calculated using a multi-centre model. The resonant profiles vary from the diagram analogues due to significant changes in the valence electron density distribution.


This study evaluates the effect of subgingival irrigation with a 1% chlorhexidine collagen gel in periodontal pockets as an adjunct procedure to scaling and root planing (SRP). Thirty-seven sites with probing depth (PD) of 5-7 mm and BANA positive in 6 patients with chronic periodontal disease were selected. Sites were assigned to different treatment groups consisting of SRP only (group 1), SRP + irrigation with collagen gel (group 2), or SRP + irrigation with collagen gel containing 1% chlorhexidine (group 3). Subgingival irrigation was performed after initial SRP and at 7, 14 and 21 days. Clinical measurements including PD, plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), gingival recession (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were performed at the selected sites at baseline, 60 and 90 days and the BANA test was performed on plaque samples from the same sites at baseline and 90 days. There was an improvement in clinical parameters in all groups with a significantly greater decrease in GI and bleeding in the chlorhexidine group. There was a greater reduction of BANA positive sites in groups 2 and 3. The authors concluded that 1% chlorhexidine collagen gel is a promising adjunct to SRP in the treatment of adult periodontitis.


We determine the rate region of the quadratic Gaussian two-encoder source-coding problem. This rate region is achieved by a simple architecture that separates the analog and digital aspects of the compression. Furthermore, this architecture requires higher rates to send a Gaussian source than it does to send any other source with the same covariance. Our techniques can also be used to determine the sum-rate of some generalizations of this classical problem. Our approach involves coupling the problem to a quadratic Gaussian ldquoCEO problem.rdquo


Separation of the Dirac equation in the spacetime around a Kerr black hole into radial and angular coordinates was done by Chandrasekhar in 1976. In the present paper, we solve the radial equations in a Schwarzschild geometry semi-analytically using the WKB approximation method. Among other things, we present an analytical expression of the instantaneous reflection and transmission coefficients and the radial wave functions of the Dirac particles. The complete physical parameter space was divided into two parts depending on the height of the potential well and energy of the incoming waves. We show the general solution for these two regions. We also solve the equations using a quantum mechanical approach in which the potential is approximated by a series of steps and we have found that these two solutions agree. We compare solutions of different initial parameters and show how the properties of the scattered wave depend on these parameters.


The results of conservative treatment of 51 patients with urolithiasis complicated by chronic renal failure in the intermittent stage have been analyzed. There were two groups of patients. The first one included 36 patients receiving enterosorption in addition to routine multimodality treatment. The second group was made up of 15 patients who did not undergo enterosorption which consisted in oral application of SKH-1K coal in a dose of 10 to 15 g 3 times a day 1.5 h after meal for 10 days. The treatment efficacy was judged from the patients' general health status, central hemodynamics (cardiac index and peripheral vascular resistance), the level of azotemia, and the content of medium-sized molecules. As shown by the data obtained, the multimodality treatment coupled with enterosorption produced an appreciable improvement of the patients' health status, reduction of the signs of intoxication, while the level of medium-sized molecules and creatinine reached the control. The hypokinetic circulatory syndrome seen before the treatment disappeared. At the same time the second group patients retained the high level of azotemia, whereas the content of medium-sized molecules remained increased. Besides, they demonstrated the hypokinetic circulatory syndrome. It is thus recommended that enterosorption be applied to the treatment of patients with chronic renal failure.


Waste management and domestic liquid waste residual household activities such as bathing, washing, and defecation were not done well along the Ciliwung river, causing water quality to decline. Residents of Kampung Tanah Rendah, Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, is still free-throw garbage and domestic household waste into the Ciliwung River. Waste management is not unified and usually carried by an individual or group by using the tool carrier in the form of a cart. Waste transportation costs are paid by the voluntary contributions of citizens. Most residents do not have bathroom facilities at home are reluctant to use latrines and still perform a routine to defecate on a bamboo raft floating raft river or familiarly called. Inspired by the citizens raft (getek) used for bathing, washing and activity, defecation, trash, and interact in Ciliwung, people consisting of adults and children are invited to get to know various kinds of water pollution. Adopting an idea of things that a citizen of the existence of the Ciliwung River on the raft, then made a scientific introduction of alternative methods such as "Labtek Apung" that implementation can be done independently or together and anywhere. Tests conducted is a test that is based on visual and organoleptic sensory processes. Parts of organs that play a role in sensing are the eyes as senses of sight, nose, and tongue as the sense of smell as a sensory taster. The scope of experiments on various kinds of water in the village is a test of physics, chemistry, and biological simple to use tools and materials that are easily found in the home. Simple physics test to see the physical shape, smell, color, and taste of the water. Simple chemical testing to see on the water hardness using the tea and simple biological test is performed to determine the existence of microorganisms that live in the water. The introduction of scientific alternatives to the residents, especially the children through these activities, would make scientific terms such as levels of turbidity, acidity, disorders of harmful microorganisms that normally can only be understood by most people with a specific background in the laboratory, to be made easier to understand. It is expected that after this event took place, residents are targeted to raise awareness of environmental problems that occur.


The study aims to identify and present the functional and non-functional technical and medical specifications of the software application that supports the clinical care of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) patients and maintain clinical information for monitoring, evaluation, and administration purposes in a research project titled cometech. The proposed software application belongs to the Electronic Health Management Information Systems (eHMIS) category that is designed to fulfill the need for an automated national health information management system. It is used for public health-related decision-making. Its main users are public policymakers, health officers, researchers, planning departments of health offices, eHMIS focal persons, data entry clerks, and many others ranging from health facility to federal management levels. The identification and analysis of the functional and non-functional requirements will help researchers to design and develop similar software applications that aim to introduce telehealth tools and services to achieve continuity of health care and to provide consultation and patient education (society awareness).


Two excited well-deformed bands have been observed in the semi-magic nucleus (58)Ni. One of the bands was observed to partially decay by emission of a prompt discrete alpha particle that feeds the 2949 keV 6(+) spherical yrast state in the daughter nucleus (54)Fe. This constitutes the first observation of prompt alpha emission from states lying in the deformed secondary minimum of the nuclear potential. gamma-ray linking transitions via several parallel paths establish the spin, parity, and excitation energy of this deformed band in (58)Ni.


ABSTRACT The aim of this study is the determination of antimicrobial activity at different concentrations of ozonized olive oil of Olea europea L. against eight bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 9372, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 15313, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Proteus mirabilis ATCC 35659, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumonia ATCC 4352, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 13311), two yeasts Candida albicans ATCC 25923 and Aureobasidium pullulans and five fungi Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404 Penicillium digitatum, Penicillium expansum, Aspergillus itaconicus, Fusarium solani. The antimicrobial activity of ozonized oil is measured by the agar diffusion method. The oil inhibits the growth of most strains, Proteus mirabilis ATCC 35659 as the most sensitive bacterium with the inhibitory zone of 18.33 mm±0.47. The results of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) test showed that the MIC varies from 0.198 mg/mL to 63.5 mg/mL. The ozonized oil inhibits the growth of all tested fungal strains, the most sensitive fungi is Fusarium solani with the inhibitory zone of 36.66 mm±0.40 with minimal fungistatic concentration (MFCs) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFCc) obtained between 0.38 mg/mL and 12.2 mg/mL. The CMF of the oil ozonized on C. albicans obtained is 0.38 mg/mL, 13 times less compared to that found in the study, this result indicates that antifungal activity on C. albicans of ozonized oil is very significant. We demonstrate that the ozonation of olive oil leads to the formation of the various toxic products (hyperoxides, ozonides, adehhydes, peroxides, diperoxides and polyperoxides) responsible for the antimicrobial effect, this effect may be due to toxicity rather than metabolic interruption. Ozone and its derivatives are proposed especially ozonide as powerful antimicrobial agents especially in this pandemic of COVID-19.


We analyse the changes in the partial polarization of random, stationary light fields in transmission through a near-field probe. The probe is modelled as a two-dimensional metal-coated optical fibre tip through which the field is propagated by applying the boundary-integral method. Both the magnitude of the opening angle and the aperture size of the probe are found to significantly influence the partial polarization of the field. We discuss the results in terms of both the conventional two-dimensional and the recent three-dimensional formalism for the degree of polarization.


Background Chronic cough is a common childhood symptom, reported in 22% of preschool children. Many are misdiagnosed as asthmatic. Induced sputum (IS) using hypertonic saline (HTS) has been used as a diagnostic tool in patients with cough; its bronchoconstriction effects being used as a test for the bronchial hyper-reactivity (BHR) in asthma (ISSAC study). Conversely it is used as a bronchodilator in the treatment of bronchiolitis and pre-school wheeze. Sputum eosinophilia indicates airway inflammation in keeping with a diagnosis of asthma. This study aimed to determine if IS is a feasible diagnostic tool in children with problem cough query asthma. In addition we wished to determine the relationship between BHR to HTS and the eosinophil count in sputum. Methods A retrospective review of children with problem cough who underwent sputum induction with nebulised 3% HTS. Sputum samples were obtained for microbiology, virology and differential cell count. Spirometry was performed before and after administration of 3% HTS. Change in FEV1 (Δ FEV1 = FEV1 post HTS minus FEV1 pre HTS) was used as a measure of BHR. Correlation between Δ FEV1 and sputum eosinophilia was calculated using Spearmen rank coefficient. Results 146 patients referred for IS between 2001 and January 2013 were included. Mean age = 8 years (range = 2 to 13), mean cough duration = 4.25 years (range 0.17 to 11.5). Sputum induction was successful in 131 patients (89%). 12 children (8%) became symptomatic; 4% required test termination. 44 children increased FEV1 with 12 having >9% FEV1 increase. 63 children reduced FEV1 with 21 having > 9% reduction. Viral or bacterial pathogens were identified in 29% of samples obtained. Sputum eosinophilia (eosinophil count > 3%) was present in 66% of samples obtained. There was no correlation between FEV1 and sputum eosinophilia (R = 0.04). Conclusions IS is a feasible and safe tool in children with problem chronic cough, aiding diagnosis with spirometry and sputum analysis. However BHR induced with HTS does not correlate with sputum eosinophilia. Several children increased FEV1 with HTS administration, suggesting it may have a therapeutic role in the treatment of some children with chronic cough.


Why didn't the Hungarian Jews do more to resist the 'Final Solution'? Why didn't the Allies bomb the gas chambers at Auschwitz? Why did the Allies sabotage schemes to save the Jews?In this provocative book, historians from Hungary, Israel, Britain and the United States examine one of the greatest tragedies of World War II -- the deportation and murder of 435,000 Hungarian Jews during the last months of the war when German military and diplomatic power was on the wane. Could Jews in the West have done more to help, or were they 'prisoners' of civil servants and politicians in Whitehall and the US State Department? Drawing on new sources, leading scholars address these controversial issues and shed new light on a shameful period in history.


OBJECTIVE
To present a case with several cutaneous hemangiomas associated with intracranial hemangiomas and possibly with an intrahepatic hemangioma.

CASE REPORT
A boy, 17 months old, showing several cutaneous hemangiomas and epileptic seizures resisting to antiepileptic medication, who also presented psychomotor retardation. The study by angiographic magnetic resonance (AMR ) revealed the presence of three small intracranial angiomas and possibly a hepatic hemangioma. The seizures were controlled with antiepileptic medication.

CONCLUSION
This case shows the association of the cutaneous hemangiomas and the subjacent vascular alterations also hemangiomas in this patient which are included in the most frequent neurocutaneous disease, which is known as Pascual Castroviejo syndrome.


YBa2Cu3O7- delta -single crystals and epitaxial 123-films of different types (pulsed laser ablated, DC-magnetron sputtered and coevaporated by MBE) have been irradiated with fast neutrons (E>0.1MeV). After irradiation, the activation energy Ueff and the critical current density jc increase, especially at low temperatures (<40 K) and in small magnetic fields (<2T), whereas at higher temperatures and higher magnetic fields Ueff decreases after irradiation. The enhancement of Ueff is about a factor of up to 2 and seems not necessarily related to a simultaneous increase of jc. Jc increases in epitaxial thin films at 4.2 K by 300% in magnetic fields and by 50% in vanishing field. U*eff, which is obtained from rho (T)-measurements increases slightly after irradiation in a good agreement with the corresponding jc enhancement. The current-voltage characteristics E(j) shows after irradiation a strong reduction of flux flow in the high current regime.


The Sora language reveals a sharp division between the vocabulary of command and rule, with no terms of indigenous origin for such positions or procedures, and an indigenous vocabulary of intimate negotiation among horizontal equals to regulate daily life. Historically, vertical relations with distant rajas passed through predatory local agents with little redress, using terms derived from outside languages. Christianity introduced literacy and created a new administrative and moral terminology derived from Sora roots, but also offered a model of patronage which likened Jesus to a benevolent classic Hindu king. This redistributive reciprocal relationship with authority figures had never before been experienced by the Sora; but as they move from a parasitic to a hierarchical experience of verticality, it is now readily transferred to political leaders as young Sora participate in the modern electoral state and incorporate non-Sora terms into their lives as agents, rather than victims, of their political situation.


The article adduces a short observation of the existing situation in the production of methane from biomass, estimates industrial potential of processing of organic part of agricultural waste into biogas, fertilizers, electrical and thermal energy. In the article are shown perspectives of using biogas technologies in Russia and especially in Tatarstan.


Aim. More and more, mechanical vibration exercise is being used in both sports training and rehabilitation therapy. Many studies have reported an increase in the muscle performance of subjects after whole-body vibration, but so far none have evaluated the possibility to improve the recovery of muscle strength after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The contraindications to this type of treatment are related to the administration of higher vibration frequency for periods much longer than those foreseen by our protocol. However, numerous studies have found this treatment can offer the benefit of reduced frequency and intensity of the electromyographic tracing, accompanied by an increase in muscle strenght similar to that obtained after strength training with overload. Hormonal response was also seen to differ from that after strength training with overload because of a major increase in blood concentrations of growth hormone and a reduction of cortisol. The aim of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of mechanical vibration in the rehabilitation of patients who received reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. Methods. In this study 20 subjects were enrolled and randomly divided into 2 groups (10 patients and 10 control subjects). The subjects received 5 daily administrations of whole-body vibration (30 Hz frequency for 1 minute) over a 2-week period. Muscle force during extension of both lower limbs was evaluated by isometric contraction for 5 seconds. Results. Different results were obtained: the treat


Purpose of the Study. Food allergy affects up to 6% of children, and adverse reactions can be fatal. Appropriate emergency treatment consists of early administration of injectable epinephrine. Previous studies have revealed deficiencies in parental knowledge surrounding indications for self-injection, deficiencies in the method of EpiPen administration, and underuse in children experiencing anaphylaxis. This study explores whether underuse of EpiPen may be attributed to parental discomfort with administration, as measured by a lack of parental empowerment and knowledge of proper administration. Study Population. Parents of children with physician-diagnosed food allergy who had been prescribed an EpiPen. Methods. A self-administered survey was mailed to parents of children with food allergy, recruited through a food-allergy support group and a pediatric allergist's practice. The questionnaire collected demographic information, medical history, history of previous "life-threatening allergic reaction(s)," past experience with EpiPen use, and knowledge of EpiPen indications. Knowledge was assessed with a series of multiple-choice and true/false queries. Perceived parental comfort with EpiPen administration was measured with a 10-cm analog scale, anchored with "uncomfortable" versus "very comfortable" at either end. Empowerment was measured with a 16-item instrument, including statements directly from or modified from the previously validated Family Empowerment Scale. Results. Of 360 mailed surveys, 165 eligible surveys were included in the study (46%). The majority of respondents were married white mothers with college or advanced degrees. The children of respondents ranged in age from 1 to 19 years. Previous anaphylaxis was reported in 70 responses (42%). Fourteen parents (8%) had administered the EpiPen to their child. Factors correlating with parental comfort with EpiPen administration included previous administration of EpiPen, EpiPen training, and high empowerment scores. Neither a history of previous anaphylaxis nor parental knowledge correlated with an increased level of reported comfort with EpiPen administration. Conclusions. Increased empowerment scores directly correlated with increased parental comfort with EpiPen use. Although increased knowledge scores did not prove to be a significant contributor to parental comfort, training on EpiPen use is an important component in improving parental comfort. The authors question the impact of other psychological factors, such as fear, that may contribute to underuse of the EpiPen. Reviewer Comments. Previous studies of parental EpiPen administration have reported incorrect use of autoinjectors despite training at the time of prescription. This study suggests that factors beyond parental knowledge are critical for proper administration of this potentially life-saving medication. The importance of hands-on training to increase caregiver comfort is underscored by this study. Demonstration units and training videos are available free of charge through the manufacturers for EpiPen and the Twinject, another epinephrine self-injection unit not discussed in this study.


This research examines the current level of security in wireless networks in New Zealand. A comprehensive wardrive covering the length of the country was made in January 2013 to ensure accurate comparisons from two previous wardrives as well as comparisons between the four main cities and the suburbs can be made. With 16 years since the introduction of the original IEEE 802.11 wireless standard having passed, an examination is made of the current state of wireless security of networks throughout New Zealand and the Auckland suburbs, and where possible compares these results with similar studies undertaken in 2004 and 2011. Additionally, comparisons are made with growth of numbers of access points, security standards implementations and channel selections. This study looks at whether wireless network security has reached the levels hoped for in 1999 when security was built in to the IEEE 802.11a and 802.11b standards and concludes that whilst vastly improved, there is still some way to go. Finally, some recommendations are made as to what still needs to be addressed to ensure efficient and secure communications with wireless networks.


In this demo, we present an immersive virtual reality (VR) system which integrates multimodal interaction sensors (i.e., smartphone, Kinect v2, and Myo armband) and streaming technology to improve the VR experience. The integrated system solves the common problems in most VR systems: (1) the very limited playing area due to transmission cable between computer and display/interaction devices, and (2) non-intuitive way of controlling virtual objects. We use Unreal Engine 4 to develop an immersive VR game with 6 interactive levels to demonstrate the feasibility of our system. In the game, the user not only can freely walk within a large playing area surrounded by multiple Kinect sensors but also select the virtual objects to grab and throw with the Myo armband. The experiment shows that our idea is workable for VR experience.


Epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), the AA and BB isoforms of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are involved in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation in asthma. In the present study, the associations between asthmatic phenotypes and the expression levels of these mediators in induced sputum and serum were investigated. A total of 62 asthmatic patients were divided into eosinophilic or neutrophilic phenotypes by cytological classification of the induced sputum. In addition, patients were classified according to lung function (FEV1/FVC >70% or FEV1/FVC <70%) and asthma severity (mild, moderate or severe). The concentrations of EGF, bFGF, PDGF-AA, PDGF-BB and VEGF in the serum and induced sputum were measured using sandwich enzyme immunoassays. VEGF levels in the serum and induced sputum were higher in patients with an eosinophilic phenotype compared with those with a neutrophilic phenotype. In addition, VEGF expression was higher in patients with an FEV1/FVC value of <70% as compared with patients with an FEV1/FVC value of >70%. Furthermore, the levels of VEGF were higher in patients with severe asthma compared with the patients with mild and moderate asthma. There were no statistically significant differences observed with regard to EGF, bFGF, PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB levels among the various phenotypes. Therefore, the observations of the present study indicated that increased VEGF expression in the serum and induced sputum of patients may be associated with eosinophilic airway inflammation, severe airflow limitation and the severity of asthma.


The epidemiological and demographic dynamics of plant–pathogen interactions in natural environments are strongly affected by spatial and temporal influences. Here we assess the interaction between Filipendula ulmaria and its rust pathogen Triphragmium ulmariae by analysing a 30‐year long dataset that has followed pathogen and plant population dynamics in a metapopulation of ~230 host patches growing on islands of the Skeppsvik archipelago in northern Sweden. Over this period, the host metapopulation initially expanded in both number and size of individual patches before plateauing. In contrast, the pathogen metapopulation showed greater change. Disease incidence showed a convex pattern rising for the first decade before showing a marked decline in the last decade. At the same time, the prevalence of disease in infected populations showed a constant 30‐year long decline. At the individual host population level, each population was annually classified into one of four inter‐year states: healthy, recolonization, extinction and diseased. Host populations that were healthy from 1 year to the next were significantly smaller than all other host population categories, while host populations in which disease was constantly present were significantly larger. Host populations in which the pathogen underwent either an extinction or a recolonization event were of similar size and represented a measure of the host threshold size for long‐term pathogen survival. Host population growth rates declined as disease levels increased. The growth rate of host populations in which disease was continuously present was 75% lower than in populations that were free disease. The sensitivity of the association to climate change as demonstrated through a decline in disease incidence and prevalence and an increase in drought damage to plant populations as temperatures rise has only become apparent through analysis of an extensive long‐term dataset. Synthesis. To date wild plant–pathogen studies have focused on the epidemiology of the pathogen and its effect on individual plant fitness. Here we have established a link to the impact of the pathogen on the long‐term dynamics of host populations. This has the potential to trigger a cascade of changes in the species composition and diversity of communities.


Cholangiocarcinomas have several histologic types, but intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with sarcomatous change is rare. A 71-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of fever which had lasted two months. Ultrasonography (US) of the upper abdomen demonstrated a huge hepatic mass with central solid and peripheral cystic portions, and computed tomography (CT) revealed a heterogeneous hepatic mass with a central area in which enhancedment was delayed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disclosed a huge mass of predominantly low signal intensity at T1WI, and peripheral portions of high signal intensity and a central portion of intermediate signal intensity at T2WI. The pathologic diagnosis was cholangiocarcinoma with sarcomatous change.


Abstract Aims In pediatric upper extremity rehabilitation, feasible repetition rates are unknown. Our objectives were to examine repetition rates during rehabilitation and their impact on outcomes. Methods Children with unilateral cerebral palsy due to perinatal stroke (n = 55, median 10 y 7 mo, 30 males) received Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) followed by Bimanual Therapy, each for 5 days. Repetitions were documented during one-on-one therapy (1.5 h/day). Outcomes included the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA), Jebsen Taylor Test of Hand Function (JTTHF), and Box and Block Test (BBT). Means and standard deviations for motor outcomes and frequencies for repetition rates were calculated. Factors associated with repetition rates and outcome change were explored using standard linear regression. Results Repetitions/hour averaged 365 ± 165 during CIMT and 285 ± 103 during Bimanual Therapy. Higher repetition rates were associated with higher baseline function by older age, a main effect of younger age, and improving motor skill (p < .05). Higher repetition rates corresponded with improvement of the AHA and BBT (p < .05, standardized ß = 0.392, 0.358). Conclusions Results suggest high repetition therapy is feasible in school-aged children with perinatal stroke, albeit with high individual variability. Multiple associations between repetition rates and baseline function and change point to the clinical importance of this measurable and potentially modifiable factor.


Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of short-term (≤3-month) dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), midterm (6-month) DAPT, standard-term (12-month) DAPT and extended-term (>12-month) DAPT in diabetes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES). To Compare discontinuation of DAPT followed by aspirin with P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy for detailed optimal scheme.Methods: Randomized, controlled trials were searched using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane library and clinicaltrials.gov. up to October 10, 2020. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted with a random-effect model.Results: A total of 18 randomized trials encompassing 20536 diabetic patients were included. Network analysis showed that short-term DAPT is best for reducing primary endpoint, which is superior to extended-term DAPT (odds ratio 0.48, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.85). Standard-term was also associated with reduce risk of primary endpoint in comparison with prolonged DAPT (0.56, 0.32 to 0.90). There was no noticeable difference with respect to primary endpoint between short-term DAPT followed by aspirin monotherapy and P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy. No significant differences were observed in secondary endpoints, including all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, MI, stroke, TVR, definite or probable stent thrombosis and major bleeding.Conclusions: Short-term DAPT was associated with the better primary endpoint benefit for patients with diabetes after PCI with DES, compared with extended-term DAPT. Although the optimal duration should balance risk-benefit ratio between personal ischemic and bleeding events, this study suggested short term DAPT followed by P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy may be the optimal therapy for most diabetes after PCI with DES.


Observations of solar active regions reveal extensive areas of redshifted emission lines in the extreme ultraviolet, indicative of down flowing plasma. Redshifts are seen also in the magnetic network of the quiet sun and in magnetically active stars. The inferred velocities are large and appear to represent steady flows. Redshifts are not observed at higher coronal temperatures. It is shown here that steady flow in cool loops driven by the buoyancy force set up by a small heating asymmetry between the two legs of the loop, offers a possible theoretical explanation of the observed features. 27 refs.


Background: Neonatal mortality is a public health issue in developing countries, such as Ethiopia. Unfortunately, the issue is noticeably under-reported and underestimated, so the true gravity of the situation cannot be acknowledged. Subsequently, Afar in Ethiopia contributes the largest burden of under-five mortality when compared to other regions in the country. Regrettably, there is no current information to the rates and predictors of neonatal mortality for the region even for the health facilities. Thus, this study aims to assess neonatal mortality and associated factors in pastoral region, Afar region.
Methods: A health facility-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 403 neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from May 1st 2015 - May 2nd 2019. Medical records were reviewed and audited for both mothers and neonates to collect data using a standardized data extraction checklist. The medical records were selected using a systematic sampling technique. Binary logistic regression with odds ratio and 95% Confidence interval was calculated to assess the association between neonatal mortality and associated factors. Finally, the statistical significance level was declared at a p-value <0.05.
Results: In this study, 391 medical records of neonates were included with the data complete rate of 97.02%. The prevalence of neonatal mortality was 14.6% (95% CI 11.0%-18.4%) with mortality rate of 35.5 per 1000 live births. A multivariable logistic regression showed that the lack of antenatal care (ANC) follow up (AOR = 5.92; 95%CI 2.34, 14.97: P<0.001), giving birth through cesarean section (AOR=3.52; 95%CI 1.22, 10.12: P<0.05), giving birth through assisted delivery (AOR=3.28 (1.14, 9.46): P<0.05), having a temperature less than 36.5oC within the first hour of admission (AOR= 5.89; 95%CI 2.32, 14.94: P<0.001), and perinatal asphyxia (AOR= 6.67; 95%CI 2.35, 18.89: P<0.001) were significantly associated with neonatal mortality.
Conclusion: This study revealed that the rate of neonatal mortality is still too high compared to the studies conducted in non-pastoral regions of the nation. Thus, the health facilities should give due attention to improve antenatal care, neonatal resuscitation and follow the standard of care protocol for admitted neonates. Additional community based studies supported with qualitative methods are recommended.


The macroeconomic management implies the knowledge of correlations between the macroeconomic indicators and their influence factors. An objective of macroeconomic management is the efficient use of labour force. The paper analyses significant aspects of increasing efficiency of labour force use by emphasising some timing correlations between different macroeconomic indicators, relevant for the labour market. The analysed indicators are participation rate, unemployment rate and activity rate. The econometric analysis supposes elaboration of an autoregressive model, estimation of parameters, studying of Granger causality, stationarity testing, analysis impulse/response, determination of lag length and other operations. The analysed period is 1990-2013.


The paper presents the work performed under ICT4ICT project with a main concern upon ICT diffusion in the CEE countries. A simple model for identifying the crucial factors for penetration of the new technologies is developed. It is used for selecting countries that have achieved high level of connectivity and ICT use, yet with limited resources and depending heavily upon the knowledge of its people. Estonia�s experience is presented as an example. The lessons learned are implemented in three pilot projects in the CEE countries that have been less successful in spreading ICT. Dissemination of knowledge was the essence of these endeavours. Finally, the results and plans for future work are portrayed.


The German Democratic Republic made a major commitment to the manufacture and use of computers, following common practices embraced by communist regimes during the Cold War. This article describes the political, economic, and technical results from the founding of the GDR to its demise in 1989.


ABSTRACT The sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene was analyzed in 168 individuals from seven Aphis (Hemiptera: Aphidini: Aphidina) species: Aphis gossypii Glover, Aphis glycines Matsumura, Aphis spiraecola Patch, Aphis craccivora Koch, Aphis fabae Scopoli, Aphis rumicis (L.), and Aphis nerii Boyer de Fenscolombe. One other Aphidina species, Toxoptera odinae (van der Goot), and two Macrosiphini species, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) and Myzus persicae (Sulzer), were analyzed as out-groups. The coding region of the gene contains 1,563 bp in all of the species, and 272 sites were variable among the Aphis species. DNA sequence identities among individual aphids ranged from 91.4 to 100%, with greater identities among aphids in the same species (96.5–100%) than between different species (91.4–95.3%). Compared with some other species, A. gossypii showed little divergence in either nucleotide sequences or haplotypes, although intraspecific cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequence divergence was observed in A. gossypii clones isolated from Commelina communis L. and Rubia cordfolia L. In the phylogenetic tree, every species formed a robust clade. The pairs A. gossypii and A. glycines, and A. rumicis and A. fabae showed robust sister relationships. T. odinae was located within the Aphis species clade, and this suggested that the Toxoptera classification should be reconsidered in the light of molecular data.


Filariasis in Indonesia is widely distributed. Three species consisting of 5 ecologically different types have been identified infecting man. Compared to older data, infection rates are much lower, partly due to environmental change and partly as a result of control programs. Various dosage treatments have given good results. The higher dosage treatment gave severe reactions especially in brugian filariasis. Pockets of high endemicity can still be found in remote rural areas. Therefore a weekly low dosage treatment of 40 weeks through the Primary Health Care approach has been adopted. Filariasis research in Indonesia at present is concentrating on the use of biotechnological tools, especially for diagnostic and vector identification purposes, and to understand better the pathophysiology. Treatment trials with new drugs such as Ivermectin and DEC are being conducted both in man and experimental animals.


Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations contain various errors, the separation and measurement of which is a popular research topic. Multipath effect on code measurements is investigated through the multipath combination, but carrier multipath error is small, and it is difficult to distinguish from other errors, such as hardware delay, carrier noise and satellite inherent biases. However, as the number of frequency points increases during the rapid development of GNSSs, it is possible to analyse the abovementioned errors in detail. Triple-frequency combination can be used to eliminate the first order ionospheric error, and a quad-frequency combination has one degree of freedom, which may be used to minimise carrier error effects. For this reason, an optimum method has been developed for multi-frequency GNSS code-multipath combination measurements, which has been verified by exploiting BeiDou System (BDS), three frequency data from an International GNSS Service (IGS) station and a city canyon as well as actual sampled quad-frequency data. By comparative analysis, we found that the fluctuations of an optimum triple-frequency combination are smaller than that of the non-optimum combination, which decreases the influence of inherent errors and biases on carrier phase. At the same time, second-order ionospheric error can be effectively eliminated as well. This provides a new code-multipath combination measurement optimisation methodology for future multi-frequency BDS and other GNSSs.


The heat shock protein gene, hsp70, was cloned and sequenced from the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). cDNA sequence analysis revealed a 1,992 bp-long open reading frame, which encodes a protein with a calculated molecular weight of 72.2 kDa. Results of Southern blot analysis suggested the presence of multiple copies of the hsp70 family in the genome. Increased expression of hsp70 was observed in fourth instar larvae exposed to 42°C. No significant up-regulation of hsp70 expression was observed when fourth instar larvae were treated with sub-lethal doses of insecticides, chlorfenapyr, permethrin, and acephate. These results suggest that hsp70 cloned in the present study is less sensitive to insecticides.


Abstract: Avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses (AIV, NDV) are major pathogens of captive and wild birds worldwide. Wetlands and their associated bird communities, especially waterfowl and shorebirds, are known to play a central role in the epidemiology of these diseases as maintenance hosts. However, these viruses also circulate in places where these ecosystems and communities are uncommon, suggesting the involvement of other taxa in their epidemiological cycles. In the arid region of Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), both viruses are regularly detected, and represent a threat for local poultry and for the Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii) conservation breeding programs. To assess the presence, transmission, and maintenance of these viruses in such environments, 4,521 individuals from six resident and peridomestic wild bird species were sampled in the vicinity of two Houbara Bustard conservation breeding centers, and tested for AIV and NDV using real-time reverse transcriptase PCR and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A limited exposure to AIV was reflected in a virus prevalence below 0.4% and a serologic prevalence of 0.6%, and a moderate circulation of NDV was indicated by a virus prevalence of 0.9% and a serologic prevalence of 18.9% in the targeted peridomestic wild birds, suggesting different epidemiological roles for each taxa. Thus, some peridomestic species could actively participate in the epidemiological cycle of NDV in arid environments such as the UAE, challenging the conceptual epidemiologic framework centered on the involvement of waterfowl and shorebirds.


This study describes the effect of anionic and cationic micelles on nucleophilic addition reaction of rosaniline hydrochloride (RH) with hydroxide under pseudo-first order condition. Strong inhibitory effect is observed due to SDS micelle, whereas CTAB catalysed the reaction. This is explained on the basis of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions which are simultaneously operating in the reaction system. The kinetic data obtained is quantitatively analysed by applying the positive cooperativity model of enzyme catalysis. Binding constants and influence of counterions on the reaction have also been investigated.


The use of Instagram as a social networking tool has transformed in recent years. The commerce friendly platform of this social networking site now facilitate for consumer-mediated purchasing, or also known as the social commerce. In this quantitative study, we examined how envy can influence consumerism on Instagram. Although envy is a universal emotion, there seems to be very little empirical research on how two forms of envy, benign and malicious envy affected purchasing behavior. Findings from this study suggested that an increase in willingness to pay (WTP) only happened in the case of benign envy. When people experienced benign envy, people are willing to pay more for a desirable product featured on Instagram posts that they found attractive. This study provokes new insights for psychology behaviour in Information Systems.


UNLABELLED
Since the beginning of 1993 until May 1994 in our hospital 25 patients were operated upon for diverticular disease. 16 patients required a laparoscopic assisted elective one-stage resection. One laparoscopic Hartmann's procedure was performed on account of a free perforation. 4 patients underwent laparoscopic reconstruction of the intestinal continuity after an Hartmann's resection. In 4 cases it was necessary to change to the conventional procedure.

TECHNIQUE
the patient is placed in dorso-sacral position (modified lithotomy position) in order to allow transanal colonic access. 4 trocars are necessary. The linear stapler is used to transsect the sigmoid colon and to dissect the entire mesentery. The left lateral trocar incision is enlarged to remove the specimen. The intracorporeal double staple anastomosis is created by a circular stapler.

RESULTS
there were two wound infections, one postoperative bleeding and one small anastomotic leak. After the operation we observed all advantages of the laparoscopic procedure in form of less pain, earlier beginning of bowel movements, faster return to full diet and earlier hospital discharge. These positive results combined with the possibility of a standardized procedure encourage us to continue laparoscopic sigmoidectomy.


It is widely believed that in quantum theories of gravity, the classical description of space-time as a manifold is no longer viable as a fundamental concept. Instead, space-time emerges as an approximation in appropriate regimes. In order to understand what is required to explain this emergence, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the classical structure of space-time.

In this essay I will focus on the concept of space-time as it appears in locally covariant quantum field theory (LCQFT), an axiomatic framework for describing quantum field theories in the presence of gravitational background fields. A key aspect of LCQFT is the way in which it formulates locality and general covariance, using the language of category theory.

I will argue that the use of category theory gives a precise and explicit statement of how space-time acts as an organizing principle in a certain systems view of the world. Along the way I will indicate how physical theories give rise to categories which act as a kind of models for modal logic, and how the categorical view of space-time shifts the emphasis away from the manifold structure. The latter point suggests that the view of space-time as an organizing principle may persist, perhaps in a generalized way, even in a quantum theory of gravity. I will mention some new questions, which this shift in emphasis raises.


Background: High antimicrobial usage in swine production has the potential to create reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes which are transferable to human pathogens via mobile genetic elements. Understanding microbial community responses to antibiotic use is central to unravelling transfer of such resistance genes. Our previous investigation revealed a scenario of optimal antibiotic activity associated with saturation of AMR genes on this farm. Here, we use amplicon and shotgun sequence data to investigate the microbiome signatures that underwrite such a phenomenon.Results: We generated 1.24 and 576 million high quality 16S rRNA gene amplicon and shotgun sequences from 24 porcine faecal samples, respectively. The ratio of taxa detection at genus level between the two methods was 1:24. Using shotgun sequence data, 235 unique AMR genes, 122 modes of action and 17 antibiotic classes were identified using the MEGARes AMR database. Antibiotic usage in growing pigs was significantly associated with microbial and AMR resistome structural and compositional changes detectable two weeks after antibiotic initiation. These were characterised by a down regulation of MDR efflux pumps and an up regulation of macrolide-specific efflux pumps in the growing pigs (treated-group) linked to lower abundance of Verrucomicrobiaeceae. In the sows (non-treated group), a potentially undetected infection, was characterised by a high abundance of pathogenic viral sequences, microbial structural changes i.e. family Alcaligenaceae, and an up regulation of beta-lactamases, including MDR efflux pumps. We assembled 682 near complete bacterial genomes revealing that a large proportion of the resistome is carried by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, specifically multi-class gene carriage by Clostridium species and Escherichia coli, which occurred exclusively in the treatment group.Conclusion: Microbiome signatures i.e. microbial structure, composition and resistome carriage associated with antibiotic-use can be cost effectively screened with amplicon sequencing but their granularity unravelled using shotgun metagenomic data.


Tertiary institutions, Host communities, Rural development, Economic development ABSTRACT This paper examines the economic impact of Federal University OyeEkiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria on its host communities in Oye and Ikole towns since inception. The study sets out with a major objective of determining whether the establishment of the university would organically lead to the development of its host communities. Quantitative and qualitative techniques were adopted for research design while the stratified sampling technique was used in administering the questionnaire for the study. The results show that while the establishment of tertiary institutions has a potential to increase household income in rural communities where they are located, it does not necessarily lead to the development of these communities in terms of basic health care facilities, primary education centers, good road networks and improved standard of living.


A new polyelectrolyte was synthesized and evaluated for antitumor activity. The product is a derivative of ethylene/maleic anhydride copolymer of low molecular weight (Mn approximately equal to 1100). The anhydride groups were first converted to the half-amide, half-ammonium salt by reaction with ammonia. A percentage (14-25 wt %) of these groups was further converted to the imide by heating. The product, carboxyimamidate (Carbethimer, N-137) inhibited the growth of a number of solid tumors in vivo. Sensitive tumor models included Lewis lung carcinoma, Madison 109 lung carcinoma, M5076 ovarian tumor, colon carcinoma 26, B16 melanoma, and P815 mastocytoma. Activity was dose related between nontoxic dose levels of 300 and 2000 mg/kg ip.


Abstract Commentators on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet — perhaps mesmerized by the play's reputation as an exemplar of pure love — have overlooked its references to the most notorious rapists of classical culture: Tereus, Hades, Tarquin, and Paris. Our point is not to accuse Romeo, but instead to demonstrate that Shakespeare characteristically hints at crimes that only flicker through the minds of potential perpetrators and victims, who must draw on a collective cultural legacy to judge, articulate, and control those possibilities. Reducing the play's spectrum of sexual aggression (including voyeurism, insincere seduction, displaced phallic violence, angry possessiveness, and forced marriage) into a neat binary of rape and consent may be socially desirable, but it erases the ethical and psychological complexity of adolescent courtship. Ignoring the ancient specter of rape haunting this story also precludes recognizing what Juliet does heroically to exorcise it.


This work extends the theory of identifiability in supervised learning by considering the consequences of having access to a distribution of tasks. In such cases, we show that identifiability is achievable even in the case of regression, extending prior work restricted to linear identifiability in the single-task classification case. Furthermore, we show that the existence of a task distribution which defines a conditional prior over latent factors reduces the equivalence class for identifiability to permutations and scaling, a much stronger and more useful result than linear identifiability. When we further assume a causal structure over these tasks, our approach enables simple maximum marginal likelihood optimization together with downstream applicability to causal representation learning. Empirically, we validate that our model outperforms more general unsupervised models in recovering canonical representations for both synthetic and real-world molecular data.


Gender-based violence is universal, irrespective of race, religion and geographical location. In many societies, along with Government, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) are playing an important role to address the problem of violence against women. The aim of this paper is to identify the existing trends of violence against women in Barguna district, Bangladesh. It focuses on the issues by comparing the situation of violence against women between NGOs intervention areas and non-NGOs intervention areas by analyzing police filed cases of 2010 to 2015. It also focuses on the community perceptions of the study area about the reasons of violence against women and the role of NGOs to solve the problem. The findings of the study indicate that the people of NGO intervention areas filed the highest number of cases compared to the non NGOs intervention areas because of its different initiatives and programs. On the other hand, in non-NGO intervention areas violence against women is more severe but the tendencies of case filing in minimal and the reasons behind the trend is lack of awareness, insufficiency of legal and economic support etc.


Princeton Seminary was intimately involved in the North American foreign missions movement in the nineteenth century. One remarkable dimension of this involvement came through the student-led Society of Inquiry on Missions, which sought to gather information about the global state of the Christian mission enterprise. This paper examines the Society's correspondence with Protestant missionaries in China regarding their attitudes to the British Empire in the years 1830‐1850. It argues that the theological notion of providence informed Princetonians' perceptions of the world, which consequently dissociated the Christian missionary task with any particular nation or empire. An examination of the Society of Inquiry's correspondence during the mid-nineteenth century reveals much about Protestant missionaries and their interactions with the opium trade and the results of the First Opium War (1839‐1842). Princetonians' responses to the opium trade and the First Opium War led ultimately to a significant critique of western commercial influence in East Asia. In conclusion, this paper questions the extent to which commerce, empire, and Christian missions were inherently associated in nineteenth century American Protestant missionary activity.


A common issue during drug design and development is the discovery of novel scaffolds for protein targets. On the one hand the chemical space of purchasable compounds is rather limited; on the other hand artificially generated molecules suffer from a grave lack of accessibility in practice. Therefore, we generated a novel virtual library of small molecules which are synthesizable from purchasable educts, called CHIPMUNK (CHemically feasible In silico Public Molecular UNiverse Knowledge base). Altogether, CHIPMUNK covers over 95 million compounds and encompasses regions of the chemical space that are not covered by existing databases. The coverage of CHIPMUNK exceeds the chemical space spanned by the Lipinski rule of five to foster the exploration of novel and difficult target classes. The analysis of the generated property space reveals that CHIPMUNK is well suited for the design of protein–protein interaction inhibitors (PPIIs). Furthermore, a recently developed structural clustering algorithm (StruClus) for big data was used to partition the sub‐libraries into meaningful subsets and assist scientists to process the large amount of data. These clustered subsets also contain the target space based on ChEMBL data which was included during clustering.


Abstract Control of early-emerging weeds is essential to protect the yield potential of maize. An understanding of the physiological changes that occur as a result of weed interference is required to address variability in yield loss across sites and years. Field trials were conducted at the University of Guelph (UG), the Ohio State University (OSU), and Colorado State University (CSU) during 2009 and 2010. There were six treatments (season-long weedy and weed-free, and weed control at the 1st-, 3rd-, 5th-, and 10th-leaf-tip stages of maize development) and 20 individual plants per plot were harvested at maturity. We hypothesized that, as weed control was delayed, weed interference in the early stages of maize development would increase plant-to-plant variability in plant dry-matter accumulation, which would result in a reduction of grain yield at maturity. The onset of the critical period for weed control (CPWC) occurred on average between the third and fifth leaf tip stages of development (i.e., V1 to V3, respectively). Rate of yield loss following the onset of the CPWC ranged from 0.05 MG ha−1 d−1 at UG 2009 to 0.22 MG ha−1 d−1 at CSU 2010 (i.e., 0.5 and 1.6% d−1, respectively). On average, reductions in kernel number per plant accounted for approximately 65% of the decline in grain yield as weed control was delayed. Biomass partitioning to the grain was stable through early weed removal treatments, increased and peaked at the 10th-leaf-tip time of control, and decreased in the season-long weedy treatment. Plant-to-plant variability in dry matter at maturity and incidence of bareness increased as weed control was delayed. As weed control was delayed, the contribution of plant-to-plant variability at maturity to the overall yield loss was small, relative to the decline of mean plant dry matter. Nomenclature: Atrazine; glyphosate; mesotrione; S-metolachlor; maize, Zea mays L.


This article discusses demonization and toxicity as illustrative of the life of young people in the UK. It offers definitions of well-being and the role of spirituality within this. We propose that unless the underlying well-being of young people is taken seriously, improved upon and re-imagined, then the challenges some young people encounter will develop into long-term problems well into adulthood. Furthermore, those young people who have relatively few challenges and problems will be at risk of being contaminated by the assault upon their well-being resulting in damage to them that will manifest itself in personal, communal and social problems. We argue that without the spiritual dimension, however, constructs, policy and approaches to well-being are lacking.


The factors of legitimation and delegitimization of power in the context of the functioning of transitional states are considered and analyzed. The peculiarity of such states is the problem of consolidation of citizens on the basis of common values, the absence of which gradually leads to the delegitimization of the political regime.
Particular attention is paid to classical and modern interpretations of legitimacy and related concepts. An understanding of the definition of «legitimacy» is given as an order in which the power of the rulers and the voluntary subordination of the governed, i.e. free recognition by each member of the legal society.
It is established that there are different political institutions with different levels of legitimacy in society. The main factors and phases of legitimacy are analyzed, on the example of Ukraine, allocated factors that lead to the delegitimization of a political regime.
The problem of the functioning of the institutional process in the post-Soviet states through the phenomenon of double institutionalization, which is characterized by public consent to the functioning of old and new institutions at the same time, is considered separately. The nature of such a phenomenon, which is characterized by a destructive impact on the democratic transformation of society due to the congestion of the new institutional space, has been established.
A number of factors of delegitimization of the political regime are analyzed and the classification of factors into economic, geographical, political. The dependence of different factors on different conditions of power is determined. The peculiarity of the delegitimization process in Ukraine, which is characterized by multifactorial with elements of adaptability, has been established.
Based on all the theories presented, it is concluded that legitimacy is not only a set of values, it has both cognitive and normative aspects.


I consider Kierkegaard's Concept of Anxiety (1844) in the context of the epoch-making shifts of the mid-19th century, which reoriented philosophical thought towards practice. Under these conditions, intellectual utterance, becoming the voice of the whole society and adopting journalistic norms, ceased to obey the academic philosophical regulations. The Left Hegelians were not the only ones believing that thought must be effective. Their opponents – both right Hegelians who used Hegel as a platform for religious renewal and their opponents who fought against Christendom – also understood word as action. The latter included Soren Kierkegaard. My article clarifies some aspects of Kierkegaard's work as an author. I present the summary of The Dialectic of Ethical and Ethical-Religious Communication (Papir 364–371) sketched in 1847. I also examine a distinction between direct and indirect communication, the roles of locutors and functions of actors who performed under pseudonyms. The elements of communication – the speaker and the hearer, their presuppositions, tactics, speech behavior and other levels involved by pseudonyms are analyzed from the point of view of the ultimate goal of Kierkegaard's message – the reader's alteration. I analyze Kierkegaard's "indirecte Meddelelse" as a pragmatized utterance that erases the distinction between written and oral speech. I also note the contribution of his reflections to later theories of speech acts. Excerpts from The Concept of Anxiety have been re-translated to demonstrate Kierkegaard's communicative strategies.


On-demand mobility has existed for more than 100 years in the form of taxi systems. Comparatively recently, ride-hailing schemes have also grown to a significant mode share. Most types of such one-way mobility-on-demand systems allow drivers taking independent decisions. These systems are not or only partially coordinated. In a different operating mode, all decisions are coordinated by the operator, allowing for the optimization of certain metrics. Such a coordinated operation is also implied if human-driven vehicles are replaced by self-driving cars. This work quantifies the service quality and efficiency improvements resulting from the coordination of taxi fleets. Results based on high-fidelity transportation simulations and data sets of existing taxi systems are presented for the cities of San Francisco, Chicago, and Zurich. They show that fleet coordination can strongly improve the efficiency and service level of existing systems. Depending on the operator and the city's preferences, empty vehicle distance driven and fleet sizes could be substantially reduced, or the wait times could be reduced while maintaining the current fleet sizes. The study provides clear evidence that full fleet coordination should be implemented in existing mobility-on-demand systems, even before the availability of self-driving cars.


The use of induction immunosuppression in liver transplantation (LT) remains controversial. This was a retrospective cohort study of adult, first‐time liver‐alone recipients (N = 69 349) at 114 US centers between 2005 and 2018 using data from the United Network for Organ Sharing. The comparative effectiveness of nondepleting and depleting induction (NDI and DI) was assessed. Overall, 27% of recipients received induction with 65.7% of the variance in the receipt of induction being attributed to transplant center alone. NDI and DI were associated with a lower risk of death/graft failure compared to no induction (adjusted hazard ratio 0.90 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86‐0.95] and 0.91 [95% CI: 0.85‐0.97], respectively; P < .001). In nondialysis recipients at the mean transplant estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), NDI was associated with an adjusted gain in eGFR by 6 months of +3.8 mL/min per 1.73 m2 and DI of +3.33 mL/min per 1.73 m2 compared to no induction (P < .001). Recipients with lower eGFR at LT had greater predicted improvement in eGFR (interaction P < .001). Only NDI was associated with a reduced risk of acute rejection in the first year post‐LT (odds ratio 0.87, 95% CI: 0.8‐0.94). Significant variability in induction practices exists, with center being a major determinant. The absolute incremental benefits of NDI and DI over no induction were small.


This study uses supervised machine learning (SML) and explainable artificial intelligence (AI) to model, predict and understand human decision-making during skillful joint-action. Long short-term memory networks were trained to predict the target selection decisions of expert and novice actors completing a dyadic herding task. Results revealed that the trained models were expertise specific and could not only accurately predict the target selection decisions of expert and novice herders but could do so at timescales that preceded an actor's conscious intent. To understand what differentiated the target selection decisions of expert and novice actors, we then employed the explainable-AI technique, SHapley Additive exPlanation, to identify the importance of informational features (variables) on model predictions. This analysis revealed that experts were more influenced by information about the state of their co-herders compared to novices. The utility of employing SML and explainable-AI techniques for investigating human decision-making is discussed.


During focal observations carried out in the Olho d'Agua River, upper Paraguay River basin, Brazil, we registered the defensive behaviour of one pair of Crenicichla lepidota attempting to protect their offspring from conspecific and non-specific predators. Adults exhibited substrate-guarding behaviour and displayed primary and secondary anti-predation mechanisms. The primary mechanisms (e.g., fin flicking and flaring, gill extending) were ineffective against conspecific predators or against other species. Secondary mechanisms included charging would-be predators of the offspring, and this tactic was successful against non-specifics. This record confirms, in the wild, agonistic behaviour as an effective secondary defence mechanism used in parental care in Crenicichla lepidota.


Four different modified storage structures such as bamboo mat with mud plastering, jute bag with inner plastic lining, metal bins and kuniyu (control treatment) were evaluated for their suitability for maize seed storage for eleventh months in 2001 at Rising Patan (450 m asl) and Budhakot (911 m asl) of western Nepal. Forty adults maize weevils ( Sitophilus zeamays Mostachusky) per storage structures were inoculated before treating them with individual plant materials and chemical pesticides. Plant materials and safe chemical pesticides such as timur ( Xanthophylum sp.) 25 g/kg, bojho ( Acorus calamusI L.) 50 g/kg, common salt 50 g/ kg, acetallic super 1 mg/kg and aluminum phosphide 0.5 tab/10 kg (chemical check) were applied in the individual treatments. The experiments were evaluated into factorial design. Quality assessment and insect pests infestation of maize seeds in storage structures have revealed, metal bin and jute bag with inner plastic lining were the best storage structures. Metal bin was found superior in terms of its ability to give 91% germination within six months of storage followed by jute bag (88 %) and bamboo mat (73.50%). Similarly, bojho has given very effective control to maize weevil, where the infestation was only 2.25% during the period of nine months of storage. In this regard, bojho can be recommended as effective plant material to control weevils at par with acetallic super, whereas, the common salt did not work at all. Key words: Bojho, germination, maize seed storage, maize weevil, storage structures

J. Inst. Agric. Anim. Sci. 27:69-76 (2006)


This paper's main purpose is collimating shaping and coupling semi-conductor laser beam by one-dimension gradient-index lens with parabolic-index profiles along the direction of thickness has been fabricated by ion-exchanging process. Introduced the ray matrix equation of One-dimension gradient-index lens and formation process of parabolicindex profiles. Measured distribution constant of refraction √A in varied thickness.Using onedimension gradient-index lens with varied thickness replacing cylindrical lens collimating shaping and coupling semi-conductor laser beam. Using two perpendicular one-dimension gradient-index lens shaping laser beam by two direction.Maked a mini and new semiconductor laser coupler.Demonstrated a coupling efficiency of 80% which from semi-conductor laser beam into single-mode fiber.


We present and review the results of fluorescence upconversion and photon echo experiments, and ab initio calculations performed in our group within the last few years with respect to the light harvesting process in purple bacteria. Carotenoids transfer energy to bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) mainly via the carotenoid S2 ->BChl Q pathway on a ~ 100 fs timescale. This transfer is reasonably reproduced by considering the Coulombic coupling calculated using the transition density cube method which is valid at all molecular separations. Carotenoids may also serve a role in mediating B800 —>B850 energy transfer in LH2 by perturbing the transition density of the B850 as shown by ab initio calculations on a supermolecule of two B850 BChls, one carotenoid and one B800 BCh1. Further calculations on dimers of B850 BChl estimate the intraand interpolypeptide coupling to be 315 and 245 cm", respectively. These interactions are dominated by Coulombic coupling, while the orbital overlap dependent coupling is 20% of the total. Photon echo peak shift experiments (3PEPS) on LH1 and the B820 subunit are quantitatively simulated with identical parameters aside from an energy transfer time of 90 fs in LH1 and oo in B820, suggesting that excitation is delocalized over roughly two pigments in LH1. 3PEPS data taken at room and low temperature (34 K) on the B800-B820 suggest that static disorder is the dominant mechanism localizing excitation in LH1 and LH2. We suggest that the competition between the delocalizing effects of strong electronic coupling and the localizing effects of disorder and nuclear motion results in excitation in the B850 and B875 rings being localized on 2-4 pigments within approximately 60 fs.


Background— Phosphorylative desensitization of G-protein–coupled receptors contributes significantly to post–myocardial infarction (MI) remodeling and heart failure (HF). Here, we determined whether adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs) 1 and 2 (the 7-transmembrane domain–containing receptors mediating adiponectin functions) are phosphorylatively modified and functionally impaired after MI. Methods and Results— Post-MI HF was induced by coronary artery occlusion. Receptor phosphorylation, kinase expression, and adiponectin function were determined via in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro models. AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 are not phosphorylated in the normal heart. However, AdipoR1 was significantly phosphorylated after MI, peaking at 7 days and remaining significantly phosphorylated thereafter. The extent of post-MI AdipoR1 phosphorylation positively correlated with the expression level of GPCR kinase (GRK) 2, the predominant GRK isoform upregulated in the failing heart. Cardiac-specific GRK2 knockout virtually abolished post-MI AdipoR1 phosphorylation, whereas virus-mediated GRK2 overexpression significantly phosphorylated AdipoR1 and blocked adiponectin metabolic-regulatory/anti-inflammatory signaling. Mass spectrometry identified serine-7, threonine-24, and threonine-53 (residues located in the n-terminal intracellular AdipoR1 region) as the GRK2 phosphorylation sites. Ex vivo experiments demonstrated that adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase activation and the anti–tumor necrosis factor-&agr; effect of adiponectin were significantly inhibited in cardiomyocytes isolated from nonischemic area 7 days after MI. In vivo experiments demonstrated that acute adiponectin administration–induced cardiac GLUT4 translocation and endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation were blunted 7 days after MI. Continuous adiponectin administration beginning 7 days after MI failed to protect the heart from adverse remodeling and HF progression. Finally, cardiac-specific GRK2 knockdown restored the cardioprotective effect of adiponectin. Conclusion— AdipoR1 is phosphorylatively modified and desensitized by GRK2 in failing cardiomyocytes, contributing to post-MI remodeling and HF progression.