Objectives A sepsis workup is recommended in young infants 56 days or younger with fever to rule out a serious bacterial infection (SBI). Given the reduction in non–severe acute respiratory syndrome - coronavirus 2 viral infections observed in multiple studies during the coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we sought to determine if the reduction in viral infections led to a change in the incidence of SBI in this vulnerable patient population. Methods We performed a multicenter, retrospective study of infants 56 days or younger presenting with fever to emergency departments of 6 community hospitals. We compared the incidence of SBIs, viral meningitis, and viral bronchiolitis during March 2020 to February 2021 (pandemic year) with the same calendar months in the 2 preceding years (prepandemic years). Results From March 2018 to February 2021, 543 febrile infants presented to the emergency departments, 95 during the pandemic year (March 2020 to February 2021) compared with 231 and 217 in the prepandemic years (March 2018 to February 2019 and March 2019 to February 2020, respectively). During the pandemic year, 28.4% of infants (27 of 95) were diagnosed with an SBI compared with 11.7% and 6.9% (P < 0.001) in the prepandemic years (27 of 231 and 15 of 217, respectively). Five patients were diagnosed with bacterial meningitis over the 3-year period, 4 of them during the pandemic year (4 of 95 [4.2%]). Positivity for viral cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction during the pandemic year was 6.4% (3 of 47) compared with 20.8% (25 of 120) and 20.4% (23 of 113) in prepandemic years (P = 0.070). During the pandemic year, 2.1% (2 of 95) febrile young infants were admitted with a comorbid diagnosis of bronchiolitis compared with 4.3% and 6.0% in the prepandemic years (P = 0.310). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the incidence of SBIs in febrile infants 56 days or younger, likely a result of reduction in non–severe acute respiratory syndrome - coronavirus 2 viral infections. Greater vigilance is thus warranted in the evaluation of febrile infants during the COVID-19 pandemic.


We present the first experimental characterization of the frequency spectra of first and subsequent stroke electric fields over a distance range from about 1 km, where the fields are primarily electrostatic, to 200 km, where they are primarily radiation. Spectra are presented to about 700 kHz for lightning within 12 km and to about 300 kHz for lightning at 50 and 200 km. We show that the return stroke ground wave spectrum beyond 50 km has a peak near 4 kHz but that within 10 km the spectrum shows a steady increase with decreasing frequency to 1 kHz. Subsequent strokes beyond 50 km contain more energy above 100 kHz relative to the peak spectral value than do first strokes. Frequency spectra at all ranges fall off roughly as 1/ƒ for frequencies between 5 and 100 kHz, whereas the falloff above 100 kHz is faster as the distance to the stroke increases. From this high-frequency attenuation we determine an RF conductivity for central Florida of between 0.002 and 0.005 Ω−1/m.


In control human malaria infection studies using irradiated Plasmodium falciparum, the cell bank of irradiated P. falciparum infected erythrocytes is needed. The cell banking methods represent an obvious way to obtain suitable material for blood stage Plasmodium . In a cell bank development of irradiated Plasmodium  infected erythrocytes, the ability to cryopreserve procedure of Plasmodium is important  to recover the infectivity of irradiated Plasmodium . This study aims at evaluating the in vitro infectivity of cryopreserved irradiated intra-erythrocytic form P. falciparum . A protein profile investigation using Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of cryopreserved P. falciparum also conducted in this study to know the cryopreserved effect on the protein of irradiated P. falciparum . P lasmodium falciparum of 3D7 strain in human erythrocytes was maintained in in vitro continuous culture . When the percentage of parasites was 10 - 20 %, the culture  was harvested and irradiated  with gamma rays at a dose of 175 Gy . Irradiated P. falciparum then was mixed with cryopreserved solution and stored in -80 °C for one hour before transferred into liquid nitrogen for 20, 40 and 60 days. After being stored the irradiated P. falciparum was thawed and cultured for 20 days. The p ercentage of parasitaemia w as enumerated by examining Giemsa stained thin blood films prepared for 20 days after initiation of culture . Results showed that storage time significantly ( p < 0.05) influence the percentage of parasitaemia . The cooling procedure and cryopreservation media may affect this study results. It also showed that there was insignificant difference of P. falciparum protein profile in all storage times. Overall it can be assumed that the irradiated P. falciparum still kept their infectivity after stored in liquid nitrogen for 60 days. Further study using different cooling procedure and different formula of cryopreservation media with a longer storage time should be conduct to validate this study results.


This research work was conducted to study the effect of sucrose solution and pretreatment of potash alum at different concentration on overall quality of the strawberry fruit kept at ambient temperature. Various treatments were designed named as S0, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 describing different concentrations of sucrose solutions and potash alum. All these treatments were examined physicochemically (Titratable acidity, pH, ascorbic acid, TSS, reducing and non-reducing sugar) and organoleptically (Texture, flavor, color and overall acceptability) at each 15 days interval for three months. Storage results shown that Decreased was found in pH from (3.50 to 3.33), ascorbic acid from (54..68 to 30.23 mg/100 g), non-reducing sugar from (11.89 to 11.04%), color score from (9 to 4.96), texture score from (9 to 5.63), flavor score from (9 to 5.23) and overall acceptability score from (9 to 5.40) while increased were found in TSS from (18.20 to 21.27Brix), titratable acidity from (0.38 to 0.53%) and reducing sugar from (5.58 to 7.88%) throughout storage period. The highest mean value for pH was occurred in treatment S1 (3.45), titratable acidity in S3 (0.50%), TSS in S6 (24.76oBrix), ascorbic acid in S2 (46.30 mg/100 g), reducing sugar in S6 (8.20%), non-reducing sugar in S3 (14.41%), color in S2 (7.60), texture in S2 (7.89), flavor in S3 and S4 (7.60) and overall acceptability in S1 (7.83). Findings revealed potash alum shows better results in 30° and 40°Brix sucrose solution concentration both for physicochemical and organoleptic properties of strawberry.


Background and importance Ribociclib, an orally bioavailable CDK4/6 inhibitor, is currently approved in combination with anaromatase inhibitor for the treatment of pre/perimenopausal women with HR positive, HER2 negative advanced breast cancer. Alterations in the CDK4/6-Rb-E2F pathway, which promotes cell proliferation, usually occur in human tumours. Thus ribociclib remains as an attractive therapeutic strategy for the treatment of other neoplasms in which this pathway is significantly dysregulated. Aim and objectives To evaluate the preliminary clinical response of ribociclib as a single agent, in terms of best overall response (BOR) and progression free survival (PFS) in patients with Rb+ advanced solid tumours (AST) and lymphomas. Material and methods A literature review was carried out of studies published during 2016–2019 in the electronic databases Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library. No restrictions in terms of language or publication year were applied. Search strategy terms were: 'Ribociclib', 'clinical response', 'single agent' and 'advanced cancer'. Boolean operators were used to connect specific search keywords for each database and other free text terms. Results Five clinical trials were found. A phase I study of single agent ribociclib in 132 patients from Europe and USA with Rb+ AST and lymphomas showed preliminary signs of clinical activity (NCT01237236): 3 patients achieved a partial response (PR), 43 a BOR of stable disease (SD) and 8 had PFS for >6 months. In another phase I trial in 17 Japanese patients with advanced oesophageal, breast, peritoneum and soft tissue tumours (NCT01898845), ribociclib exhibited a limited response, as no patient achieved a complete response (CR) or PR, and 4 achieved BOR on SD. In a phase I study in 32 paediatric patients with neuroblastoma and malignant rhabdoid tumours treated with single agent ribociclib (NCT01747876), BOR was SD in 9 patients and 5 achieved SD for more than 6, 6, 8, 12 and 13 cycles, respectively. The results of phase 0 and phase Ib studies that assessed the clinical response of ribociclib as monotherapy in glioblastoma (NCT02933736, NCT02345824), showed limited clinical efficacy and ineffectiveness, respectively. Both studies mentioned the presence of a significant increase in cells mTOR/PI3K signalling pathway activity. Conclusion and relevance Inhibition of the CDK4/6-Rb-E2F pathway by ribociclib showed preliminary limited clinical response in patients with AST and lymphomas. However, the observation of prolonged SD support further investigation of ribociclib in combination with other agents, especially mTOR/PI3K inhibitors. References and/or acknowledgements No conflict of interest.


Lioestheriid conchostracans are numerous in thin End_Page 849------------------------------ beds within correlative uppermost Devonian rocks along the Cordilleran miogeosyncline. They are present in the Exshaw Formation of southwestern Alberta, Sappington Member of Three Forks Formation throughout western Montana, lower part of Leatham Formation of northern Utah, and middle part of Pilot Shale of west-central Utah and southeastern Nevada. These phyllopod bivalve crustaceans or clam shrimp are found most commonly in greenish-gray and grayish-black shales. The shales directly overlie extremely thin discontinuous fish- and conodont-bone beds and are overlain by carbonate beds that generally contain numerous algal nodules (oncolites). Conchostracans also are present in limestone and in channel siltstone. The associated biota generally comprises inarticulate brachiopods, principally Lingula and Orbiculoidea, orthocone, nautiloid, and goniatite cephalopods, Tasmanites, and fish fragments, but locally includes abundant to rare ophiuroids, blastoids, and other pelmatozoans, articulate brachiopods, ostracods, conodonts, trilobites, horn corals, and sponge spicules. The conchostracans are small and thin valved in noncalcareous shale but their size and valve thickness increase relative to higher carbonate content of enclosing rocks. The bivalves are flattened in shale but undistorted in carbonate beds; open articulated valves are commonly preserved. A brackish-water environment is suggested for these latest Devonian conchostracans. Optimum conditions apparently were a muddy bottom, restricted circulation, shallow and quiet water, and slow deposition. End_of_Article - Last_Page 850------------


The environment that we live and operate in has changed dramatically over the last few decades. In my address I intend to highlight some of these changes and give an indication of what I believe we need to do to ensure that SAICE retains the leading role that it has been fulfilling for more than a century.
Working at a university I am constantly reminded of the fact that the youth of today - the engineering professionals of tomorrow - have a frame of reference that is completely different to that of previous generations.


While the role of R40 family of lectin proteins in osmotic stress has long been known, their mechanism of stress tolerance has not yet been explored. Among them, the expression of Osr40g3 was most strongly induced in response to salt stress. Here, we report that Osr40g3 plays a dual role in regulating salinity tolerance as well as seed development in rice. The overexpression of Osr40g3 under control of a constitutive promoter significantly improved salinity tolerance but impaired seed development in transgenic rice. Remarkably, transgenic Arabidopsis ectopically expressing Osr40g3 exhibited enhanced salinity tolerance but produced seeds normally. It was further confirmed that this Osr40g3-mediated impairment in seed development was due to pollen sterility in the transgenic rice while the pistils remained unaffected. The gene further displayed a precise tissue-specific expression pattern which was essential for proper seed development in rice. The constitutive overexpression led to the interaction of Osr40g3 with OsGF14e in the stamens affecting its protein stability. This interaction further interfered with the gibberellic acid metabolism thus leading to pollen sterility. This interaction was, however, highly specific due to the structural distinctiveness of OsGF14e making the phenomenon rice-specific. Nevertheless, in salinity stressed leaves, Osr40g3 interacted with OsEG45 or its ortholog thus leading to salinity tolerance in both rice and Arabidopsis.


Introduction In 2007, an oil tank in an industrial area in Norway exploded and caused a prolonged malodorous pollution. Previous studies have shown that acute physical and psychological health complaints are prevalent in populations recently affected by industrial accidents. However, follow-up studies of human health effects after such accidents are limited, and knowledge about long-term health effects among workers exposed to malodourous emissions following a chemical accident is scarce. The aim of the study was to assess whether subjective health complaints among employees in the industrial area and clean-up workers declined over a four-year period after an oil tank explosion, a period that included removal of the malodorous pollution. Methods A longitudinal survey from 2008 (1 ½ years after the explosion) to 2012 (5 ½ years after the explosion) was performed using the Subjective Health Complaints Inventory, a validated questionnaire. Data were analysed using a linear mixed effects model. Results In 2008, exposed workers (n=147) had significantly more health complaints such as headache, tiredness, sleep problems, dizziness and depression, compared to unexposed controls living far away from the explosion site (n=137). In 2012, there was a reduction of subjective health complaints among the exposed workers, but they still had significantly more subjective neurological symptoms (p<0.01) than controls, adjusted for gender, age, smoking habits, educational level and proximity to the explosion. Discussion It is likely that the overall decrease of subjective health complaints among exposed workers could be due to decreased exposure to malodorous pollutants or time passed since explosion. However, the persistent subjective neurological complaints might be mediated by perceived pollution and health risk perception. Worry might have caused a chronic effect, manifested by a dysfunctional and persistent neuropsychological response. A possible implication is that quick clean-up of malodorous chemical spills is important to avoid persistent health effects.


Staphylococcus aureus, a major gram positive bacterial pathogen that causes a wide spectrum of clinical infections, ranging from localized soft-tissue infections to life-threatening bacteremia and endocarditis. S. aureus infects tissues when the skin or mucosal barriers have been breached which leads to many different types of infections, including boils, carbuncles (a collection of boils) and abscesses. The present study envisaged the incidence of S. aureus in skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI), its susceptibility pattern to different antibiotics and molecular characterization isolated from three different hospitals of Odisha. Out of 1702 samples collected 1622(95.29%) were culture positive for different bacterial pathogens from which S. aureus was 356 (20.9%). The incidence rate of S. aureus among male and female group of patients was 57.5% and 42.2% respectively. The isolated S. aureus were resistant to most of the antibiotics such as azithromycin, penicillin, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, gentamicin, ofloxacin, chloramphenicol, ampicillin and oxacillin. Further methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA)-95.8% were also identified from theS. aureus strains which were multi drug resistant and few were resistant to vancomycin (5%). The MRSA strains were confirmed genotypically by amplification of methicillin resistant (mecA63.3%) gene. Identification and antibiogram profile of S. aureus is highly essential for the treatment of sepsis patients in Odisha.


This document presents a framework for the evaluation of DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) systems, which allows performance measurements to be carried out in an automated and systematic way. We have used Puppeteer, the Node.js library developed by Google, which provides a high level API. This API allows us to automate actions on Chrome Devtools Protocol, such as: start playback, make bandwidth changes and save results of quality change processes, timestamps, stalls and so on. From this data, a processing is made to allow the reconstruction of the visualized video, as well as the extraction of quality metrics and the automated evaluation of the QoE (Quality of Experience) using the ITU-T P.1203 standard.


Abstract Introduction The occupational praxis of activists with disabilities in the Latin America has presented actions of revindication from historically marginalised territories. Objective To explore and describe strategies used by Chilean activist with disabilities. Method Qualitative design via three research techniques: a) 11 in-depth interviews; b) six group chat sessions; c) content analysis of eight social networks belonging to collectives of activists with disabilities in Chile. Results Activists indicate various occupations for revindication as subjects with rights. These trajectories are exemplified with the following dimensions: 1) Interpellate full social participation: demanding justice and citizenship; 2) Showing defective bodies: public mobilisations; 3) Occupying institutional space by placing: bodies in the system. Conclusion Dissident occupational practices intervene and transform the limited comprehension about what human vulnerability and fragility is capable of. This situation is mainly appreciated in the Global South.


The basis of most semi‐conductor devices is the p‐n junction. Here p‐type material is brought into contact with n‐type material by a suitable process so that between the two types of material we have a zone of transition — the depletion layer. This layer spans the region where purely p‐type properties change to purely n‐type. On one side of the layer there are many holes in the valence band and on the other there are many electrons in the conduction band. How we present this state of affairs to the student may be open to question, but, as electrons are the particles which move, it is considered better to represent the conduction electrons as possessing higher energy, i.e. to let electron energy be considered to be positive upward in any model or diagram produced to explain the p‐n junction and its rectifying properties.


Speech and language rehabilitation of hearing impaired children is an economically and socially challenging situation in resource constrained settings. The economic challenge is due to the high costs of hearing aid and social challenge is due to lack of adequate therapy personnel to provide a framework in the community after starting therapy in the hospital. The paper describes an innovative smartphone-based application integrated with an affordable hearing aid to provide a community-based framework for parents to provide therapy at home and update the therapist about ongoing progress. Based on clinical immersion, stakeholder analysis and habitat observation, acoustic requirements, ingredients for scoring the progress of therapy and minimum technical specifications of the application were derived. The application was designed to integrate with a prototype hearing aid. It has a hearing aid mode and therapy mode. The hearing aid mode provides high quality amplification. The therapy mode assists the parent to train the child in the first two components of speech therapy, namely auditory localization and discrimination. There is an in-built option to monitor progress of therapy. One section was devoted to providing motivation to parents by showcasing success stories of hearing impaired children Expert opinion rated the application high on novelty, relevance and utility in resource limited settings of Indian context. Experts recommended improving richness of content and making all stimuli culturally appropriate. Field trails of the application will examine its effectiveness in providing a community-based framework for speech and language rehabilitation and reducing drop outs form therapy.


The market for video games machines in Japan has evolved in a series of distinct and progressive generations, each displaying the characteristics of a standards war. In such a contest, a small number of incompatible products with similar technical specifications battle to dominate the market. Economic theory would suggest that position in the order of entry has an important influence on market performance, and that the mantle of first mover carries with it a strategic advantage that can be exploited by firms. This paper empirically examines the effect that a firm's position in the order of entry into the market has upon its performance. Based on data supplied by a CESA survey on console ownership, an econometric model is constructed which tests the statistical significance of the relationship between the order of movement and market share. The results indicate that, in the market for Japanese video games systems, there are significant disadvantages associated with the first move and significant advantages associated with the second move.


Plant 14-3-3 proteins act as critical components of various cellular signaling processes and play an important role in regulating multiple physiological processes. However, less information is known about the 14-3-3 gene family in banana. In this study, 25 14-3-3 genes were identified from the banana genome. Based on the evolutionary analysis, banana 14-3-3 proteins were clustered into ε and non-ε groups. Conserved motif analysis showed that all identified banana 14-3-3 genes had the typical 14-3-3 motif. The gene structure of banana 14-3-3 genes showed distinct class-specific divergence between the ε group and the non-ε group. Most banana 14-3-3 genes showed strong transcript accumulation changes during fruit development and postharvest ripening in two banana varieties, indicating that they might be involved in regulating fruit development and ripening. Moreover, some 14-3-3 genes also showed great changes after osmotic, cold, and salt treatments in two banana varieties, suggested their potential role in regulating banana response to abiotic stress. Taken together, this systemic analysis reveals the involvement of banana 14-3-3 genes in fruit development, postharvest ripening, and response to abiotic stress and provides useful information for understanding the functions of 14-3-3 genes in banana.


This paper explored the new features of emerging stock markets, in order to point out the most associated indicators of increasing stock return volatility, which may lead to instability of emerging markets. The study covers a sample of five geographical areas of emerging economies, including Mexico, Korea, South Africa, Turkey, and Malaysia. It used the backward multiple‐regression technique to examine the relationship between monthly changes of stock price indices as dependent variable and the associated predicting local as well as international variables, which represent possible causes of increasing price volatility and initiating crises in emerging stock markets. The study covered monthly data for a period of forty‐eight months from January 1997 to December 2000. The study revealed that stock trading volume and currency exchange rate respectively represent the highest positive correlation to the emerging stock price changes; thus represent the most predicting variables of increasing price volatility. International stock price index, deposit interest rate, and bond trading volume were moderate predicting variables for emerging stock price volatility. While changes in inflation rate showed the least positive correlation to stock price volatility, thus represents the least predicting variable.


Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) in sepsis is a common event. This study aims to evaluate the long-term impact of sepsis on renal hemodynamics and morphology. Methods: Wistar rats underwent sepsis and survivors (n = 24) were followed for up to six months, monitoring macro, regional and micro hemodynamics of the kidney, serum creatinine, and renal histology. The naive animals were used as the control group (n= 6), and sepsis was induced by E. coli e.v. inoculation. Surviving animals were monitored for up to six months. Results: Overall, the findings show that sepsis survivors have long-term hemodynamic and morphological compromise, as well as a progressive worsening of renal functional unit components over time. Even after six months of recovery from sepsis, severe renal hypoxia, chronic inflammation, evidence of increased vascular resistance, and renal fibrosis were observed in surviving animals. These alterations were present in animals with a healthy appearance and normal MAP. Conclusion: Those findings may represent a state of severely impaired physiology and be a contributing factor to the higher susceptibility to renal failure in the face of a new infectious challenge or to other pathological stimuli in the post-sepsis periods.


The aberrant activation of B-cells has been implicated in several types of cancers and hematological disorders. BTK and PI3Kδ are kinases responsible for B-cell signal transduction, and inhibitors of these enzymes have demonstrated clinical benefit in certain types of lymphoma. Simultaneous inhibition of these pathways could result in more robust responses or overcome resistance as observed in single agent use. We report a series of novel compounds that have low nanomolar potency against both BTK and PI3Kδ as well as acceptable PK properties that could be useful in the development of treatments against B-cell related diseases.


Materials Science![Figure][1]

Semiconductor chips attached to a flexible, stretchable support

PHOTO: S.-C. PARK ET AL. ADVANCED MATERIALS (12 MAY 2015) © 2015 JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.

Stretchable electronics that combine both inorganic and organic parts require processing methods compatible with both types of materials. Writing semiconductors directly onto flexible substrates is possible only at low temperatures. If one fabricates the semiconductors first, precise alignment steps are needed, including deposition of the interconnects. Park et al. developed a process of directed self-assembly where light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can be fluidically deposited onto a stretchable substrate, so that they bond to regions that are isolated from deformation. The bottom substrate contained regions of solder that directed the LED assembly. A top conductive layer was designed for rapid attachment without critical alignment. Thus, flexible solid-state lighting could be made in a continuous roll-to-roll process.

Adv. Mat. 10.1002/adma.201500839 (2015).

 [1]: pending:yes


The first examples of thiocyanate-free thiophene-substituted Ru(II) cyclometalated complexes, based on thiophene-derived 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine ligands, are presented and investigated as photosensitizers in DSCs. Upon thiophene substitution the complexes presented enhanced optical properties compared to the reference dye with no thiophene substitution. DSCs based on the dithienyl-derived dye showed power conversion efficiencies up to 5.7%, more than twice that containing the complex without the thiophene substitution.


A common practice among farmers is to spray pesticides on crops in order to protect them from herbivores to have an abundant production of crops. The purpose of this study was to find out the effects of Bayluscide on cell division in root tip cells of onions (Allium cepa). The study uses the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), consisting of one control group and four experimental groups that were replicated thrice. Fifteen healthy onion bulb roots were used and subjected to 0%, 2%, 6%, 10%, and 14% concentrations of Bayluscide and distilled water. Excised root tips were prepared for slides, and cytological changes were examined under the microscope. The cells counted and observed were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Duncan Multiple Range Test, and Mitotic Index. As reflected in the result, there was a significant decrease in cells undergoing cell division as the treatment concentration increased. Cells at the interphase stage increased in number as the concentration increased during the prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase showed a marked decrease in number. Cytological abnormalities noted were shrunken and a broken nucleus.


Empirical evidence has shown that small-scale farmers can use a non-food, green manure legume as soil-fertilising technology only if it provides immediate benefits other than soil fertility improvement. In the southern part of the Republic of Benin, however, subsistence-oriented farmers chose Mucuna pruriens exclusively for soil fertility. In this they had the opportunity to select dual-purpose grain legumes for both soil fertility and food without season loss. The rationale behind this apparently irrational choice lies in the differentiated and economically sound land allocation to Mucuna and grain legumes.


Purpose: Accuracy of direct dose calculation on CBCT datasets is compromised by inaccuracy of reconstructed Hounsfield unit (HU) numbers in CBCT. Establishing HU to electron density (ED) calibration curves for CBCT can improve dose calculation accuracy on CBCTimages. The goal of this study is to investigate effects of phantom volume and radial positions of inserting materials on HU‐to‐ED calibration for CBCT and evaluate impact of the calibration on dose calculation accuracy on CBCT datasets. Method and Materials: Catphan 600 and Gammex RMI 467 phantoms were used to characterize HU‐to‐ED calibration curves for both FBCT and CBCT. The effect of scatter volume on the HU‐to‐ED calibration was evaluated using the Catphan phantom fitted with annuli and the Gammex phantom in water. The CBCT HU‐to‐ED calibration was conducted by varying the radial positions of inserts in the Gammex phantom. The determined calibration curves were input into the Pinnacle TPS to calculate dose for an anthropomorphic pelvis phantom. Results: The scatter volume has negligible effects on the HU‐to‐ED calibration for FBCT. The CBCT HU‐to‐ED calibration curves vary significantly with the scatter volume and differ largely from that of FBCT. Large deviations of 330 HU and 700 HU in high density materials are observed for CBCT with the use of the modified Catphan and Gammex phantoms. In comparison to FBCT, the HU numbers on the CBCT HU‐to‐ED calibration curves are larger and smaller for materials less dense and denser than water, respectively. Radial position variations of inserts can cause HU number to change by up to 200 HU. The doses computed based on FBCT and CBCT of the pelvis phantom agree to within 3%. Conclusion: The CBCT and FBCT HU‐to‐ED calibration curves differ significantly. A fairly good dose calculation accuracy can be achieved using a single CBCT HU‐to‐ED calibration curve.


Abstract: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease that results in multiple organ injuries. LN is challenging to manage because it mimics the clinical presentations of other diseases. This article highlights recommendations for the management of lupus erythematosus to improve quality of life. In addition, it provides NPs with evidence-based guidelines for managing patients with LN for positive health outcomes.


ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of chlorambucil in the treatment of serpiginous choroiditis. Methods: Patient records from the Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution (MERSI) were reviewed from over the past 10 years. In total, 17 patients with the diagnosis of serpiginous choroiditis treated with chlorambucil were identified. QuantiFERON gold was negative in all of them. Chlorambucil was started at 0.15 mg/kg and dosage was titrated up using weekly white blood cell (WBC) count to achieve a target cell number of 3.0–4.5 × 109 cells/L. The goal of therapy was to maintain this value for at least 6–9 months. Adverse effects, recurrence, rate of new choroidal neovascularization (CNVM), and visual acuity before and after treatment were recorded. Results: The mean age of the 17 patients with the diagnosis of serpiginous choroiditis treated with chlorambucil was 46 years, and six patients (35%) were male. The mean duration of treatment for chlorambucil was 8.4 months. None of them developed cancer or persistent side-effects, with a mean follow-up of 53 months. Of the patients, 12 (71%) achieved an average of 45 (5–120) months drug-free remission in their last follow-up. Visual acuity of 33 treated eyes remained within two lines of Snellen acuity in 27 eyes (82%), improved in one eye (3%), and deteriorated in five eyes (15%). Leukopenia was the most common side-effect, which was reversible in all cases. Conclusions: Chlorambucil in a relatively short duration of time, with an escalating dose guided by weekly WBC was well tolerated, as well as effective in preventing recurrence and maintaining vision in patients with serpiginous choroiditis.


The treatment in the press of family planning hinges on two fundamental factors: the taboo of the leftist groups and the taboo of the Catholic Church, whose head is against abortion under any circumstances. Leftist views insinuate that family planning is the genocidal plan of North American imperialists against the Third World and, in particular, against Latin America. This genocidal plan is supposed to subject poor populations to international schemes. In the press family planning is often treated in a sanctimonious fashion, lumping it together with topics like pornography, sex, and violence. In 1983 the daily newspaper Expreso published a supplement running every week for almost three months about the issue of population, which dealt fairly extensively with such topics as population and housing, education, employment, and urban proliferation, as well as responsible parenthood and child survival. In addition, there was a detailed description of contraceptive methods. In October 1986 another surprising thing happened: the President of Peru talked about the topic of family planning, which at the time was an act of courage. Since then much has changed; the whole world is interested in family planning and certain aspects of population. Since October 1986 more has been published in this domain than during the preceding 20 years. In contrast, the Church reacted differently to this issue: after some initial caution, the conference of Peruvian bishops attacked all methods of modern contraceptives and private institutions of family planning. The information boom in family planning will certainly continue. At the moment this flood of articles and editorials about the issue is an expression of the anxiety of families related to uncontrolled reproduction and the fear of overpopulation in large cities devoid of minimal services.


Energy-Efficient Capacitance-to-Digital Converters for Smart Sensor Applications Abdulaziz Mohammad Alhoshany One of the key requirements in the design of wireless sensor nodes and miniature biomedical devices is energy efficiency. For a sensor node, which is a sensor and readout circuit, to survive on limited energy sources such as a battery or harvested energy, its energy consumption should be minimized. Capacitive sensors are candidates for use in energy-constrained applications, as they do not consume static power and can be used in a wide range of applications to measure different physical, chemical or biological quantities. However, the energy consumption is dominated by the capacitive interface circuit, i.e. the capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC). Several energy-efficient CDC architectures are introduced in this dissertation to meet the demand for high resolution and energy efficiency in smart capacitive sensors. First, we propose an energy-efficient CDC based on a differential successive-approximation data converter. The proposed differential CDC employs an energy-efficient operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) based on an inverter. A wide capacitance range with fine absolute resolution is implemented in the proposed coarse-fine DAC architecture which saves 89% of silicon area. The proposed CDC achieves an energy efficiency figureof-merit (FOM) of 45.8fJ/step, which is the best reported energy efficiency to date. Second, we propose an energy efficient CDC for high-precision capacitive resolution by using oversampling and noise shaping. The proposed CDC achieves 150 aF absolute resolution 5 and an energy efficiency FOM of 187fJ/conversion-step which outperforms state of the art high-precision differential CDCs. In the third and last part, we propose an in-vitro cancer diagnostic biosensor-CMOS platform for low-power, rapid detection, and low cost. The introduced platform is the first to demonstrate the ability to screen and quantify the spermidine/spermine N1 acetyltransferase (SSAT) enzyme which reveals the presence of early-stage cancer, on the surface of a capacitive biosensor. This platform, which is a biosensor combined with a highly energy-efficient digital CDC, is implemented and fabricated in a CMOS technology and can sense and convert the capacitance value from the biosensor to a digital word in an energy efficient way. The platform achieves an ultralow power consumption: four orders of magnitude less than the state-of-the-art biosensorCMOS platforms.


Precision oncology is currently based on the notion that genomic analysis of descriptive molecular signatures from patient tumors will lead to actionable therapeutic targets following the patient9s arrival into the clinic. However, this approach has failed to deliver new effective treatments for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), which is the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer; and thus, ∼90% of adult GBM patients receiving standard of care therapies continue to die within 2 years of diagnosis. In addition, this approach has neglected the importance for using functional genetics in precision oncology. To identify new therapeutic targets for GBM, we applied functional genetics to perform lethal genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens in patient-derived GBM stem-like cells (GSCs) and also non-transformed human neural stem cells (NSCs), non-neoplastic tissue of origin controls. Here, we present our latest findings from these screens, which include multiple novel GBM-specific lethal genes that were validated by both in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies. Knockout of GBM-specific lethal genes, including the WEE1-like kinase, PKMYT1/Myt1, lead to lethality in GSCs, but not NSCs. Focused mechanistic studies revealed that PKMYT1 acts redundantly with WEE1 to phosphorylate CDK1-Y15 and to promote timely completion of mitosis in NSCs, but that this redundancy is lost in most GBM isolates and in NSCs harboring activated alleles of EGFR and AKT1, which are commonly altered signaling pathways in GBM. Moreover, PKMYT1 depletion in GSCs and genetically altered NSCs requiring PKMYT1 lead to cytokinesis failure and cell death during mitosis. In addition to lethal genes, genes promoting in vitro expansion of NSCs upon knockout were examined. For this category, we validated multiple genes that are candidate tumor suppressors and involved in: the negative regulation of Hippo signaling, TP53 signaling, epigenetic regulation, promoting neural development, and other cellular functions. Knockout of these genes caused shortened cell cycle transit times and drastic growth advantages in NSCs, and in the case of CREBBP knockout, caused precious entry into S-phase and deregulation of cell cycle gene expression. The identification of these potential tumor suppressors here reveal new genetic drivers in glioma/GBM, which contributes to a growing body of work that will help redefine GBM gene signatures. Furthermore, we found that the molecular signatures of pathways and genes commonly altered in GBM are not ideal GBM therapeutic targets since most of these targets failed to score as GBM-specific lethal hits in our knockout screens and likely are non-essential or essential in both the GSCs and NSCs. Nonetheless, these common GBM alterations give rise to cancer-specific vulnerabilities, which then lead to genes, such as PKMYT1, that are required to overcome functional impairments in cancer cells. Taken together, we demonstrated here that genomics and functional genetics are equally important for precision oncology, as the combination of both tools can identify genetically altered genes, cancer-specific therapeutic targets, and tumor suppressors. These results are part of a rapidly growing body of work by the science community that will one day allow oncologists to tailor therapies for each patient based upon his or her tumor genetic profile and characteristics. Citation Format: Chad M. Toledo, Yu Ding, Pia Hoellerbauer, Ryan J. Davis, Ryan Basom, Emily J. Girard, Eunjee Lee, Philip Corrin, Hamid Bolouri, Jerry Davison, Qing Zhang, Do-Hyun Nam, Jeongwu Lee, Steven M. Pollard, Jun Zhu, Jeffery J. Delrow, Bruce E. Clurman, James M. Olson, Patrick J. Paddison. Genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens uncover therapeutic targets and tumor suppressor genes in glioblastoma multiforme. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr C159.


In this letter, we consider two sets of observations defined as subspace signals embedded in noise and we wish to analyze the distance between these two subspaces. The latter entails evaluating the angles between the subspaces, an issue reminiscent of the well-known Procrustes problem. A Bayesian approach is investigated where the subspaces of interest are considered as random with a joint prior distribution (namely a Bingham distribution), which allows the closeness of the two subspaces to be parameterized. Within this framework, the minimum mean-square distance estimator of both subspaces is formulated and implemented via a Gibbs sampler. A simpler scheme based on alternative maximum a posteriori estimation is also presented. The new schemes are shown to provide more accurate estimates of the angles between the subspaces, compared to singular value decomposition based independent estimation of the two subspaces.


This study examines rhetorical and exegetical appropriations of Scripture especially in the Greek corpus of the writings of Athanasius of Alexandria, the fourth-century bishop famous for his role in the establishment of Nicene orthodoxy. An introductory chapter surveys earlier scholarship on Athanasian exegesis and on intertextual usage in related literatures. Subsequent chapters examine Athanasius's practice in his apologetic, dogmatic-polemical, dogmatic-historical, and pastoral writings. His writings interpret the Bible as a unified account that explains salvation in terms of the incarnation of the uncreated Word of God and models it through the positive and negative examples of various biblical characters.


The purpose of this paper is to critically review and address the cause of variation in the values of elastic modulus (E) of bone. Properties used for materials (especially) bones is one of the crucial factors in modeling and simulation experiments with sensitive procedures such as Finite Elements. The values of elastic modulus acquired from secondary databases, literature and online repositories differ in many ways. This is due to an underlying fact that different methods are used for one definite set of species and vice versa. According to a human understanding, this might bar the perceptive of use of elastic modulus in the research when (especially) insightful procedures are in question for example Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of materials with sensitive procedures. The means and the methods, through which the values are obtained, do not follow a standard methodology. Thus, this area needs attention. Despite the advances in technology and state-of-the-art methods in the field of biomechanics and biomedical engineering there is a need to formulate a standard method which can produce reliable set of E-values. Through this paper, we seek to raise an important scientific question as to what systemic methodology should be adapted to achieve a value of elastic modulus that is not only reliable, but reasonable as well. The paper also, focus briefly on the sources of error responsible for this variation and the significance of elastic modulus values in important numerical methods such as Finite Elements (FE).


Ten women treated for gynecologic neoplasms (8 cervical carcinomas, one vaginal and one endometrial carcinoma) were found at computed tomography (CT) to have a fistula although only 5 patients had symptoms that could be related to a fistula. Five women had vesico-vaginal fistulae, 2 recto-vaginal, 2 entero-cervical and one a vulvo-pubical fistula. Three patients had recurrent malignancy at the CT examination. We regard CT as the ragiologic method of choice in diagnosing gynecologic fistulae.


Seventeen channels of a Coulter Chemistry Unit were evaluated. The evaluation included within-run and day-to-day precision, recovery, dilution, carryover and interference studies; as well as correlation studies between the Coulter Chemistry Unit and the procedures currently used in the author's laboratory. Criteria for acceptance of a procedure are outlined. Five channels of the particular instrument studied were found acceptable by the author's criteria, six channels had correctable defects, and six channels had either reagent or instrumentation deficiencies.


Abstract Background Lowering the dose of desoxycorticosterone pivalate (DOCP) for the treatment of dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism (PH) decreases costs and could lead to increased owner motivation to treat their affected dogs. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of a low‐dose DOCP treatment protocol in dogs with PH. Animals Prospective study, 17 client‐owned dogs with naturally occurring PH (12 newly diagnosed, 5 previously treated with fludrocortisone acetate [FC]). Methods Dogs with newly diagnosed PH were started on 1.5 mg/kg DOCP SC; dogs previously treated with FC were started on 1.0‐1.8 mg/kg DOCP SC. Reevaluations took place at regular intervals for a minimum of 3 months and included clinical examination and determination of serum sodium and potassium concentrations. The DOCP dosage was adjusted to obtain an injection interval of 28‐30 days and to keep serum electrolyte concentrations within the reference interval. Results Median (range) follow‐up was 16.2 months (4.5‐32.3 months). The starting dosage was sufficient in all but 2 dogs and had to be significantly decreased after 2‐3 months to a median dosage (range) of 1.1 mg/kg (0.7‐1.8). Dogs 3 years of age or younger needed significantly higher dosages compared to older dogs. None of them, however, needed the 2.2 mg/kg DOCP dosage, recommended by the manufacturer. Conclusions and Clinical Importance A starting dosage of 1.5 mg/kg DOCP is effective in controlling clinical signs and serum electrolyte concentrations in the majority of dogs with PH. An additional dose reduction often is needed to maintain an injection interval of 28‐30 days. Young and growing animals seem to need higher dosages.


Rationale: Although evidence supporting use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) during acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is strong, evidence varieswidely for other causes of acute respiratory failure. Objectives: To compare utilization trends and outcomes associated with NIV in patients with and without COPD. Methods:We identified 11,659,668 cases of acute respiratory failure from theNationwide Inpatient Sample during years 2000 to 2009 and compared NIV utilization trends and failure rates for cases with or without a diagnosis of COPD. Measurements and Main Results: The proportion of patients withCOPDwho receivedNIV increased from3.5% in 2000 to 12.3% in 2009 (250% increase), and the proportion of patients without COPD who received NIV increased from 1.2% in 2000 to 6.0% in 2009 (400% increase). The rate of increase in the useofNIVwas significantly greater for patients without COPD (18.1% annual change) than for patients with COPD (14.3% annual change; P = 0.02). Patients without COPD were more likely to have failure of NIV requiring endotracheal intubation (adjusted odds ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.15– 1.22; P, 0.0001). Patients in whom NIV failed had higher hospital mortality than patients receiving mechanical ventilation without a preceding trial of NIV (adjusted odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.11–1.17; P, 0.0001). Conclusion: The use of NIV during acute respiratory failure has increased at a similar rate for all diagnoses, regardless of supporting evidence. However, NIV is more likely to fail in patients without COPD, and NIV failure is associated with increased mortality.


We prove the existence of the flow by curvature of regular planar networks starting from an initial network which is non-regular. The proof relies on a monotonicity formula for expanding solutions and a local regularity result for the network flow in the spirit of B. White's local regularity theorem for mean curvature flow. We also show a pseudolocality theorem for mean curvature flow in any codimension, assuming only that the initial submanifold can be locally written as a graph with sufficiently small Lipschitz constant.


Synopsis: The mammalian hair-fibre, together with the "inner root-sheath" (i.e. the axial layers of the follicle wall), grows upward by a proximal addition of cells. Changes in the inner root-sheath are responsible for the final shape and surface sculpture of the fibre. At its distal limit the inner root-sheath disintegrates owing to the effect of a de-keratinizing chemical agent. A bent, undulated, or "crimped" fibre is due to a differentiated progress of the changes leading to keratinization of the "fibre cortex". The cells which give rise to a "medulla" are different chemically and less compressible than cortical cells.


Polysorbate 80 (PS80) functions as a dispersing agent or solubilizer in many pharmaceuticals, and as a stabilizer in biopharmaceuticals. Topical or parenteral administration of low doses of PS80 in biopharmaceuticals has been associated with mild allergic reactions, including local injection site reactions in humans. High doses of PS80, such as levels found in traditional Chinese herbal parenteral medicines, have been linked to systemic effects consistent with anaphylactoid-type reactions, which are characterized by the direct release of histamine from mast cells (degranulation). Nonclinical safety assessments of PS80 in vivo have mainly focused on canine model systems, a species established to be particularly sensitive to PS80. However, there is conflicting data about the dose and route of administration of PS80 required to elicit an anaphylactoid-type reaction in this model system. Therefore, studies using multiple dosing regimens in anesthetized and conscious dogs including a combination of cardiovascular data, clinical signs, and biomarkers of mast cell degranulation were conducted. An intravenous (IV) bolus of 1 mg/kg PS80 (0.25% w/v) elicited a positive anaphylactoid reaction including increased heart rate, hypotension, and clinical signs associated with anaphylactoid reactions (e.g., reddened muzzle). However, a full reaction was not observed with a subcutaneous (SC) injection of PS80 (0.25% w/v) up to 20 mg/kg and IV bolus or IV infusions up to 0.5 mg/kg. These data establish a threshold dose for eliciting an anaphylactoid reaction in canine which varies depending on the route of administration as well as the rate of PS80 infusion.


This study aimed at exploring the cultural ways to develope the under-space of overpass in the downtown area which has been considered as a dead, unhealthy place. The study process consists of 4 methodological stages. literature review, case study on environmental design of under-space of overpass, questionnaire and statistical analysis and specific study on regional context were conducted to understand the problems of the space and the needs of the community and visitors. The final suggestion based on the research are the natural rest settings including pocket parks with trees and fountain as well as cultural settings with small sized outdoor gallery and open performance stage which can be managed by the community members. The findings of this study would help the dead space in the center of the city regenerate the community in terms of physical, cultural and social environments. Also, this study will show the importance and the methodological approach of the research for the development of the hidden potential space of the city.


Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is X-linked disorder caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. To investigate mutation types and distribution characteristics of dystrophin gene in Chinese DMD patients, we used Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) to analyze the dystrophin gene in 720 DMD patients, their mothers, and 20 normal adult males. Results showed that detection rate was 64.9% (467/720) in all the patients, gene deletion rate was 54.3% (391/720), and gene duplication rate was 10.6% (76/720). The rate of deletion mutant occurred in Exon 45-54 was 71.9% (281/391) in all gene deletion patients; meanwhile, the rate of gene duplication occurred in Exon 1-40 was 82.9% (63/76) in all gene duplication ones. In all the patients with gene deletion and duplication, the rate of DMD and IMD was 90.6% (423/467), and BMD, 9.4% (44/467). This indicates that the main reason of duchenne muscular dystrophy is dystrophin gene deletion mutation, which would occur in any gene unevenly with hot spots of mutation. The location and fragment length of gene deletion and duplication cannot decide the severity of clinical symptoms directly.


The effect of dry powder povidone-iodine (Disadine D.P.) on wound healing was assessed experimentally and clinically. It did not interfere with wound healing macroscopically, histologically or mechanically in Wistar rats. One hundred and one patients undergoing 'clean' elective surgery were included in the controlled clinical study and povidone-iodine did not affect wound healing in any way. In the control group 4% of patients developed infection compared with none of those sprayed with povidone-iodine. No adverse reaction to povidone-iodine was seen in either study. This antiseptic offers a safe alternative to antibiotics for use at operation whenever there is risk of wound infection from operative bacterial contamination.


QCD is investigated at finite temperature using Wilson fermions in the fixed scale approach. A 2+1 flavor stout and clover improved action is used at four lattice spacings allowing for control over discretization errors. The light quark masses in this first study are fixed to heavier than physical values. The renormalized chiral condensate, quark number susceptibility and the Polyakov loop is measured and the results are compared with the staggered formulation in the fixed N_t approach. The Wilson results at the finest lattice spacing agree with the staggered results at the highest N_t.


Robotic and control systems are ever more difficult to design, program, as well as to operate. This is due to their growing size and complexity. Therefore, their real-time programming and execution architectures require more user and design assistance, based on usable abstraction and tool support. Especially in safety-critical control systems (e.g., space robotics, robotic surgery) formal methods can be useful, but they have to be made usable by application domain specialists. User-friendly, domain-specific languages and interfaces ease the application of real-time analysis and implementation techniques. We are particularly interested in task-level programming of robot and control systems, where tasks encapsulate control laws. We consider the application of discrete control synthesis techniques, integrated into the framework of a task-level robot programming environment: they support the automated generation of correct controllers for control applications. We use the synchronous programming environment Signal, and the verification and synthesis tool Sigali. This requires to determine patterns of tasks and objectives, which are at once domain-specific to control systems, and generic enough to cover a broad class of control systems. We consider its application to safe discrete teleoperation. We illustrate this by a case study concerning the interactive discrete control of tasks of an excavating system.


Usually, verification of graph rewriting-based model transformations is performed manually, however, the industrial applications require automated methods. In several cases, transformation developers are interested in the offline analysis, when only the definition of the transformation and the specification of the modeling languages are taken into account. Hence, the analysis must be performed only once, and the results are independent from the concrete input models. For this purpose, transformations should be specified in a formalism that can be automatically analyzed. Based on our previous work that presented the mathematical background, this paper provides a platform-independent, declarative formalism for the specification of graph rewriting-based model transformations, and demonstrates its applicability on a case study of refactoring mobile-based social network models. Our results prove that several functional properties of the model transformations can be automatically verified, moreover, the capabilities of our methods can be extended in the future.


Splenic preservation and conservative management are now accepted norms when dealing with splenic pathologic conditions. Recently, we managed one case of splenic pseudocyst by successfully performing partial splenectomy via a laparoscopic approach. This case report possibly the first case report of its kind in Korea, describes laparoscopic partial splenectomy for an undiagnosed and suspected benign splenic lesion. A thorough understanding of splenic anatomy permits laparoscopic partial splenectomy with the resultant benefits, including a decreased risk of postsplenectomy sepsis by preserving splenic function, short hospital stay, smooth convalescence, superior cosmesis, and nonrecurrence. The success and relative ease of performing this procedure will pave the way for its future use in other selective cases involving splenic pathology.


Multiple lines of evidence support the hypothesis that the early evolution of life was dominated by RNA, which can both transfer information from generation to generation through replication directed by base-pairing, and carry out biochemical activities by folding into functional structures. To understand how life emerged from prebiotic chemistry we must therefore explain the steps that led to the emergence of the RNA world, and in particular, the synthesis of RNA. The generation of pools of highly pure ribonucleotides on the early Earth seems unlikely, but the presence of alternative nucleotides would support the assembly of nucleic acid polymers containing nonheritable backbone heterogeneity. We suggest that homogeneous monomers might not have been necessary if populations of heterogeneous nucleic acid molecules could evolve reproducible function. For such evolution to be possible, function would have to be maintained despite the repeated scrambling of backbone chemistry from generation to generation. We have tested this possibility in a simplified model system, by using a T7 RNA polymerase variant capable of transcribing nucleic acids that contain an approximately 1∶1 mixture of deoxy- and ribonucleotides. We readily isolated nucleotide-binding aptamers by utilizing an in vitro selection process that shuffles the order of deoxy- and ribonucleotides in each round. We describe two such RNA/DNA mosaic nucleic acid aptamers that specifically bind ATP and GTP, respectively. We conclude that nonheritable variations in nucleic acid backbone structure may not have posed an insurmountable barrier to the emergence of functionality in early nucleic acids.


This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of Labisia pumila var alata (L. pumila) water extract for improving quality of life, cardiovascular and hormonal balance. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, 16-week study in healthy pre- and postmenopausal women aged 40-60 years was conducted in Kelantan, Malaysia. The subjects were randomized to 400 mg propriety extract of L. pumila or placebo. A Women's Health Questionnaire was used to assess quality of life. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate the data. A total of 197 subjects (L. pumila: n=102 and placebo: n=95) were analyzed. Subjects in the herbal group showed improved memory/concentration, vasomotor symptoms, menstrual symptoms, and sleep problems by 8.3%, 15.9%, 11.8%, and 31.0%, respectively. The greatest improvement was observed for the question: "I get frightened or panic feelings for apparently no reason at all" with a 53% decrease as compared with placebo. Improvements were also seen in the cardiovascular parameters, and the safety profiles were normal. Postmenopausal women supplemented with L. pumila showed no changes in gynecological relevant hormones luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and 17β-Estradiol. Water extract of L. pumila was shown to be safe and effective for improving several parameters of quality of life and cardiovascular risks factors (total cholesterol [TC], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]).


Abstract— Dar al Gani 476, the 13th martian meteorite, was recovered from the Sahara in 1998. It is a basaltic shergottitic rock composed of olivine megacrysts reaching 5 mm (24 vol%) set in a finegrained groundmass of pyroxene (59 vol%) and maskelynitized plagioclase (12 vol%) with minor amounts of accessory phases (spinel, merrillite, ilmenite). Dar al Gani 476 is similar to lithology A of Elephant Moraine A79001 (EETA79001) in petrography and mineralogy, but is distinct in several aspects. Low‐Ca pyroxenes in the Dar al Gani 476 groundmass are more magnesian (En76Fs21 Wo3∼En58Fs30Wo12) than those in lithology A of EETA79001 (En73Fs22Wo5∼En45Fs43Wo12), rather similar to pyroxenes in lherzolitic martian meteorites (En76Fs21 Wo3∼En63Fs22Wo15). Dar al Gani 476 olivine is less magnesian and shows a narrower compositional range (Fo76‐58) than EETA79001 olivine (Fo81‐53), and is also similar to olivines in lherzolitic martian meteorites (Fo74‐65). The orthopyroxene‐olivine‐chromite xenolith typical in the lithology A of EETA79001 is absent in Dar al Gani 476. It seems that Dar al Gani 476 crystallized from a slightly more primitive mafic magma than lithology A of EETA79001 and several phases (olivine, pyroxene, chromite, and ilmenite) in Dar al Gani 476 may have petrogenetic similarities to those of lherzolitic martian meteorites. Olivine megacrysts in Dar al Gani 476 are in disequilibrium with the bulk composition. The presence of fractured olivine grains in which the most Mg‐rich parts are in contact with the groundmass suggests that little diffusive modification of original olivine compositions occurred during cooling. This observation enabled us to estimate the cooling rates of Dar al Gani 476 and EETA79001 olivines, giving similar cooling rates of 0.03‐3 °C/h for Dar al Gani 476 and 0.05‐5 °C/h for EETA79001. This suggests that they were cooled near the surface (burial depth shallower than about 3 m at most), probably in lava flows during crystallization of groundmass. As is proposed for lithology A of EETA79001, it may be possible to consider that Dar al Gani 476 has an impact melt origin, a mixture of martian lherzolite and other martian rock (Queen Alexandra Range 94201, nakhlites?).


Catheter design and the manufacture of microbore tubing require a scientific process in which every design and process component, as well as their interactions, must be fully understood. Attention to detail on the design part and the extrusion/manufacturing part is essential. Less than optimum designs may cause a product not to be competitive and not to do well after its introduction to the market. An extrusion/manufacturing process that is not robust may result in low product manufacturing yields and product failures in the field. Resources spent up-front to ensure a competitive and robust product are always cost-effective.


Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent proteolytic enzymes that are collectively able to degrade all components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). MMPs influence cell dissociation, death and division, angiogenesis, and the bioavailability of growth factors and cytokines, events needed in wound healing and tumor invasion. Normal cutaneous reepithelialization involves many MMPs, including MMP-1, -9, and -10 in migratory keratinocytes and MMP-3, -19 and -28 in the proliferating zone. However, many of these same MMPs as well as various others, such as MMPs-1, -2, -7, -9, -13, -14 and -26, have been implicated for various cancers. I investigated the role of MMPs, especially MMP-9 and MMP-19, in wound healing and in epithelial cancers. I studied the possible mechanisms for delayed epithelialization as well as malignant transformation in chronic wounds. I investigated the expression profile of MMPs in the biology and tumorigenesis of pre-malignant lesions in the skin and oral mucosa, and whether the expression patterns of certain MMPs could serve as molecular markers to predict carcinogenesis. Principal methods used were in situ hybridisation, immunohistochemistry, Taqman RT-PCR, Northern, Western and enzyme activity analysis and zymography. My results show that in acute wounds epithelial cells expressed MMP-9, whereas in chronic wounds, it is expressed by inflammatory stromal cells. The absence of intact ECM molecules due to degradation by inflammatory cell-derived MMP-9 in chronic non-healing wounds may deprive wound edge keratinocytes of proper cell-matrix interactions needed for induction of migration. MMP-2 and MMP-14 are expressed only by stromal cells in all wound types in vivo. Inhibition of MMPs with BB-3103 blocked epithelialization completely in an ex vivo model, whereas aprotinin did not affect it significantly, indicating the requirement for one or more MMPs in epidermal wound healing. This is the first study to show keratinocyte expression of MMP-19. In wounds it is expressed by non-migrating keratinocytes at the hyperproliferating areas but the expression totally dissappeared with malignant transformation. MMP-19 mRNA expression was induced by TNF-α and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) in primary keratinocytes. MMP-7 is expressed by malignantly transformed epithelium of the skin while it is absent from chronic wounds and keratoacanthomas (KA). Epithelial MMP-13 expression is strong in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), absent in chronic wounds, but present in KAs. Oral verrucous carcinomas (VC) were devoid of epithelial MMP-3, -7, -9, -12 and -13 expression compared to oral SCCs. Based on my results I suggest that the epithelial expression of MMPs-7, -12, and –13 and the loss of MMP-19 could aid in making the differential diagnosis between well-differentiated SCC and non-malignant chronic wound or KAs. The invasiveness of oral cancers may be dependent on their MMP expression profile. This phenomenon may thus serve as a prognostic marker in oral SCC. MMP-7, -9, -12, and -13 may be good targets for intervention therapy at the early stages of oral cancer. I conclude, that several MMPs are needed in wound re-epithelialization, and their expression pattern may promote chronic phenotype as well as malignant transformation. In skin and oral cancers, MMPs might be used as prognostic markers in diagnosing pre-malignant changes from aggressive tumors.


Despite the fact that students are often articulate about qualifications policy matters, their perspectives are rarely listened to. This is because governments shape qualifications policy according to pre-set beliefs and are unwilling to countenance dissonant or outsider views. Using the Diploma qualification and inclusion of vocational qualifications as GCSE and A level equivalents for league tables as examples, this commentary complements this edition's main articles through exploring why these policies failed, as well as why myriad voices went unheeded.


This research presents an analytical model to investigate vibration due to ball bearing waviness in a rotating system supported by two or more ball bearings, taking account of the centrifugal force and gyroscopic moment of the ball. The waviness of rolling elements is modeled by the sinusoidal function, and it is incorporated into the position vectors of the race curvature center. The Hertzian con tact theory is applied to calculate the elastic deflection and nonlinear contact force while the rotor has translational and angular motions. Both the centrifugal force and gyroscopic moment of the ball and the waviness of the rolling elements are included in the kinematic constraints and force equilibrium equations of a ball to derive the nonlinear governing equations of the rotor, which are solved by using the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg algorithm to determine the new position of the rotor. The proposed model is validated by the comparison of the results of the prior researchers. This research shows that the centrifugal force and gyroscopic moment of the ball plays the important role in determining the bearing frequencies, i.e. the principal frequencies, their harmonics and the sideband frequencies resulting from the waviness of the rolling elements of ball bearing. It also shows that the bearing vibration frequencies are generated by the waviness interaction not only between the rolling elements of one ball bearing but also between those of two or more ball bearings constrained by the rotor.


Children in battered women's shelters have been shown to have more behavior problems than their peers but limited information is available about their development. A pilot survey was undertaken to determine the prevalence of developmental or academic problems in children of residents of a battered women's shelter. Demographic data, medical and school histories and responses to standardized developmental or behavioral surveys were obtained from 39 mothers of 76 children. Two-thirds of the children were victims of abuse. On the Minnesota Child Development Inventory, the mean General Developmental Quotient (DQ) of 28 preschool children was 98; however, 39% had developmental delays by test criteria. Of 46 school-aged children, 21 (46%) had evidence of academic problems, including grade repetition, failing grades and need for special educational services. On the Louisville Behavior Checklist, 75% of 48 children had behavior problems. Children in a battered women's shelter are likely to experience academic and behavioral problems; however, further study is needed to elucidate etiological factors.


Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) is a contagious and fatal lung tumour caused by Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus. This article presents images from ultrasound and postmortem examination of OPA lesions, and other common lung pathologies in adult sheep. Video recordings are also provided with the online version of this article. We would encourage veterinary practitioners to use the images and videos provided in this article as a reference repository when they are investigating OPA lesions on farm.


The work presented in this paper falls in the perspective to use management policies to configure the new SNMPv3 entities, to regulate SNMPv3 management exchanges and to customize security features according to th e enterprise needs. It particularly addresses the configuration of access control parameters to be implemented by SNMPv3 entities according to enterprise security policies. The overall process is supported by means of a directory service used as a repository for both SNMPv3 configuration parameters and security policies. The implemented directory information model complies with the DEN (Directory Enabled Networking) specification, which is gaining great acceptance into enterprises.


Alignment of three fungal mtRNA polymerases revealed conserved amino acid sequences in an amino-terminal region of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme implicated previously as harboring an important functional domain. Phenotypic analysis of deletion and point mutations, in conjunction with a yeast two-hybrid assay, revealed that Nam1p, a protein involved in RNA processing and translation in mitochondria, binds specifically to this domain. The significance of this interaction in vivo was demonstrated by the fact that the temperature-sensitive phenotype of a deletion mutation (rpo41Δ2), which impinges on this amino-terminal domain, is suppressed by overproducing Nam1p. In addition, mutations in the amino-terminal domain result specifically in decreased steady-state levels of mature mitochondrial CYTBand COXI transcripts, which is a primary defect observed inNAM1 null mutant yeast strains. Finally, one point mutation (R129D) did not abolish Nam1p binding, yet displayed an obviousCOX1/CYTB transcript defect. This mutation exhibited the most severe mitochondrial phenotype, suggesting that mutations in the amino-terminal domain can perturb other critical interactions, in addition to Nam1p binding, that contribute to the observed phenotypes. These results implicate the amino-terminal domain of mtRNA polymerases in coupling additional factors and activities involved in mitochondrial gene expression directly to the transcription machinery.


The behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in pasteurized milk during fermentation with starter and nonstarter lactic acid bacteria was investigated. Pasteurized milk was co-inoculated with approximately 10(4) CFU/ml of L. monocytogenes and 10(6) CFU/ml of Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus cremoris, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, or Streptococcus thermophilus. Inoculated milks were incubated at 30 degrees C or 37 degrees C for 24 to 72 h. Listeria monocytogenes survived and also grew to some extent during incubation in the presence of all starter cultures; however, inhibition ranged from 83 to 100% based on maximum cell populations. During incubation with L. bulgaricus and L. plantarum, L. monocytogenes was completely inactivated after 20 h and 64 h of incubation at 37 degrees C and 30 degrees C, respectively. The pH of the fermenting milks declined steadily throughout the fermentation periods and was approximately 4.2 at the conclusion of the experimental period regardless both of the starter culture and pathogen combination or the temperature of incubation.


Segmenting complex 3D geometry is a challenging task due to rich structural details and complex appearance variations of target object. Shape representation and foreground-background delineation are two of the core components of segmentation. Explicit shape models, such as mesh based representations, suffer from poor handling of topological changes. On the other hand, implicit shape models, such as level-set based representations, have limited capacity for interactive manipulation. Fully automatic segmentation for separating foreground objects from background generally utilizes non-interoperable machine learning methods, which heavily rely on the off-line training dataset and are limited to the discrimination power of the chosen model. To address these issues, we propose a novel semi-implicit representation method, namely Non-Uniform Implicit B-spline Surface (NU-IBS), which adaptively distributes parametrically blended patches according to geometrical complexity. Then, a two-stage cascade classifier is introduced to carry out efficient foreground and background delineation, where a simplistic Naïve-Bayesian model is trained for fast background elimination, followed by a stronger pseudo-3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) multi-scale classifier to precisely identify the foreground objects. A localized interactive and adaptive segmentation scheme is incorporated to boost the delineation accuracy by utilizing the information iteratively gained from user intervention. The segmentation result is obtained via deforming an NU-IBS according to the probabilistic interpretation of delineated regions, which also imposes a homogeneity constrain for individual segments. The proposed method is evaluated on a 3D cardiovascular Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) image dataset and Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Benchmark 2015 (BraTS2015) 3D Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) dataset.


A series of novel 2-amino-3-benzoylthiophenes (2A3BTs) were screened using a functional assay of A(1)R mediated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) in intact CHO cells to identify potential agonistic effects as well as the ability to allosterically modulate the activity of the orthosteric agonist, R-PIA. Two derivatives, 8h and 8i, differing only in terms of the absence or presence of an electron-withdrawing group on the benzoyl moiety of the 2A3BT scaffold, were identified as biased allosteric agonists and positive allosteric modulators of agonist function at the adenosine A(1) receptor (A(1)R) in two different functional assays. Our findings indicate that subtle structural variations can promote functionally distinct receptor conformational states.


Arthrinium phaeospermum is the main pathogen that causes Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis blight. It secretes the cutinase transcription factor ApCtf1β, which has been shown to play an important role in B. pervariabilis × D. grandis virulence. However, knowledge about the interaction target genes of ApCtf1β in B. pervariabilis × D. grandis remains limited. A cDNA library for the yeast two-hybrid system was constructed from B. pervariabilis × D. grandis shoots after 168 h treatment with A. phaeospermum. The library was identified as 1.20 × 107 cfu, with an average insert >1,000 bp in size and a 100% positive rate, providing a database for the subsequent molecular study of the interaction between A. phaeospermum and B. pervariabilis × D. grandis. The yeast two-hybrid (Y2H), bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays were used to screen for and identify two ApCtf1β interacting target proteins, BDUbc and BDSKL1, providing a reliable theoretical basis to study the molecular mechanism underlying B. pervariabilis × D. grandis resistance in response to A. phaeospermum, which would, in turn, establish a platform to develop new strategies for the sustainable and effective control of the blight diseases of forest trees.


Cardiovascular disease (CVD) constitutes one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, therefore representing a major public health concern. Despite recent advances in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), such as bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention, pathological cardiac remodeling often predisposes survivors to fatal heart failure. In this context, the proven efficacy of stem cell-regenerative therapies constitutes a promising therapeutic perspective with is nevertheless slow down by safety and ethical concerns. Recent studies have underscored the capacity of stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) to recapitulate the regenerative properties of their parental cells therefore offering a therapeutic alternative to cell therapy in cardiovascular regenerative medicine. In this article, we review the functional relevance of using stem cell-derived EV as therapeutically agents and detail the identified molecular pathways that they used to exert their effects. We also discuss the advantages of using such an acellular regenerative therapy, in regard with parental stem cells, and address the limitations, which would need to be resolved, before their clinical translation.


Background: Electronic messaging via a patient portal is being used with increasing frequency for patient-provider communication, especially for the ongoing management of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Providing patients online access to providers may reduce the need for face-to-face contact; yet little is known about the usage pattern and its association with the frequency of office visits to primary care providers (PCP). Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the data from the ambulatory electronic health records of UPMC Physician Services. Adults with T2DM who were seen in UPMC PCP offices between Jan 2015 and Dec 2016 were included. The number of days messaging was used, and the number of PCP visits for each patient were calculated during the study period. Descriptive statistics were applied. Negative binomial regression was performed to examine the association of messaging use with the number of PCP visits, adjusting for age, gender, race, education, income, insurance type, and the number of comorbidities. Results: The sample (N=42,746) was 85.5% white and 49.9% female with a mean age of 65.2±11.9 years. About a third (36.7%, n=15,698) used the messaging feature at least once during the study period. The median number of days that patients used the messaging feature was 13.0 (range 1-395). Negative binomial regression revealed that greater use of messaging was associated with a greater number of PCP visits (Incidence Rate Ratio 1.0014, 95% CI, 1.0011-1.0018). Conclusion: In our study, over one-third of the patients used the messaging feature via the portal. More frequent use of messaging was associated with a greater number of PCP visits, suggesting that both measures represent patient engagement in health care services. However, the frequency of PCP visits may not be an accurate indicator of clinical outcomes. Future studies that include patient outcome measures, such as HbA1c, according to portal use are needed as use of this technology increases. Disclosure R. Sun: None. S.M. Sereika: None. M. Saul: None. M.T. Korytkowski: Advisory Panel; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc.. Other Relationship; Self; JAEB Center For Health Research. D. Li: None. L.E. Burke: None.


The Fibonacci polynomials of order k are introduced and two expansions of them are obtained, in terms of the multlnomial and binomial coefficients, respectively. A relation between them and probability is also established. The present work general-


Nuclear power production is a safety-critical process where ultimate decision execution lies with the operators. Thus it is important to provide the best possible decision support through effective supervisory control interfaces. We observed an existing operational nuclear power plant simulator and noted several deficiencies. An interface redesign prototype was constructed in PowerPoint as an alternative to the current simulator and hardcopy procedure manuals. The design improves upon the graphical layout of system information and provides better integration of procedures, automation, and alarm systems. The design was validated by expert opinion and a scenario-based comparison. Future implementation and testing of the redesign is suggested for further validation


The co-occurrence of L1 and AmpR-L2 with bla(NDM-1) gene with an upstream 250-bp promoter was detected in a clinical isolate of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia DCPS-01, which was resistant to all β-lactams and sensitive only to colistin and fluoroquinolones. To investigate expression of resistance genes and the molecular mechanisms of bacteria resistance to carbapenems, proteomic profiles of the isolate was passaged with and without the drug by using 2D-PAGE. The results showed that 33 genes exhibiting a ≥3-fold change were identified as candidates that may help S. maltophilia survive drug selection. Strikingly, L1 was expressed more highly in cells grown with imipenem, and the abundant NDM-1 further increased, while very little L2 was detected even following induction. Specific activities for β-lactamase revealed that L2 remained at constitutive low levels (10.6 U/mg), while L1 and NDM-1 showed clear activity (69.8 U/mg). Our data support that imipenem could specifically and reversibly induce L1 and NDM-1, which together played key roles in drug resistance in DCPS-01. Although NDM-1 mediated resistance to carbapenems has been found in very few cases, to our knowledge, this is the first proteomics research of S. maltophilia with NDM-1, giving very broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance profiles.


Previous research has found that victims of crime tend to exhibit asynchronous movement (e.g. Grayson & Stein, 1981), and the fact that victims display different body language suggests that they may be sending inadvertent signals to their own vulnerability (e.g. Murzynski & Degelman, 1996). Body language has also been linked with self identification as a victim (Wheeler et aI., 2009), and self-identification has been found to act as a proxy for more severe victimization (Baumer, 2002) and greater fear of crime (Greenberg & Beach, 2004). The first prediction in the present study, then, was that self-perceived vulnerability would be correlated with body language, while number of previous victimizations mayor may not show the same relationship. Findings from the present study indicate that self-perceived vulnerability exhibits a positive correlation with the body language cues that approaches significance r (10) = .45,p =.07, one-tailed. Different types of victimization, however, were not significantly correlated with these cues. A second goal of the study was to examine the relationship between psychopathic traits and accuracy in judgments of vulnerability. Seventy male participants rated the vulnerability of 12 female targets filmed walking down a hallway who had provided selfratings of vulnerability. Individuals scoring higher on Factor 2 and total psychopathy were significantly less discrepant from target self-rat~ngs of vulnerability, r (64) = -.39,p < .001; r (64) = -.29,p >.01, respectively. The final purpose of this study was to determine which body language cues were most salient to raters when making judgments of vulnerability. Participants rated the apparent vulnerability of a target in 7 video clips portraying each body language cue in isolation and a natural walk. Results of repeated measures analyses indicate that the videos rated as most vulnerable to victimization were those displaying low energy and lack of synchrony, followed by wide stride, short stride, and stiffknees, while the video displaying neck stiffness did not receive significantly different ratings from the model's natural walk. Replication with a larger sample size is necessary to increase confidence in findings and implications. ii


The Newar painting style (Beri) in Tibet, which originated in Nepal, is the most recent of two early Indian-inspired painting styles to take hold in Tibet. The style flourished in Tibet for about four centuries, from the late 12th to the early 17th century. Alone among styles, it was adopted universally across Tibet for a century at its height (1360-1460). Later in its development, some of the best-known thangkas in this style were commissioned by abbots of Ngor Monastery, an important Sakyapa monastery in Tsang Province. Most previous scholars linked the paintings in this style exclusively with the Sakyapa religious school and Tsang Province, if not with the monastery of Ngor. In addition to exploring the powerful aesthetic appeal of the Beri style, one of the main goals of this publication is to overcome the erroneous limiting of the style to the Sakyapa and to demonstrate its full historical and religious extent. Another main goal is to introduce a method for analyzing structure and lineages in Tibetan paintings.


We have derived modified Frantz-Nodvik equations that simultaneously account for atomic phase shift (APS) and gain depletion as the chirped laser pulse passes through a gain medium, and have analyzed the effect of temporal pulse distortion in a Ti:sapphire multipass amplifier chain. The combination of APS and gain depletion distorted a temporal pulse and decreased the peak power. The pulse width increased from 21.3 fs to 22.8 fs and the peak power reduced to 89% for the PW class Ti:sapphire CPA laser system in the particular conditions.


Background To determine whether patients with severe vision impairment due to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) benefit from bilateral cataract surgery in terms of vision-related quality of life (QoL). Methods A prospective interventional single-center study. Ten patients with severe vision impairment due to advanced bilateral AMD were included. The preoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was ≥1.0/≥1.0 LogMAR units on Snellen chart and <20/<20 points on Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart. Patients were not on active treatment for wet AMD as the treatment was expected to have no effect or benefit. The patients were scheduled for immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery, with target refraction emmetropia (SN60WF, Alcon). Vision-related QoL was measured with National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25) preoperatively, at 3 months and 1 year. Results The mean age of the patients was 82.5±6.2 years. The mean NEI VFQ-25 overall composite score changed from 44.0±7.1 preoperatively to 54.9±13.7 at 3 months and to 56.9±15.6 at 1 year (P=0.045, Friedman test). During the 1-year follow-up, there was an improvement in the subscale scores indicating difficulty with peripheral vision, mental health symptoms, and role difficulties due to vision (P<0.05 for all, Wilcoxon sign-rank test). Conclusions Cataract surgery may improve the vision-related QoL in patients with severe vision impairment due to bilateral advanced AMD.


Despite the geographical distance, the war in Ukraine has brought to the fore links between the Russian establishment and Radical Right forces in Spain. Both scholars and pundits have taken an interest in the question, which spread to party competition, quickly turning into a (discursive) race away from Putin as the consequences of war become more evident. Despite the war's unquestioned relevance and previous links between Russia and the Radical Right in Spain (albeit less established than in other European countries), a systematic analysis of the effects of the invasion is missing. This report addresses this gap by focusing on the impact of the Ukraine invasion on party discourse and public opinion in Spain. It analyses records of proceedings from the Spanish Parliament, Twitter messages posted by the VOX party and its leader, and survey data gathered since February 2022 by the Spanish Center for Sociological Research (CIS). The main findings at the party level highlight the relatively weak associations between the Kremlin and The Radical Right in Spain (compared to other European countries), as well as efforts to separate from Putin after the invasion started. A more complex pattern of preferences is identified at the individual level.


As scientific communities grow and evolve, there is a high demand for improved methods for finding relevant papers, comparing papers on similar topics and studying trends in the research community. All these tasks involve the common problem of extracting structured information from scientific articles. In this paper, we propose a novel, scalable, semi-supervised method for extracting relevant structured information from the vast available raw scientific literature. We extract the fundamental concepts of "aim", "method" and "result" from scientific articles and use them to construct a knowledge graph. Our algorithm makes use of domain-based word embedding and the bootstrap framework. Our experiments show that our system achieves precision and recall comparable to the state of the art. We also show the domain independence of our algorithm by analyzing the research trends of two distinct communities - computational linguistics and computer vision.


The feasibility of intrinsic and enhanced bioremediation approaches for 16 contaminated sites in the Netherlands are discussed. At at least five out of 10 chlorinated solvent sites, natural attenuation can be used as one of the tools to prevent further dispersion of the plume. At two sites stimulation of the intrinsic dechlorination processes in a bioactived zone is required, and pilot field tests are currently under way. For three sulphatereducing/methanogenic aquifers contaminated with aromatic compounds, microcosm studies demonstrated that natural anaerobic degradation of the risk-determining benzene does not to occur spontaneously. Benzene biodegradation could be initiated by feeding small amounts of oxygen (in all samples) or nitrate (only in one sample), and these techniques are currently tested in field-pilot studies. Redox-microbiological characterisation of two locations contaminated with hexachlorocyclohexanes indicated significant intrinsic biodegradation of HCH's in methanogenic/sulphate-reducing parts of the contaminant plumes, and of the HCH-degradation products chlorophenol and benzene under sulphate/iron reducing conditons. Biostimulated zone's remain required to complete the degradation of HCH and the degradation product monochlorobenzene. Risk-based guideline's for assessing the feasibility of natural attenuation approaches for various contaminant situations are currently under development, making use of already existing protocols (USA) and taking European and National specific conditions, knowledge and regulatory constraints into account.


SAVORY in 1856 published a paper dealing with 'a young woman in whom the main arteries of both upper extremities and of the left side of the neck were throughout completely obliterated'. This was apparently the first report of a disease which later by TAKAYASHU (1908) was suggested as being a pathologic and clinical entity. Comprehensive studies on the subject, including reviews of the literature, have been published among others by ASK-UPMARK (1954), ASKUPMARK & FAJERS (1956) and KOSZEWSKI (1958). The number of cases which, rightly or wrongly, are reported as examples of the disorder is about 150 ; about ten of them were confirmed by postmortem examination. The disease is characterized by a chronic, progressive inflammatory process in the aortic arch as well as in the carotid, subclavian and axillary arteries. The etiology of the disease is unknown. There is panarteritis with round cell infiltration in the periarterial tissues and all layers of the vessel wall. Subsequent thrombosis frequently develops. With few exceptions the condition is reported in young or middle-aged females. The symptoms and signs are both general and local, the former including a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)


Novel adenosine antagonists, 2-alkynyl-8-aryl-9-methyladenine derivatives, were synthesized as candidate hypoglycemic agents. These analogues were evaluated for inhibitory activity on N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA)-induced glucose production in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. In general, aromatic moieties at the 8-position and alkynyl groups at the 2-position had significantly increased activity compared to unsubstituted compounds. The preferred substituents at the 8-position of adenine were the 2-furyl and 3-fluorophenyl groups. In modifying the alkynyl side chain, change of the ring size, cleavage of the ring, and removal of the hydroxyl group were well tolerated. The order of the stimulatory effects of adenosine agonists on rat hepatocytes was NECA > CPA > CGS21680, which is consistent with involvement of the A(2B) receptor. In Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with human A(2B) receptor cDNA, one of the compounds potent in hepatocytes, 15o (IC(50) = 0.42 microM), antagonized NECA-induced stimulation of cyclic AMP production (IC(50) = 0.063 microM). This inhibitory effect was much more potent than those of FK453, KF17837, and L249313 which have been reported to be respectively A(1), A(2A), and A(3) selective antagonists. These findings agree very well with the result that, compared to 15o, these selective antagonists for each receptor subtype showed only marginal effects in rat hepatocytes. These results suggest that adenosine agonist-induced glucose production in rat hepatocytes is mediated through the A(2B) receptor. Furthermore, 15o showed hypoglycemic activity in an animal model of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the KK-A(y) mice. It is possible that inhibition of hepatic glucose production via the A(2B) receptor could be at least one of the mechanisms by which 15o exerts its in vivo effects. Further elaboration of this group of compounds may afford novel antidiabetic agents.


Affine gravity is a connection-based formulation of gravity that does not involve a metric. After a review of basic properties of affine gravity, we compute the tree-level scattering amplitude of scalar particles interacting gravitationally via the connection in a curved spacetime. We find that, while classically equivalent to general relativity, affine gravity differs from metric quantum gravity.


Cardiovascular complications including abdominal aortic calcification significantly affect the mortality and morbidity in patients on a hemodialysis (HD) program. The objective of this study is to find the frequency of abdominal aortic calcification in patients on regular HD and to evaluate the effect of parameters on frequency and severity of abdominal aortic calcification. Fifty-four patients with end-stage renal disease on regular HD were studied from January 2011 to December 2011 to evaluate abdominal aortic calcification by plain abdominal X-ray. The study showed that 10 (18.5%) patients had abdominal aortic calcification. Only one (1.9%) had grade 3 calcification and among the remaining, five (9.3%) patients had grade 1 and four (7.4%), grade 2. There was a statistically significant difference (P <0.05) in the means of serum cholesterol among those with and without abdominal aortic calcification. Hypertension was noticed in most patients with abdominal aortic calcification. The frequency of abdominal aortic calcification is directly related to age and duration of dialysis. The only biochemical parameter with a statistically significant effect was serum cholesterol.