The paper suggests a methodological framework for evaluating adequacy and usability of soil maps by analyzing the following 10 aspects: lineage, consistency, completeness, effective scale, attribute accuracy, thematic contrast, accuracy of legends, integrity, popularity, and accessibility. This framework was used to evaluate the national soil resource inventory in Croatia and to find out why the maps are not used to the full potential. Six 1:50K map sheets (of 185 in total), 3 control surveys, and 10 full profile descriptions in the main landscape regions of Croatia were used to estimate the effective map scale and thematic accuracy of profile observations. In addition, the existing digital data sets (digital soil map and database with 2198 profiles) were evaluated for thematic purity and contrast. The results show that the soil maps are of lower quality than planned and that their usability for spatial planning is limited. The average polygon size and the positional accuracy of primary soil boundaries correspond to the 1:150K scale, while the intensity of field observations corresponds to the 1:250K scale. Mapping units are heterogeneous for mapping of clay content, pH, and organic matter, with an average normalized variation of 68% within units and the mean thematic overlap of 66% between geographically adjacent units. This makes this inventory adequate for small-scale applications only. The major usability problems identified were lack of specific interpretations corresponding to user needs, unpopularity of soil survey concepts, inconsistency of methodology and unclear distribution policy. The evaluation can be used to decide how to improve the usability of the existing datasets and design methodological steps for a new survey by involving end users in the design of the soil information system.


There is growing evidence that putative gene regulatory networks including cardio-enriched transcription factors and their target genes can play a potentially important role in the process of adaptive and maladaptive atrial rhythm remodeling. In turn, expression of atrial fibrillation-associated transcription factors is under the control of regulatory non-coding RNAs. This review broadly explores gene-regulatory mechanisms associated with susceptibility to atrial fibrillation—with key examples from both animal models and patients—within the context of both cardiac transcription factors and non-coding RNAs. These two systems appear to have multiple levels of cross-regulation and act coordinately to achieve effective control of atrial rhythm effector gene expression. Perturbations of a dynamic expression balance between transcription factors and corresponding non-coding RNAs can provoke the development or promote the progression of atrial fibrillation. We also outline deficiencies in current models and discuss ongoing studies to clarify remaining mechanistic questions.


Introduction: The development of communication technology meets a siginificant advancement, and mobile phones are part of it. Mobile phones are used not only by adults but also by children, including elementary school age children. Children in using mobile phones have different behavior based on their social, economic and cultural differences. Some behaviors of children in using mobile phones have a risk of health problems. Objective: The purpose of the study was to characterize the behavior of the use of mobile phones in primary school age children which could potentially cause health problems. Methods: This is a descriptive study using cross-sectional design. The study involved 60 children and their parents in urban and rural elementary schools. Data were collected by questionnaire (there were 13 questions) using the Google form application (close ended questionnaire) from population taken by the nonprobability sampling method. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Results: The results found that the possession of mobile phones, lighting, place and duration of use mobile phones were behaviors that descriptively showed that there were differences between children from rural and urban elementary schools. Behavior of time using mobile phones, body position, alignment and distance of the mobile phone to the head or eye, the purpose, tool and the place where to use the cellphone, both groups have the same percentage. Conclussion: there are differences and similarities in behavior in using mobile phones between children from rural and urban elementary schools.


For non-critical applications, consumer electronics requires more and more sensing components such as pressure sensors, accelerometers, magnetometers, flowmeters, microphones... Generally, each of these sensors is manufactured with a dedicated technology that involves specific materials and process flows together with either surface or bulk micromachining. The final multi-sensor system is then assembled on a PCB resulting in high manufacturing cost. In this paper, we propose an alternative where various MEMS-based sensors may be fabricated by direct bulk micromachining of the passive silicon substrate used for System-In-Package integration


PurposeOver the last couple of decades, many organisations are increasingly adopting virtual team concepts, and construction companies in the Middle East are no exception. Members of a virtual team are geographically scattered and represent a diverse range of cultures. Thus, challenging issues emerge more frequently than in a traditional team. There are challenges associated with space and time as well as high client's demand. Therefore, this study aims to identify and probe the causes of the challenges in virtual project teams in the construction industry of the Middle East.Design/methodology/approachA list of challenges was derived through a comprehensive review of relevant literature. Questionnaire survey was conducted with professionals who are involved in construction virtual project teams. Further, the factor analysis technique was used to analyse the survey responses.FindingsThe results show that the challenges in virtual team arrangement in the Middle East construction industry can be grouped into seven categories, namely, organisational culture, conflict within the team, characteristics of the team members, trust within the team members diversity of the team, communication and training, and cohesion in the team. Understanding of these factors will drive the needed platform to support effective virtual project teams in the Middle East.Originality/valueThis study raises the prospect that organisations may establish an environment for team members to achieve higher levels of virtual cooperation by concentrating on these potentially crucial factors. This, in turn, will encourage further innovation and performance within construction organisations.


Background: Beta-blockers are avoided in COPD patients. Objectives: We examined the use of beta-blockers and their relationship with established stepwise pharmacological managements for COPD assessing their effects on mortality, exacerbations and pulmonary function. Methods: Retrospective cohort study using a disease specific database of COPD patients (TARDIS) linked to NHS databases providing information on hospital admissions, drug prescriptions and death. Adjusted Hazard ratios were calculated through Cox Proportional Hazard Regression after correction for covariates, including history of overt cardiovascular disease. Results: 5,977 patients, mean follow up 4.35 years, mean age 69.1 years, 88% of beta-blockers were cardio selective. There was a 22% overall reduction in all-cause mortality with beta-blocker use. Furthermore there were additive benefits of beta-blockers on all-cause mortality at all COPD treatment steps. Compared to controls the adjusted hazard ratio (95%CI) for all-cause mortality was 0.28 (95%CI, 0.21 to 0.39) for inhaled corticosteroid + long acting beta-agonist + long acting anti-muscarinic + beta-blocker verses 0.43 (95%CI, 0.38 to 0.48) without beta-blocker. There were similar trends showing additive benefits of beta-blockers in reducing oral steroid use and respiratory hospital admissions. Beta-blockers had no deleterious impact on FEV 1 or FVC at all treatment steps when given with a LABA or LAMA. Conclusions: Our study suggests beta-blockers may reduce mortality and exacerbations when added to established inhaled stepwise therapy for COPD, independently of overt cardiovascular disease and cardiac medications, and without adverse effects on pulmonary function.


ABSTRACT The present study tested the associations of housing type diversity, neighborhood disadvantage, and employment-related community supportive services with new job placements in 257 HOPE VI projects. This study used a merged data from quarterly reports by HOPE VI revitalization grantees, 2010–2014 American Community Survey, and the entropy index on housing type diversity of each HOPE VI site. This study first described the patterns of housing type diversity and the surrounding neighborhoods of the HOPE VI sites. Then, a negative binomial regression analysis showed that higher housing type diversity and a higher number of education programs were significantly associated with a higher number of new job placements. The results suggest that mixing residents with diverse housing types could yield positive employment outcomes. None of the neighborhood-level predictors was statistically significant. This paper is one of the first to apply the entropy index to diverse housing types of mixed-income developments.


The world has witnessed an unparalleled increase in trade liberalization over the last few decades. These have been accompanied by increasing concerns over economic growth and distributional impacts emerging from trade agreements. An applied literature has emerged to address ex-ante effects at both macroeconomic and household levels. This article contributes to this literature by analyzing the case of Bolivia, which is about to initiate negotiations of a trade liberalization agreement with the US. We combine a computable general equilibrium model and a micro simulation approach to provide insights into whether the Bolivian economy and its households would win or lose from trade liberalization. The article indicates that Bolivia's efforts to reach a trade agreement with the US would pay off. However, an absolute trade liberalization scheme would not be the best option for the Bolivian poor. Sector specific measures in the form of protection to sensitive commodities would ensure that expected benefits would be more evenly distributed across most Bolivian households. Negative impacts from the elimination of US trade preferences to Bolivia and failure to sign a trade agreement with the US, suggest that a strong protectionist trade policy and limited trade relations have to be avoided if economic growth and household wellbeing are to be improved.


Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a significant self-renewal capacity and can differentiate into a variety of cell types. Cell labeling is crucial as it is difficult to detect cell fate after transplantation in vivo. MSCs labeled with iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), which can be tracked by MRI, have tremendous potential in regenerative medicine and oncological research. As a part of nanoparticle, the iron oxide core is a key aspect that can exhibit adverse or beneficial effects on MSCs labeled for tracking. Some IONPs exhibit adverse effects, such as cytotoxicity and apoptosis, while other IONPs exhibit beneficial functions that can promote both MSC proliferation and homing efficiency. This review reveals the cytotoxic mechanisms and potential functions of the iron oxide core of IONPs in cell labeling as well as strategies for minimizing the intracellular effects of IONPs.


Abstract Soil erosion caused by water is a major form of soil degradation. Scientists suggest that this phenomenon can be predicted based on aggregate stability. However, most of these scientists have focused on the water stability of aggregates; only a few have devoted efforts to study the mechanical stability of aggregates. To investigate the relationship of aggregate breakdown with mechanical stability and the possibility of predicting soil erosion based on mechanical stability, we collected eight kinds of Ultisol aggregates (3–5 mm) from subtropical China and exposed these aggregates to simulated rainfall (60 mm h−1). Mean weight diameter (MWD) and splash loss after rainfall were analyzed and compared with aggregate water stability and mechanical stability. Aggregate water stability was determined by wet sieving methods; aggregate mechanical stability was tested by aggregate penetration resistance and tensile strength. Wet sieving method, tensile strength, and penetration resistance of dry aggregates exhibited a good relationship with aggregate MWD (R2 ≥ 0.838, 0.775, and 0.593, respectively) under rainfall and splash (R2 = 0.758, 0.865, and 0.563, respectively). In contrast, no relationship was found between penetration resistance of wet aggregates and MWD or splash. Thus, MWD of wet sieving method and tensile strength were the better indexes that could be used to estimate fragment size distribution and splash detachment. Tensile strength also correlated with clay contents (r = 0.793*), Fed (r = 0.735*), and Feo (r = 0.911**). With further studies, a simpler and faster method could be developed to estimate soil resistance to erosion based on tensile strength in this region.


ABSTRACT A growing expectation that academic staff in higher education institutions (HEIs) will be qualified to doctoral level can mean that doctoral study must be juggled alongside administration, teaching, and academic duties. Many academics study in their own institutions. We wished to explore their perspectives on (i) how the two roles, of being an academic as well as a doctoral candidate, interact or not and (ii) the influences and resources at play in navigating the processes. The qualitative study explored staff experiences in two HEIs in the United Kingdom and one in New Zealand. Using Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a theoretical framework, we identified the contradictions within and between academic life and doctoral candidature activity systems. However, we focus on the tools and rules that frame daily academic life and doctoral study, and suggest remodelling systems to be kinder to academic staff brave enough to engage in doctoral study.


We show from detailed magnetometry across 2-300 K that the BiFeO3-Bi2Fe4O9 nanocomposite offers a unique spin morphology where superspin glass (SSG) and dilute antiferromagnet in a field (DAFF) coexist at the interface between ferromagnetic Bi2Fe4O9 and antiferromagnetic BiFeO3. The coexisting SSG and DAFF combine to form a local spin texture, which gives rise to a path- dependent exchange bias below the spin freezing temperature (similar to 29 K). The exchange bias varies depending on the protocol or path followed in tracing the hysteresis loop. The exchange bias has been observed below the blocking temperature (T-B) 60 K of the superparamagnetic Bi2Fe4O9. The conventional exchange bias (CEB) increases nonmonotonically as temperature decreases. The magnitude of both exchange bias (H-E) and coercivity (H-C) increase with decrease in temperature and are found to be asymmetric below 20 K depending on the path followed in tracing the hysteresis loop and bias field. The local spin texture at the interface between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic particles generates a nonswitchable unidirectional anisotropy along the negative direction of the applied field. The influence of this texture also shows up in `` asymmetric'' jumps in the hysteresis loop at 2 K, which smears off at higher temperature. The role of the interface spin texture in yielding the path dependency of exchange bias is thus clearly delineated.


In this paper, we demonstrate a compiler that can optimize sparse and recurrent neural networks, both of which are currently outside of the scope of existing neural network compilers (sparse neural networks here stand for networks that can be accelerated with sparse tensor algebra techniques). Our demonstration includes a mapping of sparse and recurrent neural networks to the polyhedral model along with an implementation of our approach in TIRAMISU, our state-of-the-art polyhedral compiler. We evaluate our approach on a set of deep learning benchmarks and compare our results with hand-optimized industrial libraries. Our results show that our approach at least matches Intel MKL-DNN and in some cases outperforms it by 5x (on multicore-CPUs).


Compared to ordinary concurrent and distributed systems, cryptographic protocols are distinguished by the need to reason about interference by adversaries. We suggest a new layered approach to tame that complexity, via an executable protocol language whose semantics does not reveal an adversary directly, instead enforcing a set of intuitive hygiene rules. By virtue of those rules, protocols written in this language provably behave identically with or without interference by active Dolev-Yao-style adversaries. As a result, formal reasoning about protocols can be simplified enough that even naïve model checking can establish correctness of a multiparty protocol, through analysis of a state space with no adversary. We present the design and implementation of SPICY, short for Secure Protocols Implemented CorrectlY, including the semantics of its input languages; the essential safety proofs, formalized in the Coq theorem prover; and the automation techniques. We provide a preliminary evaluation of the tool's performance and capabilities via a handful of case studies.


Purpose

This paper aims to estimate the green premium effect of retrofitted apartments in Bucharest and draw comparisons with international examples.

Design/methodology/approach

A geo-referenced transaction database including information on whether the property had been retrofitted is utilised. The paper uses two approaches to test the green premium. One is a hedonic model controlled by areas to estimate the price incentive of a green building. The second is a STAR GLS model evaluating the diffusion effect of house prices spatially by sub-market and assessment upon the pricing effect of green characteristics.

Findings

The authors' findings suggest a green premium in two Bucharest areas of between 2.2 per cent and 6.5 per cent. Spatial diffusion effects are shown to contribute positively to house prices, but the unobserved spatial component reduces this effect.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to assess price impacts of green characteristics in Bucharest and one of the first analysing green premium using spatial techniques. The analysis is of significance to policymakers and real estate developers.


ABSTRACT Ulum al-Qur'an is one of the earliest knowledge known among Muslims. It comprises of various essences of important sciences which help to improve the comprehension of verses in al-Qur'an. Among those sciences are pertaining to Nasikh Mansukh, Asbab Nuzul, Nuzul al-Qur'an, Makki and Madani verses and others. However recently, there is a tendency among the Liberal Muslims to use Hermeneutic for Quranic Interpretation and criticizing Ulum al-Qur'an. Hermeneutic is a science of interpreting the Bible which contains rules and law to complement interpretation. Therefore, it is the aim of this paper to discuss those criticisms which promote al-Qur'an as a mere product of culture but not as the pure words of God. This study applies the contents analysis on several of the Muslim Liberal works related to the Quranic Interpretation and Ulum al-Qur'an. The findings of this study show that those works have negative impact that can undermine the credibility of the knowledge of Quranic exegesis as well as to lower down the Islamic knowledges as a whole.


In this paper, we are going to introduce two new definitions of fixations and saccades in eye gaze. Then we will investigate their usability in eye movement identification. Fixations and saccades are the two important features of eye gaze. Most researches in eye movement identification and authentication are performed based on the features extracted from them. We shall investigate to see whether these definitions of fixations and saccades can improve the previously obtained results in identification and authentication. The performance results obtained showed that the fixations are better in distinguishing different eye movement behavior than the defined saccades.


Deep learning models have made significant progress in automatic program repair. However, the black-box nature of these methods has restricted their practical applications. To address this challenge, this paper presents an interpretable approach for program repair based on sequence-to-sequence models with causal inference and our method is called CPR, short for causal program repair. Our CPR can generate explanations in the process of decision making, which consists of groups of causally related input-output tokens. Firstly, our method infers these relations by querying the model with inputs disturbed by data augmentation. Secondly, it generates a graph over tokens from the responses and solves a partitioning problem to select the most relevant components. The experiments on four programming languages (Java, C, Python, and JavaScript) show that CPR can generate causal graphs for reasonable interpretations and boost the performance of bug fixing in automatic program repair.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells combined with docetaxel (DTX) on the growth of drug-resistant lung adenocarcinoma cell line SPC-A1/DTX in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS
The MTT assay was employed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of DTX, CIK cells, and DTX plused CIK cells against SPC-A1/DTX cells in vitro. For the in vivo assay, SPC-A1/DTX cells were injected into nude mice subcutaneously to establish a tumor-bearing mice model. On the day 14, normal saline, docetaxel, CIK cells, and CIK cells combined with docetaxel were administered intraperitoneally, respectively. All the nude mice were sacrificed at day 15 after treatment and the tumors were weighed out.

RESULTS
The MTT assay showed that CIK cells possessed a higher antitumor cytotoxic activity against SPC-A1/DTX cells than SPC-A1 cells in vitro (p < 0.05). The synergetic antitumor activity positively correlated with the E:T ratio and the concentration of docetaxel. The animal data also suggested that CIK cells combined with DTX had a stronger suppressive effect on tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION
CIK cells plused with docetaxel demonstrated a prominent augmentation of antitumor activity against multidrug resistance lung adenocarcinoma cell lines both in vitro and in vivo.


This paper challenges the assumption that the inflation process within the euro area is well-described by a linear Phillips curve and investigates in a nonparametric framework how inflation is sensitive to output growth. An asymmetric outputinflation trade-off is pointed out in the euro area at both aggregated and individual country levels.


SUNRISE is an international project for the development, construction, and operation of a balloon-borne solar telescope with an aperture of 1 m, working in the UV/VIS spectral domain. The main scientific goal of SUNRISE is to understand the structure and dynamics of the magnetic field in the atmosphere of the Sun. SUNRISE will provide near diffraction-limited images of the photosphere and chromosphere with an unpredecented resolution down to 35 km on the solar surface at wavelengths around 220 nm. The focal-plane instrumentation consists of a polarization sensitive spectrograph, a Fabry-Perot filter magnetograph, and a phase-diverse filter imager working in the near UV. The first stratospheric long-duration balloon flight of SUNRISE is planned in Summer 2009 from the swedish ESRANGE station. SUNRISE is a joint project of the german Max-Planck-Institut fur Sonnensystemforschung (MPS), Katlenburg-Lindau, with the Kiepenheuer-Institut fur Sonnenphysik (KIS), Freiburg, Germany, the High-Altitude Observatory (HAO), Boulder, USA, the Lockheed-Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab. (LMSAL), Palo Alto, USA, and the spanish IMaX consortium. In this paper we will present an actual update on the mission and give a brief description of its scientific and technological aspects.


High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a damage-associated molecular pattern with key proinflammatory functions following tissue injury. Moreover, HMGB1 neutralization was shown to alleviate LPS-induced shock, suggesting a role for the protein as a master therapeutic target for inflammatory and infectious diseases. Here, we report that HMGB1 neutralization impedes immune responses to Listeria monocytogenes, a wide-spread bacterium with pathogenic relevance for humans and rodents. Using genetic deletion strategies and neutralizing antibodies, we demonstrate that hepatocyte HMGB1, a major driver of post-necrotic inflammation in the liver, is dispensable for pathogen defense during moderately severe infection with listeria. In contrast, antibody-mediated HMGB1 neutralization and HMGB1 deficiency in myeloid cells effectuate rapid and uncontrolled bacterial dissemination in mice despite preserved basic leukocyte functionality and autophagy induction. During overwhelming infection, hepatocyte injury may contribute to increased HMGB1 serum levels and excessive inflammation in the liver, supporting context-dependent roles for HMGB1 from different cellular compartments during infection. We provide mechanistic evidence that HMGB1 from circulating immune cells contributes to the timely induction of hepatic immune regulatory gene networks, early inflammatory monocyte recruitment to the liver and promotion of neutrophil survival, which are mandatory for pathogen control. In summary, our data establish HMGB1 as a critical co-factor in the immunological clearance of listeria, and argue against HMGB1 neutralization as a universal therapeutic strategy for sepsis. Author summary High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is an abundantly expressed nucleoprotein with signaling properties following secretion or release into the extracellular space. Given its central immune-regulatory roles during tissue injury and LPS-induced septic shock, interventions aimed at HMGB1 signaling have been advocated as therapeutic options for various disease conditions. Here, we show that antibody-mediated HMGB1 neutralization interferes with immunological defense against Listeria monocytogenes, a gram-positive bacterium with high pathogenic relevance for rodents and humans, effectuating uncontrolled bacterial growth and inflammation. Using conditional knockout animals, we demonstrate that while leukocyte functionality is preserved in HMGB1-deficient myeloid cells, HMGB1 released in response to Listeria triggers hepatic inflammatory monocyte recruitment and activation of transcriptional immune networks required for the early control of bacterial dissemination. Hepatocyte HMGB1, a key driver of post-necrotic inflammation in the liver, is dispensable for the immune response during moderately severe infection, but likely contributes to excessive hepatitis when infection is uncontrolled and cellular injury is high. We demonstrate a critical and non-redundant role for HMGB1 in the immune-mediated clearance of listeriosis and argue against HMGB1 neutralization as a universal therapeutic option in the context of infection.


Hydrogen makes the simplest molecular liquid. Nonetheless, due to several different reasons, measuring its microscopic structure has been one of the most challenging tasks in neutron diffraction experiments. The recent development of modern pulsed neutron sources triggered a renewed experimental interest which, in turn, led to new knowledge and also to a more effective use of the classic reactor-based experimental data. The contemporary development of quantum mechanical computer simulation techniques, and a critical comparison among the results of different experiments using steady and pulsed neutron sources, resulted in a quantitatively reliable solution of the problem.


Although Macrobius' Saturnalia were, according to the preface, written for the author's young son in order to teach him a variety of useful things in a coherent, succinct form, the work is by no means a simple textbook, but a Platonic dialogue whose speakers are mainly concerned with classic literature, especially Virgil. Many earlier readings, preoccupied with the supposed (but actually rather dubious) religious content of the voluminous work, paid little attention to the broader context of late antique didactic literature. This article discusses the didactic purpose of the Saturnalia taking into account the background of Neoplatonic theories regarding the literary technique of Plato's dialogues; it shows that Macrobius used the traditional literary form not only to impart vast factual knowledge, but also to communicate his ideas about the social attitudes of the ideal Roman aristocrat.


Systematic studies of thermophysical properties of alloyed 123 structure high Tc superconductors are required due to an increasing number of applications of these compounds rather than pure YBCO to improve bulk and grain boundary transport and other properties. Hybrid approach is developed to study lattice statics and dynamics, strain effect, elasticity, thermal expansion, congruent melting, charge transfer, chain oxygen order disorder transition, defect, space charge, and strain field in 123-cuprate. Besides, electronic structure, structure factors, and X ray absorption spectrum of MgB2 are studied by first principles method. These studies suggest that the electronic structure of MgB2 is highly anisotopic which is the origin of the multi superconducting gaps in this material.


EDITOR: We read with great interest the recent paper by Zhao and colleagues. The authors conclude that the Lenstar LS 900 and the IOL (intraocular lens) Master can be used interchangeably for anterior chamber depth (ACD) values in the myopic population. Regarding ACD measurements, the Lenstar recorded shallower values compared with the IOL Master, with a mean difference of -0.006 ± 0.074 mm and a 95 per cent limits of agreement span of 0.29 mm. According to the authors, these measurable differences between the two devices, which were consistent with previous studies, could be due to different techniques in detection of the crystalline lens surface. Effectively, while the Lenstar instrument uses optical low coherence reflectometry, the IOL Master uses lateral slit illumination to measure anterior chamber depth by image analysis; however, there is one other important difference between them. Thus, whereas the Lenstar measures the anterior chamber depth from the endothelium to the anterior surface of the crystalline lens, the IOL Master defines the anterior chamber depth as the distance from the corneal epithelium to the anterior surface of the crystalline lens (that is, the 'anterior segment length' not the anterior chamber depth). Therefore, with the IOL Master, central corneal thickness values obtained by ultrasonic pachymetry should be substracted from the ACD measurement. Even though the authors stated that central corneal thickness combined with the Lenstar anterior chamber depth values were compared with the IOL Master ACD values, this issue is not adequately explained and may be confusing or unclear to readers. In fact, although both Lenstar and IOL Master ACD measurements may be considered equivalent, it should be pointed out that adding central corneal thickness values to the Lenstar ACD measurement, we are not comparing the real values of the ACD. In accordance with the authors, several studies have reported similar results between the two biometric devices and it is believed that this difference in ACD was too small to be clinically significant in a myopic population, where the ACD is wide. Nevertheless, an accurate estimation of central ACD is vital for the implantation of phakic IOLs and slight differences between the Lenstar and IOL Master devices can help to decide whether the phakic lens implantation is correct. This way, we might avoid problems in the selection of a phakic IOL for correcting optical defects.


A fully integrated 2.4 GHz RF transceiver compliant with the low-power ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) standard is presented. The RF transceiver adopts low IF receiver and direct up-conversion transmitter. It consumes 18 mA in receive mode and 17 mA in transmit mode with 1.8-V power supply. The receiver chain IIP3 is -13.S dBm and BBA poly phase filter can reject the ACI/AACI interferers. The achieved transmitter's maximum power is 4.7 dBm and its EVM is 8.4% at 0.5 dBm output. The LO generation is achieved using frequency mixing method and thus it can prevent the VCO pulling. The die area is 2.5 mm times 2.6 mm.


The radiological signs characteristic of various forms of renal neoplasia are described and the diagnostic value of different radiological techniques is discussed. A rational procedure for the study of primary tumours of the renal parenchyma is proposed, and several cases are presented by way of illustration.


Light has emerged as control input for biological systems due to its precise spatiotemporal resolution. The limited toolset for light control in bacteria motivated us to develop a light-inducible transcription system that is independent from cellular regulation through the use of an orthogonal RNA polymerase. Here, we present our engineered blue light-responsive T7 RNA polymerases (Opto-T7RNAPs) that show properties such as low leakiness of gene expression in the dark-state, high expression strength when induced with blue light, or an inducible range of more than 300-fold. Following optimization of the system to reduce expression variability, we have created a variant, which returns to the inactive dark-state within minutes, once blue light is turned off. This allows for precise dynamic control of gene expression, which is a key aspect for most applications using optogenetic regulation. The regulators were developed and tested in the bacterium Escherichia coli, which is a crucial cell factory for biotechnology due to its fast and inexpensive cultivation and well understood physiology and genetics. However, minor alterations should be sufficient to allow their use in other species in which the T7 RNAP polymerase and the light-inducible Vivid regulator were shown to be functional, which comprises other bacterial species and eukaryotes such as mammalian cells or yeast. We anticipate that our approach will expand the applicability of using light as an inducer for gene expression independent from cellular regulation, and allow for a more reliable dynamic control of synthetic and natural gene networks.


In this paper we describe a framework that allows users of formal development environments (FDEs) to prove verification conditions using stand-alone theorem provers. Verification conditions from a given FDE are translated into an intermediate representation, then in turn translated into a form that is readable by the target theorem prover. In this paper we describe a systematic approach to the development of translators from the intermediate representation to a target theorem prover representation. The approach involves the development of a generic translator, which is instantiated for a particular target theorem prover by defining a variety of translation rules. In this paper we describe the different kinds of translation rules and illustrate their use with an example.


Degradation of weldability caused by helium, which is generated by nuclear transmutation in neutron irradiated material, is an important issue to be addressed in planning of proactive maintenance of light water reactor core internal components. In this work, the weldability of neutron-irradiated stainless steel and nickel-base alloy, which are major constituting materials for components, was practically evaluated. The weldability was first examined by TIG welding in relation to the weld heat input and helium content using various specimens (made of SUS304 and SUS316L) sampled from reactor internal components. The specimens were neutron irradiated in a boiling water reactor to fluences from 4 × 1024 to 1.4 × 1026 n/m2 (E>1 MeV), and resulting helium generation ranged from 0.1 to 103 appm. The weld defects were characterized by dye penetrant test and cross-sectional metallography. The weldability of neutron-irradiated stainless steel was shown to be better at lower weld heat input and lower helium content. To evaluate mechanical properties of welded joints, thick plates (20 mm) specimens of SUS304 and Alloy 600 were prepared and irradiated in Japan Material Test Reactor (JMTR). The helium content of the specimens was controlled to range from 0.11 to 1.34 appm selected to determine threshold helium content to weld successfully. The welded joints had multiple passes by TIG welding process at 10 and 20 kJ/cm heat input. The welded joints of thick plate were characterized by dye penetrant test, cross-sectional metallography, tensile test, side bend test and root bend test. It was shown that irradiated stainless steel containing below 0.14 appm of helium could be welded with conventional TIG welding process (heat input below 20 kJ/cm). Nickel-base alloy, which contained as much helium as stainless steel could be welded successfully, could also be welded with conventional TIG welding process. These results served as basis to evaluate the applicability of repair welding to actual reactor components.


A space-based radar system concept is described that can provide continuous world-wide, all-weather, day-night observation and tracking of ships, aircraft, vehicles and ground facilities of interest. The system employs a constellation of radar satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide continuous world-wide target access. The radars employ reflector antennas, TWT transmitters and high frequency (e.g., X band) to achieve long range with relatively low weight, complexity and cost. The radars operate in moving-target-detection (MTD) and synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) spotlight imaging modes to observe moving and fixed targets respectively. The system could support a wide range of military, intelligence, law-enforcement and civilian missions.


Increasing the diagnostic armamentarium for stroke and other neurologic conditions is of interest to the neurologic and medical communities. Thus, the recent publication by Jung and colleagues, who studied circulating endothelial microparticles (EMPs), may advance the field of serologic stroke diagnosis by serology. As the relevance of various biomarkers becomes elucidated, including EMPs, it will be important to identify key control groups in these studies. Because EMPs have been identified in a variety of neurologic and non-neurologic disorders, the biological and clinical importance of these biomarkers may be unclear when evaluating them only in the context of one neurologic disease, such as stroke. Thus, alongside the EMP levels in stroke, it will be valuable to determine EMP levels in patients with other vascular, inflammatory, infectious, neoplastic, and degenerative neurologic conditions.


Nitrogen oxides in ambient air in industrial countries result mainly from emissions of nitric oxide (NO) from fossil fuel combustion. In the presence of ozone (O 3 ), NO is rapidly converted into nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ). Further oxidation of NO 2 leads to the formation of a range of compounds, the most important of which are: nitric acid (HNO 3 ), peroxy acetyl nitrate (PAN) and nitrous acid (HNO 2 ). The environmental effects of these compounds include eutrophication of natural ecosystems, acidification and photochemical air pollution. It is therefore necessary to understand the dry deposition processes for these compounds and use this understanding to provide estimates of dry deposition inputs to ecosystems across Europe. This review outlines current understanding of the exchange processes and methods used to estimate regional NO y deposition. Several methods have been used to measure dry deposition. Among these micrometeorological methods provide the best approach for estimating fluxes in the field. However, few field measurements of the deposition velocity of NO 2 to important ecosystems have been reported and the results have not always been conclusive. Measurement artefacts such as non-stationarity caused by local sources, monitors responding to other gases than NO 2 and the influence of photochemical reactions have made field measurement very difficult. More recent field work however has provided strong indications that NO 2 deposition to vegetation is controlled by stomatal opening. This implies that the deposition velocity shows a marked diurnal as well as an annual cycle with maximum values up to 1 cm s -1 during the day in the summer. Few measurements of HNO 2 exchange have been reported, but based on knowledge of its physical-chemical properties it is expected that HNO 2 is taken up via stomata. Measurements of PAN also indicate uptake controlled by stomatal opening. Several measurements have shown that deposition of HNO 3 is limited only by the rate of its aerodynamic transport to the surface leading to deposition velocities as large as 10 cm s -1 to forest. For NO the situation is more complex. Early laboratory studies using high concentrations showed stomatal uptake. However detailed field studies carried out more recently at ambient concentrations show that most ecosystems emit NO. To provide spatial patterns of nitrogen oxide deposition, information on the concentration in air as well as an estimate of the deposition velocity is needed. For the purpose of regional dry deposition estimates, the widely separated rural monitoring stations are adequate to provide broad-scale concentration fields for NO 2 . For the other gases, information is scarce and concentrations need to be derived from calculations with long-range transport models. These coarse concentration fields may be combined with statistical information on land use within each grid cell. Deposition to each land-use category within each grid cell can then be calculated using a resistance layer model. An example of this approach is provided for the UK. This exercise showed that the input of NO 2 varies between 1 kg N ha -1 year -1 for remote areas to 10 kg N ha -1 year -1 in more polluted areas, with NO 2 concentrations in excess of 10 ppb. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1994.t01-3-00002.x


Nucleobases (adenine and thymine) were conjugated to the amphiphilic biodegradable copolymers methoxyl poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lactide-co-2-methyl-2-allyloxycarbonylpropylene carbonate) (mPEG-b-P(LA-co-MAC)). The hydrogen bonds between adenine (A) and thymine (T) were confirmed by 1H NMR titration experiments and FT-IR. It was found that the incorporation of nucleobases into the hydrophobic segment of the amphiphilic copolymers could be used for core-crosslinking of the formed micelles containing a lowered critical micelle concentration (CMC) via hydrogen bond interaction between A and T in aqueous solution. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated into the copolymer micelles. The in vitro drug release profile showed that the incorporation of nucleobases significantly restricted DOX release at pH 7.4, because of the compact crosslinking structure of micelles. However, a much faster release rate was observed at pH 5.0, due to the dissociation of hydrogen bonds between nucleobases. This character facilitates drug delivery in the acidic tumor micro-environment inside the endosome. Meanwhile, the DOX-loaded core-cross-linked micelles could be efficiently internalized into cancer cells and exhibit similar anticancer efficacy as free DOX against MDA-MB-231 cells. Therefore, the complementary multiple hydrogen bonds of nucleobases provided a convenient tool to stabilize the micelle structures by forming core-crosslinking, and could be further applied for controlled drug delivery.


The S=O stretching mode in sulfoxides, having a frequency in the 950-1150 cm(-1) range, is tested as a structural label via dual-frequency two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) spectroscopy. The properties of this structural reporter are studied in several compounds, including (4,4(')-dimethyl-2,2(')-bipyridyl)(o-methylsulfinylbenzoate) ruthenium II, [Ru(dmb)(2)(BzSO)](+), (RuBzSO), octylsulfinylpropionic acid (OSPA), and o- and p-methylsulfinyl-benzoic acid (oMSBA and pMSBA). The mode assignment in the fingerprint region for these compounds is made using a combination of density functional theory calculations and 2DIR and relaxation-assisted 2DIR (RA 2DIR) spectroscopies. The SO stretching mode frequency and IR intensity demonstrate substantial sensitivity to the molecular structure. Multiple cross peaks of the C=O and S=O stretching modes with modes in the fingerprint region (930-1450 cm(-1)) were recorded. The 2DIR and RA 2DIR spectra focusing at interactions of a high-frequency mode of a ligand with the modes in the fingerprint region provide a spectral fingerprint of a compound and help mode assignment in the often congested fingerprint region. The cross-peak amplitudes in oMSBA, pMSBA, and OSPA were compared with the theoretical predictions based on the computed values for the off-diagonal anharmonicities and a reasonable match is found. The SO stretching mode provides means for assigning other modes in the fingerprint region and constitutes a promising structural reporter for the 2DIR and RA 2DIR spectroscopy measurements.


BACKGROUND--Coexisting cardiorespiratory disease may contribute in individual cases to the increased ventilatory response to exercise in patients with chronic heart failure. OBJECTIVE--To characterise further the arterial blood gas response to exercise and to explore the possible uses of blood gas sampling in clinical practice in patients with chronic heart failure. METHODS--37 patients with a primary diagnosis of chronic heart failure (age (range) 59 (45-80); left ventricular ejection fraction 24.5% (4%-44%)) underwent exercise testing with arterial blood gas analysis during exercise. RESULTS--In 34 patients there was a small fall in arterial carbon dioxide tension from a mean (SEM) of 4.9 (0.1) kPa at rest to 4.6 (0.1) kPa at peak exercise (p < 0.001). There was no significant change in arterial oxygen tension. During the recovery period arterial oxygen tension rose from 13.3 (0.3) kPa at peak exercise to 14.8 (0.3) kPa three minutes into recovery (p < 0.001). Arterial carbon dioxide tension was unchanged. In the remaining three patients there was considerable arterial hypoxaemia on exercise, from 10.4 kPa at rest to 7.7 kPa at peak exercise. All of these patients had an alternative diagnosis (patent foramen ovale with right to left shunt during exercise, pulmonary embolic disease, and clinically unsuspected obstructive airways disease). CONCLUSION--Patients with a presumptive diagnosis of chronic heart failure should undergo exercise testing with arterial blood gas analysis. Arterial hypoxaemia on exercise is rare in stable chronic heart failure. If hypoxia on exercise is detected, an alternative diagnosis should be sought.


Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder. Over the years many prognostic models have been developed to better risk stratify this disease at baseline. Sokal, Euro, and EUTOS scores were developed in varied populations initially receiving various therapies. Here we try to identify their predictive and prognostic implication in a larger population of Indian patients with CML-CP (chronic phase) in the imatinib era.


This issue contains two papers. Debugging‐Workflow‐aware Software Reliability Growth Analysis, by Cinque, Cotroneo, Pecchia, Pietrantuono, and Russo, presents a reliability growth model that is based on data drawn from a project's bug tracking systems. (Recommended by Michael Lyu.) Prioritizing MCDC Test Cases by Spectral Analysis of Boolean Functions, by Ayav, proposes a method to prioritize the order in which we run tests by using an analysis based on logic test criteria (MCDC). This is less expensive than prioritization strategies based on mutation and does not lose significant accuracy. (Recommended by Shaoying Liu.) New journals have proliferated in recent years, as has the models for publication. When I was a student, we had about a dozen software engineering research journals, and all followed the same process. Authors submitted papers (on paper!), an editor sent copies to reviewers, the reviewers replied with letters (on paper!), the editor made a decision, and then sent a letter to the authors. If accepted, we arranged our papers on large "blue sheets" to format them for the journal, and eventually, the paper was printed in paper copies of the journals and mailed to our offices. Other scientists saw our papers if they, or their universities' libraries, paid for a subscription. As usual, the web changed everything. The first change is that individual scientists put preprint versions of our papers on our personal websites, short‐circuiting the need for paper copies of journals. Then web applications gave us the ability to handle all of this communication electronically, speeding up the process without changing the process. Journals started posting "early view" versions of accepted papers on their websites. Between early view and personal website postings, most scientists canceled their paid subscriptions. Not surprisingly, journals started questioning the value of (expensive!) paper copies and finally stopped putting "ink on paper." Thus, the web disrupted the economic model of publishing research papers. In the 1990s, we paid directly to put ink on paper, and indirectly for the editorial and publishing services. This worked because creating and disseminating the paper copies was an obvious cost, and the other costs could be added onto the subscriptions. But by 2010, we were not paying directly for the ink on the paper. We were getting papers through university subscriptions or by finding them online, free. But the fundamental scientific value of a journal is not making the papers available, whether on paper or electronically. The fundamental scientific value is that volunteer editors and volunteer reviewers filter good papers from bad. We don't get paid, so the changes in the economic model do not affect us. The web also allowed other processes to develop. In particular, predatory journals proliferated. A journal is considered to be predatory if it charges fees to authors without providing quality reviewing and editorial services [1]. Authors pay to publish, but if the articles are not properly reviewed by independent experts, the publications are not considered valuable. Hiring committees discount them, promotion committees ignore them, and PhD committees tell students to take such papers off their CVs. Some journals have pseudo‐services, where reviewing and editorial services are very light. They publish papers that are in scope (which is often defined quite broadly) and whose writing roughly approximates English. The standards in well‐respected scientific journals, such as novelty, impact, technical correctness, writing, and other issues of scholarship, are not required. Some such journals approximate the definition of predatory by requiring payment but almost no reviewing or editing. Others do not require payment—but are predatory in the sense that they convince authors to publish papers that are not sound science, and thus have no value to the scientific community. With all these variations, it is confusing for young students and aspiring scientists to know which journals have merit! With the help of editorial staff members fromWiley, I have put together some guidelines, partly with the help of "Think, Check, Submit" [2]. If you aren't already familiar with a journal, here are some helpful questions to ask:


Rats repeatedly exposed to the bar test following injections with a dopamine D2-like receptor antagonist such as haloperidol show increased descent latencies, suggesting that contextual stimuli may lose their ability to elicit approach and other responses. Here, we showed that rats took progressively longer to initiate descent from a horizontal bar across sessions following daily intraperitoneal treatment (paired group) with the D2-like receptor antagonist, spiroperidol (0.125 and 0.25 mg/kg), but not in the control group that received 0.25 mg/kg in their home cage and testing following saline. When both groups were tested following an injection of spiroperidol or following saline, a sensitized and a conditioned increase in descent latency, respectively, were observed in the paired but not in the unpaired group. No evidence of sensitization or conditioning was found with the substituted benzamide compound, eticlopride (0.15–0.5 mg/kg), or the D2-like receptor partial agonist, aripiprazole (0.25–0.5 mg/kg). The different effects of these agents on learning may be related to different region-specific affinities for dopamine receptors or differences in receptor dissociation profiles. We suggest that the behavioural changes observed in spiroperidol-treated rats may reflect inverse incentive learning.


The presence of axionic field can provide plausible explanation to several long standing problems in physics such as dark matter and dark energy. The pseudo-scalar axion whose derivative corresponds to the Hodge dual of the Kalb-Ramond field strength in four dimensions plays crucial roles in explaining several astrophysical and cosmological observations. Therefore, the detection of axionic hairs/Kalb-Ramond field which appears as closed string excitations in the heterotic string spectrum may provide a profound insight to our understanding of the current universe. The current level of precision achieved in solar-system based tests employed to test general relativity, is not sufficient to detect the presence of axion. However, the near horizon regime of quasars where the curvature effects are maximum seems to be a natural laboratory to probe such additions to the matter sector. The continuum spectrum emitted from the accretion disk around quasars encapsulates the imprints of the background spacetime and hence acts as a storehouse of information regarding the nature of gravitational interaction in extreme situations. The surfeit of data available in the electromagnetic domain provides a further motivation to explore such systems. Using the optical data for eighty Palomar Green quasars we demonstrate that the theoretical estimates of optical luminosity explain the observations best when the axionic field is assumed to be absent. However, axion which violates the energy condition seems to be favored by observations which has several interesting consequences. Error estimators, including reduced χ2, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, index of agreement and modified versions of the last two are used to solidify our conclusion and the implications of our result are discussed.


Background: Inequality in the distribution of medical equipment and facilities has mainly been observed in health centers and, particularly, in governmental hospitals in each country. This study aimed to assess inequality in the distribution of burn facilities in Iran, including burn beds and specialist physicians needed for burn patients in 2017. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytic study, in which statistical records of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education for 2017 and the Population and Housing Report of 2016 of the Statistical Centre of Iran were used. The main variables studied were number of burn beds and number of general surgeons and plastic surgeons in medical universities in the provinces of Iran. Inequality in the distribution of these variables was evaluated using the Gini coefficient and the Lorenz curve. Excel 2010 software was used for data analysis. Results: In 55% of the provinces, the number of beds per capita for 100 000 population was lower than the average of Iran (1.26 beds of burn ward), and in 45% of the provinces, it was higher than the average of Iran in terms of this index. The results showed that burn beds were distributed unevenly in medical universities (G=0.42). However, the provincial distribution of these beds had a favorable condition (G=0.21). Also, the numerical value of the Gini coefficient showed the alert status in the distribution of specialist physicians based on the university distribution (G=0.51). Conclusion: Although solving the problems related to equality in the distribution of health resources is not an easy task, assessing this issue has a great impact on improving the policymaking procedures and allocating the health system resources. For the first time, this study presented some policies to avoid centralization and prevent some metropolitan cities from turning into cities with limited burn facilities through a comprehensive reviewing of the distribution of the main sources needed by the Iranian burn patients.


Land is one of the important resources and material ensure mend for human being to survive and develop. The land resource is a fundamental element in the complex system of "population-resource-environment-development (PRED)". By using ABM technology, based on Repast platform, establishes the decision-making model of the changes of land use type and classifies as three types of individual, company and government the groups of people who are most responsible for the changes of basin land use type. People move randomly and based on the decision-making model the changes of land use type takes place under the conditions of nature and society condition. we use the land use type of 2005 as the original land use type simulates the future changes of land use type in the Erhai Basin. Finally we bring forward some advice in how to develop the relevant policies concerning the sustainable land use in the Erhai Basin.


Merozoite surface proteins (MSPs) are critical for parasite invasion; they represent attractive targets for antibody‐based protection against clinical malaria. To identify protection‐associated target MSPs, the present study analysed antibody responses to whole merozoite extract (ME) and to defined MSP recombinant antigens in hospitalized patients from a low endemic urban area as a function of disease severity (mild versus cerebral malaria). Sera from 110 patients with confirmed severe cerebral malaria (CM) and 91 patients with mild malaria (MM) were analysed (mean age = 29 years) for total and subclass immunoglobulin (Ig)G to ME and total IgG to MSP1p19, MSP2, MSP3, MSP4 and MSP5 by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Functional antibody responses were evaluated using the antibody‐dependent respiratory burst (ADRB) assay in a subset of sera. There was a trend towards higher IgG1 and IgG4 levels to ME in CM compared to MM; only ME IgM responses differed significantly between fatal and surviving CM patients. Increased prevalence of IgG to individual MSPs was found in the CM compared to the MM group, including significantly higher levels of IgG to MSP4 and MSP5 in the former. Sera from fatal (24·5%) versus surviving cases showed significantly lower IgG to MSP1p19 and MSP3 (P < 0·05). ADRB assay readouts correlated with high levels of anti‐MSP IgG, and trended higher in sera from patients with surviving compared to fatal CM outcome (P = 0·07). These results document strong differential antibody responses to MSP antigens as targets of protective immunity against CM and in particular MSP1p19 and MSP3 as prognostic indicators.


The fusion of clustering and least square based method for the classification of suspicious areas into benign and malignant classes in digital mammograms was investigated in our previous paper which showed some promising results. This paper extends the investigation by combining a self organising map (SOM) based clustering with modified Gram-Schmidt (MGS) method. The main focus of the research presented in this paper is to investigate the effect that the assignment of input weights from the SOM clustering algorithm have on the efficiency and accuracy of the neural network classifier. A number of experiments have been conducted on a benchmark database. A comparative analysis with our previous results and other known techniques in the literature is presented in this paper.


Scientific literature on the effects of ventilation on health, comfort, and productivity in non-industrial indoor environments (offices, schools, homes, etc.) has been reviewed by a multidisciplinary group of European scientists, called EUROVEN, with expertise in medicine, epidemiology, toxicology, and engineering. The group reviewed 105 papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and judged 30 as conclusive, providing sufficient information on ventilation, health effects, data processing, and reporting, 14 as providing relevant background information on the issue, 43 as relevant but non-informative or inconclusive, and 18 as irrelevant for the issue discussed. Based on the data in papers judged conclusive, the group agreed that ventilation is strongly associated with comfort (perceived air quality) and health [Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms, inflammation, infections, asthma, allergy, short-term sick leave], and that an association between ventilation and productivity (performance of office work) is indicated. The group also concluded that increasing outdoor air supply rates in non-industrial environments improves perceived air quality; that outdoor air supply rates below 25 l/s per person increase the risk of SBS symptoms, increase short-term sick leave, and decrease productivity among occupants of office buildings; and that ventilation rates above 0.5 air changes per hour (h-1) in homes reduce infestation of house dust mites in Nordic countries. The group concluded additionally that the literature indicates that in buildings with air-conditioning systems there may be an increased risk of SBS symptoms compared with naturally or mechanically ventilated buildings, and that improper maintenance, design, and functioning of air-conditioning systems contributes to increased prevalence of SBS symptoms.


Abstract Background Bacterial infections are common in patients with cancer, and many bacteria have developed resistance to currently used antibiotics. Objectives We evaluated the in vitro activity of eravacycline (a recently developed fluorocycline) and comparators against bacterial pathogens isolated from patients with cancer. Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using CLSI-approved methodology and interpretive criteria for 255 Gram-positive and 310 Gram-negative bacteria. MIC and susceptibility percentage were calculated according to CLSI and FDA breakpoints when available. Results Eravacycline had potent activity against most Gram-positive bacteria, including MRSA. Of 80 Gram-positive isolates with available breakpoints, 74 (92.5%) were susceptible to eravacycline. Eravacycline had potent activity against most Enterobacterales, including ESBL-producing organisms. Of 230 Gram-negative isolates with available breakpoints, 201 (87.4%) were susceptible to eravacycline. Eravacycline had the best activity among comparators against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, with 83% susceptibility. Eravacycline was also active against many non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria, with the lowest MIC90 value among comparators. Conclusions Eravacycline was active against many clinically significant bacteria isolated from patients with cancer, including MRSA, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, and non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli. Eravacycline might play an important role in the treatment of bacterial infections in patients with cancer, and additional clinical evaluation is warranted.


In this work, we consider a hybrid aerial full-duplex (FD) relaying protocol consisting of a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) mounted over an FD unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) relay operating in the decode and forward mode to assist the information transfer between the base station and multiple users. For better spectral efficiency, we investigate the use of non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) in such networks and focus on both the performance analysis and design optimization of the considered RIS-NOMA network under imperfect channel state information (CSI) and successive interference cancellation (SIC) at each user, and residual-self interference (RSI) at UAV. We first formulate the sum rate maximization problem and adopt the block coordinate descent method to deal with the non-convex nature of the problem. Thereafter, we propose an algorithm based on the Riemannian conjugate gradient method to get the optimal phase shifts at the RIS, an iterative algorithm to obtain the optimal UAV/RIS position and the exhaustive method to obtain the optimum power allocation coefficients. Next, with obtained optimal position, phase shift and power coefficients, we further analyze the performance of the network and derive the closed-form expressions of outage probability, achievable throughput and ergodic capacity. We present Monte Carlo simulation-based results to validate the accuracy of the proposed algorithms and derived expressions and demonstrate the superiority of NOMA over OMA.


The rate of comorbidities not related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) among HIV-infected patients may be higher than expected. We assessed the incidence of comorbidities not related to HIV infection or AIDS by CD4 cell count and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) use status in an HIV clinical practice. A total of 2824 patients contributed 9172 person-years of longitudinal data during the period 1997-2006. Among patients with a CD4 cell count <350 cells/mm(3), receipt of HAART was associated with a significantly decreased incidence of comorbidities not related to HIV infection or AIDS.


This paper describes a software system using bioinformatic data recorded from a performer in real-time as a probabilistic driver for the composition and subsequent real-time generation of traditionally notated musical scores. To facilitate the generation and presentation of musical scores to a performer, the system makes use of a custom LilyPond output parser, a set of Java classes running within Cycling '74's MAX environment for data analysis and score generation, and an Atmel AT-Mega16 micro-processor capable of converting analog bioinformatic sensor data into Open Sound Control (OSC) messages.


ObjectiveRed Cross Society of China has always attached importance to training of first aid trainers. Participatory teaching approach has good effect and great significance all over the world. Thus this methodology was introduced from International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to China from 2019. This study aimed to investigate effects of participatory teaching approach in training first aid trainers from provincial branches of China.MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional study among first aid trainers from Red Cross provincial branches. Pretested electronic questionnaire was given before and after the training. Data was collected by online survey tool and logic check was set to ensure quality of data. Stata version 11.0 was used to analyze the data. Proportion were used to describe social-demographic characteristics of respondents and their satisfaction with different teaching modules. Paired two-tailed t-test was used to compare the confidence scores before and after training. Chi-square test was used to test confidence growth of different groups and among different developing level regions. Difference was statistically significant if P<0.05.Result772 first aid trainers participated in the survey with a response rate of 99.6%. The majority of respondents were satisfied with standard modules of this course using participatory teaching approach. Scores on 4 confidence related questions had all increased and the confidence growth was statistically significant (Question1:t=-32.66,P<0.001;Question2:t=-28.22,P<0.001;Question3:t=-27.41,P<0.001;Question4:t=-29.07,P<0.001). Different groups had different confidence growth and medium confidence group had the biggest increase in all 4 questions (Question1:2=166.49,P<0.001;Question2:2=166.48,P<0.001;Question3:2=195.40,P<0.001;Question4:2=129.61,P<0.001). No statistical significant difference was found among different developing level regions.ConclusionParticipatory teaching approach was well accepted among Red Cross first aid trainers from provincial branches all over China. No statistically significant was found among different developing level regions. This teaching approach could improve the confidence of participants. It is reasonable to promote this methodology among first aid trainers nationwide.


Capturing data is a key part of archaeological practice, whether for preserving records or to aid interpretation. But the technologies used are complex and expensive, resulting in time-consuming processes associated with their use. These processes force a separation between ongoing interpretive work and capture. Through two field studies we elicit more detail as to what is important about this interpretive work and what might be gained through a closer integration of capture technology with these practices. Drawing on these insights, we go on to present a novel, portable, wireless 3D modeling system that emphasizes "quick and dirty" capture. We discuss its design rational in relation to our field observations and evaluate this rationale further by giving the system to archaeological experts to explore in a variety of settings. While our device compromises on the resolution of traditional 3D scanners, its support of interpretation through emphasis on real-time capture, review and manipulability suggests it could be a valuable tool for the future of archaeology.


Objectives: To investigate the cellular immune response to Hantaan virus (HTNV) infection by identifying T cell epitopes of HTNV structural protein (nucleoprotein, NP and glycoprotein, Gn/Gc) and their HLA-restriction. Methods: The HLA-restriction of HTNV-NP T cell epitopes were identified by determining T cell response to peptide-loaded B lymphoblastoid cell lines which were HLA partially matched. T cell responses to an array of overlapping peptides derived from HTNV-Gn/Gc was quantitated by ex vivo IFN-γ ELISPOT analysis. Results: In the HTNV-NP, one HLA-A*02-, one HLA-B*07-, one HLA-A*11-, two HLA-A*33-, and three HLA-B*35-restricted T cell epitopes were identified. 86.6% hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) patients (71/82) showed T cell response to 61.9% HTNV-Gn/Gc 15-mer peptides (174/281), in which, 11 potential dominant epitopes were screened out. Moreover, the response frequencies of HTNV-Gn/Gc-specific T cells at the earliest available time point were significantly higher in patients who had mild or moderate HFRS than in those who had severe or critical HFRS (P=0.007), suggesting that T cell response to these epitopes may affect HFRS disease progression in patients. Conclusion: T cell immunty plays a role in immunoprotection upon HTNV infection. Identification of T cell epitopes of HTNV structural protein and their HLA restriction may advance our understanding of immunoprotection and/or pathogenesis of HFRS, thereby improve the design of novel HTNV vaccine.


The rural land right has paved the way for the deepening of China's agricultural land system, which is critical to the successful implementation of the rural revitalization plan in the new era. Based on the micro-survey data of farmers in Yunnan Province, we use an OLS model to empirically test the impact of rural land rights on farmers' income in underdeveloped areas, and we use a stepwise regression method to test the mechanism role of land transfer willingness and behavior in the rural land right on farmers' income. Benchmark regression results show that the implementation of rural land rights policy significantly increased the total income of farmers, which mainly comes from farm income. Although the rural land right policy has no significant impact on farmers' non-farm income, the sign of right coefficient is positive. Mechanism analysis shows that the rural land right can increase the income of farmers by encouraging them to transfer to land. It shows that the property right of land is clear, which makes it easier for land to transfer and trade, and farmers can achieve a certain degree of scale operation, thereby increasing income. Finally, it is suggested that future fiscal funding in impoverished regions be directed toward land transfer links and that accompanying rules and regulations adequately protect farmers' land contract management rights.


Stable and robust finite element methods for the convective hydrodynamic model of semiconductor devices are developed and implemented on distributed memory parallel computers. Specifically, a stable and accurate space-time and Galerkin/least-squares finite element formulation is developed for the hydrodynamic transport equations for the conservation laws. In addition, Galerkin finite element methods are employed for the Poisson and lattice thermal diffusion equations. The inclusion of the lattice thermal diffusion equation in the numerical solution of the convective hydrodynamic model is presented for the first time. Numerical results for a bipolar transistor are included to illustrate the effectiveness of the numerical methods. Numerical simulations of semiconductor devices using the convective hydrodynamic model require a significant amount of computations. A single-program-multiple-data (SPMD) programming model is proposed for the implementation of the hydrodynamic model on distributed memory parallel computers. Employing the SPMD programming model, a serial program developed on a workstation can be converted into a parallel program with minimal changes. The parallel program has been ported to a wide range of distributed memory parallel computers including the iPSC/860 hypercube, the Touchstone Delta machine, and the IBM SP-1. Parallel performance results are reported for a bipolar transistor, silicon MESFET and diodes. The results indicate that the parallel hydrodynamic device simulator exhibits excellent speedups and scalability on distributed memory parallel computers with minimum communication overhead.


When a notched structure is subjected to sufficiently large tensile loading, it generally exhibits damage evolution in the crack tip region. In paper materials, this damage evolution may reach considerable sizes before ultimate collapse of the structure occurs. Gradual crack growth, characterized by large-scale damage evolution ahead of the crack tip prior to ultimate failure, makes the determination of the initiation of crack growth ill-conditioned and causes the loading in the structure to increase non-proportionally. The applicability of fracture mechanics models that neglect damage evolution, such as classical non-linear fracture mechanics models, therefore becomes questionable for paper materials. The aim of this work was to develop an anisotropic elasticplastic cohesive crack model, i.e. a fracture mechanics model that is capable of accurately describing the anisotropic non-linear constitutive behaviour and the damage behaviour of paper materials. Furthermore, the aim was to use the developed model for studying whether the crack tip state can be characterised by one parameter, as in classical non-linear fracture mechanics models, although large-scale damage evolves. An orthotropic incremental elastic-plastic softening cohesive crack model was formulated. The material parameters of the cohesive crack model were determined for one grade of commercial paper, solely by tensile testing. Short tensile test pieces, allowing for stable post-peak stress behaviour during tensile testing, were used to determine the damage material parameters. The developed cohesive crack model is selfcontained in fracture mechanics applications, i.e. no testing on notched structures was required for calibrating the fracture criterion. The accuracy of the cohesive crack model was investigated by comparing model predictions with experimental data from ordinary tensile tests in different material directions and from tensile testing of notched test pieces with different crack lengths. The calibrated cohesive crack model was shown to predict constitutive behaviour and ultimate failure in excellent agreement with the experiments. The cohesive crack model was further used for examining the crack tip region in more detail. It was demonstrated that the J-integral may accurately characterise the stress and deformation state in the vicinity of the crack tip, although large-scale damage evolves in the crack tip region.


Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (T-AcP) has been used in the past 15 years as a specific test for the diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia (HCL). However, enzyme activity has been reported to be absent from the hairy cells of rare cases of HCL and to be present in the neoplastic cells of diseases other than HCL. In order to fully utilize T-AcP for the diagnosis of HCL, it is necessary to maximize the sensitivity and specificity of the staining method, to have adequate quality control to ensure technical and interpretative accuracy, and to prepare optimal cytologic and histologic materials for study. In blood, only the presence of cells with intense T-AcP activity is diagnostic of HCL (positive T-AcP test). In tissues other than blood, the presence of cells with intense enzyme activity may not be diagnostic for HCL; assessment of cell morphology and appreciation of the pattern of enzyme localization are also important. In studying the blood of over 1,000 patients, we have found a negative T-AcP test in two of 200 cases of HCL and a positive T-AcP test in three of 800 patients with diseases other than HCL. We believe that the T-AcP test, when performed and interpreted properly, is a useful diagnostic test for HCL.


This study examined the effects of two types of instructions on the academic responding of 4 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Tactical instructions specified how to distribute responding between two concurrently available sets of math problems associated with different variable-interval schedules of reinforcement. Strategic instructions provided a strategy to determine the best way to distribute responding. Instruction conditions were counterbalanced in an ABAB/BABA reversal design nested within a multiple baseline across participants design. Experimental sessions consisted of a learning session in which participants were provided with one type of instruction, followed by a test session in which no instruction was provided. The schedules of reinforcement were subsequently reversed during test sessions. When learning and test schedules were identical, the responding of all 4 participants closely matched the reinforcement schedules. When tactical instructions were provided and schedules were subsequently changed, responding often remained under the control of the instructions. When strategic instructions were provided, responding more quickly adapted to the changed contingencies. Analysis of postsession verbal reports indicated correspondence between the participants' verbal descriptions (whether accurate or inaccurate) and their nonverbal patterns of responding.


We introduce an Eisenstein series associated to a loxodromic element of cofinite Kleinian groups, namely the loxodromic Eisenstein series, and study its fundamental properties. It is the analogue of the hyperbolic Eisenstein series for Fuchsian groups of the first kind. We prove the convergence and the differential equation associated to the Laplace-Beltrami operator. We also prove the precise spectral expansion associated to the Laplace-Beltrami operator. Furthermore, we derive the analytic continuation with the location of the possible poles and their residues from the spectral expansion.


Vitamin B6 nutriture was measured by means of determination of activity of EGOT in 30 and of serum pyridoxal phosphate in 27 epileptic children under antiepileptic treatment with various antiepileptic drugs and with hydantoin and succinimide alone, 25 healthy infants and children were controls. Under the treatment with antiepileptic drugs, especially with hydantoin and succinimide a depression of the activity of EGOT and the level of pyridoxal-phosphate in serum followed. As an induction of vitamin B6 dependnet enzyme activity can be excluded a possible explanation for the disturbance in vitamin B6 metabolism could be the inhibition of activity of pyridoxalkinase. We consider the administration of vitamin B6 in addition to hydantoin and succinimide as appropriate.


The majority of current digital libraries (DLs) are not designed forchildren. For DLs to be popular with children, they need to be fun, easy-to-use and empower them, whether as readers or authors. This paper describes a new childrens DL emphasizing its design and evaluation, working with the children (11-14 year olds) as design partners and testers. A truly participatory process was used, and observational study was used as a means of refinement to the initial design of the DL prototype. In contrast with current DLs, the childrens DL provides both a static as well as a dynamic environment to encourage active engagement of children in using it. Design, implementation and security issues are also raised.


Abstract This paper analyses the economic value of foreign languages in Turkey using data on some 6000 adult male wage-earners in 2007. We find positive earnings returns to proficiency in English and Russian, which increase with the level of competence. French and German skills are also positively rewarded, although their return seems mostly linked to the likelihood to hold specific occupations. In contrast, knowing Arabic does not generate an earnings premium. Focusing on English, we check for heterogeneous returns along the conditional earnings distribution. The results are qualitatively invariant when we account for misclassification errors in self-reported English skills.


Integrity in animal research, coupled with scientific and social responsibility, demands rigor in the construction and execution of the protocol, commitment to the promotion of animal welfare and the dissemination of suitable data. Protocols for submitting projects to the Ethics Committee on Animal Use, editorial policies and dissemination of the methodology as tools to promote research integrity were analysed based on the questioning of the vulnerability of researchers not trained to fulfill this demand. The results supported the insertion of planning and dissemination of research as a parameter of integrity and adherence to the principle of 3R (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) as a guide to the decision of how much and how and why to use animals in research. We verified the efficiency of the administrative and legal instrument as a promoter of reflection on technical, ethical, social and legal conception and society. These should be subsidized by the educational role of Bioethics, carried out by committees to mitigate vulnerabilities of the researcher.


Introduction: Drug resistance is a major clinical obstacle to the successful treatment of human cancer. The microRNAs-21 (miR-21), an oncomiR, may play an important role in the progress of drug resistance. Areas covered: This review covers all related literature on miR-21 in drug resistance of human cancers and analyzes the expression, biological functions and targets of it. This study also envisages future developments toward its clinical and therapeutic applications in cancer treatment. Expert opinion: The miR-21 may promote the drug resistance of various cancers. Inhibitors of miR-21 may function as effective approaches for reversing drug resistance in cancer cells. There is a tough way from discovering the function of miR-21 to clinical use. Further understanding of miR-21-mediated signaling pathways will help to promote the therapeutic–clinical use of miR-21 in cancer.


Assisted by the so-called service-oriented architecture (SOA) technique, it is more convenient and efficient to integrate multiple web applications. SOA holds lots of advantages, but there are still some security problems challenging us repeatedly. As well known by almost every developer, the security is very important for almost all systems. When considering security problems from the global view, it is essential to understand how the risks related with Internet business can be controlled during the whole development circle. Two typical examples are, respectively, how the security demand can be satisfied, and how the access control can be well done in the integrated system. In order to solve these security problems, this paper proposes one security model by using web service technology. This security model is applicable for service-oriented multi-application architecture, which can provide a comprehensive set of security web services as well as access control methods when the integrated systems are constructed. This security model consists of three parts. Firstly, the security domain includes the users' details and security information. Secondly, the application configuration files system includes the basic information, key, and configuration file of the application. Thirdly, the security manager is the core of this security model. Whenever the application sends request message via web service mechanism, the security manager sends reply message by controlling other two parts. Web services are definitely the important composition of this security model, which can response variant security requirements derived from many kinds of applications. This paper also describes the design and implementation of one instance of this security model.


An important phenomenon in bulk superconductors fabricated by top-seeded-melt growth (TSMG) is the formation of cracks due to the inherent brittleness of the YBa2Cu3O7-δ (Y-123) phase matrix. These form during the fabrication of the superconducting monolith and play an important role in the limitation of current flow. However, cracks may also form during cooling cycles of the sample to liquid nitrogen temperatures. In this investigation, macrocracks along the c-direction, in particular were analyzed microscopically before and after cooling. In addition we attempt to resolve the c-axis macrocrack formation pattern using the magnetoscan technique.


The attainment of super resolution (SR) from a sequence of degraded undersampled images could be viewed as reconstruction of the high-resolution (HR) image from a finite set of its projections on a sampling lattice. This can then be formulated as an optimization problem whose solution is obtained by minimizing a cost function. The approaches adopted and their analysis to solve the formulated optimization problem are crucial, The image acquisition scheme is important in the modeling of the degradation process. The need for model accuracy is undeniable in the attainment of SR along with the design of the algorithm whose robust implementation will produce the desired quality in the presence of model parameter uncertainty. To keep the presentation focused and of reasonable size, data acquisition with multisensors instead of, say a video camera is considered.


We provide empirical evidence, based on tick-by-tick data for the e-MID euro area interbank market covering 2003 and 2004, that the overnight interest rate shows a clear downward pattern throughout the operating day. Thus, a positive hourly interest rate (half basis point) implicitly emerges from the intraday term structure of the overnight rate. Such a pattern was not detected in the mid-1990s: we explain this evolution as an outcome of the recent trend toward real-time settlement. The estimated intraday interest rate is lower than in the United States: this is due to the different cost of central bank daylight credit. Copyright (c) 2008 The Ohio State University.


Strategy consulting services are a high-end knowledge-intensive business. Consulting service providers (CSPs) regard them as vital business because they can lead to additional business and sales opportunities. However, because of dramatic growth in the small and medium business (SMB) market in the emerging market and because of how labor intensive the current consulting services model is, it is becoming increasingly challenging to offer strategy consulting services. This paper proposes a collaborative consulting services model and framework in a service ecosystem consisting of CSPs, local business partners (BPs), and SMBs. This consulting service model is enabled by an Web-based consulting services platform. The integrated platform framework and key technical components are presented in the paper.


The development of atherosclerosis is closely related to the calcification of the vessel intima and fibrous plaques, being a complex and multifactorial process, in which the markers of bone formation and resorption play an important role. Objective. To study the biochemical markers of bone metabolism in men with stable coronary heart disease (CHD). Material and methods. The study included 102 men with verified CHD. Data were evaluated by densitometry, coronary angiography, multispiral computed tomography, color duplex scanning of brachiocephalic arteries, serum lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides [TG], high-density [LHD] and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), concentrationsin the blood of osteocalcin (OC), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), cathepsin K and C-telopeptides (CTx). Results. Concentrations of BAP, cathepsin K and CTx in patients with CHD were significantly higher than in men without CHD. The concentration of OC in men with normal bone mineral density was significantly lower than in patients with osteopenic syndrome. There was a direct correlation between OC and antiatherogenic HDL cholesterol and the inverse correlation between OC and TG, CTx and TG. There was no correlation between the level of bone remodeling markers and coronary artery (CA) lesion variant and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis on SYNTAX scale. The correlation analysis did not reveal the connection of biochemical markers of bone metabolism with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis and calcification and thickness of intima-media complex of carotid arteries. Absolute values of bone formation indices (BAP, OC) were significantly higher in patients with severe СA calcification than in patients without signs of calcification. Summary. Increased rates of osteogenesis and osteoresorption characterize the accelerated process of bone metabolism and indicate in favor of high rates of bone loss in men with CHD, which confirms the likelihood of common pathophysiological mechanisms of bone resorption and arterial calcification.


Bacteria work to reduce the effects of sub-lethal stress by making phenotypic and genotypic changes. Phenotypic changes may provide resistance to further stress events and may also lead to cross-protection against a number of environmental challenges including resistance to antibiotics which bacteria see as a form of environmental stress. The effects of stress (temperature, pH, osmotic effects and starvation) on the antibiotic resistance phenotypes of S. Typhimurium DT104 were investigated in vitro. The antibiotics; tetracycline (T), streptomycin (S) and trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (SXT) were selected as resistance to T, S and SXT has been frequently observed in Salmonella isolated from farm animals in Northern Ireland. The investigation was carried out using standard antibiotic disk diffusion methodologies adapted to incorporate a stress inducing step. In terms of outcomes, starvation stress had the most effect on the susceptibility of Salmonella to the three antibiotics tested. Of the three antibiotics tested, Streptomycin was the least effective under starvation, osmotic and low temperature stresses. These results indicate that some types of sub-lethal stress may contribute to the expression of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella.


The objective of the Vinh Phuc Flood Risk and Water Management Project for Vietnam is to provide a sustainable water environment for the long term economic and social development of the Vinh Phuc Province. Negative impacts include: loss of land acquisition, loss of asset, loss of structures, loss of income, and loss of livelihood. Mitigation measures include: compensation for all residential, commercial, or other structures will be offered at the replacement cost, without any depreciation of the structure and without deduction for salvageable materials. Structures shall be evaluated individually. Any rates set by category of structure must use the highest value structure in that group (not the lowest). The project affected persons (PAPs) will be provided with full assistance (including a transportation allowance) for transportation of personal belongings and assets, in addition to the compensation at replacement cost of their houses, lands and other properties; and damaged property will be restored to its former condition by contractors, immediately upon completion of civil works. Under their contract specifications, the contractors will be required to take extreme care to avoid damaging property during their construction activities. Where damages do occur, the contractor will be required to repair the damage and may also be required to pay compensation to the affected families, groups, communities, or government agencies at the same compensation rates that are applied to all other assets affected by the project.


Objective Tamoxifen is an effective anti-tumor medicine, but evidence has been provided on tamoxifen-related inflammation as well as its impact on gut microbiota. In this study, we aimed to investigate tamoxifen-induced gut microbiota and inflammation alteration. Methods We established a BC xenograft mouse model using the MCF-7 cell line. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to investigate gut microbiota. qRT–PCR, western blotting, and cytometric bead array were used to investigate inflammation-related biomarkers. Various bioinformatic approaches were used to analyze the data. Results Significant differences in gut microbial composition, characteristic taxa, and microbiome phenotype prediction were observed between control, model, and tamoxifen-treated mice. Furthermore, protein expression of IL-6 and TLR5 was up-regulated in tamoxifen-treated mice, while the mRNA of Tlr5 and Il-6, as well as protein expression of IL-6 and TLR5 in the model group, were down-regulated in the colon. The concentration of IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL12P70 in serum was up-regulated in tamoxifen-treated mice. Moreover, correlation-based clustering analysis demonstrated that inflammation-negatively correlated taxa, including Lachnospiraceae-UCG-006 and Anaerotruncus, were enriched in the model group, while inflammation-positively correlated taxa, including Prevotellaceae_UCG_001 and Akkermansia, were enriched in the tamoxifen-treated group. Finally, colon histologic damage was observed in tamoxifen-treated mice. Conclusion Tamoxifen treatment significantly altered gut microbiota and increased inflammation in the breast cancer xenograft mice model. This may be related to tamoxifen-induced intestinal epithelial barrier damage and TLR5 up-regulation.


New York State has achieved pharmacy practice advancement legislation more slowly than other states. Despite the benefits of pharmacy advocacy in shaping legislation, in New York State advocacy activities have generally been limited to once per year during Lobby Day. Implementation of a grassroots advocacy infrastructure has been able to organize and sustain legislative engagement among members of our professional organization, with more than 100 legislative visits completed since creation of the Grassroots Advocacy Committee. A committee with infrastructure including a buddy system and legislative visit tracking process and educational programs, such as simulation training, have reduced the perceived burdens of participation. Other pharmacy organizations who have identified advocacy as a priority can utilize these tools to organize their members to support legislative goals.


1. Background In the UK, the NIHR vision sees 'more patients and health professionals participating in health research' [1]. Fundamental to health research is the testing of interventions through RCTs. Achieving high participation in RCTs has traditionally been difficult. Published data show that a minority of RCTs recruit successfully [2,3]. Recruitment problems reduce the total recruited sample (limiting internal validity), and the proportion of eligible participants who are recruited (limiting external validity).


A new transient well-testing procedure, which extends ''pulse-testing'' technology, has been developed for determining the hydraulic diffusivity (K/(uc/phi/)) in underground-storage reservoirs. The method depends on the availability of cyclic pressure data from a pair of adjacent and communicating wells: A, the upstream or ''forcing-function'' well, and B, the downstream or ''observation'' well. In general, the pressure fluctuations at well B will exhibit both an attenuated amplitude and a phase lag when compared with those at well A. The theory, which relates the two sets of fluctuations, relies on a solution of the diffusion equation, which governs pressure or potential variations with time and distance in a compressible medium. To apply the theory to experimental observations, a Fourier analysis is performed on the transient pressures at both A and B. The method has been tested with field data and indicates good success in predicting the pressures at offset wells.