During the last decade, immunotherapy has radically changed perspectives on anti-tumor treatments. However, solid tumor treatment by immunotherapy has not met expectations. Indeed, poor clinical response to treatment has highlighted the need to understand and avoid immunotherapy resistance. Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the second cause of hepatic cancer-related deaths because of drug inefficacy and chemo-resistance in a majority of patients. Thus, intense research is ongoing to better understand the mechanisms involved in the chemo-resistance processes. The tumor microenvironment (TME) may be involved in tumor therapy resistance by limiting drug access. Indeed, cells such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) alter TME by producing in excess an aberrant extracellular matrix (ECM). Interestingly, CAFs are the dominant stromal component in CCA that secrete large amounts of stiff ECM. Stiff ECM could contribute to immune exclusion by limiting anti-tumor T-cells drop-in. Herein, we summarize features, functions, and interactions among CAFs, tumor-associated ECM, and immune cells in TME. Moreover, we discuss the strategies targeting CAFs and the remodeling of the ECM to improve immunotherapy and drug therapies.


We use experiments to compare dynamic and static wars of attrition (i.e. second-price all-pay auctions) and first-price all-pay auctions. Many other studies find overbidding in first-price all-pay auctions. We can replicate this property. In wars of attrition, however, we find systematic underbidding. We study bids and revenue in different experimental frames and matching procedures and draw a link to the literature on stepwise linear bidding functions.


Angiotensin II (Ang II) and Ang III stimulate aldosterone secretion by adrenal glomerulosa, but the angiotensin receptor subtypes involved and the effects of Ang IV and Ang (1-7) are not clear. In vitro, different angiotensins were added to rat adrenal glomerulosa, and aldosterone concentration in the medium was measured. Ang II-induced aldosterone release was blocked (30.3 ± 7.1%) by an Ang II type 2 receptor (AT2R) antagonist, PD123319. Candesartan, an Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R) antagonist, also blocked Ang II-induced aldosterone release (42.9 ± 4.8%). Coadministration of candesartan and PD123319 almost abolished the Ang II-induced aldosterone release. A selective AT2R agonist, CGP42112, was used to confirm the effects of AT2R. CGP42112 increased aldosterone secretion, which was almost completely inhibited by PD123319. In addition to Ang II, Ang III also induced aldosterone release, which was not blocked by candesartan. However, PD123319 blocked 22.4 ± 10.5% of the Ang III-induced aldosterone secretion. Ang IV and Ang (1-7) did not induce adrenal aldosterone secretion. In vivo, both Ang II and Ang III infusion increased plasma aldosterone concentration, but only Ang II elevated blood pressure. Ang IV and Ang (1-7) infusion did not affect blood pressure or aldosterone concentration. In conclusion, this report showed for the first time that AT2R partially mediates Ang III-induced aldosterone release, but not AT1R. Also, over 60% of Ang III-induced aldosterone release may be independent of both AT1R and AT2R. Ang III and AT2R signaling may have a role in the pathophysiology of aldosterone breakthrough.


Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent environmental contaminants that are highly toxic to the developing nervous system, particularly via their disruption of dopamine (DA) function. In order to characterize the effects of PCBs on the developing basal ganglia DA system, we utilized an organotypic coculture system of developing rat striatum and ventral mesencephalon (VM). Exposure of the cocultures to an environmentally relevant mixture of PCBs for 1, 3, 7, or 14 days reduced tissue DA concentrations and increased medium levels of DA, homovanillic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. PCB exposure also increased neuronal cell death in both the VM and the striatum and reduced the number of DA neurons in the VM. Decreases in both tyrosine hydroxylase and DA transporter protein expression were shown by Western blot analysis in PCB-exposed cocultures. There was also an increase in neuronal cell death, identified by Fluoro Jade B, prior to a reduction in the number of VM DA neurons; we hypothesize this increase to be partly due to a loss of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons. Indeed, Western blot analysis revealed up to a 50% reduction in both VM and striatal glutamic acid decarboxylase 65/67. Analysis of tissue PCB levels revealed that concentrations were at or below 10 ppm following all exposure paradigms. This coculture system provides an excellent model to examine the chronology of PCB-induced neurotoxic events in the developing basal ganglia. Our results suggest that PCB-induced neurotoxicity in the developing basal ganglia involves GABAergic neuronal dysfunction, in addition to PCBs' better-recognized effects on DA function. These findings have important implications for disease states such as Parkinson's disease and for developmental deficits associated with exposure to PCBs and toxicologically similar environmental contaminants.


We discuss single charged Higgs boson production from $e^+e^-$ annihilation at next generation linear colliders. They can be important to study the phenomenology of charged Higgs bosons, especially when charged Higgs bosons are too heavy to be produced by the pair production mechanism. Cross sections for various single production processes are evaluated at the leading order. Our analysis shows that in some parameter regions the phenomenology of charged Higgs bosons can be explored even beyond the kinematic limit for pair production by using single production processes.


Porpoises or freshwater dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris), of Delphinidae family and is a kind of marine mammals. Porpoises are one of oceanic dolphins biota but this group can live in the sea, brackish or fresh water. This species distributed in the shallow waters of tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific from northern Australia waters, Papua New Guniea, to the Bengal Bay, especially in Brahmaputra and Ganges of India River waters, mekong in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan and Ayeyarwady river in Myanmar. This study is aimed to determine the distribution of the dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) in the waters kubu raya district and waterways Kayong utara districts. This study uses survey / observation method, population observation method using cruising with a ship. The survey results were the discovery of the dolphins numbered 13 tails and are in three different groups. The first group was found in simpang lidah area. Kubu Raya district 9 tails, the second group was found in Paket 3 (Batu Ping). Kayong Utara District 2 tails and a third group in bumbun estuaries. Kubu Raya District 2 tails. Keyword: District Kubu Raya, District Kayong Utara Waters. Pesut (Orcaella brevirostris)


A new visualisation tool is being developed for seed breeders, providing on-line data for each individual plant in a screening programme. It will be used to indicate how efficiently each plant utilises the water and nutrients available in the surrounding soil. This will facilitate early detection of desirable genetic traits with the aim of increased efficiency in identification and delivery of tomorrow's drought tolerant food crops. Visualisation takes the form of Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT), a non-destructive and non-intrusive imaging technique. Measurements are to be obtained for an individual plant thus allowing water and nutrient absorption levels for an individual specimen to be inferred. This paper presents the inverse problem, discusses the inherent challenges and presents the early experimental results. Two mixture models are evaluated for the prediction of electrical capacitance measurement data for varying effective soil saturation levels using a finite element model implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics. These early studies have given the research team an understanding of the technical challenges that must now be addressed to take the current research into the world of agri-science and food supply.


There has been a growing interest on regional issue over the last decade stimulated by increasing policy about reducing regional inequalities resulted from economic integration. In the last decade the free trade affected the post-communist countries, and predominantly among them those, which had a maturated level of stability, economical development and their geopolitical situation is favoured. Hungary is a considerable area to study the pattern of "new economic geography". In paper we identify, explain and forecast the impact of globalisation, on regional and small unit /local level. The key question for the future development of the world economy is how will the economy choose its new place? Are regional inequalities likely to narrow or widen? And how the EU enlargement likely to lead to the relocation of industries? The regional indicators are verifying on NUTS level III. the regional concentration and describe the shifted new regional structure. The aim of the project to check the regularities and irregularities of the variables in an accession country. The relevant findings will be discussed concerning the policy. The questions to be addressed, which changes may be identified due to the trade reorientation towards the EU? Which new location an relocation of industrial activity may be identified? What types of regions are likely to be winners and losers who regulate the regulators? About the adaptation process we will draft some policy orientation for decision makers.


C1q nephropathy is a rare glomerular disease with characteristic mesangial C1q deposition noted on immunofluorescence microscopy. It is histologically defined and poorly understood. Light microscopic features are heterogeneous and comprise minimal change disease (MCD), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and proliferative glomerulonephritis. Clinical presentation is also diverse, and ranges from asymptomatic hematuria or proteinuria to frank nephritic or nephrotic syndrome in both children and adults. Hypertension and renal insufficiency at the time of diagnosis are common findings. Optimal treatment is not clear and is usually guided by the underlying light microscopic lesion. Corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment, with immunosuppressive agents reserved for steroid resistant cases. The presence of nephrotic syndrome and FSGS appear to predict adverse outcomes as opposed to favorable outcomes in those with MCD. Further research is needed to establish C1q nephropathy as a universally recognized distinct clinical entity. In this paper, we discuss the current understanding of pathogenesis, histopathology, clinical features, therapeutic options, and outcomes of C1q nephropathy.


�The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is a new continent-wide development strategy targeted at halting poverty in Africa in the twenty-first century. The NEPAD policy initiators seek to promote the roles of women in all activities as one of its long term goal of developing Africa through various strategies spelt out under International Development Goal by promoting income generating avenue that can enhance the status of women. This paper therefore examines: (i) the feminist theoretical framework of the policy document, (ii) the extent its bolsters women economic roles, (iii) the degree it expands the political space in a way to facilitates greater women participation, and (iv) the social status of women in Africa by addressing the injustices and oppression women suffer. Content analysis is used in appraising the NEPAD policy document while data collection method is based on secondary sources which include journals, textbooks, seminar paper presentation, policy documents, monographs and internet. NEPAD policy design, planning and implementation has neither been inclusive nor participatory of the views, perspectives, yearnings and aspiration of women. It does not address women problem in a way that can facilitate women empowerment. Conclusively, NEPAD needs to shift it policy position to truly address the problem of women oppression, and embark on greater advocacy to ensure better participation and inclusiveness in the policy formulation and implementation process in a way that is responsive to gender imperative. NEPAD policy must be a product of the people, and must shift from the top-down approach to a bottom-up approach to be truly inclusive and facilitative of social transformation.


Background: Childhood tuberculosis accounts for about 10% of estimated TB cases in the world. Despite advances in diagnostics, childhood TB remains a challenge. We evaluated pooling method and testing with GeneXpert MTB/RIF in southern Ethiopia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in presumptive TB children < 15 years. Structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data. Two sputum or gastric aspirate sample were collected and examined by ZN and Xpert MTB/RIF for 1st, 2nd and pooled samples. Results: Of 340 presumptive TB cases enrolled, 96 and 244 children submitted gastric aspirate and sputum samples respectively. Of 1020 samples collected (282 gastric aspirate and 738 sputum samples), 38 (3.7%) were positive by Xpert (10 (3.5%) from gastric aspirate and 28 (3.8%) from sputum sample). Similarly, 8 (1.2%) of sputum samples were positive by ZN but none from gastric aspirate. Of 244 children who submitted sputum samples, 3 (1.2%) were bacteriologically positive compared to 12 (4.9%) by Xpert. Of 96 children who submitted gastric aspirate samples, none were positive by ZN while 5 (5.2%) were positive by Xpert. Of bacteriologically confirmed TB cases 0.9% was by ZN and 4.7% by Xpert, an increase of 3.8%. Pooled testing increased positivity by 0.3% for ZN and 1.5% by Xpert compared to the 1st sample. Conclusions: Xpert MTB/RIF testing increases yield compared to ZN testing for gastric aspirate samples. The same-day approach and pooling samples improves efficient use of cartridge, reduce the number of visits for seeking diagnosis and save resources.


We challenge the hypothesis that the ground states of a physical system whose degeneracy depends on topology must necessarily realize topological quantum order and display non-local entanglement. To this end, we introduce and study a classical rendition of the Toric Code model embedded on Riemann surfaces of different genus numbers. We find that the minimal ground state degeneracy (and those of all levels) depends on the topology of the embedding surface alone. As the ground states of this classical system may be distinguished by local measurements, a characteristic of Landau orders, this example illustrates that topological degeneracy is not a sufficient condition for topological quantum order. This conclusion is generic and, as shown, it applies to many other models. We also demonstrate that in certain lattice realizations of these models, and other theories, one can find a ground state entropy that is ``holographic", i.e., extensive in the system's boundary. We find that clock and $U(1)$ gauge theories display topological or holographic (in addition to gauge) degeneracies.


Scientific writing is about the analysis of customer satisfaction levels in Bombay Music Studio. Customers must be satisfied, because if they are not satisfied will leave the company and competitors into customers, this will cause a decrease in sales and in turn will lower earnings and even losses. To win the competition, companies must be able to provide satisfaction to its customers, for example by providing better quality service, the price is relatively cheaper than its competitors, the quality of services offered vary with the quality of services enemy. Quality service with a bad quality, high price and slow service can make customers dissatisfied. The result is Accept and Reject Ho Ha. So we can conclude that customers are satisfied with the overall service of Bombay Music Studio.


This paper gives a brief survey of early and current work in the application of audio-frequency amplifiers, equipped with filters, to the diagnosis of abnormal heart conditions, and for use as teaching aids in medical schools. The possible application of a gating technique, i.e., filtering in time instead of in frequency, is discussed, and a description is given of some circuits which have been used for this purpose. Both filter systems have proved to be useful adjuncts to the stethoscope and, if used with a tape recorder, are valuable teaching aids.


The article examines the main strands of development in jurisprudence in the last few decades from the standpoint of the metatheoretical differentiation between analytical and hermeneutical perspective in the study of law. The author claims that recent jurisprudent accounts can rarely be positioned within the traditional dichotomy natural law theories - legal positivism, and that this dichotomy is not able to account for the differences between contemporary conceptions of law. As an alternative the difference between the analytical and hermeneutical traditions in philosophy are explained, as they have crucially influenced posthartian strands in Anglo-American philosophy and postkelsenian strands in continental philosophy of law. Finally, the influence of hermeneutical philosophy and legal theory is examined in regards of the development of a hermeneutical theory of law and the development of legal hermeneutics.


The problem investigated is: what happens to a rotating black hole sunk in a vacuum magnetic field, constantly aligned at angle γ to its rotation axis far from the hole? The Newman-Penrose quantities Φ0 and ρ-2Φ2, which describe the radiation parts of the external field, are obtained as solutions to the Teukolsky equation with appropriate boundary conditions. From these two quantities the complete distant asymptotic form of the electromagnetic field is constructed via the four-vector potential Ai, it by using the method of Chandrasekhar. Changes in the angular momentum of the hole are calculated. The component perpendicular to the field decreases exponentially with time according to the law J⊥ = (J⊥)initial exp (-t⊤-1), Where ⊤-1=16/3 πG2c-5 (mass of hole) x (distant magnetic field energy-density), while the component parallel to the field remains constant. No energy emerges from the hole, kinetic rotational energy instead transforming into irreducible mass. This is precisely the outcome known from study of the slowly rotating hole. Extension of the result is of astrophysical relevance, since a real black hole may be rotating relatively fast. And it is of some theoretical interest that terms of second and higher order in angular momentum make no difference to the spin-down behaviour.


The purpose of this article is to examine how Palestinian American novelist Susan Abulhawa appropriates in her novel The Blue between Sky and Water (2015) some of the themes, tropes and motifs that Shakespeare employs in Romeo and Juliet (c. 1596) in order to depict how wars and conflicts turn Palestinian people's love stories/marriages into tragedies. In particular, love at first sight, the (negative) impact of families on love stories, exile/banishment, use of herbs/traditional medicine, humour and parties that practically turn ominous and fateful are among the themes, tropes and motifs that both Shakespeare and Abulhawa employ to represent love stories/marriages that are embroiled in ongoing violent events. Overall, in its depiction of 'love and violence', Abulhawa's novel appropriates Shakespeare's greatest love tragedy and shows the conditions under which Palestinians live in Gaza.


This article aims to explore the construction of the concept of the 'crisis' by Greek employees, when they talk about paid work. In order to do so, 22 interviews with employees aged 23–43 were analysed, deploying the analytic tool of 'positioning', informed by poststructuralist assumptions about discourse and the subject. This perspective seeks to illuminate how the hegemonic discourses both on the 'crisis' and waged labour persist and are being legitimated through peoples' mundane practices and speech, aspiring to trace alternative narratives that challenge them. According to our analysis, the 'crisis' was discursively formulated in three different, and at a first glance even contradictory, ways: as a 'state of exception', as a 'normal condition' and as a 'myth', serving each time a different function regarding the constitution of the self and the social.


Left atrial dissection is a severe but rare complication, and it is generally associated with mitral valve interventions. But other predisposing factors should be considered in pathogenesis. Here we describe a patient who developed interatrial dissection following a mass removal from right ventricle. The dissection was recognised with transesophageal echocardiography and it was spontaneously cured with conservative therapy. Transesophageal echocardiography is strongly recommended during and after operations in patients with heart valve interventions in order to recognise such rare but severe complications.


Birth has become a phenomenon of increasing concern. The population of Romania has decreased and is constantly decreasing, the downward evolution is not surprising, all the information on the natural and migratory movement after 1989 define a well-installed demographic decline. Romania's demographic decline is gaining new dimensions and amplifying the deterioration of the country's demographic situation. What is less known and evaluated at the true value is the depth of the deterioration of the age structure of the population in the context of the demographic decline and the implications of this deterioration from the perspective of the possible recovery of the demographic state of the country. The present demographic evolutions, respectively the characteristics of the components that have produced and are still producing these evolutions, foreshadow a strongly negative image regarding the population of Romania in the next decades, if by public policies the birth ratio will not be stimulated.


Background: Nutrition delivery is frequently interrupted or delayed by physicians` ordering patterns. We conducted this study to investigate the effect of physician compliance with tube feeding (TF) protocol on the nutritional and clinical outcomes in acute lung injury (ALI) patients. Methods: After implementing a TF protocol, 71 ALI patients with mechanical ventilation (MV) for ≥7 days were observed. A dietician assessed the nutritional status of the patients and established individualized nutrition plans according to the protocol. If the physicians followed the dietician`s recommendation within 48 hours, the patients were classified under the compliant group (Group 1). Results: Forty patients (56.3%) were classified into Group 1. Prealbumin was comparable in both groups at ICU admission but higher in Group 1 at the time of discharge from the ICU (228±81 vs 157±77 mg/dl, p=0.025). Nitrogen balance was only improved in Group 1. The time to reach calorie goal was shorter and non-feeding days were reduced in Group 1. The proportion of parenteral nutrition to nutritional support days was lower and delivered calories on the 4th and 7th day of TF were higher in Group 1 (p<0.001). ICU mortality/stay and hospital mortality failed to show differences but hospital stay was prolonged in the noncompliant group (Group 2) (p=0.023). Arterial oxygen tension and PaO2/FiO2 were maintained during the 1st week of ICU stay in Group 1 but were decreased in Group 2. Conclusions: Physicians` compliance with the TF protocol contributed to the likelihood of nutritional improvement and a shorter hospital stay in ALI patients with prolonged MV.


Medication was discontinued under a placebo-controlled, double-blind, six-month protocol with 17 chronically depressed patients who had been taking an average daily dose of 138 mg amitriptyline (AMI) for an average of 3.7 years. Only one of nine patients became depressed on active medication, while of the 15 patients receiving a placebo trial, 11 had a depressive recurrence at an average time of 9.3 weeks. These 11 were subsequently restarted on AMI, and responded similarly to the way in which acutely depressed patients respond, although the patients showed either a need for less AMI or decreased symptoms, compared to entry. Tolerance did not develop to anticholinergic side-effects during long-term medication. Twelve of the 15 patients on placebo showed a withdrawal reaction during the first few weeks of tapered AMI discontinuation which could be distinguished from recurrence of depression. This study suggests that the majority of patients on long-term antidepressant will suffer a recurrence of depressive symptoms when the medication is discontinued.


Few medical schools or residency programs offer adequate training in sexual medicine. Using the experience gained in our long-standing program in human sexuality for medical students, we have pilot tested a half-day intensive workshop curriculum for residents that focuses on sexual communication skills and management of sexual problems. Unlike our medical school program, this residency course was offered on an elective, one-day basis. The current report describes the successful implementation of our pilot program with 46 medical residents from subspecialty and primary care residency programs. Before the workshop, 22 (48%) residents indicated that they were uncomfortable with open discussion of sexual issues and would not feel comfortable in addressing the topic with their patients. A number of factors were identified as barriers to communication, including lack of time, inadequate training, and personal discomfort. After the workshop, the participants rated themselves as more comfortable with the topic and as more likely to address sexual issues with their patients. The participants evaluated the workshop positively overall and responded well to the interactive format and audience-response components. Most of the participants showed interest and willingness to participate in further training in sexual medicine skills. Our program offers a model for training of residents in communication skills and management of sexual problems. The difficulties in implementation and overcoming institutional barriers to curriculum reform are addressed.


Introduction C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established marker of disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However not all flares in IBD are associated with an elevated CRP. This raises the possibility that some patients are not CRP producers1,2,3. In this retrospective observational study, we have assessed if patients consistently produce a low or high CRP level in response to a flare in IBD. Methods 31 patients were identified, over a 5 year period across 3 centres, with endoscopic mucosal assessments of two consecutive exacerbations of IBD which were at least 3 months apart. Patients were included if they had a CRP measurement within 7 days of each endoscopic examination (colonoscopy or flexible-sigmoidoscopy), and if they had active inflammatory colitis confirmed on mucosal biopsy. A CRP non-producer was defined as a CRP level of less than 10mg/L as according to the laboratory reference range used in the centres. Results In the cohort of 31 patients, 19 had biopsy proven UC, 3 had Crohn's disease, 6 were unclassified, and 3 had differing classifications of Crohn's disease and UC on successive endoscopies. There was an overall mean period of 11.3 months between successive endoscopies. 17 patients were CRP non-producers and 9 were CRP producers during successive IBD flares. The table below shows the disease classification in different CRP response groups. Abstract PTH-095 Table 1 Total number of patients UC Crohn's disease Unclassified Differing histological classification CRP non-producer 17 8 3 4 3 CRP producer 9 6 0 3 0 Variable CRP response 5 5 0 0 0 Disease extent was defined in both flares in 97% of patients. In the CRP non-producer group, 10 out of 17 (59%) patients had left sided disease or proctitis compared to 4 out of 8 (50%) in the CRP producer group. This difference in proportion did not reach statistical significance as assessed by Fisher's exact test. Three of the five patients with a variable CRP response had more extensive disease at the time of the higher CRP level. Conclusion Most patients (84%) in this study had a consistent CRP response; but this was not universal. Disease extent appears to contribute to CRP, but patient specific factors also appear to play a role. Disclosure of Interest None Declared. References Gut. 2008 Nov; 57(11):1518–23. Epub 2008 Jun 19. C-reactive protein: a predictive factor and marker of inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease. Results from a prospective population-based study. Henriksen M, et al. IBSEN Study Group Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2005 Aug; 11(8):707–12..Correlation of C-reactive protein with clinical, endoscopic, histologic, and radiographic activity in inflammatory bowel disease. Solem CA, et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2004 Sep; 10(5):661–5.C-reactive protein as a marker for inflammatory bowel disease. Vermeire S, et al.


Attempts to control epileptic seizures by electrical brain stimulation have been performed for 50 years. Many different stimulation targets and methods have been investigated. Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is now approved for the treatment of refractory epilepsies by several governmental authorities in Europe and North America. However, it is mainly used as a palliative method when patients do not respond to medical treatment and epilepsy surgery is not possible. Numerous studies of the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on epileptic seizures have been performed and almost invariably report remarkable success. However, a limited number of controlled studies failed to show a significant effect. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) also was effective in open studies, and controlled studies are now being carried out. In addition, several uncontrolled reports describe successful treatment of refractory status epilepticus with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In summary, with the targets and stimulation parameters investigated so far, the effects of electrical brain stimulation on seizure frequency have been moderate at best. In the animal laboratory, we are now testing high-intensity, low-frequency stimulation of white matter tracts directly connected to the epileptogenic zone (e.g., fornix, corpus callosum) as a new methodology to increase the efficacy of DBS ("overdrive method").


BACKGROUND
The role that healthy eating plays in good health is well documented. Government policy in Scotland recommends reducing salt, refined sugar and saturated fat in the diet and increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates, fibre and oily fish.

METHODS
Using data from the 1998 Scottish Health Survey a composite measure of healthy eating behaviour was derived by scoring low levels of consumption of salt, refined sugar and saturated fat and higher consumption of fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates, fibre and oily fish. This paper presents results from logistic regression analysis of the risk factors for this measure of healthy eating behaviour.

RESULTS
Young people, men, those on low income, those without qualifications, those who take little exercise, who lack access to car, live in deprived areas and women who smoke were less likely to show healthy eating behaviour.

CONCLUSION
Healthy eating reflects dietary policy and guidelines for those with higher socio-economic status and who demonstrate other health seeking behaviour. Health education policy needs to be targeted at young people, men, and those of lower socio-economic status, and deprived areas, not just the population or country as a whole.


The deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) has been studied in prepared columns of granular secondary explosive. The secondary explosives 2- (5-cyanotetrazolato) pentammine cobalt (III) perchlorate (CP) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) were chosen for the study due to their known propensity to undergo DDT within a few millimetres of ignition. Confinement of CP columns within polycarbonate and PETN within metallic confinement fitted with slit windows allowed direct high-speed streak photography of the events. Deflagration and detonation velocities and the run-to-detonation lengths were measured as a function of charge pressed density. Ignition of the explosive column was attained thermally through a copper barrier with a gasless pyrotechnic. Deflagration and detonation velocities were seen to depend strongly upon pressed density with both explosives. There appeared to be a maximum density conducive to DDT with both explosives but no minimum with CP. Studies of DDT continue to have interest for the safe storage and use of reactive materials, and for the development of a detonator based on a secondary explosive.


Bedroom carpets and mattresses devoid of any reported or observed moisture damage or problems were ana lysed as sources of indoor fungal growth by determining the amount of CO2 released from respiration by micro organisms living in furnishings. Dust was extracted from the carpets and mattresses using a Kirby G5 vacuum cleaner. The basal respiration rate of the dust samples without moisture added was used to estimate base respi ration rate and a substrate-induced respiration rate method was used to estimate the vitality of micro-organ isms in the dust and to estimate the amount of living microbial biomass. Analysis of fungal species was per formed by direct sprinkling of dust samples and stamp ing the filter collection papers directly onto a range of nutrient agars. Fungal differentiation revealed 18 species were living in the carpets and 12 species in the mat tresses. Penicillium spp., Aspergillus niger and Zygomy cetes were dominant fungi. The relative abundances of fungal species in the carpets were significantly corre lated to the species in the mattresses. The basal CO2 res piration rate and the living microbial biomass from all samples was the same as several soil types including sandy loam soils, Para Brown Earth, Sandy Brown Earth and Brown Podzol. The rate of respiration showed that the fungal species detected were living in the furnish ings, and were highly metabolically active. This revealed that bedroom carpets and mattresses in non-problem dwellings and without moisture damage can provide a habitat with enough moisture to support fungal growth despite the lack of an obvious moisture source.


Using the electron-beam-induced barrier currents and the Monte Carlo simulation methods it was possible to determine the depth-dose function as well as the distribution function of the generation source for electron-hole pairs perpendicular to the injection direction. The depth-dose function was compared with results obtained by Everhart and Hoff. By fitting the simulated barrier current profile to the measured one the authors could estimate the relatively small width of the space charge region of the p-n junction employed for the measurements. Furthermore, the spatial dose distribution of Si was described in an analytic approximation of the Monte Carlo simulation using two Gaussian functions concerned with the spreading of the penetrating electron beam and the diffusion of the primary electrons within the target, respectively. This approximation was based on treatments of the scattering process of the primary electrons given by Bethe and co-workers, Bothe and Archard.


In this review we describe the relation between nasal eosinophilia and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Moreover we was performed a literature revision that valued the relation between eosinophilia in respiratory system with arthritis. We have examined, through nasal cytology, 7 patients (5 men and 2 women) aged between 7 and 60 years old, with a middle age of 38,5 years; this patients are affected by RA, members of UO of Diagnostic ORL and nasal cytology of the AIAS (Italian Association of Disadvantages assistance) of Afragola.Between them we put in evidence only a case of youth RA. All patients was not allergic and affected by recurrent rhinitis in maintenance therapy and not related with pollen calendar. The withdrawal documented the presence of rare eosinophils in nasal mucosa. This evidence could induce us to use this practice not only as follow up of patients but also as means of early diagnosis.


Mediastinal bronchogenic cyst (MBC) is congenital, and a result of an abnormal budding of the primitive foregut. MBC is the most common mediastinal cyst, usually located along the tracheobronchial tree, most often found behind the carina (1). MBC can occur among all age group, from infants to adults. Bronchogenic cysts can occur intrapulmonary or extrapulmonary. If an abnormal budding occurs during early gestation, the bronchogenic cyst will usually be located in the mediastinum. MBCs rarely communicate with the tracheobronchial tree when compared to intrapulmonary bronchogenic cysts. MBCs are lined with respiratory ciliated columnar epithelium and filled with a whitish-gray mucinous material, which can change into pus with infection.


Gazula and Kabuka (1995) describe a binary neural network which implements a nonparametric statistical classifier. However, they implement a kernel-based classifier rather than k-nearest-neighbors, as stated in their paper. The commenter states that some other aspects of their paper are not clear. One of the original authors replies to points made by the commenter.


Monoclinic CeRuSn with its own structure type transforms to a high-pressure modification at 11.5 GPa and 1470 K (1000 t press, Walker type module). The structure of the high-pressure phase was refined from X-ray single crystal diffractometer data at room temperature. The HP-CeRuSn subcell structure adopts the ZrNiAl type: P6[combining macron]2m, a = 751.4(3) and c = 394.6(2) pm, wR2 = 0.0787, 310 F(2) values and 15 variables. The Ru2 atoms within the Sn6 trigonal prisms show a strongly enhanced U33 parameter. Weak satellite reflections indicate a commensurate modulation: (3 + 1)D superspace group P31m(1/3,1/3,γ)000, a = 751.4(3) and c = 394.6(2) pm, γ = -1/3, wR2 = 0.0786, 1584 F(2) values, 32 variables for the main reflections and wR2 = 0.3757 for the satellites of 1(st) order. A description of this new superstructure variant of the ZrNiAl type is possible in a transformed 3D supercell with the space group R3m and Z = 9. The driving force for formation of the modulation is strengthening of Ru-Sn bonding within the comparatively large Ru@Sn6 trigonal prisms. Electronic structure calculations point to an almost depleted Ce 4f shell. This is substantiated by temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility data. Fitting of the data within the interconfiguration fluctuation model (ICF) resulted in cerium valences of 3.41 at 10 K and 3.31 at 350 K. Temperature dependent specific heat data underline the absence of magnetic ordering.


This article demonstrates full self-aligned inverted-staggered amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (TFT's) fabricated using selective plasma deposition of doped microcrystalline silicon source/drain contacts. Back-side exposure, using the bottom metal gate as the mask, produced the self-aligned contact openings. Selective deposition of the n+ silicon contact layer assures self-aligned ion resistance contacts and eliminates the need for reactive ion etching of the n+ silicon. Complete TFT fabrication requires no critical alignment steps. Transistors have linear mobility between 0.6 and 1.1 cm/sup 2//Vs, threshold voltage of 3.0 V, and sub-threshold slope of 0.35 V/decade. The OFF current is <10/sup -11/ A with -10 V gate voltage and 10 V between the source and drain, and ON/OFF ratios exceed 10.


It is often necessary to stitch images together into a larger image; examples include generating a panoramic image, building an aerial terrain photo, and wide area surveillance. The latter is an example in which this stitching must happen in real time, i.e. less than one frame period. If further constraints are placed on the system such as operation in poor contrast conditions and multiple targets moving against a changing background in the system's field of view, yet it must still operate deterministically, then current predominant methods using image registration do not suffice. These methods typically require a large overlap between adjacent cameras in a static staring array, and involve manipulating the individual video frame images by means of rotation, translation and scaling until detected feature points optimally match. This is non-ideal because more cameras are needed due to the overlap of the adjacent cameras, the requirement to determine salient image points (which may not be evident in poor contrast conditions), the iterative manner used to align images' salient points, the frequent neglecting of lens distortion effects and the inability to align two cameras if the one between them fails. Photogrammetric methods have been used before to rectify these short comings, but have always required expensive, bulky, custom processing hardware. This paper shows that it is possible to stitch an array of minimally overlapped high resolution wide angle cameras irrespective of scene content and lighting changes in a deterministic manner via novel use of commercial graphics processing hardware and a parallelized algorithm.


Recent studies on the effects of statin use on perioperative morbidity and mortality suggest that statins may reduce risk during the perioperative period. However, studies published thus far either were retrospective nonrandomized studies or included small numbers of patients. Individually, none offered authoritative recommendations. However, in almost every study, preoperative statin use was associated with a substantial improvement in perioperative outcome. Thus, pending the publication of a large, prospective randomized trial, the preponderance of the evidence at this time suggests that perioperative statin usage may improve outcome in high-risk patients undergoing major surgery. Furthermore, even if statins are definitively found to be effective, additional studies will be necessary to establish the optimal timing of initiation, drug dosages, and length of therapy.


Objectives: Conduct a systematic review designed to determine needs and experiences of LGBTQ adolescents in the pediatric primary care setting and to the ability of primary care practitioners to provide the most inclusive care to LGBTQ adolescents. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase searches using the following keywords: LGBTQ, Adolescents, Pediatrics, Sexual-Minority, Gender-Identity, and primary care, to identify peer-reviewed publications from 1998 to 2017 that focused on stigma in the healthcare setting related to LGBTQ youth and the knowledge of healthcare providers on enhancing care for their sexual and gender minority patients. Article inclusion criteria include: primary research studies conducted in a pediatric primary care describing LGBTQ patients, pediatric patients as described by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and written in the English language. Articles were excluded if they used inaccurate definitions for LGBTQ identity, inappropriate patient ages outside of those defined by the AAP, and studies not in a pediatric primary care setting. Results: Four articles were identified for the review. Of the included articles, the majority of LGBTQ adolescents experience stigma in the healthcare setting. A limited number of physicians providing care to LGBTQ adolescents felt equipped to care for their sexual-minority patients due to lack of education and resources. Conclusions: The education of physicians should include a more detailed approach to providing care to the LGBTQ population, particularly to those training to become pediatricians. A standard guide to treating LGBTQ adolescents could eliminate stigma in the healthcare setting.


Mapping observations were made towards IRAS 20110+3321 using the Nobeyama 45 m and the Delingha 13.7 m radio telescopes. The high angular resolution (~21'') image with the 45 m telescope shows that there is a high-velocity bipolar molecular outflow in this region, which is in the NW–SE direction with a collimation factor of ~ 2.2. The outflow has significantly higher mass loss rate and mechanical luminosity than those from low mass YSOs, indicating that the outflow is driven by the IRAS source. A dense massive core was detected by mapping C18O (J = 1−0) line in the area with the 13.7 m telescope. The IRAS source lies within the core but slightly offsets from its emission peak.


Trecenti Technologies, Inc. is currently creating the first 300 mm-wafer volume production fab. Our basic objectives are to minimize cycle time with all single-wafer processes and to create a scalable fab that has an optimized expansion unit to satisfy high investment efficiency and flexibility to changing market needs.


Manganese enhanced MRI (MEMRI) has been used to generate layer-specific contrast in preclinical neuroimaging studies, especially in the cerebellum. However, the cell types that contribute most to MEMRI signal have not yet been identified. In this study, we registered high resolution MEMRI to immunohistochemistry of the cerebellum to verify layer localization of signal. We found that the Purkinje cell layer (PCL) was the source of hyperintensity. Next, we manipulated cell types of the PCL using genetically engineered mouse models and quantified MEMRI signal changes. These results strongly suggest Purkinje cells are the primary cellular source of hyperintensity in cerebellar MEMRI.


The main purpose of this study was to assess the factors that affect the use of Mobile banking in Tanzania. The specific objectives of this study were to: assess the influence of users' perceived risk on the use of Mbanking in Tanzania, and examine the effect of network coverage on the use of M-banking in Tanzania. This study employed a case study design using qualitative and quantitative approach. The population of the study was 4015 and samples of 150 respondents were used in this study. The study used questionnaire and interview in data collection. From the 150 questionnaires that were distributed, 120 were successfully returned but only 100 were usable for the analysis yielding a 66.7% response rate. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The analysis of the data was done with the help of the SPSS and Microsoft excel. The findings reveal that users' perceived risks, lack of trust, security risks and poor network coverage are the key factors that negatively influenced the level of use of m-banking service. Security policy positively influenced the use of m-banking services. The study recommends the government and other stake holders to invest more on m-banking services and direct more effort on its security in order safeguard outside attacks on mbanking transaction in


Recent evidence suggests that chronic exposure to high levels of ambient particulate matter (PM) is associated with decreased pulmonary function and the development of chronic airflow obstruction. To investigate the possible role of PM-induced abnormalities in the small airways in these functional changes, we examined histologic sections from the lungs of 20 women from Mexico City, a high PM locale. All subjects were lifelong residents of Mexico City, were never-smokers, never had occupational dust exposure, and never used biomass fuel for cooking. Twenty never-smoking, non-dust-exposed subjects from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a low PM region, were used as a control. By light microscopy, abnormal small airways with fibrotic walls and excess muscle, many containing visible dust, were present in the Mexico City lungs. Formal grading analysis confirmed the presence of significantly greater amounts of fibrous tissue and muscle in the walls of the airways in the Mexico City compared with the Vancouver lungs. Electron microscopic particle burden measurements on four cases from Mexico City showed that carbonaceous aggregates of ultrafine particles, aggregates likely to be combustion products, were present in the airway mucosa. We conclude that PM penetrates into and is retained in the walls of small airways, and that, even in nonsmokers, long-term exposure to high levels of ambient particulate pollutants is associated with small airway remodeling. This process may produce chronic airflow obstruction.


Sodium Fast Reactors are one of the three candidates of GEN-IV fast reactors. Fast reactors play an important role in saving uranium resources and reducing nuclear wastes. Conventional fast reactors rely on transuranic fuels from reprocessing facilities, which are not available in the U.S. Thus, deployment of fast reactors requires decoupling from reprocessing facilities. This motivates the design and deployment of Uranium Startup sodium Fast Reactors (USFR) on a once-through fuel cycle in order to facilitate the transition to fast reactors by reducing their plant costs and increase capacity factor. Three different fuel types including uranium carbide (UC), metal (UZr) and uranium oxide (U0 2) are investigated and analyzed using the ERANOS code for potential use in USFR designs. A key enabling factor is use of high-albedo MgO or Zr reflectors in place of fertile blankets to reduce uranium enrichment and improve non-proliferation resistance. The different compositions in different fuel types result in different neutronic performance. The softer spectrum and lower allowable fuel volume fractions of oxide fuel have shorter fuel cycle length due to reactivity constraints, whereas fast neutron fluence plays an important role in determining the fuel cycle length in metal cores due to the harder spectrum. Moderators are deliberately added in the metal fuels to lower the fast neutron fluence. Carbide cores have a slightly harder neutron spectrum than oxide cores and a larger achievable fuel volume fraction. USFRs using all three fuel types (UC, U0 2 and UZr) have lower fuel cycle cost (6.27, 6.09 and 5.77mills/kWhe) and comparable uranium consumption (0.50, 0.55, and 0.53kgNatU/MWde) compared with typical LWRs (6.39nills/kWhe and 0.53kgNatU/MWde). All USFR designs have maximum neutron fluence below 5E23n/cm. All three USFR designs have pressure drop below 0.7MPa and maximum temperature below the limit for each fuel type. Both carbide and metal fuel have excellent passive safety performance. It is concluded that the USFR approach is a competitive way to accelerate fast reactor development. Thesis Supervisor: Michael J. Driscoll Title: Professor Emeritus of Nuclear Science and Engineering Thesis Supervisor: Eugene Shwageraus Title: Department Head of Nuclear Engineering of Ben Gurion University Thesis Reader: Benoit Forget Title: Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering


The purpose of this study was to determine the role of p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in alpha(1)-adrenergically and cholinergically stimulated protein secretion in rat lacrimal gland acinar cells and the pathways used by these agonists to activate MAPK. Acini were isolated by collagenase digestion and incubated with the alpha(1)-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine or the cholinergic agonist carbachol, and activation of MAPK and protein secretion were then measured. Phenylephrine and carbachol activated MAPK in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Inhibition of MAPK significantly increased phenylephrine- and carbachol-induced protein secretion. Inhibition of EGF receptor (EGFR) with AG1478, an inhibitor of the EGFR tyrosine kinase activity, significantly increased phenylephrine- but not carbachol-induced protein secretion. Whereas phenylephrine-induced activation of MAPK was completely inhibited by AG1478, activation of MAPK by carbachol was not. Phenylephrine stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGFR, whereas carbachol stimulated p60(Src), and possibly Pyk2, to activate MAPK. We conclude that, in the lacrimal gland, activation of MAPK plays an inhibitory role in alpha(1)-adrenergically and cholinergically stimulated protein secretion and that these agonists use different signaling mechanisms to activate MAPK.


This study has empirically tested the fitness of a structural model in explaining the influence of two exogenous variables (perceived enjoyment and attitude towards ICTs) on two endogenous variables (behavioural intention and teachers' Information Communication Technology (ICT) usage behavior), based on the proposition of Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989a). The sample was 212 teachers from Business Education faculties of 13 tertiary colleges in the northwestern region of Nigeria. As one of the major developing countries in Africa, Nigeria has invested a lot of resources in ICTs for the past several years to ensure the appropriate uptake and integration of technology across the important sectors of the country's economy, especially the education sector. Unfortunately, the country's standard of ICT adoption has remained low for many years. Congruently, its educational sector has remained incapacitated by lack of adequate ICT facilities and lack of skilled ICT-manpower, with school teachers using obsolete tools in the classroom, and some of them buying and using ICTs out of their own volition. Teachers' use of ICTs in tertiary schools' has remained poor in Nigeria, and research initiatives on ICT usage behaviour are rare and predominantly descriptive in nature. Past studies have dwelt on investigating the influence of physical infrastructural facilities on teachers' use of technology in the classroom. The current study has investigated the influence of teachers' perceptive beliefs, attitudes and intentions on their technology usage behaviour, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Findings have shown that teachers' perceived enjoyment of ICTs influences their ICT usage behaviour in the classroom (β = .281, p < .05); teachers' perceived enjoyment of ICTs influences their intention to use ICTs (β = .740, p < .001); teachers' ICT attitude influences their intention to use ICTs (β = .122, p < .05); teachers' ICT attitude influences their ICT usage behaviour (β = .512, p < .001) and teachers' behavioural intention influences their ICT usage behaviour ICTs (β = .-368, p < .05). Teachers' behavioural intention to use ICTs has, however, predicted a decrease in their self-reported ICT usage behaviour. This study will benefit school leaders, curriculum planners and researchers in technology acceptance behaviour in Africa, by giving them guidance in taking decisions concerning teachers' perceptions and intentions of using ICTs in the classroom. The study will play a vital role in filling up the research gap that exist in technology acceptance behaviour among business education faculties across tertiary institutions in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Future research on the subject matter may attempt to investigate the moderating roles of voluntariness and compulsory standards in influencing teachers' ICT usage behaviour. Keywords: attitude towards technology; behavioural intention; business education; developing country; ICT usage behaviour; Nigeria; perceived enjoyment; South Africa; teachers


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

Personalized cancer care requires reliable biomarkers. One already implemented in the clinic is the BRAF V600E mutation. We present a comprehensive comparison of three detection methods including immunohistochemistry (IHC) using a mutation specific monoclonal antibody (VE1), Sanger sequencing and a probe-based high resolution melting assay, in melanoma and colorectal cancer specimens. Genomic DNA (gDNA) from fresh frozen tissue from 389 liver metastases and 6 primary tumors from 141 metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients as well as gDNA from 125 tumors from 75 malignant melanoma (MM) patients was available. Tissue microarrays (TMAs) containing formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue from 285 of the CRC metastases from 123 patients were made. BRAF, exon 15 was amplified using the DyNazyme EXT polymerase system and sequenced by Sanger sequencing. IHC staining with the BRAF-VE1 antibody was performed on a Ventana BenchMark XT immunostainer. The intensity of staining was graded as 0 (no visible staining), grade 1 (weak diffuse background staining), 2 (moderate diffuse and granular) and 3 (strong granular staining). Grade 2 or 3 was regarded as positive. For high resolution melting analysis of V600-status, we used the LigthMix Kit BRAF V600E/K on a LightCycler 480 instrument.To establish the detection limits for the DNA-based methods used in this comparison, we analyzed a dilution series containing a ratio of 1:1- 1:107 BRAF V600E mutated DNA in BRAF wild-type DNA. We found the detection limit for the LightMix assay to be 1:1000 mutated alleles while it was 1:10 for Sanger sequencing. Among 125 samples from 75 MM patients, we found 60 samples from 31 patients to be positive for BRAF mutations by Sanger sequencing. By the LigthMix assay, we found 75 mutated samples from 37 patients. Among 395 samples form 141 mCRC patients, we found 22 samples from 7 patients to be BRAF V600E mutated by Sanger sequencing. 127 tumors from 42 of these patients were analyzed by the LigthMix assay and the BRAF V600E mutation was detected in 24 samples from the same 7 patients. IHC was performed on TMAs including tissue from 285 metastases from 123 of the mCRC patients. By this method 25 samples from 15 patients were found to be BRAF V600E mutated. These 15 patients included 5 of the 7 patients identified by DNA-based mutation analyses. Thus 8 patients revealing no mutation by either of the DNA-based methods showed positive immunostaining. Two patients found to carry the mutation by sequencing and melting point analysis were not identified by IHC.

Our data show differences in sensitivity and specificity between the three methods. Compared to the LigthMix, assay Sanger sequencing showed inferior sensitivity. Further, we observed a large discrepancy between IHC and the two DNA-based methods, indicating IHC with the current antibody not to be recommendable for clinical tests alone.

Citation Format: Inger Marie Loes, Heike Immervoll, Halfdan Sorbye, Jon-Helge Angelsen, Arild Horn, Per Eystein Lonning, Stian Knappskog. Performance comparison of BRAF V600E detection assays in malignant melanoma and colorectal cancer specimens. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1878. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1878


This paper compares two forms of buyback policies commonly adopted in practice -- a traditional full-quantity partial-credit (FQ) buyback contract and an alternative full-credit partial-quantity (FC) contract. Standard theory based on profit maximization suggests that both policies can achieve channel-coordinating solutions when applied in a dyadic supplier-retailer setting. Consequently, neither policy should dominate the other by simultaneously offering higher expected profits for both parties. However, prior behavioral research in buyback contracts suggests that retailer's ordering decisions are often subject to behavioral biases. First, through a controlled lab experiment, we discover that the ordering decisions made by human retailers are significantly higher under the FC contract than under the FQ contract, although standard theory predicts no difference. This phenomenon is consistent with the behavioral tendency of loss aversion. Next, we study how the performances of the two contracts compare as a result of the retailer's loss-averse behavior. On the one hand, from a contract designer's perspective, it becomes feasible to design a channel-coordinating FC buyback contract that makes both players better off compared with a coordinating FQ contract. On the other hand, when the supplier has the authority to set contract terms, she should choose the FC policy to maximize her expected profit. However, in a situation where the wholesale price is exogenously given, the supplier should instead choose a traditional FQ contract for a loss-averse retailer. Our results can help inform both the contract designers and the supply managers on what types of buyback policies to use in different settings.


Many probabilistic models for natural language are now written in terms of hierarchical tree structure. Tree-based modeling still lacks many of the standard tools taken for granted in (finite-state) string-based modeling. The theory of tree transducer automata provides a possible framework to draw on, as it has been worked out in an extensive literature. We motivate the use of tree transducers for natural language and address the training problem for probabilistic tree-to-tree and tree-to-string transducers.


This work examines the sub-shear and super-shear steady state growth of mode III fractures in flexoelectric materials, non the less, exhibiting Mach type shock wave patterns that resemble reported lattice dynamics results and three-dimensional calculations and experiments. Our mathematical models provide weak discontinuous solutions of the steady state dynamic equations. In flexoelectric solids, super-shear rupture is possible with Mach lines appearing at sub-shear as well as super-shear crack rupture velocities. This is contrary to classical singular elastodynamics, where the notions of super-shear growth and hyperbolicity coincide. The results show that the deformation near the crack-tip agrees with studies based on lattice dynamics. In the first part of this work, a novel finite element approach has been developed where the problem is decomposed in two prestressed plates which are interconnected, resulting into the predicted radiation patterns and Mach lines. The polarization field is obtained from the calculated displacement field and is used in turn to calculate the magnetic and the electric fields. The analysis offers an analogy to the co-seismic magnetic fields encountered during mode III dominated earthquake rupture events.


The mycobiome is the fungal component of the human microbial ecosystem that represents only a small part of this environment but plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis. Colonization by fungi begins immediately after birth. The initial mycobiome is influenced by the gestational age of a newborn, birth weight, delivery method and feeding method. During a human's life, the composition of the mycobiome is further influenced by a large number of endogenous and exogenous factors. The most important factors are diet, body weight, age, sex and antibiotic and antifungal therapy. The human mycobiome inhabits the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, urogenital tract and skin. Its composition can influence the gut–brain axis through immune and non-immune mediated crosstalk systems. It also interacts with other commensals of the ecosystem through synergistic and antagonistic relationships. Moreover, colonization of the gut by opportunistic fungal pathogens in immunocompromised individuals can lead to clinically relevant disease states. Thus, the mycobiome represents an essential part of the microbiome associated with a variety of physiological and pathological processes. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the composition of the mycobiome in specific sites of the human body and its role in health and disease.


Aim To evaluate the impact of early re-resection on the incidence of tumour recurrence and progression in patients with pT1 high-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (HG-NMIBC). Patients and methods From 2001 to 2008, 486 consecutive patients were diagnosed with pT1 HG-NMIBC. Data were collected retrospectively which included patient demographics, histological parameters including the presence of detrusor muscle at initial TUR and at re-resection, adjuvant intravesical therapy, and recurrence and progression rates. Early re-resection was performed within six weeks of initial TUR. Patients comprised those who underwent an early re-resection (Group A, n = 172) and those who did not (Group B, n = 314). Results At initial TUR, detrusor muscle was present in 61% (n = 105) of patients in Group A and 76% (n = 240) of patients in Group B. At early re-resection, detrusor muscle was present in 77.9% of cases. A residual tumour was present in 54.6% of re-resected cases. The overall incidence of tumour recurrence was 35% and 42% in Groups A and B, respectively. During follow-up, there was a significantly higher rate of tumour stage progression in patients who did not undergo early re-resection (Group B 14.4% vs. Group A 3.3%, P < 0.05). Conclusions Early re-resection facilitates accurate staging and clearance of residual disease. Subsequent rates of tumour stage progression are significantly improved. We advocate early re-resection for all patients with HG-NMIBC.


Background: Acute pancreatitis is a form of inflammation with clinical features ranging from pancreatic inflammation to fatal systemic manifestations. The aim of this study was to clarify changes in lymphocyte subsets and alterations in the functioning of natural killer (NK) cells. Patients and Methods: Forty-five patients were enrolled into the study; 35 with acute pancreatitis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and 10 healthy subjects. Blood was sampled early from all patients. Blood immune cells were studied on days 1 and 4 by flow cytometry. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin (IL)-6 were estimated from supernatants of NK cells before/after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Results: Apoptosis in patients was significantly different on days 1 and 4 compared with controls. Apoptosis of CD4(+) lymphocytes was significantly correlated with the days to resolution of SIRS (r = +0.586, p = 0.022). Significant differences were observed in TNFα and IL-6 on day 1 with/without LPS stimulation between patients and healthy individuals. Significantly increased levels of TNFα and IL-6 were found after LPS stimulation compared with unstimulated supernatants in day 1. Conclusion: NK cells altered their secretory status when stimulated with LPS. This finding could be explained by the cellular reprogramming of NK cells in the field of acute pancreatitis and SIRS.


NASA has decided to rebalance its priorities following several years of healthy growth for science, turning its focus instead towards expanding support for manned space exploration, explained NASA Administrator Michael Griffin at a 16 February hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science.

The Bush Administration has requested $16.8 billion for NASA in Fiscal Year 2007, an increase of 3.2 percent over the previous year. Most of the benefit would go to the exploration program, which would get a 55 percent increase in funding—for a total of $3.9 billion—primarily for the development of the new Crew Exploration Vehicle and Crew Launch Vehicle. The science budget would grow by 1.5 percent in FY2007—to $5.3 billion—and then is projected to grow by just one percent per year in 2008–2011.


For the purpose of evaluating the Greater Geelong City Council in a context defined by the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry, the Commission developed a framework for good governance. The outcomes of the framework reflect the objects in the Local Government Act 1989; the policies, procedures, systems, guidelines and frameworks reflect the work of the Commission and officers from the Secretariat; the principles have been taken from the Good Governance Guide 2013 developed by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA), Local Government Victoria (LGV) and Local Government Professionals (LGPro), with greater emphasis on diversity and trust; and the performance indicators are illustrative only and prepared by a consultant for the Commission based on the City of Sydney's Community Indicators Framework. The report includes: • An examination of the roles and responsibilities at all levels within the City of Greater Geelong Council (Council) and whether sufficient clarity exists to ensure good governance; • An analysis of whether, in delivering services to its constituents, Council governance arrangements are efficient and effective; • An exploration of the relationship between matters contained in and the findings of the Workplace Cultural Review and governance arrangements of the Council; and • An investigation of other relevant factors impeding the Council's ability to provide good government to its constituents.


Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are activated in focal cerebral ischemia. The activation of MMP-9 is involved in blood—brain barrier breakdown and tissue remodeling. The MMPs are released to the extracellular space, but the form and fate of secreted enzymes in brain are unknown. Using microdialysis in vivo, the authors studied whether ischemia-induced MMP-9 in brain tissue was related to free MMP-9 in the extracellular fluid. A microdialysis probe was placed into the right striatum and microdialysis was initiated 24 hours later in controls (n = 7). One hour prior to microdialysis, a group of rats (n = 7) was subjected to 1-hour occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery, followed by reperfusion. Dialysates were collected at discrete time points up to 24 hours, and subjected to zymography and Western blot analysis. The MMP-9 was released after ischemia and accumulated in the extracellular space at 24 hours (P < 0.05). Free MMP-9 forms include mainly the 95-kd proform, and, to a lesser extent, dimers and cleaved active forms (70 kd), but not the 88-kd form found in tissue. Probe implantation and microdialysis increased free MMP-9 in the dialysate. This increase was concomitant with neutrophil infiltration after the mechanical lesion, as myeloperoxidase was found by means of Western blot analysis in the brain hemisphere subjected to microdialysis (P < 0.005), and immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of myeloperoxidase stain surrounding the site of probe implantation. The results suggest that certain forms of MMP-9 are released and accumulate in the extracellular space after brain injury, and that vascular alterations and neutrophil recruitment elicit MMP-9 activation in the brain after focal ischemia and trauma.


A 41-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our hospital for right abdominal mass. Various examinations revealed a retroperitoneal lymphangioma. Tumor resection was performed and pathological diagnosis was a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. It seems that screening with the tumor markers will be helpful for the diagnosis, because it is very difficult to diagnose a retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenocarcinoma before the operation.


Inland river basins include critical habitats and provide various ecosystem services in extremely arid lands. However, we know little about the distribution patterns of soil fungal communities in these river basins. We investigated the distribution patterns of soil fungal communities from the riparian oasis zone (ROZ) to the circumjacent desert zone (CDZ) at the lower reaches of the Heihe River. The results indicated that soil fungal communities were mainly dominated by the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota across all samples. The dominant soil fungi taxa were significantly different between ROZ and CDZ habitats at both the phylum and genus levels. Fungal alpha diversity was mainly affected by spatial factors and plant functional traits, and Pearson correlation analysis revealed that fungal alpha diversity was more closely related to plant functional traits than soil properties. Furthermore, fungal community structure was best explained by spatial factors and plant attributes (including plant diversity and plant functional traits). Together, our findings provide new insights into the significance of spatial factors and plant attributes for predicting distributions of fungal communities in arid inland river basins, which will help us better understand the functions and services of these ecosystems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Objective: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) and automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) for the characterization of benign and malignant breast lesions. Methods: Ninety patients who underwent surgery and preoperative conventional ultrasound (US), 3D-US, and ABVS examinations were enrolled in this study. The image quality and adjacent structures of the lesions in the coronal plane were compared. The combination of US, 3D-US, and ABVS for retraction phenomenon of the lesion was compared and the diagnostic performance of each combination was analyzed. Results: ABVS displayed better image quality and adjacent structures than 3D-US ( P < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.913, 0.842, and 0.871 for US, 3D-US, and ABVS, respectively. The AUC of the retraction phenomenon of the lesion was 0.732 and 0.810 for 3D-US and ABVS, respectively. When they were combined, US+ABVS showed the highest AUC of 0.924. No significant difference of diagnostic performances was found among conventional US, US+3D-US, and US+ABVS ( P > 0.05). Conclusions: Compared with 3D-US, ABVS seems to be superior in showing the retraction phenomenon of breast lesions and in the characterization of breast lesions alone or in combination with conventional US. Although no significant difference was observed between them, both ABVS and 3D-US provided valuable information in the coronal plane and improved our confidence level in breast lesion characterization, especially when combined with the conventional US.


We consider a possibility of automating the analysis of a computer program realizing the objective function of an extremal problem, and of distributing the calculation of the function value into parallel processes on the basis of results of the analysis. The first problem is to recognize the constituent parts of the function. The next one is to determine their computing times. The third problem is to distribute the calculation of these parts among independent processes. A special language similar to PASCAL has been used to describe the objective function. A new scheduling algorithm, seeking to minimize the maximal finishing time of processing units, was proposed and investigated. Experiments are performed using a computer network.


Hydrogen adsorption on palladium black and palladium supported on activated carbon was characterized by the Temperature Programmed Desorption technique (TPD) using the radiotracer tritium. It is shown that there are five energetic desorbed hydrogens with peak maxima at —50, 35, 115, 350, and 580°C. An additional peak at — 120°C hydrogen desorbed from activated carbon was observed on Pd/C. An isotopic hydrogen separation experiment was designed to demonstrate that hydrogen only dissociatively adsorbed on palladium surfaces whereas it was associatively adsorbed on activated carbon.


The chapter describes the development, over the last fifteen years, of acoustic resonance techniques for the measurement of three transport properties of fluids under a variety of conditions. In each case the design of the resonator employed is guided by theory to make the instrument particularly sensitive to the loss process in which the transport property is involved. The viscosity of gases, for which the technique is most advanced is described in detail followed by shorter expositions of the application to the thermal conductivity and bulk viscosity near the vapor–liquid critical point.


We report the case of a 9-month-old male infant diagnosed in the field with extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Use of innovative global positioning system tracking of pregnant pastoralist women allowed staff to find the mother, locate the infant and enroll the infant in care and treatment. Due to this innovative intervention of case finding and tracking, the infant was prevented from defaulting and completed his anti-TB regimen.


Fundic gland polyps (FGPs) are the most common gastric polyps and have been regarded as benign lesions with little malignant potential, except in the setting of familial adenomatous polyposis. However, in recent years, the prevalence of FGPs has been increasing along with the widespread and frequent use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). To date, several cases of FGPs with dysplasia or carcinoma (FGPD/CAs) have been reported. In this review, we evaluated the clinical and endoscopic characteristics of sporadic FGPD/CAs. Majority of the patients with sporadic FGPD/CAs were middle-aged women receiving PPI therapy and without Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Majority of the sporadic FGPD/ CAs occurred in the body of the stomach and were sessile and small with a mean size of 5.4 mm. The sporadic FGPs with carcinoma showed redness, irregular surface structure, depression, or erosion during white light observation and irregular microvessels on the lesion surface during magnifying narrow-band imaging. In addition, sporadic FGPs, even with dysplasia, are likely to progress to cancer slowly. Therefore, frequent endoscopy is not required for patients with sporadic FGPs. However, histopathological evaluation is necessary if endoscopic findings different from ordinary FGPs are observed, regardless of their size. In the future, the prevalence of FGPs is expected to further increase along with the widespread and frequent use of PPIs and decreasing infection rate of H. pylori. Currently, it is unclear whether FGPD/CAs will also increase in the same way as FGPs. However, the trends of these lesions warrant further attention in the future.


Aboveground production and shoot and root litter decomposition rates were measured in amended coarse taconite tailing plots over the second and third growing seasons of a 3-yr study. Plots were seeded with a mixture of native prairie species that included Andropogon gerardii Vitm., Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash, Elymus canadensis L., Bromus kalmii Gray, and Lespedeza capitata Michx. Reclamation treatments included inoculation with indigenous mycorrhizal fungi, three rates of fertilizer, and three rates of composted yard waste. Aboveground plant biomass in plots amended with 44.8 Mg ha -1 compost increased from 150 g m -2 in the second season to 330 g m -2 in the third season. The litterbag technique was used to assess the influence of reclamation treatments on the decomposition of plant litter. Shoot litter placed on the surface lost 60 to 70% of its original mass after 15 mo and was unaffected by treatment during the first season but was slower in plots amended with 44.8 Mg ha -1 composted yard waste in the second season. Buried root tissue lost 40% of its original mass after 15 mo and was unaffected by treatment. By significantly increasing plant biomass and reducing litter decomposition rate in tailing, additions of 44.8 Mg ha -1 compost should result in the continued accrual of soil organic matter and begin to meet reclamation goals to establish self-sustaining native plant communities on tailing deposits.


Abstract One in five consumer credit accounts incurs late fees each quarter. Evidence on the efficacy of regulations to improve behavior through enhanced disclosure of financial product attributes is mixed. We test a novel form of disclosure that provides borrowers with a personalized measure of their creditworthiness. In a field experiment with over 400,000 student loan borrowers, treatment group members received communications about the availability of their FICO Score. The intervention significantly reduced late payments and increased borrowers' FICO Scores. Survey data show treatment group members were less likely to overestimate their FICO Scores, suggesting the intervention may correct for overoptimism.


Large cylindrical triple-GEM detector (CGEM) is proposed to upgrade the CMD-3 tracker subsystem. CGEM will be designed both for precise measurement of z-coordinate of tracks in drift chamber (DC) and for generating signals for the first level trigger. This chamber will have better spatial resolution, trigger segmentation and rate capability with respect to the present Z-chamber which is used in CMD-3 today. An end-cup discs with GEM-based detectors are also considered for the upgrade. This tracker will improve significantly the detection efficiency for multi-hadron events, will help to study processes with initial state radiation (ISR) and measure the cross section with double tagged electrons when two virtual photons radiated by initial electrons produced C-even states (π0,η).


Background Effective triage of injured patients is often a balancing act for trauma systems. As healthcare reimbursements continue to decline,1 innovative programs to effectively use hospital resources are essential in maintaining a viable trauma system. The objective of this pilot intervention was to evaluate a new triage model using 'trauma resource' (TR) as a new category in our existing Tiered Trauma Team Activation (TA) approach with hopes of decreasing charges without adversely affecting patient outcome. Methods Patients at one Level II Trauma Center (TC) over seven months were studied. Patients not meeting American College of Surgeons criteria for TA were assigned as TR and transported to a designated TC for expedited emergency department (ED) evaluation. Such patients were immediately assessed by a trauma nurse, ED nurse, and board-certified ED physician. Diagnostic studies were ordered, and the trauma surgeon (TS) was consulted as needed. Demographics, injury mechanism, time to physician evaluation, time to CT scan, time to disposition, hospital length of stay (LOS), and in-hospital mortality were analyzed. Results Fifty-two of the 318 TR patients were admitted by the TS and were similar to TA patients (N=684) with regard to gender, mean Injury Severity Score, mean LOS and in-hospital mortality, but were older (60.4 vs 47.2 years, p<0.0001) and often involved in a fall injury (52% vs 35%, p=0.0170). TR patients had increased door to physician evaluation times (11.5 vs 0.4 minutes, p<0.0001) and increased door to CT times (76.2 vs 25.9 minutes, p<0.0001). Of the 313 TR patients, 52 incurred charges totaling US$253 708 compared with US$1 041 612 if patients had been classified as TA. Conclusions Designating patients as TR prehospital with expedited evaluation by an ED physician and early TS consultation resulted in reduced use of resources and lower hospital charges without increase in LOS, time to disposition or in-hospital mortality. Level of evidence Level II


Periodontal disease, a common chronic oral inflammatory disease is characterized by destruction of soft tissue and bone of tooth. Atherosclerosis starts early in life, since disease progression is usually slow, clinical symptoms or hospitalization are rare before 40 years of age. Epidemiological associations between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease have been reported by several studies1,2. Periodontitis and atherosclerosis have complex etiologies, genetic and gender predispositions and may share pathogenic mechanisms as well as common risk factors. It is becoming increasingly clear that infections and chronic inflammatory conditions such as periodontitis may influence the atherosclerotic process. The crucial casual relation might be established by prospective treatment studies, which elucidate the connection between treatment of poor health and systemic inflammatory marker3,4. Haemostatic and theological variable are associated with both prevalent and incident cardiovascular disease, and may be mechanisms through which risk factors such as smoking, hyperlipidemia and infections may promote vascular events. Low grade chronic infections are increasingly being recognized as potential instigators of systemic diseases. Periodontal disease manifests as a prevalent chronic infection impinging throughout the entire adult life in a significant proportion of the population and is probably a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the population as a whole and particularly in certain groups1,2,3,4,5.The oral cavity provides a gateway between the external environment and the gastrointestinal tract, and it facilitates both food ingestion and digestion. Oral hygiene and tooth loss can potentially affect gastrointestinal flora and nutritional status, and they have implications for the development of chronic diseases. Poor dental health, tooth loss, or both have been associated with increased risk for gastrointestinal malignancies, including oral esophageal and gastric cancers 6,7,8,9,10. Several mechanisms have been proposed for relationship of periodontitis leading to pancreatic disease 11,12. We believed that Inflammation appears to play an important role in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis ,although the inflammatory mediators that lead to the development of pancreatic cancer ( important inflammatory marker C-reactive protein) . An association between periodontal disease and systemic inflammation has been observed using biomarkers We hypothesize that periodontal disease may lead pancreatic carcinogenesis through inflammation.


In an effort to determine whether transitional tumor cells will preferentially implant on the cauterized urothelial surface, a reproducible technique for cauterization of a portion of the murine bladder was established. This technique simulates a transurethral fulguration of a bladder tumor in humans. Transplantable tumor cells (1 x 106) were placed transurethrally into the bladder of 50 mice. Twenty‐five of these mice each had a portion of their bladder cauterized prior to insertion of tumor cells. Implantation with subsequent tumors occurred in 54% of mice with cauterization, in contrast to 12% of mice with an intact urothelial surface (P < 0.005). Intravesical thio‐tepa, mitomycin C, and cis‐platinum were capable of significantly reducing the incidence of implantation. These results suggest that seeding may be a contributing factor to the high recurrence rate following endoscopic resection or fulguration of bladder tumors and that intravesical chemotherapy initiated shortly after surgery may reduce the incidence of implantation.


Sm23 is an integral membrane protein expressed widely in the human parasitic worm Schistosoma mansoni. Sm23 has already been shown to elicit protective immune responses following immunization with peptides or DNA constructs. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity and the protective efficacy of the Sm23 DNA vaccine using two different intradermal DNA delivery methods: microseeding and gene gun. Using both techniques, all mice immunized with the Sm23‐pcDNA construct generated Sm23‐specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibody, while mice immunized with the control plasmid, pcDNA, did not. Antibody isotypes analysis revealed that microseeding elicited mainly IgG2a and IgG2b antibodies, with relatively low levels of IgG1 and IgG3. The relative IgG1/IgG2a ratio was 0·03, indicative of a Th1 type immune response. In contrast, gene gun immunization resulted in significantly higher levels of IgG1 and IgG3. The relative IgG1/IgG2a ratio in this case was 11, indicative of a Th2 type immune response. No significant difference in the levels of IgG2b was observed. Coimmunization with plasmid DNA encoding either interleukin (IL)‐12 or IL‐4 by microseeding did not affect the levels of IgG1, while the levels of IgG2a and IgG2b were reduced. On the other hand, the levels of IgG3 were significantly increased by IL‐4, but unchanged by IL‐12. Importantly, in all experiments, the Sm23‐pcDNA vaccine provided statistically significant levels of protection against challenge infection. Microseeding immunizations resulted in higher levels of protection (31–34% protection) than gene gun immunization (18% protection). This suggests that the Th1 type immune response elicited by microseeding immunization was responsible for the higher protection levels. However, the protective effect of the vaccine was not affected by coadministering plasmids encoding either IL‐12 or IL‐4 using the microseeding technique.


Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of high mortality, disability and reduced quality of life for patients. At the heart of coronary heart disease - ischemia and activation of oxidative stress. With concomitant hypertension, the condition of patients and the prognosis for the course of their disease deteriorates significantly. The prognosis of coronary heart disease, the occurrence of new hospitalizations or deaths from cardiovascular disease can be further assessed by monitoring ST2 and malonic dialdehyde (MDA). Traditional treatment of coronary heart disease does not always guarantee the achievement of the desired clinical results. That is why it is advisable to use in the complex treatment of patients with coronary heart disease and concomitant hypertension cytoprotectors and drugs that have antioxidant properties, such as meldonium and folic acid.
The aim of the research. Detect anti-ischemic activity in meldonium and folic acid and evaluate the effect of these drugs on the level of ST2, MDA in the blood in patients with coronary heart disease and concomitant hypertension.
Materials and methods. The research included 80 patients (women - 4, men - 76, aged 57,7 ± 9,8 years) with diagnoses of coronary heart disease: stable angina, functional class II-III (FC), chronic heart failure (CHF) I-IIa, FC II-III ", with concomitant arterial hypertension II-III stages, 2-3 degrees, risk 4 (very high), CHF I-IIa, FC II-III". Patients were divided into 4 groups of 20 patients, respectively: 1) patients who, in addition to basic therapy, were prescribed folic acid at a dose of 0.8 mg / d for six months; 2) patients who, in addition to basic treatment, were prescribed meldonium at a dose of 750.0 mg / d for six months; 3) patients who, in addition to basic treatment, were prescribed folic acid at a dose of  0.8 mg / d and meldonium at a dose of 750.0 mg / d for six months; 4) patients who were prescribed only basic antianginal, disaggregating, hypolipidemic treatment.The number of anginal attacks and doses of nitroglycerin during the day were determined, the results of the test with a 6-minute walk and the plasma concentration of ST2 and MDA before and after 6 months of treatment with meldonium and folic acid were evaluated.
Results. Found anti-ischemic activity in meldonium and its combination with folic acid. The combination of these drugs as an adjunct to basic therapy significantly reduced the concentration of ST2. Both drugs alone or in combination reduced the concentration of MDA in the blood of patients.
Conclusions. Our research showed the presence of anti-ischemic activity in meldonium, both when added to the basic therapy of patients with coronary heart disease and concomitant hypertension, and when used together with folic acid. In the groups of patients where these drugs and their combinations were used, the frequency of anginal attacks and the number of doses of nitroglycerin used during the day were significantly reduced.
The combined use of folic acid and meldonium when added to the basic therapy after 6 months significantly reduced the concentration of ST2 in the blood. Folic acid and meldonium showed pronounced antioxidant properties. At separate adding of these medications to basic therapy or their combined adding significantly decreased the concentration of MDA - a marker of oxidative stress.
Therefore, we consider it appropriate to use folic acid and meldonium in the complex treatment of patients with coronary heart disease with stable angina and concomitant hypertension.


Existing review-aware recommendation methods represent users (or items) through the concatenation of the reviews written by (or for) them, and depend entirely on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to extract meaningful features for modeling users (or items). However, understanding reviews based only on the raw words of reviews is challenging because of the inherent ambiguity contained in them originated from the users' different tendency in writing. Moreover, it is inefficient in time and memory to model users/items by the concatenation of their associated reviews owing to considerably large inputs to CNNs. In this work, we present a scalable reviewaware recommendation method, called SentiRec, that is guided to incorporate the sentiments of reviews when modeling the users and the items. SentiRec is a two-step approach composed of the first step that includes the encoding of each review into a fixed-size review vector that is trained to embody the sentiment of the review, followed by the second step that generates recommendations based on the vector-encoded reviews. Through our experiments, we show that SentiRec not only outperforms the existing reviewaware methods, but also drastically reduces the training time and the memory usage. We also conduct a qualitative evaluation on the vector-encoded reviews trained by SentiRec to demonstrate that the overall sentiments are indeed encoded therein.


In this paper, laboratory scale measurements of long range across-slope acoustic propagation in a three-dimensional (3-D) wedge-like environment are compared to numerical solutions. In a previous work, it was shown that the experimental data contain strong 3-D effects like mode shadow zones and multiple mode arrivals, in qualitative agreement with theoretical and numerical predictions. In the present work, the experimental data are compared with numerical solutions obtained using a fully 3-D parabolic equation based model. A subspace inversion approach is used for the refinement of some of the parameters describing the model experiment. The inversion procedure is implemented in a Bayesian framework based on the exhaustive search over the parameter space. The comparisons are performed both in the time and in the frequency domain using the maximum a posteriori estimates of the refined parameters as input in the 3-D model. A very good quantitative agreement is achieved between the numerical predictions provided by the 3-D parabolic equation model and the experimental data.


Synopsis Small intrusions of basic igneous rock in certain coals in the West Ayrshire coalfield occur as discrete bodies of white trap. In the Sillyhole Coal near Dalmellington these bodies are either horizontally elongated varying in shape from lenticular to nearly spherical, or small, vertically elongated and of more irregular shape. The coal is altered to vesicular natural coke with polygonal jointing, the axes of the coke polygons being curved so as to be normal both to the margins of the seam and to the junction with the white trap. The combined thickness of the seam of coal and white trap is always greater than the thickness of the same seam in an unaltered state, the total thickness being directly proportional to the amount of white trap present in the seam. Coals containing white trap bodies of this type passed through a plastic phase when magma was being intruded. During this period the horizontally elongated white trap bodies were formed, their mode of formation being analogous to that of pillow lavas. With rising temperature the coal re-solidified and shrank to form coke polygons, the magma filling joints between polygons and locally expanding to form the vertically elongated white trap bodies.


Using a methodology based on the cites received by the researchers of the Department of Library Information Science of the UCM, a study about main researchers and publications is done, also taking into account the influence of the UCM in other academic and profesional institutions, and the more relevant topics covered. It is a case study previous to the qualitative analysis of the cites, that is described and considered as a valid tool to improve the results of the traditional quantitative method.


This article proposes modified second-order generalized integrators (mSOGIs) for a fast estimation of all harmonic components of arbitrarily distorted single-phase signals, such as voltages or currents in power systems. The estimation is based on the internal model principle leading to an overall observer consisting of parallelized mSOGIs. The observer is tuned by pole placement. For a constant fundamental frequency, the observer is capable of estimating all harmonic components with prescribed settling time by choosing the observer poles appropriately. For time-varying fundamental frequencies, the harmonic estimation is combined with a modified frequency locked loop (mFLL) with gain normalization, sign-correct antiwindup, and rate limitation. The estimation performances of the proposed parallelized mSOGIs with and without mFLL are illustrated and validated by measurement results. The results are compared to standard approaches such as parallelized standard SOGIs (sSOGIs) and adaptive notch filters (ANFs).