Background: The role of fusion genes and associated fusion transcripts has long been recognized in hematopoietic malignancies. Until quite recently it has been difficult to detect such events on a genomic scale in solid tumors. Consequently, little is known about the potential role of fusion genes, transcripts, and proteins as driver mutations, biomarkers, or therapeutic targets in breast cancer. Methods: We have developed a novel analytical pipeline, Snowshoes-FTD, for detection of fusion transcripts in breast cancer cell lines and tumor samples (Asmann, et al. NAR 2011; May 27 ePub ahead of print). Preliminary analyses have been carried out with a panel of 8 each ER+, HER2+, and triple negative (TN) primary breast tumors, 8 primary human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) lines from biopsy samples, plus 16 normal tissues from the Illumina Body Map dataset. Results: We have identified 120 redundant, tumor-specific fusion transcripts, expressed in two or more tumors and in no non-transformed samples. Sixteen of these represent intrachromosomal fusions and 104 arise from fusion of transcripts that map to two different chromosomes. Every breast tumor expressed one or more fusion transcripts. Twenty-nine fusion transcripts appeared to be tumor subtype specific. Among these, we have identified 2 HER2+, 10 ER+, and 17 triple negative specific redundant transcripts. In general, HER2+ tumors expressed fewer fusion transcripts (range 4 to 28/tumor) compared to TN (range11 to 44/tumor). Chromosomal distribution patterns were also markedly different among the tumor subtypes. For example, ER+ tumors expressed a preponderance of redundant fusion transcripts that involve chr1 and 2, whereas TN tumors had no fusion transcripts that map to either chromosome. Conversely, the predominant locus for TN fusion transcripts was chr19, which contains only one HER2+ fusion and no ER+ fusion transcripts. Conclusions: Primary breast tumors express many chimaeric transcripts, which we presume to arise primarily from genomic rearrangements. The majority of these transcripts are redundant, and a subset are tumor subtype specific. These transcripts may mark regions of chromosomal instability. HER2+ tumors, in general, appear to evidence less chromosomal instability, as inferred from fusion transcripts; although some HER2+ tumors appear to be quite unstable. TN tumors contain many more redundant fusion transcripts, implying increased genomic instability, particularly in chr19. We conclude that these fusion transcripts represent a class of heretofore unrecognized biomarkers that may be used for sub-classification of breast tumors. Some of these transcripts appear to encode proteins that may function as tumor-subtype-specific driver mutations and may have potential as therapeutic targets in breast cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-06-02.


The requirements of maneuverability, velocity and control ability of modern aircraft are getting higher and higher. Effectively controlling the aircraft when flying at a high attack angle can greatly improve the maneuverability of the aircraft and reduce the stall speed of the aircraft. Flush Air Data Sensing System can indirectly obtain the angle of attack, sideslip angle, and the change of the incoming flow speed which provides necessary parameters for the flight control of the aircraft and meets the parameter measurement requirements of the aircraft. The algorithm research on pressure model and model trimming was conducted based on the three-point method with good real-time performance and high accuracy after study of traditional pressure models. And a series of experiments were performed to modify the accuracy of the model. After experimental verification, the model can be used to calculate the attack angle, sideslip angle, and flow velocity in flight projects, which can provide certain parameters or basis for aircraft flight control.


Background Tofacitinib is an oral JAK inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The impact of methotrexate (MTX) withdrawal in patients (pts) with RA who achieve low disease activity (LDA) or remission following treatment with tofacitinib in combination with MTX is unclear. Objectives To compare the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib modified-release (MR) 11 mg once daily (QD) with and without MTX in pts with RA who have achieved LDA with tofacitinib and MTX. Methods ORAL Shift (NCT02831855) was a global Phase 3b/4 study in pts aged ≥18 years with moderate to severe RA and an inadequate response to MTX. Pts received open-label (OL) tofacitinib MR 11 mg QD with MTX (tofacitinib + MTX) for 24 weeks. Pts achieving LDA (CDAI ≤10) at Week (W)24 entered the 24-week double-blind (DB) MTX withdrawal phase and were randomised 1:1 to receive tofacitinib MR 11 mg QD with placebo (tofacitinib monotherapy; ie underwent blinded MTX withdrawal) or continue tofacitinib + MTX. The primary endpoint was least squares mean change from W24 to W48 (Δ; DB phase) in DAS28 4(ESR). Non inferiority of tofacitinib monotherapy vs tofacitinib + MTX was declared if the upper bound of the 95% two-sided confidence interval (CI) for the difference in ΔDAS28-4(ESR) between arms was <0.6. Secondary endpoints included ΔDAS28-4(CRP), ΔSDAI, ΔCDAI, ΔHAQ-DI; rates of ACR20/50/70 response, HAQ-DI response, DAS28-4(ESR)- and CDAI-defined LDA and remission, and ACR-EULAR Boolean-defined1 remission (W48); and safety (OL and DB phases). Results Of 694 pts in the OL phase, 530 achieved CDAI-defined LDA at W24 and were treated in the DB phase (tofacitinib monotherapy: n=264; tofacitinib + MTX: n=266). Demographics and pt characteristics at OL-phase baseline were similar between treatment arms. The difference (95% CI) between arms in ΔDAS28 4(ESR) (primary endpoint) was 0.30 (0.12, 0.48; Table 1) at W48, demonstrating that tofacitinib monotherapy was non-inferior to tofacitinib + MTX. Consistent with the primary endpoint, ΔDAS28-4(CRP)/SDAI/CDAI were greater for tofacitinib monotherapy vs tofacitinib + MTX, but these differences were not clinically meaningful; ACR/HAQ-DI response and LDA rates were generally similar between arms (Table). Remission rates were also similar between arms and generally did not change after MTX withdrawal. In the DB phase, rates of AEs, serious AEs, discontinuations due to AEs and AEs of special interest were generally comparable between arms (Table 1). Conclusion Pts receiving tofacitinib MR 11 mg QD + MTX who achieve LDA may withdraw MTX up to W48 without significant worsening of disease activity. Pts in remission tend to remain in remission after MTX withdrawal. Safety appeared consistent with the known profile of tofacitinib. Reference [1] Felson DT et al. Arthritis Rheum 2011;63:573-586 Acknowledgement Study sponsored by Pfizer Inc. Medical writing support was provided by C Viegelmann of CMC Connect and funded by Pfizer Inc. Disclosure of Interests Stanley B. Cohen Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Gilead, Pfizer Inc, Consultant for: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Gilead, Pfizer Inc, Janet Pope Grant/research support from: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, Seattle Genetics, UCB, Consultant for: AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer Inc, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, UCB, Boulos Haraoui Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Pfizer Inc, Consultant for: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Merck, Pfizer Inc, UCB, Fedra Irazoque-Palazuelos Consultant for: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen, Pfizer Inc, Roche, UCB, Mariusz Korkosz Consultant for: AbbVie, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Roche, UCB, Annette Diehl Shareholder of: Pfizer Inc, Employee of: Pfizer Inc, Jose Luis Rivas Shareholder of: Pfizer Inc, Employee of: Pfizer Inc, Tatjana Lukic Shareholder of: Pfizer Inc, Employee of: Pfizer Inc, Shixue Liu Shareholder of: Pfizer Inc, Employee of: Pfizer Inc, Lori Stockert Shareholder of: Pfizer Inc, Employee of: Pfizer Inc, Noriko Iikuni Shareholder of: Pfizer Inc, Employee of: Pfizer Inc, Edward Keystone Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc, PuraPharm, Sanofi-Aventis, Consultant for: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Biotest, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celltrion, Crescendo Bioscence, F. Hoffman-La Roche, Genentech, Gilead, Janssen, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer Inc, Sandoz, Sanofi-Genzyme, Samsung Bioepis, UCB, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, F. Hoffman-La Roche, Janssen, Merck, Pfizer Inc, Sanofi-Genzyme, UCB


In this paper, an anaerobic digestion (AD) study was conducted on confectionery waste with granular polylactide (PLA) as a cell carrier. Digested sewage sludge (SS) served as the inoculum and buffering agent of systems. This article shows the results of the analyses of the key experimental properties of PLA, i.e., morphological characteristics of the microstructure, chemical composition and thermal stability of the biopolymer. The evaluation of quantitative and qualitative changes in the genetic diversity of bacterial communities, performed using the state-of-the-art next generation sequencing (NGS) technique, revealed that the material significantly enhanced bacterial proliferation; however, it does not change microbiome biodiversity, as also confirmed via statistical analysis. More intense microbial proliferation (compared to the control sample, without PLA and not digested, CW–control, CW–confectionery waste) may be indicative of the dual role of the biopolymer—support and medium. Actinobacteria (34.87%) were the most abundant cluster in the CW–control, while the most dominant cluster in digested samples was firmicutes: in the sample without the addition of the carrier (CW–dig.) it was 68.27%, and in the sample with the addition of the carrier (CW + PLA) it was only 26.45%, comparable to the control sample (CW–control)—19.45%. Interestingly, the number of proteobacteria decreased in the CW–dig. sample (17.47%), but increased in the CW + PLA sample (39.82%) compared to the CW–control sample (32.70%). The analysis of biofilm formation dynamics using the BioFlux microfluidic system shows a significantly faster growth of the biofilm surface area for the CW + PLA sample. This information was complemented by observations of the morphological characteristics of the microorganisms using fluorescence microscopy. The images of the CW + PLA sample showed carrier sections covered with microbial consortia.


Rainfall and temperature are the crucial factors for affecting the yield of cereals. The annual mean temperature in Surkhet and Doti district is 21.47°C and 22.84°C respectively. The annual total rainfall in Doti and Surkhet district is 1145 mm and 1609 mm respectively. The average seasonal rainfall in (July-November) in Doti and Surkhet is 670.7 mm and 1109 mm. The average seasonal rainfall in (November-March) in Doti and Surkhet is 168 mm and 135 mm. The average seasonal rainfall in (March-June) in Doti and Surkhet is 352 mm and 389 mm. The average seasonal mean temperature in (July-November) in Doti and Surkhet is 25.76°C and 23.7°C. The average seasonal mean temperature in (November-March) in Doti and Surkhet is 16.67°C and 15.48°C. The average seasonal mean temperature in (March-June) in Doti and Surkhet is 25.5°C and 24.69°C. The analysis of meteorological data indicated that the temperature of both districts is on a rising trend. It has been observed no any trend in total seasonal rainfall during wheat and barley growing season (November-March) in Surkhet. Also, the seasonal total rainfall during maize growing period (March-June) has not shown any trend in Doti. Besides, decreasing trend of annual rainfall has been observed in Doti whereas increasing trend of annual rainfall is observed in Surkhet. The temperature in 1985 in Doti and Surkhet has increased and the rainfall in the same year and same districts has decreased that has negatively affected the yield of all the major cereals except wheat. International Journal of Environment, Volume-2, Issue-1, Sep-Nov 2013, Pages 269-279 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v2i1.9227


: In Korea, the pipe type that has been well used as sewage pipe from the past is primarily a rigid pipe which is represented by concrete hume pipe, but the use of it is being decreased sharply because of the problems such as tube erosion and incomplete watertightness securing through the time. On the other hand, the use of flexible pipe has been increased because its construction ability is excellent on account of its light weight as well as it is resistant to corrosion. However, because there are lacks of market's confidence in flexible pipe and occurrence cases of partial damage incomplete caused by compaction control, cause analysis and management for them are needed. Therefore, this study tried to estimate the deformation characteristics of pipe caused by each condition through numerical analysis changing construction sequence, rigidity of pipe, strength of ground concrete under the pipe, relative compaction ratio of sand foundation under the pipe and relative compaction ratio of backfill material above the pipe. Evaluation result is that influence on each factor is confirmed and the quality control of sand around the pipe are turned up to be important.


Abstract The dry evergreen forest of Kondapalli (Andhra Pradesh state, India) is declared as a forest reserve, but, despite of this, it is subjected to degradation resulting in loss of biodiversity. Thus, the current study was carried out to investigate the tree diversity of Kondapalli forest. A total of 566 ±16 trees (≥10 cm) representing 46±8 species from 40 genera and 21 families were recorded from the 0.36 ha area of Kondapalli forest. Mimosaceae was the most species rich family, while Rutaceae was the most abundant family. Atalantia monophylla was most frequent and abundant species and, with respect to basal area, Melia azedarach and Syzygium cumini were the dominant taxa. The recorded stem density was 1572 stems ha−1 and the mean forest basal area was 47.17 m2 ha−1. The results of cluster analysis revealed that Atalantia monophylla, characterised by a high ecological amplitude, had a wide distribution and was associated with species forming different communities. The study showed that Kondapalli forest is characterised by a fairly high species richness, which provides the baseline data on the floristic structure and diversity of this forest for better management and conservation.


Colombian Health System is one of the major social problems engulfing the nation since the reform of Law 100 in 1993 , if we understand , that from there rights and duties fully equitable and universal were derived for all EPS , thus signifying that the quality in general and particular service is the differentiating factor for a person to decide when to join the system


During 1913 to 1919, 1,770 scarlet fever patients were treated at Durand Hospital, and cardiac complications were observed in 106. This does not include instances of increased rapidity nor occasional slight irregularity. A relatively rapid heart was common and slight irregularity, especially during the third and fourth weeks, was frequently noted, but was associated with no other appreciable alteration in the cardiac function. Of the 106 patients recognized as exhibiting more definite cardiac complications, twelve had valvular defects antedating the scarlet fever. In the remaining ninety-four cases, a diagnosis of myocarditis was made in eighty-eight, of endocarditis in four and pericarditis in three. (One patient had both pericarditis and endocarditis.) The cases of myocarditis have been classified as mild, moderately severe and severe. Mild cases were those with persistent feebleness, rapidity or irregularity of the pulse, but with little other disturbance. The moderately severe cases included those with a higher


This study assesses how fiscal policy affects the dynamics of asset markets, using Bayesian vector autoregressive models. We use sign restrictions to identify government revenue and government spending shocks, while controlling for generic business cycle and monetary policy shocks. Using South African quarterly data from 1966: Q1 to 2011: Q2, we find that fiscal spending shocks affect stock prices more than house prices. Both spending and revenue shocks affect stock prices whereas only revenue shocks affect house prices.


We surveyed freshwater ponds (localities) nested within watersheds (regions) to evaluate the relationship between productivity and animal species richness at different spatial scales. In watersheds where the ponds were relatively distant from one another (likely reducing the level of interpond dispersal of many organisms), we found a scale-dependent productivity–diversity relationship; at local scales (among ponds), diversity was a hump-shaped function of productivity, whereas at regional scales (among watersheds), diversity monotonically increased with productivity. Furthermore, this relationship emerged because there was a strong relationship between productivity and pond-to-pond species compositional differences. Alternatively, in watersheds where ponds were relatively close together (likely leading to higher rates of dispersal of many organisms), we found no scale-dependence; diversity was a hump-shaped function of productivity at both local and regional scales. Here, the relationship between species compositional dissimilarity and productivity was much weaker. We conclude that whether or not scale-dependence is observed in productivity–diversity relationships will depend, at least in part, on the degree of connectivity among localities within regions.


Mutations in the human gene Jagged1 (JAG1) localized in 20p12 have been recently identified as causal for the anomalies found in patients with Alagille syndrome (AGS). This gene encodes a ligand for the Notch1 transmembrane receptor, which plays a key role in cell-to-cell signaling during differentiation and is conserved from C. elegans to human. We report a paracentric inversion (PAI) of chromosome 20p12.2p13 in an individual with AGS who also had alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. To our knowledge, this is the first published case of PAI involving the short arm of chromosome 20. Using FISH, fiberFISH, and molecular studies with a approximately 40 kb cosmid clone encompassing the entire 36 kb JAG1 gene, we demonstrate that the gene was disrupted by the inversion breakpoint between exons 5 and 6. An unusual association between two most common causes of chronic liver disease in childhood, AGS and alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, as well as their influence on the proband's abnormal phenotype are discussed.


Poor management of healthcare waste exposes health workers and the public to the toxic effects of wastes generated from health establishments. The disposal of these wastes could also lead to environmental problems if not done properly. This study has assessed the waste management practices in hospitals and compared same with international standards. A survey was carried out in six major hospitals in Jos metropolis. The findings indicated that these hospitals fell below the recommended waste management practices as prescribed by World Health Organization and other regulatory authorities. Wastes were not segregated, and were inappropriately disposed. The health workers were unaware of relevant regulations and the existence of a hospital waste management policy. Recommendations have been made for staff training to create awareness on wastes, their effects, importance of existing guidelines and the implementation of the waste management options for the different categories of wastes so that hospitals do not become infection centres that contribute to the damage of both the environment and human health.


The paper considers the dynamic adjustments of an average opinion index that can be derived from a microfounded framework where the individual agents switch between two kinds of sentiment with certain transition probabilities. The index can thus represent a general business climate, i.e., expectations about the future course of the economy. This approach is empirically tested with the survey expectations published by the ZEW and ifo institute. The estimated coefficients make economic sense and are highly significant. In particular, besides effects from fundamental data like the output gap in the recent past, one can identify a strong herding mechanism within both panels, such that metaphorically speaking the agents do not just join the crowd but follow each single motion of it. In addition, the transition probabilities of the ZEW agents are found to be influenced by the ifo climate but not the other way round.


AbstractNesidioblastosis is a rare cause of endogenous hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia in adults. Diagnosis is often challenging and therapeutic options are scarce.In 2009, a 46-year-old female patient presented with recurrent severe hypoglycemia and immediate recovery after glucose ingestion. Although 72-h-fasting test was positive, various imaging technologies (sonography, computed tomography, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy, dopamine receptor positron emission tomography [DOPA-PET]) were negative. Endoscopic ultrasound revealed a lesion in the pancreatic corpus, whereas selective arterial calcium stimulation test, portal venous sampling and GLP-1-receptor scintigraphy were indicative of a lesion in the pancreatic tail, which was surgically removed. The histopathologic examination revealed beta cell hyperplasia and microadenomas expressing glucagon. After surgery, the patient was free of symptoms for 6 months, after which hypoglycemic episodes recurred. After unsuccessful treatment with corticosteroids and somatostatin analogs, treatment with pasireotide, a novel somatostatin analog with high affinity to somatostatin receptor 5 and a possible side effect of hyperglycemia, was initiated (0.6 mg BID). To date, our patient has been free of severe hypoglycemic episodes ever since. Yearly repeated imaging procedures have shown no abnormities over the last 3 years.We report for the first time that pasireotide was successfully used in the treatment of adult nesidioblastosis.


In this work, we report a two-step methodology for the synthesis of small silver nanoparticles embedded into hydrogels based on chitosan (CS) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) biopolymers. This method uses d-glucose as an external green reducing agent and purified water as a solvent, leading to an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and biocompatible process for the synthesis of silver nanocomposite hydrogels. Their characterization comprises ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectra, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy assays. Moreover, the structural stability of the hydrogels was investigated through sequential swelling–deswelling cycles. The nanomaterials showed good mechanical properties in terms of their structural stability and revealed prominent antibacterial properties due to the reduced-size particles that promote their use as new advanced antimicrobial agents, an advantage compared to conventional particles in aqueous suspension that lose stability and effectiveness. Finally, theoretical analyses provided insights into the possible interactions, charge transfer, and stabilization process of nanoclusters mediated by the high-electron-density groups belonging to CS and HPMC, revealing their unique structural properties in the preparation of nano-scaled materials.


Internal waves present in the ocean modulate its acoustic refractive index so that it behaves like a random weakly irregular medium with respect to an acoustic signal. The parabolic equations for the propagation of the moments of an acoustic wave are applied to this case to describe the random fluctuations of a sound wave in the ocean. A form of the GarrettMunk spectrum with a continuous range of vertical wavenumbers instead of a discrete set of mode numbers is used to describe the irregularities of refractive index due to internal waves and to obtain the transverse autocorrelation function that appears in the moment equations. This transverse autocorrelation function differs in several important aspects from that of a turbulent medium with 'frozen' irregularities advected with the medium. Some analytical solutions for the fourth and second moments are given. The solution of the fourth-moment equation is extended to give a new result: the temporal frequency spectrum of the intensity fluctuations This spectrum, which behaves like ω_1 in the region where the fluctuations, are large but not saturated, describes a feature common, under certain conditions, to optical and radio-wave scatter as well as to the acoustic case. The theory is compared with some experimental observations of acoustic scattering by internal waves where a frequency spectrum of this type first seems to have been observed.


This essay was prepared for a symposium to celebrate the publication of Linda Greenhouse's book, Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey (2005). The essay examines Justice Blackmun's view of juries. Conventional accounts of juries emphasize their value as fact-finders, guardians of liberty, and a source of legitimacy. By contrast, Blackmun thought juries were important principally as a component of democracy - juries represent an opportunity for citizens to participate in the workings of government. On this account, the task of the Supreme Court is to ensure juries are open for and conducive to participation, just as the Court safeguards the ability of citizens to vote. Blackmun's perspective has important implications for the recent phenomenon of the vanishing jury and helps identify how the democratic benefits of juries might be recaptured today.


The limbed snake Najash rionegrina from the Cenomanian (early Late Cretaceous) of the La Buitrera Palaeontological Area (LBPA), northern Patagonia is a key taxon in any study of the origin and early evolution of snakes. The original concept of the taxon was based on the holotype and a number of referred specimens including an isolated partial skull; a conservative rebuttal argued this concept was too broad due to the lack of association between the holotype elements and the referred specimens. Here we describe a new snake specimen consisting of a partial skull and closely associated vertebrae from the La Buitrera Locality, one of many productive snake localities within the LBPA. The analysis of the vertebrae of the new specimen identifies distinct features shared with the vertebrae of the N. rionegrina holotype; the partial skull of the new specimen is also identical to the partial skull that formed part of the original concept of N. rionegrina. Phylogenetic analysis, using data from the type and referred specimens, and new materials described here, reconstructs N. rionegrina as a basal snake in a 'madtsoiid' clade outside of crown-group Serpentes. These new morphologies, and autapomorphies recognized in character analyses, permit the construction of a new and expanded diagnosis of N. rionegrina.


Received Apr 29, 2021 Revised Sep 16, 2021 Accepted Oct 10, 2021 The existed interpolation method, based on the second-order tetration polynomial, has the asymmetric property. The interpolation results, for each considering region, give individual characteristics. Although the interpolation performance has been better than the conventional methods, the symmetric property for signal interpolation is also necessary. In this paper, we propose the symmetric interpolation formulas derived from the second-order tetration polynomial. The combination of the forward and backward operations was employed to construct two types of the symmetric interpolation. Several resolutions of the fundamental signals were used to evaluate the signal reconstruction performance. The results show that the proposed interpolations can be used to reconstruct the fundamental signal and its peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) is superior to the conventional interpolation methods, except the cubic spline interpolation for the sine wave signal. However, the visual results show that it has a small difference. Moreover, our proposed interpolations converge to the steady-state faster than the cubic spline interpolation. In addition, the option number increasing will reinforce their sensitivity.


Business School, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, KoreaA central theme in recent IT (information technology) industry is a mobile ecosystem. While a concept of business ecosystem, which is an economic community of firms and individuals producing and consuming goods and services, has been around for about 20 years now, the recent spotlight is mainly caused by the enormous success of iPhone. Many hand-set makers or platform developers want to mimic Apple's iPhone ecosystem from which both application developers and hand-set users can benefit. In this study, a representation model of the business ecosystem is proposed for supporting systematic design and analysis of ecosystems. Whereas previous studies also proposed some representation models, they emphasized only on the value chain between parti-cipating players. The proposed model, which is named relation-based ecosystem model, represents an ecosystem with the requirement relationships between product and service components and the roles of players, as well as their value chain. Such comprehensive representation explicitly reveals the strategic difference between ecosy-stems. This advantage was illustrated by comparing a Korean traditional mobile ecosystem and an emerging smart-phone ecosystem represented by the proposed model.


Measurements of the 3ω0/2 emission from laser‐irradiated targets at 0.53 μm were made at three angles over a wide range of laser bandwidths with and without induced spatial incoherence (ISI) echelons. The 3ω0/2 emission was found to be correlated with hard x rays but not Raman spectra, suggesting that the 3ω0/2 radiation was due to two‐plasmon decay. Reduction of both 3ω0/2 emission and the accompanying hard x rays by ISI required five to ten times larger bandwidths than needed to suppress stimulated Raman scattering and stimulated Brillouin scattering.


Soybean cultivars present seeds of different physiological quality and they lose vigor and germinative potential during their permanence in the field after maturity. Therefore, this study was settled to evaluate the response ability to osmotic conditioning of seeds of six soybean cultivars – Confianca, UFV-16, Splendor, Garantia, UFVS 2005 and UFV-18 – harvested at the R8 stage and 15 and 30 days later. The cultivars were multiplied in the field, in a randomized complete-block design, with four replications. The osmotic conditioning of the seeds were carried out with a polyethylene glycol solution (PEG 6000), at -0,8 MPa, with 0.2% of Captan fungicide, at 20 °C, during 96 hours. Non conditioned seeds were used as control. The following characteristics were evaluated: first and final counting on germination test; seedling emergence rate and emergence speed index in the field; and electric conductivity. Harvest delay decreases seed germination and vigor, with different intensity, depending on the cultivar. The osmoconditioning reduces the leaching of solutes by the seed and positively affects the seed germination and vigor of all cultivar studied, more pronouncedly when seeds are much more weathered.


Interfacial delamination is known as one of the root causes of failure in microelectronic industry and therefore is getting more and more attention. In order to be able for judging the risk of interface fracture, the critical fracture properties of the interfaces should be available i.e. Interfacial toughness. Interfacial toughness is strongly dependent on the temperature, the moisture content of the materials involved and on the socalled mode mixity of the stress state near the crack tip. Dealing with the moisture effect the highest temperature had to be limited to 100°C. This limitation is quite restrictive for the application of the obtained critical fracture data for reliability studies of microelectronic packages. This is because of the fact that for pre-moisturized microelectronic packages the interface delamination failure often occurs above this temperature limit. Therefore the present study deals with the experimental and simulation procedures for establishing the interfacial fracture toughness of EMC-Copper leadframe interfaces at pressure cooker conditions, temperature larger than 100°C and 100% RH. For the first time, the critical interfacial toughness is produced for this harsh environment.


SUPERINTENDENT CHARLES S. MEEK BoI... Itlabo• Approximatelv five hundred millions of dollars are collected annually by taxation for the support of public education. New activities are added each year to the curriculum which invariably increase the cost. Patrons have a right to see that the enorm'Ous sums of money thus expended are yielding the greatest possible returns in terms of education. For that reason they have a right to ask and a dutv to demand that their schools be examined by experts in education who have no interest in the local situation. The directors of pubHc school activities who believe In idealism, intelli-rent international interest. There would be no reformers if we were all born middle-aged. lIence social studies to classify insight into social life, to break down prejudices of race, nationality, caste, and to hold up vision oi nobler social order. Hence emphasis on social value of sciences and arts. Hence emphasis in history upon contributions of sciences and arts to human well being. Hence vocational ethics to drive home what one's vocation means to the world through the kind of service which it now renders, and what Possibilities it offers of better service through better products and through better relationships among all the workers concerned. Hence active partlicipauon in group effort wherever possible. to serve school and community (e. g. co-operation with philanthropic and Civic agencies). (d) New interest in sex. Right association of boys 'and girls especially needed today in wew of new entrances of women into economic and civic iife. Hence literature and history (among ether aims) to encourage sound ideas of right relationship. Hence biology (among other aims) to assist sound instruction in sex hygiene. Appeal to sense of chivalry and of responsibility to future home. (e) More intense and deliberate interest in future calling. The high school must help the pupil to find himself. Vocational guidance must be interpreted not in narrow sense of directing to immediate 'employment in the world outside, but in sense broad enough to include home making for girls, and likewise guldance to further study in college and university scholarship and teaching as possible vocation' must not be slighted. Hence beware of minimizing cultural interests in favor of utilitarian. Hence also emphasize cultural values in vocational preparation (e. g. history of arts and crafts, psychology, etc.). Preparation for vocation supplies motives for effective social and moral training. Students are obliged to consider what traits are necessary to access, and what difficulties in present-day society must be encountered. Hence vocational ethics. Hence especially should the hiih school years acquaint the students with the lives of great masters In various catlinp. (I) Conscious appreciation of beauty. America is at last beginning to realize that the useful need no. he ugly. Consciousness should be directed to this growing appreciation of beauty by our country, to simple principles of aesthetics, to possibilities of furthering common love of beauty through civic effort (e. g. arts and cralts, advertising). ••••• I • jOt:TRNAt. OF EDUcATioN PRO. THB ADDRESSES (CoDUoued trow pace ....)


This research was aimed at searching and finding: 1) the most effective mathematics learning model among three models, including problem posing model with learning cell technique, problem posing model without learning cell technique, and direct learning model, 2) more effective student's cognitive style of field independent and field dependent, 3) more effective student's cognitive style of field independent and field dependent on each model, and 4) the most effective mathematical learning model among three models, including problem posing model with learning cell technique, problem posing model without learning cell technique, and direct learning model on each student's cognitive style. This type of the research was a quasy-experimental research. The population was all students of grade VIII of state junior high school in Sukoharjo regency in 2013/2014. The size of the samples was 302 students consisted of 102 students in the first experimental group, 101 students in the second experimental group, and 99 students in control group. The data instruments used were documents of student's early achievement, cognitive style questionnaire, and mathematics achievement test. The data was analyzed using analysis of variance. The conclusions of the research were as follows. (1) Problem posing mathematics learning model with learning cell technique is more effective than problem posing model without learning cell technique; problem posing mathematics learning model with learning cell technique is more effective than direct learning model; and problem posing learning model without learning cell technique is more effective than direct learning model, (2) Students having field independent cognitive style have greater achievement than those having field dependent cognitive style, (3) Dealing with problem posing model with learning cell technique, students having field independent cognitive style and field dependent cognitive style have the same achievement; dealing with problem posing learning model without learning cell technique, students having field independent cognitive style have greater achievement than those having field dependent cognitive style; and dealing with direct learning model, students having field independent cognitive style have greater achievement than those having field dependent cognitive style, and (4) To students having field independent cognitive style, problem posing model with learning cell technique, problem posing model without learning cell technique, and direct learning model give the same student's achievement; to students having field dependent cognitive style, problem posing model with learning cell technique gives higher student's achievement than problem posing model without learning cell technique and direct learning model, and problem posing model without learning cell technique gives higher student's achievement than direct learning model.


Axis strange symptoms of High speed trains can cause train derailment, so it is important to detect strange symptoms of axis for the vehicle in the High speed train. The one of strange symptoms is high temperature of axis for moving train. The Hot-box system(HBD) is set up for the temperature measurement system for KTX in korea. IR temperature detector used to measure temperature in HBD is very sensitive to the external temperature especially. For accurate temperature measurement, the temperature calibration algorithm in accordance with the internal temperature change have to be applied in IR temperature detector.


Abstract A survey regarding crop enterprise management, forages cost of production, dairy cattle management including reproductive management, housing, heat abatement, body condition scoring, nutrition, grouping strategies, and income over feed cost performance, was carried out from December 2016 to January 2018 on 50 dairy farms by the Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Piacenza, Italy). A total of 41 herds (82%) completed the survey. Average herd size was 327 ± 162 lactating cows with the average land size of 160 ± 94 ha per farm. Herds were located in the provinces of Cremona (17), Brescia (8), Mantova (7), Piacenza (5), Cuneo (4), Bergamo (3), Lodi (3), Torino (2), and Venezia (1). These farms sold 32.8 ± 2.01 kg of milk/day per cow, had an annual culling rate of 34.0 ± 4.00%, a calving interval of 14.16 ± 0.58 months., and a 21-days pregnancy rate of 17.05 ± 2.58%. Implementing effective management strategies to contrast the damage caused by Ostrinia nubilalis, Diabrotica spp. and Myocastor coypus were identified as the main crop enterprise challenges. Main forages cultivated were alfalfa and corn silage second seeding with a total cost of production of (€/ha) 1968 ± 362 and 2,581 ± 221, with an average yield of 9.61 ± 1.24 and 17.22 ± 2.46 ton of DM per hectare, respectively. Results of this study can provide useful benchmark or reference for dairy management practices, crops and dairy performances, forages production costs on very well-managed North Italian dairy farms at the present time. Highlights benchmarks for dairy farms management practices, economic and reproductive performance cost of production of forages in northern Italy


This paper presents both analog and digital automatic-amplitude control techniques for voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs). These feedback mechanisms help to keep the VCOs at an optimum amplitude over temperature, process, and voltage variations. The VCOs were fabricated in a 50-GHz SiGe BiCMOS process. They use MOS varactors and achieve a 600-MHz tuning range in the 2-GHz band. The phase noise of the VCO with analog control was measured to be -99 dBc/Hz at 100-kHz offset from the carrier. The digital loop allows for a more optimized VCO core that achieves a phase noise of -108.5 dBc/Hz at 100-kHz offset in a low-gain mode. Techniques for suppressing the phase noise in regions of high gain are also presented. The VCOs draw between 4 and 8 mA from a 3.3-V supply.


ABSTRACT Metarhizium viride has been associated with fatal systemic mycoses in chameleons, but subsequent data on mycoses caused by this fungus in reptiles are lacking. The aim of this investigation was therefore to obtain information on the presence of M. viride in reptiles kept as pets in captivity and its association with clinical signs and pathological findings as well as improvement of diagnostic procedures. Beside 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) (small subunit [SSU]) and internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS-1), a fragment of the large subunit (LSU) of 28S rDNA, including domain 1 (D1) and D2, was sequenced for the identification of the fungus and phylogenetic analysis. Cultural isolation and histopathological examinations as well as the pattern of antifungal drug resistance, determined by using agar diffusion testing, were additionally used for comparison of the isolates. In total, 20 isolates from eight inland bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps), six veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus), and six panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) were examined. Most of the lizards suffered from fungal glossitis, stomatitis, and pharyngitis or died due to visceral mycosis. Treatment with different antifungal drugs according to resistance patterns in all three different lizard species was unsuccessful. Sequence analysis resulted in four different genotypes of M. viride based on differences in the LSU fragment, whereas the SSU and ITS-1 were identical in all isolates. Sequence analysis of the SSU fragment revealed the first presentation of a valid large fragment of the SSU of M. viride. According to statistical analysis, genotypes did not correlate with differences in pathogenicity, antifungal susceptibility, or species specificity.


The use of fuel ethanol in the United States has increased from fewer than 200 million gallons (gal) at the beginning of the US fuel ethanol program in 1980 to 6.5 billion gal in 2007. The recent federally adopted Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 established the goal of 36 billion gal of biofuel use in the United States by 2022, of which 15 billion gal will be corn-based ethanol. In addition, the promotion of low-carbon fuel standards (LCFS) by California and several other states could help increased use of ethanol, especially cellulosic ethanol. In the United States, corn ethanol is produced through the fermentation of corn in dry and wet milling plants, most of which are located in the Midwest. In 2006, about 82% of the total US fuel ethanol was produced from dry milling plants, and the remaining 18% from wet milling plants (Renewable Fuels Association, 2007). Ethanol can be produced from cellulosic biomass through fermentation of cellulose and semicellulose. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has been undertaking extensive research and development (RD Wang et al., 2003; Wu et al., 2005; and Wu et al., 2006). As fuel ethanol production and usage in the United States have rapidly expanded in the past several years, corn ethanol plant technologies have been evolving. In addition, while corn yield per acre continues to increase, concerns have been raised that increased corn farming could result in switches in crop farming in the United States and potential land use changes in other countries. These factors together could cause different energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission results for corn ethanol. This chapter presents Argonne National Laboratory's updated energy and GHG emission results for fuel ethanol.


ABSTRACT In vitro-assembled core-like particles produced from alphavirus capsid protein and nucleic acid were studied by cryoelectron microscopy. These particles were found to have a diameter of 420 Å with 240 copies of the capsid protein arranged in a T=4 icosahedral surface lattice, similar to the nucleocapsid core in mature virions. However, when the particles were subjected to gentle purification procedures, they were damaged, preventing generation of reliable structural information. Similarly, purified nucleocapsid cores isolated from virus-infected cells or from mature virus particles were also of poor quality. This suggested that in the absence of membrane and glycoproteins, nucleocapsid core particles are fragile, lacking accurate icosahedral symmetry.


The village of Kotah is situated on a plain, on the left bank of the Pranheetah River, twelve miles above its junction with the Godavery, in latitude 18° 51′ N., and longitude 80° 2′ E. This is the locality selected by the late Dr. Walker for the experiment of boring for coal, and from whence the specimens of fossil Fish (Lepidotus Deccanensis) were obtained that were figured and described in Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. vii. p. 272, Pl. XV. The "Station," where the bore was made, is situated on the bank of the river, about half a mile to the N.N.W. of the village. To the westward the country (after crossing the river) is slightly undulating, as far as the town of Chinnoor, distant twenty miles; to the east the plain is bounded by an abrupt ridge of hills, distant five miles, which also, in consequence of their north-west and south-east direction, bound the plain to the north ; on the south the country is open and flat.


Experiments were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of a semi-synthetic diet developed from locally available ingredients in Saudi Arabia for the laboratory rearing of the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliv. The diet was developed based on existing literature, in addition to screening for a number of ingredients from locally available materials. Maize flour, wheat flour, shredded date palm frond tissue and distilled water were chosen as the final ingredients for the diet. Red palm weevils were successfully reared on this semi-synthetic diet and these ingredients were found capable of supporting larval development. However, larval weight decreased on this diet. The larval growth rate on the semi-synthetic diet was comparable to the standard growth rate achieved on date palm. One additional larval instar was observed on the diet. No significant differences were observed in the tested behavioural parameters between females fed the semi-synthetic diet versus those fed the natural diet. In conclusion, red palm weevils can be successfully reared on this semi-synthetic diet, and further optimization of it is warranted.


An appropriate medical treatment and care during the final phase can make a calm and peaceful dying possible. Aim of this review is to show the symptoms and treatment of patients with a far advanced disease in the last three days of life and to standardise terms used to describe the last period of life. There are definitions worked out for rehabilitation in palliative medicine, for the terminal phase and the final phase. We know that the final phase is a very dynamic process with sometimes a lot of symptoms and problems. Reasons for an "active" medical treatment in the last three days of life are, that new symptoms may occur or previous good controlled symptoms like pain, dyspnoea, vomiting, fear etc. can reappear, which could make a change or finishing of treatment necessary. The aim of palliative medicine is to improve the quality of life especially in the terminal phase. If we focus on the terminal phase most patients - even with cancer pain - can die peacefully and under good symptom control. The dynamic situation in the final phase and the ethical decisions force us to draw our attention to these patients and stay with them until they die. Humanity is besides a funded medical care essential in accompanying the patient in his last days of life. Until now there are not many clinical studies which can help us to find guidelines for the treatment in the last three days of live.


A single-electron transistor operating at room temperature was successfully fabricated by an improved nanodamascene process. It consists in a gated titanium nanowire interspersed by two very closely spaced tunnel junctions constituting a Coulomb island. The improvement in the process concerns the presence of an individual control gate close to the island, paving the way toward the fabrication of single-electron circuits. Moreover, a final oxidizing plasma treatment was used to tune the tunnel junction capacitances and, thus, the device operating temperature. As expected, electrical characteristics showed Coulomb blockade at room temperature, with an unexpectedly high on-state current.


We introduce a class of separable sample covariance matrices of the form $\widetilde{\mathcal{Q}}_1:=\widetilde A^{1/2} X \widetilde B X^* \widetilde A^{1/2}.$ Here $\widetilde{A}$ and $\widetilde{B}$ are positive definite matrices whose spectrums consist of bulk spectrums plus several spikes, i.e. larger eigenvalues that are separated from the bulks. Conceptually, we call $\widetilde{\mathcal{Q}}_1$ a \emph{spiked separable covariance matrix model}. On the one hand, this model includes the spiked covariance matrix as a special case with $\widetilde{B}=I$. On the other hand, it allows for more general correlations of datasets. In particular, for spatio-temporal dataset, $\widetilde{A}$ and $\widetilde{B}$ represent the spatial and temporal correlations, respectively.
In this paper, we study the outlier eigenvalues and eigenvectors, i.e. the principal components, of the spiked separable covariance model $\widetilde{\mathcal{Q}}_1$. We prove the convergence of the outlier eigenvalues $\widetilde \lambda_i$ and the generalized components (i.e. $\langle \mathbf v, \widetilde{\mathbf{\xi}}_i \rangle$ for any deterministic vector $\mathbf v$) of the outlier eigenvectors $\widetilde{\mathbf{\xi}}_i$ with optimal convergence rates. Moreover, we also prove the delocalization of the non-outlier eigenvectors. We state our results in full generality, in the sense that they also hold near the so-called BBP transition and for degenerate outliers. Our results highlight both the similarity and difference between the spiked separable covariance matrix model and the spiked covariance model. In particular, we show that the spikes of both $\widetilde{A}$ and $\widetilde{B}$ will cause outliers of the eigenvalue spectrum, and the eigenvectors can help us to select the outliers that correspond to the spikes of $\widetilde{A}$ (or $\widetilde{B}$).


This paper investigates empirically the effect of personal income tax progressivity on output volatility in a sample of OECD countries over the period 1982-2009. Our measure of tax progressivity is based on the difference between the marginal and the average income tax rate for the average production worker. We find supportive empirical evidence for the hypothesis that higher personal income tax progressivity leads to lower output volatility. All other factors constant, countries with more progressive personal income tax systems seem to benefit from stronger automatic stabilisers.


Objective: To investigate the anti ulcer effect of aqueous extract of Azolla  filiculoides (AF) in experimentally induced gastric ulceration in male Wistar rats. Methods: Twenty four rats were divided into four groups of six rats in each group. The group I and III rats were fed with standard diet, whereas, group II and IV rats were pre-treated orally with aqueous extract of Azolla microphylla (200 mg/kg body) twice a day for 15 d. Twenty four hours before sacrifice, group III and IV rats were induced with ulcer by pylorus-ligation plus oral administration of a single dose of HCl-ethanol mixture (1.5 ml). The gastric juice and mucosal scraps were collected from all the groups for biochemical analyses. Results: In ulcer induced rats, there observed a significant (P<0.05) increase in the following parameters like ulcer index, gastric output, acid output, lipid peroxides and these levels were significantly (P<0.05) reduced to near normal values in AF pre-treated rats. A significant decrease was also observed in the levels of reduced glutathione, hexose, hexosamine, sialic acid and in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase) and antiperoxidative enzymes (catalase and superoxide dismutase) in ulcer induced rats. These values were restored back to near normalcy in AF pre-treated rats. Conclusion: The results reinforce the antisecretory, acid neutralizing and the antioxidant potential of the whole plant extract of AF against experimentally induced gastric ulcer in rats. However, further studies are needed to identify the active principle involved in eliciting the antiulcer activity of the plant.


The lipid extract of the marine sponge Mycale sp. inhibited the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) in a human breast tumor T47D cell-based reporter assay. Bioassay-guided isolation and structure elucidation yielded 18 new lipophilic 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles and eight structurally related known compounds. The active compounds inhibited hypoxia-induced HIF activation with moderate potency (IC50 values <10 microM). Mechanistic studies revealed that the active compounds suppressed mitochondrial respiration by blocking NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) at concentrations that inhibited HIF-1 activation. Under hypoxic conditions, reactive oxygen species produced by mitochondrial complex III are believed to act as a signal of cellular hypoxia that leads to HIF-1alpha protein induction and activation. By inhibiting electron transport (or delivery) to complex III under hypoxic conditions, lipophilic Mycale pyrroles appear to disrupt mitochondrial ROS-regulated HIF-1 signaling.


Background. Treatment of patients with bladder cancer remains one of the most pressing problems of oncourology. It is important to understand that the risks caused by the radical cystectomy are determined not only and even not so much by the technical difficulties of removal of the bladder, as by the somatic status of the patient who needs cystectomy. It is important to understand that radical cystectomy and urine derivation are essentially two stages of a single surgery intervetion. However, in the publications describing postoperative cystectomy complications often ignore the fact that the maximum number of complications develops and is associated with the complexity of the urinary diversion method. In a relatively recent long-term study on the results of radical cystectomy, the authors reported a 3% postoperative mortality rate and a 28% level of early postoperative complications (within 3 months after surgery). The authors paid attention to the fact that late complications was more often caused by the urinary diversion methods, whereas early complications are more often associated with radical cystectomy. In general, it is determined that morbidity and mortality are lower the more experience the clinic staff and the surgeon have in terms of patient management. The combination of these factors causes a slower recovery and a longer postoperative day. Despite the decrease in mortality, the level of complications of this procedure remains high even in the best centers of the world. Objective. Assessment of the prerequisites for the development of complications after radical cystectomy using different methods of urine diversion. Materials and methods . Oncological treatment results of 458 patients with bladder tumors were subjected to a detailed analysis. Results. The number of patients with comorbidities was significantly pronounced and noted in practically every patient (381 patients - 83.1%). At the same time, it was found that in the whole group of patients the average value of the Charlson's comorbidity index corrected for age turned out to be 2.6 ± 1.6 (from 0 to 8). Early postoperative complications were detected in 197 patients (43.0%). Early complications NOT associated with urinary diversion prevailed - 36.2%, while the frequency of early complications associated with urinary diversion was statistically significantly less on average 3 times and amounted 12.9%. The incidence of late postoperative complications (associated and NOT associated with the derivation of urine) was generally lower compared to early complications by almost 5 times (9.1%). At the same time, unlike the early postoperative period, among the late postoperative complications, mainly complications associated with the urine diversion of were recorded in 6.5% of cases. It is important that in the studied group of patients were recorded predominantly mild and moderate degrees of complication (Clavien-Dindo I-II) and amounted 41.7%. Conclusion. Obviously, radical cystectomy with urinary diversion are complex surgery with expected high rates of postoperative complications. In this regard, these indicators along with functional and oncological results should be taken into account when discussing a treatment strategy. Early postoperative complications are mainly related to technique of radical cystectomy performing, whereas late complications are more often due to used method of urinary diversion, while high indicators of the planned long-term survival indicate that it is not necessary to perform radical cystectomy. Thus, our findings unequivocally confirm the opinion of international experts and most researchers that achieving optimal optimal results in performing radical cystectomy with urinary intestinal diversion, maximizing morbidity and postoperative lethality is possible only with the accumulation of sufficient experience in this operation types.


We present a set of three new time-dependent models with increasing flexibility for realistic route planning in flight networks. By these means, we obtain small graph sizes while modeling airport procedures in a realistic way. With these graphs, we are able to efficiently compute a set of best connections with multiple criteria over a full day. It even turns out that due to the very limited graph sizes it is feasible to precompute full distance tables between all
airports. As a result, best connections can be retrieved in a few microseconds on real world data.


The discovery well, the West Australian Petroleum Pty. Ltd. Rough Range No. 1, is in the northwestern part of the large Carnarvon basin which contains marine sediments ranging from Middle Devonian to Miocene. One major and several minor unconformities are known in the basin. An outline of the stratigraphy and structure is given with a brief statement on the source, reservoir beds, and cap rocks. The source of the oil is considered and future prospective areas for production from the sand are outlined. This is the first significant flow of oil on the Australian continent encountered by the first deep test in this basin. The flow is reported as 500 barrels a day of 40° A.P.I. oil. Total Paleozoic thickness in the basin is 20,000-30,000 feet, overlain by 3,500 feet of Cretaceous and Tertiary. The source rock may be Middle Permian.


STUDY QUESTION
Is there a difference in pregnancy rates between embryos transferred electively on Day 5 and Day 6, respectively?

SUMMARY ANSWER
The chance of pregnancy is significantly reduced (odds ratio (OR): 0.34; 95% CI 0.22-0.52) if transfer is performed on Day 6 compared with Day 5.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Several studies report that Day 5 transfers have higher implantation rates (IRs) when compared with Day 6 transfers. These studies were based on non-elective Day 6 transfers, where transfers on Day 6 were performed with developmentally delayed embryos. Traditionally, difference in IRs has therefore been explained by an impaired embryo quality. An alternative explanation is that endometrial receptivity is higher on Day 5 compared with Day 6.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
The study was conducted as a retrospective cohort follow-up study on single blastocyst transfers from February 2011 until August 2015 in patients aged <38 years, with ≥eight oocytes retrieved and no diagnosis of endometriosis. Non-elective Day 6 transfers were excluded. Post hoc power-calculations (two-sided level of significance 0.05, power of 0.80) indicate that 91 embryos were needed in each group to detect a reduction in IR (primary outcome) from 40 to 20%.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
Day 5 or Day 6 transfers were implemented accordingly: from 2011 till 2013, transfers were performed on Day 6. If Day 6 was a Sunday, patients received Day 5 transfers. From 2013 onward, blastocysts were transferred on Day 5. If Day 5 was a Sunday, the transfer was delayed to Day 6. Univariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify potential confounders. Factors with a P-value <0.1 were included in the multivariable logistic regression analysis.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
We included 334 single elective Day 5 and 268 elective Day 6 transfers. The unadjusted odds for implantation between Day 5 and Day 6 groups were 0.35 (95% CI 0.25-0.49). A univariable logistic regression analysis identified maternal age, BMI, cumulative FSH dose, number of cryopreserved embryos, score of inner cell mass and trophectoderm and day of transfer as predictors of clinical pregnancy. When adjusting for these variables in a multivariable logistic regression analysis, the implantation odds for Day 5 transfer remained significantly higher than Day 6 (OR 0.34; 95% CI 0.22-0.52).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
The study was conducted on good prognosis patients. The majority of Day 6 transfers were performed in the beginning of the study period. Day 5 transfers were generally performed in the end of the study period. This difference in time of recruitment may cause a minor variation in the data but a subanalysis indicates that this potential variation is negligible. Day 5 scores were higher in the Day 5 transfer group.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
Based on the findings in this study, transfers should be performed on Day 5. If Day 5 transfers are logistically impossible to perform, it is be preferable to cryopreserve the blastocyst and transfer in another cycle on Day 5, as Day 6 transfers should be avoided.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
None.


ABSTRACT A new species of Tetragonopterus is described from lowland rivers of Central Amazon. It differs from congeners by having a vertically-oriented patch of dark pigmentation limited to posterior portion of the caudal peduncle and by bearing five thin and sharp teeth on dentary, along with other morphometric and meristic features. We hypothesize that the new taxon belongs to the herein named "Tetragonopterus anostomus clade" that includes T. anostomus, T. denticulatus, T. kuluene, and T. juruena.


Service-oriented Architecture (SOA) for sensor network applications aims at providing composable sensor network services supporting functionality within a specific application domain together with tools for service composition, so more complex functionalities can be composed of component services. In a distributed environment, such a scheme works by having a given component service choose other components that provide the data that it needs to perform its service. In this paper, we propose to use real options theory for selecting component services. Real options are designed to reduce the risk associated with an investment by delaying the investment decision for a certain period of time or by allowing for the substitutions of initial investment. Thus, they enhance managerial flexibility and add to the overall value of a project but at the same time they incur certain costs. It is natural to think about activated services as investments, and we apply the switch options subset of the real options methodology to manage the risks of high cost that may result from the low reliability of sensors and sensor networks. Furthermore, we compare our approach with several service selection methods and show the advantage of the option-based methodology.


Enhancing expertise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is vital to promoting both the intellectual and economic development of a modern society. This chapter synthesizes relevant studies on the acquisition and development of STEM expertise from different areas of research, including cognitive psychology, the psychology of science, sociology and anthropology, and educational research. Specifically, first, the structure of relevant STEM disciplines in conceptualizing the domain of expertise are discussed. Then the fundamental mechanisms of thinking and problem-solving practices in science and engineering that underlie expert performance within these disciplines are presented. Issues pertaining to assessment and recognition of expertise in STEM fields are also examined. Lastly, evidence pertaining to the impact of training and education on the development of STEM expertise is reviewed. The chapter closes with a critical analysis of STEM expertise research to date and identifies unanswered critical questions and new directions for future research.


This study aims to determine patterns and formulations for relieving community dependency from moneylender practices. The variables used in this study are traders in the Ngemplak Tulungagung market. Data analysis uses descriptive qualitative methods. This study focuses its study on efforts to understand the practices of loan sharks in depth, understand deeply the capital needs of traders who become their customers in business development, and see the existence and role financial institutions around the location of moneylender practices that they have played, as well as the government's perceptions and efforts in tackling these rent practices. The results of this study, first, the main cause of Ngemplak market traders' dependence on moneylenders is the ease that traders can get when borrowing from moneylenders compared to when borrowing from banks and other capital providers. Second, coordination between financial institutions, the government, Baznas and Ngemplak market traders is needed to equalize the vision. Mission, and the goal of liberating traders from dependence on moneylenders Keywords: moneylenders, dependencymoneylender practices


This study reports a case of a 4-year-old boy patient with abnormalities of muscle tone, movement and motor skills, as well as unstable gait leading to frequent falls. The results of the electroencephalogram (EEG) indicate moderately abnormal EEG, accompanied by irregular seizures. Based on these clinical characteristics, the patient was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) in our hospital. In this study, the patient was treated with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) transplantation therapy. This patient received UC-MSC transplantation 3 times (5.3*107) in total. After three successive cell transplantations, the patient recovered well and showed obvious improvements in EEG and limb strength, motor function, and language expression. However, the improvement in intelligence quotient (IQ) was less obvious. These results indicate that UC-MSC transplantation is a promising treatment for cerebral palsy.


Questions

Does epizoochorous dispersal via sheep lead to the establishment of populations of sandy grassland species on newly created, managed restoration sites on sandy bare soil? Do epizoochorously-induced spatial patterns persist during vegetation development? Does sandy grassland develop, which is rich in epizoochorously-dispersed target species?

Location

Upper Rhine Valley, Germany.

Methods

A 6-yr experiment on epizoochorous dispersal by sheep was conducted on three newly created deep sand deposition sites mimicking restoration areas with reduced nutrient availability. Establishment success and persistence of ten epizoochorously-dispersed species were assessed and spatial patterns were analysed using SADIE (Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices). Vegetation development of the experimental areas was related to a nearby nature reserve (releves, target species ratios). In addition, seed rain and early-successional soil seed bank were sampled.

Results

All but one species dispersed by sheep became established and persisted during the 6-yr study. After establishment, most perennials did not change or increased in abundance over time, whereas annuals showed various population dynamics. Spatial patterns were aggregated for most study species. Similarity of spatial patterns between consecutive years varied by species, site and year, and was stronger in perennial than in annual species. Patterns of seed dispersal and establishment were positively associated with each other (a subset of three species was tested). Within 6 yrs, the proportion, but not the cover, of target species in the experimental areas reached a level similar to that of a nearby nature reserve; however, many species characteristic of the nature reserve were absent. The species compositions of both seed bank and seed rain were dominated by non-target species.

Conclusions

Sheep flocks may assist in colonization of grassland species on newly created bare soil areas via epizoochory. The incorporation of livestock into restoration projects might facilitate the regeneration and preservation of threatened plant populations. Livestock might be most successful in promoting biodiversity if they are moved from communities with target species to restoration areas.


IMPLICATIONS
A high blood magnesium level is a rare but life-threatening event. This case report describes an accidental overdose of magnesium that occurred in an 18-month-old girl during a routine operation. The effects of high magnesium levels and its treatment are explained in detail.


The miscibility between two polymer species is important not only from a scientific viewpoint but also from an indus-trial perspective. The information on the morphology is not sufficient to understand their mixed states, and submicron-scale material properties must be clarified. A unique nanorheological atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique was utilized in this study to investigate the nature of a styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/butadiene rubber (BR) partially miscible polymer blend. The blend seemed to be immiscible according to scanning transmission electron microscopy and conventional AFM techniques. However, when both the storage modulus and loss modulus for the blends were compared with those for the homopolymers by using nanorheological AFM, values for both the SBR-rich and BR-rich regions did not coincide with those for the pure components. In particular, the BR-rich region, which might contain SBR due to their partial miscibility, exhibited a dynamic heterogeneity, where the frequency responses were much more complicated than those of the BR homopolymer, though differential scanning calorimetry measurement could not detect it as the change of glass-transition temperature.


This paper attempts to examine briefly ideas on values education by various academics and how they see a connection between character education and values. It is an attempt to gather information from the results of different studies and present a synthesis systematically. Former studies mention direct links as values are natural parts of both values education and character education. Quite a number of scientists have noticed the vital role modeling of teachers as influential actors during the positive formation of their students' character. Moreover, the necessity of the intervention of universities for the character building of their own students is emphasized. As a result, it may be concluded that the mission of tertiary education is not only science but also education in a broad sense. The aim of values education is to help families and the society guarantee a better and more moral future. This objective is shared with character education and in this respect as well, the two currents have a common goal.
 DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n3p131


This course will present an overview of a variety of thermal coatings-related topics, including: coating types and availability, thermal properties measurements, environmental testing (lab and in-flight), environmental impacts, contamination impacts, contamination liabilities, determination of BOLEOL values, and what does specularity mean to the thermal engineer.


An 18-year-old female with CNS relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia after previous complete remission of the disease underwent chemotherapy. Due to the therapy she suffered from profound suppression of bone marrow with consecutive thrombocytopenia and leukopenia. Despite prophylactic treatment, severe septicemia occurred with septic shock, hemolysis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). As the clinical course became uncontrollable by means of conventional therapy, including broad-spectrum antibiotics, substitution of fresh frozen plasma, antithrombin III and heparin therapy, plasma exchange was used as a rescue therapy. This method succeeded in effective replacement of clotting factors and normalization of coagulation, in removal of fibrinogen degradation products and probably of toxins and shock mediators. The patient recovered from shock.


In addition to serving crucial roles in bone development, Hedgehog (Hh) signaling contributes to the development and progression of many cancers, making it an attractive candidate for treatment of bone-resident cancers. Recent data suggest that Hh-targeted agents exert pluripotent effects on host bone microenvironment cells through both cell-intrinsic and paracrine mechanisms, interrupting the 'vicious cycle' of tumor cell, osteoblast (OB), osteoclast (OC), and bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) interactions in bone metastatic breast cancers. Here, reciprocal stimulation between tumor cells and bone cells enhance both tumor growth and bone pathology. Similarly, development of osteosarcoma (OS), the most common primary bone cancer, is strongly influenced by conditions within surrounding microenvironment providing additional points for therapeutic intervention. The 5-year survival rate for metastatic OS is under 30%, highlighting the need for novel and targeted treatments. We have demonstrated that mice deficient in the tumor suppressor ARF (p19ARF; p14ARF in humans) have enhanced rates of bone turnover, mimicking the adolescent growth period in which OS is prevalent. By crossing Arf-/- mice with those expressing Tax, an HTLV-1 oncogene that results in osteolytic tumors, we developed a model of high penetrant spontaneous OS that recapitulates many aspects of human disease. Here, suppression of bone turnover with the bisphosphonate zoledronic acid prevented the development of OS, suggesting that enhanced OC activity may stimulate OS growth. In agreement, we found that Tax+Arf-/- OS had increased RANKL-to-OPG ratios resulting in increased osteoclastogenic ability. Compared to normal osteoblasts and mesenchymal stem cell precursors, Tax+Arf-/- OS cells have increased expression of Hh pathway genes and exhibit increased susceptibility to Hh inhibitors (SMO antagonists). In particular, Tax+Arf-/- OS cells express high levels of the Hh ligands Sonic (SHH) and Indian (IHH), suggesting they may stimulate surrounding cells in a paracrine fashion. Notably, BMSC derived from non-tumor bearing Tax+Arf-/- mice also exhibit increased expression of pro-tumorigenic factors (including IL-6 and IGF), generating a fertile 'soil'. SHH or conditioned media from Tax+Arf-/- OS cells enhanced OC activity and BMSC cell production of pro-tumorigenic growth factors. Furthermore, the increased OB and OC differentiation and activity present in Tax+Arf-/- cells could be abrogated with SMO inhibitors. We have established an OS cell line from Tax+Arf-/- mice (TAN) with the ability to form mineralized tumors upon intratibial injection. Using this model, we hypothesize that treatment with SMO antagonists will decrease OS growth due to both tumor cytotoxic effects and direct effects on host bone microenvironment cells that abrogate the pro-tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Michelle Anne Hurchla, Katherine N. Weilbaecher. Targeting the Hedgehog pathway to inhibit osteosarcoma growth through dual effects on tumor and microenvironment cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1624. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1624


To the Editor.— In his letter in the January 1978Archives(114:130) Dr Herwick described a case of prurigo in a woman from the San Francisco Bay area that he ascribed to the presence of the canine (and feline) ear mite Otodectes cynotis in the patient's recently acquired dog. Report of a Case.— In November 1977 a young dog was referred to me because the owner, a 50-year-old housewife, had been suffering from recurrent, pruritic eruptions on her torso and extremities ever since she acquired the dog some nine months earlier. The dog proved to have a bilateral otitis externa due to a heavy infestation with O cynotis . In brushings from the coat of the animal I found two mites that I first thought to be aberrant ear mites but that were subsequently identified as the canine scurf mite Cheyletiella yasguri . This mite may infest dogs asymptomatically but is quite


The link between EBV infection and Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is strong, but the mechanism underlying that link has been elusive. We have developed a mouse model for EBV-associated BL in which LMP2A, an EBV latency protein, and MYC are expressed in B cells. Our model has demonstrated the ability of LMP2A to accelerate tumor onset, increase spleen size, and bypass p53 inactivation. Here we describe the results of total gene expression analysis of tumor and pretumor B cells from our transgenic mouse model. Although we see many phenotypic differences and changes in gene expression in pretumor B cells, the transcriptional profiles of tumor cells from LMP2A/λ-MYC and λ-MYC mice are strikingly similar, with fewer than 20 genes differentially expressed. We evaluated the functional significance of one of the most interesting differentially expressed genes, Egr1, and found that it was not required for acceleration of tumor onset by LMP2A. Our studies demonstrate the remarkable ability of LMP2A to affect the pretumor B-cell phenotype and tumorigenesis without substantially altering gene expression in tumor cells.


AbstractIn order to minimize the adverse impact of channel noise one can introduce the equalizers with various optimizing algorithms at the receiver side to achieve the better performance of the wireless communication system. Thus estimation the channel will improve the performance of the receiver. Henceforth our aim is to use the adverse impact of channel noise using LS and MMSE channel estimation in order to reduce the distortion that will help improve performance of the wireless communication system.Computer simulations show that, in the case where the cyclic prefix is equal to or smallerthan the channel length, MMSE performs better than LSE but at the cost of computational complexity. MATLAB simulations are used to evaluate the performance of the studied estimators in terms of Mean Square Error (MSE) for LTE Downlink systems with SISO.


A theoretical analysis has been performed of the nonlinear thermal processes associated with the atmospheric absorption of 10.6-μm radiation from laser beams of high power density, with special attention to limitations imposed upon the CO2 absorption rate by the induced-emission phenomenon. Differential equations relating atmospheric absorption and temperature change are formulated to include this and related high power effects, and are solved numerically for a series of power densities, humidities, and altitudes near sea level. Low power formulas are shown to be unreliable above 104 W/cm2, with absorption-saturation processes especially effective in limiting the magnitude of the CO2 cooling at these large values of the laser power density. Analytic expressions are derived, which provide an accurate description of the temperature profile during the cooling phase. The regions of validity for simplified high and low power approximations to these formulas are also discussed.


Abstract:
 Promma, C., Chantanaorrapint, S. & Zhu, R.-L. 2017. The genus Tuyamaella (Lejeuneaceae, Marchantiophyta) new to Thailand. — Herzogia 30: 74–79. The genus Tuyamaella is reported from Thailand for the first time. Three species are recognized in Thailand, namely T. angulistipa, T. hattorii and T. molischii var. molischii. Description and illustrations of T. hattorii, a rare species previously known only from Vietnam and Laos, are provided.


Abstract We study the Iterated Bilateral Reciprocity game in which the need for help arises randomly. Players are heterogeneous with respect to 'neediness' i.e. probability of needing help. We find bounds on the amount of heterogeneity which can be tolerated for cooperation (all players help when asked to help) to be sustainable in a collectivity. We introduce the notion of Generalised Reciprocity. Individuals make a costly first move to benefit another under the reasonable expectation that either the other or somebody else will reciprocate. We hope that these tentative attempts at extending Axelrod's seminal work on cooperation will inspire future efforts in the field of organisational culture and social theory more generally.


Cooperatives play a significant role in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Besides serving as conduits of support services to farmers, they are also expected to implement agri-based projects that will help increase income and productivity of its members and other community members. The St. Marcos Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SMMPC), which operates in Barangay Gapasan in the Municipality of Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro submitted a proposal to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for funding. The proposed project intends to increase farm productivity and income and entails renting out of common service facilities (CSFs) such as a 35-HP four-wheel tractor and combined harvester-thresher by SMMPC. The CSFs will be provided for free by the DAR, but the cooperative is required to have an equity. Given the current, weak financial status and management capabilities of cooperatives in the Philippines, the question of whether SMMPC can operate its proposed project and sustain its operation arose. This paper assessed the capacity of the cooperative to manage and sustain the operation of the project. Furthermore, the relevance, acceptability, and estimated returns of the proposed project were also examined. Data was gathered through focus group discussions with the cooperative members and barangay residents who are not affiliated with the organization. Key informant interviews with the DAR personnel and gathering of secondary data were also conducted. Results indicated that the SMMPC has a stable financial base and its officers are capable of running the proposed project. Moreover, the high demand for the CSFs assures that SMMPC will be profitable.


A new approach for image retrieval by combination of colour and texture features is proposed. This approach uses the histogram of feature vectors, which are constructed from the coefficients of some subbands of wavelet transform and chosen according to their intrinsic characters. A K-means algorithm is used to quantise feature vectors. The experimental results both on small size databases (40 classes of textures) and large size databases (167 classes of textures) show that, compared with the state-of-the-art approaches, the proposed approach can achieve better retrieval performance.


. We show that there exist polynomial endomorphisms of C 2 , possessing a wandering Fatou component. These mappings are polynomial skew- products, and can be chosen to extend holomorphically of P 2 ( C ). We also find real examples with wandering domains in R 2 . The proof relies on parabolic implosion techniques, and is based on an original idea of M. Lyubich.


INTRODUCTION
Infertility is a medical problem which influences all the dimensions of one's individual and social life and can expose him/her to psycho-physical, socio-economic, sexual and family challenges. This study was designed to compare the quality of life of fertile and infertile women.

MATERIALS & METHODOLOGY
This is a case-control analytical study in which 180 fertile and infertile women (aged 18-42) participated. The infertile group consisted of women who had visited an infertility treatment clinic. The fertile group consisted of healthy women who had children and had visited a healthcare center in the city of Jahrom. For the case group (n=90), sampling was conducted based on the census method; for the control group (n=90), subjects were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire which had two sections: demographic information and the World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire (WHO QOL-BREF). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.

RESULTS
The mean age of the participants was 28.26±4.85 years. 76.5% of the infertility cases were due to female infertility and 5.9% were due to male infertility. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the infertile and fertile groups in their overall satisfaction with life levels (p=0.002). There were no significant differences between the two groups in mean scores of somatic, psychological, social and environmental dimensions (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION
Considering the results of the present research, it seems that factors like acceptance of infertility by couples, hope for present medical solutions to be effective, use of support plans and recent advancements in technology are possible reasons for the absence of difference between the infertile and fertile groups in quality of life.


The theory of separating codes has been applied in several areas of science ranging from automata synthesis to the protection of distribution rights. In this paper, we introduce a relaxed version of separating and secure frameproof codes and show that for the relaxed definitions these two notions are different, as opposed to the original definitions when these notions coincide. Moreover, we also discuss how this new relaxed versions of the codes can be used to construct a family of fingerprinting codes.


Background:

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancer types, frequently metastasizing into the lungs. Treatment options have been vastly improved over the last years. With the increasing use of targeted therapies novel and rare adverse effects can be seen. In this report, we present the case of recurrent spontaneous bilateral pneumothorax due to fulminant tumor necrosis during the administration of regorafenib in a heavily pretreated patient with multiple lung metastases from colorectal cancer.
Case presentation:

A 43-year-old woman presented in our oncology department with chest pain and dyspnea. The patient was diagnosed with colorectal cancer seven years earlier and had received chemoradiation, surgery and multiple chemotherapies, before she was started on regorafenib because of progressive pulmonary metastases. Clinical examination revealed no breath sounds in the right hemithorax. The patient was tachycardic and orthopneic. Computed tomography scans demonstrated cavitation of former nodular bilateral pulmonary metastases. After drainage and resolution of the right-sided pneumothorax the patient returned eleven days later with recurrent dyspnea, chest pain and subcutaneous emphysema. Bilateral pneumothoraces were treated with chest tubes. Due to left-sided tension pneumothorax video-assisted thoracoscopy and bilateral pleurodeses were performed. Persistent air leaks with severe pain and pulmonary infiltrates led to the death of the patient.
Conclusions:

Our case illustrates the effectiveness of regorafenib in a highly pretreated patient. However, in our patient the ensuing cavitation of the multiple nodes led to recurrent pneumothoraces and associated infectious complications. Therefore, special surveillance should be implemented to detect potential transformation of solid pulmonary metastases during treatment with this multi-kinase inhibitor.


Cortisol, also known as hydrocortisone, is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex in the adrenal gland of mammals. The zona fasciculata is the tissue that produces this glucocorticoid in response to stimulation by Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH). Cortisol is classified as a glucocorticoid, which aids in metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Cortisol is commonly referred to as the stress hormone because it is involved in the body's natural response to stress. Most cells in the body contain receptors for cortisol, allowing it to have many functions within the body [5]. In normal cortisol release, its actions restore homeostasis after stress. Cortisol is responsible for controlling the body's blood sugar levels, regulating metabolism. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and can promote the breakdown of glycogen, lipids, and proteins which reduces protein levels in most body cells. Cortisol influences memory formation, controls salt and water balance, and helps development of the fetus [1]. Cortisol is responsible for triggering key processes during parturition in many species. Cortisol is produced by specific enzymes known as the P450 enzymes, which are located on chromosome ten, region CYP17. 11-beta HSD1 and 11-beta HSD2 are the enzymes associated with the metabolism of cortisol [8]. The over or underproduction of cortisol can produce diseases within the body. Primary Hypercortisolism occurs when excessive levels of cortisol are present in the blood resulting in Cushing's syndrome. Hypocortisolism or adrenal insufficiency results when the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol for the body. Addison's disease refers to primary adrenal insufficiency, where the adrenal glands malfunction [1].


Purpose We report a three-generation family with distal arthrogryposis type 5 (DA5). Methods Clinical evaluation of affected family members and review of the literature. Results The family has four affected members in three generations with an apparent autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. Three affected individuals were examined. All have distal joint contractures with absent flexion creases, limited mobility of all small and large joints, stance with shortened heel cords and pes cavus, short stature, decreased extraocular movements, and pectus excavatum. This pattern is consistent with DA5. The propositus has documented pulmonary hypertension secondary to chronic hypoxia from restrictive pulmonary disease. The propositus's mother died at age 50 of congestive heart failure. She was on oxygen for the last 15 years of life. No formal pulmonary function studies were done. Review of the literature reveals a family reported by Beals and Weleber (2004) with DA5. Four affected individuals in this family have documented restrictive pulmonary disease. One individual was on oxygen supplementation, but pulmonary hypertension was not documented in this family. The father in the family reported by Sack (1978) had mild dyspnea on exertion but did not report pulmonary function studies. An EKG was normal. Conclusions Restrictive pulmonary disease is a component of DA5. This implies involvement of the diaphragm and/or intercostal muscles. All individuals diagnosed with DA5 should be evaluated for pulmonary disease as treatment of chronic hypoxia may prevent or delay pulmonary hypertension. Mapping of the gene for DA5 is under way.


Introduction: Reed-Sternberg cells are typical for Hodgkin's lymphoma. They are transformed post-germinative B cells that not achieve successful immunoglobulin gene rearrangement, and therefore predetermined to apoptosis. Several mechanisms, including latent Epstein Barr virus infection (EBV), enable survival of Hodgkin's lymphoma neoplastic cells. Goal of this study is correlation of Hodgkin's lymphoma EBV status with expression of apoptosis associated proteins in neoplastic cells. Association of Hodgkin's lymphoma with EBV was determined by chromogenic hybridization in situ detection of EBER1 and EBER2. Material and Methods: Presence of apoptosis associated proteins: bcl-2, bcl-X, bax and p53, were determined immunohistochemicaly in neoplastic cells of 39 EBV positive, and 42 EBV negative Hodgkin's lymphomas. Results: Bcl-2 protein was detected in neoplastic cells in 22.2%, Bcl-X in 87.7%, Bax in 80.2% and p53 in 67.8% of cases. In 44.4% cases simultaneous presence of Bcl-X, Bax and p53 protein was detected. Bcl-X is significantly more produced in mixed cellularity, and Bcl-X and Bax in nodular sclerosis. No significant difference was found in production of all four proteins between EBV positive and negative Hodgkin's lymphoma. Median intensity of p53, Bcl-2, Bcl-X and Bax staining of complete examined group, EBV positive and EBV negative group show significant difference, except between Bcl-X and Bax. Discussion: Survival capacity of Hodgkin's lymphoma neoplastic cells depends on activity of numerous regulators of programmed cell death. Expression of bcl-2, bcl-X, bax and p53 proteins is not different in neoplastic cells of EBV positive and EBV negative Hodgkin's lymphoma.


Vernier acuity and vernier bias were examined in persons aged 20 to 79 years using a method of adjustments. Vernier bias (mean error) showed a sharp increase between 35 and 45. Vernier acuity (standard deviation or precision of alignment) did not vary significantly with age. These different results indicate the importance of separate evaluation of acuity and bias. Vernier acuity is little affected by minor optical changes that occur with age. Therefore, normal vernier acuity in older persons suggests that the neural substrates which underlie fine-grain discrimination of object location are unaffected by aging over the range investigated.


Organisational Semiotics (OS) uses Ontology Charts (OC) for requirements representation. This technique that shows affordances and their ontological dependencies constitutes the essential diagrammatic communication facility of this theory. On the other hand Diplans diagrams are in a similar way the main mean of expression of the Theory of Organized Activity (TOA). Diplans show us bodies and (human) actions and their relationships. Both theories belong to the socio-technical perspective of information systems development and were chosen as part of a unification work that includes both. Regarding UML, it is a de facto standard and it is seen as a powerful and widely accepted technique for modelling. To represent OC and Diplans with UML will most benefit the underlying theories by widening their audience and enabling to use the numerous available tools. This paper proposes two new UML 2 profiles for representing respectively, OCs and Diplans. Examples of application of both profiles are shown and an extended discussion on their creation is made. Our concern is to bring to discussion the different issues that came forward when metamodelling both solutions and, consequently, to assess the feasibility of UML for this purpose.


A combined method of dithizone-extraction and carbon powder column adsorption was applied to concentrate trace amounts of copper (II) and mercury (II) in natural water samples before neutron activation analysis. The sample solution was adjusted to pH 1.0 with nitric acid, an aliquot of which as taken in a 500 cm3 separating funnel and then 5.0 cm3 of 0.01% dithizone-benzene and 25 cm3 of n-hexane wee added. The mixture was shaken for 10 min and stood for 30 min. After the aqueous phase was discarded, another aliquot of the sample solution was added. The above procedure was repeated until the treatment of the sample solution (1.00 dm3) was completed. The organic phase was then flown through the column (6mm phi x 50 mmh) containing carbon powder, and the resulting column was dried. The monitor containing 10 micrograms of mercury or copper was also prepared according to the above procedure. The samples and monitors were irradiated together in a pneumatic tube of JRR-3. After cooling, copper and mercury were determined by gamma-spectrometry using 64Cu, 197Hg, respectively. The recovery of trace metal ions obtained by this method was more than 99%, and the present method was found to be applicable to the preconcentration of copper (II) and mercury (II) in natural water samples.


The lungs are one of the few organ systems that are most challenged by stress due to its direct contact to the outside world.[1] They play a significant role in preventing the development of disease with their well-equipped defense system, warding off toxic insults, such as smoke, exhaust, and microbes. Depending on the location within the lung, there are several anatomical defenses present to ward off harmful particles, such as dust, viruses, bacteria, fungi, soot, among others. The size of each particle determines how the lungs defend themselves.[2] Along with these anatomical barriers, the integrated stress response (ISR) becomes activated by one (or more) of these toxic triggers and thereby activate one of four stress-sensing kinases. The balance of these cytoprotective and damaging factors induced by the kinases leads to the negative effects on the lungs due to the environment.[3]