Insensitive Semantics (I) has three components: It defends a positive theory; it presents a methodology for how to distinguish semantic context sensitivity from other kinds of context sensitivity; and finally, it includes chapters critical of other contributors on these issues. In this Precis, we outline each component, but before doing so a few brief 'big picture' remarks about the positions defended in is are in order:


One application for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is detecting and classifying hazardous objects on the seabed. An acoustic approach to this problem has been studied in which an acoustic source insonifies seabed target while receiving AUVs with passive sensing payloads discriminate targets based on features of the three dimensional scattered fields. The OASES-SCATT simulator was used to study how scattering data collected by mobile receivers around targets insonified by mobile sources might be used for sphere and cylinder target characterization in terms of shape, composition, and size. The impact of target geometry on these multistatic scattering fields is explored, and a discrimination approach developed in which the source and receiver circle the target with the same radial speed. The frequency components of the multistatic scattering data at different bistatic angles are used to form models for target characteristics. Data are then classified using these models. Classification accuracies were greater than 98% for shape and composition. Regression for target volume showed potential, with 90% chance of errors less than 15%. The significance of this approach is to make classification using low-cost vehicles plausible from scattering amplitudes and the relative angles between the target, source, and receiver vehicles.


Glioblastoma is the most prevalent and aggressive form of brain cancer. The heterogeneous nature and survival mechanisms that glioblastoma tumors develop impede chemotherapy efficacy of temozolomide (TMZ) and result in tumor relapse. The p38 MAPK and its downstream kinase MK2 have been well established in regulating signaling pathways influencing inflammation, cell division and differentiation, as well as cell motility in response to a wide range of extracellular stimuli. Recent studies have identified p38 MAPK-MK2 pathway as an effector kinase complex that is activated following DNA damage and results in cell cycle arrest, so that cells have the capacity to repair their DNA and continue to proliferate. Importantly, cells with p53 mutation/deficiency were shown to rely on MK2 pathway for G2/M arrest and survival after exposure to chemotherapy and thus highlighting MK2 as a potential therapeutic target. We sought to determine if inhibition of MK2 in glioblastoma cells would result in increased efficacy of TMZ and to delineate the underlying mechanisms. Using genetic knockdown and pharmacological inhibitors we examined whether MK2 inhibition improves temzolomide efficacy in glioblastoma cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells of different subtypes (classical, mesenchymal, proneural and neural). Viability and clonogenic assays were used to determine survival of tumor cells to combination treatment. Apoptosis was determined using Annexin-V staining, cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry, mitotic entry by p-HH3 staining, extent of DNA damage using γH2AX staining and senescence using β-galactosidase staining. Western blotting analysis was performed to study changes in protein expression. We show that MK2 inhibition significantly improved TMZ anti-proliferative efficacy in A172 glioblastoma cell line and primary cells of classical subtype. Furthermore, MK2 inhibition reduced ability of TMZ treated cells to form colonies in clonogenic assay. Mechanistic studies revealed that MK2 knockdown reduced G2/M arrest induced by TMZ and promoted G0/G1 arrest. These changes were associated with increase in TMZ-induced apoptosis and senescence. We show that MK2 knockdown does not promote premature mitosis and mitotic catastrophe due to accumulation of DNA damage, as evidenced by lack of p-HH3 and γH2AX staining. In summary, our results demonstrate that MK2 inhibition is a novel strategy to sensitize glioblastoma cells to chemotherapy. We propose that in glioblastoma cells, MK2 signaling does not contribute to G2/M arrest induced by TMZ and instead MK2 plays a crucial role in regulating G0/G1 arrest in response to DNA damaging agents. Citation Format: Fadi Gurgis, Bryan Day, Brett Stringer, Terrance G. Johns, Lenka Munoz. Targeting MK2 to improve temozolomide efficacy in glioblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Cancer Cell Cycle - Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Response; Feb 28-Mar 2, 2016; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(11_Suppl):Abstract nr B17.


First trimester prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis was attempted in 350 pregnancies after trans‐abdominal chorionic villus sampling. The cytogenetic investigation was performed using both a short‐term method (24 h incubation) and cell culture. Adequate samples were obtained in 99·1 per cent and in all these cases the fetal karyotype was established. A chromosome abnormality was found in 2·0 per cent of cases. A discrepancy between the karyotype obtained after 24 h incubation and the karyotype in cell culture was observed in 2·3 per cent. Maternal cell contamination in the cultures was confirmed in 13 of 181 cases where the 24 h incubation revealed a male karyotype. Studies of culture morphology showed that colonies of convoluted cells may serve as a marker for contamination with maternal cells in culture. For the present, we recommend using a short‐term method as well as cell culture for cytogenetic investigation until the problems with karyotype discrepancy and maternal cell contamination have been further clarified.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 5-year results for a phase II trial of hyperfractionated radiotherapy (RT) and concurrent daily cisplatin chemotherapy. Between August 1994 and December 1999, 63 patients with stage IIIA and stage IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer were treated with RT to a dose of 69.6 Gy at 1.2 Gy twice daily with daily cisplatin at 6 mg/m2. Thirty-seven patients elected to receive consolidation carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy. Recurrence and survival outcomes were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Acute and late side effects were scored by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) grading system. Radiographic complete or partial tumor response was achieved in 34 of 63 (54%) of cases. Median absolute survival was 20.1 months. Median time to local recurrence and distant metastases were 10.6 and 8.6 months, respectively. Overall survival rates were 57%, 35%, and 23% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Survival was significantly greater for patients receiving consolidation chemotherapy (50% versus 20% at 3 years). Only 5 patients (7%) experienced Grade 3 or 4 esophagitis. There were 16 cases of Grade 1 or 2 pneumonitis; steroid therapy resolved symptoms in 9 patients. This regimen of hyperfractionated RT and chemotherapy achieved significant response, and 5-year survival rates with acceptable toxicity.


Direct searches for low mass dark matter particles via scattering off target nuclei require detection of recoiling atoms with energies of ~1 keV or less. The amount of electronic excitation produced by such atoms is quenched relative to a recoiling electron of the same energy. The Lindhard model of this quenching, as originally formulated, remains widely used after more than 50 years. The present work shows that for very small energies, a simplifying approximation of that model must be removed. Implications for the sensitivity of direct detection experiments are discussed.


The analysis of 76 case histories of children suffering from brain tumor revealed a majority in preschool age. The diagnosis at admission to the hospital was correct in 2/3 of the cases. The main causes for admission among unclear cases were headache, a history of head trauma, and epilepsy. An evaluation is made of the diagnostic value of symptoms, neurological signs, and of auxiliary investigations.


Author(s): Owraghi, Melissa | Advisor(s): Maduro, Morris F | Abstract: Early cells of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans decide very early which types of tissues they will contribute to. The E and MS blastomeres are sister cells born at the 7-cell stage of embryonic development. E makes the entire endoderm (gut), while MS makes many mesodermal cell types, including pharynx, body muscles and the four embryonically-derived coelomocytes. The E cell is specified by two redundant genes, end-1 and end-3, while MS is specified by the T-box gene tbx-35. However, previous studies indicate that another regulator is involved in MS specification, since tbx-35 mutant embryos continue to make some MS-derived tissues (e.g., coelomocytes). In addition, the embryos that lack NK-2 homeobox gene, ceh-51, previously identified by the Maduro lab to be a direct target of tbx-35, also showed partial specification of MS-derived tissues. Embryos that lack both tbx-35 and ceh-51, however, show a synergistic reduction in MS-specific tissues, suggesting that TBX-35 and CEH-51 work together to specify for tissues downstream in the MS lineage. The Wnt nuclear effector POP-1 is critical to making MS and E different from one another. The MS-to-E transformation that results from loss of pop-1 function is well documented (Lin et al., 1995), and shows that the main requirement for POP-1 in C. elegans is repression of endoderm fate in MS. Recently, our laboratory has reported that E adopts an MS-like fate in C. briggsae embryos depleted for Cb-pop-1 function. This and other observations prompted us to look for the requirements of POP-1 in specification of MS in C. elegans. We examined pop-1; end-1,3 mutant embryos and found that although such embryos lack endoderm (as expected), they generate additional tissues that are normally made by MS, specifically pharynx muscle, body wall muscle, and coelomocytes. Using a laser microbeam to isolate MS or E, we have found that both cells make these tissues in pop-1; end-1,3 mutants. However, E isolations in the triple mutant embryos also express the hypodermal marker nhr-25::YFP, suggesting that E generates some C-like tissues in the absence of end-1,3. Collectively, these results demonstrate that E is only partially restored to an MS-like fate. The conclusion is that POP-1 is dispensable for some aspects of MS specification in C. elegans end-1,3 mutants, and that there may be a role for POP 1 in blocking MS fate in E.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of empathic ability and depression on the relationship between adult attachment and psychological well-being of university students. We conducted a survey on 318 university students in Cheongju-si and Hongseong gun. The data were analyzed by Pearson' productive correlation, hierarchical regression analysis and Sobel test. The results were as follows: Firstly, anxiety attachment, empathic ability and depression were significant predictors of the psychological well-being of university students. Depression was the strongest predictors psychological well-being. Secondly, depression mediated partially the relationship between anxiety attachment and psychological well-being, and empathic ability and depression mediated partially the relationship between avoidance attachment and psychological well-being. In conclusion, the empathic ability and depression mediate the effects of adult attachment on psychological well-being of university students. The implications and limitations of this study were discussed.


The embryo and endosperm are the products of double fertilization and comprise the clonally distinct products of angiosperm seed development. Recessive mutations in the maize gene discolored1 (dsc1) condition inviable seed that are defective in both embryo and endosperm development. Here, detailed phenotypic analyses illustrate that discolored mutant kernels are able to establish, but fail to maintain, differentiated embryo, and endosperm structures. Development of the discolored mutant embryo and endosperm is normal albeit delayed, prior to the abortion and subsequent degeneration of all differentiated kernel structures. Using a genomic fragment that was previously isolated by transposon tagging, the full length dsc1 transcript is identified and shown to encode an ADP-ribosylation factor-GTPase activating protein (ARF-GAP) that co-localizes with the trans-Golgi network/early endosomes and the plasma membrane during transient expression assays in N. benthamiana leaves. DSC1 function during endomembrane trafficking and the maintenance of maize kernel differentiation is discussed.


On a daily basis, our environment is exposed to tons of a composite of industrial effluents, which has a negative impact on commercial fish production and, as a result, on humans. Present study was designed to evaluate the acute, sub-chronic, and chronic toxicity of a composite of raw industrial effluent from Sunder Industrial Estate in the freshwater fish Oreochromis niloticus biosystem by investigating at the histopathological changes in different organs such as heart, kidney, and muscle after exposure. Fish was exposed to 1/3rd, 1/5th and 1/10th of predetermined LC50. Significant histopathological alterations in heart (myocarditis, pericardium bending and lifting) kidney (renal tube degeneration, glomerulus structural alteration and necrotic proximal tubule) and muscle (inflammation, atrophy and tumor) were observed in treated groups. After the sub-lethal exposure histological alteration index (HAI) was highest in chronic group as compared to the acute and sub-chronic group as HAI group D> HAI group C> HAI group B. Moreover physicchemical parameters of water were found to be out of the range of the APHA standard approach.


An anti-human monoclonal antibody (RFB-1) has been produced that reacts with a group of hemopoietic precursor cells in human bone marrow. These include terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-positive (TdT+) cells and myeloid colony-forming unit cells, functionally identifiable progenitor cells of the granulocytic-monocytic series. The expression of RFB-1 antigen on myeloid cells decreases as the cells become more mature; myeloblasts are weakly RFB-1+ but most promyelocytes are RFB-1-. RFB-1 also reacts with TdT+ thymic blast cells and cortical thymocytes but is unreactive with TdT- medullary thymocytes, although the majority of peripheral T cells are weakly RFB-1+. RFB-1 is the first anti-precursor cell reagent that labels human TdT+ cells in both the thymus and bone marrow as well as hemopoietic precursor cells but is unreactive with pre-B blasts and B lymphocytes.


Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a multifactorial connective tissue disorder caused by damage to the supportive structures of the pelvic floor, leading to the descent of pelvic organs in the vagina. In women with POP, fibroblast function is disturbed or altered, which causes impaired collagen metabolism that affects the mechanical properties of the tissue. Ideal surgical repair, either native tissue repair or POP surgery using an implant, aims to create a functional pelvic floor that is load-bearing, activating fibroblasts to regulate collagen metabolism without creating fibrotic tissue. Fibroblast function plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of POP by directly affecting the connective tissue quality. On the other hand, fibroblasts determine the success of the POP treatment, as the fibroblast-to-(myo)fibroblast transition is the key event during wound healing and tissue repair. In this review, we aim to resolve the question of "cause and result" for the fibroblasts in the development and treatment of POP. This review may contribute to preventing the development and progress of anatomical abnormalities involved in POP and to optimizing surgical outcomes.


A 32 year old male thyrotoxic presenting with gynaecomastia, galactorrhoea and later complicated with hypokalaemic periodic paralysis is presented. The gynaecomastia and galactorrhoea resolved with treatment. To the best of the author's knowledge this combination of association in one patient has not been reported previously.


ABSTRACT This article presents an overview of a conceptual framework designed to help reading professionals better understand what their students are facing as they learn to read in alphabetic writing systems. The US National Reading Panel (NRP) recommended five instructional components for improving reading outcomes but presented these instructional components as a list without explicitly addressing their interrelations, either in terms of instruction or cognitive development. In contrast, the Cognitive Foundations Framework offers a description of the major cognitive capacities underlying learning to read and specifies the relationships between them. The central claim of this article is that what is needed to help intervention specialists achieve better outcomes is a clearly specified conceptual framework of the cognitive capacities underlying learning to read that provides the basis for an assessment framework that is linked to evidence-based instructional strategies for addressing the individual literacy learning needs of students.


Summary: The auricular region is a common site of cutaneous malignancies, most of which are nonmelanoma skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, in older patients. They are often treated with limited surgery that can be performed under local anesthesia. We report the case of a young patient with external ear melanoma who underwent reconstruction for defects of more than one-half of the helix and concha using four types of tissues: a rib cartilage graft, temporoparietal fascia flap, full-thickness skin graft, and retroauricular flap. Extending the retroauricular flap posteriorly to the entire hairless area allowed us to cover the anterior surface of the rib cartilage framework, which helped effectively achieve aesthetics. In auricle reconstruction, it is crucial to determine how well the anterior surface of the auricle is created.


Recently, PHARMAC undertook an unfortunate experiment on asthma sufferers when it fundamentally changed its funding support for reliever medications. Ventolin metered dose inhaler (MDI), the backbone of asthma relief for over 30 years, was dropped in favour of Salamol, a post-patent salbutamol in a device which, within the first few weeks of use, has been found to be ineffective by many patients, and thus potentially dangerous. PHARMAC has agreed to reconsider its decision, but how was this decision reached in the first place?


Management consulting services are often viewed as local in the sense that they are based on knowledge of local conditions, are adapted to those conditions, and build on client interaction. Despite this view, globally active consulting firms continue to increase in number and relative size in national markets. To address this paradox and to understand the demand for globally active management consulting services, the present study investigated the efforts of consulting firms to be persuasive, and the ideational embeddeness of those efforts. This was done by examining how management consulting firms present their services in three media in the Swedish market for management consulting: public tenders, corporate web sites, and a yearly listing of the actors in the market, with special attention to ideas on management and organization drawn upon by the firms in their efforts to be persuasive. Three distinct presentation profiles were identified and linked to categories of consulting firms. Although varying considerably, the profiles drew on common ideas, viz., management as a de-contextualized, global and scientific activity. Offering structured models and standardized tools was seen to provide advantages to consulting firms claiming to be able to do so. Local aspects of management, such as culture, were generally de-emphasized as a source of legitimacy in the presentations.By considering how processes of consulting-firm legitimization through presentations make part of the structuring of non-regulated fields, the study contributes to a discussion of the interdependence of the evolution of the consulting industry and the development and diffusion of general ideas on management.


Objective: To evaluate the effect of sense-body coil on the assessment of breast mass. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with 33 breast masses found in physical examination were examined by MR with sense-body coil and X-ray mammography. The assessment of benign or malignancy by MR results depended on signs of plain scanning and dynamic enhancing signs, the MR assessment results were compared with that of X-ray mammography. Results: The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of these four methods were: X-ray mammography was 66.7%, 87.5%, 81.8% respectively;MRI plain scanning was 66.7%, 75.0%, 72.7%; dynamic enhancement was 88.9%, 100%, 97%, respectively. Conclusion: The sense-body coil have the same value as specialized breast coil of MR imaging in the assessment of breast mass.


We show that all pure entangled states of two d-dimensional quantum systems (i.e., two qudits) can be generated from an initial separable state via a universal Yang–Baxter matrix if one is assisted by local unitary transformations.


It is true that the multiple plot has a simple accumulative effect, as Empson remarks, in encompassing a larger area of life and of our natural impulses, though even this im pression of'coverage,' which is largely a function of the material cause, requires a dif ferentiation of that matter, and hence of perspective and tone, between the individual actions (and in those plot combinations attempting to 'cover' all the relevant possi bilities, it also requires an exhaustive formal scheme).


. This study is aimed to investigate the effect of female autoserum on the HLA-DR expression in various subpopulations of lymphocytes obtained from spouses with children with sporadic congenital heart defects without chromosomal diseases. 78 married couples with children with congenital heart disease were included in the study group. The control group was formed from 35 married couples with healthy children. The immune response in a mixed culture of lymphocytes of spouses was evaluated by an increased HLA-DR expression in a mixed culture in relation to spontaneous cultures of lymphocytes. Primary staining of female and male lymphocytes by monoclonal antibodies to CD45 conjugated with various fluorescent dyes (PC-5 and PC-7) was performed to assess the immune response of female lymphocytes to male ones and vice versa. The activating effect of female autoserum on all subpopulations of female lymphocytes simultaneously occurred significantly less frequently in the study group compared to the control. The control group was characterized by the domination of the positive effect of female autoserum on HLA-DR expression for all subpopulations of female lymphocyte. For all female lymphocytes having HLA-DR molecule on its membrane, the blocking effect of female autoserum in the study group was significantly more expressed in relation to the control group. Thus, the effect of female autoserum is manifested in relation to the HLA-DR expression on its own lymphocytes, but not on the lymphocytes of the spouse.


BACKGROUND: Kidney angiomyolipomas are benign but progressive tumors consisting of smooth muscle, fat, and vascular elements, commonly associated with the tuberous sclerosis complex. Angiomyolipomas express estrogen and progesterone receptors and have been reported to increase in size in pregnancy. CASE: A 15-year-old girl with stable angiomyolipomas of tuberous sclerosis complex was treated for menorrhagia with estrogen/progestin oral contraceptive pills. During the 12 months of contraceptive therapy, a new 4-cm exophytic angiomyolipoma developed that required selective arterial embolization to reduce its risk of spontaneous rupture. CONCLUSION: Treating menorrhagia with exogenous hormonal therapy in women with tuberous sclerosis complex should be accompanied by regular renal imaging to reduce the risk of an unanticipated angiomyolipoma-related adverse event. Alternate nonhormonal therapies for menorrhagia may also be considered.


This survey provides an updated review of the empirical literature on the regional effects of monetary policy in economic activity by means of undertaking a threefold perspective. First, the main methodological dimensions of this literature are examined while pinpointing those modelling or methodological traits that constitute a source of diverging estimates and thereby produce inconclusive evidence. Secondly, the estimates yielded by the literature are summarized by carrying out a cross‐study analysis of the results for each monetary union. By drawing on empirical regularities that are robust across studies, the conclusiveness of the results is assessed, while those monetary unions for which conclusive evidence is still lacking are also identified. Lastly, the sources of regional heterogeneity identified by these studies are reviewed in order to shed some light on the linkage between monetary policy and territorial heterogeneity. As a result of this threefold perspective, this survey delivers overall structured conclusions and updated policy‐relevant lessons. Moreover, various research gaps and emerging topics in the literature are also identified.


In medical diagnosis, physicians predict the state of a patient by checking measurements (features) obtained from a sequence of tests, e.g., blood test, urine test, followed by invasive tests. As tests are often costly, one would like to obtain only those features (tests) that can establish the presence or absence of the state conclusively. Another aspect of medical diagnosis is that we are often faced with unsupervised prediction tasks as the true state of the patients may not be known. Motivated by such medical diagnosis problems, we consider a Cost-Sensitive Medical Diagnosis (CSMD) problem, where the true state of patients is unknown. We formulate the CSMD problem as a feature selection problem where each test gives a feature that can be used in a prediction model. Our objective is to learn strategies for selecting the features that give the best trade-off between accuracy and costs. We exploit the 'Weak Dominance' property of problem to develop online algorithms that identify a set of features which provides an 'optimal' trade-off between cost and accuracy of prediction without requiring to know the true state of the medical condition. Our empirical results validate the performance of our algorithms on problem instances generated from real-world datasets.


Objectives: To further quantify the characteristics of cold-water swimmers, and to examine the potential exercise benefits, weight changes, perceptions of cold tolerance, and safety concerns related to swimming recreationally in cold water. Methods: After 3 months (December 21 - March 21) of swimming regularly in cold water in the San Francisco Bay (water temperature range: 9.6° C (49.3° F) to 12.6° C (54.7° F)), 103 subjects (76 men, 27 women) underwent a detailed biophysical analysis (weight, body mass index, and % body fat (circumference method)). Swimmers also completed a questionnaire that included questions related to background, exercise patterns, safety, and cold tolerance. To allow for before-and-after comparisons, a sub-group of 50 subjects had biophysical measurements both before, and again after the 3-month winter swim period. Results: Swimmers were typically in a middle-aged category (mean: 54.3±10.8; range: 24-79, years), employed full-time (69.9%), had a recreational swim background (62.1%), and had body mass index (BMI) (25.9±3.6 kg/m 2 ) and % body fat (23.8±7.5 %) values that were consistent with average American values. The exercise time per week of the subjects (mean: 131.3± 50.8 minutes/week; median: 120 minutes/week) was significantly greater than an intermediate-intensity value of 100 minutes/week based on American College of Sports Medicine /American Heart Association (ACSM/AHA) recommendations (P 0.1 for all before-and-after comparisons). The most frequently reported safety concerns were marine life (47.4%) and cold/hypothermia (46.4%), followed by boats (30.9%), currents (19.6%), cramps/fatigue (15.5%), and other (14.4%). A report of feeling more adversely affected by cold was associated with a lower BMI (Coef. = -2.81; P= 0.002), lower % fat (Coef. = -6.66; P<0.001), and less time in the water per swim (Coef. = -4.23; P= 0.029), while a report of feeling less affected by cold was associated with a higher BMI (Coef. = 2.55; P= 0.001), higher % fat (Coef. = 3.83; P= 0.010), and more time in the water per swim (Coef. = 3.51; P= 0.039). Conclusions: Individuals with a wide variety of ages, body types, and backgrounds are able to swim recreationally in cold water. Such swimmers typically are not obese and exceed the ACSM/AHA recommendations for weekly exercise. Marine life and cold/hypothermia are frequent safety concerns; our results suggest that swimmers who report worse cold tolerance are more likely to be leaner and limit time in the water, while those who report better cold tolerance are more likely to have a higher % body fat and spend more time in the water per swim.


Rilmenidine is an alpha 2 adrenoreceptor agonist used in the treatment of mild and moderate hypertension. In this study, a fast and accurate liquid chromatographic method with tandem mass spectrometric detection has been validated in order to assure quantification of rilmenidine in human serum. The fragmentation pathway of protonated rilmenidine was studied using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). This study compared selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, extraction efficiency, matrix effect and sensitivity using common liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedures. The limit of quantitation for both extraction techniques was 0.1 ng/ml. Several differences between the LLE and SPE have been observed in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision and matrix effect. Additionally, the advantages of SPE included less manual work load and increased recovery of rilmenidine in human serum to approximately 80% (LLE, 57%). The developed method involving SPE was found to be accurate (relative error (RE) < 5%), reproducible (relative standard deviation, RSD < 7%), robust and suitable for quantitative analysis of rilmenidine in serum samples obtained from patients under antihypertensive treatment.


The article extends a recently presented approach to feedforward control design for nonlinear systems to additionally account for input and output constraints. The inversion-based design treats a finite-time transition problem as a two-point boundary value problem (BVP) in the coordinates of the input-output normal form. To account for constraints on the output and its time derivatives, the input-output dynamics is replaced by a new system, which is systematically constructed by means of saturation functions. The solvability of the BVP requires a sufficient number of free parameters in an ansatz function. The resulting BVP with free parameters can be solved in a straightforward manner (e.g., with the Matlab function bvp4c). Input constraints can additionally be considered as constraints on the highest output derivative. The approach is applicable to nonlinear and nonminimum-phase systems, which is illustrated for the side-stepping of an inverted pendulum on a cart.


The function of prion-like protein Doppel was suggested to be related to male fertility. In this study, the importance of ovine Doppel polypeptide on spermatozoa capacitation and fertilization was evaluated. After refolding, recombinant Doppel (rDpl) was supplemented with different concentrations (40, 80 or 190 ng/ml) to ovine spermatozoa during the capacitation process. In experiment 1, post-thawed ovine spermatozoa were incubated with different concentrations of rDpl during 1 h for swim-up, and changes in sperm motility, concentration, vigour, viability and capacitation were monitored (10 replicates). In experiment 2, the fertilization ability of post-swim-up spermatozoa incubated as above was tested through heterologous fertilization of bovine in vitro matured oocytes (n = 423, three replicates). Regardless of dosage, rDpl improved (p ≤ 0.03) spermatozoa viability. Sperm individual motility and vigour were the highest (p ≤ 0.04) for the group receiving 190 ng/ml rDpl. Sperm supplemented with the highest doses of rDpl achieved higher (p = 0.02) fertilization rates (56.0 ± 3.0%) than control (39.1 ± 2.2%) and 40 ng/ml rDpl (39.8 ± 2.7%). Preliminary data suggest that Doppel protein may enhance in vitro spermatozoa fertilizing ability.


Identity is described as a multidimensional, wide-ranging and difficult to define concept. In this paper, the book Kimlik, Tanınma Mücadelesi ve Şarkiyatçılık (Identity, Struggle for Recognition and Orientalism) belonging to Fırat Mollaer was analysed. Mollaer addressed the issue of identity in the context of the struggle for recognition. Besides, he related this form of struggle with Orientalism, based on Edward Said's studies on it. Thus, identity became the subject of his study different from the conventional ways of handling it. Moreover, in the book, the issue of how identity constructs itself with dissimilarities is explained in different forms of policy. In this way, the phenomenon of identity has been subjected to scrutiny not only as a conceptual but also as a form of policy. In this sense, it is likely that the identity in the work will be handled with different dimensions historically, socially and philosophically and will inspire the studies to be carried out on this subject in the future in terms of providing a multidimensional approach..


The Leishmania tarentolae Parrot-TarII strain genome sequence was resolved to an average 16-fold mean coverage by next-generation DNA sequencing technologies. This is the first non-pathogenic to humans kinetoplastid protozoan genome to be described thus providing an opportunity for comparison with the completed genomes of pathogenic Leishmania species. A high synteny was observed between all sequenced Leishmania species. A limited number of chromosomal regions diverged between L. tarentolae and L. infantum, while remaining syntenic to L. major. Globally, >90% of the L. tarentolae gene content was shared with the other Leishmania species. We identified 95 predicted coding sequences unique to L. tarentolae and 250 genes that were absent from L. tarentolae. Interestingly, many of the latter genes were expressed in the intracellular amastigote stage of pathogenic species. In addition, genes coding for products involved in antioxidant defence or participating in vesicular-mediated protein transport were underrepresented in L. tarentolae. In contrast to other Leishmania genomes, two gene families were expanded in L. tarentolae, namely the zinc metallo-peptidase surface glycoprotein GP63 and the promastigote surface antigen PSA31C. Overall, L. tarentolae's gene content appears better adapted to the promastigote insect stage rather than the amastigote mammalian stage.


In the past 25 years, research has elucidated molecular mechanisms directing key aspects of tumor cell behavior. Detailed understanding of these mechanisms has already changed methods for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. With continuing advances in cancer science and the emergence of new technologies for applying basic science to clinical practice, new methods based on molecular mechanisms will dominate cancer care and prevention.


ABSTRACT Pyrrolnitrin is a secondary metabolite derived from tryptophan and has strong antifungal activity. Recently we described four genes,prnABCD, from Pseudomonas fluorescens that encode the biosynthesis of pyrrolnitrin. In the work presented here, we describe the function of each prn gene product. The four genes encode proteins identical in size and serology to proteins present in wild-type Pseudomonas fluorescens, but absent from a mutant from which the entire prn gene region had been deleted. The prnA gene product catalyzes the chlorination of l-tryptophan to form 7-chloro-l-tryptophan. The prnB gene product catalyzes a ring rearrangement and decarboxylation to convert 7-chloro-l-tryptophan to monodechloroaminopyrrolnitrin. The prnC gene product chlorinates monodechloroaminopyrrolnitrin at the 3 position to form aminopyrrolnitrin. The prnD gene product catalyzes the oxidation of the amino group of aminopyrrolnitrin to a nitro group to form pyrrolnitrin. The organization of the prn genes in the operon is identical to the order of the reactions in the biosynthetic pathway.


Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways, and the airway epithelium has the central role in its pathogenesis. In general, the airway inflammation is characterised by the infiltration of the epithelium and submucosa by a range of inflammatory cells driven largely by Th-2 lymphocytes, eosinophils, and mast cells. The pathogenic mechanisms of nonatopic asthma in comparison to its atopic counterpart have always been a subject of debate. Although clinically are two distinct entities, more similarities than differences have been observed between the two in terms of immunopathogenesis, underlying IgE mechanisms, and so on. in a number of previous studies. More information has become available in recent years comparing the ultrastructure of the epithelium in these two types of asthma. A comparison of airway epithelium in atopic and nonatopic asthma is presented here from the available information in the literature. Similarities outnumber the differences, until we unravel the mystery surrounding these two important phenotypes of asthma in more detail.


To depict the evolution of the global trade of medical devices, this study analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of global and China's trade patterns of medical devices from 2001 to 2020 based on data from the World Bank and United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database, and thereby investigates the status quo of global and China's medical device trade, as well as changes in China's position in the global medical device trade. The findings are as follows. First, the total global trade volume of medical devices is generally on the rise, showing closer network connections. Despite some changes in trade position, the core countries in the global medical device trade network are relatively fixed. The intermediate position of core trading countries has been weakened on the whole, whereas exporting countries have generally assumed an enhanced central position. Communities with geographical proximity have been formed in the global medical device trade network, including two large communities, the Asian-European countries and the Pacific Rim countries, and one small community, the South American countries. Second, with its rapidly growing trade volume of medical devices with other countries, China has now become the fourth largest medical device trading country in the world. Its number of import and export partners has remained relatively stable and continued to increase. Its export markets are relatively concentrated, and a tripartite pattern of import sources has been formed. China has established extensive interdependent relations and almost no one-way dependent relations in the medical device trade. Among its major trading partners for medical devices, the interdependence of China with developed countries/regions, such as European and American countries and Japan, has generally deepened.


full recovery. Our concern about antibiotic administration unfortunately proved justified. Fortunately, there was no regurgitation or aspiration in our case, and adverse outcomes for mother and baby were limited, though both the mother and her partner have understandably found the experience traumatic. It is possible that a caesarean delivery might have been avoided had the error not occurred. We also have concerns about anaphylaxis to antibiotics administered pre-delivery; a maternal death from this cause has been described [5]. Whilst serious after delivery, there is only one patient to consider. Following a serious case review, we now keep drugs for induction of general anaesthesia in obstetric theatres in a box with a lid to introduce a further barrier to accidental administration. Thiopental syringes are now triple-labelled to aid identification and all antibiotics are now double-checked with an anaesthetic assistant before administration. We are also considering changing from thiopental to propofol in our obstetric practice. However, this will require training for all grades of anaesthetic staff. Our hospital is facing a sudden unavailability of thiopental, which may force us to use propofol anyway. We have considered giving antibiotics by infusion rather than injection, but this might lead to accidental administration of phenylephrine, which is currently prepared in 100-ml bags of 0.9% sodium chloride. We would be interested to hear what strategies other units have adopted to prevent this drug error occurring. Have we been too hasty in changing our practice? We feel that further discussion and surveillance are merited.


Our understanding of physical processes in photodissociation regions or photon-dominated regions (PDRs) largely depends on the ability of spectral synthesis codes to reproduce the observed infrared emission-line spectrum. In this paper, we explore the sensitivity of a single PDR model to microphysical details. Our calculations use the Cloudy spectral synthesis code, recently modified to include a wealth of PDR physical processes. We show how the chemical/thermal structure of a PDR, along with the calculated spectrum, changes when the treatment of physical processes such as grain physics and atomic/molecular rates are varied. We find a significant variation in the intensities of PDR emission lines, depending on different treatments of the grain physics. We also show how different combinations of the cosmic-ray ionization rate, inclusion of grain-atom/ion charge transfer, and the grain size distribution can lead to very similar results for the chemical structure. In addition, our results show the utility of Cloudy for the spectral modeling of molecular environments.


Thermal properties of asymmetric nuclear matter, including the temperature dependence of the symmetry energy, single-particle properties, and differential isospin fractionation, are investigated with different neutronproton effective mass splittings by using an improved isospin- and momentum-dependent interaction. In this improved interaction, the momentum dependence of the isoscalar single-particle potential at saturation density is well fit to that extracted from optical-model analyses of proton-nucleus scattering data up to the nucleon kinetic energy of 1 GeV, and the isovector properties, i.e., the slope of the nuclear symmetry energy, the momentum dependence of the symmetry potential, and the symmetry energy at saturation density, can be flexibly adjusted via three parameters: x, y, and z, respectively. Our results indicate that the nucleon phase-space distribution in equilibrium, the temperature dependence of the symmetry energy, and the differential isospin fractionation can be significantly affected by the isospin splitting of the nucleon effective mass.


In this study, we model the daily recordings of the GPS (global positioning system) data, and examine the noise characteristics of its residual signal (which is the difference between the real data and the model.) Here, two main problems are studied: The first one is the issue of selecting proper model parameters that are fitted to GPS data. Note that, at this step, some critical preprocessing issues are also addressed. The second issue is to assess the noise characteristics of the GPS residual signal which is very critical for accurate estimation of the parameters. It is assumed that GPS residual signals consist of time independent white noise and time-dependent colored noise components. Here, we propose a wavelet based method to estimate the amount of mixture of white and colored noise portions, plus the self-similarity index of the colored noise. Our proposed method is tested on the synthetic data and giving promising results. Later, a total of 60 GPS recordings from 20 stations are analyzed by this promising method. It is shown that the colored noise portions in the GPS residual signals can be modeled by so-called the flicker noise with the self similarity index of approximately "1"


Context. With an absorption column density on the order of 1024 cm−2, IGR J16318−4848 is one of the most extreme cases of a highly obscured high mass X-ray binary. In addition to the overall continuum absorption, the source spectrum exhibits a strong iron and nickel fluorescence line complex at 6.4 keV. Previous empirical modeling of these features and comparison with radiative transfer simulations raised questions about the structure and covering fraction of the absorber and the profile of the fluorescence lines.
Aims. We aim at a self-consistent description of the continuum absorption, the absorption edges, and the fluorescence lines to constrain the properties of the absorbing material, such as ionization structure and geometry. We further investigate the effects of dust absorption on the observed spectra and the possibility of fluorescence emission from dust grains.
Methods. We used XMM-Newton and NuSTAR spectra to first empirically constrain the incident continuum and fluorescence lines. Next we used XSTAR to construct a customized photoionization model where we vary the ionization parameter, column density, and covering fraction. In the third step we modeled the absorption and fluorescence in a dusty olivine absorber and employed both a simple analytical model for the fluorescence line emission and a Monte Carlo simulation of radiative transfer that generates line fluxes, which are very close to the observational data.
Results. Our empirical spectral modeling is in agreement with previous works. Our second model, the single gas absorber does not describe the observational data. In particular, irrespective of the ionization state or column density of the absorber, a much higher covering fraction than previously estimated is needed to produce the strong fluorescence lines and the large continuum absorption. A dusty, spherical absorber (modeled as consisting of olivine dust, although the nature of dust cannot be constrained) is able to produce the observed continuum absorption and edges.
Conclusions. A dense, dusty absorber in the direct vicinity of the source consisting of dust offers a consistent description of both the strong continuum absorption and the strong emission features in the X-ray spectrum of IGR J16318−4848. In particular, for low optical depth of individual grains, which is the case for typical volume densities and grain size distribution models, the dust will contribute significantly to the fluorescence emission.


Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis (CARP) of Gougerot and Carteaud is a rare chronic disease with exacerbation and remissions typically affecting young people. Classic clinical characteristics include asymptomatic scaly hyperpigmented macules, patches, and papules in the trunk's confluent and reticular pattern. A 12-year-old girl, otherwise healthy, presented with itchy, persistent skin lesions all over her body for one year. Skin examination revealed generalized scaly brownish patches, thin papules, and plaques all over her body, including her face, neck, middle of the chest, abdomen, back, upper extremities, elbows, lower extremities, and knees. Wood's lamp examination of her skin lesions was unrevealing. Skin biopsy showed papillomatosis, hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, and hypergranulosis. The dermis showed perivascular inflammatory cellular infiltrate. Based on the above clinicopathological findings, the patient was diagnosed with CARP. In our case, a generalized form was reported. CARP is diagnosed based on clinical and histopathological features. Oral antibiotics are the cornerstone of treatment. Our patient responded well to oral minocycline 85 mg one tablet daily, tacrolimus 0.1% ointment twice daily, and selenium sulfide shampoo twice weekly for two months. The classic clinical characteristics of CARP include asymptomatic scaly hyperpigmented macules, patches, and papules in a confluent and reticular pattern on the trunk. A generalized form, as in our case, has been reported. CARP is diagnosed based on clinical and histopathological features. Oral antibiotics are the cornerstone of treatment.


Ubiquitous computing is poised to have a profound effect on how humans interact with machines, physical spaces, services, everyday devices, and other humans. Ubiquitous computing envisions a world that features an abundance of embedded processors, wearable computers, smart consumer devices, sensors, and digital communication, which are all tightly coupled to form an "Active Space." Active spaces enhance education, distance learning, remote collaboration, resource sharing, group activities, and scientific studies. The shift to the ubiquitous computing paradigm brings forth new challenges to security and privacy, which cannot be addressed by mere adaptation of existing security and privacy mechanisms. Instead, novel security mechanisms must be devised. In this work, I identify the challenges and requirements of security in ubiquitous computing environments. I present the design, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive framework that enriches Active Spaces with novel security mechanisms and enable cornerstone security services, including identification, authentication, authorization and privacy. The presented framework is a novel solution that provides fundamentally new possibilities in providing secure and privacy-preserving ubiquitous computing environments, without impairing the value-added services and customizability that make ubiquitous computing environments unique and powerful.


In this study we have shown that butyrolactone I (BL‐I), a potent inhibitor of cyclin‐dependent kinases, inhibits meiotic resumption in bovine oocytes by blocking germinal vesicle breakdown in a dose‐dependent manner. A concentration 100 μM blocked over 60% of oocytes, while 150 μM inhibited almost all oocytes compared to the control in which over 80% resumed meiosis. Following a second 24 hr culture under conditions permissive to normal maturation, almost all (95%) of blocked oocytes resumed meiosis and progressed to metaphase II. In terms of developmental competence, oocytes maintained in meiotic arrest for 24 hr with 100  μM exhibited a similar capacity to develop to the blastocyst stage as nonblocked control oocytes following maturation, fertilization, and culture in vitro. Cryopreservation was employed as a tool to detect differences in the oocyte viability between blocked and control oocytes. Cleavage of oocytes was significantly reduced following vitrification and activation both in BL‐I treated (40.2% vs. 71.9%, P < 0.05) and the control groups (45.6% vs. 81.7%, P < 0.05). However, BL‐I treated oocytes were less likely to develop into blastocysts following vitrification (20.0% from vitrified vs 42.5% from nonvitrified cleaved oocytes, P < 0.05, based on cleaved oocytes) compared to nontreated oocytes (34.0% from vitrified vs. 42.9% from nonvitrified oocytes, P < 0.05). These results demonstrate the feasibility of maintaining bovine oocytes in artificial meiotic arrest without compromising their subsequent developmental competence and may represent a tool for improving the development of less competent oocytes. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 57:204–209, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Shaking the lattice uncovers universality Most of our knowledge of quantum phase transitions (QPTs)—which occur as a result of quantum, rather than thermal, fluctuations—comes from experiments performed in equilibrium conditions. Less is known about the dynamics of a system going through a QPT, which have been hypothesized to depend on a single time and length scale. Clark et al. confirmed this hypothesis in a gas of cesium atoms in an optical lattice, which was shaken progressively faster to drive the gas through a QPT. Science, this issue p. 606 The dynamics of a gas of cesium atoms in a shaken optical lattice follows a universality hypothesis. The dynamics of many-body systems spanning condensed matter, cosmology, and beyond are hypothesized to be universal when the systems cross continuous phase transitions. The universal dynamics are expected to satisfy a scaling symmetry of space and time with the crossing rate, inspired by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. We test this symmetry based on Bose condensates in a shaken optical lattice. Shaking the lattice drives condensates across an effectively ferromagnetic quantum phase transition. After crossing the critical point, the condensates manifest delayed growth of spin fluctuations and develop antiferromagnetic spatial correlations resulting from the sub-Poisson distribution of the spacing between topological defects. The fluctuations and correlations are invariant in scaled space-time coordinates, in support of the scaling symmetry of quantum critical dynamics.


Introduction Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) affect atherogenesis and may cause thromboembolism in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Intensive treatment with statins may reduce inflammation and decrease the number of thrombotic events. That may explain the beneficial effect of statin therapy in SLE and CAD. This study was established to investigate the influence of statin treatment on aPL antibody levels and selected endothelial dysfunction markers in CAD and SLE patients. Material and methods Fifty-eight patients – 40 after coronary revascularization (age 38.9 (27–46), 35 males) and 18 with clinically stable SLE (age 38.8 (18–62), 1 male) – were enrolled in the study. In both groups intensive atorvastatin treatment was administered. At baseline and after 1 year of follow-up serology tests were performed: anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL), anti-β2 glycoprotein I (aβ2GPI), lupus anticoagulant (LA), C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble form of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), vWF:Ag. Results Coronary artery disease patients in 1 year follow-up revealed a decrease of aβ2GPI IgG and CRP. There was a significant increase in aCL IgG, sICAM-1 and vWF:Ag. In SLE patients aPL levels showed no significant reduction after treatment. Conclusions In clinically stable patients IgM and IgG class aβ2GPI levels are higher in CAD than in SLE, whereas IgG class aCL levels are lower. Statin treatment decreases the CRP level in both SLE and CAD patients, while decreasing the aβ2GPI IgG level only in CAD patients.


We investigate the treatment effect of the juvenile stay-at-home order (JSAHO) adopted in Saline County, Arkansas, from April 6 to May 7, in mitigating the growth of SARS-CoV-2 infection rates. To estimate the counterfactual control outcome for Saline County, we apply Difference-in-Differences and Synthetic Control design methodologies. Both approaches show that stay-at-home order (SAHO) significantly reduced the growth rate of the infections in Saline County during the period the policy was in effect, contrary to some of the findings in the literature that cast doubt on the general causal impact of SAHO with narrower scopes.


We document the rapid transformation of one of the Earth's last remaining Arctic refugia, a change that is being driven by global warming. In stark contrast to the amplified warming observed throughout much of the Arctic, the Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL) of subarctic Canada has maintained cool temperatures, largely due to the counteracting effects of persistent sea ice. However, since the mid-1990s, climate of the HBL has passed a tipping point, the pace and magnitude of which is exceptional even by Arctic standards, exceeding the range of regional long-term variability. Using high-resolution, palaeolimnological records of algal remains in dated lake sediment cores, we report that, within this short period of intense warming, striking biological changes have occurred in the region's freshwater ecosystems. The delayed and intense warming in this remote region provides a natural observatory for testing ecosystem resilience under a rapidly changing climate, in the absence of direct anthropogenic influences. The environmental repercussions of this climate change are of global significance, influencing the huge store of carbon in the region's extensive peatlands, the world's southern-most polar bear population that depends upon Hudson Bay sea ice and permafrost for survival, and native communities who rely on this landscape for sustenance.


ABSTRACT The concept of virginity intersects with cultural ideas about health, illness, and the body, and these concepts are inextricably linked to spirituality in Anglo-Saxon England at a cultural and linguistic level. The varying significance of virginity according to gender, illness, and bodily violence is demonstrated through the examination of three of Ælfric's virgin saints' lives: Eugenia, Edmund, and Æthelthryth. This article argues that saints are characterized by distinct and gendered virginities, in which case the masculine form is fortitude and the unwillingness to succumb to sin. Feminine virginity is upheld as a virtue through the potent medical symbolism of bodily interiority and corruption. As Eugenia's vita demonstrates, the sex of the saint does not determine which model of virginity they represent.


A critical reappraisal of our knowledge on the photosynthetic communities of the open oceans and large lakes, and the development of new approaches to measurement of their activity in situ have greatly influenced our present views on the structure and function of these communities. Based on the accumulated knowledge of the physiology and molecular biology of the photosynthetic organisms involved we can now understand some of the mechanisms underlying adaptive processes operative in Nature. The distribution pattern of the photosynthetic communities in the photic zone of aquatic ecosystems is controlled by the nature of the photosynthetic apparatus, the range of antenna pigments formed by the different organisms, and their ability to regulate quantitatively and qualitatively pigment synthesis in response to light intensity and spectral composition. An additional factor controlling distribution is the ability of many of the photosynthetic organisms to escape the oligotrophic conditions prevailing in the water column by adherence to interfaces such as the benthos or the neuston. A major factor governing the ability of organisms to adhere to these interfaces is the hydrophobicity of their cell envelope. Planktonic organisms, on the other hand, have highly hydrophilic envelopes. Benthic organisms have evolved mechanisms for dispersal, which in many cases involves the formation by the hydrophobic adherent parent cells of hydrophilic progeny cells. This has been confirmed for several hormogonia-producing cyanobacteria. Benthic photosynthetic organisms must in addition be capable of phototactic motility and have versatile metabolic patterns to adapt to the rapid fluctuations in their environment. The photosynthetic organisms of the neuston and the cyanobacteria that form surface scum share mechanisms enabling the cells to withstand conditions of photo-oxidation, lethal to most non-resistant organisms.


[1] We simulate a suite of aerosols in the new GISS ModelE GCM: present-day sulfur species and the natural species sea salt, radionuclides 7Be (stratospheric source), and 210Pb (derived from 222Rn from soils). The natural species are used to test the model and to help diagnose the anthropogenic sulfur species. Model improvements over previous versions include increased vertical resolution, addition of a stratiform dissolved species budget (DSB), better tracer coupling to the boundary layer, and an improved relative humidity-dependent radiative scheme. The DSB reduces the loads of most soluble species since it increases stratiform precipitation scavenging. We compare the model with extensive surface and aircraft concentration measurements in the troposphere and stratosphere. We compare three different formulations of the 222Rn emissions and find that a scheme with reduced radon flux at high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere for all seasons gives the best 210Pb results. Although the 222Rn emissions appear to be approximately the right order of magnitude, model 210Pb is too large. Conversely, our 7Be source is too small (since concentrations in the upper troposphere and stratosphere are deficient), while the 7Be surface concentrations are as observed. These radionuclide results suggests that model scavenging (by moist convection) is deficient. Our new model uses increased natural sulfur emissions; however, the DSB causes sulfate to be generally less than observed and indicates a need for additional sulfur oxidation mechanisms. Model radiative forcing for sulfate and sea salt are −0.54 and −1.1 W m−2, respectively. The anthropogenic sulfate forcing is −0.25 W m−2, less than the −0.68 W m−2 in our previous model mainly owing to an 18% decrease in industrial emissions.


Abstract: Meeting the challenges of the present time requires introduction of innovation, new managementtechniques and methods, and above all, changes of organizational structures for the sake offlexible solutions. To meet these challenges, the EU proposed pan-European legal forms of runninga business, whose aim is not only to unify the common market, but also to increase the competitivenessof European companies, as well as stimulate entrepreneurship among inhabitants.Therefore, the aim of this article is to discuss the role and importance of pan-European forms of runninga business for the functioning of European companies, their consolidation, mergers and acquisitionsand the challenges they pose to the Polish economy.


passage in Ar. Birds 1567—1568, which ought to be our starting-point in attempting to explain this very difficult phrase. The explanatory notes are as a rule adequate, except perhaps when they touch on the philosophical difficulties of the dialogue, for example in 157 D, where the words aya6ov <cai KOXOV can hardly be said to be justified by attributing them to Plato's love of variety in illustrations.


An estimated 82 million American adults have one or more type of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). CVD is the leading cause of death (1 of every 3 deaths) in the United States. When considered separately from other CVDs, stroke ranks third among all causes of death behind diseases of the heart and cancer. Stroke accounts for 1 out of every 18 deaths and is the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States. Motion estimation of ultrasound videos (US) of carotid artery (CA) plaques provides important information regarding plaque deformation that should be considered for distinguishing between symptomatic and asymptomatic plaques. In this paper, we present the development of verifiable methods for the estimation of plaque motion. Our methodology is tested on a set of 34 (5 symptomatic and 29 asymptomatic) ultrasound videos of carotid artery plaques. Plaque and wall motion analysis provides information about plaque instability and is used in an attempt to differentiate between symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. The final goal for motion estimation and analysis is to identify pathological conditions that can be detected from motion changes due to changes in tissue stiffness.


The clonal genetic model of cancer defined it as a proliferative disease originating from mutated tumour cells. However, not all the cells in a tumour have the same characteristics and only particular cells have the capability of originating it. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) and cancer initiating cells are the main responsible of this property and are considered, due to their characteristics, the actual target for therapy. Moreover, recent evidences indicated that these cancer initiating cells are also responsible for the metastatic behaviour of tumours. Data obtained in human patients and in mouse models have revealed that CSCs are characterized, at the molecular level, by the expression of certain specific markers, a complex circuitry of transcriptional and epigenetic regulation, and, in solid tumours, by high predisposition to undergo the so called epithelial mesenchymal transition. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most prevalent type of malignancy worldwide. The mortality due to HNSCC is mainly caused by local recurrence and local metastasis to cervical lymph node, and occasionally by distant organ metastasis. The primary tumours are characterized by cellular and functional heterogeneity. Numerous evidences have indicated the presence of cancer initiating cells or cancer stem cells in this type of cancer. Here the current evidences of such cell population in the context of putative markers, transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation, in vivo genetically engineered mouse models and possible therapeutic approaches will be reviewed.


Bullying is a major risk factor for poor psychological development for both children and adolescents worldwide. The current study, based on data from the International Survey of Children's Well-Being (ISCWeB), explores the association between bullying victimization and subjective well-being as well as the moderating role of the child religiosity in this context among a sample of 2733 children aged 10–12 years old in Israel. Data was collected from children using self-reporting questionnaires, adopting a random stratified sampling method. A PROCESS moderation analysis was performed using SPSS for assessing the part played by child religiosity in moderating bullying victimization and the subjective well-being of children. This produced two key findings: first, children's subjective well-being is negatively associated with bullying victimization; second, children's religiosity serves as a protective factor by moderating the association between the child's bullying victimization and subjective well-being. In light of the results, we recommend professionals who work with children to incorporate spiritual and religious resources into school-based interventions aiming at strengthening the child's inner resilience and help overcome difficulties in their lives, based on a religious coping strategies.


[1] The Polar version 3.1.1 of the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF), a high-resolution regional scale model, is used to simulate conditions for the year December 2006 to November 2007. The goal is to compare model output of near-surface and tropospheric variables to observational data sets. The domain mirrors that of the Arctic System Reanalysis (ASR), an assimilation of model fields with Arctic observations being conducted partly by the Polar Meteorology Group of the Byrd Polar Research Center at Ohio State University. A key development in this Polar WRF study is the extension of the seasonal progression of sea ice albedo to the entire Arctic Ocean. The boundary conditions are specified by the NCEP Final global gridded analysis archive (FNL), a 1° × 1° global grid updated every 6 h. The simulations are performed in 48 h increments initialized daily at 0000 UTC, with the first 24 h discarded for model spin-up of the hydrologic cycle and boundary layer processes. Model large-scale variables of atmospheric pressure and geopotential height show good agreement with observations. Spatial distribution of near-surface air temperatures compares well with ERA-Interim despite a small negative bias in the station analysis. Surface dewpoint temperatures and wind speeds show small biases, but model skill is modest for near-surface winds. Tropospheric temperatures and wind speeds, however, agree well with radiosonde observations. This examination provides a benchmark from which to improve the model and guidance for further development of Polar WRF as ASR's primary model.


We study π 0 π 0 correlations in the exclusive reaction pp → 4π 0 at rest with complete reconstruction of the kinematics for each event. The inclusive distribution is fairly flat at small invariant mass of the pion pair while a small enhancement in the double differential distribution is observed for small invariant masses of both pion pairs. Dynamical models with resonances in the final state are shown to be consistent with the data while the stochastic HBT mechanism is not supported by the present findings.


Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) is a quality control system for newly synthesized proteins in the ER; nonfunctional proteins, which fail to form their correct folding state, are then degraded. The cytoplasmic peptide:N-glycanase is a deglycosylating enzyme that is involved in the ERAD and releases N-glycans from misfolded glycoproteins/glycopeptides. We have previously identified a mutant plant toxin protein, RTA (ricin A-chain nontoxic mutant), as the first in vivo Png1 (the cytoplasmic peptide:N-glycanase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae)-dependent ERAD substrate. Here, we report a new genetic device to assay the Png1-dependent ERAD pathway using the new model protein designated RTL (RTA-transmembrane-Leu2). Our extensive studies using different yeast mutants identified various factors involved in RTL degradation. The degradation of RTA/RTL was independent of functional Sec61 but was dependent on Der1. Interestingly, ER-mannosidase Mns1 was not involved in RTA degradation, but it was dependent on Htm1 (ERAD-related α-mannosidase in yeast) and Yos9 (a putative degradation lectin), indicating that mannose trimming by Mns1 is not essential for efficient ERAD of RTA/RTL. The newly established RTL assay will allow us to gain further insight into the mechanisms involved in the Png1-dependent ERAD-L pathway.


Glaciers in the Former Soviet Union cover a total area of 78,938 km 2 ; 72 percent (56,894 km 2 ) are in the Russian Arctic (Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Novaya Zemlya, and Wrangel Island) and 28 percent (22,044 km 2 ) in various mountain ranges (mainly the Caucasus, Pamirs, Alai Range (Alayskiy Khrebet), Tien Shan, Altay, Ural Mountains, and those of Northeastern Siberia) in Russia and in the Republics of Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The Glacier Inventory of the USSR and the World Atlas of Snow and Ice Resources records a total of 26,881 glaciers, 1,983 in the Russian Arctic, and 24,898 in Russia and in the four independent republics. Information from the Glacier Inventory, World Atlas, Landsat 1, 2, and 3 MSS images from the 10-year Landsat Baseline Period (1972-1981), Soviet space imagery, aerial photographs, and maps were used to provide information on the glacierized areas. Russian glaciologists recognize 20 morphological types of mountain glaciers and 7 types of ice caps, ice fields, and ice sheets from a global perspective (World Atlas). Glaciers in the Former Soviet Union represent 11 of the 20 types of mountain glaciers and all of the types of ice caps and ice fields. The early (1972-1981) Landsat MSS images were found to be useful in delineating the margins and ice divides on ice caps and the termini and some margins of larger mountain glaciers, if the images were acquired under conditions of minimum cloud cover and late season, residual snow pack, but before new snowfall. Analysis of changes in smaller glaciers was not possible with the limitations of pixel resolution (80 m) of MSS images. Later Landsat TM and more recent Landsat ETM+ and ASTER images have overcome the spatial resolution problem. The Resurs-F1 KFA-1000 photographs and Landsat MSS images were especially useful for identifying surge-type glaciers and for determining the position of termini of glaciers.


Weis & Hutter (J. Fluid Mech. vol. 476, 2003, p. 63) obtained an implicit algebraic Reynolds stress model from a differential Reynolds stress transport equation valid in an arbitrarily rotating time-dependent coordinate frame (relative to an inertial system). Although the form of this implicit algebraic equation differed from previous implicit forms, its correctness was argued based on the objective tensor form of the implicit algebraic equation. It is shown here that such conclusions based on simple coordinate frame transformations are incomplete, and that additional considerations taking into account flow rotation and curvature, for example, are necessary. By properly accounting for both the arbitrary motions of the observer coordinate frame as well as the motion of the flow itself, it is shown that previous formulations and application of the weak-equilibrium condition are correct in contrast to the results of Weis & Hutter.


i Ischaemia-Reperfusion Injury (IRI) is a major contributor to acute organ dysfunction. Chemokines play a key role in leukocyte recruitment to the injured tissue. CXCL8 is a critical inflammatory mediator of neutrophil migration in a range of transplant surgeries. In addition to binding to their G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) on the leukocyte surface, chemokines also interact with endothelial surface glycosaminoglycan (GAG). Chemokine activity can be regulated by several means, including binding to GPCRs, GAGs, and through posttranslational modifications (PTMs). GAGs bind and immobilise chemokines at high concentrations at the site of injury. This directs the migration and activation of leukocytes, contributing to local inflammation. We aimed to interfere with this binding in order to modulate neutrophil recruitment through the use of chemokine peptides. A truncated version of wild type CXCL8 corresponding to the GAG-binding region of CXCL8, located towards the C-terminal α-helix, the E70K peptide and a scrambled peptide were chemically synthesised (90% purity). Their GAG binding was shown by Surface Plasmon Resonance. Flow-based neutrophil adhesion was significantly decreased by WT peptide, E70K peptide or scrambled peptide (p<0.01), with no significant difference among them, suggesting a competitive role of peptides at displacing CXCL8 from GAG. In vitro neutrophil transendothelial chemotaxis mediated by CXCL8 gradient was decreased by E70K peptide (p<0.001) as opposed to WT or scrambled peptides. Thus, E70K peptide higher positive charge might contribute to higher specificity to bind polyanionic GAG. Post-translational nitration appears to render CXCL8 non-functional, reducing migration completely (p<0.001). The presence of Reactive Nitrogen Species and CXCL8 in kidney biopsies was assessed by immunofluorescence. There was an association between grade of injury and nitration. CXCL8 expression did not significantly change. Our study has generated a better understanding of CXCL8 function, particularly the process involved in targeted competitive modulation and the role of chemokine nitration as a negative regulator. This could offer therapeutic opportunities to protect the organ from neutrophilderived damage during IRI.


Waves generated by nor'easters are responsible for a large portion of the coastal damage and erosion that occurs along the Atlantic coast of North America. Large-scale atmospheric circulations, such as the polar jet stream, are the driving forces behind their occurrence. A regional examination of variations in the 30 kPa (the 300 mb constant pressure level in the atmosphere) polar jet stream is conducted for the east coast of North America for 1942-1992. Jet stream variables of wind speed, latitudinal position, geopotential height, 30 kPa temperature, and flow pattern are obtained from 30 kPa mean monthly maps and correlated with the occurrence, intensity, and synoptic type of non-tropical Atlantic coastal storms. Over eastern North America, the polar vortex was most expanded in the early 1940's and the late 1950's and contracted, but less variable, during the remainder of the time period. Geopotential height displayed an inverse relationship with latitude with an overall decline in the 30 kPa height over the fifty-year period. Zonal (west-east) flow patterns of the polar jet were predominant, and upper tropospheric temperatures displayed an overall warming trend while jet stream wind speed remained stable but highly variable. A jet stream/coastal storm analysis revealed that trough flow patterns in the mean pressure field are associated with increased storm frequency. An examination of the storm origin and tracking frequencies displayed a statistically significant relationship between the most potentially dangerous storm types (Bahamas, Florida, and Gulf Lows) and a southerly position and decreased geopotential height of the jet stream. Knowledge of these relationships will improve our ability to understand and predict the impact of various storm-generated wave climates upon the coastal zone.


Telecom New Zealand (Telecom)'s network is accommodated in buildings and supported by infrastructure, some of which dates back to the 1950s. Much of that infrastructure has been upgraded and replaced as it has come to the end of its useful life. Competition for internal funding and drive for increased efficiency has necessitated investigations into methods which will lead to a reduction in capital spend and maintenance costs without compromising performance. In parallel with this, Telecom is planning the rollout of a new generation network that will deliver existing services and extend the network capability to pick up new data and video demand. To ensure spend on plant operation and short term investments is minimised during the transition period, it has been necessary to adopt a risk control asset management approach. This involves a methodology that integrates plant replacement and the extension of existing plant life and to support the growth in demand at sites that will be retained in this new network environment. In New Zealand and Australia the infrastructure industry has developed an asset management standard based around local council infrastructure of roads, water services etc. Telecom has followed this standard and developed an asset management plan to assist all those involved within Telecom in infrastructure management. It is a tool to: illustrate procedures, assist in determining priorities and identify additional tools required to ensure more effective management.


White pine blister rust is now a permanent resident of North America. The disease continued to cause tree mortality and impact ecosystems in many areas. However, not all high elevation white pine ecosystems have been invaded; the pathogen is still spreading within the distributions of the whitebark, limber, foxtail, Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine and has yet to infect Great Basin bristlecone pines. While the heavily impacted areas are in need of immediate management to restore ecosystem function, management of the threatened areas to position them to avoid development of severe impacts upon invasion is also an immediate need - as the disease intensifies, time is running out (Schoettle 2004b).


It is one of the problems of policy research and evaluation reports, not least in the arts and media sector, that many readers only read the executive summary of reports. They often look for a bold, headline finding, preferably digestible in the form of an arresting statistic. This means that the nuance and detail of the research is often lost.
This report argues for a more considered and qualitative approach to evaluation and research, taking seriously the complexity of the outcomes of participatory media, which is the subject of our research. However, if we were to summarise the report in four sentences, this is what we would say. First, media activity is particularly good at
attracting a diverse range of people, so there is a need for flexibility in approach for project delivery, responding to individual needs. Second, a key ingredient is media professionalism and industry kudos, combined with a developmental whole-person approach, a combination which brings benefits far beyond either a narrow, skillsbased pedagogical approach or a diversionary
approach where media is not pursued seriously. Third, working with smaller numbers of people over time – quality not quantity – is often the key to creating professional standard participatory media work. Fourth, 'hard' and 'soft' outcomes are interdependent and interwoven in the media process – it provides not one or the other but both. These four points have vital implications for both evaluation and monitoring practice and for funders' policy frameworks.


Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) is one of the most important oxidants, which plays important roles in many fields. Here, we found that KMnO4 could directly induce the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to generate an oxidized product with a color change. This redox reaction is highly efficient, and 1 μM KMnO4 is enough to cause detectable changes in the absorbance signal. Meanwhile, this reaction is very fast and the generated blue product can stabilize for a relatively long period, which has great advantages in practical applications. Since hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is able to react with KMnO4 under acidic conditions, the KMnO4-TMB system can be used for the detection of H2O2; the absorbance signal induced by 5 μM H2O2 can be easily detected in this method. Meanwhile, the KMnO4-TMB system can also be used for the detection of glucose by monitoring the generation of H2O2, which is the main product of glucose oxidation; this method permits detection of concentrations as low as 10 μM glucose, and the sensitivity is comparable to or higher than most peroxidase mimetic based methods, but avoiding the preparation and storage of the nanomaterials. Furthermore, the KMnO4-TMB system can even be used for analyzing glucose in serum samples, which can also be expected to be used in immunoassays.


Scleroderma or progressive systemic sclerosis is diagnosed clinically by typical features of skin thickening, Raynaud's phenomenon and visceral organ involvement, and serologically by distinct autoantibody subsets. These differentiate the disease into the 'limited' and 'diffuse' variants. In addition, a distinct form of scleroderma, termed 'localized' scleroderma, is characterized by skin thickening in the absence of visceral involvement. Treatment of scleroderma in the past was largely symptomatic and with immunosuppressives, acting against the organ system involved and the aberrant immune system. Recently, with newer insights into disease pathogenesis, drug therapies targeting the pathogenetic mechanisms of fibrosis, vasculopathy and autoimmunity are being evolved. Some of these newer therapies are the endothelin receptor blockers, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and autologous stem cell transplant, while others are still evolving. They may hold the key to improved future outcom...


The federal government subsidizes lending to a number of borrowers—notably students, farmers, and homeowners. Government-sponsored enterprises issue the securities that channel capital to many of these privileged borrowers. One of the largest of these enterprises, the Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae), is scheduled to be wholly privatized by September 30, 2008. What explains the privatization of this enterprise? To identify distinctive features of Sallie Mae that permitted or abetted privatization, we investigate the structure, related capital market innovations, and growth of three government-sponsored enterprises. We conclude that a unique structural feature of Sallie Mae may explain the pace of privatization. The core asset of Sallie Mae, the student loan, is guaranteed and subsidized by the government. The case of Sallie Mae is an instructive yet poorly understood example of how the federal government can leverage private-sector assets and incentives to achieve public policy missions.


We present Stardust, an implementation of a type system for a subset of ML with type refinements, intersection types, and union types, enabling programmers to legibly specify certain classes of program invariants that are verified at compile time. This is the first implementation of unrestricted intersection and union types in a mainstream functional programming setting, as well as the first implementation of a system with both datasort and index refinements. The system-with the assistance of external constraint solvers-supports integer, Boolean and dimensional index refinements; we apply both value refinements (to check red-black tree invariants) and invaluable refinements (to check dimensional consistency). While typechecking with intersection and union types is intrinsically complex, our experience so far suggests that it can be practical in many instances.


The Jewish Connection A new Assessment of Theodor Herzl's and Zionism's Attachment to Jewish Culture in the 1800s This article shows how the founder of political Zionism, Theodor Herzl, was much more a product of Jewish cultural trends in the 1800s than canonical and biographical Zionist literature generally acknowledges him to be. Since the publication of the earliest Zionist biographies in the early 1900's and until recently, scholars have emphasised Herzl's German and modernist cultural identity and environment—not his Jewishness. In this article we demonstrate how Herzl's works and political and cultural visions unfolded within knowledge resources developed since the 1820s within the Jewish community by European Jewish urban intellectuals such as Heinrich Heine and Meir Aron Goldschmidt and others. We conclude that Herzl's Zionism was less of a revolution in Jewish history than scholarly literature generally credits it with being.


Lean combustion in spark-ignition engines has long been recognized as a means of both improving engine efficiency and lowering carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen exhaust emissions. In this paper, the fundamentals of lean combustion are reviewed in terms of lean flammability and ignition, and lean misfire limit, from a compilation of research results. Over 100 references are included in the review. The effect of lean mixture on engine efficiency, performance and exhaust emissions is discussed. The effects of engine variables on lean combustion are presented, including mixture preparation, ignition, combustion chamber shape, compression rates and fuel additives. Techniques for lean burn engine control and emissions clean-up are also described.


According to teachers, the computer programming education dependence on students' logical and analytical abilities (even before the course starts). A majority of teachers also perceive their pedagogy as non-sufficient for students' learning. The paper unravels two types of instruction at upper secondary school, one which emphasizes individual work with programming languages assisted by a teacher, and one which emphasizes students' experiences of learning concepts. Two types of instruction that corresponds to the existence of two groups of teachers during the 1980s, the defenders who perceived learning as based on repeating sequences in a behavioristic manner, and partisans who perceived learning as based on discovery and self-teaching. The paper suggests that instructional design has remained the same, since the beginning of the 1970s, which could be the rationales for the difficulties in learning and teaching computer programming.


phenomenon has grown exponentially in recent decades. This route, of medieval origin, began to receive general attention in the second half of the 20th century. This interest manifested itself almost in parallel in two interconnected areas. On the one hand, there is the revival of traditional pilgrimages, i.e. on foot or by non-mechanised means of transport. On the other hand, the Way of St. James has become an object of attention in research, initially with a historical and artistic focus, but as time goes by, a tourist perspective is incorporated into the increasingly important field of relations between tourism and religion. The value of this article, which is not strictly research, lies in the fact that it brings together and collates all scientific production, in book or journal article format, which deals with the relationship between tourism and the Pilgrims' Route to Santiago de Compostela. It is, therefore, a very useful tool for researchers who will find in one article a large volume of texts on this subject. From the methodological point of view, a search has been carried out which, in the case of books, has focused mainly on those publishers with specific collections of tourism studies. However, the greatest effort has been focused on journals, with the analysis of those with the highest impact factor. Although tourism journals have occupied a relevant place in this research, we have also analysed others, including those related to religious studies, geography or sociology. The final result is materialised in an appendix which includes the complete record, including the DOI or url for better location, of 180 texts. The content of these texts allows us to verify the international relevance of the Way of St. James in tourism and religious studies and the transversality and complexity of the Jacobean phenomenon.


ISA 99 defines security assurance as the target level of security that corresponds to the effectiveness of countermeasures to thwart cyber attacks against industrial automation systems. ISA intends to provide a scale of target levels of security which asset owners can then use to establish a minimum set of operational requirements. Each set is designed to protect selected zones or conduits against access to and use of devices, systems and data. Sounds good, but the complexities of this approach are exposed when the mathematics of the proposed model are well understood. In this paper a notional time/event model is used to describe the temporal characteristics of security assurance and the need to account for time dynamics and event dynamics. Because of the complexities, the common approach is to implement defense-in-depth mechanisms. Using a systems dynamics model, this paper shows why such mechanisms may make matters worse by significantly degrading the security assurance level.


Privacy is a main concern for mobile network users, and there are many proposed enhancements for the protection of the long-term subscription identifier. Some enhancements require asymmetric key operations, which increase both processing requirements and protocol message sizes. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no practical implementation feasibility study of these enhancements using commodity mobile devices. Neither is it clear whether the enhancements are sufficient. This paper highlights privacy weaknesses, when the long-term subscription identifier is used in Paging procedures, and proposes new ways to resolve these. Further, the paper evaluates an Android implementation of one of the enhancements, which includes the asymmetric scheme Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme (ECIES). We conclude that it is feasible to implement asymmetric encryption methods for the long-term subscription identifier and that the highlighted privacy weaknesses can be efficiently countered. This removes another set of obstacles for realizing the protection in mobile network standards.


In previous works, we showed how sequential pattern mining can be used to extract a partial problem space from logged user interactions for a procedural and ill-defined domain where classic domain knowledge acquisition approaches don't work well. In this paper, we describe in details how such a problem space can support important tutoring services such as (1) recognizing the plan of a learner, (2) providing hints and (3) estimating the profile of a learner including its expertise level and missing or misunderstandood skills.


Community ecologists have struggled to create unified theories across diverse ecosystems, but it has been difficult to acertain whether marine and terrestrial communities differ in the mechanisms responsible for structure and dynamics. One apparent difference between marine and terrestrial ecology is that the influence of regional processes on local populations and communities is better established in the marine literature. We examine three potential explanations: 1) influential early studies emphasized local interactions in terrestrial communities and regional dispersal in marine communities. 2) regional-scale processes are actually more important in marine than in terrestrial communities. 3) recruitment from a regional species pool is easier to study in marine than terrestrial communities. We conclude that these are interrelated, but that the second and especially the third explanations are more important than the first. We also conclude that in both marine and terrestrial systems, there are ways to improve our understanding of regional influences on local community diversity. In particular, we advocate examining local vs regional diversity relationships at localities within environmentally similar regions that differ in their diversity either because of their sizes or their varying degrees of isolation from a species source.


BACKGROUND
Fractional radiofrequency (FRF) technology reduces skin laxity and treats aging-related skin disorders such as wrinkles. The objective of this study was to evaluate participant satisfaction of FRF for the treatment of facial wrinkles.

METHODS
A total of 25 male and female patients (average age 60.5 years) were enrolled in this prospective, single center study. Patients received 3 FRF treatments at 3- to 5-week intervals on both sides of the face, using 80-pin (up to 124 millijoule/pin) or the 160-pin tip (up to 62 millijoule/pin) applicator. Follow-up visits were conducted at 6 and 12 weeks after the last treatment. Participant satisfaction was evaluated by individual self-assessment of wrinkle reduction and a patient satisfaction questionnaire. Pain, tolerability, and safety were monitored throughout.

RESULTS
The individual satisfaction was high with participants giving an average satisfaction score of 2.8 ("satisfied") out of 4. Pain was rated "mild" with an average of 4.0 on a 10-point Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Tolerability was rated 3.3 out of 4.0, correlating to "very tolerable." Ninety percent (90%) of subjects reported a mild or moderate improvement in their treatment area at 12-week follow-up.

CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates that under the FRF pre-sets used, patients are satisfied with results of FRF modality for improvement of their wrinkles. No unanticipated side effects were observed. Treatment was tolerable, and individuals had high levels of satisfaction and tolerability with the results at last follow-up. J Drugs Dermatol. 2022;21(11):1221-1227. doi:10.36849/JDD.6986.


This paper develops the theoretical underpinnings of conservation {open_quotes}supply{close_quotes} curves (CSCs), and in doing so uncovers several problem with current procedures for their construction. The CSC is shown to be derivable from a production isoquant, and not to be a true supply curve. The traditional algorithm for constructing a CSC from discrete measures is shown to be suboptimal, contrary toprior claims. Omitting conservation measures from consideration can lead to systematic, excessive conservation. The CSC concept is extended from constant-service to constant-utility measures, and an improved approximation is suggested for the cost of conserved energy (CCE) of measures that cause rebound. The appendix provides a formula for CCE that is simple yet more general than the one currently in use, but shows that even with this generalization, CSCs cannot be constructed for a world with fluctuating energy prices. 24 refs., 10 figs.


The Graduates of Public Administration Study Program is still a gap between the competency of graduates with the actual needs of the workplace. To anticipate and overcome it, it is necessary to do a comprehensive study that involves three elements, namely LO, competencies desired by the work field, and the real conditions of the current graduates. Under ideal conditions, competencies desired by the world of work-which of course is constantly changing throughout the ages-LO must be met by Prodi and by the graduates themselves. Although LO set has been declared in accordance with KKNI, there is still no definitive analysis results and accountability that LO has been in accordance with the actual needs of the working world. Research on Graduate Employability is conducted at the Public Administration of FIA UB that focusing on the achievement of LO associated with skill ability quality of graduates and the needs of the working world.


Plasmodium falciparum parasites carrying deletions of histidine-rich protein 2 and 3 genes, pfhrp2 and pfhrp3, respectively, are likely to escape detection via HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and, consequently, treatment, posing a major risk to both the health of the infected individual and malaria control efforts. This study assessed the frequency of pfhrp2- and pfhrp3-deleted strains at four different study sites in Central Africa (number of samples analyzed: Gabon N = 534 and the Republic of Congo N = 917) and West Africa (number of samples analyzed: Nigeria N = 466 and Benin N = 120) using a highly sensitive multiplex qPCR. We found low prevalences for pfhrp2 (1%, 0%, 0.03% and 0) and pfhrp3 single deletions (0%, 0%, 0.03% and 0%) at all study sites (Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Benin, respectively). Double-deleted P. falciparum were only found in Nigeria in 1.6% of all internally controlled samples. The results of this pilot investigation do not point towards a high risk for false-negative RDT results due to pfhrp2/pfhrp3 deletions in Central and West African regions. However, as this scenario can change rapidly, continuous monitoring is essential to ensure that RDTs remain a suitable tool for the malaria diagnostic strategy.