Objectives The emerging model of US healthcare delivery is aimed at reducing costs, standardizing care, and improving outcomes. Although it is necessary for healthcare providers and insurance carriers to work together to achieve those goals, insurers have the added duty of assuring physicians and patients that they comprehend the medical evidence and, based on that understanding, construct policies. Are US insurers meeting that responsibility or are they simply creating policies to serve their own needs? Methods The medical policies of several US health insurers were analysed. The goal was to see whether it could readily be determined if these carriers used evidence-based medicine consistently to create uniform policies for the treatment of patients with symptomatic varicose veins. The literature was also reviewed to determine whether increased insurance documentation requirements have affected cost reduction, standardization of care and/or improvement of outcomes related to chronic vein disease management. Results There is a dramatic lack of uniformity among the insurance policies reviewed. Insurers appear to not choose important papers to create policy but use carefully chosen articles to reinforce what they want their policies to say. In so doing, conflicting policy criteria are being created. Complicating this inconsistency, rules for medical necessity are modified frequently, raising frustration levels among vein providers and their patients. What is clear is that costs are not being lowered, care is not being standardized and little is being done to prevent potential complications resulting from chronic vein disease. Conclusions Patients and physicians are increasingly ill-served by, and frustrated with, the clear lack of consistency in the medical policy criteria being created by US insurance carriers in covering the treatment of patients with symptomatic varicose veins. The contradictory coverage requirements, seemingly based on no understanding of evidence-based medicine guidelines, and total variability in reimbursement for various types of treatment options is particularly worrisome. Collaboration between venous treatment providers and insurance carriers, to create evidence-based standards of care, would be timely and beneficial in creating guidelines for optimal patient care.


Mast cells have been associated with arteriogenesis and collateral formation. In advanced human atherosclerotic plaques, mast cells have been shown to colocalize with plaque neovessels, and mast cells have also been associated with tumor vascularization. Based on these associations, we hypothesize that mast cells promote angiogenesis during ischemia. In human ischemic muscle tissue from patients with end-stage peripheral artery disease, we observed activated mast cells, predominantly located around capillaries. Also, in mouse ischemic muscles, mast cells were detected during the revascularization process and interestingly, mast cell activation status was enhanced up to 10 days after ischemia induction. To determine whether mast cells contribute to both arteriogenesis and angiogenesis, mast cells were locally activated immediately upon hind limb ischemia in C57Bl/6 mice. At day 9, we observed a 3-fold increase in activated mast cell numbers in the inguinal lymph nodes. This was accompanied by an increase in the amount of Ly6Chigh inflammatory monocytes. Interestingly, local mast cell activation increased blood flow through the hind limb (46% at day 9) compared to that in non-activated control mice. Histological analysis of the muscle tissue revealed that mast cell activation did not affect the number of collaterals, but increased the collateral diameter, as well as the number of CD31+ capillaries. Together, these data illustrate that locally activated mast cell contribute to arteriogenesis and angiogenesis.


We present a novel technique for training translation models for statistical machine translation by aligning source sentences to their oracle-BLEU translations. In contrast to previous approaches which are constrained to phrase training, our method also allows the re-estimation of reordering models along with the translation model. Experiments show an improvement of up to 0.8 BLEU for our approach over a competitive Arabic-English baseline trained directly on the word-aligned bitext using heuristic extraction. As an additional benefit, the phrase table size is reduced dramatically to only 3% of the original size.


Nonprofit organizations that engage in advocacy strengthen their ability to meet their mission by supporting systematic change. As such, students enrolled in nonprofit management programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels should develop both the knowledge of and the skills to engage in advocacy. Students should be trained to consider advocacy as part of a long-term strategic plan to accomplish their mission; however, there is little research or training on how to best teach advocacy to nonprofit students. This paper presents an active learning pedagogical approach. First, we present the literature documenting the role of advocacy in nonprofit organizations and related government regulations. Next, we outline three pedagogical techniques instructors may use to allow students to understand and practice advocacy. With each technique, we include resources and suggestions for faculty. The goal is to provide an opportunity for students to engage directly in policy issues being considered at the local, state or national levels, understand how these issues impact the sector and those being served, and how to take concrete steps to inform the public. These strategies can help shape the debate and offer solutions to decision makers. Subscribe to JNEL


This photo-article focuses on the expression of African culture and identity through photographic representations of Cameroonian women within different situations. These situations are informed by a socio-cultural self-knowledge that reveals the women's re-definition of their role in a gender-divided society, a role that establishes not only their autarchy, but their significance as cultural producers. The womens knowledge in conjunction with the corporeal action they perform in each picture situates them as an agent in a particular material context, which constitutes the nature of "being" itself (Merleau Ponty 1962, Dant, 2007). Thus, this photo collage offers alternative dimensions that define and inform the diverse identities of the Cameroonian woman in relation to the creation and production of art and culture, and thus the establishment of their very own identity.


The number of panicles (or heads) of Sorghum plants is an important phenotypic trait for plant development and grain yield estimation. The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) enables the capability of collecting and analyzing Sorghum images on a large scale. Deep learning can provide methods for estimating phenotypic traits from UAV images but requires a large amount of labeled data. The lack of training data due to the labor-intensive ground truthing of UAV images causes a major bottleneck in developing methods for Sorghum panicle detection and counting. In this paper, we present an approach that uses synthetic training images from generative adversarial networks (GANs) for data augmentation to enhance the performance of Sorghum panicle detection and counting. Our method can generate synthetic high-resolution UAV RGB images with panicle labels by using image-to-image translation GANs with a limited ground truth dataset of real UAV RGB images. The results show the improvements in panicle detection and counting using our data augmentation approach.


APPROACHING THE THERMODYNAMIC LIMIT IN BCS THEORY Georgios Palkanoglou University of Guelph, 2019 Advisors: Professor Alexandros Gezerlis We investigate the problem of simulating infinite superfluid neutron matter using finite systems. With a view to guiding a Quantum Monte Carlo simulation, we study the effects of finite volume on calculations of quantities of finite superfluid systems such as the pairing Gap, the chemical potential and the energy. We present a review of the theory of BCS along with a review of the theories that have been formulated to extend BCS to finite systems, namely Projected BCS (PBCS) and Full BCS (FBCS). In the context of BCS and PBCS we perform calculations of the pairing Gap, the chemical potential and the energy of finite superfluid systems of neutrons at densities relevant to the inner crust of neutron stars. From those calculations we study the approach of a finite volume of superfluid neutrons to the Thermodynamic Limit (TL). Finally, ways to alleviate the Finite Size effects using Twisted Periodic Boundary Conditions are proposed.


Porphyromonas gingivalis, a black-pigmented, Gram-negative anaerobe, is an important etiologic agent of periodontal disease. The harsh inflammatory condition of the periodontal pocket implies that this organism has properties that will facilitate its ability to respond and adapt to oxidative stress. Because the stress response in the pathogen is a major determinant of its virulence, a comprehensive understanding of its oxidative stress resistance strategy is vital. We discuss multiple mechanisms and systems that clearly work in synergy to defend and protect P. gingivalis against oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species. The involvement of multiple hypothetical proteins and/or proteins of unknown function in this process may imply other unique mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.


A multi-chamber ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV-STM) system has been constructed for investigations of processed GaAs surfaces. This system comprises five UHV chambers connected by UHV tunnels. A specially designed STM unit which can be used with a 23-mm-diameter molybdenum block, is installed in an STM-chamber for surface observations. A molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) chamber for epitaxial growth of GaAs layers and a process-chamber for argon ion-bombardment are included in the five chambers. First, the surface of the MBE-grown layer on a GaAs (001) wafer was observed with STM. The sample was then transferred to the process-chamber and bombarded with argon ions. Many defects, which seemed to be caused by the ion-bombardment, were found in an STM image taken with the ion-bombarded sample.


Finite element meshes can today be used to represent very complex structures because of high performance hardware and software. Although a very successful contributor to modern engineering analysis, such techniques are prone to certain classes of numerical analysis errors which have been long recognized and widely investigated. A more recently recognized source of error has, however, received the attention of analysts, being due to the shape distortion effects of popular types of element, such as isoparametric elements. A mesh scanning program, BERQUAL, part of the BERSAFE system, highlights such potential sources of error, but a more precise assessment is only possible from the final results since element performance depends on the stress gradients in each element. Hence additional error checking using certain stress error measures has been devised and implemented in the post‐processing program PLOTTER, part of the BERSAFE system, to enable rapid, interactive, screen diagnosis. The error measures and imp...


Human brain structure traits have been hypothesized to be broad endophenotypes for neuropsychiatric disorders, implying that brain structure traits are comparatively 'closer to the underlying biology'. Genome-wide association studies from large sample sizes allow for the comparison of common variant genetic architectures between traits to test the evidence supporting this claim. Endophenotypes, compared to neuropsychiatric disorders, are hypothesized to have less polygenicity, with greater effect size of each susceptible SNP, requiring smaller sample sizes to discover them. Here, we compare polygenicity and discoverability of brain structure traits, neuropsychiatric disorders, and other traits (89 in total) to directly test this hypothesis. We found reduced polygenicity (FDR = 0.01) and increased discoverability of cortical brain structure traits, as compared to neuropsychiatric disorders (FDR = 3.68×10−9). We predict that ~8M samples will be required to explain the full heritability of cortical surface area by genome-wide significant SNPs, whereas sample sizes over 20M will be required to explain the full heritability of major depressive disorder. In conclusion, we find reduced polygenicity and increased discoverability of cortical structure compared to neuropsychiatric disorders, which is consistent with brain structure satisfying the higher power criterion of endophenotypes.


Abstract Even though attenuation by dust strongly attenuates and reddens the UV/optical spectral energy distributions of spiral galaxies, quantifying these effects is challenging, particularly when, as is most often the case, infrared measurements of the absorbed energy are not available. We have initiated a study to model the dependence on inclination of the attenuation of light from galaxies measured in the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. We present preliminary results using SDSS galaxies in the phase-I GAMA catalogue, comparing observed attenuation-inclination relations with the predictions of the radiation transfer model of Popescu et al. (2011) to derive a statistical measurement of the mean face-on B-band optical depth of disks τfB in a sample of spiral galaxies complete to the SDSS spectroscopic r-band limit of 17.8 mag.


The Plate Tectonic Revolution that transformed Earth science has occurred together with revolutions in imagery and planetary studies. Earth's outer layer (lithosphere: upper mantle and crust) comprises relatively rigid plates ranging in size from near-global to kilometer scale; boundaries can be sharp (a few kilometers wide to diffuse, hundreds of kilometers) and are refl ected in earthquake distribution. Divergent, transform fault, and convergent (subduction) margins are present at all scales. Collisions can occur between several crustal types and at subduction zones of varying polarity. Modern plate processes and their geologic products permit inference of Earth's plate tectonic history in times before extant oceanic crust. Ophiolites provide an insight into the products and processes of oceanic crust formation. Ophiolite emplacement involves a tectonic process related to collision of crustal margins with subduction zones. The Earth's mantle comprises, from top to bottom, the lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, and a hot boundary layer. Plume-related magmatism may arise from bulges in the latter, which in turn may alternate with depressions caused by pronounced subduction, leading to assembly of supercontinents. Plate tectonic activity probably occurred on an early Archean, or even Hadean, Earth. Earth-like plate tectonic activity seems not to be present on other terrestrial planets, although strike-slip faulting is present in Mars's Valles Marineris. Possible extensional and compressional tectonics on Venus and an inferred unimodal hypsographic curve for early Earth suggest that Venus may be a modern analogue for a young Earth. © 2013 The Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.


BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a machine learning (ML) based prediction model for the risk of heart failure (HF) in patients with prediabetes or diabetes.

METHODS
We used 3527 subjects aged 40 years and older with a prior diagnosis of prediabetes or diabetes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018. The search for independent risk variables linked to HF was conducted using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. The 3527 subjects were randomly divided into training set and validation set in a 7:3 ratio. Five ML models were built on the training set using five ML algorithms, including random forest (RF), and then validated on the validation set. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis and Bootstrap resampling method were used to measure the predictive performance of the five ML models.

RESULTS
Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, poverty-to-income ratio, myocardial infarction condition, coronary heart disease condition, chest pain condition, and glucose-lowering medication use were independent predictors of HF. By comparing the performance of the five ML models, the RF model (AUC = 0.978) was the best prediction model.

CONCLUSIONS
The risk of HF in middle-aged and elderly patients with prediabetes or diabetes can be accurately predicted using ML models. The best prediction performance is presented by RF model, which can assist doctors in making clinical decisions.


We screened 124 individuals for single nucleotide polymorphisms of the alpha1, beta3 and gamma2 genes of the GABA(A) receptor in the regions corresponding to the ligand-binding domains on the protein level. In a patient with chronic insomnia, a missense mutation was found in the gene of the beta3 subunit. This mutation results in the substitution of the amino acid residue arginine for histidine in position 192 (beta3(R192H)). The patient was found to be heterozygous for this mutation. Functional analysis of human alpha1beta3(R192H)gamma2S GABA(A) receptors using ultra fast perfusion techniques revealed a slower rate of the fast phase of desensitization compared with alpha1beta3gamma2S GABA(A) receptors. Additionally, current deactivation [a major determinant of inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) duration] was faster in the mutated receptors. This raises the possibility of decreased GABAergic inhibition contributing to insomnia, as some members of the patient's family also suffer from insomnia. The mutation beta3(R192H) might, therefore, be linked to this condition. The intron/exon boundaries of the alpha1 subunit gene were also established and three additional variants were found in the alpha1 and beta3 genes.


The complex between diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA) and formic acid has been reinvestigated. Mixing the compounds in the ratio 1:1 leads to a phase separation in which the upper phase is DIPEA and the lower phase is the "ionic liquid" named DIPEF. A combined NMR and DFT study shows that the lower phase primarily is formic acid:formate and diisopropylammonium ions in the ratio 2:1 (acid:base) plus the formic acid dimer. Addition of more acid leads to more and more of the acid dimer. The proton transfer in the system is 65-80%. The structural picture presented in this paper is very different from that presented elsewhere. However, the present picture should be considered using acids and bases with a pKa difference less than 8. The formic acid content in the DIPEF ionic liquid causes desorption of the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) dye N719 from the photo anode, and DIPEF is therefore not a suitable electrolyte for DSCs.


Structured information extraction from document images usually consists of three steps: text detection, text recognition, and text field labeling. While text detection and text recognition have been heavily studied and improved a lot in literature, text field labeling is less explored and still faces many challenges. Existing learning based methods for text labeling task usually require a large amount of labeled examples to train a specific model for each type of document. However, collecting large amounts of document images and labeling them is difficult and sometimes impossible due to privacy issues. Deploying separate models for each type of document also consumes a lot of resources. Facing these challenges, we explore one-shot learning for the text field labeling task. Existing one-shot learning methods for the task are mostly rule-based and have difficulty in labeling fields in crowded regions with few landmarks and fields consisting of multiple separate text regions. To alleviate these problems, we proposed a novel deep end-to-end trainable approach for one-shot text field labeling, which makes use of attention mechanism to transfer the layout information between document images. We further applied conditional random field on the transferred layout information for the refinement of field labeling. We collected and annotated a real-world one-shot field labeling dataset with a large variety of document types and conducted extensive experiments to examine the effectiveness of the proposed model. To stimulate research in this direction, the collected dataset and the one-shot model will be released (https://github.com/AlibabaPAI/one_shot_text_labeling).


The quality of biomedical images can be enhanced by using several transformations reported in the literature. The enhanced images may be useful to extract the exact information from these scans. In recent times, researchers exploited various mathematical models to smoothen and enhance the quality of the biomedical images with an objective to extract maximum useful medical information related to functioning or malfunctioning of the brain. Both real and non-real time based techniques have been explored and reported for this purpose. In this proposed work, aura based technique has been investigated for enhancing the quality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the human brain. The aura transformation based algorithm with some modifications has been developed and the performance of the algorithm is evaluated on a series of defected, diseased, and normal MRI brain images.


An accurate understanding of the matrix-fracture mass transfer is fundamental to the modeling of fractured reservoirs. Nevertheless, the difficulty in an appropriate representation of this process comes from the fact that matrix and fracture interact in a particular manner depending on physical mechanisms as capillary imbibition. Capillary imbibition is considered through wettability in several mass transfer formulations (also called transfer functions) as the main mass driving force between matrix and fracture. This paper provides simulation results of waterflooding in two different scales of fractured models: Core plug models and extended models (a quarter of 5-spot), aiming to evaluate the influence of wettability and flow rate alteration on the matrix-fracture mass transfer. The methodology applied is based on sensitivity analyzes of wettability and flow rates scenarios, comparing parameters involved in matrix-fracture mass transfer: capillary continuity, fluid transfer rate, and hydraulic conductivity of the fracture system.
 The methodology is divided into three main parts. Initially, single-porosity models with an induced longitudinally fracture at laboratory scale are simulated, to obtain accurate models in terms of representative responses for wettability and flow rate changes. Secondly, dual-porosity/permeability models are constructed also at laboratory scale to analyze and compare answers to mass transfer. As a third stage, extended models are created attempting to analyze the impacts of sensitivity parameters of mass transfer on a larger scale. Results show that the increase of rock preference for water leads to highest oil recovery factors at low and high-water injection rates, benefiting mainly from the water spontaneous imbibition. Notably, the spontaneous imbibition in these cases is more considerable in low-rate scenarios, due to its larger contact time with water and rock. However, the increment on production may not be economically feasible, because of the long time (high pore volumes injected) needed to get this increase. In contrast, intermediate and oil-wet scenarios exhibit low oil sweep and displacement efficiency at low and high-water injection rates. Accordingly, these scenarios reach water breakthrough quickly and exhibit a less accentuated tendency to water saturation alterations if compared with a water-wet scenario.
 Results from single-porosity models show a good agreement between the water saturation distributions along the length and the effect of the induced fracture, validating its use. Results also reflect the effects of the fractured porous media formulations at both model scales as well as the effects of the shape-factors. In a numerical simulation study, this work shows the importance of close interaction between the wettability, flow rate changes, and the parameters that control matrix-fracture mass transfer. At last, the significance of these sensitive parameters is also demonstrated.


AIDS is now the leading cause of death in Africa, where twenty-eight million people are HIV-positive, and where some twelve million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS. In Zimbabwe, 45 percent of children under the age of five are HIV-positive, and the epidemic has shortened life expectancy by twenty-two years. A fifteen-year-old in Botswana or South Africa has a one-in-two chance of dying of AIDS. AIDS deaths are so widespread in sub-Saharan Africa that small children now play a new game called "Funerals." The Children of Africa Confront AIDS depicts the reality of how African children deal with the AIDS epidemic, and how the discourse of their vulnerability affects acts of coping and courage. A project of the Institute for the African Child at Ohio University, The Children of Africa Confront AIDS cuts across disciplines and issues to focus on the world's most marginalized population group, the children of Africa. Editors Arvind Singhal and Stephen Howard join conversations between humanitarian and political activists and academics, asking, "What shall we do?" Such discourse occurs in African contexts ranging from a social science classroom in Botswana to youth groups in Kenya and Ghana. The authors describe HIV/AIDS in its macro contexts of vulnerable children and the continent's democratization movements and also in its national contexts of civil conflict, rural poverty, youth organizations, and agencies working on the ground. Singhal, Howard, and other contributors draw on compelling personal experience in descriptions of HIV/AIDS interventions for children in difficult circumstances and present thoughtful insights into data gathered from surveys and observations concerning this terrible epidemic.


The object of this study is comprised by Stephen Leacock's (1869-1944) novel Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (1912). Through the advent of humour, the narrative gives readers an opportunity to reflect upon Mariposa, the fictional town where all events in the story take place, as a setting almost lost in space and time. My objective in this article is to investigate if, how, and why Mariposa is lost in space and time, attentive to the idea of individual versus collective identity and of local values versus universal ones. Cognisant that I am grappling with a narrative from the Early XX century Canada, I take such background into account for reflecting upon the epistemological contributions of the story as constructed by an unreliable narrator, as well as to raise the hypothesis that the novel might still have much to say to contemporary Brazilian readers. DOI:  10.5935/2179-0027.20170013


Mitotic catastrophe is a common mode of tumor cell death. Cancer cells with defective cell-cycle checkpoint often enter mitosis with damaged or under replicated chromosomes following genotoxic treatment. Premature condensation of the under-replicated (or damaged) chromosomes results in double-stranded DNA breaks at the centromere (centromere fragmentation). Centromere fragmentation is a morphological marker of mitotic catastrophe and is distinguished by the clustering of centromeres away from the chromosomes. We present an automated 2-step system for segmentation of cells exhibiting centromere fragmentation. The first step segments individual cells from clumps. We added two new terms, Weighted Local Repelling term (WLRt) and Weighted Gradient term (WGt), in the energy functional of the traditional Chan & Vese based level set method. WLRt was used to generate a repelling force when contours of adjacent cells merged and then penalized the overlap. WGt enhances gradients between overlapping cells. The second step consists of a new algorithm, SBaN (Shape-Based analysis of each nuclei), which extracts features like circularity, major-axis length, minor-axis length, area, and eccentricity from each chromosome to identify cells with centromere fragmentation. The performance of SBaN algorithm for centromere fragmentation detection was statistically evaluated and the results were robust.


Inspired by Knill's scheme for message passing error detection, here we develop a scheme for message passing error correction for the nine-qubit Bacon-Shor code. We show that for two levels of concatenated error correction, where classical information obtained at the first level is used to help interpret the syndrome at the second level, our scheme will correct all cases with four physical errors. This results in a reduction of the logical failure rate relative to conventional error correction by a factor proportional to the reciprocal of the physical error rate.


Current maize (Zea mays L.) planting date recommendations have not been updated in the state of Iowa since 2001. A state that produced 68.8 million tons of maize on 5.5 million hectares in 2016. It is imperative that this information be regularly updated as both climate and maize hybrid selection are constantly changing. We analyzed maize yield and phenology, from a multi-location, year, relative maturity (RM), and planting date (PD) experiment carried out in Iowa, US. The dataset was used to calibrate a sitespecific model (Agricultural Production System sIMulation, APSIM) and extrapolate APSIM results across Iowa, using a region scale model (parallel System for Integrating Impact Models and Sectors, pSIMS). Our objectives were to determine the combination of PD and RM to maximize maize grain yield by environment and to explain the risk associated with the use of full season RM when planting dates are delayed beyond the optimum PD. Additionally, the impact of climate change effects on optimum PD and RM selection by location were examined. Field scale analysis found slight grain yield differences between full and short season RM on a given PD with yield maximized when planting occurred at or before May 5. However, running a regional scale model over 36 years, we determined that a static recommendation of optimum PD is not suitable as large variation exists between locations within the state and between years. The coefficient of variation (CV) was 20% and 68% for the optimum PD within and between years respectively. Furthermore, the PD window, or time frame around the optimum PD to achieve 98% of maximum yield, across years was heavily influenced by latitude and RM selection. Overall, this study brings new results to assist decision making regarding PD and RM across Iowa.


The expression of metalloproteinases, such as type IV collagenase/gelatinase, enables tumor cells to degrade type IV collagen present in the basement membrane and correlates with metastatic potential of several tumor types. We found that increased levels of rat serum type IV collagenolytic activity are associated with increased 13762NF mammary adenocarcinoma metastases in lungs and lymph nodes of syngeneic rats. To investigate serum metalloproteinases responsible for type IV collagenolysis, we performed zymography and Western blot analysis of rat sera. A M(r) 92,000 progelatinase (progelatinase B, M(r) 92,000 type IV procollagenase, MMP-9) was detected on zymograms of rat sera within 16 days after intramammary fat pad inoculation of highly metastatic MTLn3 cells. The activated serum M(r) 92,000 progelatinase degraded sodium dodecyl sulfate-denatured type I and IV collagens but was not active on casein, albumin, hemoglobin, and immunoglobulin. Sera from rats with fat pad tumors and lung metastases formed from highly metastatic clones possessed greater than 7 times higher levels of serum M(r) 92,000 progelatinase than control sera or sera from rats bearing similar size fat-pad tumors of low or nonmetastatic clones. The results were confirmed by Western blot analysis of rat sera using rabbit anti-human M(r) 92,000 progelatinase antibodies. Similar results were obtained from the analysis of rat plasma samples. The serum and plasma M(r) 92,000 progelatinase levels correlated with the extent of metastases in the lung and lymph nodes. The results indicate that high levels of serum and plasma M(r) 92,000 progelatinase are associated with the presence of disseminated metastatic adenocarcinoma cells and suggest that this enzyme may facilitate the invasion of blood-borne tumor cells through vascular basement membranes.


panies spent $14.5 million, foreign countries including the Canadian provinces spent nearly $18.6 million, while the various states within the Union spent only $6.4 million. For the carriers, the largest sum for advertising was in newspapers, followed by television (which is far more expensive), and radio. Both foreign governments and U.S. state governments preferred magazine advertising to other media. In 1973, the states cut back 21% in their advertising in relation to 1972 expenditures. One state, North Dakota, spent nothing for tourism advertising, while California's budget was supplemented by expenditures of local tourism promotion groups. Restaurant Operations 1974, Laventhol and Horwath, 1845 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. 1975. 26 pages. Free on request.


Community detection is of great value for complex networks in understanding their inherent law and predicting their behavior. Spectral clustering algorithms have been successfully applied in community detection. This kind of methods has two inadequacies: one is that the input matrixes they used cannot provide sufficient structural information for community detection and the other is that they cannot necessarily derive the proper community number from the ladder distribution of eigenvector elements. In order to solve these problems, this paper puts forward a novel community detection algorithm based on topology potential and spectral clustering. The new algorithm constructs the normalized Laplacian matrix with nodes' topology potential, which contains rich structural information of the network. In addition, the new algorithm can automatically get the optimal community number from the local maximum potential nodes. Experiments results showed that the new algorithm gave excellent performance on artificial networks and real world networks and outperforms other community detection methods.


Etched hillock density on the -Z plane of a titanium-diffused LiNbO3 optical device was studied as a function of water vapor content in a diffusion atmosphere of oxygen and argon. It was found that the hillock formation depended greatly upon the water vapor content and the type of carrier gas. Furthermore, the shapes of the hillocks in the devices were observed on a microscopic scale. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) clearly showed the crystallographic shape of steeple-crowned pyramidal hillocks. The shape of the steeple (i.e., the core) was compared with a cross-sectional view of an etched LiNbO3 single-crystal c-axis fiber, and it was revealed that the core was a microdomain whose polarization was opposite that of the outer matrix. The mechanisms which cause the microdomains to form during the Ti-diffusion process are also discussed.


Turoctocog alfa pegol (N8-GP) is a glycoPEGylated human recombinant factor VIII for the treatment of hemophilia A. The safety profile of rFVIII, and polyethylene glycols (PEG) technology, is well-established. Conducting long-term toxicity studies in animals using human proteins can be complicated by anti-drug antibody (ADA) development. To evaluate long-term safety of N8-GP, 26- and 52-week toxicity studies were conducted in immune-deficient rats dosed intravenously every fourth day with 0, 50, 150, 500, or 1200 IU/kg N8-GP. Observations included clinical observations, body weight, ophthalmoscopy, hematology, chemistry, coagulation, urinalysis, toxicokinetics, antibody analysis, and macroscopic/microscopic organ examination. Immunohistochemical staining examined the distribution of PEG in the brain. No adverse test item-related findings were seen and PEG was not detected in the brain. Exposure was confirmed for ~75% of the animals dosed with 500 and 1200 IU/kg N8-GP; the high lower limit of quantification of the bioanalysis assay prevented confirmation of exposure in the lower doses. A small number of animals developed ADAs, and the proportion of animals surviving until scheduled termination was >80%. N8-GP was well tolerated, and the immune-deficient rat proved suitable for testing long-term toxicity of human proteins that are immunogenic in animals.


It has been reported that Pd nanoparticles were a little weak to bind to the dried microbial (yeast) surface, leading to the poor stability of the bio-supported catalysts. The objectives of the study are to construct stable Pd nanocatalysts supported on the dried yeast surface with the help of a tiny amount (<0.1 wt%) of reduced graphene oxide (Pd/yeast/rGO) and apply the catalysts in environmental pollutant remediation. The characterizations of the as-obtained Pd/yeast/rGO catalysts showed that reduced GO could cover Pd/yeast materials and prepare 15–21 nm Pd nanoparticles under acid and base media. The catalytic performance of the Pd/yeast/rGO catalyst was compared with that of control Pd/yeast catalysts without GO. The results revealed the kinetic constant Kapp in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol of Pd/yeast/rGO catalysts could reach 3.6 × 10−2 s−1 without stirring during the reaction, which was 2.4 times higher than that of Pd/yeast catalysts, and the Pd/yeast/rGO catalysts kept a good stability even after being reused in seven cycles. Furthermore, the catalysts also showed quite good catalytic activities on CO oxidation and decolorization of dye methylene blue (MB). Thus, Pd/yeast/rGO catalysts were proven to be highly active and stable for environmental remediation and have the advantage that they can prevent the loss of noble metals and be prepared conveniently from discarded microorganisms.


Integrated pest management of herbivorous pests relies on combining bio-insecticides and chemical insecticides for a satisfactory population control. The present study focused on evaluating the comparative toxicity of five insecticides, with different modes of action, against third and fifth instar larvae of Spodoptera littoralis and their influence on extent of oxidative stress in insect via detecting vitamin C content as well as measuring the activity of phenol oxidase (PO), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) antioxidant enzymes compared to control. The results revealed that emamectin benzoate and indoxacarb were the most potent insecticides among the selected insecticides, based on their respective LC50 values. Thiacloprid, indoxacarb and emamectin benzoate significantly reduced Vitamin C content. Almost all treatments significantly increased PO activity. Only emamectin benzoate and Bacillus thuringiensis significantly induced POX activity. Indoxacarb and emamectin benzoate increased CAT activity in both instar larvae, whereas thiacloprid and indoxacarb decreased GST activity. In conclusion, emamectin benzoate and indoxacarb were the most potent insecticides. Activity of oxidative stress biomarkers upon insecticidal pressure has showed variable response.


Studied were inorganic constituents of the ash from various parts of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) such as trunk, frond, mesocarp, endocarp (shell), kernel cake and empty fruit bunch (EFB) by scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDXA). As a result, K, Si, Na, Ca, S, P and Mg were found as elements in all parts of the oil palm studied. Particularly, Si and K were abundant in the trunk, shell, mesocarp and kernel cake, while the frond and kernel cake contained, respectively, K, Ca and P in a large quantity. The elements of Cl, Fe and Al were, however, detected only in some parts.There existed three types of shapes in the ash such as needle, sphere and fluffy substances in the oil palm. However, the needles were found only in the trunk with spheres. In some other parts such as frond, shell, kernel cake and EFB, fluffy and sphere substances were found in their ash, while in the mesocarp, only fluffy substances were observed. For the needles and spheres, elements of Na and Si were, respectively, found to be localized, whereas fluffy substances contained all of the elements such as K, Si, Na, Ca, S, P and Mg with sometime Cl, Fe and Al.These elements found are important and prerequisite for the healthy growth of the oil palm. Therefore, it may be concluded that, upon the whole utilization of the oil palm, inorganic constituents found in this study must be returned to the plantation site. Otherwise, the same has to be compensated to its site for sustainable development.


A device for uncovering imperfections in electrical conducting wire, particularly superconducting wire, by detecting variations in eddy currents. Eddy currents effect the magnetic field in a gap of an inductor, contained in a modified commercial ferrite core, through which the wire being tested is passed. A small increase or decrease in the amount of conductive material, such as copper, in a fixed cross section of wire will unbalance a bridge used to measure the impedance of the inductor, tripping a detector and sounding an alarm.


DevOps software development presents a fundamental challenge to traditional software security practices. Multi-day static and dynamic analysis run by a small pool of security experts is not a tenable model when the business demands multiple software releases per day. Modern system administration and quality assurance roles have adapted by using automation to empower developers to elevate code safely and as often as possible. By operating within the DevOps culture and tooling, security experts can educate developers and instrument systems in much the same way as other stakeholders in the development process. Proper abuse case development, metrics, unit, and integration testing can minimize risk while still enabling the rapid software development that businesses demand. Adapting AppSec to a DevOps World 2 Rebecca Deck, firstname.lastname@example.com


Background: The impact of mild acute kidney injury (AKI) observed in the immediate postoperative period after major surgery on long term renal function remains poorly defined. According to the "Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes" (KDIGO) classification, a mild injury corresponds to a KIDIGO stage 1, characterized by an increase in creatinine of at least 0.3 mg/dl within a 48-hour window or 1.5 to 1.9 times the baseline level within the first week post-surgery. We tested the hypothesis that patients who underwent moderate-to high-risk abdominal surgery and developed mild AKI in the following days would be at an increased risk of long-term renal injury compared to patients with no postoperative AKI.Methods: In this single centre retrospective study, all consecutive adult patients with a plasma creatinine value ≤ 1.5 mg/dl who underwent high-risk abdominal surgery between 2014-2019 and who had at least three recorded creatinine measurements (before surgery, during the first seven postoperative days, and at long-term follow up [6 months-2 years]) were included. AKI was defined using a "modified" (without urine output criteria) KDIGO classification as mild (stage 1 characterised by an increase in creatinine of > 0.3 mg/dl within 48-hours or 1.5-1.9 times baseline) or moderate-to-severe (stage 2-3 characterised by increase in creatinine 2 to 3 times baseline or to ≥ 4.0 mg/dl). Development of long-term renal injury was compared in patients with and without postoperative AKI Results: Among the 815 patients included, 109 (13.4%) had postoperative AKI (81 mild [KDIGO 1] and 28 moderate-to-severe [KDIGO 2-3]). The median long-term follow-up was 360, 354 and 353 days for the three groups respectively (P=0.190). Patients who developed mild AKI had a higher risk of long-term renal injury than those who did not (odds ratio 3.1 [95%CI 1.7-5.5]; P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, mild postoperative AKI was independently associated with an increased risk of developing long-term renal injury (adjusted odds ratio 4.5 [95%CI 1.8-11.4]; P=0.002).Conclusions: Mild AKI after high-risk abdominal surgery is associated with a higher risk of long-term renal injury one year after surgery.


The theoretical basis of Clambda and Ce is re-examined and consistent expressions derived involving the quantity Fwa which is a combination of a stopping-power ratio and an energy-absorption coefficient ratio, thereby taking into account the extent to which the ionisation chamber acts as an 'electron detector' and as a 'photon detector' for a particular radiation quality. An extension of the Spencer-Attix cavity ionisation theory to include energy dissipation due to photon interactions with the cavity wall and gas given in a recent paper by Nahum has been used to calculate values for Fwa appropriate to the Baldwin-Farmer ionisation chamber assuming an air-equivalent inner wall, and new values of Clambda and Ce are presented for this and similarly constructed instruments. Clambda also depends on whether the radiation is produced by a linac or a betatron of a given maximum photon energy. The new set of Clambda and Ce has been used to recalculate the experimental ferrous sulphate G-values of Law and Naylor with the result that the difference between G for high energy photons and electrons disappears.


the non-coding DNA is repeats either scattered through genome (dispersed repeats) or tandemly organized (tandem repeats, TR or satellite DNA)� These repeats are transcribed and the transcripts are involved in different processes including early preimplantation embryogenesis� However it is still unknown are the tandem repeats transcripts accumulated during oogenesis or the repeats are transcribed de novo in early embryo prior after the genome activation� The aim of the study was to check the presence of pericentromeric TR transcripts in preovulatory oocytes and to reveal its intracellular distribution� Methods� The TR of pericentromeric satellite 3 (HS3) as well as its transcripts distribution in GV, MI and MII oocytes was studied with DNA-DNA and RNA-DNA FISH, respectively� The colocalisation of HS3 DNA and RNA with RNA-helicase p68 (DDX5) involved in the HS3 transcription regulation was estimated by immunoFISH� The GV and MI preovulatory oocytes were obtained from donors after the informed consent had been signed� GV and MI donor oocytes are not used for gametes banking and are usually discarded� They were donated for scientific purposes after the ethic committee permission was granted� The presence of HS3 transcripts in transcriptome was verified with bioinformatics' methods of analysis of published preovulatory oocytes transcriptome (Zhang et al., 2018)� Results� The probe used was hybridized to pericentromeric regions of all chromosomes excluding 2,6,8,11,12,18,19 on lymphocytes chromosome spreads in DNA-DNA FISH experiments� In GV oocytes, the probe was revealed as the part of condensed heterochromatic ring included in the inverted karyosphere � In M1 and M2, the probe was localized to pericentromeric chromosome regions� In DNARNA FISH, the probe revealed 1 mkm granules in ooplasm in M1, M2 but not in GV oocytes� Pretreatment with RNAse eliminated the hybridization signal� The HS3 RNA granules were associated with the granules of RNA helicase p68 (DDX5)� The analysis of transcriptome revealed a polyadenilated HS3 transcript, that contained a sequence homological to the probe used in the experiment� The transcript contained also the sequence we describe previously as actively transcribed in senescent and malignant cells (Enukashvily et al., 2007)� Conclusion� HS3 transcripts are accumulated in human oocyte after the transition from GV to M1� The transcripts are not associated with chromosomes but are adjacent to granules of RNA helicase p68�


Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in hemodialysis (HD). An elevated incidence of cardiovascular calcifications (CVC) is observed in HD. Fetuin-A is an important inhibitor of CVC. Reduced fetuin-A levels associate with inflammation and increased cardiovascular (CV) mortality in HD. In this study we investigated the association of fetuin-A levels and CVC. Method: We evaluated a cohort of 115 patients (67 males), aged 63 ± 16 years with a HD vintage ≧9 months. Presence of CVC was assessed by ultrasound imaging of the abdominal aorta, common carotid arteries, bilateral ilio-femoral axis, aortic and mitral cardiac valves. The presence of CVC was analyzed as a CVC score (CVCS) (0–7) according to the number of CVC sites. Patients were arbitrary stratified in three groups: group I (CVCS = 0), group II (0 < CVCS < 6) and group III (CVCS ≧ 6). Patients without CVC were younger, non-diabetic and with a negative history for CV events. Results: Patients with evidence of CVC in more than 5 sites had lower serum fetuin-A levels (0.41 ± 0.22 g/l) compared to patients with CVCS = 0 (0.51 ± 0.17 g/l, p = 0.048). In addition a worse CVCS was associated with higher serum levels of C-reactive protein (p = 0.002) and fibrinogen (p < 0.001). Serum fetuin-A levels lower than 0.290 g/l were associated with higher risk of a worse CVCS, independently from traditional risk factors. Conclusion: Chronic inflammation in HD patients leads to lower serum fetuin-A levels. The present study confirms the independent and significant association between reduced serum fetuin-A levels and multi-site CVC in HD.


ICT accounts for approximately 2% of world CO2 emissions, a figure equivalent to aviation, according to Gartner estimates. In the remaining 98% software counts for both operationalizing the private sector in doing its business and the public sector in supporting the society, as well as delivering enduser applications that permeate personal life of individuals and families. Software can contribute to decrease power consumption (i.e., become greener) in at least two ways. First, by being more energy efficient, hence using fewer resources and causing fewer CO2 emissions. Second, by making its processes more sustainable, i.e. decreasing the emissions of governments, companies and individuals. To this end, enterprise software must be rethought to address sustainability issues and support innovative business models and processes. The special theme of the second edition of GREENS is "Leveraging energy efficiency to software users". This workshop brings together software engineering researchers and practitioners to discuss the state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice in green software, as well as research challenges, novel ideas, methods, experiences, and tools to support the engineering of sustainable and energy efficient software systems.


reports on the sustainable development of corporate entities that carry out socially significant activities in a country, region, or city has increased. International non-governmental organizations have developed standards for them, which form recommendations for improving their social responsibility. According to the standards, corporations should disclose in their reports information about their activities in the context of economy, ecology, and social sphere. The article analyzes current reports on sustainable development of large domestic companies engaged in exploration and production of hydrocarbons. The choice of this sector of the economy was not accidental, since these companies, through their activities, harm the environment, and their employees work in quite difficult and dangerous conditions. It is concluded that sustainability reports are not always complete, in particular, problematic aspects related to the social sphere of the company are at least partially omitted. In this regard, there is a need to introduce uniform regulatory requirements for disclosure of information on the social performance of an organization. At the same time, it is necessary to fix not only the content part, as a minimum, which should be described in the reports, but also to provide for the forms of such reports.


The rapid increase in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus as part of the metabolic syndrome in our current societies is largely the result of an increased caloric intake in combination with a sedentary lifestyle. Mitochondria are the organelles within our body that oxidize the constituents of our food, furthermore, they provide the energy for physical activity. An imbalance between energy supply and energy consumption at the mitochondrial level may be at the basis of the current epidemics of Type 2 diabetes. This review discusses underlying pathogenic mechanisms. In particular, it will focus on the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction in muscle and adipose tissue and the issue to what extent genetic factors are primary determinants for a mitochondrial dysfunction.


How cyclic AMP (cAMP) could positively or negatively regulate G1 phase progression in different cell types or in cancer cells versus normal differentiated counterparts has remained an intriguing question for decades. At variance with the cAMP-dependent mitogenesis of normal thyroid epithelial cells, we show here that cAMP and cAMP-dependent protein kinase activation inhibit S-phase entry in four thyroid carcinoma cell lines that harbor a permanent activation of the Raf/ERK pathway by different oncogenes. Only in Ret/PTC1-positive TPC-1 cells did cAMP markedly inhibit the Raf/ERK cascade, leading to mTOR pathway inhibition, repression of cyclin D1 and p21 and p27 accumulation. p27 knockdown did not prevent the DNA synthesis inhibition. In the other cells, cAMP little affected these signaling cascades and levels of cyclins D or CDK inhibitors. However, cAMP differentially inhibited the pRb-kinase activity and T172-phosphorylation of CDK4 complexed to cyclin D1 or cyclin D3, whereas CDK-activating kinase activity remained unaffected. At variance with current conceptions, our studies in thyroid carcinoma cell lines and previously in normal thyrocytes identify the activating phosphorylation of CDK4 as a common target of opposite cell cycle regulations by cAMP, irrespective of its impact on classical mitogenic signaling cascades and expression of CDK4 regulatory partners.


Removal of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) from soils using surfactant-enhanced solubilisation was studied both in batch and continuous flow arrangements to determine if there were advantages to using a combination of non-ionic (Tween and Brij) and anionic surfactants. It was observed that the presence of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate improved the DDT removal efficiency, but had a potentially negative effect on flow rates in column leaching experiments at concentrations over 0.1%. The potential for re-use of the surfactant mixture was studied and demonstrated by removing DDT and its metabolites from the surfactant solution using activated carbon. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering


To improve the cross-range resolution of three-dimensional (3-D) images obtained along the direction of movement by Multiple-Input Mmultiple-Output (MIMO) radar, a novel MIMO-ISAR 3-D imaging method that combines multi-snapshot images is proposed. This method integrates multiple single-snapshot 3-D images acquired by a planar antenna array during a specific period of observation and extracts the peak slice along the linear fitting direction of the scatterers to construct a new 3-D image. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed method significantly improves the cross-range resolution of the imaging results along the direction of movement compared with other methods based on single-snapshot 3-D images. Additionally, compared with the classical MIMO-ISAR method based on rearrangement and interpolation, this method is suitable for both fast-moving and slow-moving targets. Moreover, the imaging results are well focused and the side lobes along the direction of movement are effectively suppressed.


Objective To identify the factors influencing the completion rate of the course of rabies vaccinations without considering the economic factors or the drug supplies. Methods Rabies vaccination data from the Fourth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January 1 to December 31, 2020, were collected. This includes demographics, information on injury-causing animals, vaccination schemes, and injury assessments. Data on completed the course of rabies vaccinations were compared with data on uncompleted. Internal analysis of Zagreb regimen and Essen regimen was performed. The key factor affecting the completion of the course of rabies vaccinations was analyzed. Results A total of 1633 patients completed the course of rabies vaccinations, while 462 patients did not. There were differences between the two groups in terms of the vaccination scheme, age, and previous history of rabies vaccinations. The results of a multivariate analysis of variance showed that only the vaccination scheme was significantly correlated with the completion rate of the course of rabies vaccinations. The internal analysis of the vaccination schemes showed that the duration of the vaccination scheme directly affected the completion rate of the course of rabies vaccinations, and the vaccination duration was negatively correlated with the completion rate of rabies vaccinations. Conclusion The completion rate of the course of rabies vaccinations with Zagreb regimen was higher than Essen regimen. The completion rate was closely correlated with the vaccination scheme, but the duration of the vaccination scheme was the key factor. There was a linear relationship between the vaccination duration and the completion rate of the course of vaccinations, which can be represented by the following linear equation: the completion rate of the course of rabies vaccinations (%) = 98.342–0.999 × vaccination duration (d). Duration is the critical factor affecting the completion rate. To improve the completion rate of vaccination, it is recommended to use a shorter vaccination duration regimen.


The Schottky contact characteristics of Cr on n- and p-type 6H-SiC have been investigated by using I-V and C-V methods, and the barrier heights and ideality factors have been measured. Results obtained show that Cr is also an appropriate metal to form Schottky junction on n type 6H-SiC, as the barrier height of ∼ 1 eV is moderate for both low forward turn on voltage and low backward leakage current in device applications. However, the interfacial properties of Cr to p type 6H-SiC results in nonideal Schottky junctions.


Fertilization causes mature oocytes or eggs to increase their concentrations of intracellular calcium ions (Ca2+) in all animals that have been examined, and such Ca2+ elevations, in turn, provide key activating signals that are required for non‐parthenogenetic development. Several lines of evidence indicate that the Ca2+ transients produced during fertilization in mammals and other taxa are triggered by soluble factors that sperm deliver into oocytes after gamete fusion. Thus, for a broad‐based analysis of Ca2+ dynamics during fertilization in animals, this article begins by summarizing data on soluble sperm factors in non‐mammalian species, and subsequently reviews various topics related to a sperm‐specific phospholipase C, called PLCζ, which is believed to be the predominant activator of mammalian oocytes. After characterizing initiation processes that involve sperm factors or alternative triggering mechanisms, the spatiotemporal patterns of Ca2+ signals in fertilized oocytes or eggs are compared in a taxon‐by‐taxon manner, and broadly classified as either a single major transient or a series of repetitive oscillations. Both solitary and oscillatory types of fertilization‐induced Ca2+ signals are typically propagated as global waves that depend on Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum in response to increased concentrations of inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (IP3). Thus, for taxa where relevant data are available, upstream pathways that elevate intraoocytic IP3 levels during fertilization are described, while other less‐common modes of producing Ca2+ transients are also examined. In addition, the importance of fertilization‐induced Ca2+ signals for activating development is underscored by noting some major downstream effects of these signals in various animals. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 80: 787–815, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Job shop scheduling is one of the most difficult NP-hard combinatorial optimize problems, in order to solve this problem, an improved Genetic Algorithm with three-dimensional coded model was put forward in this paper. In this model, the gene was coded with 3-D space, and self-adapting plot was drawn into conventional GA, then the probability of crossover and mutation can automatic adjust by fit degree. The instance shows that this algorithmic is effective to solve job shop scheduling problem.


Formal methods are widely used in the computer science community. Formal verification and certification is an important component of any formal approach. Such a work can not be done by hand, hence the software that can do a part of it is rather required. The verification methods are often based on a deductive system and "verify" means "prove". Corresponding software is called proof assistant. We describe in this paper the System for Automated Deduction (SAD): its architecture, input language, and reasoning facilities. We show how to use SAD as a proof assistant. We outline specific features of SAD - a handy input language, powerful reasoning strategy, opportunity to use various low level inference engines. Examples and results of some experiments are also given


A transport code analysis using Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended code, MCNPX, has been used to propagate an extrapolated particle spectrum based on satellite measurements through the atmosphere to estimate radiation exposure during solar storms at high altitudes. Neutron monitor count rate data from stations around the world were used to benchmark the model calculations during a ground-level event (GLE). A comparison was made between the model predictions and actual flight measurements taken with various types of instruments used to measure the mixed radiation field during GLE 60. A computer code has been developed to implement the model for routine analysis.


High-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations on the structure of the interphase boundary between crystalline Al and amorphous Al2O3 coating reveal that an interfacial melting transition of Al occurs at 833 K, which is distinctly lower than the bulk melting point of Al. The crystalline lattice planes of Al near the interface bend or small segments of crystalline Al deviated from the matrix Al grains are formed. Stand-off dislocations formed at the interphase. boundary are also observed. The amorphous Al2O3 coating plays an important role in retaining the evidence for structural transition at high temperature to room temperature, which makes it possible to make experimental observations.


In two experiments, the effect of (in)stability of status differences on the perception of perspective legitimacy and in-group threat among intermediate-status group members (i.e., nurses students or nurses) was analysed. Both studies indicated that in downwardly unstable condition, legitimacy was lower and in-group threat was higher than in stable condition. In upwardly unstable condition, perceived legitimacy was higher and in-group threat was lower than in stable condition. The indirect effects of (in)stability via in-group threat on perceived legitimacy were significant.


In this work, the effect of vapor load and initial feed concentrations on column efficiency and liquid hold-up in a two- and three-phase packed distillation column at total reflux was investigated. Results for the two investigated mixtures (n-heptane, n-hexane, water) and (ethyl acetate, 1-butanol, water) reveal that column efficiency remains almost constant for the former mixture but changes significantly for the latter. Specific liquid hold-up and water to organic-phase volumetric ratio within the column affect the column efficiency due to variations in initial feed concentrations. Influence of vapor load on separation efficiency and specific liquid hold-up is also studied.


Background/Aims The eradication failure rate of standard triple therapy (proton pump inhibitor, clarithromycin, and amoxicillin) for Helicobacter pylori infection has increased owing to antibiotic resistance in Korea. We assessed whether Saccharomyces boulardii probiotic or broccoli sprout extract sulforaphane supplementation could increase the H. pylori eradication rate and/or reduce antibiotic-associated adverse events. Methods A total of 217 patients with H. pylori-positive chronic gastritis or peptic ulcer disease were recruited. Clarithromycin resistance was assessed in all patients by testing for A2142G and A2143G point mutations in H. pylori 23S rRNA using a dual-priming polymerase chain reaction (PCR) oligonucleotide. Thirty-four patients (17.3%) were clarithromycin-resistant and were excluded from the study. Finally, 183 patients with infections not resistant to clarithromycin were randomly assigned to triple therapy only (group A, n = 61), triple therapy plus probiotics (group B, n = 61), or triple therapy plus sulforaphane (group C, n = 61) groups. CYP2C19 polymorphisms were examined at position G681A of exon 5 and G636A of exon 4 by PCR with restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. H. pylori eradication was assessed by 13C-urea breath test 4 weeks after treatment completion. Results The eradication rates were similar among the groups both in the intention-to-treat (A = 85.2%, B = 89.6%, and C = 81.6%) and per-protocol (A = 89.2%, B = 86.8%, and C = 96.3%) analyses. The frequencies of overall adverse events in the groups also did not differ (A vs. B: p = 0.574; A vs. C: p = 1.000). Conclusions Probiotic or sulforaphane with triple therapy for H. pylori infection neither increased the eradication rate nor reduced the occurrence of adverse events.


The Visual Multimethod Assessment Fusion (VMAF) algorithm has recently emerged as a state-of-the-art approach to video quality prediction, that now pervades the streaming and social media industry. However, since VMAF requires the evaluation of a heterogeneous set of quality models, it is computationally expensive. Given other advances in hardware-accelerated encoding, quality assessment is emerging as a significant bottleneck in video compression pipelines. Towards alleviating this burden, we propose a novel Fusion of Unified Quality Evaluators (FUNQUE) framework, by enabling computation sharing and by using a transform that is sensitive to visual perception to boost accuracy. Further, we expand the FUNQUE framework to define a collection of improved low-complexity fused-feature models that advance the state-of-the-art of video quality performance with respect to both accuracy and computational efficiency.


Foliar trait adaptation to sun and shade has been extensively studied in the context of photosynthetic performance of plants, focusing on nitrogen allocation, light capture and use via chlorophyll pigments and leaf morphology; however, less is known about the potential sun-shade dichotomy of other functionally important foliar traits. In this study, we measured 19 traits in paired sun and shade leaves along a 3,500-m elevation gradient in southern Peru to test whether the traits differ with canopy position, and to assess if relative differences vary with species composition and/or environmental filters. We found significant sun-shade differences in leaf mass per area (LMA), photosynthetic pigments (Chl ab and Car), and δ13C. Sun-shade offsets among these traits remained constant with elevation, soil substrates, and species compositional changes. However, other foliar traits related to structure and chemical defense, and those defining general metabolic processes, did not differ with canopy position. Our results suggest that whole-canopy function is captured in many traits of sun leaves; however, photosynthesis-related traits must be scaled based on canopy light extinction. These findings show that top-of-canopy measurements of foliar chemistry from spectral remote sensing approaches map directly to whole-canopy foliar traits including shaded leaves that cannot be directly observed from above.


The alpha-Gal Syndrome is a delayed meat allergy characterized by the presence of sIgE against α-Gal epitope. It is known that the α-Gal present in tick saliva induces the sensitization to this epitope ending in the production of sIgG and sIgE to α-Gal. It could be considered that the more times a person is bitten by tick species, the higher the probability of making the switch from sIgG to sIgE to α-Gal and developing allergy, but it is no clear when the switch occurs. To determine the likelihood that a subject bitten by ticks but without AGS be at risk of developing this allergy, we quantified the levels of sIgG to α-Gal by an automated system (ImmunoCap). To stablish a cut-off value for sIgG to α-Gal, a receiving operating curve (ROC) was constructed. The statistical analysis demonstrated that the risk of suffering AGS in individuals bitten by ticks was 35% when the sIgG to α-Gal was greater than or equal to 40 µg/mL. Our data indicate that the sIgG values against α-Gal could be used as a prognostic marker for developing mammalian meat allergy.


The one-pot self-assembly of Mn2(CO)10, a bis-chelated diaminobenzoquinonato (ON∩ON) bridge (L), and a linear ditopic linker (N∩N) (L') has resulted into the formation of M4L2L2'-type manganese(I)-based tetranuclear metallorectangles of the general formula [{(CO)3Mn(μ-η4-L)Mn(CO)3}2(μ-(N-N)2)] (1-8), wherein L is 2,5-bis(n-butylamine)-1,4-benzoquinone (bbbq) and/or 2,5-bis(phenethylamino)-1,4-benzoquinone (bpbq) and N-N is 4,4'-bipyridine (bpy), trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl) ethylene (bpe), phenyl-1,4-bis(isonicotinate) (pbin), and N,N'-bis(4-pyridylformamide)-1,4-benzene (bpfb). Metallorectangles 1-8 were characterized by infrared, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, elemental analysis, and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. The molecular and crystal structures of 1•n(CHCl3) and coronene⊂3•coronene were determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. Host-guest binding abilities of 1, 3, and 7 with coronene, pyrene, and 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl were investigated using UV-vis absorption and emission spectroscopic techniques. Formation of host-guest complexes was further confirmed by the single-crystal X-ray structural analysis. Absorption of spectra of these metallorectangles showed high-intensity metal-ligand charge transfer as a broad band in the visible region. In vitro cytotoxicity assays were performed on 1, 3, 5, and 7 against lung, colon, and cervical cancer cells as well as normal cells. Compounds 5 and 7 were identified as visible-light-induced CO-releasing molecules from the myoglobin assay.


The process of developing and making music with Ferin Martino, a piano-playing software algorithm has opened up a number of inquiries surrounding modern performance and creativity. Although it is relatively simple program, it is capable of much unique, expressive output that maintains a consistent style. Instead of constructing musical passages note by note, its musical character arises from its structure, independent of content. Recombination of previously-played material ensures that the first randomly generated notes end up yielding musically and stylistically coherent passages without compromising the variety of musical material produced. A flow of pseudorandom numbers is dis- turbed by motion in front of a camera, making the music responsive to its surroundings. Human-machine collaboration with this system has been effective in a variety of applications ranging from background music to computer-aided composition and live performance. A brief explanation of the algorithm is followed by ex- plorations of its resulting character; strengths and challenges; and perspectives it inspires on the relationships between humans and machines and on twenty-first century musicianship.


The text analyses the revolutionary period from the point of view of economic history. On one side, it reintroduces economic disputes as factors to be considered in the understanding of some aspects of the revolutionary process itself and, on the other side, it analyses the effects of such process on the regional economies. Thus, the text highlights the strong differences between the littoral regions and the interior ones, which suffer greatly from the crisis of the internal market.


Abstract:  Vascular lesions such as hemangiomas and lymphangiomas can cause significant mortality and morbidity, as well as amblyopia when located in the orbit. Oral propranolol can regress infantile hemangioma during infancy and up to 23 months of age, but its effect on lymphangioma has not been demonstrated. We present two cases of lymphatic malformations treated with oral propranolol. Patient 1 is a 2‐year‐old boy with macrocystic bilateral cervical lymphangioma extending to the pharynx and larynx and microcystic lymphangioma of the tongue. The patient was started on propranolol 2 mg/kg/day starting at 17 months of age, and after 3 months only a very slight decrease in tongue volume was noted. Patient 2 is a 3.5‐year‐old boy with magnetic resonance imaging evidence of right facial complex lymphangioma with venous malformation. The patient was placed on oral propranolol 2 mg/kg/day. After 3 months of treatment, no change in the lesion was noted except for a transient decrease in the size of the conjunctival telangiectasia. Propranolol 2 mg/kg/day was not effective in treating lymphatic malformations in two children, both older than 17 months at the time of treatment.


Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer‑associated mortality among women in developed countries. Numerous microRNAs are aberrantly expressed in epithelial (E) OC, and are involved in EOC formation and progression. As such, microRNAs may be investigated as diagnostic and prognostic molecular biomarkers, and therapeutic targets for patients with EOC. For instance, microRNA‑455 (miR‑455) is abnormally expressed in various types of human cancer. However, details on the expression level, biological roles and underlying mechanism of miR‑455 in EOC remain unclear. In the present study, the expression of miR‑455 in EOC was detected, and its association with clinical characteristics was analysed. The functional roles and underlying mechanisms of miR‑455 in EOC were also investigated. The results revealed that miR‑455 expression in EOC tissues and cell lines was significantly downregulated. Furthermore, miR‑455 downregulation was correlated with tumor size, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and lymph node metastasis of patients with EOC. Restoration of miR‑455 expression efficiently inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in vitro. Notch1 was identified as a direct target of miR‑455 in EOC. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Notch1 were higher in EOC tissues compared with in normal ovarian epithelial tissues. Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that miR‑455 expression was negatively correlated with the mRNA level of Notch1 in EOC tissues. Notch1 overexpression was able to restore the EOC cell proliferation and invasion abilities suppressed by miR‑455. The present study provided evidence that the dysregulation of the miR‑455/Notch1 signalling pathway may be essential for EOC occurrence and development. In addition, the results confirmed the tumor‑suppressive roles of miR‑455 in modulating EOC proliferation and invasion through regulation of Notch1 expression. Thus, miR‑455 may be a novel miRNA‑based therapeutic target to treat patients with EOC.


One of the aims of the revision of the guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM), is to make it self-consistent as the current edition would combine frequentist and Bayesian statistical methods. The methods for type A evaluation of standard uncertainty in the GUM are considered to be 'frequentist' and hence would have to be replaced by their Bayesian counterparts. The aim of this paper is to propose Bayesian methods for four mainstream type A evaluations of standard uncertainty, based on the same assumptions as those underlying the current methods for type A evaluation given in the GUM. Specific attention is given to the computational aspects of the Bayesian methods. An approach involving weakly informative prior distributions is proposed to ensure a proper posterior distribution, still allowing the data to dominate it. The applications for which Bayesian methods are proposed include the calculation of a mean of a series of observations, analysis of variance, ordinary least squares and errors-in-variables regression. Examples H.3 (ordinary least squares) and H.5 (analysis of variance) from the GUM are reworked accordingly. The second aim of this paper is to propose Bayesian methods for type A evaluation that take the information typically available in metrology into account in the form of weakly informative prior distributions. These methods can applied in a wide variety of situations. By comparing the results from the proposed Bayesian methods involving weakly informative priors with their classical counterparts, it is seen that in most instances these methods give very similar estimates and standard uncertainties as classical methods do under the same conditions and assumptions. Estimates are often identical up to the last meaningful digit, and the standard uncertainties are usually slightly yet persistently larger in comparison to its classical counterpart. In many cases these differences turn out to have limited or little practical meaning, save in the case of a small series of observations, where the differences in the computed standard uncertainty of the mean is larger.


Some of the advanced nuclear reactors employ an ex-vessel core catcher to mitigate core melt scenarios by stabilizing and cooling the corium for prolonged period by strategically flooding it. The side indirect cooling with top flooding strategy described in this study may lead to water ingression either through the melt crust which may lead to interaction between un-oxidised metal in the melt and water leading to hydrogen production. In order to avoid this deleterious scenario, water ingression into the bulk of the melt should be avoided. The studies described in this manuscript show that water ingression depends on the flooding strategy, i.e. the time delay between top flooding and melt relocation. Two experiments under identical conditions of simulant temperature, melt material and test section geometry were conducted with simulated decay heat of 1 MW/m3. Sodium borosilicate glass was used as the corium simulant. In the first experiment, water was flooded onto the top of melt pool soon after melt relocation. In the second experiment, water flooding at the top of melt pool was made after 30 minutes of the melt relocation. The results show that a finite time delay of introduction of water onto the top of the melt pool is paramount to engender the development of a stable crust around the melt and therefore eliminating water ingression into melt pool and ensuring controlled coolability of the melt.


Traditional end-to-end task-oriented dialog systems first convert dialog context into dialog state and action state, before generating the system response. In this paper, we first empirically investigate the relationship between dialog/action state and generated system response. The empirical exploration shows that the system response performance is significantly af-fected by the quality of dialog state and action state. Based on these findings, we argue that enhancing the relationship modeling between dialog context and dialog/action state is beneficial to improving the quality of the dialog state and action state, which further improves the generated response quality. Therefore, we propose Mars , an end-to-end task-oriented dialog system with se m antic- a ware cont r a s tive learning strategies to model the relationship between dialog context and dialog/action state. Empirical results show our proposed Mars achieves state-of-the-art performance on the MultiWOZ 2.0, CamRest676, and CrossWOZ.


Using qualitative methodology, this research examines how graduates of a K-5 dual language immersion program have experienced multiple and competing social, cultural, institutional, and political forces at play in complex processes that ultimately affect one's mobilities of language, literacy, and learning. These students have now grown into adulthood, and the extent to which their past experiences as dual language students have affected their current language and literacy ideologies and practices is examined. As graduates experienced and internalized notions of Spanish as social, cultural, economic, and literacy capital, this likely contributed to current ideologies that greatly esteem bilingualism and biliteracy. The findings highlight that ideologies of language and literacy are neither static nor fixed, but over time, they have been molded and reshaped in a very fluid and lively process.


The major N-linked oligosaccharides from ovotransferrin were purified on a large scale. The oligosaccharides were released from 5 g of the glycoprotein using N-glycosidase F and isolated from a mixed bed ion exchange column. Reducing-oligosaccharides were reacted with ammonium bicarbonate to form a reducing-end glycosylamine which coupled with the N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester of Boc-tyrosine, resulting in tyrosinamide-oligosaccharides. Resolution of tyrosinamide-oligosaccharides on reverse-phase (RP)-HPLC necessitated the removal of Boc by treatment with trifloroacetic acid. Two major tyrosinamide-oligosaccharides were isolated from preparative RP-HPLC and were characterized by 500 MHz proton NMR and FAB-MS. These were a biantennary and triantennary oligosaccharide, each possessing a bisecting GlcNAc residue extending from the central core Man residue. Thus, ovotransferrin represents an abundant glycoprotein source from which to prepare multi-micromole quantities of bisecting complex oligosaccharides which may find utility in exploring the ligand specificity of mammalian lectins or may be used as synthons to prepare novel glycoconjugates.


We aimed to clarify the effects and issues of the partial insulation remodeling method from a lifestyle perspective by habitation-related experiment. The results are as follows: 1) Several residents frequently changed their pattern of opening and closing insulated sliding doors. Their lifestyles were affected by expanding the insulated area. 2) Another residents didn't change their pattern, because they felt comfortable even if the doors were open. It is necessary to consider the balance of the insulation in outer walls and doors. 3) It is necessary to develop insulated sliding doors which consider environmental items other than just the thermal environment.


A system of the type wherein LNG from a tanker (30) is offloaded to a moored vessel (16), which has a regas unit (36) which heats the LNG to transform it into gaseous hydrocarbons, and which has a pump unit (38) that pumps the gaseous hydrocarbons to a consumer (46) such as an onshore gas distribution facility. The system is constructed to enable more rapid tanker unloading so the tanker is released earlier to sail back to a pickup location. The moored vessel has a thermally insulated LNG storage facility such as LNG tanks (100), with a capacity to store all LNG not regassed during offloading of the tanker. The regas unit has sufficient capacity to regas all LNG received in one tanker load, before the tanker returns with another load of LNG. ® KIPO & WIPO 2007


Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIGs) preparations, which are used in the treatment of many immune-based diseases, also have an important place in hematology practice. It is an important treatment option with many different immunoregulatory roles. There is a limitation of its use on adult patients due to the lack of retrospective data. In our study, the retrospective usage indications, responses and rates of IVIG preparations evaluated in our Hematology Clinic and used in various indications between January 2010 and January 2020 were attempted to be put forth. Our targets for treatment responses were as follows: For immune thrombocytopenia, the platelet count target was 30000 x 103/µL and above; no hospitalization need for secondary hypogammaglobulinemia; no replacement need for hemolytic anemia after IVIG and a hemoglobin level above 8 g/dl. When 166 patients were examined in total, 66 were diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) (39.8%) . There were emergency indications for all patients with thrombocytopenia before getting a primary diagnosis. The number of patients who used IVIG before getting a primary diagnosis was 79 (47.6%), 41 of whom (51.9%) were diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenic purpura in follow up. The expected response was 36.1% with 60 patients within the entire patient group. With further examination performed after emergency usage, the diagnoses received by the patients were revealed. The response was 58.5% with 24 patients in whom IVIG was used under emergency conditions and deep thrombocytopenia before getting a primary diagnosis and were diagnosed with ITP after further examinations


Mutations in MARS gene cause dominant Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) 2U. The aim of this study is to investigate phenotypic heterogeneities and peripheral neuropathology of MARS‐related CMT patients. We identified a heterozygous p. R199Q mutation and an already reported heterozygous p. P800T mutation of MARS gene in two unrelated families using targeted next‐generation sequencing. The first pedigree comprised three patients over three generations and the second pedigree comprised two patients over two generations. In addition of an asymptomatic carrier in the second pedigree, all patients presented with childhood‐onset length dependent sensorimotor neuropathy with pes cavus. Nerve conduction studies revealed slowing of motor nerve conduction velocities (MNCV) of the median nerve indicating intermediate neuropathy in the patient with the p. R199Q mutation, and normal MNCV with reduced compound muscle action potential indicating axonal neuropathy in the patient with the p. P800T mutation. Magnetic resonance imaging detected a pattern of nerve changes similar to those in demyelinating polyneuropathies in intermediate type (p. R199Q mutation) patients compared with normal in the axonal type (p. P800T mutation) patients. Additionally, sural nerve biopsy revealed loss of myelinated axons with onion bulb formation in both mutations. By electron microscopy, a marked decrease of myelinated and unmyelinated fiber, neurofilaments aggregate with degenerating mitochondria and microtubule loss in axons were frequently found. Denervated Schwann cell complexes and few collagen pockets indicated involvement of unmyelinated Schwann cells. Therefore, the investigated MARS mutations cause not only the known axonal type but also intermediate type neuropathy with involvement of both axons and Schwann cells. Those findings are useful for the differential diagnosis of CMT patients with unknown MARS variants.


Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25 (OH) D) causes osteomalacia and rickets but there is good proof that lesser degrees of hypovitaminosis D have deleterious effects on bone and other organs. Evidence of impaired mineralization has been found in bone biopsies. Suggestive of vitamin D insufficiency. The increased bone resorption of vitamin D insufficiency is important. Increased bone resorption may lead to osteoporosis and increased bone loss and, increased turnover appear to increase fracture risk in its own. Serum 25 (OH) D levels should be maintained at 50 nmol/L or greater in the elderly to minimize the occurrence of fractures


Objective: To associate exclusive breastfeeding with central and peripheral adiposity measured by body mass index, waist and arm circumferences, triceps and subscapular skinfolds and their sum in preschool children. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 134 preschool children aged 3-5 years from a private school in Brasília, Brazil. All children had their body weight, height, waist and arm circumferences, and triceps and subscapular skinfolds measured. Children's parents answered a questionnaire about breastfeeding duration. Overweight and obesity were diagnosed based on the World Health Organization's classification for the body mass index for age. Results: Girls had higher adiposity in the triceps skinfold (p=0.001), subscapular skinfold (p=0.044) and in their sum (p=0.003), when compared to boys. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was similar between genders (25.4% for boys and 22.6% for girls), as it was exclusive breastfeeding (4.3 months for boys and 4.6 months for girls). A significant inverse correlation was found only between exclusive breastfeeding and waist circumference (r=-0.166; p=0.05). Other anthropometric variables showed a trend to present an inverse correlation with exclusive breastfeeding, but lacked statistical significance. Conclusions: The significant inverse association between exclusive breastfeeding and waist circumference indicates a possible effect of breastfeeding in body fat distribution in preschool children.


This essay analyzes the problem of displacement caused by climate change, focusing on issues of climate justice and the protection of climate displaced peoples (CDPs) and arguing for the creation of a collaborative cross-UN framework for CDPs, the numbers of whom are projected to grow drastically in the next thirty years. Informed by a critical analysis of documents from international organizations like the World Bank and UNHCR, among others, it articulates a set of criteria for successful integration of resettled CDPs to be utilized in the formation of a CDP framework. These criteria are formulated based on an understanding of the literature on the topic and the gaps present in current policy regarding CDPs. The essay then analyzes two cases of resettlement, one past and one ongoing, in order to demonstrate past issues in resettlement and to hypothesize the positive impacts that such a framework could have on climate displacement in the future by helping to fill gaps in policy. Based on this research and analysis, this essay concludes that a cross-UN framework could feasibly be pursued in order to provide CDPs with comprehensive protection


A bomb carried in a Ryder truck exploded in front of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City at 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995. The bomb claimed 168 innocent lives. That a homegrown, war-decorated American terrorist named Timothy McVeigh drove and parked the Ryder truck in the handicap zone in front of the Murrah Building there is little doubt. In 1997, a jury convicted McVeigh and sentenced him to death. The federal government, after an investigation involving 2,000 agents, also charged two of McVeigh's army buddies, Michael Fortier and Terry Nichols, with advance knowledge of the bombing and participation in the plot. Despite considerable evidence linking various militant white supremacists to the tragedy in Oklahoma City, no other persons faced prosecution for what was - until September 11, 2001 - the worst act of terrorism ever on American soil. The Oklahoma City bombing trials raise questions more interesting than the answers they provide. How, in four years, can an army sergeant and Green Beret aspirant turn so violently against the government he served? If there had been no Waco, would there have been no Oklahoma City? Did McVeigh want to be captured? Why did the government only bring charges against three men in connection with the bombing, when compelling evidence suggests that others played significant roles in the crime? We do not have clear answers to any of these questions - but some possible answers to these and other intriguing questions have come into better focus in the years since the McVeigh and Nichols trials.


This paper discusses the design and implementation of drug discovery grid (DDGrid) in details. The purpose of the drug discovery grid is to set up a grid environment with aggregated compute and data resources to provide the drug virtual screening services and the pharmaceutical chemistry information services. Then, emphasizes the analysis about the architecture and key technology of implementation of the DDGrid, and gives a particular description of the components of the DDGrid. Finally, the system evaluation of the DDGrid is conducted, and the job scheduling policy is analyzed


BACKGROUND
Dental caries is one of the most common microbial infectious diseases. The important method for as-sessment of oral health status is DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth). Recent studies have shown conflicting results regarding the relationship of antibodies with dental caries. This study aimed to investigate the salivary and serum IgA and IgG levels in adult caries.

METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 96 patients with dental caries who were referred to the specialized dental clinic in Yasuj. Based on the DMFT index, patients were divided into three groups. DMFT index in group 1, 2, and 3 were 0, 1 - 3, and more than 3, respectively. Salivary and serum levels of IgA and IgG were measured by nephelometric method. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, chisquared, and paired t-test.

RESULTS
The mean salivary IgA level in group 1, 2, and 3 were 0.259 ± 0.118, 0.264 ± 0.175, and 0.169 ± 0.106 mg%, respectively (p = 0.001). Also, the mean salivary IgG level in group 1, 2, and 3 were 1.360 ± 316, 1.320 ± 0.350 and 1.320 ± 0.370 mg% (p = 0.929). The mean serum IgA level were 1.443 ± 0.433, 1.805 ± 0.518 and 1.790 ± 0.700 gr% in group 1, 2 and 3, respectively (p = 0.363). Also, the mean serum IgG level in group 1, 2, and 3 were 9.275 ± 1.899, 10.257 ± 1.658 and 10.589 ± 3.113 gr% (p = 0.451).

CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that by decreasing the level of salivary IgA, the rate of dental caries and DMFT index increase and this indicates the protection mechanism against dental caries by IgA.


Background and Aim: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a global health concern, with more than 385 million people affected nowadays. Given its importance, many clinical trials were performed to evaluate aspects of this disease, especially the development and treatment of complications. The objective of this study is to elaborate a short review of the history, methodology, strengths and weakness of some major publications regarding T2D. Methods: We selected and carefully analyzed five T2D clinical trials based on the suggestion of 5 experts in Brazil and Belgium. Conclusion: In a time-line evolution, outcomes are becoming more objective. Recent trials have larger sample sizes with multiple recruiting centers and a successful attempt to avoid both random and systematic errors. Keywords:  Diabetes mellitus type 2 clinical trials short review


Inspired by Shusterman's concept of philosophy as an "embodied art of living," this paper revisits Johann Gottfried Herder's late Calligone (1800) from a somaesthetic point of view, arguing firstly that Herder's theory of the agreeable and the beautiful is based on his conception of aesthetics as a theory of the senses; and secondly that Herder's theory of art focuses on the relationship between art and life. Calligone should accordingly be re-evaluated, this paper maintains, in light of a recent development in aesthetics: from the philosophy of art to what is known as somaesthetics, aisthetics, or everyday aesthetics.


Prehispanic chiefdoms of Central Panama provide interesting cases for investigating whysocieties first began to organize themselves hierarchically and why members began to relate toone-another in ways that emphasized the relative status of each. The particular activities throughwhich a small number of individuals elevated their social status above the majority of apopulation, gaining influence over them, and the broader social circumstances that permitted thistransformation are critical to understanding processes that lead to the emergence of socialinequality. This dissertation presents data from archaeological excavations of households at thevillage of El Hatillo/He-4 -the principal political center of a prehispanic chiefdom that existed in the Rio Parita Valley of Central Panama between about A.D 700 and A.D. 1522. These data and the patterns they reveal provide a basis for comparison of domestic activities and contexts across time within El Hatillo/He-4. Identifying differences in households (observed synchronically and diachronically), like the organization of space and activities that were undertaken within, is among the best ways to understand why certain groups were socially more important and influential than others. The Rio Parita chiefdom, like most, also consisted of multiple villages socially unified under an elite leader, or chief, forming a more-or-less cohesive political unit, or chiefdom. Thus, principles of social organization and bases of authority extended beyond relationships among households at El Hatillo/He-4 to also include larger communities and outlying villages. Since household data do not permit us to understand interactions among groups across the village, let alone other villages in the polity, as clearly, the data presented in this dissertation.


Visual media is a better way to deliver the information than the old way of "reading". For that reason with the wide propagation of multimedia websites, there are large video library's archives, which came to be a main resource for humans. This research puts its eyes on the existing development in applying classical phrase search methods to a linked vocal transcript and after that it retrieves the video, this an easier way to search any visual media. This system has been implemented using JSP and Java language for searching the speech in the videos