Background: Endothelial damage and fibroproliferative vasculopathy of small vessels are pathological hallmarks of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Detection and analysis of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) detached from affected blood vessels may be an informative tool to study vascular dysfunction and could be considered a novel biomarker of scleroderma vasculopathy. Our group first showed the presence of CECs in SSc by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), demonstrating that a raised counts of active CECs may represent direct evidence of active vascular disease in SSc. Despite these interesting data, issues related to difficulties in CEC counting through FACS analysis, due their very low concentration in peripheral blood, prevented further investigations in this field. Recently, a specific kit for the detection of CECs has been developed through the CellSearch System (CS), a semi-automated device for the standardized analysis of rare cells, such as CECs, in peripheral blood. Objectives: To assess the counts of CECs determined by the CS in SSc patients and to evaluate their clinical implication and potential as vascular biomarker in SSc. Methods: 10mL of blood samples were collected from 29 subjects (19 SSc patients and 10 healthy donors - HDs) and stored in tubes containing a specific preservative, to allow the analysis of 4mL of blood within 72 hours, according to manufacturer instructions. Out of 19 SSc patients, 18 were female, 10 had the limited form and 9 the diffuse cutaneous variant of SSc. CS uses a proprietary kit containing a ferrofluid-based reagent, that target CD146 to magnetically capture CECs, and the immunofluorescent reagents to stain the CECs, defined as CD146+, CD105-PE+, DAPI+ and CD45-APC-. Clinical, laboratoristic and demographic data were also collected. Results: The mean number of CECs in patients with SSc was significantly higher in comparison to HDs (554/4mL vs. 53.5/4 mL, p=0.0042). When analyzed according to disease subset, both lcSSc and dcSSc showed significantly increased levels of CECs in comparison with HDs (p=0.003 and p=0.005, respectively). No statistical difference was observed in the mean number of CECs in patients with lcSSc compared to those with dcSSc. Regarding vascular involvement, the CECs counts strictly correlated with the presence of digital ulcers (DUs) (p=0.0001) showing a median of 863cells/4mL for the SSc patients with DUs versus a median of 276.2/4mL for the SSc patients without DUs. No statistical correlation was found between CECs and serological autoantibody pattern, skin parameters, or joint and muscle involvement. Patients with active disease, according to the EUSTAR Activity Index, showed a higher CECs value than those with inactive disease (p=0.0012). Conclusion: The amount of CECs detectable in peripheral blood has been recently proposed as a marker of endothelial damage in different vascular diseases, including SSc. However, currently no standardized method is available to determine CEC counts, which makes reported data on CECs reliable and suitable. The CS system is a commercially available semi-automated system that enables standardized determination of CECs. Thus, we examined clinical utility of CECs count by this system in SSc patients. Our results confirm that baseline CEC counts, evaluated by a new standardized method, may represent direct evidence of endothelial damage in SSc and could be a promising tool for monitoring active disease and evaluating therapeutic responses to vascular and immunosuppressive treatments. References: [1]Del Papa N, Pignataro F. Front Immunol. 2018 Jun 18;9:1383 [2]De Simone C et al. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2014 May;28(5):590-6 [3]Del Papa N et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004 Apr;50(4):1296-304 Disclosure of Interests: Francesca Pignataro: None declared, Laura Zorzino: None declared, Wanda Maglione: None declared, Antonina Minniti: None declared, Giulia Clericuzio: None declared, Marco Picozzi: None declared, Cecilia Simonelli Employee of: Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Francesco Picardo Employee of: Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Roberto Caporali: None declared, Nicoletta Del Papa: None declared


This article presents pedagogical reflections on the relationship between media and physical education, a scenario in which digital technologies facilitate and expand access to media. Then there is the need to approach physical education to the media, given its importance in symbolic representation and behavior of students within the movement body culture. The primary intentions of the media are not necessarily compatible with the purposes of school. This apparent contradiction leads us to wonder, in dialogue with the area of media education, which would be the potential of media as a strategy for pedagogical action.


The average household income is one of the most important indexes for decision making and the modelling of economic inequity and poverty. In this work we propose a practical procedure to estimate the average income using small area methods. We illustrate our proposal using information from a multipurpose survey and suitable economic and demographic variables such as the multidimensional poverty and the valorization indexes and the official population projections. We find that the standard relative errors for the income average estimates improve substantially when the proposed methodology is implemented.


We study a multimodal journey planning scenario consisting of a public transit network and a transfer graph that represents a secondary transportation mode (e.g., walking, cycling, e-scooter). The objective is to compute Pareto-optimal journeys with respect to arrival time and the number of used public transit trips. Whereas various existing algorithms can efficiently compute optimal journeys in either a pure public transit network or a pure transfer graph, combining the two increases running times significantly. Existing approaches, therefore, typically only support limited walking between stops by either imposing a maximum transfer distance or requiring the transfer graph to be transitively closed. To overcome these shortcomings, we propose a novel preprocessing technique called unlimited transfers (ULTRA): given an unlimited transfer graph, which may represent any non–schedule based transportation mode, ULTRA computes a small number of transfer shortcuts that are provably sufficient for computing a Pareto set of optimal journeys. These transfer shortcuts can be integrated into a variety of state-of-the-art public transit algorithms, establishing the ULTRA-query algorithm family. Our extensive experimental evaluation shows that ULTRA improves these algorithms from limited to unlimited transfers without sacrificing query speed. This is true not just for walking, but also for faster transfer modes, such as bicycle or car. Compared with the state of the art for multimodal journey planning, the fastest ULTRA-based algorithm achieves a speedup of an order of magnitude. Funding: This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [Grant WA 654/23-2]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2022.0198 .


Inter-regional trade negotiations between the EU and ASEAN have not met with much success since they were first tabled in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in 1996. This has led to separate discussions between the EU and individual ASEAN member countries to establish bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs). Singapore was the first ASEAN country to formalise a bilateral FTA with the EU, initialled in 2014 as the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA). At the same time, Singapore has also developed a close trade relationship with China by establishing a China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (CSFTA) in 2008. Despite the obvious significance of the EUSFTA and CSFTA, there has been little systematic research on the export-growth nexus in Singapore. Thus, this paper examines whether Singapore's exports to China and the EU are beneficial for its economic development. Empirical findings indicate that there is unidirectional causality between exports to China and economic development, consistent with the export-led economic development hypothesis. Nevertheless the findings also show that, in line with the neutrality hypothesis, there is an independent relationship between exports to the EU and economic development. These findings have considerable implications on Singapore's international trade policy and practices.


Traffic volume counts are used by many Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in planning, traffic operations, and asset management programs. Traffic counts are usually collected using sensor-based monitoring tools at limited locations in a network. The sensor-based method excludes low-class roads due to the cost involved. Therefore, in general, there is no volume data count available for local roads; even though they make up the majority of our highway network. An extensive literature review from this paper revealed that using traditional factor approach, regression-based models, and artificial neural network models failed to present network-wide traffic/truck volume estimation because they rely on traffic counts for model development and they all have inherent weaknesses. Moreover, their traffic estimates have high estimation errors. Traditionally, four-step model (FSM) is based on traffic analysis zones (TAZs) structure which conveniently uses existing census geography to take advantage of socioeconomic data available from Statistics Canada. However, the coarse zone structure used in such models tends to exaggerate the intrazonal trips resulting in biased and unbalanced trip distribution over roadway network and high estimation errors. Also, their purpose is to guide infrastructure development and therefore, they are not appropriate as a tool for estimating traffic at network wide, including low-class roads. This paper develops a high-fidelity travel demand model (HFTDM) capable of achieving network-wide traffic volume estimation with improved accuracy. This will require using all functional class roadways and spatially disaggregating census-based coarse TAZ structure into fine zones. A case study using an areal interpolation technique, which is based on fine-scale grids, road density and a detailed road network was developed for the Beresford/Bathurst area in the province of New Brunswick. Finally, a few conclusions and recommendations regarding this paper are given.


Three patients with congenital absence of the left pericardium and one patient with a partial left pericardial defect are described. Congenital absence of the left pericardium is characterized roentgenologically by levoposition of the heart, a prominent pulmonary artery segment and cardiac apex, interposition of lung between the left hemidiaphragm and the base of the heart, and unusual mobility of the heart. The electrocardiogram frequently shows right axis deviation, an incomplete right bundle branch block and leftward displacement of the transition zone in the precordial leeds. The anomaly has often been mistaken for other heart disease. As an isolated anomaly it is benign and does not require any treatment. Patients with a partial defect of the left pericardium can only be diagnosed lcinically if the left atrial appendage herniates through the defect. The herniation produces a protruding shadow along the left heart border and can be demonstrated angiographically and by fluoroscopy. In isolated cases death caused by herniation and strangulation of larger parts of the heart through a partial left pericardial defect has been described.


INTRODUCTION-Due to environmental specificity, swimming technique and biomechanics plays a determinant role in swimming performance. Once fatigue seem to be able to change technique (Weiss et al, 1988), a rigorous evaluation of this effects must be of outstanding importance for practice. Nevertheless, only a few papers were published concerning changes, during a swimming event, on biomechanical parameters. The purpose of this study was to characterise and compare biomechanical changes of butterfly technique during a 200 m event among adult and infant swimmers. METHODS-Ten well trained male swimmers (5 adults and 5 infants) were studied (21.2±3.5 and 12,O±0 years of age: 179A±5,7 and 159A±5.3 cm height; 76.6±10A and 45,8±3.8 kg of weight, respectively for adults and infants) Each swimmer performed a maximal 200 m butterfly test, videotaped in the sagital plane, both underwater (30 cm bellow surface) and overwater (30 cm overwater) with SVHS cameras. 80th images were mixed using a Panasonic WJMX50 mixing table in order to obtain a dual-media final image. The cameras were placed at a 5 m distance, with the optical axis perp ndicular to the swimmers plane of displacement!. In each 200m performance, the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th 25 m laps were evaluated using the Peak Performance 20 system using a sampling frequency of 50 Hz and 10 digitised anatomical land marks, One last point was digitised in order to define the water surface, The parameters studied were (i) swimming velocity (V); (ii) stroke length (SL); (iii) stroke rate (SR); (iv) maximum depth of the hand (HO); (v) total antero-posterior horizontal displacement of the hand (HA-PHO): (vi) index of horizontality of the hand path (IH = HAPHO*HO-t); (vii) maximal vertical amplitude of the hip displacement during one stroke cycle (HiTOSP); (viii) CM maximal velocity, associated to the final of the upsweep (Vmax); (ix) CM velocity during the entry of the hands (Vent); (x) CM 'velocity velocity during the exit of the hands (Vex); (xii) CM acceleration during the recovery of the arms (AR); (xiii) CM acceleration during the upsweep (AU): (xiv) "dropped elbow index" (OE) calculated through the verticai distance between the finger tip of the middle finger and the elbow. RESU TS-The results of this study where significant differences were found are presented in Table 1. CONCLUSIONS-The results of this study pointed out that: (i) a number of biomechanical parameters of swimming technique are changed along the 200m butterfly event, both for adult and infant swimmers, probably related to fatigue; (ii) some of the significant differences were observed earlier for infant than for adult swimmers; (iii) differences in swimming velocity among infant and adults were probably a combined effect of multiple factors. REFERENCES Weiss et al. (1988). In: B. E. Ungereehts, K. Wilke and K. Reisehle (eds.), Swimming Seienee V, pp 295-304. HKP, Champaign, IIlinois.


Background The severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is related to several factors, including age, sex, and comorbidities (obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension). However, systemic inflammation plays a fundamental role in COVID-19 pathophysiology. Several studies have described this association employing specific biomarkers that are not routinely used in clinical practice. On the other hand, very few reports in the literature focused on the analysis of the routine laboratory biomarkers to predict the outcome of severe COVID-19 patients. Objective We aimed to analyze the dynamic inflammatory response using routine laboratory biomarkers to predict in-hospital mortality in Mexican patients with severe COVID-19. Methods This is a cohort study including patients with severe COVID-19. Demographic characteristics were retrieved from medical charts and biochemical parameters were measured at hospital admission and subsequently on days 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21 during the hospital stay; measurements were stopped when patients were discharged from the hospital (alive or death). Results A total of 250 patients were included in the study, 40.8% of patients died. The analyzed routine laboratory parameters, such as serum levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, and D-dimer remained elevated in hospitalized patients who did not survive, whereas eosinophil and platelets were maintained at lower levels. In the multivariate analysis, leukocytes, and neutrophils were the best biomarkers for predicting mortality risk and were independent of age, gender, or comorbidities. Conclusion Our results support the use of routine laboratory biomarkers as predictors of mortality in Mexican hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19.


Fourteen knees were studied by a method called spatial location, to determine the contact and load-bearing areas between the femur and the upper tibia in non-loaded and loaded conditions, at various angles of flexion. Under no load, contact occurred primarily on the menisci; the lateral aspects contacted at 0 degrees flexion, moving to the posterolateral aspects at 90 degrees flexion. An area of cartilage which frequently contacted was the medial tibial spine. Under loads of up to 150 kg, the lateral meniscus appeared to carry most of the load on that side of the joint, while on the medial side, the load was shared approximately equally by the meniscus and the exposed cartilage. These findings were verified on two knees by measuring contact pressure with a miniature transducer. Two implications of these findings are that the area of load-bearing is greatly increased and that the stability of the knee joint is enhanced by the menisci.


Dung beetles (Scarabaeidae subfamily Scarabaeinae) are ubiquitous and play an important role in the removal of animal dung and the dispersal of seeds embedded therein. They exhibit a range of dung-acquisition and burying behaviours, from burying dung directly beneath the dung deposit to rolling dung balls up to several metres. Dung beetles act as important agents for secondary seed dispersal and seed survival: the burial of seeds is said to be of advantage against predators and desiccation (Andresen & Feer 2005, Culot et al. 2009, Feer 1999). In addition, burial of seeds by dung beetles is considered beneficial as seeds are not only deposited within the range of depths that are favourable for seedling establishment but also among organic fertilizer that is said to increase seedling growth rates (Andresen 1999, 2002; Estrada & Coates-Estrada 1991, Shepherd & Chapman 1998).


For the scheduling and the job assignment of the ship hull production design which is a process-based work, we suggest the simulation-based scheduling using the discrete-event-based business process simulation. First, we analyze the ship hull production design process from the perspective of a job assignment to make it into the simulation model using DEVS (Discrete Event System Specification) which is the representative modeling method for a discrete-event simulation. Based on the APIs of the open-source discrete-event simulation engine, we implement the simulation using the Groovy script. We develop the scenario generator in which the user defines detail information of the construction drawing and its member blocks, and design engineers information, and the various setting for the simulation including the job assignment strategy. We use the XML files from this scenario generator as inputs of simulation so that we can get simulation result in forms of Gantt chart without changes of the simulation model.


High molecular weight kininogen (HK) binds specifically, saturably, and reversibly to neutrophils and also reciprocally inhibits the binding of fibrinogen to neutrophils. Since fibrinogen binds to the leukocyte integrin CD11b/18 (Mac-1, alpha M beta 2), we investigated whether HK bound to Mac-1 and whether the binding site was similar to that for factor X. We also examined whether one or both chains of cleaved HK (HKa) were involved. Two monoclonal antibodies, 2B5 (0.29 microM) to HK heavy chain domains 2 (D2) and 3 (D3), and C11C1 (0.26 microM) to HK light chain domain 5 (D5), inhibited by 99 and 93% the binding, respectively, of 125I-HK (8.3 nM) to neutrophils. To minimize steric hindrance, we further demonstrated that the Fab' fragments of 2B5 and C11C1 were able to inhibit the binding of this ligand to virtually the same extent as the intact antibody, indicating that, as in binding of HK to platelets and endothelial cells, both chains are involved. To directly demonstrate the involvement of each chain, we showed that the reduced alkylated light chain derived from HK and low molecular weight kininogen, which contains the same heavy chain as HK, each markedly inhibited the binding of HK to neutrophils. We localized the domain responsible for the binding in each chain by showing that recombinant D3 and D5 decreased the binding of HK to neutrophils. To define the receptor for HK, we employed three monoclonal antibodies to Mac-1: OKM1 and OKM10 to epitopes on the alpha M subunit and IB4 to an epitope on the beta 2 chain. OKM1, which can inhibit fibrinogen binding to neutrophils, inhibited HK binding by 79%, whereas the other antibodies inhibited HK binding less than 25%. Coagulation factor X also binds to Mac-1 on monocytes at a similar site to C3bi. Synthetic peptides which define noncontiguous surface loops in factor X that interact with Mac-1, failed to inhibit 125I-HK binding to neutrophils. We conclude that HK binds, via domains on its heavy chain, D3, and light chain, D5, to Mac-1 on the neutrophil surface, and HK occupies a site overlapping with fibrinogen and different from factor X.


Although the fall of a humanoid robot is rare in controlled environments, it cannot be avoided in the real world where the robot may physically interact with the environment. Our earlier work [1], [2] introduced the strategy of direction-changing fall, in which the robot attempts to reduce the chance of human injury by changing its default fall direction in real-time and falling in a safer direction. The current paper reports further theoretical developments culminating in a successful hardware implementation of this fall strategy conducted on the Aldebaran NAO robot[3]. This includes new algorithms for humanoid kinematics and Jacobians involving coupled joints and a complete estimation of the body frame attitude using an additional inertial measurement unit. Simulations and experiments are smoothly handled by our platform independent humanoid control software package called Locomote. We report experiment scenarios where we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategies in changing humanoid fall direction.


Takayasu's disease (or arteritis) has been defined as "an idiopathic arteritis involving the arch of the aorta and its major branches." It is predominantly a disease of young women which can give rise, in more than 50% of the cases, to severe neurological manifestations. 1 The peculiar restricted anatomical distribution of the arteritis in Takayasu's disease is a puzzle which has led many investigators to doubt that the illness is a "simple" disorder of autoimmunity. For, if this were the case, one would expect a widespread, more generalized arteritis (rather than the selective involvement of the aortic arch and its branches). For this reason and in the absence of any specific laboratory test, the etiology of Takayasu's disease has remained "idiopathic." A recognition and a better understanding of this disease are important for three reasons: (1) The disease is perhaps more common than is suspected (six cases were diagnosed in


Thinking to build a website for open access E-Journals? With this book you'll learn how to design and develop a website with searchable single platform. The methodology adopted is System Analysis and Design (SAD) with web design and scripting. It helps you to put down the basics, design methods, testing, and much more. This book includes System Analysis, Software Development Life Cycle and Designing Open Access E-Journals Website in Computer Science.


We study nonclassical correlations beyond entanglement in a family of two-mode non-Gaussian states which represent the continuous-variable counterpart of two-qubit Werner states. We evaluate quantum discord and other quantumness measures obtaining exact analytical results in special instances, and upper and lower bounds in the general case. Non-Gaussian measurements such as photon counting are in general necessary to solve the optimization in the definition of quantum discord, whereas Gaussian measurements are strictly suboptimal for the considered states. The gap between Gaussian and optimal non-Gaussian conditional entropy is found to be proportional to a measure of non-Gaussianity in the regime of low squeezing, for a subclass of continuous-variable Werner states. We further study an example of a non-Gaussian state which is positive under partial transposition, and whose nonclassical correlations stay finite and small even for infinite squeezing. Our results pave the way to a systematic exploration of the interplay between nonclassicality and non-Gaussianity in continuous-variable systems, in order to gain a deeper understanding of---and to draw a bigger advantage from---these two important resources for quantum technology.


Simple Summary In order to ensure species-appropriate horse keeping and management, knowledge about horses' cognitive abilities is essential. One parameter used to measure the cognitive abilities of a species is their capacity for innovative behavior. In this study 16 horses where confronted with a novel problem, i.e., an unknown feeder. When a horse emptied the feeder completely it was considered to be innovative. We found 25% of the horses to be innovative. Horses' propensity to innovate was mediated by individual behavioral differences and former life experiences. We conclude that horses' keeping conditions and welfare may be improved by environmental enrichment which promotes the development of innovative behavior. Abstract Domesticated horses are constantly confronted with novel tasks. A recent study on anecdotal data indicates that some are innovative in dealing with such tasks. However, innovative behavior in horses has not previously been investigated under experimental conditions. In this study, we investigated whether 16 horses found an innovative solution when confronted with a novel feeder. Moreover, we investigated whether innovative behavior in horses may be affected by individual aspects such as: age, sex, size, motor and sensory laterality, fecal stress hormone concentrations (GCMs), and task-related behavior. Our study revealed evidence for 25% of the horses being capable of innovative problem solving for operating a novel feeder. Innovative horses of the present study were active, tenacious, and may be considered to have a higher inhibitory control, which was revealed by their task related behavior. Furthermore, they appeared to be emotional, reflected by high baseline GCM concentrations and a left sensory and motor laterality. These findings may contribute to the understanding of horses' cognitive capacities to deal with their environment and calls for enriched environments in sports and leisure horse management.


BACKGROUND
Benign mesothelioma is a rare tumour mostly found in the genital tract.

CASE
We report the case of 30-years old woman presenting pelvic pain. The ultrasound scan revealed a cystic pelvic mass. Laparoscopic exploration showed a uterine posterior formation. The resection of the dome was performed. Histologic exam and immnunochemistry concluded to a benign cystic mesothelioma.

CONCLUSION
The benign mesothelioma of the uterus is usually discovered in histology, differential diagnosis for solid forms can be made with leiomyoma or adenomyoma, whereas the cystic forms can be discussed essentially with the ovarian cysts. The presence of mesothelial immunophenotype in immunochemistry improves diagnosis. Clinical outcome is always favourable without recurrence or malignant transformation.


In Japan, ventilation, shading, air conditioning and other techniques are used for the countermeasures to the heating of the greenhouse in summer. The mist cooling by evaporation is one of the simple air conditioning and its initial and running cost is rather cheap. It has spread to be the most common air conditioning method. However, there is a problem of the spreading of diseases due to dewy plants, as a result of high relative humidity, so the suitable usage has not been clarified yet for the southwest warm humid district in Japan. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to find out the effective use of mist cooling at various conditions. When outside temperature exceeded 30°C, in the most popular usual plastic pipe house, the air temperature fell by about 3°C by mist cooling compared with the control of no mist cooling. In the high truss plastic pipe house, around 4°C fell by mist cooling. Furthermore 1 to 2°C descent was possible by using together with the newly developed dehumidifier using triethylene glycol as a desiccant. Thermal insulation film and paint as shading materials were also tested to confirm temperature fall effect. Air temperature for all the shading materials was low, compared with the control PVC except one, and growth of plants increased. However, plants growth was not necessarily linear to the fall in the air temperature.


Introduction: A thorough case history aids in proper diagnosis and treatment planning. Since many years various case history formats or questionnaires have been followed, which are too long as well as they lack any numerical support for the responses. Hence, it makes all of them less precise and less accurate. Aim: To develop and validate a newly proposed score-based criterion for minimal invasive pulpal diagnosis and treatment planning. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, K.M. Shah Dental College, Vadodara, India, from December 2021 to April 2022. Study included 200 subjects with pain in maxillary or mandibular teeth due to primary carious lesion participated. This study included two groups of experts: group I had two experienced endodontists, who examined the patients based on their knowledge and experience using traditional diagnostic methods and a standard treatment plan was advised and group II had two calibrated experts endodontist (primary investigator) and a general dentist (co-investigator) using this newly proposed score-based evaluation criterion and a minimal invasive treatment plan was suggested. Each patient was examined by both the groups. The statistical analysis for the agreement between standard treatment plan (group I) and suggested treatment plan (group II) was done via Cohen Kappa test. Results: Of total participants, 108 (54%) were females and 92 (46%) were males and the mean age of participants was 36.26±12.72 years. The mean age of females and males was 34.26±12.17 years and 38.61±13.01 years, respectively. The result of the study showed almost perfect agreement (kappa=0.918, p-value <0.001) between both the groups indicating high accuracy of the newly proposed score-based criterion. Conclusion: This newly proposed score-based criterion offers a minimal invasive diagnosis and treatment planning with a strong numerical support that can be efficiently used by the general practitioners and the endodontists in their routine clinical practices as well as by the academicians/researchers for case selection for clinical trials/studies in field of endodontics.


The outbreak of COVID-19 shows a high potent of person-to-person transmission and thus contributes to a large spread of infection sweeping the world. The family cluster of infection has been paid much more attention. We reported two different families infected by SARS-CoV-2 in the context of family clustering, one of which is a typical family cluster of infection with the transmission chain being an asymptomatic patient in the incubation period. However, the outcome of another family was exactly the opposite, in which the index patient was the only individual infected and complicated with fatal ischemic stroke. These two families highlight that more attention should be paid to the distinctions underlying the family cluster of infections and the possibility of COVID-19-related stroke.


Abstract Youth suicide continues to be a significant public health issue, with especially elevated levels of suicide thoughts and behaviors experienced by marginalized students across race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and age demographics. This article highlights the importance of contemporary research informing and advancing professional efforts and also introduces a special topic section including eight articles that focus on key gaps in the literature related to mitigating suicide risk among youth in schools. Four survey studies and one systematic review aim to identify risk and protective factors for marginalized and understudied populations, with strong emphasis on cultural considerations around youth suicide; two studies center on the development and evaluation of school-based suicide prevention programs, with a focus on warning signs, professional development, and social validity; and the final paper focuses on learning from student perspectives to improve postvention. This special topic section represents the complexity of youth suicide prevention and postvention and offers school psychologists knowledge and strategies to prevent and intervene to reduce youth suicide. The introduction closes with several recommendations for further advancing science, practice, and policy related to mitigating suicide risk among youth in schools. IMPACT STATEMENT Prevention of youth suicide requires contemporary research and program development. School psychologists can play a critical role in preventing youth suicide through culturally relevant studies, evidence-based training and curriculum, and postvention strategies. Collectively, articles in this special series strengthen the literature for guiding school psychologists in mitigating suicide risk among youth in schools.


A simple dynamic model relating forest area in a region, its contribution to dry season precipitation and the effect on its own establishment was developed. The model equation shows hysteresis between forest and savannas as a function of imported dry season precipitation. Regions are either dominated by forests or savannas, with each ecosystem showing stability despite changes in imported dry season precipitation. Deforestation beyond a certain threshold value, however, could cause a collapse of forest ecosystems and replacement by savannas in marginal areas. The predictions of this model corroborate pollen core analysis in the Amazon basin, where historical stability of tropical forest cover has been shown despite global climate change.


Hantaviruses (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus) are rodent borne RNA-viruses known to cause severe zoonotic diseases in humans in Europe, Asia and the Americas. However, in Africa, it is unknown whether Hantaviruses cause disease. In 2010 the new Tigray Hantavirus(TIGV) was discovered in northern Ethiopia, but it is yet unknown whether it could infect humans, and the risk factors associated withinfection. Therefore, the aims of this pilot study was to investigate whether TIGV infects humans and estimate the seroprevalence against TIGV in the rural farming populations in the areas of Atsbi and Hagare selam where the virus were first discovered. The aim was also to examine the association between seroprevalence and potential risk factors, especially the density of stone bunds (SBD) which is known to impact the density of rodents.Blood samples for IFA-analyse of antibodies were collected cross-sectionally from the study populations and data on riskfactors (Gender, Age, Cat, Sightings of rodents, Contact with rodents, Rodent bite and Stone bund age and SBD) were collected via a questionnaire to the same population or estimated trough GIS-analysis. Logistic regression, t-test, Chi2-test and Fishers exact test were used to test potential associations between risk factors and seropositivity.The study showed that TIGV does infect humans with a prevalence of 5.2 % in the total population and that seroprevalence differed between the two areas (Atsbi 10.2 %, Hagare selam 1.5 %). The small sample size limited the statistical strength of the associations, but our results support those from other studies, as we found exposure to rodents to be a risk factor. Our findings also suggest that the main place for infection by TIGV is within the housing compound. Further, contrary to what was expected, stone bund density seemed to be negatively associated to seroprevalence for TIGV and it is hypothesized that this is because rodents in low SBD-areas are more prone to go infest houses than are rodents in high SBD-areas, because there are less shelter in low SBD-areas. The logical step after this pilot study is to confirm and further examine the potential riskfactors with a larger sample size and to examine whether TIGV is causing disease or not.


Mylotarg (gemtuzumab ozogamicin, CMA-676; Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Philadelphia, PA) recently was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia in first relapse, age 60 years or older, who are not considered candidates for other types of cytotoxic chemotherapy. In combined phase II studies of 142 patients with CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia in first relapse, Mylotarg monotherapy was associated with a 30% overall response rate. Although treated patients had relatively high incidences of myelosuppression, hyperbilirubinemia, and elevated hepatic transaminases, the incidences of severe mucositis and infections were low compared with what might be expected in association with conventional chemotherapeutic treatment. Preliminary data in pediatric patients also suggest that the immunoconjugate is reasonably well tolerated. Studies of Mylotarg in combination with anthracycline, cytarabine, and agents that inhibit P-glycoprotein are underway.


Abstract The study examines the distribution of verbal patterns and their semantic-syntactic functions as they are used in spoken narrative text production by adult native speakers of Palestinian Arabic. 30 native Palestinian Arabic adult speakers from Kufur Qareʕ, a village in Central Israel, were shown a clip demonstrating conflicts and were asked to produce an oral narrative text based on it. The verbs used in these narratives were examined according to root, pattern, transitivity and semantic class. The results revealed strong tendencies with regard to the distribution of the patterns that were used. CaCaC was the most productive pattern by type and token counts. This stands in contradiction to the results for verb innovation, where the CaCCaC and tCaCCaC patterns are selected almost exclusively, and it highlights the gap between productivity based on new formations and productivty based on basic forms in use. In addition, some verbal patterns were extermely rarely used. The results also show that there was no transparent form-function relation with respect to the semantic functions of verbal patterns. Most semantic functions were delivered in a small number of patterns (between 1–3) and the majority of them were in were found in one pattern, CaCaC. The results shed light on the actual usage of Arabic verbal patterns in text production and their semantic and syntactic features.


We report on two deaths by compaction in a garbage truck that recently occurred in this county. In both cases, the victim apparently climbed into a recycling dumpster to sleep, and was emptied with the contents of the receptacle into a garbage truck. Subsequent compaction of the victim with the load led to death. We also discuss several similar fatalities that have been reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.


Objective. Sample size and statistical power calculation should consider clustering effects when schools are the unit of randomization in intervention studies. The objective of the current study was to investigate how student outcomes are clustered within schools in an obesity prevention trial. Method. Baseline data from the Food, Health & Choices project were used. Participants were 9- to 13-year-old students enrolled in 20 New York City public schools (n = 1,387). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on measures of height and weight, and body fat percentage was measured with a Tanita® body composition analyzer (Model SC-331s). Energy balance–related behaviors were self-reported with a frequency questionnaire. To examine the cluster effects, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated as school variance over total variance for outcome variables. School-level covariates, percentage students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, percentage Black or Hispanic, and English language learners were added in the model to examine ICC changes. Results. The ICCs for obesity indicators are: .026 for BMI-percentile, .031 for BMI z-score, .035 for percentage of overweight students, .037 for body fat percentage, and .041 for absolute BMI. The ICC range for the six energy balance–related behaviors are .008 to .044 for fruit and vegetables, .013 to .055 for physical activity, .031 to .052 for recreational screen time, .013 to .091 for sweetened beverages, .033 to .121 for processed packaged snacks, and .020 to .083 for fast food. When school-level covariates were included in the model, ICC changes varied from −95% to 85%. Conclusions. This is the first study reporting ICCs for obesity-related anthropometric and behavioral outcomes among New York City public schools. The results of the study may aid sample size estimation for future school-based cluster randomized controlled trials in similar urban setting and population. Additionally, identifying school-level covariates that can reduce cluster effects is important when analyzing data.


Segmentation of the prostate in magnetic resonance (MR) images has many applications in image-guided treatment planning and procedures such as biopsy and focal therapy. However, manual delineation of the prostate boundary is a time-consuming task with high inter-observer variation. In this study, we proposed a semiautomated, three-dimensional (3D) prostate segmentation technique for T2-weighted MR images based on shape and texture analysis. The prostate gland shape is usually globular with a smoothly curved surface that could be accurately modeled and reconstructed if the locations of a limited number of well-distributed surface points are known. For a training image set, we used an inter-subject correspondence between the prostate surface points to model the prostate shape variation based on a statistical point distribution modeling. We also studied the local texture difference between prostate and non-prostate tissues close to the prostate surface. To segment a new image, we used the learned prostate shape and texture characteristics to search for the prostate border close to an initially estimated prostate surface. We used 23 MR images for training, and 14 images for testing the algorithm performance. We compared the results to two sets of experts' manual reference segmentations. The measured mean ± standard deviation of error values for the whole gland were 1.4 ± 0.4 mm, 8.5 ± 2.0 mm, and 86 ± 3% in terms of mean absolute distance (MAD), Hausdorff distance (HDist), and Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). The average measured differences between the two experts on the same datasets were 1.5 mm (MAD), 9.0 mm (HDist), and 83% (DSC). The proposed algorithm illustrated a fast, accurate, and robust performance for 3D prostate segmentation. The accuracy of the algorithm is within the inter-expert variability observed in manual segmentation and comparable to the best performance results reported in the literature.


Background: Despite that an estimated 39-71% of colon cancer cases could be avoided through lifestyle modifications, colorectal cancer remains the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death. Targeting the most prevalent lifestyle risk factors is a complementary strategy to screening in men and women 50+ years old, and should be the primary prevention strategy in younger people to reduce the incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer. To prioritize targets for prevention, we, thus, evaluated the prevalence of modifiable risk factors for colorectal cancer in the U.S. Methods: We used nationally representative data for non-Hispanic white (NHW), non-Hispanic black (NHB), and Mexican-American (MA) men and women (non-pregnant) 20-69 years old from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in 1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2003-2004, 2005-2006, and 2007-2008. We included lifestyle risk factors for which the evidence is convincing (WCRF/AICR, Surgeon General9s Report): physical inactivity ( Results: At each time point, the most prevalent risk factor was physical inactivity (∼60%), followed by obesity (∼30%), red meat intake (∼30%) and smoking (∼25%). The prevalence of the risk factors did not decline over the 10 years and the ordering of their prevalences was stable. Overall, only 13% of adults had none of the risk factors, whereas 17% had 3 and 5% had 4-6 risk factors. Men (3: 20%, 4-6: 6%), who have higher colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates, had more risk factors than women (3: 15%, 4-6: 4%; p=0.004). NHB adults (3: 20%, 4-6: 7%), who have the highest rates, had the most risk factors followed by NHW (3: 17%, 4-6: 5%), and MA (3: 14%, 4-6: 3%; p=0.06), who have the lowest rates of the three racial/ethnic groups. The number of risk factors did not differ among people aged 20-34 years (3: 16%, 4-6: 5%); 35-49 years (3: 18%, 4-6: 5%) or 50-69 years (3: 17%, 4-6: 4%; p=0.67), although which of the risk factors were the most prevalent differed slightly among the three age groups. Conclusions: Eighty-seven percent of American adults have at least one colorectal cancer risk factor. The most prevalent risk factors are also risk factors for other common chronic diseases. Over the past 10 years, the prevalence of these risk factors has not declined. This constellation of risk factors should be targeted for intervention to reduce the burden of colorectal cancer and all other major chronic diseases. Funding: Dr. Joshu was supported by NCI T32 CA009314. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):B83.


The cost of managing potato late blight with fungicides in the Columbia Basin of Washington and Oregon in 1996 to 1998 was documented and compared with the cost of managing the epidemic in 1995. Mean number of fungicide applications on late-season potatoes from 1996 to 1998 ranged from 5.3 to 8.8 in the north Columbia Basin of Washington and 8.5 to 12.3 in the southern basin of Washington and Oregon. Mean cost per hectare of fungicides and application on late-season potatoes in 1998 was $316 per hectare ($128 per acre) in Washington's north basin and $472 per hectare ($191 per acre) in Washington's south basin. Even though the price of most fungicides had increased since 1995, total cost of control per hectare over the season was less during 1996 to 1998 than in 1995 because of altered management practices. These included fewer fungicide applications, a shift toward lower cost fungicides, substitution of aerial application by chemigation, and a reduction in the number of fields chemically desiccated before harvest. Total cost of managing late blight and tuber rot loss was $22.3 million in 1998, whereas it was $30 million in 1995. The 1998 cost included $19.8 million for fungicide applications and materials, $1.1 million for canopy desiccation, and $1.4 million loss due to tuber rot in storage.


Using nanoparticles of CeO2 and ZrO2 prepared by a chemical precipitation method as starting materials, single-phase cubic Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 solid solution (c-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2) has been synthesized under 3.1 GPa at 1073 K for the first time. The EPR and XPS measurements show that there exists no Ce3+ in it and that the Ce4+ has not been reduced to Ce3+ after annealing. The transport mechanism is ionic for the c-Ce0.5Zr0.5O2. The bulk conductivity is the same as that of CeO2, but smaller than that of Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2.


We have measured the surface segregation towards the vacuum in films of a binary mixture of deuterated E48EE52 (d52)—and hydrogenous E38EE62 (h66)—random olefinic copolymers. Here E and EE are the linear ethylene and branched ethyl ethylene groups (C4H8) and [C2H3(C2H5)], respectively. The d52 copolymer is enriched at the surface when d52 is the minority component in the blend. On the contrary, the surface is depleted in the d52 chains, when they constitute a majority of the mixture. We have determined two branches of the segregation isotherm corresponding to the enrichment and the depletion. A mean-field Cahn model describes consistently these two isotherm branches. The observed enrichment-depletion duality modifies a common viewpoint on surface segregation.


Research show that engineering students need to develop more accurate conceptual understanding. Doing so requires the motivation to engage in the difficult work of developing conceptual understanding which often requires more effective learning strategies than those that students currently use. Although prior studies have attributed learning to motivation based on theories for interest, relatedness, usefulness, or changes over time, we wanted to approach our data from a more open and emergent standpoint, and have our findings grounded in the views of our participants. In this research study we wanted to understand student learning in settings such as those related to hobbies, sports, or other interests for which students describe having engaged in the activity of learning and compare our findings to learning in academic settings. We analyzed transcripts from semi-structured interviews with 17 engineering students. The interview was part of a larger study to understand engineering specific learning strategies. We see similarities in the behavioristic approach to learning through practice and reward in both the settings. However, important to note are the differences in learning in the two settings. We have described how engineering students often seem to value the coach or expert as a role model in non-academic settings, however not many students seemed to equate faculty or academic coaches to serve as possible role models. Multiple students mentioned technology in helping them understand techniques and principles outside the classroom. However, the role of technology to aid in learning for concepts relevant inside the classroom was only highlighted by two participants. We believe that the findings from this research can inform engineering educators on successful strategies employed by engineering students in non-academic settings, and this in turn may be useful to incorporate in academic settings to improve student engagement and hence conceptual understanding.


The goal of this research is to design and produce a desktop multifunctional companion robot capable of interaction with persons by the use of a touch panel game board. The robot is equipped with 2 multi-joint arms in order to play various board games through the electronic game board. A multifunctional electronic game board is developed so as to eliminate the drawbacks of inconsistent visual recognition due to varied illumination conditions. A unique mechanical compliance mechanism is created to protect the actuators of robot arms. A small torque limit mechanism is placed between the actuators and the mechanism so that when an excessive amount of external force is experienced, the actuator and the mechanism will slide with the force to limit damage to the actuators. Once the force is removed the arm will slide back into its original position. The design makes the robotic arm more resistant and completely maintains the accuracy of the positioning control, reducing the need for other sensors.


The production of colostrum and milk by the sow are primary limiting factors affecting survival, growth and development of the piglets. The proteins of colostrum and milk provide not only a supply of amino acids to the neonate but also a wide range of bioactive factors. Proteins in sow mammary secretions include those associated with the milk fat membranes, caseins, mammary-derived whey proteins, immunoglobu‐ lins, hormones and growth factors, enzymes, and a wide range of other proteins. Concentrations of most milk-specific proteins typically are lower in colostrum than in milk, while concentrations of immunoglobulins and other bioactive proteins often are enriched in colostrum compared with mature milk. Dietary protein is utilized for milk protein production with approximately 50% efficiency. During both the colostrum period and at peak lactation as much as 700–800 g of protein is secreted daily by today's highly prolific sows. Estimates of daily milk protein secretion during lactation suggest that sows are not able to consume sufficient dietary protein and energy to account for output of solids in milk and therefore must mobilize body protein and body fat to support their milk production. Milk protein content typically is not affected by dietary treatment, indicating that the sow mobilizes her body reserves to maintain milk production and milk protein production. These observations are of particular interest for today's highly prolific sows, which may require more dietary protein than previous genotypes.


An innovative exercise machine, which mimics the movement of horseback riding, has been made available in the market. As an initial step in characterizing this device, we determined the cardiovascular and metabolic responses to exercise. Twenty apparently healthy subjects rode the device (Equus) on day 1. The upper body exercises were added on day 2, to see whether cardiac and metabolic demands were further elevated (Equus+aerobics). After 10 min of continuous exercise, oxygen consumption increased significantly. In the Equus+aerobics condition, increase in oxygen consumption was significant as early as 4 min into the graded exercise test. Overall oxygen consumption was greater in the Equus+aerobics condition than in the Equus condition ( P − 1 ) and Equus+aerobics (198 ± 54–194 ± 43 ml min − 1 ) conditions. Heart rates increased gradually during the graded exercise tests in both conditions (64 ± 11–78 ± 15 and 65 ± 11–83 ± 12 bpm in the Equus and Equus+aerobics conditions, respectively). Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) increased significantly 6 min into the graded exercise tests and remained elevated throughout exercise in both the conditions. There were no significant differences in BP responses between the two conditions. These results indicate that the cardiac and metabolic stresses achieved with this exercise device are small.


We describe the approach that we submitted to the 2015 PAN competition [5] for the author profiling task. The task consists in predicting some attributes of an author analyzing a set of his/her Twitter tweets. We consider several sets of stylometric and content features, and different decision algorithms: we use a different combination of features and decision algorithm for each language-attribute pair, hence treating it as an individual problem.


ABSTRACT The unique region of the capsid protein VP1 (VP1u) of B19 virus (B19V) elicits a dominant immune response and has a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity required for the infection. Despite these properties, we have observed that the VP1u-PLA2 motif occupies an internal position in the capsid. However, brief exposure to increasing temperatures induced a progressive accessibility of the PLA2 motif as well as a proportional increase of the PLA2 activity. Similarly, upon binding on human red blood cells (RBCs), a proportion of the capsids externalized the VP1u-PLA2 motif. Incubation of B19V with RBCs from 17 healthy donors resulted in extensive virus attachment ranging between 3,000 and 30,000 virions per cell. B19V empty capsids represent an important fraction of the viral particles circulating in the blood (30 to 40%) and bind to RBCs in the same way as full capsids. The extensive B19V binding to RBCs did not cause direct hemolysis but an increased osmotic fragility of the cells by a mechanism involving the PLA2 activity of the exposed VP1u. Analysis of a blood sample from an individual with a recent B19V infection revealed that, at this particular moment of the infection, the virions circulating in the blood were mostly associated to the RBC fraction. However, the RBC-bound B19V was not able to infect susceptible cells. These observations indicate that RBCs play a significant role during B19V infection by triggering the exposure of the immunodominant VP1u including its PLA2 constituent. On the other hand, the early exposure of VP1u might facilitate viral internalization and/or uncoating in target cells.


This paper presents a micro-fluidic temperature sensor that uses a variable radar echo to measure temperature at Ka-frequency band. The device is made up of a planar gap capacitor with a micro-fluidic channel situated between the plates. As the temperature changes, the water level in the channel moves across the capacitor plates. This rising level of high permittivity liquid within the capacitor modifies the capacitance and as a result modifies the scattering parameter S11. The sensor can then be integrated with an antenna and interrogated at distance by a reader. The detected radar echo level changes in proportion to temperature when illuminated by the wave reader. Simulations were performed in order to optimize the design for the capacitor and channel, and to verify the change of S11. The micro-fluidic device was fabricated using an Su-8 micro-machining process. Measurements were performed using a VNA and a probe measurement station in order to verify the change in S11 with respect to the level of water in the micro-fluidic channel. The S11 measurements yield an 8dB range which is in agreement with the theoretical calculations that are explained in the paper. For the radar echo measurements, a 4dBm range is obtained. This corresponds to a 10° K measurable temperature range. This design allows wireless temperature sensing at a distance, thus making it an effective solution for distant temperature monitoring applications.


Keratin intermediate filaments play an important role in maintaining the integrity of the skin structure. Understanding the importance of this subject is possible with the investigation of keratin defects in epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS). Nowadays, in addition to clinical criteria, new molecular diagnostic methods, such as next generation sequencing, can help to distinguish the subgroups of EBS more precisely. Because the most important and most commonly occurring molecular defects in these patients are the defects of keratins 5 and14 (KRT5 and KRT14), comprehending the nature structure of these proteins and their involved processes can be very effective in understanding the pathophysiology of this disease and providing new and effective therapeutic platforms to treat it. Here, we summarized the various aspects of the presence of KRT5 and KRT14 in the epidermis, their relation to the incidence and severity of EBS phenotypes, and the processes with which these proteins can affect them.


Levamisole is an increasingly common cocaine adulterant that can cause severe and rapid onset cutaneous vasculitis in humans. While most cases may be managed conservatively, we describe a series of patients in whom the extent of skin and soft tissue necrosis mandated surgical intervention. A retrospective review of all patients admitted to one of two regional burn centers between 2006 and 2016 for soft tissue necrosis after exposure to levamisole-adulterated cocaine was included in our study. Ten patients, majority female (9/10) with an average age of 43.4 years (range 31–57), were included. Cocaine usage before presentation averaged 6 days (range 1–14). Presenting complaints consisted of arthralgia (5/10), fever (7/10), and purpuric lesions (10/10). Average TBSA involvement was 23.5% (range 4–70). Immunological testing revealed perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (pANCA+) in 8 of 10 and cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (cANCA+) in 4 of 8 patients. Operative intervention occurred by postadmission day 11.6 (range 3–30). The mean number of operations required was 3 (range 2–6); length of stay averaged 46.8 days (range 14–120); and survival to discharge was 100% (10/10). To our knowledge, this is the largest case study detailing the surgical management of levamisole-associated skin necrosis. Additionally, we describe the most extensive case of this disease process at 70% TBSA involvement. Based on our experience, we recommend waiting for purpuric rash resolution and soft tissue necrosis to be fully demarcated before fascial debridement and then staged skin grafting with allograft followed by autograft.


Abstract The Poincaré plot is a widely used method for visualizing and calculating heart rate variability and for investigating the oscillatory nature of heart action. We show that the Poincaré plot produced using physiological data for RR intervals is asymmetric. This suggests that the processes of heart rate acceleration (shortening of consecutive RR intervals) and deceleration (prolongation of successive RR intervals) might be asymmetric. To investigate this phenomenon, we define descriptors quantifying the heart rate asymmetry and present the results of a study involving 5-min ECG recordings of 50 healthy subjects in which, despite of the shortness of the recordings, the asymmetry is clearly visible.


Pyruvate carboxylase (PYC) is a biotin-dependent enzyme catalyzing the anaplerotic conversion of pyruvate to oxaloacetate in Rhizobium etli strain CE3. A pyc::Tn5 mutant had severely reduced growth, or failed to grow on sugars, three-carbon organic acids or glycerol, consistent with these substrates being metabolized via pyruvate. Transconjugants expressing a pyc::beta-glucuronidase gene fusion had slightly increased apparent pyc transcription during growth on pyruvate as compared to succinate, similar to the modest carbon source dependent changes in PYC activity reported previously. Biotin supplementation of cultures growing on pyruvate dramatically increased PYC activity but not apparent pyc transcription. Bacteroids isolated from bean nodules did not contain detectable PYC activity while apparent pyc transcription occurred at a moderate level.


The controversies unleashed by psychoanalysis never seem to stop repeating themselves. If what psychoanalysis has to say is true, then, by its own lights, it has to be controversial. Controversies are thus a privileged place to see this truth and this resistance in violent and lurid action. Take infant experience and bastardry. Every kid is a bit of a bastard, and the establishment of this infantile bastardry conditions subsequent repetitions of the organism: that breast is persecuting me, these are not my real parents, I did not borrow your kettle. Just how much of a bastard is this baby? The answers psychoanalysis comes up with depend on how it formulates the vicissitudes of differential repetitions, formations of the unconscious. Yet there remains something puzzling about repetition: if eros is constantly getting itself into nasty situations as a matter of course, are there still other factors (perhaps even more sinister) at work? Because of his refusal to dismiss his own puzzlement, Jacques Lacan persistently returned to the relation between desire and drive, reformulating his own theory as he went. At one moment, as we shall see, he comes to discriminate between a surprising number of (at least 3!) kinds of death.


Forensic evidence, and most prominently DNA evidence, is often understood as particularly reliable and "objective." However, just as other evidence, forensic evidence must be interpreted and thus made meaningful in order to "say" something about a defendant's culpability. This paper discusses how meaning is created from and around forensic evidence: in criminal trials, evidence is placed in legally meaningful narratives that draw upon well-known cultural scripts and categories and that associate (or disassociate) a defendant with legal categories and consequences. The paper will demonstrate that these stories are not only told in court as a means of arguing a case, but are also continuously told and re-shaped during pre-trial investigations, as evidence in a case is assembled and assessed. Consequently, I argue that, in order to understand forensic evidence, it is just as important to pay attention to pre-trial investigations as it is to study forensic laboratories and courtroom interactions.


The role of the Optical Society of America in the changing field of optical engineering is discussed by the vice-chairman of the Technical Council of OSA in an introduction to a group of papers that constitutes a representative sampling of optical engineering in the early Eighties.


This study aimed to determine the role of teachers in the implementation of counseling guidance. The teachers' role in the implementation of counseling must able to involve parties in schools such as students, subject teachers, school principals, and parents so that the counseling program can be carried out properly because there are few things or problems that often arise during the school day. The role of the teacher in this study is the role of a guider, counselor, informant, facilitator, mediator, collaborator, organizer, motivator, director, initiator, transmitter, and evaluator in achieving educational success. This type of research is library research, the method used is qualitative descriptive, Data were analyzed narratively. The result showed that teachers carried out their roles by implementing a continuous process, voluntary nuances, guiding principles for both male and female students, implementing Eastern culture, and implementing effective and efficient implementation.


The effectiveness of dual-language book reading in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms is largely uncontested. Yet there are repeated calls for more research to determine how this resource can be used more broadly and effectively by teachers, especially in emergent-literacy learning contexts. In the present study we analysed culturally and linguistically responsive teaching and learning in dual-language book reading vignettes to demonstrate how teachers and volunteer readers build on linguistic and cultural repertoires of emergent-literacy learners to help them gain metalinguistic awareness, cultural empowerment and identities as capable learners. We argue that diversity can be embraced and multilingualism can be positioned as normal by using dual-language books to motivate discussion about language and cultural artefacts. The findings suggest a rethinking of classroom practices based on family involvement in the classroom and a subtle shift in the balance of authority and expertise among teachers, children and families.


This paper presents a low voltage highly linear CMOS up conversion mixer based on current conveyor (CCII), which converts an input of 100MHz IF signal to an output of 2.4GHz RF signal. The linearity of the designed mixer is greatly enhanced by utilizing a fully differential current conveyor. The flipped voltage follower (FVF) technique is applied for decreasing the current conveyor nonideality and the nonlinear output resistance of its buffer. Folded cascode structure has been used in the proposed mixer to achieve low supply voltage operation and separate biasing current of local oscillator (LO) switching and transconductance stages of mixer for decreasing the noise level of switching pairs. Full transistor level simulation results performed by Cadence in AMS 0.35µm CMOS technology reveal high linearity of the proposed mixer after a FOM-based comparison which has achieved up to 13.32dBm IIP3, -1.34dBm P-1dB and 96.7dBm IIP2 with a conversion gain of 4.2dB while consumes only 1.2mW at supply voltage of 1V.


Introduced recently, the concept of hierarchical degree allows a more complete characterization of the topological context of a node in a complex network than the traditional node degree. This article presents analytical characterization and studies of the density of hierarchical degrees in random and scale free networks. The obtained results allowed the identification of a hierarchy-dependent power law for the degrees of nodes in random complex networks, with Poisson density for the first hierarchical degree (obtained through master equation approach). Exact results were obtained for the second hierarchical degree in scale free networks.


A 51-year-old man with midline granuloma was treated successfully with a combination of local radiation and oral cyclophosphamide. Six years after therapy, adenocarcinoma of the lung developed. Possible relationships between these two diseases are discussed.


A rereading of St. Augustine's treatise about time (Confessions, chap. 13-28) is useful to interpret the phenomenology of time espoused by authors such Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty. But it is also useful to recall McTaggart's paradox which stems from the same point that characterizes Augustinian analyses: the distinction of past, present, future. Only with a clear understanding of the insufficiency of this point of departure to capture the basic properties of time as a structure of becoming or change can an analysis be justified to go from the point of view of lived time (in the sense of consciously experienced time) to the point of view of living-time.


DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5915/22-1-13527 Diabetic neuropathies are classified, for the sake of convenience, into four groups. First are the distal symmetrical variety that may be predominantly motor or predominantly sensory. Second are the mononeuropathy syndromes of cranial or somatic nerves. Third are the automatic group and finally, any combination of two or three varieties. Etiopathology of these neuropathic syndromes takes into consideration the biochemical alterations and ischemic changes. The most recent understanding of the role of aldose reductase in the polyol pathway is presented briefly, as is, in the hyperglycemic state, sorbitol accumulation, which results in the decrease of AT-Pase activity and slowing of nerve conduction. In the treatment of diabetic neuropathies, aldose reductase inhibitors are being used in many centers and their release for general use is anxiously awaited.


4125 The deleted in liver cancer-1 (DLC-1) gene was originally identified as a tumor suppressor gene whose expression was lost in hepatocellular carcinomas. Subsequently, reduced expression of DLC-1 mRNA was reported in breast, colon, prostate, gastric, and lung cancers, with reduced transcript expression of DLC-1 in 95% of primary non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) and nearly 60% of NSCLC cell lines. DLC-1 encodes a RhoGAP domain (GTPase activating protein for Rho family small GTPases) that is hypothesized to be responsible for the tumor-suppressor function of DLC-1. In vitro studies have demonstrated that DLC-1 inactivates the small GTPase RhoA by catalyzing GTP hydrolysis activity. However, whether the tumor suppressor function of DLC-1 is a consequence of the inhibition of RhoA, and whether RhoA activation is important for the aberrant growth of NSCLCs have not been determined. We have performed western blot analysis on a panel of six NSCLC cell lines, and have demonstrated that DLC-1 expression is lost in A549, H23, H358, and H2228 cells. Ectopic restoration of DLC-1 expression in DLC-1 deficient cell lines resulted in reduced proliferation on plastic as well as reduced anchorage-independent growth. Pull down analyses with the GTP-binding fragment of the RhoA effector Rhotekin has shown that DLC-1 expression results in reduced RhoA-GTP levels in vivo . We have also utilized short interfering RNA (siRNA) to knockdown endogenous DLC-1 in the DLC-1 positive NSCLC lines, and are currently assessing the impact of reduced DLC-1 expression on the transforming properties and Rho signaling pathways of these cells.


Sexual dimorphism, including differences in morphology, behavior and physiology between females and males, is widespread in animals and plants and is shaped by gene expression differences between the sexes. Such expression differences may also underlie sex-specific responses of hosts to pathogen infections, most notably when pathogens induce partial sex reversal in infected hosts. The genetic changes associated with sex-specific responses to pathogen infections on the one hand, and sexual dimorphism on the other hand, remain poorly understood. The dioecious White Campion (Silene latifolia) displays sexual dimorphism in floral traits and infection with the smut fungus Micobrotryum lychnidis-dioicae induces a partial sex reversal in females. We find strong sex-specific responses to pathogen infection and reduced sexual dimorphism in infected S. latifolia. This provides a direct link between pathogen-mediated changes in sex-biased gene expression and altered sexual dimorphism in the host. Expression changes following infection affected mainly genes with male-biased expression in healthy plants. In females, these genes were up-regulated, leading to a masculinization of the transcriptome. In contrast, infection in males was associated with down-regulation of these genes, leading to a demasculinization of the transcriptome. To a lesser extent, genes with female-biased expression in healthy plants were also affected in opposite directions in the two sexes. These genes were overall down-regulated in females and up-regulated in males, causing, respectively, a defeminization in infected females and a feminization of the transcriptome in infected males. Our results reveal strong sex-specific responses to pathogen infection in a dioecious plant and provide a link between pathogen-induced changes in sex-biased gene expression and sexual dimorphism.


Abstract Under the influence of the east-northeasterly trade winds, the island of Hawaii generates a wake that extends about 200 km to the west-southwest. During the HaRP project in July and August 1990, five wake surveys were carried out by the NCAR Electra. The patterns of wind and aerosol concentration revealed by these flights suggest that Hawaii's wake consists of two large quasi-steady counterrotating eddies. The southern clockwise-rotating eddy carries a heavy aerosol load due to input from the Kī volcano. At the eastern end of the wake, the eddies are potentially warmer and more humid than the surrounding trade wind air. Several other features are discussed: sharp shear lines near the northern and southern tips of the island, dry and warm air bands along the shear lines, a small embedded wake behind the Kohala peninsula, wake centerline clouds, hydraulic jumps to the north and south of the island, a descending inversion connected with accelerating trade winds, and evidence for side-to-side wake mo...


White matter tracts of the brain allow neurons and neuronal networks to communicate and function with high efficiency. The aim of this review is to briefly introduce diffusion tensor imaging methods that examine white matter tracts and then to give an overview of the studies that have investigated white matter integrity in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). From the 48 studies we reviewed, persons with ASD tended to have decreased fractional anisotropy and increased mean diffusivity in white matter tracts spanning many regions of the brain but most consistently in regions such as the corpus callosum, cingulum, and aspects of the temporal lobe. This decrease in fractional anisotropy was often accompanied by increased radial diffusivity. Additionally, the review suggests possible atypical lateralization in some white matter tracts of the brain and a possible atypical developmental trajectory of white matter microstructure in persons with ASD. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed. Autism Res 2012, 5: 289–313. © 2012 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


When the body temperature of rats was brought to 42 degrees C, four heat-shock proteins, with molecular weights of 70,000, 71,000, 85,000, and 100,000 (hsp 70, hsp 71, hsp 85, and hsp 100, respectively), were induced in various tissues of the rats. The hsp 70 was strongly induced by hyperthermia, and its accumulation was detected by Coomassie blue staining. The hsp 71 was abundant in various tissues of rats that were not heat-shocked. Analysis of translation products of liver mRNAs from heat-shocked rats also showed increased synthesis of the four heat-shock proteins, indicating that these hsp-mRNAs were induced after hyperthermia. Induction of the hsp-mRNAs was transient after hyperthermia. The four heat-shock proteins produced in various tissues after hyperthermia may be involved in homeostatic control in the heat-shock response of the rat.


Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most common diseases in adult age, and it is typical of older adults. Recent data suggest that almost half of the elders have CKD. It is now clear that CKD is accompanied, in the early stages, by cognitive impairment, together with depression and subtle abnormalities in motor control (such as gait and balance alterations). Summary: Several data suggest a link between brain dopamine and kidney diseases. Metabolic syndrome and diabetes can affect dopamine neuron survival (leading to Parkinson's disease). Several uremic toxins in CKD (uric acid, indoxyl sulfate) and trace elements accumulating in CKD (aluminum, manganese) can also modify the dopaminergic system. Hormones produced by the kidney such as vitamin D are neuroprotective for dopamine neurons. Dopaminergic drugs are useful for the treatment of a common sleep disorder in CKD, the restless legs syndrome. However, experiments on animal models of CKD show conflicting results regarding a modification of dopamine neurons. Key Messages: Several observations suggest a limited relevance of the dopaminergic system in CKD-related cognitive impairment. However, a common sleep disturbance in CKD, the restless legs syndrome, improves with dopaminergic drugs. Therefore, it remains to be established the role of the dopamine system in subtle motor dysfunction observed in CKD, such as tremors, gait alterations, and central sleep apnea.


INTRODUCTION
Cervical cancer is one of the commonest cancers in women worldwide. Despite the existence of effective screening using Pap smear, the uptake of screening is poor. A qualitative study was undertaken using face-to-face in-depth interviews to investigate knowledge, attitudes and beliefs on cervical cancer screening of Malaysian women.

METHODS
In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 Malaysian women aged 21-56 years and who have never had a Pap smear test, with the aim to explore their knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer and its screening.

RESULTS
A lack of knowledge on cervical cancer and the Pap smear test was found among the respondents. Many women did not have a clear understanding of the meaning of an abnormal cervical smear and the need for the early detection of cervical cancer. Many believe the purpose of the Pap smear test is to detect existing cervical cancer, leading to the belief that Pap smear screening is not required because the respondents had no symptoms. Despite considerable awareness of a link between cervical cancer and sexual activity, as well as the role of a sexually-transmitted infection, none of the respondents had heard of the human papillomavirus.

CONCLUSION
The findings highlight the importance of emphasising accurate information about cervical cancer and the purpose of Pap smear screening when designing interventions aimed at improving cervical cancer screening for Malaysian women.


A simulator (Wa-LiD) was developed to simulate the reflection of LiDAR waveforms from water across visible wavelengths. The specific features of the simulator include 1) a geometrical representation of the water surface properties; 2) the use of laws of radiative transfer in water adjusted for wavelength and the water's physical properties; and 3) modeling of detection noise and signal level due to solar radiation. A set of simulated waveforms was compared with observed LiDAR waveforms acquired by the HawkEye airborne and Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) satellite systems in the near infrared or green wavelengths and across inland or coastal waters. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) distributions for the water surface and bottom waveform peaks are compared with simulated and observed waveforms. For both systems (GLAS and HawkEye), Wa-LiD simulated SNR conform to the observed SNR distributions. Moreover, Wa-LiD showed a good ability to reproduce observed waveforms according to some realistic water parameters fitting.


This paper aims to optimize the overall video quality and traffic performance for multi-rate video multicast over hybrid wired/wireless networks. In order to perform layered utility maximization over tiered networks, we propose a joint source-network flow optimization scheme where individual layers of the scalable video stream are imposed on their optimal multicast paths and associated rates for the highest sustainable layered video quality with minimum costs. It sufficiently guarantees that each destination node accesses progressive layered stream in an incremental order, considers network coding across overlapping paths to destination nodes for decent multicast capacity, and addresses the link contention problem during wireless transmission. We formulate the problem into convex programming with the objective to minimize the total rate-distortion variations between layers. Using primal decomposition and the primal-dual approach, we develop a decentralized algorithm with two levels of optimization. The numerical and packet-level results compare extensive performance under different control conditions over coded and non-coded hybrid networks. It demonstrates that the proposed algorithm could actually achieve the max-flow throughput and provide better video quality with optimal layered access for heterogeneous receivers.


Purpose – This paper aims to provide a theoretical framework for teaching creativity.Design/methodology/approach – The approach and the model are based on a review of the prevalent theory and research on creativity.Findings – The authors develop a process based approach and design and a four step model to teaching creativity.Research limitations/implications – The paper provides a framework from which exercises and interventions for teaching creativity may be derived on a scientific basis.Practical implications – Practical implications regard teaching and conveying creativity to students.Originality/value – The paper addresses scholars and practitioners concerned with research and teaching of creativity and innovation. It is to the authors' knowledge one of the first approaches that links theory and research of creativity to actual teaching efforts.


'Cabernet franc' grapevines (Vitis vinifera) sustained severe winter injuries of all aboveground parts following two consecutive freezing events in 2014 and 2015 in Ohio. To ensure grapevine recovery, adjustment of pruning and training practices must be accomplished. However, optimum training of new shoots for trunk replacement was not known and research-based information on this topic was lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate different training and pruning methods for trunk renewal and recovery of 'Cabernet franc' and their impacts on growth, yield, cropload, and fruit composition following severe winter injuries. In 2016, grapevines were manipulated using a combination of training [Fan, vertical shoot positioning (VSP), or both], pruning (cane- or spur-pruned), and trunks (two, four, or more trunks per vine). The Fan system took less time to train than VSP during the growing season; however, the latter took less time to train and prune during the following dormant season. Training and pruning methods with increased buds per vine resulted in increased shoots, leaf area, pruning weight, clusters, and yield per vine but decreased juice total soluble solids (TSS). The exceptions were vines with combined training systems of Fan and VSP, in which leaf areas and pruning weights were reduced despite increased bud count per vine after pruning. In conclusion, each system has advantages and disadvantages; however, the Fan training system with cane pruning and multiple trunks produced the most optimum trunk size, yield, cropload, and fruit composition. Therefore, following trunk freeze injury, we recommend retaining all shoots using the Fan training during the growing season. During the subsequent dormant season, growers should select medium-sized canes for trunk replacement and train four trunks and four canes for the VSP system.


Herein we describe a NHC-catalyzed Truce-Smiles rearrangement of N-aryl methacrylamides which enables the cleavage of an inert aryl C-N bond. A range of trans-cinnamides could be obtained by the direct construction of a C(aryl)-C(alkenyl) bond and functional groups such as Br, Cl, CN, and pyridinyl are compatible with NHC catalysis. The reaction features high atom-economy, transition-metal free catalysis, and easily available substrates.


We show that standard density functional theory leads to large errors in the electron density distribution compared to reference second order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) calculations for the insulin molecule and zwitterionic peptides, while range-separated versions perform much better. The error is quantified in terms of the electrostatic potential (ESP) on a molecular surface, which shows that standard density functional theory incorrectly predicts partial electron transfer from anionic to cationic sites. In addition, we compare the MP2 calculated ESPs to those predicted by commonly used force fields. Several fixed charge force fields display very similar performances with rather large errors, while polarizable force fields significantly reduce the error. Solvation enhances the molecular ESP, which is partly accounted for by fixed charge force fields, but polarizable force fields again perform significantly better.


Water shortage has encouraged the quest for alternative sources of water for food production and agricultural development. Recycled water (RW) is one of the most available water resources with great potential for use in farm irrigation. This experiment was carried out to investigate the use of RW as the irrigation source and its application method, subsurface leaky irrigation (SLI) system or surface irrigation, in an orchard with young olive trees in central Iran. The results revealed that the SLI system was able to enhance tree growth, leaf area, maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm) and photosynthesis rate by 68%, 26%, 4%, and 42%, respectively. In addition, trees irrigated with the SLI system using RW exhibited increased N and Mg uptakes by 138% and 8%, respectively. Plants irrigated with RW showed a growth improvement (42%), leaf area (26%), and photosynthesis rate (23.4%) compared with those irrigated with clean water. Furthermore, Mg, Na, K, P, and N content increased by 12%, 59%, 30%, 7%, and 92%, respectively, in leaf tissue when RW was applied. The results indicated that RW could be employed as a reliable irrigation source especially when it was delivered with the SLI system.


Artificial opals are self-assembled colloidal crystals, which consist of a cubic dense packing (fcc) of hard (not film-forming) colloids with diameters ranging from 200 to 900 nm. Because of their periodic nanostructure the assemblies are able to reflect light that matches their periodicity, i.e., UV- to IR-radiation depending on the size of the colloids. Thus, they present a subgroup of 'photonic crystals'. While, originally, the chemistry inside the colloids and the resulting opals was of minor significance, nowadays the chemical variation of opals is becoming more and more important for the preparation of functional and patterned opals. The search for functional opals is, therefore, especially focused on four topics: I) coloring agents, II) incorporation of fluorescent materials, III) replication, and IV) the controlled incorporation of defects.


Since the introduction of Google Street View, a part of Google Maps, vehicles equipped with roof-mounted mobile cameras have methodically captured street-level images of entire cities. The worldwide Street View coverage spans over 10 countries in four different continents. This service is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. While this is seen as a valuable service, the images are taken in public spaces, so they also contain license plates, faces, and other information information deemed sensitive from a privacy standpoint. Privacy concerns have been expressed by many, in particular in European countries. As a result, Google has introduced a system that automatically blurs faces in Street View images. However, many identifiable features still remain on the un-blurred person. In this paper, we propose an automatic method to remove entire pedestrians from Street View images in urban scenes. The resulting holes are filled in with data from neighboring views. A compositing method for creating "ghost-free" mosaics is used to minimize the introduction of artifacts. This yields Street View images as if the pedestrians had never been there. We present promising results on a set of images from cities around the world.


When first published in 1958, "The Inward Morning" was ahead of its time. Boldly original, it blended East and West, nature and culture, the personal and the universal. The critical establishment, confounded, largely ignored the work. Readers, however, embraced Bugbee s lyrical philosophy of wilderness. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s this philosophical daybook enjoyed the status of an underground classic. With this paperback reissue, "The Inward Morning" will be brought to the attention of a new generation. Henry Bugbee is increasingly recognized as the only truly American existentialist and an original philosopher of wilderness who is an inspiration to a growing number of contemporary philosophers."


The world is battling the most severe global outbreak (Pandemic) of recent times due to the novel coronavirus namely the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It began with reports on mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan District of Hubei province, China in December 2019 with the first ever death by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on January 11, 2020 there (1). Though most countries initially ignored this novel infection, the Indian health authorities including the Indian council of Medical Research (ICMR) became active immediately reporting the first laboratory confirmed case at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune on January 30. India reported its first death of COVID-19 on March 11, two months later than in China (2). In a short span of time, COVID-19 has become a rapidly spreading communicable disease forcing the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it as the "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" on January 30. As on April 16, 2020, the WHO pandemic update indicates a whopping 1,991,562 confirmed reported cases globally from nearly 213 countries/areas or territories with 130,885 confirmed deaths (2).


Objective: Despite the presence of multitude of synthetic drugs against fever and inflammation, none has been proven entirely safe. In contrast, the accepted safety of plant derived natural products is inspiring the world. Based on this fact as well as in view of the diversified activities reported from the genus Gymnosporia, the present study was designed to evaluate the antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activity of Gymnosporia royleana (G royleana). Methods: The methanolic extract of the aerial parts of G royleana was screened for in-vivo antipyretic activity using the brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia mice model and for anti-inflammatory activity using the carrageenan-induced paw oedema and xylene-induced ear oedema mice model. Results: In the antipyretic assay, G royleana extract showed considerable antipyretic activity in a dose dependent fashion. Statistically significant antipyretic effects (p < 0.05) were observed at the end of the second hour of administration for all doses of extract and remained significant until the end of the experiment. The plant extract also displayed promising anti-inflammatory activity, in a dose dependent fashion, in both models of inflammation ie carrageenanand xylene-induced oedema models, when compared to the controls. In the carrageenan-induced oedema model, significant effects (p < 0.01) were observed for 300 and 600 mg/kg doses after 60 minutes of xylene administration (ie 55.51% and 65.88% inhibition of oedema, respectively). Conclusion: The study provided evidence supporting the antipyretic and antiinflammatory activity of the G royleana methanolic extract.


The effect of metal contamination in multicrystalline silicon ingots on solar cell performance is investigated. Metal impurities have been added to the silicon feedstock and the solar cell performance has been compared to a reference uncontaminated ingot. A larger crystal defect density is observed in the top and in the bottom of the contaminated ingots with respect to the reference. Adding 50 ppmw of iron or 40 ppmw of nickel or chromium to the silicon feedstock in p-type ingots, the solar cell performances are comparable to the reference in the range of 40 to 70% ingot height. Addition of Fe, Ni or Cr does not only have a direct impact on the diffusion length, but also on the crystal growth and shunting behaviour.


The characterization of the fibrillar collagens and the cellular control of their spatial deposition were studied in fish scales using immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, electrophoretic and HPLC analyses, immunoprecipitation and hybridization with cDNA probes. This study was carried out on undisturbed and regenerating scales in situ and in organ and cell cultures from regenerating scales. The hyposquamal scleroblasts forming a pseudoepithelium show an apico-basal polarization and synthesize thick collagen fibrils (100 nm) organized in a plywood pattern as long as the integrity of the cell-cell and cell-collagenous matrix contacts are preserved. In culture, scleroblasts become fibroblastlike and produce an unordered meshwork of thin collagen fibrils (30 nm). Comparison of the synthesized collagens in culture with those extracted from the scales indicates that culture conditions modify fibrillogenesis but do not change the expression of fibrillar collagen genes. Type I collagen, the predominent component, is associated with the minor type V collagen. Type III collagen was not present. In type I collagen, a third chain, α3 chain, was identified. The ratio between the 3 chains suggests the coexistence of two heterotrimers (α(I))2 α2(I) and αl(I) α2(I) α3(I). Analysis by HPLC and electrophoresis of the cyanogen bromide-derived peptides obtained from the purified a3 chain support the hypothesis that α(I) and α3(I) chains are encoded by two different genes. The presence of the two types of heterotrimers in vivo as well as in vitro could correspond to an innate property of the goldfish scleroblasts. Despite the fact that teleost cyanogen bromide-derived peptides differ from those of higher vertebrates, homologies with the mammalian collagen genes (human, for example) are sufficient to allow the detection of mRNA transcripts for αl(I), α2(I) and α2(V) from confluent scleroblast cultures with human probes.


Increasing ship emissions are of big concern because they contribute to the effects of climate change and have an impact on the local and regional environment. Due to these concerns, stricter regulations are enforced upon the shipping sector by the International Maritime Organisation and the European Union. However, since new regulations are enforced, stakeholders have been slow to react. A key reason why investment decisions are not taking place is that of uncertainty in regulations and policy. Besides, the availability of bunker infrastructure in ports is key to the development of alternative fuels. The objective of this study is to obtain insight into what possible future scenarios of the deployment of alternative fuels for the short sea shipping might arise and to provide insight into the effects of collaborative port strategies on the emergence of alternative fuels European maritime short sea sector taking into account regulatory and technological uncertainties. By means of an agent-based modelling approach and exploratory modelling and analysis approach, the influence of these uncertainties and policies is addressed. This enables to obtain a better understanding of where the system might go. The findings of this study show the effect of regulation enforcement and the need for a well-developed methanol bunker infrastructure across Europe to enable the transition to alternative fuels.


1. Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli were grown on 14C-labelled glucose and used for the preparation of labelled whole cells, cell walls, cell contents and peptidoglycan. 2. The radioactive samples were injected into the abomasum of sheep and the 14C appearing in expired air, plasma glucose, urine and faeces was determined. Whole cells were also injected into the rumen and the incorporation of 14C into volatile fatty acids was measured. 3. All the bacterial preparations, including cell walls, were extensively digested and absorbed, Less than 15% of the radioactivity was recovered in the faeces. 4. Up to 20% of the radioactivity injected was recovered in expired carbon dioxide with only 2.4–8.1% passing through the glucose pool. 5. It has been calculated that under the conditions of the experiment 18.5 % of the total glucose entering the body pool of glucose in 24 h was derived from bacterial carbon.