Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous disease that can be sub-classified based on the specific alterations in oncogenes that drive it. While EGFR and KRAS are most often implicated in the molecular epidemiology of NSCLC, aberrations in several other genes have been shown to contribute to oncogenesis. These include mutation and/or amplification of MET, mutation in BRAF or chromosomal rearrangements involving ALK. Targeted therapy against these kinases has shown signs of therapeutic success; however, acquired drug resistance universally develops. Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) is a molecular chaperone that mediates the post-translational stability of its protein substrates, many of which are validated oncogenes. Hsp90 is emerging as an important target in cancer therapy because its inactivation results in the abrogation of multiple signaling pathways simultaneously, irrespective of the mutational status of its substrate. STA-9090 is a second-generation, synthetic, small-molecule Hsp90 inhibitor that has shown potent and selective activity preclinically and is currently in Phase 2 trials in a number of indications. We show here that in the presence of STA-9090, upregulation of the MET pathway, either through transient stimulation by its ligand, HGF, or through amplification of MET itself, is incapable of maintaining survival in EGFR-inhibitor-resistant NSCLC. To identify additional genetic lesions sensitive to Hsp90 inhibition, we screened a panel of wild-type EGFR NSCLC cell lines for viability in the presence of STA-9090. All the cell lines assayed, driven by mutations in genes such as PDGFRa, BRAF, PI3K and EML4-ALK or amplification of wild-type EGFR, were sensitive to STA-9090, with IC50 values between 10 and 150 nM. Further analysis demonstrated that STA-9090 potently destabilized the oncogenic driver for each cell line. In vivo, STA-9090 showed strong single-agent activity in xenograft models of human NSCLC carrying either a BRAF mutation or EML4-ALK fusion, in accordance with the sensitivity of these client proteins to the effects of STA-9090 action. Inhibition of Hsp90 activity therefore presents a promising approach for combating NSCLC induced by mutations in genes other than EGFR, as well as by compensatory pathways upregulated in the context of EGFR-inhibitor resistance. Title: Novel Hsp90 inhibitor, STA-9090, for combination with radiotherapy Poster Presentation April 4, 1:00 p.m. ET Abstract Number: 2677


An experiment was conducted at the Horticultural College and Research Institute for Women Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and Coimbatore during 2017-2018 to study the effect of micronutrients and plant growth regulators on growth, flower yield, pigment content and keeping quality of marigold (Tagetes erecta L). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications and 16 treatments. The study revealed that application of micronutrients mixture + GA3100 ppm (T2) showed the highest plant height (86.08 cm), the highest internodal length (6.73 cm) and a maximum number of branches (15.97) at 90 days after transplanting over the absolute control. Among the floral parameters, the earliest days to first flower bud appearance (51.61 days), days to first flowering (66.95 days), the longest duration of flowering (50.50 days), crop duration (144.40 days), maximum number of flowers per plant (69.19), the highest flower diameter (7.00 cm), flower weight (15.19 g), flower stalk length (8.94 cm), flower stalk girth (5.30 mm) as well as highest flower yield per plant (439.33 g) and longest shelf life of flower (6.49 days) were recorded with treatment T2-micronutrients mixture + GA3 100 ppm over the absolute control.


The possibility of atorvastatin in reducing the risk of periprocedural myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular events in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention is discussed.


The invention relates to a primary support mast structure of a boxed aircraft power unit. The box structure comprises a first half-shell (2) having a first free edge (21) and a second half-shell (3) having a second free edge (31). The first half-shell (2) and the second half-shell (3) are joined together by joining the first free edge (21) and the second free edge (31) so as to form said box. The constitution in two half-shells makes it possible to reduce the final cost price of the primary structure and the mast and offers potential gains in terms of cycle time for the production of an aircraft powertrain support mast. It makes it possible to obtain a very rigid box structure, which makes it possible to limit the number of ribs (C1, C5, C10) in the primary structure. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a structure.


The present study aims at investigating the effect of Brown episodic model on developing Saudi EFL students' vocabulary and grammatical competence. To achieve the purpose of the study, the researchers prepared a vocabulary as well as a grammar test, which were used as pre-posttests. Moreover, the passages, which were chosen from the New Headway Plus, were changed into dialogues depending on episodic model. The sample of the study consisted 60 male EFL Saudi student who were studying Islamic studies at the university college of Taymaa in the academic year 2017/2018.The sample of the study was purposefully chosen to apply the study. The participants of the study were assigned into two groups; 30 students in the experimental and 30 students in the control groups. The study adopted the experimental design since one experimental group and one control group were selected purposefully. The data obtained from the students' responses in the vocabulary and grammar tests were analyzed using proper statistics analyses. The results of the study revealed that the scores of the students in the experimental group in the posttest were higher than the scores of the students in the control group. The results revealed that using episodic model had a positive effect in developing the Saudi EFL students' vocabulary and grammatical competence in the experimental group.


Despite western legal scholars' almost universal rejection of the use of emotions in legal analysis, the unquestionable greatest social activist and grassroots legal reformer of our times, and perhaps one of the greatest in the annals of time, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, understood a basic yet profound fact concerning societal change — the transformative power of love. During the era where he achieved the greatest influence, Dr. King knew that societal-wide change could not occur without transforming the American psyche on the basic fairness of the civil rights struggle. This civil rights struggle, which is now so closely associated with King's proper place in history, occurred through victories in both our federal courts and through federal legislation. Arguably, the most important and influential victories of the era's struggle is the nationwide legislative victory of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and Title VII of that act, both of which were aimed to end discrimination.
The year 2014 marks the fiftieth anniversary of this most important victory, the landmark legislation that outlawed various forms of discrimination in voting, public facilities, public education, housing, credit, and employment (under Title VII). Title VII, which is the focus of this symposium issue, declared it an "unlawful employment practice for an employer... to discriminate against any individual... because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin." Congress' intent was to promote equal employment opportunities by prohibiting policies and practices that are prejudicial to historically mistreated groups, especially African-Americans. Indeed, as Professor Kerri Stone eloquently observed, "federal antidiscrimination law was passed in this country against the backdrop of a compelling need for certain historically discriminated-against groups to be afforded access, entree, and inclusion into public life, including employment."


Experiments were carried out extensively to study the effectiveness of promoters in reducing bed expansion in gas-solid fluidized beds with distributors of varying open areas. Four types of rod promoters, seven types of disk promoters along with one blade promoter were used in beds supported respectively on five distributors with open areas of 12.9, 8.96, 5.74, 3.23 and 1.43% of the column section. Four correlations for bed expansion ratio were developed respectively for the unpromoted and the promoted beds with rod, disk and blade type promoters. The values of bed expansion ratio obtained from the developed correlations agreed fairly well with the experimental values.


A great deal of attention has been paid by the writers of international law to the interpretation of Article 51 of the UN Charter. The most frequently canvassed issues have included the question of what is meant by an armed attack and whether self-defence is available only if such an attack occurs. And, the criteria of necessity and proportionality. Central to such matters is the crucial relationship between Article 51 and the rules of customary international law. It is clear that under customary international law. no reporting does not affect the validity of action taken in self-defence because there is no duty but only an expectation that a state should comply with the Charter requirement. However, Article 51 was introduced into the draft of the Charter of the UN at a late stage at the insistance of Latin American states not to safeguard the right of individual self-defence but to preserve the efficacy of collective security arrangements. Article 51 was drafted on the assumption that the council would be able to respond rapidly to a Situation falling within Article 51, the history of the UN has, for the most part demonstrated the council's incapacity to function effectively. The problem with this assessment is that the actions taken by the council in a particular case are not dictated by legal criteria indicated in Article 51 but by what is politically feasible. It is possible, if not likely there will be a significant gap between the scope of the measures agreed upon by the council and what is regarded as an appropriate objective for the exercise of the right of self-defence from the point of view of the state exercising that right.


In this paper we propose a new method for solving the wind-power prediction problem, based on a recurrent neural network approach. Wind energy is free but the power supply generated from wind energy is not known in advance. Short-term wind power prediction becomes an extremely important field of research for the energy sector. Romania has a great potential for growth on short- to medium-term, for the wind energy industry. Because of its location along the western shore of the Black Sea, the average wind speed stands at about 25.2 kilometers per hour. The conferred results validate the proficiency of the described technique in short-term wind power forecast.


The lithiation of ethylenediamine by LiH is a stepwise process to form the partially lithiated intermediates LiN(H)CH2 CH2 NH2 and [LiN(H)CH2 CH2 NH2 ][LiN(H)CH2 CH2 N(H)Li]2 prior to the formation of dilithiated ethylenediamine LiN(H)CH2 CH2 N(H)Li. A reversible phase transformation between the partial and dilithiated species was observed. One dimensional {Lin Nn } ladders and three-dimensional network structures were found in the crystal structures of LiN(H)CH2 CH2 NH2 and LiN(H)CH2 CH2 N(H)Li, respectively. LiN(H)CH2 CH2 N(H)Li undergoes dehydrogenation with an activation energy of 181±8 kJ mol(-1) , whereas the partially lithiated ethylenediamine compounds were polymerized and released ammonia at elevated temperatures. The dynamical dehydrogenation mechanism of the dilithiated ethylenediamine compounds was investigated by using the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami equation.


Morf and Rhodewalt (this issue) provide a masterful summary of the research literature on narcissism. In their view, narcissists are highly motivated to gain the admiration of others, and their attempts to fulfill this motivation are ultimately costly and self-defeating because they ruin the relationships on which they seemingly rely for the admiration they seek. Our comment is intended to carry this analysis one step further. Narcissism can be considered a pattern of addiction. That is, narcissism may not be a lifelong personality trait in the usual sense but rather a pattern of yielding to inner urges in a way that proves costly and self-destructive-not unlike other, more familiar addictions. As a result, a narcissist's life may be characterized not by a stable sense of inflated self-regard, but rather by periods of relative normality punctuated by phases of self-aggrandizing inflation, possibly leading to destructive consequences that may occasionally cause the person to revert to a more normal, balanced view of self To be sure, an addiction analogy may seem directly contrary to Morf and Rhodewalt's depiction of narcissistic self-regulation, because addiction is often understood precisely as a failure of self-regulation. Yet the contradiction may be more apparent than real. Addicts do indeed often fail because they indulge their appetites to destructive extremes, but along the way, they may exhibit considerable and effective self-regulation as they manage their activities and affairs toward the goal of satisfying their addictive cravings. Indeed, maintaining a certain level of heroin or alcohol in the bloodstream can be regarded as itself a form of self-regulation-and one that has much in parallel with maintaining a steady inflow of social admiration.


Workers in the building, renovation, and demolition of roads and commercial structures in the U.S. suffer a disproportionate share of occupational fatalities and lost-time injuries. Nearly all of the injuries and deaths are preventable. The fatality rate from work-related ailments, such as cancers and silicosis, is believed to be excessive, but is not generally computed. The safety and health problems are tied largely to the construction industry's organization and how the work is performed. Many hazardous exposures result from inadequacies in access to information, measurement technology, and personal protective equipment. Potential solutions are in labor-management site safety and health planning and management, education and training of workers and supervisors, new technologies, federal regulation, workers' compensation law, medical monitoring, and occupational health delivery. Public health opportunities involve health care delivery systems, improved preventive medicine, disability determination and rehabilitation programs, and research, beginning with the standardization of data to monitor these problems.


. The OntoREA© accounting and finance model [1] indicates already in its name a fundamental distinction, i.e. the distinction between the accounting related backward looking perspective into the past and the finance related forward looking perspective into the future. Accordingly, in accounting current economic events are recorded and persisted and in finance future related commitments are addressed. Concerning the completeness of accounting and finance concepts there is an asymmetry in the OntoREA© model. The accounting concepts are completely covered, whereas in the coverage of the forward looking finance perspective one main deficiency exists: The uncertainty surrounding the forward looking perspective is not specified. In this article the problem of the missing uncertainty representation in the OntoREA© accounting and finance model is explicitly addressed. The novel approach consists in directly linking uncertainty to commitments. By conceptualizing uncertainty according to the stochastic concepts that underlie the option pricing [2–4] and the intertemporal equilibrium pricing theory [5], the missing representation is solved. Furthermore, the stochastic concepts have a precise on-tological meaning [6, 7]. Hence, the extension of the current model with the proposed uncertainty representation gives a well-founded stochastic model of the accounting and finance domain.


Algamune™ is a commercial additive produced from Euglena gracilis, providing a rich source of the β-1,3-glucan paramylon. Isolated kidney phagocytes of Nile tilapia were incubated with graded doses (0, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 μg/ml) of Algamune™ and purified paramylon to gauge their ability to elicit the production of reactive oxygen species. A linear response was observed for extracellular superoxide anion for both sources but only Algamune™ for intracellular superoxide anion. After corroborating the immunostimulant properties ex vivo, a feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the dietary supplementation of Algamune™ (0, 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg of diet) for Nile tilapia. Fish were fed for 3 weeks, after which, fish were sampled for blood and head kidney phagocytes. The remaining fish were challenged with Streptococcus iniae. Macrophage extracellular superoxide anion production was significantly elevated in fish fed diets with 200 mg of Algamune™ kg-1 when compared to fish fed the basal diet. Even though the disease challenge did not show statistical differences, it is worth mentioning that fish fed intermediate doses of Algamune™ had lowest numerical mortality values. Therefore, Algamune™ was demonstrated to enhance some immunological responses of tilapia both in ex vivo and in vivo.


Clone 7 can increase three-fold the production of navel oranges in Puerto Rico. Clone 7 produced 293 fruits per tree. The number and weight of fruits per tree increased with age, whereas the size and fruit weight, navel volume and peel weight diminished. Growth measurements such as rootstock and scion diameter, scion/rootstock ratio, canopy diameter, tree height, and canopy volume are not as good parameters for the selection of navel orange clones as the number of fruits per m 3  of canopy volume. Screening for varieties according to yield revealed that clones 5 and 7 were the most productive and that they should be recommended to the citrus growers. Clones 5 and 7 also had the highest Brix and acidity values, and an intermediate pH, which contribute to an appropriate Brix/acid ratio, typical of the high quality of these navel clones. The smallest fruits had significantly the highest juice percentage.


This thesis is about the influence of the teacher development centres (TDCs) as a support strategy for the professional development (PD) of primary school teachers in Malawi. PD of teachers is becoming an integral part of educational reforms in many countries. However, supporting and sustaining PD especially in poor countries is quite challenging. Many countries have adopted the use of teacher centres (TCs) as a support strategy for the PD of teachers and the TDCs in Malawi are an adaptation of the TCs from developed countries such as Britain where the concept of TCs was first hatched.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the TDCs as a support strategy for the PD of primary school teachers in Malawi. The issues investigated included: activities which take place at the TDCs; teacher involvement in the PD activities at the TDCs; teacher changes in their professional practices as a result of their involvement in the PD activities at the TDCs; and factors which affect the sustainability of the TDCs in providing support for the PD. I develop an adult learning approach to a study of the influence of the TDCs as a support strategy for the PD of teachers and I demonstrate how the theories of adult learning can be used to investigate how teachers learn with the support of the TDCs.

The study was conducted in four TDCs in Zomba rural and Zomba urban in the South East Division in Malawi. I used both quantitative and qualitative approaches, which involved the use of questionnaire surveys and semistructured interviews to collect data. A total of 586 teachers were involved in the questionnaire surveys. A total of 16 teachers and 22 other key education personnel who were strategically linked to the establishment of the TDCs for TPD in Malawi were involved in the semi-structured interviews. To increase the validity of the data and the findings, I used both methodological and data source triangulation.

The findings of this study indicated that there were a variety of activities taking place at the TDCs and that some of them were of little relevance to TPD. The majority of teachers were involved in the TDC activities and that some teachers noted in themselves some transformation. However, the findings also revealed that teacher involvement in the TDC activities was constrained by limited access to the TDCs due to the long distances which some teachers had to travel to the TDCs; teachers' desire for workshops and monetary gains due to poverty; ineffective management of TDCs due to variations in the composition of the TDC committee members whereby some members had little formal education; limited coordination of the TDC activities due to lack of training of the TDC coordinators in TPD and the TDC coordinators had too many roles and responsibilities which were in conflict with those of the coordination of the TDCs; inadequate resources in the TDCs to support teachers in their PD; and lack of clear policy guidelines in the operations of the TDCs.

In light of the findings of this study, it was concluded that the TDCs as a support strategy for the PD of teachers were implicit because they did not exert much influence on TPD. However, to have an explicit support strategy there was the need for a clear policy that would guide the operations of the TDCs in Malawi.


Resilience is widely recognized as a form of psychological capital that helps entrepreneurs cope with challenges in the face of adversity by actively adjusting business strategies. Prior research has investigated the effect of resilience on pivoting, which is an important entrepreneurial decision to forgo the original business opportunity and exploit new opportunities. Despite the increasing empirical evidence on the effect of resilience on strategic changes and the pivot, the literature may have overstated the benefits of entrepreneurial resilience while neglecting its potential dark sides. Hence, the current study focuses on the structure of resilience within an entrepreneurial team and introduces the concept of resilience diversity. Drawing from sensemaking theory, we develop a research framework that investigates the dark-side effects of resilience diversity on team reflexivity and pivoting and the moderating effect of environmental hostility. Empirical results from a two-wave survey of 112 entrepreneurial teams in China reveal that resilience diversity negatively affects pivoting by impairing the quality of team reflexivity. Moreover, the mediating effect of team reflexivity is strengthened in hostile environments. These findings contribute to the literature on entrepreneurial resilience, pivot, and team reflexivity, and provide important practical implications for entrepreneurial teams.


This paper elaborates on the design, implementation and performance evaluation of a prototype Radio Resource Management (RRM) framework for opportunistic TV white spaces (TVWS) exploitation, under an auction-based approach. The proposed RRM framework is applied in a centralised Cognitive Radio (CR) network architecture, where exploitation of the available TVWS by Secondary Systems is orchestrated via a Spectrum Broker. Efficient RRM framework performance, as a matter of maximum-possible resources utilization and benefit of Spectrum Broker, is achieved by proposing, implementing and evaluating an auction-based algorithm. This auction-based algorithm considers both frequency and time domain during TVWS allocation process which is defined as an optimization problem, where maximum payoff of Spectrum Broker is the optimization goal. Experimental tests that were carried-out under controlled conditions environment, verified the validity of the proposed framework, besides identifying fields for further research.


ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of chest wall distortion on esophageal manometry by measuring simultaneous esophageal pressure changes at two sites in preterm infants. Fourteen infants were studied (mean ± SD: birth weight, 1340 ± 260 g; age, 8.5 ± 4 d). Esophageal pressure was measured through two water-filled catheters, one placed just above the cardia (Pes1) and the other at the level of the carina (Pes2). Chest wall distortion was measured by inductance plethysmography, and inspiratory and expiratory flow by pneumotachography. No significant differences were found between the peak to peak esophageal pressure changes measured through the lower and higher catheters during both airway occlusion (18.7 ± 4.4 versus 18.3 ± 2.6 cm H2O) and spontaneous breathing (9.4 ±1.8 versus 9.0 ± 1.8 cm H2O), although half of the infants had significant chest wall distortion. Mean pulmonary compliance and resistance measures calculated from the two pressures for individual infants showed small differences consistent with the difference between Pes1 and Pes2. For the whole group of 14 infants, however, these differences were not significant. The pressure changes from the lower and higher measuring sites for each breath were analyzed using linear regression. The weighted average of the mean slopes of the 14 infants was significantly different from 1.0 (mean ± SD: 0.92 ± 0.10, range: 0.75-1.10; p < 0.05). In some of the infants, the slopes for different breaths were not consistent, but varied from breath to breath. Neither this breath to breath variability in the relationship between Pesl and Pes2, nor the mean slopes were related to the degree of chest wall distortion. The results indicate that esophageal pressure measurements in preterm infants are not as dependent on the position of the catheter tip and the degree of chest wall distortion as previously suggested. A tip positioned between the cardia and the level of the carina transmits pleural pressure changes reliably.


Background: Malaria is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in sub Saharan Africa. Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) with Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) has been proven efficacious in reducing the burden of malaria in pregnancy. However its use is contraindicated in some individuals and malaria resistance to SP has been reported. Therefore there is a need to seek for effective alternatives. This study sought to compare the effectiveness of proguanil versus SP for malaria chemoprophylaxis in pregnancy. Methodology: This was a randomised controlled trial of women attending antenatal clinic at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria from January 2010 to September 2010. Three hundred and fifty participants were recruited at booking, randomized into two groups using a table of random numbers and monitored till delivery. One group received daily proguanil while the other received SP for malaria prophylaxis. Blood samples were taken for their haematocrit and malaria parasites at booking and delivery. The results were compared. Data management was with SPSS 15 for Windows® statistical soft ware. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of maternal malaria parasitaemia in this study was 29.9% at booking and 12.5% at delivery. The prevalence at delivery in women given SP and proguanil was 10.6% and 14.4% respectively. This was not statistically significant (P=0.429). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of preterm delivery (P=0.262), cord blood parasitaemia (P=0.385), low birth weight (P=0.175) and birth asphyxia (P=0.367) between the two study groups. Conclusion: There was no significant difference between intermittent preventive treatment with sulphadoxinepyrimethamine and the use of daily proguanil so larger studies with proguanil are warranted.


The present invention relates to a method, system, and computer readable recording medium for billing online advertisements. According to the present invention, a method is provided for billing an advertisement sponsor for an advertisement provided on the network, comprising a step wherein the frequency with which said advertisement placement occurred is compared with the frequency of a reference placement; a step in which a base charge amount that has been set up in advance for said advertisement is billed if the frequency of placement of said advertisement is equal to or less than said frequency of reference placement; and a step in which said base charge amount and a charge amount based on the frequency of user selection occurring with respect to said advertisement in excess of said reference placement frequency are charged if the frequency of placement of said advertisement exceeds said reference placement frequency.


Cities are complex systems composed of numerous interacting components that evolve over multiple spatio-temporal scales. Consequently, no single data source is sufficient to satisfy the information needs required to map, monitor, model, and ultimately understand and manage our interaction within such urban systems. Remote sensing technology provides a key data source for mapping such environments, but is not sufficient for fully understanding them. In this article we provide a condensed urban perspective of critical geospatial technologies and techniques: (i) Remote Sensing; (ii) Geographic Information Systems; (iii) object-based image analysis; and (iv) sensor webs, and recommend a holistic integration of these technologies within the language of open geospatial consortium (OGC) standards in-order to more fully understand urban systems. We then discuss the potential of this integration and conclude that this extends the monitoring and mapping options beyond "hard infrastructure" by addressing "humans as sensors", mobility and human-environment interactions, and future improvements to quality of life and of social infrastructures.


The grass squid Pickfordiateuthis vossi Brakoniecki, 1996 is a dwarf species distributed along the northwest coast of Mexico. In the eastern Pacific, little is known about its distribution and life cycle. Two specimens, which are considered the smallest individuals of the genus collected to date, were caught in zooplankton trawls during 2 oceanographic cruises (January and March 1998) carried out in the central Mexican Pacific. The paralarval and juvenile stages are described and represent a new record in the area, with a range extension of 600 km southwest from the nearest previous record.


Increasing evidence shows that telomere length shortening is associated with the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), pointing to a potential modifiable target for prevention. However, the causality of this association is still not clear. To investigate the causal relationship between telomere length and AD, we use two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess potential causal inference. We used summary-level data for telomere length (9,190 participants) and AD (71,880 cases and 383,378 controls). We performed two-sample MR analysis with single nucleotide polymorphisms previously identified to be associated with telomere length. The MR analyses were conducted using the inverse-variance-weighted method and complemented with the maximum likelihood, weighted median, weighted mode approaches. MR evidence suggested that shorter telomere length was causally associated with a higher risk for AD (inverse-variance weighted estimate of odds ratio (OR): 1.03 per SD decrease of telomere length, P=1.21×10−2). The maximum likelihood, weighted median, weighted mode yielded a similar pattern of effects. The results were similar in sensitivity analyses. Using genetic instruments identified from large-scale genome-wide association study, robust evidence supports a causal role of telomere length shortening with increased risk of AD.


HnRNP Q1 is a RNA-binding protein which belongs to hnRNP Q family and involves in pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA transport, translation and turnover. Data from Oncomine, which is a cancer microarray database, indicates that hnRNP Q1 is overexpressed in colorectal cancer. According the literatures, hnRNP Q1 can increase the translational efficiency through binding to the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of target genes. From RNA-IP assay following the next generation sequencing (NGS), we found that hnRNP Q1 regulates a group of cell cycle-related genes. Among them, Aurora-A is one of the targets of hnRNP Q1. Aurora-A is a cell-cycle dependent kinase involved in regulating centrosome duplication, maturation, and spindle assembly during mitosis. Abnormally elevated Aurora-A will cause mitotic defect and aneuploidy, which might lead to genomic instability and tumorigenesis. In addition, overexpression of hnRNP Q1 is positively correlated with overexpressed Aurora-A in clinical colorectal cancer tissues. Our previous report demonstrated that Aurora-A can be translational up-regulated in colorectal cancer. In this study, we demonstrated that hnRNP Q1 can bind to Aurora-A 5′-UTRs and also mapped the interacting domain between Aurora-A 5′UTR and hnRNP Q1 has been mapped by Biacore analysis, RNA-IP and biotin pull-down assay. Overexpressed hnRNP Q1 enhances the Aurora-A protein expression but doesn9t alter its mRNA level. In contrast, repressed expression of hnRNP Q1 decreases the translation of Aurora-A. Importantly, we found that Aurora-A 5′UTR has IRES-dependent translational activity in a cell cycle regulated manner. Overexpression of hnRNP Q1 can up-regulate the IRES-dependent translation of Aurora-A during cell cycle progression, and promotes the cells proliferation. Taken together, our data indicate hnRNP Q1 is a novel trans-acting factor that binds on the Aurora-A 5′-UTRs and regulates it9s translation, which may increase the cell proliferation and contribute to the tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer. Citation Format: Liang-Yi Hung. HnRNP Q1 contributes to tumorigenesis through the translational regulation of Aurora-A in colorectal cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2127. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2127


This research have aim to: 1) To know learning outcome of physics by use Contextual Teaching and Learning by use flash animation media to subject matter vibration and wave on grade XII semester I SMA N 2 Kisaran. 2) To know learning outcome of physics by use Conventional model to subject matter vibration and wave on grade XII semester I SMA N 2 Kisaran . 3) To know what are effect of Contextual Teaching and learning by use flash animation media to subject matter vibration and wave on grade XII semester I SMA N 2 Kisaran. Type of this research is quasi experiment with population all student grade XII SMA N 2 Kisaran it consist of 4 classes. Sample of this research take 2 class that determine with cluster random sampling technique, is grade XIIA-1 by use Contextual Teaching and Learning and grade XIIA-2 by use Conventional model. Instrument question was used in this research is multiple choise with 5 option as many 20 question was expressed valid and reliabel.From result of research get average pretest score in experiment class is 41,88 and in control class get average pretest score is 42,81. After did treatment to each of class get average posttest in class by use Contextual Teaching and Learning as 80,31 while student by use Conventional model get average posttest score 75,63. On hypothesis testing get tcalculate > ttable is 6,901> 1,6697 on significance level α = 0,05 and dk = 62. It mean Ha accepted that mean there is a significant effect of Contextual Teaching and Learning by use flash aniamtion media to subject matter vibration and wave on grade XII smemester I SMA N Kisaran Year 2012/2013


Limited access to specialty care in rural settings may result in more expectations of primary care providers and a higher demand for primary care. The authors used survey and administrative data from 1999 from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to compare primary care practice management and performance in 19 rural to 103 urban VHA hospitals nationally. Rural VHA hospitals were smaller, less likely to be academically affiliated, and had fewer integrated specialty care services. Primary care providers in rural settings were more likely to manage specialty care services, provide continuity across patient care settings, and have complete responsibility for a broader range of services. However, rural hospitals had more staff per patient allocated to primary care than did urban hospitals. Patients in rural settings received comparable quality care to those in urban settings, and they appeared to be more satisfied with the care they received. Within the VHA system, primary care providers in rural settings provided a broader range of services than those in urban ones. This increased breadth may be attributable to the lack of availability of integrated specialty care services in rural settings. Because of this broader range of responsibilities, the provision of primary care in rural settings may require higher staffing patterns and may be inherently more costly than in urban settings; therefore, researchers should be cautious when comparing primary care expenditures across rural and urban settings.


Abstract Objectives To investigate the continuation rates of the etonogestrel subdermal contraceptive implant among well-informed women, and the reasons for early discontinuation. Study design Retrospective consecutive cohort design. Methods Women who had the implant inserted between 1 January 2006 and 1 January 2010 at the Atrium Medical Centre, the Netherlands were followed up for at least three years. The dates of insertion and removal were recorded, as were the reasons for removal. Statistical analysis was performed using the independent samples t-test and the Pearson alpha correlation test. Results The implant was inserted in 230 women. Follow-up was possible in 214 women, with an average age of 26.7 years. Most of them were nulliparous and the majority had used a combined oral contraceptive, Implanon®, or Mirena® previously. The mean overall continuation period was 23.5 months (95% confidence interval: 21.7–25.3), with a median of 25 months. The continuation rate after 12 months was 72%; after 24 months, 53%; and after 36 months, 25%, with all women concerned having a new implant placed. The previously used contraceptive method Implanon® was associated with the highest continuation rates. An erratic bleeding pattern was the main reason for early removal. Conclusions Despite adequate counselling before insertion, the continuation rate of the etonogestrel implant was rather low compared to those reported by other investigators. The main reason for discontinuation was an irregular bleeding pattern.


Ligand substitution of [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PEt(3))(5)(CH(3)CN)](SbF(6))(2) (1) with pyridyl-based ligands, 2,4,6-tri-4-pyridyl-1,3,5-triazine (L1) and 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine (L2), produced respectively the star-shaped tricluster (T1) and tetracluster (T2) arrays, wherein three (T1) and four (T2) units of the [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)](2+) core-containing clusters are interconnected by the corresponding bridging ligands. These novel supramolecular assemblies were characterized by a combination of NMR ((1)H and (31)P) spectroscopy, ESI-MS, and microanalysis. The molecular and solid-state structures of T1 have also been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.


The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of paternal marital satisfaction and caregiving behavior on children`s paternal representations. 112 preschoolers(67 boys and 45 girls, aged 4-5) and their fathers participated in this study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling analysis. The results were as follows: firstly, paternal marital satisfaction had a direct effect on caregiving behaviors. Secondly, paternal caregiving behavior did not have a direct effect on children`s paternal representations. Thirdly, paternal marital satisfaction had a direct effect on children`s paternal representations. Fourthly, paternal caregiving behavior did not have a mediatory effect between paternal marital satisfaction and children`s paternal representations. In conclusion, paternal marital satisfaction has influenced on caregiving behavior and children`s paternal representations.


Background: Cluster algorithms are gaining in popularity in biomedical research due to their compelling ability to identify discrete subgroups in data, and their increasing accessibility in mainstream software. While guidelines exist for algorithm selection and outcome evaluation, there are no firmly established ways of computing a priori statistical power for cluster analysis. Here, we estimated power and classification accuracy for common analysis pipelines through simulation. We systematically varied subgroup size, number, separation (effect size), and covariance structure. We then subjected generated datasets to dimensionality reduction approaches (none, multi-dimensional scaling, or uniform manifold approximation and projection) and cluster algorithms (k-means, agglomerative hierarchical clustering with Ward or average linkage and Euclidean or cosine distance, HDBSCAN). Finally, we directly compared the statistical power of discrete (k-means), "fuzzy" (c-means), and finite mixture modelling approaches (which include latent class analysis and latent profile analysis). Results: We found that clustering outcomes were driven by large effect sizes or the accumulation of many smaller effects across features, and were mostly unaffected by differences in covariance structure. Sufficient statistical power was achieved with relatively small samples (N = 20 per subgroup), provided cluster separation is large (Δ = 4). Finally, we demonstrated that fuzzy clustering can provide a more parsimonious and powerful alternative for identifying separable multivariate normal distributions, particularly those with slightly lower centroid separation (Δ = 3). Conclusions: Traditional intuitions about statistical power only partially apply to cluster analysis: increasing the number of participants above a sufficient sample size did not improve power, but effect size was crucial. Notably, for the popular dimensionality reduction and clustering algorithms tested here, power was only satisfactory for relatively large effect sizes (clear separation between subgroups). Fuzzy clustering provided higher power in multivariate normal distributions. Overall, we recommend that researchers (1) only apply cluster analysis when large subgroup separation is expected, (2) aim for sample sizes of N = 20 to N = 30 per expected subgroup, (3) use multi-dimensional scaling to improve cluster separation, and (4) use fuzzy clustering or mixture modelling approaches that are more powerful and more parsimonious with partially overlapping multivariate normal distributions.


This paper explores the many avenues by which schooling affects lifetime well-being. Experiences and skills acquired in school reverberate throughout life, not just through higher earnings. Schooling also affects the degree one enjoys work and the likelihood of being unemployed. It leads individuals to make better decisions about health, marriage, and parenting. It also improves patience, making individuals more goal-oriented and less likely to engage in risky behavior. Schooling improves trust and social interaction, and may offer substantial consumption value to some students. We discuss various mechanisms to explain how these relationships may occur independent of wealth effects, and present evidence that non-pecuniary returns to schooling are at least as large as pecuniary ones. Ironically, one explanation why some early school leavers miss out on these high returns is that they lack the very same decision making skills that more schooling would help improve.


Background: Diet has been the major focus of attention as a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases, including mental health disorders. A large body of literature supports the hypothesis that there is a bidirectional association between sleep and diet quality, possibly via the modulation of neuro-inflammation, adult neurogenesis and synaptic and neuronal plasticity. In the present study, the association between dietary total, subclasses of and individual (poly)phenols and sleep quality was explored in a cohort of Italian adults. Methods: The demographic and dietary characteristics of 1936 adults living in southern Italy were analyzed. Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) were used to assess dietary intake. Data on the (poly)phenol content in foods were retrieved from the Phenol-Explorer database. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index was used to measure sleep quality. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to test the associations. Results: A significant inverse association between a higher dietary intake of lignans and inadequate sleep quality was found. Additionally, individuals with the highest quartile of hydroxycinnamic acid intake were less likely to have inadequate sleep quality. When individual compounds were taken into consideration, an association with sleep quality was observed for naringenin and apigenin among flavonoids, and for matairesinol among lignans. A secondary analysis was conducted, stratifying the population into normal weight and overweight/obese individuals. The findings in normal weight individuals showed a stronger association between certain classes of, subclasses of and individual compounds and sleep quality. Notably, nearly all individual compounds belonging to the lignan class were inversely associated with inadequate sleep quality. In the overweight/obese individuals, there were no associations between any dietary (poly)phenol class and sleep quality. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that a higher dietary intake of certain (poly)phenols may be associated with better sleep quality among adult individuals.


The vast literature on the Reformation and the rise of science has produced what may be called strong and weak interpretations of their relation. The strong interpretation holds that specific doctrines or attitudes affirmed by the Reformers and their followers contributed directly to the growth of science. On this view, the Reformation was among the causes of the Scientific Revolution. Without the changes in thought and values wrought by the Reformation, proponents of the strong interpretation argue, modern science would not have developed as it did. The weak interpretation, on the other hand, does not claim a direct influence of Protestantism on science. It acknowledges that modern science developed as a movement independent of the Reformation and it claims only that Protestantism offered relatively few obstacles to scientific expansion. On the weak interpretation, the absence of the Reformation would have had little, if any, effect on the Scientific Revolution. After brief discussion of each of these interpretations, I will argue that the strong interpretation is too strong and that the weak one can be strengthened. I will outline an indirect approach, which falls between the above extremes, and offers advantages not offered by either of them.


Descriptive fit indices that do not require a formal statistical basis and do not specifically depend on a given estimation criterion are useful as auxiliary devices for judging the appropriateness of unrestricted or exploratory factor analytical (UFA) solutions, when the problem is to decide the most appropriate number of common factors. While overall indices of this type are well known in UFA applications, especially those intended for item analysis, difference indices are much more scarce. Recently, Raykov and collaborators proposed a family of effect-size-type descriptive difference indices that are promising for UFA applications. As a starting point, we considered the simplest measure of this family, which (a) can be viewed as absolute and (b) from which only tentative cutoffs and reference values have been provided so far. In this situation, this article has three aims. The first is to propose a relative version of Raykov's effect-size measure, intended to be used as a complement of the original measure, in which the increase in explained common variance is related to the overall prior estimated amount of common factor variance. The second is to establish reference values for both indices in item-analysis scenarios using simulation. And the third aim (instrumental) is to implement the proposal in both R language and a well-known non-commercial factor analysis program. The functioning and usefulness of the proposal is illustrated using an existing empirical dataset.


Conducted from April 2019 to July 2020, this study aimed to assess the software accuracy in assisting Z-line segmentation by comparing with medical doctors' detection results and by recording doctors' satisfaction in scale, time-of-implementation in interactive mode, and integrated mode. For the development of the Z-line detection algorithm, a dataset of 533 high-definition endoscopic WLI (white-light) images in diverse forms of Z-line were collected. The software was subsequently developed in 4 modes, including manual mode, interactive mode (using Superpixels-BPT), automatic mode (using AI algorithm), and integrated mode (the combination of BPT and U-Net). 30 endoscopic images were assigned to 2 groups of doctors (under 2-year experience and over 5-year experience) for the Z-line detection using the software in 4 modes. Time-of-implementation, number of mouse clicks, satisfaction in scales, and IoU (Interception over Union) metric with expert's ground-truth are used for assessment. The results showed that IoU metrics of interactive and integrated modes in the experimental dataset was 88% with no statistical difference to the IoU value of manual mode, and mean IoU metrics from the results of 4 modes were high, from 86.7 to 90.8%. The mean values of time-of-implementation in interactive mode and integrated mode were not statistically different from manual mode. The median number of mouse-clicks each use in the interactive mode and the integrated mode were 24.5 and 15.5 times, respectively. The software received good feedbacks from the doctors, with the mean values of satisfaction scores of automatic mode, interactive mode and integrated mode are 7.2, 7.3, and 7.2 respectively. The development of the software for detecting endoscopic anatomy landmarks is a novel and feasible research direction in Vietnam. Further studies could focus on detecting some specific lesions classified according to anatomy landmarks.


Routing of messages in Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) is challenging due to obstacle shadowing regions with high vehicle densities, which leads to frequent disconnection problems and blocks radio wave propagation between vehicles. Previous researchers used multi-hop, vehicular cloud or roadside infrastructures to solve the routing issue among the vehicles, but they suffer from significant packet delays and frequent packet losses arising from obstacle shadowing. We proposed a vehicular cloud based hybrid technique called Hybrid-Vehcloud to disseminate messages in obstacle shadowing regions, and multi-hop technique to disseminate messages in non-obstacle shadowing regions. The novelty of our approach lies in the fact that our proposed technique dynamically adapts between obstacle shadowing and non-obstacle shadowing regions. Simulation based performance analysis of Hybrid-Vehcloud showed improved performance over Cloud-assisted Message Downlink Dissemination Scheme (CMDS), Cross-Layer Broadcast Protocol (CLBP) and Cloud-VANET schemes at high vehicle densities.


This article discusses the importance of using different turbulence modulation models in simulation of evaporating sprays. An in-house CFD code has been modified to take into account the effect of considering turbulence modulation by standard or consistent models. These models may predict an augmentation (consistent model) or a reduction (standard model) in the turbulence kinetic energy of continuous phase. Calculations are done in a Eulerian-Lagrangian framework and the effect of injected droplets on turbulent kinetic energy and its rate of dissipation is included in the equations of the continuous phase. Results are shown to be valid by comparing them to Sandia spray A configuration experimental data. Results show that considering the effect of existing droplets in a turbulent combustion chamber can play a major role in having a more accurate CFD simulation. These models can alter the velocity field drastically when droplets are injected into the chamber with a high velocity. As a result, spray characteristics such as evaporation rate is also altered. It can be concluded that modulation models should be used in the simulation of evaporating sprays in order to attain more accurate and realistic results.


An aerobic dieldrin-degrading fungus, Mucor racemosus strain DDF, and two aerobic endosulfan-degrading fungal strains, Mortierella sp. strains W8 and Cm1-45, were isolated from soil contaminated with organochlorine pesticides. Strain DDF degraded more than 90% dieldrin during 10-days of incubation at 25°C and showed the production of a small amount of aldrin trans-diol. Moreover, strain DDF reduced levels of aldrin trans-diol while producing unknown metabolites that were determined to be aldrin trans-diol exo- and endo-phosphates. On the other hand, Mortierella sp. strains W8 and Cm1-45 degraded more than 70% and 50% of α and β-endosulfan, respectively, over 28 days at 25°C, in liquid cultures containing initial concentrations of 8.2 µM of each substance. Only a small amount of endosulfan sulfate, a persistent metabolite, was detected in the both cultures, while these strains could not degrade endosulfan sulfate when this compound was provided as the initial substrate. Both strains generate endosulfan diol as a first step in the degradation of endosulfan, then undergo further conversion to endosulfan lactone.


This paper reports on a preliminary study testing the use of eye tracking as a method for evaluating machine translation output. 50 French machine translated sentences, 25 rated as excellent and 25 rated as poor in an earlier human evaluation, were selected. 10 native speakers of French were instructed to read the MT sentences for comprehensibility. Their eye gaze data were recorded noninvasively using a Tobii 1750 eye tracker. They were also asked to record retrospective protocols while watching a replay of their eye gaze reading data. The average gaze time and fixation count were found to be significantly higher for the "bad" sentences, while average fixation duration was not significantly different. Evaluative comments uttered during the retrospective protocols were also found to agree to a satisfactory degree with previous human evaluation. Overall, we found that the eye tracking method correlates reasonably well with human evaluation of MT output.


Abstract Macular telangiectasia Type 2 (MacTel) is a gradually progressive disease that affects the quality of life by impairing both distant and near vision. It had previously been considered a vascular condition, but recent evidence suggests a neurodegenerative etiology, with primary involvement of Muller cells. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) hyperplasia and subretinal neovascularization (SNV) are responsible for most of the vision loss in advanced cases. Neurotrophic factors in the non-proliferative phase and intravitreal anti-Vascular Endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the proliferative phase have shown to retard the progression of the disease. This review will discuss the pathophysiology, clinical features, important diagnostic imaging studies and available treatment options for MacTel.


BACKGROUND
Prediabetes, a high-risk state for developing diabetes showing impaired glucose tolerance but a normal fasting blood glucose level, has an increasing prevalence worldwide. However, no study investigating the prevention of impaired glucose tolerance at the prediabetic stage by anti-diabetic functional foods has been reported. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the anti-prediabetic effect of rose hip in a prediabetic rat model.

RESULTS
Spontaneously diabetic Torii (SDT) rats were supplemented with hot-water extract of rose hip at a dose of 100 mg kg-1 body weight day-1 for 12 weeks. The results obtained showed that the supplementation of rose hip extract improved impaired glucose tolerance, promoted insulin secretion, preserved pancreatic beta-cell function and suppressed plasma advanced glycation end-products formation of methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone (MG-H1) residue and Nϵ -carboxymethyl-lysine residues (e.g. MG-H1, control: 465.5 ± 43.8 versus rose hip: 59.1 ± 13.0 pmol mg protein-1 , P < 0.05) in SDT rats at the prediabetic stage (12-20 weeks old).

CONCLUSION
The present study provides the first evidence showing that a hot-water extract of rose hip could exert an anti-prediabetic effect in a rat model. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.


This is the first of three v o l u m e s dealing with the part played b y the Medical , Nurs ing and Dental Services of the Royal A i r F o r c e in the S e c o n d W o r l d W a r . It recounts administration p r o b l e m s and also gives a historical r ev iew of the format ion and d e v e l o p m e n t of these Services b e f o r e and during the First W o r l d W a r , as this had never b e e n officially recorded previous ly . T h e editor. Squadron Leader R e x f o r d W e l c h , is t o b e congratulated o n the accuracy and met iculous care displayed in this compi la t ion of facts and figures, also for the v e r y readable w a y in which t h e y have b e e n presented and r ev iewed . A l t h o u g h this v o l u m e will b e of greatest interest t o those w h o have served in the R . A . F . , it should b e read and studied b y bo th medical and execut ive officers of all the Services , as m u c h valuable information and m a n y lessons for future guidance are contained therein. Certain sections, particularly those dealing with the evacuation of casualties b y air, air-sea rescue operations and rehabilitation after injury or sickness are of general interest to all engaged in aviation. T h e early chapters deal with manning p r o b l e m s and the deve lopmen t of the Medical , Nurs ing and Dental branches. T w o pioneer accompl i shments of the Dental Branch are of particular interest: (/) the establishment and training of dental hygienists , for the first t ime in this country , to scale and polish teeth under the supervision of a dentist and t o demonst ra te h o w t o maintain oral hyg iene ; and ( H ) the use of acrylic resin for dentures and, as a strange side-line for dentistry, t o m a k e false e y e s and artificial fingers, noses , and so o n . A chapter is d e v o t e d to R . A . F . hospitals in general and includes a descript ion of the part played b y W r o u g h t o n Hospital , near Swindon , as the " C lapham Junction " for the disposal of all casualties arriving in Grea t Britain b y air f r o m the Cont inent during the liberation of E u r o p e ; it also descr ibes the va lue of the M o b i l e Field Hospi tals which operated as focal points for groups of forward units in the field and did much t o foster mora le . Included a m o n g the special Services are the Plastic Surgery and Burns Centres established under the enthusiastic guidance of M r . Archiba ld M c l n d o e to deal with the aviator's burn; and the various Rehabili tation Centres first deve loped in R . A . F . Hospi tals b y M r . R . W a t s o n Jones in 1940 to deal with or thopaedic cases and rapidly extended to encompass all t ypes of medical and surgical cases. Th is was a n e w approach to the p r o b l e m of rehabilitation, which stressed the impor tance of activity and virtually started o n the d a y the patient entered hospital — s o m e 30 ,000 R . A . F . personnel w e r e s o rehabilitated during the war, the majori ty returning to full du ty . T h e evacuation of casualties b y air is r ev iewed f r o m small impromptu beginnings in 1939 to a vast and efficient organisation in the latter years of the W a r . T h u s , c lose on half a million cases we re transported in all theatres of war b y the R . A . F . , this number including s o m e 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 in Burma w h e r e air lift was the o n l y w a y out, and ove r 7 7 , 0 0 0 f rom W e s t e r n E u r o p e to England in 1944 alone. M a n y casualties arrived in a h o m e hospital within a f e w hours of being w o u n d e d in the front line. T h e m a x i m u m num be r of casualties evacuated b y air in any o n e d a y was 9 3 4 f r o m N o r m a n d y t o England o n 11th A u g u s t 1944 . A n effort of which the R . A . F . can be justly p roud .—H. E . V / H I T T I N G H A M .


Understanding the evaporation of pesticide droplets and wetting of leaf surfaces can increase foliar application efficiency and reduce pesticide use. Evaporation time and wetted area of single pesticide droplets on hairy and waxy geranium leaf surfaces were measured under the controlled conditions for five droplet sizes and three relative humidity levels. Stereoscopic sequential images of the droplet evaporation processes were taken for five droplet sizes, three relative humidity (RH) conditions and 9 different sprays. The sprays were combinations of water, an alkyl polyoxyethylene surfactant, a fungicide and three insecticides. The evaporation time and wetted area of droplets were significantly changed by adding the surfactant to the sprays, but not by adding the fungicide or insecticide. Droplet evaporation times on waxy leaves were longer than those on hairy leaves. Evaporation times increased exponentially as droplet diameter and RH increased with limited variability of regression coefficients independent of spray type and leaf surface. The wetted area of droplets also increased exponentially as droplet diameter increased but it was not significantly affected by RH. On the waxy geranium leaf surfaces, the contact area of pesticide droplets decreased throughout the evaporating process and at all RH conditions, while, on hairy leaf surfaces for the same size droplets and at the same RH conditions, the contact area continued to spread until evaporation was nearly completed. Therefore, droplet size, surface characteristics of the target, relative humidity, and chemical composition of the spray mixtures (water alone, pesticide, additives) should be included as important factors that affect the efficacy and efficiency of pesticide applications.


NO and prostacyclin formation cannot entirely account for receptor-operated endothelium-dependent dilation of coronary vessels, since vasodilator responses are not completely suppressed by inhibitors of these agents. Therefore, we considered that another factor, such as an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor described in vitro, may participate in NO- and prostacyclin-independent coronary dilator responses. In conscious instrumented dogs, intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh, 30.0 ng.kg-1.min-1) increased the external epicardial coronary diameter (CD) by 0.18 +/- 0.03 mm (from 3.44 +/- 0.11 mm) when increases in coronary blood flow (CBF) were prevented and increased the CD by 0.20 +/- 0.05 when CBF was allowed to increase. After the administration of intracoronary N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), CBF responses to ACh were abolished, but CD responses (0.23 +/- 0.05 from 3.22 +/- 0.09 mm) were maintained. Blockade of NO formation was confirmed by reduced CD baselines and blunted flow-dependent CD responses caused by adenosine and transient coronary artery occlusions after L-NAME administration. ACh-induced CD increases resistant to L-NAME and indomethacin were reduced after the administration of intracoronary quinacrine, an inhibitor of phospholipase A2, or proadifen, an inhibitor of cytochrome P-450. Quinacrine or proadifen alone (without L-NAME) did not alter CD responses to ACh, but L-NAME given after proadifen blunted ACh-induced increases in CD. The increases in CD caused by arachidonic acid given after L-NAME + indomethacin were antagonized by proadifen but not altered by quinacrine. Thus, a cytochrome P-450 metabolite of arachidonic acid accounts for L-NAME-resistant and indomethacin-resistant dilation of large epicardial coronary arteries to ACh. Conversely, NO formation is the dominant mechanism of ACh-induced dilation after blockade of the cytochrome P-450 pathway.


This study investigates the mathematical modelling of heat generation/absorption effect on the convective flow of single wall carbon nanotube-copper (SWCNT-Cu)/water hybrid nanofluid towards a stagnation point past a stretching sheet with Newtonian heating. The set of governing equations in the form of non-linear partial differential equations are first transform using the similarity transformation technique then solved numerically by the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg (RKF45) method in Maple software. The numerical solutions were obtained for the surface temperature, the heat transfer coefficient and the skin friction coefficient as well as the velocity and the temperature profiles. The features of the flow and heat transfer characteristics for various values of the stretching parameter, the conjugate parameter, the nanoparticle volume fraction parameter and the heat source/sink parameter are analyzed and discussed. It is found that effects of hybrid nanoparticles are more significant for lower stretching parameter and for large conjugate parameter values, as well as the heat generation/absorption.


AE-1074; Part of the protecting your groundwater through farmstead assessment series. This circular contains a brief
discussion of each question on
the Farmstead Assessment checklist,
and a section discussing what
you can do and who to call if
you answered "Yes" to any of the
questions.


The self consistency conditions for magnetic turbulence are reviewed. The principal features of a magnetic topology involving stochastic flux lines-transport, ambipolarity, basic equations-are summarized. Two driving sources are considered: thermal effects which require large scale residual islands and electron diamagnetism which involves fluctuation scales smaller than the ion Larmor radius and a poloidal beta threshold of order one. Detailed stability criteria and transport coefficients are given in each case.


Objectives: The study was designed to find out the association of PCOS with insulin resistance and GLUT4. Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Setting: Outdoor Department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore. Period: March 2016 to December 2016. Material & Methods: 37 PCOS women visited Outdoor Department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore. Their age range was 25- 36 years. 20 ages matched medical staff of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore with no history of any disease were selected as control. Rotterdam's criteria were used to confirm PCOS. Levels of circulating insulin, GLUT 4 and fasting glucose were estimated. Results: Mean age of PCOS patients and of controls was 30.55 and 29.00 years respectively. Values of BMI were insignificantly raised in PCOS in comparison to controls. Levels of circulating GLUT-4, fasting glucose, insulin and resistance of insulin were increased significantly in women with PCOS in comparison to the controls. Decreased ratio of glucose to insulin was seen in PCOS women in comparison to their controls. Conclusion: A good association of PCOS was observed with insulin mediated release of glucose transporter GLUT 4 and insulin resistance.


The ubiquitin-proteasome system regulates biological processes in normal and diseased states. Recent investigations have focused on ubiquitin-dependent modifications and their impacts on cellular function, commitment, and differentiation. Ubiquitination is reversed by deubiquitinases, including ubiquitin-specific peptidases (USPs), whose roles have been widely investigated. In this review, we explore recent findings highlighting the regulatory functions of USPs in osteoblasts and providing insight into the molecular mechanisms governing their actions during bone formation. We also give a brief overview of our work on USP53, a target of PTH in osteoblasts and a regulator of mesenchymal cell lineage fate decisions. Emerging evidence addresses questions pertaining to the complex layers of regulation exerted by USPs on osteoblast signaling. We provide a short overview of our and others' understanding of how USPs modulate osteoblastogenesis. However, further studies using knockout mouse models are needed to fully understand the mechanisms underpinning USPs actions.


The main advantages of Filtered Tailings (FT) are related to water reduction in tailings disposal when compared with other methods, once it allows the geomaterial to be disposed close to optimum water content, thus allowing a better tailings compaction, and consequently increasing tailings shear strength for both drained and undrained conditions. Another advantage is the significant amount of water recovery during ore beneficiation process, especially in mining projects in dry areas.
However, as the main FT disposal designs in operation worldwide are located in drier regions, this Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) method may be a challenge for tropical regions as they generally present a positive water balance. As a consequence, tailings can be saturated and present contractive behaviour if the disposal has not been made properly and compaction has not been well controlled. Thus, this paper presents the geotechnical characterization of tailings generated in Cuiaba Mine Site to support the applicability of FT technique in dry stacking design (compacted FT disposal for buttressing downstream of the dam embankment and across the tailings reservoir). It included seismic piezocone – SCPTU tests of tailings disposed in the reservoir and laboratory tests with disturbed tailings samples at different void ratios to evaluate the effect of compaction effort on the geotechnical parameters of FT to support this new TSF method.
The main results obtained from the geotechnical tests to support the design have shown: (i) tailings inside the existing TSF have presented contractive behaviour under high strain conditions and undrained strength ratio of 0.21; (ii) the denser the tailings, the higher the undrained strength ratio and the total friction angle. Besides, the contractive or quasi-steady state behaviour obtained to higher void ratios changed to quasi-steady state or strain-hardening behaviour with density increase; and (iii) the tailings critical state friction angle was closed to 32o.


Lamellar molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) has attracted a wide range of research interests in recent years because of its two-dimensional layered structured, ultrathin thickness, large interlayer distance, adjustable band gap and capability to form different crystal structure. These special characteristics and high anisotropy had made MoS 2 to be widely applied in energy storage and harvesting. In this review, a systematic and comprehensive introduction of MoS 2 and its composites is presented. It is aimed to summarize the various synthesis methods of MoS 2 based composites and their application in energy storage devices (lithium ion batteries, sodium ion batteries, lithium sulfur battery and supercapacitors) in detail. Based on our related work and recent researches by other groups, this review provides important and comprehensive guidelines for further study and development efforts of the MoS 2 in energy storage field.


SETD2 contributes to gene expression by marking gene bodies with H3K36me3, which is thought to assist in the concentration of transcription machinery at the small portion of the coding genome. Despite extensive genome-wide data revealing the precise localization of H3K36me3 over gene bodies, the physical basis for the accumulation, maintenance, and sharp borders of H3K36me3 over these sites remains rudimentary. Here we propose a model of H3K36me3 marking based on stochastic transcription-dependent placement and transcription-independent spreading. Our analysis of the spatial distributions and dynamic features of these marks indicates that transcription-dependent placement dominates the establishment of H3K36me3 domains compared to transcription-independent spreading processes, and that turnover of H3K36me3 limits its capacity for epigenetic memory. By adding additional terms for asymmetric histone turnover occurring at transcription start sites, our model provides a remarkably accurate representation of H3K36me3 levels and dynamics over gene bodies. Furthermore, we validate our findings by revealing that loss of SPT6 impairs the transcription-coupled activity of the SETD2:IWS1:SPT6 ternary complex, thereby reducing the tight correlation between transcription and H3K36me3 levels at gene bodies.


Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a long transparent conductive film comprising a crystalline iridium composite oxide film formed on a transparent film substrate. Said method includes: an amorphous laminate formation step in which an amorphous iridium complex oxide film that contains iridium and a tetravalent metal is formed on a long transparent film substrate by a sputtering method; and a crystallization step in which the long transparent film substrate on which the aforementioned amorphous film is formed is continuously fed into a furnace and the amorphous film is crystallized. The mass of the tetravalent metal in the aforementioned iridium complex oxide preferably constitutes more than 0% and no more than 15% of the combined mass of the iridium and the tetravalent metal.


Russia under Vladimir Putin sought to reestablish itself as a major power on the international stage; Dmitri Medvedev's succession as president promises a similar agenda. Going forward, how the United States and Russia deal with each other and with issues of mutual interest will have a great impact around the globe. "Russia The Balance Sheet" sets forth a primer on Russia's current governmental and political infrastructure as well as its opportunity for growth.This important new book provides comprehensive, balanced, and accurate information on all key aspects of Russia and discusses what its status means for the US and other nations. To that end, the authors develop a cohesive, overarching framework that analyzes the nexus point of such areas as economic reforms and integration, domestic politics and society, foreign business partnerships, and energy demands. Based upon this foundation, the book capably suggests constructive policies for Russia and the next US administration that will take office in 2009.


Introduction/Background Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is increasingly used in locally advanced or selected stage 4B endometrial cancer that is considered unsuitable for primary surgery, despite the lack of randomised evidence. In the West of Scotland Cancer Network (WoSCAN), NACT is offered to women with inoperable locally advanced disease or limited stage 4B disease (omental/peritoneal involvement and/or small volume lung metastases/pleural effusion). This study aimed to identify the proportion of patients proceeding to delayed primary surgery or interval debulking surgery following NACT for endometrial cancer and evaluate survival outcomes. Methodology Data were collected retrospectively from electronic clinical records of WoSCAN patients who commenced NACT between January 2012 and December 2016. Statistical analysis was performed using R®. OS was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox's proportional-hazards models used to calculate unadjusted hazard ratios (HR). Results 54 patients were identified; median age was 67 years (range 36–85). All women had Stage III (57.4%) or IV (42.6%) disease. Pathological subtype consisted of serous (42.6%), endometrioid (31.5%), or other (25.9%). NACT regimen was almost exclusively Carboplatin/ Paclitaxel (92.6%); a median of 4 cycles were administered (range 1-6). 66.7% proceeded to surgery, 7.4% received primary (chemo)radiotherapy, and 25.9% received no definitive therapy. Of the 36 patients who underwent surgery, 83.3% received adjuvant radiotherapy. Data were censored in February 2018 at which time 33.3% were alive. Median OS was 31.12 months (95% CI 24.93–58.49); 40.8 months (95% CI 25.6 - Not reached) in the surgical cohort versus 18.6 months (95% CI 8.1–60.6) in patients who received NACT alone (HR 2.28 (95% CI 1.14–4.56)). Conclusion 66.7% of women proceeded to surgery following NACT. Median OS is significantly improved with surgery compared to NACT alone. NACT is a valid option in patients with advanced endometrial cancer who are not suitable for primary surgery. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.


Camptothecin (CPT) and taxol are secondary metabolites found, respectively, in the wood bark of Camptotheca acuminata, a native of China, and Taxus brevifolia, found in the Pacific north-west coastal region of the USA. The compounds were isolated by the bioassay-guided fractionation of the crude plant material and their structures established by single crystal X-ray analysis. Both compounds have unique mechanisms of antitumour activity. Camptothecin inhibits an enzyme, topoisomerase I, involved in DNA replication. Taxol binds to a protein, tubulin, thus inhibiting cell division. Currently, two analogues of camptothecin, topotecan (Hycamtin®, GlaxoSmithKline, Brentford, UK) and irinotecan (Campto®, Pfizer Ltd, New York, NY, USA), and taxol and its analogues, docetaxel (Taxotere®, Sanofi-Aventis Ltd, Guilford, UK) and cabazitaxel (Jevtana®, Sanofi-Aventis Ltd, Guilford, UK), are approved for clinical use in the USA by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The camptothecin analogues are used to treat ovarian, colorectal and small-cell lung cancers. Taxol is used extensively to treat refractory ovarian, breast and non-small-cell lung cancers and Kaposi's sarcoma. Docetaxel has been a very important drug for the treatment of breast cancer and cabazitaxel is FDA approved for the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer.


This study uses a qualitative approach to examine what political and technical leaders of municipalities understand transparency and public information to mean, and what role they believe the different subjects involved (government, opposition, and the public) should have. The websites of 605 Spanish councils with more than 100,000 inhabitants were analysed and three focus groups were held with political and technical leaders from a selection of sample councils. The results show that the technical and political leaders of the councils do not have a clear awareness of their function of management accountability or of the need to apply journalistic criteria to the information they publish, defending with nuances the use of propaganda criteria to focus on the actions of the local government, its information, the lack of space dedicated to public debate and the opposition's actions. In relation to accountability and citizen participation, they have a negative view of citizens, who they describe as being disengaged. However, they emphasize that internally it is essential to continue improving in terms of the culture of transparency and the public information they provide citizens.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

BACKGROUND: Thyroid nodules are commonly found in clinical practice. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) cytology is currently the most used method for the initial evaluation of a thyroid nodule. Although FNA remains the gold standard method, its accuracy is related to the histological subtype, being much lower for both benign follicular adenoma (FTA) and malignant follicular carcinoma (FTC). Hence, to improve preoperative diagnosis, we previously performed gene expression profiling of FTC and FTA. We have identified 4 genes (ARG2, DDIT3, ITM1 and C1orf24) over-expressed in carcinomas that, in combination, can distinguish FTA from FTC with high sensitivity and specificity. Despite their relevance as molecular marker, little is known about the mechanism that controls their expression and their role on thyroid cancer development. Since microRNA (miR) is an emerging class of small RNAs that regulates gene expression, we hypothesized if over-expression of C1orf24 in thyroid cancer was due to miR deregulation. We here sought to identify miRs that potentially modulate C1orf24 expression, analyze their levels in tumor samples and verify their effect on C1orf24 regulation.

METHODS: C1orf24 expression was evaluated in 64 benign and malignant thyroid samples by quantitative PCR (qPCR). In parallel, candidate miRs were identified in Silico and their endogenous levels were evaluated by qPCR in all thyroid samples. Additionally miRs and C1orf24 expression were measured in 5 thyroid cell lines by qPCR and Western Blot. miR precursor and negative control were transfected by siPORTNeoFX. C1orf24 3′-UTR was cloned in pmiR-Glo Dual Luciferase Vector and luciferase activity was measured by Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System. One-way ANOVA or t-test was used for statistical analysis (p< 0.05).

RESULTS: Analysis of miRBase Sequence database suggested two miRs - miR-17-5p and miR-106b - that potentially regulate C1orf24 expression. miR-106b expression was significant lower in thyroid carcinomas (TC) than FTA (p-value 0.0060). On the other hand, C1orf24 expression was higher in TC (p-value 0.0018), suggesting that miR-106b potentially regulates C1orf24 expression. Next, we investigated if miR-106b could directly modulate C1orf24 expression. As thyroid carcinoma cell line (WRO) presented high levels of C1orf24 expression and low levels of miR-106b, we transiently transfected miR-106b precursor into WRO cells and measured C1orf24 expression. Both mRNA (p-value 0.0433) and protein levels (p-value 0.0877) were diminished when compared to control. Luciferase activity was lower in WRO cells transfected with both C1orf24 3′-UTR and miR-106b precursor than negative control (p-value 0.0026), suggesting a direct interaction between them.

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that miR-106b, but not miR-17-5p, directly modulates C1orf24 gene expression acting as a tumor suppressor miR, suggesting a novel mechanism of C1orf24 expression in thyroid cancer.

Citation Format: Bruno H. Nozima, Gianna M. Carvalheira, Janete M. Cerutti. miR-106b modulates C1orf24 expression in thyroid tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4365. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4365


OBJECTIVES
We currently see an increase of demand of vasectomy reversion, mainly due to the wish of recovering fertility.

METHODS
We review 21 cases of vasovasostomy performed at our department over the last 5 years with the single layer technique under optical magnification, comparing our results with those from bibliography for both vasovasostomy and in vitro fecundation techniques used in patients with obstructive azoospermia, specifically intracytoplasmic spermatozoids injection (ICSI).

RESULTS
Success rates obtained for permeability, pregnancy, and births were 80%, 33%, and 26.66% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results in terms of pregnancies are equivalent to those obtained by ICSI. These data, together with the disadvantage of greater rates of multiple pregnancies associated with in vitro fecundation techniques, moved us to choose vasovasostomy as the initial option for treatment of male infertility secondary to vasectomy.


This study is a lexical analysis of the words for "deviant behaviour" found in the Dynasty 18 stela of Baki (Turin 156). The text contains numerous praises that are formulated as disclaimers against wrongdoing and it therefore provides a fertile ground to examine members of the "transgression" word-field. Many of these words, including isf.t, hww, dw, iwh, wn and sp hsy are not sufficiently differentiated by current dictionaries, where they are generally translated as "Boses" or "Sunde." An examination of the way these synonyms are used in the stela of Baki reveals distinctions in meaning and allows insight into what may govern the selection of one word over another in certain contexts. This enhances our understanding of the meaning of these words and illuminates the structure of the word-field they belong to as well as the corresponding concept in the Egyptian thought-world.


The aim of the Connected Maximum Lifetime Problem is to define a schedule for the activation intervals of the sensors deployed inside a region of interest, such that at all times the activated sensors can monitor a set of interesting target locations and route the collected information to a central base station, while maximizing the total amount of time over which the sensor network can be operational. Complete or partial coverage of the targets are taken into account. To optimally solve the problem, we propose a column generation approach which makes use of an appropriately designed genetic algorithm to overcome the difficulty of solving the subproblem to optimality in each iteration. Moreover, we also devise a heuristic by stopping the column generation procedure as soon as the columns found by the genetic algorithm do not improve the incumbent solution. Comparisons with previous approaches proposed in the literature show our algorithms to be highly competitive, both in terms of solution quality and computational time.


INTRODUCTION
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative tauopathy and, to date, the pathophysiological mechanisms in PSP that lead to Tau hyperphosphorylation and neurodegeneration are not clear. In some brain areas, Tau pathology in glial cells appears to precede Tau aggregation in neurons. The development of a model using astrocyte cell lines derived from patients has the potential to identify molecules and pathways that contribute to early events of neurodegeneration. We developed a model of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived astrocytes to investigate the pathophysiology of PSP, particularly early events that might contribute to Tau hyperphosphorylation, applying omics approach to detect differentially expressed genes, metabolites, and proteins, including those from the secretome.

METHODS
Skin fibroblasts from PSP patients (without MAPT mutations) and controls were reprogrammed to iPSCs, further differentiated into neuroprogenitor cells (NPCs) and astrocytes. In the 5th passage, astrocytes were harvested for total RNA sequencing. Intracellular and secreted proteins were processed for proteomics experiments. Metabolomics profiling was obtained from supernatants only.

RESULTS
We identified hundreds of differentially expressed genes. The main networks were related to cell cycle re-activation in PSP. Several proteins were found exclusively secreted by the PSP group. The cellular processes related to the cell cycle and mitotic proteins, TriC/CCT pathway, and redox signaling were enriched in the secretome of PSP. Moreover, we found distinct sets of metabolites between PSP and controls.

CONCLUSION
Our iPSC-derived astrocyte model can provide distinct molecular signatures for PSP patients and it is useful to elucidate the initial stages of PSP pathogenesis.


Abstract
The purpose of this study is acclimization evaluate of five wild Achillea in cultivation condition and ornamental potential. The seeds of wild species (From Khorasan Razavi, Shiraz and Karaj area, Iran) were sownt in pots in September 2006. After initial growth, the seedlings were transplanted in main plots (30×40 cm interval) in November 2006. Phonological and morphological characteristic at different growth stage were recorded. An experiment conducted in factorial randomized based on complete block design (RCBD) with 5 treatments and 3 replications that Achillea species were treatments. The results showed that different species have special traits that could be used depend on our goal. A. millefolium has the highest flowering period (100 day) and plant height (nearly 1 meter). A. biebersteinii was better than other species in respect of inflorescence number, flower diameter and flower height. A .wilhelmsii and A. eriophora had the highest lateral inflorescence number and early flowering. This species because of good acclimization, tolerant to unfavorable conditions, long flowering period, perennial habit and bearing beautiful and big flowers, seems to be suitable plants for use in green space.

Key words: Achillea, Domestication, Morphological characteristic, Native plants, Ornamental plants


A motor starter is disclosed. The motor starter includes control circuitry integrally arranged with at least one current path and a processor included in the control circuitry. The motor starter further includes at least one processor algorithm residing on the processor, the at least one processor algorithm containing instructions to monitor characteristics of current on the at least one current path and to provide data pertaining to a condition of the at least one current path. The motor starter further includes a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) switch disposed on the at least one current path, the MEMS switch responsive to the control circuitry to facilitate the control of an electrical current passing through the at least one current path.


This working paper examines freedom of association and staff participation in decision-making in higher education. The paper briefly presents the principal issues related to these topics and provides some current examples to illustrate the issues. The paper builds on the report of the Joint ILO/UNESCO Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendations concerning Teaching Personnel (2003), which stated that freedom of association is "at the core of the ability of higher education to undertake teaching and research of good quality".


We determine candidate variable sources in the SuperWASP Data Release 1 (DR1) using multiple clustering methods and identifying variable candidates as outliers from large clusters. We extract 15,788,814 light curves that have more than 15 photometric measurements in the SuperWASP DR1. Variations in the light curves are described in terms of nine variability features that are complementary to each other. We consider three different clustering methods based on Gaussian mixture models, including one that was used in our previous work, assuming that real variable candidates can be found as minor clusters and at a distant from major clusters, which correspond to non-variable objects. The three different methods with a broad level of speed and precision prove that we can select a suitable method for detecting variable light curves, depending on the speed and precision constraints on clustering. We also consider a consensus clustering method that combines clustering results obtained using multiple clustering methods. The consensus clustering method improves the reliability of detecting variable candidates by combining information that is learned from a given data set by multiple methods. As a complete variability analysis of the public SuperWASP light curves, we provide clustering results obtained by using an infinite Gaussian mixture model in the framework of variational Bayesian inference, as well as variability indices of the light curves in an online database to help others exploit the SuperWASP data.


Several so‐called reduced order formulations are reviewed for linear vibration analysis of bounded fluid–structure systems for low modal density situations. Compressibility effects in the fluid for interior structural–acoustic problems, and free surface gravity effects, for hydroelastic–sloshing interaction problems in the case of incompressible liquids, are examined. Reduced order models leading to symmetric matrix systems are then described using the static well‐posed behaviour of the irrotational fluid. In this respect, the fluid–structure boundary value local equations, expressed in terms of fluid scalar field variables for the fluid (and displacement variables for the structure) are regularized for zero‐frequency limit. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Agonist-stimulated Ca2+ influx is critically important to mediate the function of endothelial cells. It has been suggested that release of Ca2+ from internal stores activates Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane. In the present study, we investigated the effects of ML-9, a myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK) inhibitor, and genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, on the agonist stimulated Ca2+ response in porcine aortic endothelial cells loaded with a Ca2+-sensitive dye, fura-2. ML-9 almost completely abolished Ca2+ influx, whereas genistein only partially attenuated Ca2+ entry. Both of them did not affect the mobilization of Ca2+ from internal stores. In contrast, genistein was more potent in the inhibition of Mn2+ influx than ML-9. These findings indicate the different selectivity for Ca2+ and Mn2+ in the cation entry pathway in agonist-stimulated endothelial cells.


The key metabolite of vitamin D3, 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-D3), induces rapid cellular responses that constitute a so-called "non-genomic" response. This effect is distinguished from its "classic" genomic role in calcium homeostasis involving the nuclear 1,25-D3 receptor. Evidence is presented that protein kinase C (PKC) is directly activated by 1,25-D3 at physiological concentrations (EC50 = 16 +/- 1 nM). The effect was demonstrable with single PKC-alpha, -gamma, and -epsilon isoform preparations, assayed in a system containing only purified enzyme, substrate, co-factors, and lipid vesicles, from which it is inferred that a direct interaction with the enzyme is involved. The finding that calcium-independent isoform PKC-epsilon was also activated by 1,25-D3 shows that the calcium binding C2 domain is not required. The level of 1,25-D3-induced activation, paired with either diacylglycerol or 4 beta-12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, was greater than that achievable by any individual activator alone, each at a saturating concentration, a result that implies two distinct activator sites on the PKC molecule. Phosphatidylethanolamine present in the lipid vesicles potentiated 4 beta-12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate- and diacylglycerol-induced PKC activities, whereas 1,25-D3-induced activity decreased, consistent with 1,25-D3-activated PKC possessing a distinct conformation. The results suggest that PKC is a "membrane-bound receptor" for 1,25-D3 and that it could be important in the control of non-genomic cellular responses to the hormone.


Interventional cardiology is now acknowledged as a discipline of medicine. It has all the essential ingredients of a medical subspecialty, including an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited training program and an American Board of Internal Medicine board examination with certification. What is remarkable is the brief time over which these milestones have been achieved. Within the course of the careers of many of our peers, interventional cardiology did not even exist.

Interventional cardiology is a young discipline still being refined. The first coronary angioplasty was done in 1976, only 28 years ago. Compare this brief life span with the 16 years of formal education now required to train an interventional cardiologist. Nevertheless, memories are short and interventional cardiologists exist today who do not recognize the name of Andreas Gruentzig, who with the assistance of his wife Michalia and Walter and Maria Schlumpf crafted the first balloon catheters on Gruentzig's kitchen table.1 Andreas was a pioneer and a true clinician–investigator. He was careful with the initial application of coronary balloon angioplasty, limiting its use to highly selected patients under a strict protocol that was designed to ensure safety and demonstrate the effectiveness of this revolutionary procedure.

Just as much as coronary disease was the target for this innovation so was coronary surgery. The motivation to develop percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty was to achieve coronary revascularization in a nonsurgical manner. In fact, the first published series of patients who were treated with this technique was entitled "Nonoperative dilation of coronary artery stenosis-percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty."2 Then, cardiac catheterization was well established as a minimally invasive technique to obtain diagnostic information about cardiac anatomy and function, but aside from establishing atrial septal communication in congenital heart disease, catheterization had no real therapeutic role.

During a relatively short period of time, …


The energy transportation of High-energy electrons to the compressed fuel and study of affected factors on it are the most important issues in fast ignition method. In this research, regarding the role of Weibel instability in process modulation and possible impacts of electron and plasma beam velocity to reach higher energy yields, the effect of temporal variation of particle distribution in the presence of laser electric fields on growth andcondition of Weibel instability in beam-plasma medium were investigated in the form of a classic system without any Coulombic collision between the particles and magnetic fields. The results show that the time-dependent drift velocity leads to a decrease the growth rate of the Weibel when energy transportation of energetic particles to the fusion plasma systems increases.