Recent advances in neurotechnology enable exciting new experiments, including novel paradigms such as closed-loop optogenetic control that achieve powerful causal interventions. At the same time, improved computational models are capable of reproducing behavior and neural activity with increasing fidelity. However, the complexities of these advances can make it difficult to reap the benefits of bridging model and experiment, such as in-silico experiment prototyping or direct comparison of model output to experimental data. We can bridge this gap more effectively by incorporating the simulation of the experimental interface into our models, but no existing tool integrates optogenetics, electrode recording, and flexible closed-loop processing with neural population simulations. To address this need, we have developed the Closed-Loop, Electrophysiology, and Optogenetics experiment simulation testbed (Cleo). Cleo is a Python package built on the Brian 2 simulator enabling injection of recording and stimulation devices as well as closed-loop control with realistic latency into a spiking neural network model. Here we describe the design, features, and use of Cleo, including validation of the individual system components. We further demonstrate its utility in three case studies using a variety of existing models and discuss potential applications for advancing causal neuroscience.


Filter paper methods are well recognized as an effective means of measuring soot emissions from diesel engines. However, these methods provide an average soot value over a relatively long time period, rather than a real-time signal. Real-time measurements of engine-out soot emissions that could track changes in soot levels during transient operating conditions would be useful for the optimization of engine control strategies such as exhaust gas recirculation. This paper presents experimental results obtained using a real-time PM sensor based upon a spark discharge measuring principle. Like traditional filter paper devices, it is sensitive to the carbon or soot component of the particulate matter emitted by diesel engines. The sensor was tested on a turbocharged diesel engine, and compared with reference measurements of Filter Smoke Number (FSN) from an AVL 415s smokemeter. Improvements to the sensor made it possible to measure soot levels at FSN values over 3.5, while retaining good sensitivity below FSN values of 0.1. The sensor signal showed a high correlation with the reference FSN measurements. This correlation was used to develop a signal processing technique so the sensor provided a real-time signal for predicted FSN. Conversion of the FSN values to mass concentration values (using published techniques for the reference instrument) indicated that the output of the spark discharge soot sensor was nearly linear with mass concentration over a substantial portion of the measuring range. The sensor showed a response time of under 2 seconds to step changes in FSN levels.© 2010 ASME


The innate immune response to Gram-negative bacteria depends mainly on the ability of the host to respond to the LPS component. Consequently, the state of LPS sensitivity at the time of infection and the numbers of invading bacteria (i.e. the amounts of LPS) are primary factors determining the innate responses provoked by Gram-negative pathogens. LPS sensitivity increases following treatment of mice with live or killed micro-organisms. Two types of sensitization have been recognized, strong, IFN-γ-dependent and moderate IFN-γ-independent. IL-12 and IL-18 are intimately involved in the induction of IFN-γ by bacteria. We showed that Gram-negative bacteria induce IFN-γ in mice also by an IFN-β-dependent pathway that requires IL-18 and is independent of IL-12 signaling. This pathway is STAT4 dependent, the activation of which is directly linked to IFN-β. Further, IFN-β can be replaced by IFN-α. While different components of Gram-negative bacteria induce IL-12 and IL-18, LPS seems to be the only component in these bacteria capable of inducing IFN-β. Therefore, the IFN-β pathway of IFN-γ induction, unlike the IL-12 pathway, proceeds only in LPS responder mice. The IFN-α/β-dependent pathway is expected to play a role whenever IFN-α or IFN-β, and IL-18 are produced concomitantly during infection.


Background—In European Ambulance Acute Coronary Syndrome Angiography (EUROMAX), bivalirudin improved 30-day clinical outcomes with reduced major bleeding compared with heparins plus optional glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. We assessed whether choice of access site (radial or femoral) had an impact on 30-day outcomes and whether it interacted with the benefit of bivalirudin. Methods and Results—In EUROMAX, choice of arterial access was left to operator discretion. Overall, 47% of patients underwent radial and 53% femoral access. Baseline risk was higher in the femoral access group. Unadjusted proportions for the primary outcome (death or noncoronary artery bypass graft protocol major bleeding at 30 days) were lower with radial access, however, without differences in major or major plus minor bleeding proportions. After multivariable adjustment, ischemic outcomes were no longer different between access site groups, except for a lower risk of stroke in radial patients. Bivalirudin was associated with lower proportions of the primary outcome in both the radial (odds ratio, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.33–1.03; P=0.058) and the femoral groups (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.37–0.93; P=0.022; interaction P=0.97). Bleeding was significantly lower in the bivalirudin group both in the radial- and femoral-treated patients but no significant difference was observed in ischemic outcomes. In multivariable analysis, bivalirudin emerged as the only independent predictor of reduced major bleeding (odds ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.27–0.74; P=0.002). Conclusions—In this prespecified analysis from EUROMAX, radial access was preferred in lower risk patients and did not improve clinical outcomes. Bivalirudin was associated with less bleeding irrespective of access site. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01087723.


The Corn an important role in agriculture, and can be used in both human and animal food, production of ethanol, medicines and glue. However, is verified cultivation practices and soil inappropriate management have led to soil deterioration. Thus, the importance of vegetation cover and the incorporation of organic matter in these cultivated soils. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of Carnauba bagana maintained on the soil as mulch and incorporated in macrofauna and soil organic carbon, in the municipality of Itainópolis, in the semi-arid region of Piauí. The areas to be studied will be: corn area with carnauba bagana, as mulch and incorporated into the soil; corn area with uncovered soil and an area of preserved native vegetation. The epigean and edaphic macrofauna will be collected, sorted and identified at the order level. Soil samples will be collected to determine soil organic carbon. Carnauba bagana improved the macrofauna community and soil organic carbon content. The cultivation of corn on uncovered soil reduced the uniformity and diversity of the epigeal macrofauna, the Wealth and Abundance of the edaphic macrofauna and the soil organic carbon content. The variables Larvae, Abundance, Richness, Shannon and Pielou indices, and COS in layers 0.00-0.05 and 0.05-0.10 m were selected for future studies of the impact of maize cultivation in the region.


The consumption of alcoholic beverages during the Brazilian Armed Forces working hours was studied for the first time only recently, by investigating the patients of the Center for Chemical Dependency (CEDEQ) of the Brazilian Navy. This was possible mainly because one of the researchers was the chief of this clinic and one of the psychologists of the therapeutic groups. This article discussed methodological aspects related to the role of the researcher when conducting a qualitative research through a dense ethnography in CEDEQ over four years, with participant observation in two treatment groups for 24 sessions. Additionally, a multiple case and explanatory study was carried on, through individual and 13 open-ended interviews. The following findings will be discussed: 1) the social construction of truth and accuracy of the oral statements; 2) reflexivity, transparency, and familiarity of the researcher with the field; 3) impression management, standardized behavior, and resistance to perform the research. The use of the qualitative method requires the assessment of the researcher's role. The anthropological eye helped to deal with a delicate theme that was hard to access: drinking during the military working journey. We found out that the organization had an ambivalent position: though the Brazilian Navy created this specialized clinic and allowed this research, at the same time this organization was not open to discuss inebriation on board, strictly authorizing the investigation of the patients. This was possible mainly because of the researcher's social and hierarchical position as an officer, as the chief of the CEDEQ, and for being one of the therapists of the groups. We concluded that this position created an obstacle to apply effective measures to protect the military contingency.


Background: Surgery is an important treatment for cervical cancer, but some patients choose not to operate on the primary site. The purpose of this study was to establish nomogram for predicting overall survival (OS) in nonsurgical cervical cancer on the primary site(NSCC) patients by using cases in the public database.Methods: All patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 were randomly divided into training (n=4283) or validation (n=1832) cohort. Cox regression analysis was used on the training cohort to select independent prognostic factors to construct nomogram for predicting 3- and 5-year OS. In two cohorts, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), Harrell's concordance index (C-index), calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the accuracy and the reliability of the model. We made a risk stratification system based on the model and performed Kaplan-Meier survival analysis on the risk level.Results: In the training set, ten clinicopathological factors were significantly correlated with survival outcomes and were included in the nomogram. In the training cohort and validation cohort, the C-index, ROC and calibration plots exhibited an excellent consistency between actual OS and model predictions. DCA indicated great clinical benefit. Compared with FIGO staging, nomogram's evaluation effect is superior.Conclusions: Age, histological type, grade, tumor size, extension, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, lymph node removed, chemotherapy and radiotherapy were independent prognostic factors for OS in NSCC patients. The model showed more satisfactory accuracy and clinical practicability than FIGO staging system, and may provide integration and improvement for therapeutic decisions.


The drive towards evidence-based practice is part of a modern reflective and caring service. However there is a paradox at the heart of the notion of evidence-based care. In order to perform any systemized examination of treatment there has to be a conscious acknowledgement of uncertainty about that treatment. This is uncomfortable and when research does find evidence in favour of a treatment, there is a relief and a return to conviction about what is the best. The paradox is that it seems the most valued research practices are predicated on generalizations about patient treatments and categories. However, nursing care is based on the notion of the uniqueness of the patient and the nurse-patient relationship. Sometimes it is necessary to address the particular and not to rush to generalizations and certainty. The psychoanalytic framework promotes a capacity to tolerate uncertainty and provides a model for understanding conflicting feelings, which can occur within the nurse-patient relationship. The author proposes the psychoanalytic observational method as an adjunct to other research methods. This method places certain kinds of evidence within the rubric of evidence-based nursing practice. The evidence collected in this method is the evidence of the conscious and unconscious experience within the nurse-patient relationship. The author will describe and argue for the place of this research method within the canon of other more widely practised methods within mental health practice. She will propose that for safe practice it is necessary to value and examine the veracity of the feelings and tacit understanding of the nurse. She contends that the current climate of excessive bureaucracy and persecutory risk management is having a damaging effect on both the research process and effective nursing care.


This chapter of the Southern Pine Beetle II reviews the overall influence of predators on southern pine beetle (SPB) population dynamics, as well as recent research on specific predators such as the clerid beetle Thanasimus dubius. Several lines of evidence suggest that predators and other natural enemies generate significant SPB mortality that contributes to outbreak collapse, likely operating with a time delay and so causing delayed density-dependence. The predators that seem most likely to significantly impact SPB are T. dubius, the dolichopodid fly Medetera bistriata, and several woodpecker species. The chemical ecology of both T. dubius and M. bistriata indicates they are well synchronized with mass attack by SPB. The prolonged development of T. dubius under field conditions, however, suggests it is a component of the delayed density-dependence seen in SPB. It is recommended that trees vacated by SPB be left intact during control operations because these often contain immature T. dubius 1-2 years after SPB attack, and also provide foraging and nesting opportunities for woodpeckers. Current research is exploring methods for mass-rearing T. dubius using an artificial diet, for potential use as a control tactic. Predators of the Southern Pine Beetle


Integration of one-dimensional (1D) semiconductors with two-dimensional (2D) materials into hybrid systems is identified as promising applications for new optoelectronic and photodetection devices. Herein, a self-integrated hybrid ultraviolet (UV) photodetector based on InGaN nanorod arrays (NRAs) sandwiched between transparent top and back graphene contacts forming a Schottky junction has been demonstrated for the first time. The controlled van der Waals epitaxy of the vertically aligned InGaN NRA assembly on graphene-on-Si substrates is achieved by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Moreover, the self-assembly formation mechanisms of InGaN NRAs on graphene are clarified by theoretical calculations with first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The peculiar 1D/2D heterostructure hybrid system-based integrated UV photodetector simultaneously exhibits ultrafast response time (∼50 μs) and superhigh photosensitivity (∼105 A/W). It is highly believed that the concept proposed in this work has a great potential and can be widely applied for the next-generation integrated 1D/2D nano-based optoelectronic and photodetection devices.


Technological knowledge created through government R&D investment not only contributes to technology and market expansion, but is also a major factor in evaluating a nation's innovation capacity. As government budgets are limited, establishing an effective investment strategy is important. The purpose of this paper is to suggest R&D investment priorities in terms of the centrality of knowledge diffusion—which technology field is targeted in knowledge diffusion—and rapidity of knowledge diffusion—how quickly technological knowledge diffuses. The analysis focused on a water resources R&D program led by the Korean government. The centrality and rapidity of knowledge diffusion were analyzed using network analysis and patent citation information, respectively. By showing that results differ depending on whether centrality or rapidity are used to rank investments, the findings suggest the need for multiple analyses when establishing an R&D investment strategy. Moreover, this study expanded analysis of knowledge diffusion to the second diffusion, and confirmed that, when the rapidity of knowledge diffusion through the second diffusion is considered, priorities for government R&D investments change. The results have useful implications for R&D investment by identifying investment priorities in the water resources sector, and changes in those priorities when mid- to long-term knowledge diffusion is considered.


Strike has become one of the most effective tools used by workers to drive home their demands and the intensity of this varies from one sector to another. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate strike proneness and why public sector industries are more strike prone in Nigeria. The study takes an exploratory approach by reviewing extant literatures as a focal point of analysis to determine the extent of strike intensity among industries in the public sectors with a view towards drawing up relevant justifications. The findings of the study shows that in comparison with other sectors, education as sub sector of public sector are more strike prone  and the reason generally for public sector strike proneness is because  government is the highest employer of labour as well as the umpire ensuing the behaviour of an employer  and at  the same time involve in the regulatory framework that guides the employment relations between the employer and employees in the private and public sector which often leads to unilateral decisions in the face of collective bargaining ; unfair treatment of employees and anti-union activities appears to be factors responsible for more industrial strike in the public sector among others. Therefore, the study recommend that government should practice unbiased democracy that is just, fair and deal equitably with the respective organized union so as to prevent conflict and not control conflict because of the after math consequences.


The melting relationships of a gabbro (olivine tholeiite, quartz eclogite composition) and
tonalite (andesite composition) with varying amounts of H_2O added were determined at 30
kbar pressure using piston-cylinder apparatus. With 5 percent H_2O, clinopyroxene and garnet
are the liquid us minerals for the basalt, and they occur together throughout the crystallization
interval from 1260° to 760°C. With 5 percent H_2O, garnet is the liquidus phase for andesite at
1200°C and it crystallizes alone through 100°C; garnet and clinopyroxene occur together
through the rest of the crystallization interval from 1100° to 740°C. Compositions of garnets,
clinopyroxenes, and glasses were measured with electron microprobe at the following temperatures:
tonalite, 1175° (Ga,Gl), 1100° (Ga,Cpx,Gl), 1000° (Ga,Cpx,Gl), 900° (Cpx,Gl);
gabbro, 1200° (Ga,Cpx), 1100°C (Ga,Cpx). Published data by T. H. Green and Ringwood on
hydrous and anhydrous calc-alkaline rock compositions, combined with these new data,
define compositional trends for minerals through the upper parts of crystallization intervals.
From these trends and thermodynamic constraints for mineral pairs, the compositions of
minerals through the complete crystallization intervals were calculated. Using calculated
mineral compositions and estimated mineral proportions, the compositions of equilibrium
liquid paths were calculated through the crystallization intervals of hydrous and anhydrous
basalts, basaltic andesite, and andesite. Compositions of quenched liquids in the crystallization
interval of andesite with 5 percent H_2O measured with the electron microprobe agree well
with calculated compositions, supporting the validity of the calculated liquid paths. Equilibrium
liquid paths for basalts and andesites at 30 kbar diverge from the average chemical
variation trend of typical calc-alkaline rocks (basalt-andesite-dacite-rhyolite). With decreasing
temperature and increasing SiO_2 content, the liquid paths increase in Ca/(Mg+ Fe)
compared with the average trend, more so for hydrous compositions than for anhydrous.
With equilibrium partial fusion of quartz eclogite, the first liquids are richer in Si02 than
average andesites, significantly so if H_2O is present. Liquids with SiO_2 content corresponding
to andesites occupy no distinctive position such as a thermal valley; they are situated within a
continuous sequence of liquid compositions. Partial melting of subducted ocean crust at 100
km depth produces liquids with a range of intermediate SiO_2 contents, but these must be
modified by fractionation at shallower depths if they are to reach the surface with chemistry
corresponding to average calc-alkaline lavas.


In many developed countries, human life expectancy has doubled over the last 180 years from ~40 to ~80 years. Underlying this great advance is a change in how we age, yet our understanding of this change remains limited. Here we present a unique database rich with possibilities to study the human ageing process: the AgeGuess.org database on people's perceived and chronological ages. Perceived age (i.e. how old one looks to others) correlates with biological age, a measure of a person's health condition in comparison to the average of same-aged peers. Determining biological age usually involves elaborate molecular and cellular biomarkers. Using instead perceived age as a biomarker of biological age enables us to collect large amounts of data on biological age through a citizen science project, where people upload pictures of themselves and guess the ages of other people at this http URL It furthermore allows to collect data retrospectively, because people can upload photographs of themselves when they were younger or of their parents and grandparents. We can thus study the temporal variation in the gap between perceived age and chronological age to address questions such as whether we now age slower or delay ageing until older ages. The here presented perceived age data span birth cohorts from the years 1877 to 2014. Since 2012 the database has grown to now contain around 200,000 perceived age guesses. More than 4000 citizen scientists from over 120 countries of origin have uploaded ~5000 facial photographs. We detail how the data are collected, where the data can be downloaded free of charge, and the contained variables. Beyond ageing research, the data present a wealth of possibilities to study how humans guess ages and to use this knowledge for instance in advancing and testing emerging applications of artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms.


Endometrial cancer represents over 96% of uterine cancer and is the most common gynecologic cancer in the developed countries with an estimated prevalence of 142,200 women diagnosed in 2011 worldwide1. This cancer affects mainly postmenopausal women, 95% of cases occurring in patients over 40 years of age; nonetheless up to 14% of patients are premenopausal, and 5% of cases occurs under the age of 40 years. The 26th Annual Report of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) states that 83% of endometrial cancer patients are diagnosed and treated at early stage (FIGO I and II) with 5 year actuarial survival rates ranging from 85% to 91%2. Different treatments plans can be proposed for cancer of uterine corpus, but the standard treatment for this disease has been and remains hysterectomy. The FIGO (Federation Internationale de Gynecologie Obstetrique) staging system for this pathology has been recently reviewed and approved at the TNM UICC Core Group meeting in Geneva at the beginning of May 20083 and subsequently adopted by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). The proposed changes to the staging for endometrial cancer are linked to the data provided by the FIGO Annual Report and confirmed by other publications (Table 1). The surgical treatment for most patients affected by endometrial cancer includes the thorough a surgical exploration of the abdominal cavity with collection of free peritoneal fluid/ peritoneal washing for cytologic evaluation, total extrafascial hysterectomy with bilateral salpingoophorectomy. The traditional abdominal access is laparotomic with vertical midline incision. The removal of pelvic/paraortic lymph nodes is also required to perform an adequate staging according to FIGO guidelines. Usually this cancer belongs to perimenopausal age, a small percentage of cases affecting younger women. Most premenopausal patients have a favorable disease-free survival rate (93%) compared to older patients (86%), with a higher rate of low-grade and low-stage disease. The overall good prognosis in young women affected by early stage endometrial cancer makes fertility-sparing management an attractive option to this group of patients.


When I published my first paper [Rosenfeld, 1950], one on what is now called the spindle stage, describing a simple device and conoscopic method for both orientation and measurement of the principal refractive indices of an optically anisotropic crystal, the existing determinative methods were clumsy, slow, and subject to error. At that time, refractive indices, inadequate though they appear in hindsight, played a large role in determining the compositions of nonopaque crystalline materials; and any improvement in optical methodology was welcome. The advent of the electron microprobe in the early sixties, capable of rapid and accurate chemical analysis, largely displaced the methods of chemical analysis relying on measurement of refractive indices. This change was reflected in many courses in optical mineralogy by deemphasis of the use of smelly and toxic refractive index liquids. The time freed was used for more intensive study of thin sections, a necessary kind of study for the formulation of penological problems if the electron probe is to be used effectively. However, the probe did not make use of the spindle stage totally obsolete for economic reasons and because, while the probe is essentially limited to determination of elemental composition, the optical properties determined with the spindle stage reflect features of the structural state of the mineral being examined and, in many cases, the valence state of contained elements. That knowledge can be useful to the petrologist. Further, for untwinned or singly twinned crystals a well-designed and well-constructed spindle stage on a good microscope is inherently superior to the more widely used universal stage because of low cost, accuracy, simpler geometry (with consequent need for few if any corrections in its application), and much greater procedural simplicity. As an example, a reasonably skilled microscopist can use the spindle stage both to determine the composition and to discriminate among structural states for a plagioclase feldspar grain in less than a half-hour. But even for this last task, the method of the spindle stage would seem to be inferior to that of X ray diffraction with regard to structural state. Thus, in perspective, the method of the spindle stage is elegant where optical properties constitute an end in themselves, but commonly achieves only 'quick and dirty' results where penological goals dominate. I believe the petrological literature reflects that perspective even though there are doubtless many papers that reflect elaborate and costly methods when 'quick and dirty' results would have been sufficient for the task at hand.


Phytoplankton biomass, quantified as the concentration of chlorophyll-a (CHL), is the base of the marine food web that supports fisheries production in the Bay of Bengal (BoB). Nutrients from river discharge, the ocean subsurface layer, and the atmosphere have been reported to determine CHL in the BoB. Which source of nutrients mainly determines CHL in different parts of the bay has not been determined. Furthermore, how climate variations influence nutrient inputs from different sources and their impacts on CHL have not been detailed. To address these questions, we used relationships between satellite-derived CHL and in situ river discharge data (a proxy for river-borne nutrients) from 1997 to 2016, physical variables, and modeled dust deposition (DD), a proxy for atmosphere-borne nutrients. Nutrients supplied from the ocean subsurface layer were assessed based on variations in physical parameters (i.e., wind stress curl, sea surface height anomaly, and sea surface temperature). We found that nutrients from the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers were important for CHL along the northern coast of the bay. By increasing rainfall and river discharge, La Niña extended high-CHL waters further southward. Nutrients from the ocean subsurface layer determine CHL variations mainly in the southwestern bay. We suggest that the variations in the supply of nutrients from the subsurface layer are related to the generation of mesoscale cyclonic eddies during La Niña, a negative Indian Ocean Dipole, or both. Climate-driven cyclonic eddies together with cyclones can intensify Ekman divergence and synergistically lead to a pronounced increase in CHL in the southwestern bay. Nutrients from the atmosphere mainly determine CHL in the central/eastern BoB. We further suggest that DD in the central/eastern BoB is influenced by ENSO with a 6–7-month time lag. CHL in the central/eastern bay responds to the ENSO 6–7 months after the ENSO peak because of the 6–7-month lag between ENSO and DD. This report provides valuable information needed to plan necessary actions for climate adaptation in local fisheries activities by elucidating how climate variations influence phytoplankton.


intravascular of the of our results of in vitro and in vivo experiments with a novel intra-arterial neurovascular decompressor (IA-NVD) for NVCS. nitinol-based IA-NVD was to release to the root entry zone of cranial preliminary in vivo tests up to 4 weeks for safety. Results The bending stiffness of the device was similar to but slightly stronger than that of current, closed-cell intracranial stents. Hemocompatibility tests showed no significant throm-bogenesis in whole blood. After the 4-week follow-up, all ani-mals (20-month-old female Gottingen mini-pigs weighing 15 – 18 kg, n=4) had a normal upright position and gait. Scanning electron microscopy images and H&E staining of arteries con-taining the devices showed good neointima formation on the devices. Intima hyperplasia occurred over wires and connecting tubes, but it did not interrupt the patency of the arterial lumen. Conclusion An IA-NVD was created and tested to demonstrate its functionality and biocompatibility in the present experiments. The device may be safely applied to intracranial arteries, providing us a chance to test the efficacy of an upgrade version of the device on changing the course of an artery that compresses a cranial nerve. Disclosures J. Chung: None.


The concept of remediation, as elaborated by Jay David Bolter and Richard Grusin in Remediation: Understanding New Media (1999), is premised on the notion that media are best understood in interaction rather than in isolation. Every artistic medium, they argue, orients itself in relation to another medium, whether respectfully—as in the case of an online literary database that seeks to provide easy access to faithful facsimiles of manuscripts—or competitively—as with a videogame that seeks to replace the linearity and passivity of print with open-ended interactivity. Bolter and Grusin describe individual media in turns of two basic impulses: immediacy, or the attempt to erase the mediating function and present the illusion of directly represented reality; and hypermediacy, or the attempt to foreground the mediating function, exposing the impossibility of direct representation. They employ the same vocabulary to describe the interaction of media. Every act of remediation—every representation of one medium in another—necessarily involves both immediacy and hypermediacy. A digital edition of a literary text grants access to the words of the original print artifact (immediacy), yet by including audio readings and video commentary draws attention to its digital-specific affordances (hypermediacy). A digital archive gathers together high-resolution, color-accurate reproductions of materials scattered in rare-book libraries around the world (immediacy), yet by granting free and instantaneous access to these precious, fragile objects, fundamentally transforms the experience of engaging with their analog originals (hypermediacy). Insisting that one approach media through interaction, Bolter and Grusin's theory of remediation positions the movement of content from one medium to another as a form of translation—a transformative act in which much is lost as well as gained.


The objective of the present study was to find the effect of cumin seed oil (CSO, Cuminum cyminum L.) on the laying performance, ovarian follicular development and immune response in laying hens under high ambient temperature. A total of 162 Boven hens were randomly divided into three treatments and were fed, ad libitum, diets containing 0 (control), 250 or 500 g CSO per ton from 24 to 30 weeks of age. The experiment was done during summer season where the average temperate was 30 to 36°C. Feed intake and egg mass were recorded. Egg quality characteristics and egg-yolk cholesterol content were evaluated. Ovary and oviduct samples were immediately weighted, and ovarian follicles were classified. Plasma total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were measured. Yolk width, yolk weight, yolk colour, shell weight and shell thickness were increased by feeding CSO. Egg production rate was not affected. However, dietary 500 g CSO per ton had a significantly positive impact on egg weight in comparison with control. The FCR was improved by feeding 500 g CSO per ton; however, feed intake and egg mass were not affected by CSO treatments. Plasma GOT, GPT and triglycerides were significantly decreased, while, plasma HDL-cholesterol was significantly (p < .05) increased due to CSO treatments. Yolk cholesterol content was significantly decreased; however, liver malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was insignificantly decreased due to dietary treatments. Interestingly, the inclusion of CSO in laying hens' diets improved the antibody titres against Newcastle disease (ND, p < .05) and against avian influenza H9N1 (p > .05) when compared with the control diet. It could be concluded that dietary inclusion of CSO improved egg weight, FCR, yolk and shell quality characteristics and did not have a negative effect on the reproductive morphology parameters in laying hens.


It is not unusual to see one, or perhaps a few residual lesions of various dermatoses which have failed to respond to an otherwise successful regimen of therapy. 1 Examples are the persistent penile plaque of distinctive exudative discoid and lichenoid chronic dermatosis (Sulzberger-Garbe), the single or few persistent lesions of psoriasis, lichen planus, pemphigus, discoid lupus erythematosus, and others. This report concerns primarily the residual lesions of chronic discoid lupus erythematosus. It is well known that isolated lesions of chronic discoid lupus erythematosus may be treated by various local applications, e.g., various acids, solid carbon dioxide, and the intralesional injection of gold compounds. 2,3 Recently, we became interested in the report of Ottolenghi-Lodigiani, 4 on the combined intralesional and oral administration of quinacrine (Atabrine) and the report of Thies, 5 on the favorable effects of chloroquine used intralesionally as well as systemically. For our purposes, chloroquine dichloride, 50 mg.


Reference is made to classic studies pointing to the existence of lung surfactants in the alveolar lining layer and more recent investigations of their chemical nature. Attention is also given to work on biochemical and lung elasticity modifications caused by the employment of various drugs.


Received : 15-11-2018 Revised : 27-11-2018 Accepted : 04-12-2018 Batam City is a marine island which surrounded by shoes and baetiful marine tourism spots. Growth and existence of social media platform in the era of information technology particularly in tourism industry is very helpful either profitable for the perpetrators of the tourism industry because social media can be used for an effective and efficient in the information sharing to all tourists or potential visitors. In this research the objects will be examined is how the industry of tourism business entrepreneurs, operators or managers implement these social media platforms at supporting their business processes in order to get result in increasing tourist visits, increasing tourism objects and company popularity and eventually increasing the economic income consistently. In this research respondent that participated in this study were spread in 4 sub-districts, namely Galang sub-district, Bulang sub-district, Nongsa sub-district and Sekupang subdistrict. There are several social media platforms used by the tourism industry entrepreneurs in Batam, they are Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Whatsapp group, Line, Twitter and Linkedin. The platforms that 100% used by the entrepreneurs is facebook platforms which means all respondents are using this platform and followed by the Instagram consecutively. The type of account used by the marine tourism industry didn't use a business account but some of them uses a regular account. Based on the results of the research data test, it was concluded that there were influences obtained by the marine tourism industry in Batam city in improving business, corporate profits and also increasing tourist visits through travel agencies provided or increased direct visits to managed tourism objects. Keyword:


Recent years have witnessed the rising of short-form video platforms such as TikTok. Apart from conventional videos, short-form videos are much shorter and users frequently change the content to watch. Thus, it is crucial to have an effective streaming method for this new type of video. In this paper, we propose a resource-efficient prefetching method for short-form video streaming. Taking into account network throughput conditions and user viewing behaviors, the proposed method dynamically adapts the amount of prefetched video data. Experiment results show that our method can reduce the data waste by 37 $\sim$ 52% compared to other existing methods.


The authors discuss a ultrafine pitch attachment method called Flip Chip on Board (FCOB). This technique is capable of connecting unpackaged integrated circuits directly to organic printed circuit boards (PCBs), accomplishing the ultimate in assembly miniaturization. The process utilizes solder bumped I/O pads on the chips that are bonded to mating solder bumped sites on the board. In order to produce high quality electronic products in volume with FCOB, characterization of the assembly process is essential. Thorough characterization reveals the critical process variables that must be controlled in production, allowing cost-efficient manufacturing to occur. The authors describe the process characterization of FCOB, and demonstrate the compatibility of the technology with conventional surface mount processes. Key failure mechanisms are identified and discussed with respect to the degree of process control required to eliminate them. >


Large cartilage defects in the knee are debilitating for patients and challenging for surgeons to treat. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has gained popularity over the past 20 years and has become the treatment of choice for large cartilage defects for some surgeons. Termed matrix-applied ACI (MACI), use of autologous chondrocytes cultured on porcine collagen membrane has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of symptomatic full-thickness cartilage defects in the knee. This new technique for cartilage repair is the third generation of chondrocyte implantation technology and the first to involve the use of a scaffolding to grow chondrocytes1. MACI is a simpler technique than previous generations and has more reliable chondrocyte seeding. Research has shown that patients do well postoperatively, with improvements in patient-reported outcome out to 5 years postoperatively3. These improvements are statistically greater for patients who underwent MACI when compared to those who underwent microfracture2. (1) Preoperative evaluation: patients are indicated for a cartilage procedure after magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical examination. (2) Stage 1: a diagnostic arthroscopy is performed, and chondrocytes are harvested and cultured. (3) Approach: a short vertical incision is made, followed by a medial parapatellar arthrotomy. (4) Debridement: the lesion is identified and debrided back to stable cartilage. (5): Hemostasis: hemostasis is obtained with an epinephrine-soaked sponge. (6) Template creation: foil is used to create a template of the lesion. (7) Cells cutting: with use of the foil, the membrane of cells is cut to the appropriate size and shape. (8) Implantation: the cut membrane is placed on the lesion and secured with fibrin glue. (9) Testing: the knee is taken through a range of motion and the stability of the membrane is confirmed. (10) Closure: standard closure in layers is performed.


The surface glycoproteins of rinderpest virus (RPV) confer protective immunity in cattle. We demonstrated that cattle immunized with a recombinant extracellular baculovirus expressing the hemagglutinin (H) protein of RPV (rECV-H) generate virus neutralizing antibody responses, bovine leukocyte antigen (BoLA) class II restricted helper T cell responses and BoLA class I restricted cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses against RPV-H and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoprotein of closely related Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV). In this study, employing autologous skin fibroblasts transiently expressing truncations of H and HN in a BoLA class I restricted lymphoproliferation assay, we have mapped a highly homologous domain (amino acids 400-423) on these proteins harboring a CTL epitope. Subsequently, based on sequence comparison with available BoLA class I binding motifs, we have identified a BoLA-A11 binding motif (amino acids 408-416) in the stimulatory domain. Autologous cells pulsed with a synthetic peptide corresponding to this sequence stimulated CTLs from rECV-H immunized as well as tissue culture attenuated RPV vaccinated cattle of different breeds and parentage. This is the first epitope identified in cattle on the attachment glycoproteins of RPV and PPRV.


Data Replication, creating identical copies of data on different sites geographically, is one of the effective optimization techniques for reducing data access costs and improving load balance among sites in data-intensive computing. However, due to the limitation of storage capacity of each site, an efficient replica replacement can make a significant difference in the performance and efficiency of replication technologies. In this paper, for the inability of LRU to cope with access patterns with weak locality, a novel replacement strategy called Low Inter-reference Recency Set (LIRS) was applied into replica replacement during data replication. And then, OptorSim was extended, and LIRS replica replacement algorithm was implemented. Finally, LIRS replacement strategy was comprehensively compared with other algorithms including LRU, MRU LFU and MFU by use of different scheduling algorithms and file access patterns, and the results show that LIRS replacement algorithm can improve the performance of the data access, especially under access pattern with weak locality.


Samuelson extends the Ricardian theory of foreign trade to a model of small open economies in which countries can trade semi-finished capital goods on international markets, as well as produced consumer goods. He argues that this extension provides an additional gain from trade, which he labels the Sraffian bonus. This article demonstrates that trade in capital goods can result in a loss for an economy, given positive rates of profits in the trading countries. In other words, the Sraffian bonus can be negative.


Plants are vast natural sources significant organic and inorganic ethnomedicinal metabolic components that are free from side effects and are being used as probes and remedious agents since ancient times for local remedies. This paper documents the randomly sampled data of roots, leaves, seeds as well as whole plants of 31 ethnomedicinal plants of almost 21 families majorly Apiaceae, Fabaceae, Moraceae, Solanaceae and Rhamnaceae family used by local medicine men by conducting their unstructured interviews including open ended questions relevant to flora of Wazirabad, District Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan. This random sampling of different families of plants in particular climatic conditions can attract the phytochemists towards this area for opening scientific mysteries of this flora. The people of the Wazirabad have also been interviewed regarding effectiveness of remedious properties of these plants that have been using them from long time which revealed their prolonged dependence upon these local plants for their prime health problems. The confidence on medicine based over these plants is associated with their traditional beliefs.


Effects of regional ischemia on myocardial glycolysis were studied by measuring the levels of glycolytic intermediates in the endo- and epicardial layers of the left ventricle in dogs anesthetized with pentobarbital. Regional ischemia was induced by ligating a small branch of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The myocardial tissue samples were removed before and 1.5, 3, 7, or 30 min after coronary artery ligation. Based on a crossover plot study of the glycolytic intermediates, it is suggested that the activity of glycogen phosphorylase was accelerated, while that of phosphofructokinase was inhibited in ischemic myocardium samples removed 1.5, 3, 7, and 30 min after ligation. When the frozen myocardium was allowed to stand at room temperature for 10 min, the crossover plot study revealed acceleration of phosphofructokinase activity. The metabolic response to regional ischemia of the endocardial layers was more marked than that of the epicardial. During ischemia the levels of adenine nucleotides did not change significantly, but those of citrate and hydrogen ions increased significantly. It appears that inhibition of myocardial phosphofructokinase activity during ischemia is partly due to an increase in the levels of citrate and hydrogen ions in the ischemic tissue.


Introduction: Gastrointestinal infection is a major cause of morbidity worldwide. Culture and microscopy are time consuming and have low diagnostic yield. New rapid molecular methods such as multiplex PCR have recently been introduced for etiological diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic yield of the FilmArray gastrointestinal panel with that of standard culture for the etiological diagnosis of gastrointestinal infections. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study carried out within the Microbiology department of the Arrazi hospital of the CHU Mohamed VI, including all the patients treated for a gastrointestinal infection and having required hospitalization in the various departments within the Arrazi Hospital of the CHU Mohamed VI in Marrakech, over a period of 15 months. Results: During the period studied, 124 patients were sampled. All samples were tested using stool culture and FilmArray. PCR detected significantly more positive samples, with bacterial, viral and/or parasitic infections compared to stool culture (57.3% vs 21%). Additionally, gastrointestinal PCR was able to detect all pathogens implicated in the gastrointestinal FilmArray panel except for Yersinia Enterocolitica, whereas stool culture could only detect three bacterial pathogens (E.coli, Salmonella and Shigella). Additionally, 52.11% of patients had co-infections that were identified only by PCR. Conclusions: The FilmArray GI panel showed very good diagnostic performance compared to culture for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal infections and gave a more detailed picture of the spectrum of pathogens involved. Further studies are needed to determine whether multiplex PCR improves patient outcomes and reduces costs.


T cell/histiocyte-rich large B cell lymphoma (THRLBCL) is predominantly a nodal disease, with extranodal involvement, such as bone marrow, spleen, and liver. However, primary THRLBCL has never been reported in the thymus in the English literature. Here we report a case of THRLBCL presenting as mediastinal mass and lymphadenopathy. Based on the frozen section diagnosis of "thymoma," a 12 cm mass was excised. A year later she developed multiple enlarged lymph nodes and pulmonary nodules. Consultant review of the excised mediastinal mass showed scattered large atypical cells that were CD20+ and PAX-5+ and negative for pan-cytokeratin, AE1, and AE3, compatible with THRLBCL and excluding thymoma. The excised lymph nodes were replaced by diffuse infiltrate of small CD3+ lymphocytes and histiocytes with intermingled large CD20+ B lymphoma cells scattered throughout the section. A diagnosis of THRLBCL was made in lymph node, similar to previous thymic lesion. A clonal rearrangement of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene was detected, further supporting the diagnosis. This is the first reported case of THRLBCL in thymus. Correct recognition of this entity is critical, because of the difference in therapeutic impact on these patients.


Global warming changes the activity of soil microbial communities in high latitudes, which might result in higher greenhouse gas emissions. However, these microbial processes involved in GHG production and consumption are not thoroughly understood. We analyzed 116 soil metatranscriptomes from 73 tundra sites and investigated how bacterial and archaeal communities and their functions vary horizontally (i.e. vegetation type) and vertically (i.e. topsoil organic and mineral layers) during the summer season, in soil types that differed in pH, moisture, soil organic matter (SOM), and carbon and nitrogen content. Active microbial communities were significantly different in the organic and mineral soil layers. Additionally, the communities differed significantly between the different vegetation types both in the organic and mineral layers. Various plant polymer degraders were particularly active in shrub-dominated ecosystems with high SOM and low pH, less known mixotrophic groups (such as Chloroflexi) were active lower SOM and higher pH. Additionally, we detected transcripts of alphaproteobacterial methanothrophs, which potentially moderate methane release from tundra soils in deeper soil layer. Our results provide new insights into the diversity and activity of microbial communities of high latitudes under climate change.


To improve the quality of additively manufactured parts, it is crucial to develop real-time process monitoring systems and data-driven predictive models. While various sensor- and image-based process monitoring methods have been developed to improve the quality of additively manufactured parts, very limited research has been conducted to predict surface roughness. To fill this gap, this paper presents a decision-level data fusion approach to predicting surface roughness in the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process. The predictive models are trained by the random forests method using multiple sensor signals. A decision-level data fusion method is introduced to integrate sensor data sources. Experimental results have shown that the decision-level data fusion approach can predict surface roughness in FDM with high accuracy.


We have realized high-quality GaInAs-GaAs quantum wells (QWs) with high strain of over 2% on GaAs (311)B substrate for a polarization controlled vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). By increasing the In composition in GaInAs, the optical anisotropy in photoluminescence (PL) intensity was increased. The anisotropy of 50% was obtained at 1.15 /spl mu/m emission wavelength. We have demonstrated edge-emitting lasers and VCSELs emitting at over 1.1 /spl mu/m on GaAs (311)B substrate for the first time. The 1.15-/spl mu/m edge-emitting laser showed a characteristic temperature of 210 K and the threshold current density of 410 A/cm/sup 2/. The threshold current and lasing wavelength of VCSELs are 0.9 mA and 1.12 /spl mu/m, respectively. The orthogonal polarization suppression ratio was 25 dB and CW operation up to 170/spl deg/C without a heat sink was achieved.


This article examines the impact of transparency regulations enacted under authoritarian conditions, through a study of China's environmental transparency measures. Given China's decentralized administrative structure, environmental disclosure ends up being weakest in the most polluted cities. However, the measures have allowed nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to affect environmental governance through unusual pathways. Multinational companies (MNCs) have used NGO pollution databases to monitor Chinese suppliers, whereas local governments have responded to a transparency index with greater NGO engagement. That said, these civil society initiatives have had limited impact on key stakeholder behavior. For the environment ministry, enforcement costs remain high. Local government behavior depends on their economic priorities and the nature of their relations with enterprises. Chinese enterprise behavior depends on the character of their relations with government and MNCs. Given China's authoritarian structure, improved governance does not translate into stronger accountability, challenging common assumptions about the relationship between transparency and accountability.


This paper examines the impact of in utero exposure to the Asian influenza pandemic of 1957 upon childhood development. Outcome data are provided by the National Child Development Study (NCDS), a panel study where all members were potentially exposed in the womb. Epidemic effects are identified using geographic variation in a surrogate measure of the epidemic. Results point to multiple channels linking fetal health shocks to childhood outcomes: physical development is impeded, but only when mothers had certain health characteristics; by contrast, the negative effects on cognitive development appear general across the cohort.


Although the average magnetopause is ∼10 R E from the Earth, the magnetopause moves inside the geosynchronous orbit during extreme solar wind conditions. Under these circumstances some geosynchronous satellites suddenly enter the magnetosheath and are exposed to the plasma and fields of the magnetosheath. In this study we evaluate the predictive capabilities of magnetopause location models in forecasting geosynchronous magnetopause crossings. We predict periods during which geosynchronous satellites enter the magnetosheath using the Petrinec and Russell [1996] and Shue et al. [1998] magnetopause location models driven by data from Interplanetary Monitor Platform (IMP) 8. These predictions are then verified with in situ observations from Geosynchronous Operational Environment Satellite (GOES) 5, 6, and 7. We estimate the false alarm rate, probability of detection, and probability of false prediction for the two models. The estimation shows that false alarm rate for a forecast with a 20-min separation cadence is ∼62% (80%) for the Shue et al. [1998] model (the Petrinec and Russell [1996] model). The probability of detection is very high for both prediction models. These results suggest that both models work well in predicting magnetosheath periods for geosynchronous satellites. Predictions from the models provide a prerequisite condition for geosynchronous magnetopause crossings. Further examination of unsuccessful events indicates that preconditioning by the interplanetary magnetic field B z needs to be included in the forecasting procedure for a better forecast. This finding provides us with a guide to improving future magnetopause location models.


1289 Objectives: Choroidal melanoma is the most common primary ocular malignant tumor. 123I-IMP SPECT (IMP SPECT) was reported to be a useful diagnostic imaging tool for choroidal melanoma. However, evaluation by SPECT is qualitative with inadequate anatomical information, and there are some issues to be left for the accuracy of its methodology. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic ability of IMP SPECT and to assess semi-quantitative evaluation applying SUV in patients with choroidal melanoma. We also examined the association between SUV and uptake index (UI) which was a conventional method.
 Methods: Twelve patients (5 males, 7 females) underwent IMP SPECT as an assessment before carbon-ion radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma. The mean age of patients is 62.4 ± 9.63 (ranged from 42 to 76) years old. SPECT imaging was performed using a gamma camera 6 and 24 hours after intravenous injection of 215.3 ± 8.4 MBq of 123I-IMP as the 2 phase-imaging. For data analysis by SUVmax, 6- and 24-hours SPECT images were fused with CT images using an image-analysis software. The volume of interests (VOIs) of the whole eyeballs on the tumor side and the contralateral normal side were drawn, followed by semi-quantitative evaluations by SUVmax. Uptake index (UI) by radioisotope counts on SPECT images, which is a conventional method, was also examined to compare with the diagnostic ability of SUVmax.
 Results: Six hours after intravenous injection, SUVmax of tumor side was 2.37 ± 0.88, normal side was 1.77 ± 0.39, significantly higher on the tumor side (P <0.05). After 24 hours, SUVmax of tumor side was 3.25 ± 1.57, normal side was 1.87 ± 0.22, significantly higher on the tumor side (P <0.01). There was a high correlation between SUVmax after 6 hours and 24 hours on the tumor side (ρ = 0.84, P <0.001). Six hours after intravenous injection, the UI of tumor side was 2.24 ± 0.67, normal side was 1.53 ± 0.35, significantly higher on the tumor side (P <0.05). After 24 hours, the UI of tumor side was 4.03 ± 1.30, normal side was 1.95 ± 0.46, significantly higher on the tumor side (P <0.01). There was no significant correlation between tumor-UI and tumor side SUVmax after 6 hours (ρ = 0.47, P =0.124), whereas high correlation between those of after 24 hours (ρ = 0.87, P <0.001).
 Conclusions: Semi-quantitative evaluation using SUV had an association with conventional UI. And 2 phase-imaging of IMP SPECT was promising and useful for the diagnosis of choroidal melanoma.


Ordinarily the diaphragm is considered an efficient barrier between the abdominal and pleural cavities, even in cases of suppuration. While infection may spread in either direction by way of the lymphatics, extension by loss in continuity of the diaphragm is rather unusual and is particularly uncommon in cases of acute generalized suppurative peritonitis. The following cases briefly illustrate three different types of intra-abdominal inflammation responsible for intrapleural suppurative conditions. REPORT OF CASES Case 1. —R. G., aged 44, had had a hysterectomy and a right salpingooophorectomy performed for a tubo-ovarian abscess which involved the tip of the appendix. Twenty-one days later, after a febrile course, a right perinephritic abscess was opened and drained. Intermittent pain persisted in the right side. Dulness developed at the base of the right lung, accompanied by an irritating, nonproductive cough. Later, a moderate amount of foul-smelling, purulent material was expectorated. The patient died on the


In this contribution we present a generic object oriented simulation model for overland transport of containers. The main entities in the model are containers, container terminals and vehicles for transportation of containers. A terminal or service center may have several handling centres which are the nodal points for inter terminal transport (ITT). Handling centres possess equipment for loading and unloading ITT vehicles. Three types of transportation vehicles are modelled: Automated Guided Vehicles, Automated Lifting Vehicles and the Multi Trailer System with manned traction units. The model is equipped with a rule-based planning and control system. The main performance indicator is the percentage of containers which arrives at the ITT destination late: this is expressed as the nonperformance percentage. The model provides possibilities for studies of large scale ITT, in both relatively compact areas as the Rotterdam Port area and container transport over larger distances. The model is applied to the Maasvlakte, which is a part of the Port of Rotterdam, for the ITT container streams predicted for 2005, in which some 1.4×10 containers per year are to be moved.


In this paper to work out a problem of neutralization of conflicts in the project of development publicprivate partnership in the domain of establishment, development and management of modern industrial infrastructure. The starting thesis is that of this conflicts to be necessary to treat a primarily as an internal (local) phenomenon while socio economic rigidity of outside (regional, national and international) surroundings are dealt with as exogenous variables. In keeping with this, an the basis of analysis the experiences in the realization of a neo-liberal concept of a local strategy for overcoming consequences of transition depression in the community of Indija are presented on the grounds of creating favourable infrastructural conditions for (external) private investments in the new industries, to give the authors view for solution of this problem. Discussed materials are divided into four parts. In the first part is, an generalization the events in the community of Indija, to work the basic challenges and obstacles with which investment of private capital in the new industries in the conditions of high degree of institutional disorder in national socioeconomic surroundings and vague and no transparent policy for protection of public interests. In the second part is, an analysis the experiences in the community of Indija, to prepare the model for functioning of urban governance and production of public goods in the regime of public service, as the only realistic decision for to exceed the consequence of high degree of institutional disorder and vague and no transparent policy for protection of public interests. In the third part a accent is an the analysis of causes, consequences and the manner for removing conflicts in the process of preparation and implementation of the local project for public-private partnership in the domain of establishment, development and management of modern industrial infrastructure. In the fourth part is to give the author's vision of the problem associated with the constitution and work of local regulatory institutions to be responsible for protection of the public interest in implemented projects of public-private partnership.


My composition, Estruendos, is a work for large symphonic orchestra, guitar and computer-generated and processed sounds on CD. The work lasts 23 minutes and 45 seconds. My dissertation is composed of two parts: Part One comprises the analysis and Part Two comprises the score. Part One gives a brief background of my compositional dialect and aesthetics. It also includes a discussion of the compositional process and general overview of Estruendos. In addition, it illustrates the primary role the placement of sonic events in time and timbral structure play in the pathos of Estruendos.


Segmentation of the Region of Interest (ROI) is the first and crucial step in the analysis of digital mammogram images since the success of any Computer Aided Diagnostic (CADx) system depends greatly on the accuracy of the segmentation of the ROI from the mammogram images. Finding an accurate, robust and efficient ROI segmentation technique still remains a challenge in digital mammography. In this paper we have proposed an efficient Otsu's N thresholding method for segmenting regions of interest from the mammogram images. Digital Mammograms are taken from the mini MIAS (Mammographic Image Analysis Society) database for the purpose of experimentation and the results obtained are scaled to full color. Results show that the proposed method is efficient and is in concurrence with the ground truth table available in the database.


We use direct numerical simulations to investigate the interaction between the temperature field of a fluid and the temperature of small particles suspended in the flow, employing both one- and two-way thermal coupling, in a statistically stationary, isotropic turbulent flow. Using statistical analysis, we investigate this variegated interaction at the different scales of the flow. We find that the variance of the carrier flow temperature gradients decreases as the thermal response time of the suspended particles is increased. The probability density function (PDF) of the carrier flow temperature gradients scales with its variance, while the PDF of the rate of change of the particle temperature, whose variance is associated with the thermal dissipation due to the particles, does not scale in such a self-similar way. The modification of the fluid temperature field due to the particles is examined by computing the particle concentration and particle heat fluxes conditioned on the magnitude of the local fluid temperature gradient. These statistics highlight that the particles cluster on the fluid temperature fronts, and the important role played by the alignments of the particle velocity and the local fluid temperature gradient. The temperature structure functions, which characterize the temperature fluctuations across the scales of the flow, clearly show that the fluctuations of the carrier flow temperature increments are monotonically suppressed in the two-way coupled regime as the particle thermal response time is increased. Thermal caustics dominate the particle temperature increments at small scales, that is, particles that come into contact are likely to have very large differences in their temperatures. This is caused by the non-local thermal dynamics of the particles: the scaling exponents of the inertial particle temperature structure functions in the dissipation range reveal very strong multifractal behaviour. Further insight is provided by the flux of temperature increments across the scales. Altogether, these results reveal a number of non-trivial effects, with a number of important practical consequences.


Early and minimally invasive methods are required to predict the risk of multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes. A potential technique with growing interest utilizes the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), a physiological serum exudate found in the healthy gingival sulcus and in the periodontal pocket in inflammatory conditions. Analysis of biomarkers in the GCF is a minimally invasive method that can be feasible and cost-effective. The potential use of GCF biomarkers along with other clinical indicators in early pregnancy may provide reliable predictors of several adverse pregnancy outcomes, therefore, reducing both maternal and fetal morbidities. Various studies have reported that increased or decreased concentrations of different biomarkers in GCF are associated with a high risk of developing pregnancy complications. In particular, such associations have been commonly demonstrated with gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and pre-term birth. However, limited evidence is available regarding other pregnancy complications such as preterm premature rupture of membranes, recurrent miscarriage, small for gestational age, and hyperemesis gravidarum. In this review, we discuss the reported association between individual GCF biomarkers and common pregnancy complications. Future research is required to provide more solid evidence of the predictive value of those biomarkers in estimating women's risk for each disorder.


Magic on Main Street!!! The border between Droon and the Upper World has been crossed. And now evil Sparr is in Eric's hometown! On a search for the Coiled Viper, he's turning the Upper World inside out. Talking frogs, flying kids, a Ninn parade down Main Street...There's Droon magic all over our world! Can Eric and his friends keep it secret?


Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an integral tool in the modern emergency physician's toolkit. Evidence suggests many imaging and lab investigations are ordered without true medical indications; it is unknown how POCUS utilization impacts health care costs at a patient level. The purpose of this study was to assess whether POCUS use in the emergency department (ED) was associated with cost savings via decreased laboratory and radiographic testing. Methods: POCUMON is a single-center, prospective pilot study. The participants were a convenience sample of ED staff physicians and PGY-5 Emergency Medicine (EM) residents working in the ED from July-October 2019. Physicians who used POCUS as part of their assessment had the cost of their patient investigation plans compared with those proposed by a control group of ED physicians simultaneously on-shift. The control group was blinded to the POCUS findings but had access to the patient and medical record. The lab investigations and imaging studies ordered by both groups were recorded with respective costs. Data were analyzed using a paired T-test, with sub-group analyses. Ethics approval was obtained from the Queen's University HSREB (No.6026732). Results: 50 patient assessments using POCUS were captured in the study period. 76% of patient assessments were performed by EM staff physicians; 94% of control assessments were provided by EM staff physicians. Patient chief complaints included abdominal pain (7), chest pain/dyspnea (10), flank pain (3), pregnancy concerns (4), trauma (7), extremity complaints (4), back pain (3), and other (12). The POCUS group had a trend for lower number of laboratory tests (4.7 ± 0.44 vs 5.22 ± 0.39; p = 0.28) and imaging studies (0.94 ± 0.14 vs 1.1 ± 0.11; p = 0.33). Overall health care costs were similar in both groups, with a trend to cost savings in the POCUS group ($142.00 ± 15.44 vs $174.60 ± 17.00; p = 0.12). Subgrouping identified significant cost savings in the POCUS group for patients with a chief complaint of flank pain ($43.64 vs $248.82, p = 0.01). Conclusion: POCUS use was not associated with significant health care cost savings. ED POCUS usage did see a trend towards decreased laboratory and imaging investigations. Patients presenting with flank pain had significantly lower expenditures associated with their visit when POCUS was incorporated into their assessment. Large scale prospective studies are needed to investigate if POCUS is associated with cost-savings in ED patients.


A common assumption in comparative genomics is that orthologous genes are functionally more similar than paralogous genes. However, the validity of this assumption needs to be assessed using robust experimental data. We conducted tissue-specific gene expression and protein function analyses of orthologous groups within the glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene family in three closely related Populus species: Populus trichocarpa, Populus euphratica and Populus yatungensis. This study identified 21 GST orthologous groups in the three Populus species. Although the sequences of the GST orthologous groups were highly conserved, the divergence in enzymatic functions was prevalent. Through site-directed mutagenesis of orthologous proteins, this study revealed that nonsynonymous substitutions at key amino acid sites played an important role in the divergence of enzymatic functions. In particular, a single amino acid mutation (Arg39→Trp39) contributed to P. euphratica PeGSTU30 possessing high enzymatic activity via increasing the hydrophobicity of the active cavity. This study provided experimental evidence showing that orthologues belonging to the gene family have functional divergences. The nonsynonymous substitutions at a few amino acid sites resulted in functional divergence of the orthologous genes. Our findings provide new insights into the evolution of orthologous genes in closely related species.


Degradation of most yeast mRNAs involves decapping by Dcp1/Dcp2. DEAD-box protein Dhh1 has been implicated as an activator of decapping, in coupling codon non-optimality to enhanced degradation, and as a translational repressor, but its functions in cells are incompletely understood. RNA-Seq analyses coupled with CAGE sequencing of all capped mRNAs revealed increased abundance of hundreds of mRNAs in dcp2Δ cells that appears to result directly from impaired decapping rather than elevated transcription, which was confirmed by ChIP-Seq analysis of RNA Polymerase II occupancies genome-wide. Interestingly, only a subset of mRNAs requires Dhh1 for targeting by Dcp2, and also generally requires the other decapping activators Pat1, Lsm2, Edc3 or Scd6; whereas most of the remaining transcripts utilize NMD factors for Dcp2-mediated turnover. Neither inefficient translation initiation nor stalled elongation appears to be a major driver of Dhh1-enhanced mRNA degradation. Surprisingly, ribosome profiling revealed that dcp2Δ confers widespread changes in relative TEs that generally favor well-translated mRNAs. Because ribosome biogenesis is reduced while capped mRNA abundance is increased by dcp2Δ, we propose that an increased ratio of mRNA to ribosomes increases competition among mRNAs for limiting ribosomes to favor efficiently translated mRNAs in dcp2Δ cells. Interestingly, genes involved in respiration or utilization of alternative carbon or nitrogen sources are derepressed, and both mitochondrial function and cell filamentation (a strategy for nutrient foraging) are elevated by dcp2Δ, suggesting that mRNA decapping sculpts gene expression post-transcriptionally to fine-tune metabolic pathways and morphological transitions according to nutrient availability.


In the past decades much effort has been put into the improvement of the durability of concrete structures. This has resulted in a reasonable understanding of the main degradation processes or in experience with measures to prevent degradation. The results of this effort can be found in the present concrete codes and in manuals on durability design. The design rules are in general presented as deem-to-satisfy rules. If the rules are followed it may be assumed that the structure is durable. The present approach does not give direct insight in the service life, the necessary maintenance or the probability of premature failure. Further it is clear that lack of durability can have an influence on the structural behaviour. The direct relationship between durability and safety and serviceability of concrete structures has however not been made in the concrete codes. In the Brite-EuRam project 'DuraCrete' the durability design has been developed into a service life design based on performances and on reliability for reinforced concrete structures. This offers the possibility to present the design on the same level as the structural design that has also been based on performances and reliability. The structural and service life design can even be integrated. The 'DuraCrete' approach offers good opportunities for the service life design of other structural materials and building materials.


BACKGROUND
Partial succinate dehydrogenase deficiency (15% to 50% of normal reference enzyme activity) in skeletal muscle causes mitochondrial myopathy with various symptoms, for example, brain involvement, cardiomyopathy, and/or exercise intolerance. The deficiency may be isolated or may coexist with other respiratory-chain enzyme defects. The histopathologic assessment of succinate dehydrogenase activity in muscle biopsies of patients with suspected mitochondrial myopathies has focused on the finding of increased staining, usually in ragged-red fibers, rather than on reduced staining.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the prevalence of muscle succinate dehydrogenase deficiency among patients with respiratory-chain defects and to determine whether the reduced activity is present histochemically and is comparable to the quantitative reduction found in muscle homogenates.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
One hundred eight muscle biopsies were evaluated from patients with suspected mitochondrial myopathies by qualitative histochemical analysis and quantitative biochemical analyses of respiratory-chain enzymes using standard methodologies.

RESULTS
Fifty-two patients had defects in respiratory-chain complexes; of these patients, 12 (23%) had partial deficiencies in succinate dehydrogenase activity either alone or together with reductions in other enzymes. The reduced activity was detectable histochemically in muscle biopsies with residual enzyme activity of up to 34% of the normal reference activity, while 2 biopsies with higher residual activity (49% and 68% of normal) could not be distinguished from normal biopsies.

CONCLUSIONS
Of the patients with respiratory-chain enzyme defects, 23% had partial deficiencies of succinate dehydrogenase activity in muscle biopsies. This reduction could be detected histochemically in biopsies in most cases. The marked prevalence of succinate dehydrogenase deficiency among patients with respiratory-chain defects and its detection initially by histochemical analysis are important findings.


The problem of stability of plants of the onion to the most nocuous diseases acquired in the world a paramount value. Untrue mealy dew or peronosporoz onion related to their number, astonishes many kinds of the sort Allium L. and, primarily, onion napiform. Information of presence of immune grades of the onion of napiform are absent, are just of the grade with various level of stability. In years, the favorable for development of this disease, it can cause larger losses at cultivation a sevka, onions turnip and seeds. This disease almost everywhere is widespread. The activator of a peronosporoz is the mushroom of Peronospora destructor (Berk) of Casp. the typical obligate parasite living and eating on the growing plants and striking leaves and flower-colored. Use of expensive chemical means of struggle just limits dissemination of peronosporoz, but radically does not solve the problem of protection of plants, not to mention deterioration in an ecological situation. At selection of the onion of napiform to resistance to peronosporoz interspecific hybridization is the most promising, though this way is long and difficult. The main purpose with the use of interspecific hybridization is creation of forms combining presence of stored bulbs and with high resistance to peronosporoz and sufficient a fecundity. The pollen of plants for transfer of genes supervising high stability and high content they be valuable substances from multi-annual onions to the onion to napiform. In the article results of joint researches of the laboratory of selection of onions cultures, genetics and cytology, immunity of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of selection and seed farming of vegetable cultures (VNIISSOK) on development of methods of interspecific hybridization and creation of the forms of interspecific hybrids combining presence of stored bulb with high resistance to peronosporoz, the technology of selection process, results of selection and interspecific hybrids of the onion created in the VNIISSOK and approved to use in various Russia regions are presented.


In Islam, teaching is declared as a sacred duty and teacher is a person who possesses knowledge.  Teaching profession is the profession of Prophets. Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ is a great Prophet and teacher. Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ is the last prophet and has come to bring change in every field of life (Shah, 2010). He ﷺ employed different methodologies to paraphrase and convey "the message of ALLAH" to the masses. The purpose of inventing teaching methods was to convey message. These methods of teaching are authentic even today. This study was based on the literature, published articles and books related to the concept of teaching methodologies in Islamic historical perspective. This study provide a better understanding of teaching methodologies used by Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and its relevancy with present time period. Effective teaching always depends on the proper communication between teacher and student. The success of a teacher depends how strongly the teacher has grasp the teaching methods. Therefore, it is important that teachers must equip with knowledge of multiple teaching methodologies in order to fulfill the learning needs of students within the classroom environment. For this purpose, the personality of Holy prophet Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ is ideal and a light of guidance in all aspects of human life.


Aims: This article reports the various application areas of the spoken dialogue system in the developing world to determine if the system could be used to bridge the digital divide prevalent in these regions of the world. The work also aims to identify in which developing nations is the system currently being put to use.
Study Design:  A survey of twenty articles on the subject matter was carried out and their domains of the application were identified. The different forms of the evaluation carried out on them were also identified towards determining their outcomes positivity for bridging the digital divide. Various comments made of the different evaluations were also considered in determining the suitability of spoken dialogue systems in bridging the digital divide.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria, between February 2013 and October 2019.
Methodology: The different domains of the works, the different forms of the evaluation carried out on the systems, the various comments consequent upon the testing of the systems by the participants and the developing countries where those works were carried out were identified. A position was now taken based on the results obtained.
Results: Nine of the works are in the healthcare domain, three in agriculture, one in banking, one in aviation, one in secretarial work, one in the accuracy of recognition, one in education and three having multiple domains. The various comments and results from the evaluations all point towards the system's suitability for bridging the digital divide. The spoken dialogue system is currently being used in only six developing nations of the world.
Conclusion: Consequent upon the results obtained, it is clear that spoken dialogue systems can be used to bridge the digital divide in the developing world and that other application areas not yet covered could be explored for the benefits of the citizens of these regions, especially the digitally disadvantaged ones.


A large number of surgical procedures aimed at revascularizing the popliteal and infrapopliteal arteries has been reported in patients affected by rest pain or gangrene of the extremities as well as intermittent claudication. In consideration of the high incidence of early and late unsuccessful results following this type of surgery as reported in the literature, we believe that peripheral reconstructions should be restricted to those patients presenting a clinical picture of such severity that major amputation is unavoidable in the short run. In these patients our choice of the appropriate surgical procedure is strictly related to the patency or not of the popliteal artery. The role of the above knee femoropopliteal bypass is discussed. A series of patients that we have operated upon according to these criteria is analyzed. The low number of cases in our group of patients and the high rate of postoperative failures reflect our policy on this matter.


Concrete structures are deteriorated due to environment conditions. Strengthening of existing structures are the most important challenges in the Civil Engineering. Recently, Basalt fibre are used for strengthening due to various advantages such as good range of thermal performance, high tensile strength, resistance to acids, good electromagnetic properties, inert nature, resistance to corrosion. This study presents the flexural behavior of Unidirectional and Multidirectional Basalt Fibre Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) composites, strengthened with reinforced concrete beams. For flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete beams, totally nine beams of size 100×160×1700 mm were cast using M20 grade concrete and tested under two point loading. One beam was used as reference and four beams were strengthened with uni directional BFRP composite and four beams were strengthened with Multi directional BFRP composite at bottom surface alone in the form of single layer, double layers, three layers and four layers, respectively. Test result indicates, the first crack load of strengthened beams with unidirectional BFRP increased by 14.98 to 66.79% when compared to reference beam and multi layered BFRP increased by 6.79 to 47.98%. The ultimate load carrying capacity increases from 8.6 to 34.6% in unidirectional BFRP and 5.66 to 20% in multidirectional BFRP when compared to reference beam. This study presents the enhancement in the structural behavior of BFRP strengthened beams compared with reference beam.


Languages change; they are changing all the time, even as we speak them. This was already known to linguists of the ancient world ‒ such as the phonologists of the period before the Tang dynasty in China, who recognized that the sound patterns of the Chinese syllable were significantly different from what they had been at an earlier time. We usually think of linguistic change first of all in terms of the changing sounds of speech; or, if we consider change in meaning, then it is in terms of the meaning of single words, or small clusters of words that are related. We do not usually think in terms of the meaning potential that characterizes a language as a whole.


Water management systems in the world have evolved considreably in the last three decades from the traditional "prediction and control"(Phl-Wostl, 2006. p49) approach to more integrative approaches.(Biswas,2004,@004, p24). Practioners in the discipline may find inspiration from a number of leadership approaches in the literature that include transformational, intgrative, collabroative and entrepreneurial leadership, inter alia(Meijerink, S.2011). Another recent and interesting addition to leaadership  literature is found in Complexity Leadership Theory(CLT) as developed by UHl-Bien, Marion and Bill McKelvey(@007). It is premised on on seeking understanding on how organisations respond to pressures in the modern knowledge era, in the contemporary and current work environment as well as in evolving circumstances. The model draws from complexity science, which is the " study of the behaviour of large collections of ....simple, interacting units endowed with the potential to evolve with time"(Coveney, 2003, p.1058 cited in Uhl-Bien et al 2007, p.299). In this respect the central tenet behind Complexity leadership theory is the use of the concept of  complex adaptive systems(CAS) where issues of leadership , which is understood as the capacity to influence others, are seen as not as positions of authority but roles, are entangled between members of an organisation and "can be enacted within everyinteraction between members"(Lichenstein and Plowman 2009, p.618). In unpacking the conceptual framework behind CLT, there a reflection on the dynamic relationship between the bureacratic, administrative functions of the organisations and the emergent, informal dynamics of complex adaptive systems(CAS).The current state of water management, given the competing demands of the biosphere and the socio-sphere are amenable to be relooked at using the CLT lens. The concept of adaptive water management of water resources(Pahl-Wostl, 2006,p.49) is reviewed in realtion to CLT.
Key words: complexity theory, complex adaptive systems, creativity, learning and adaptive water management


Thirty years ago, environmental land-use planning in New South Wales was characterised by strong technocratic influences, with plans determined by technical experts employed by central government, leaving few opportunities for community participation. in contrasi, the commencement of the Environmental Piannina and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) was hailed as the start of a new era in ~nvironmental and-use planning which emphasised environmental protection, power sharing between State and local government, and public participation. A return to technocratic approaches to planning is clearly evident in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Act 2008 (NSW), which represents the most significant change to the legislative . framework for environmental land-use planning in New South Wales in the past decade. This article will evaluate the effectiveness of the recent amendments to New South Wales planning legislation by assessing their consistency with the objects of the principal statute.


This paper proposes a method to reduce noise and extract crack indications from detection signals of a 48-channel ECT system based on its signal phase characteristics. Because this 48-channel ECT system performs two kinds of scanning patterns: U-scan and T-scan, and obtains two sets of signal distributions for one scanning area simultaneously, the proposed method uses a two-stage process that includes so-called main filter and sub filter. Using these two filters imposes more strict conditions on extracting crack indications so as to reduce more noise. The experimental results show that the proposed filtering method is effective to extract only crack indications from detection signals including complicated noises.


Ions exhibiting broad fluorescence bands in the 5000A to 10,000A region have been studied as potential lasing ions in various glass hosts. Included in the study were Eu(2+), Cu(+), Sn(2+), Sb(2+), Yb(2+), Ge(2+), and CdS. Glass hosts included silicates, borates, and phosphates. Spectral data were used to calculate peak emission cross sections and flashlamp pumping thresholds for various ion-host combinations. These data indicated that Eu(2+) should lase easily. Cu(+), Sn(2+), and Sb(2+) should also lase but would require significantly greater pumping energies. Gain (loss) measurements were made on selected glass rods by passing a CW laser beam through the rods during flashlamp pumping. No gain was measured. Instead, most rods showed a pumped absorption. This absorption was probably due to transient color center formation in the glass hosts themselves, rather than excited state absorption by the dopant ions. Flashlamp pumping studies of several of the ions in various hosts selected for low pumped absorption is recommended as further work. Also recommended is laser pumping, which would eliminate the shorter wavelength ultraviolet primarily responsible for color center formation.


Toward the goal of improved short-range forecasts of cloud/hydrometeors, icing, and precipitation, an advanced version of the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) cloud-top pressure assimilation technique has been developed and tested. This improved technique, using GOES single field-of-view sounder derived cloud-top pressure data provided by NESDIS, is being implemented into operations at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) along with a major upgrade to the RUC in April 2002. This new version, called RUC20 (Benjamin et.al 2003), also includes a change in horizontal resolution from 40 km to 20 km and significant changes to the analysis and model forecast components.


THROUGH TESTIMONIES ON READING PRACTICE LEFT AS WRITTEN RECORD BY READERS, A SCHEME IS FORMULATED FOR A READER TYPOLOGY: FACTUAL AND THEORETICAL, AS WELL AS THE CATEGORIES OF THEIR TESTIMONIAL DISCOURSE: FRAGMENTARY AND ORGANIC. THE PURPOSE IS THAT THE SCHEME GIVES LIBRARIANS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF READING PRACTICE AND ITS INDIVIDUAL AND CONCRETE DIMENSIONS, WHICH SIMULTANEOUSLY WILL ALLOW THEM A HUMANISTIC VISION OF READERS AND THEIR READING ACTIVITY.


Proteinuria, a complication of both diabetes mellitus and hypertension, was compared in 2 genetically induced models: insulin-dependent diabetic BB rat (BB), and Okamoto-Aoki spontaneously hypertensive Wistar rats (SHR). Both disease states were clearly distinguished from each other and their respective age-matched controls by analysis of 24-hour urine samples for glucose, urobilinogen, bilirubin and total protein. Then individual protein components between 15,000 and 120,000 daltons were separated by molecular weight and quantitated by laser densitometric analysis. The results indicated that insulin-dependent diabetic BB rats excreted urine having elevation of glucose (100-250 mg/dl), bilirubin (0.05 +/- 0.03 mg/dl) and urobilinogen (6.6 +/- 3.8 Ehrlich units/dl) in contrast to all age-matched SHR and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and nondiabetic controls, which excreted urine having normal urobilinogen and no detectable glucose or bilirubin. Both SHR and insulin-dependent BB rats exhibited proteinuria, urinary protein excretion being increased approximately 4-5 times that of their age-matched controls. BB rats excreted 18.80 +/- 2.62 mg protein/day attributed to an increase in albumin and an entire array of proteins between 30,000 and 120,000 daltons not present in controls which primarily excreted proteins below 20,000 daltons. In the SHR, proteinuria did not include an array of proteins; the increase in excreted protein (39.20 +/- 16 mg/day) was primarily attributed to albumin and another protein having a higher molecular weight. The SHR urinary proteins were similar to proteins excreted by streptozocin-induced, noninsulin-dependent diabetic rats treated with the aldose reductase inhibitor sorbinil. If hypertension is associated with diabetic nephropathy, our preclinical results suggest that coadministration of sorbinil with antihypertensive therapy may promote a positive synergistic effect further diminishing proteinuria.


Abstract Japanese honeysuckle presents a serious problem to the economically attractive natural regeneration of loblolly and shortleaf pine. This research investigated the potential allelopathic interference mechanisms of Japanese honeysuckle in relation to pine regeneration and growth, which may provide insight into overcoming this problem. The allelopathic potential of root exudates and leaf litter from Japanese honeysuckle was tested against loblolly and shortleaf pine seedlings. When Japanese honeysuckle and loblolly pine seedlings were grown using the same irrigation reservoir, there was no significant effect on the growth of either pine species. Exudates of Japanese honeysuckle grown as a pure culture in donor cups also produced no growth effects on pure-cultured pine seedlings grown in acceptor cups. In other assays, aqueous extracts of Japanese honeysuckle leaf tissue were toxic to duckweeds at concentrations well below levels where plasmolysis might cause effects. When Japanese honeysuckle leaf tissue was added to soil at a rate of 2 g tissue 100 g−1 soil, mean seedling height at 128 d after planting was reduced by as much as 40%. Moreover, pine seedlings grown in the presence of Japanese honeysuckle tissue exhibited significant chlorosis of the shoot and needles. Gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy analyses and high-performance liquid chromatography of Japanese honeysuckle leaf tissue aqueous extracts confirmed the presence of five compounds previously identified as possible allelochemicals: 4-hydroxycinnamic acid; 2-hydroxycinnamic acid; 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid; 3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid; and chlorogenic acid. Results indicate that allelopathy plays at least a partial role in Japanese honeysuckle interference with loblolly and shortleaf pine. Nomenclature: Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica Thunb.; loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L.; shortleaf pine, Pinus echinata Mill; duckweed, Lemna minor L.


Herein, a hybrid substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is fabricated, which couples localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), charge transfer (CT) resonance, and molecular resonance. Exfoliated 2D TiS2 nanosheets with semimetallic properties accelerate the CT with the tested analytes, inducing a remarkable chemical mechanism enhancement. In addition, the LSPR effect is coupled with a concave gold array located underneath the thin TiS2 nanosheet, providing a strong electromagnetic enhancement. The concave gold array is prepared by etching silicone nanospheres assembled on larger polystyrene nanospheres, followed by depositing a gold layer. The LSPR intensity near the gold layer can be adjusted by changing the layer thickness to couple the molecular and CT resonances, in order to maximize the SERS enhancement. The best SERS performance is recorded on TiS2 -nanosheet-coated plasmonic substrates, with a detectable methylene blue concentration down to 10-13  m and an enhancement factor of 2.1 × 109 and this concentration is several orders of magnitude lower than that of the TiS2 nanosheet (10-11  m) and plasmonic substrates (10-9  m). The present hybrid substrate with triple-coupled resonance further shows significant advantages in the label-free monitoring of curcumin (a widely applied drug for treating multiple cancers and inflammations) in serum and urine.


DURING the early part of this century references to synovial cysts, ganglions, epidermal cysts and the like (this does not refer to epidermal or epidermoid cysts which are produced by epidermal inclusions following puncture wounds and are usually seen on the palmar surface of the hands) were frequently seen in dermatologic literature. The recent references are almost entirely found in surgical literature. Since dermatologists are frequently called on to advise patients concerning these lesions, it seemed appropriate to review recent developments and report my work at this time. This report is based on the microscopic study of material from 58 cases and roentgen ray therapy in 105 cases. Microscopic material was studied from myxomatous degeneration lesions in 38 cases of the wrist, 10 of the hand, 4 of the fingers, 4 of the foot and 2 of the ankle. The study was originally planned and started in 1937 in conjunction