This study aimed to evaluate seasonally and spatially the dissolved silicate in surface waters of two rivers with similar physical characteristics, but with different levels of anthropogenic interference. In dry season the surface water in shallow sites can represent high concentrations, proving that the estuarine circulation is very influential in the concentrations of dissolved silicate on surface. The dissolved silicate as an indicator of erosion becomes more evident during rainy periods. Keywords: Estuaries, Dissolved silicate, Erosion .


The composition and properties of the tricarboxylic acid cycle of the microaerophilic human pathogen Helicobacter pylori were investigated in situ and in cell extracts using [1H]- and [13C]-NMR spectroscopy and spectrophotometry. NMR spectroscopy assays enabled highly specific measurements of some enzyme activities, previously not possible using spectrophotometry, in in situ studies with H. pylori, thus providing the first accurate picture of the complete tricarboxylic acid cycle of the bacterium. The presence, cellular location and kinetic parameters of citrate synthase, aconitase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate oxidase, fumarate reductase, fumarase, malate dehydrogenase, and malate synthase activities in H. pylori are described. The absence of other enzyme activities of the cycle, including alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, and succinate dehydrogenase also are shown. The H. pylori tricarboxylic acid cycle appears to be a noncyclic, branched pathway, characteristic of anaerobic metabolism, directed towards the production of succinate in the reductive dicarboxylic acid branch and alpha-ketoglutarate in the oxidative tricarboxylic acid branch. Both branches were metabolically linked by the presence of alpha-ketoglutarate oxidase activity. Under the growth conditions employed, H. pylori did not possess an operational glyoxylate bypass, owing to the absence of isocitrate lyase activity; nor a gamma-aminobutyrate shunt, owing to the absence of both gamma-aminobutyrate transaminase and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase activities. The catalytic and regulatory properties of the H. pylori tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes are discussed by comparing their amino acid sequences with those of other, more extensively studied enzymes.


We describe three brachiopod species of the Suborder Productidina from the Ixtaltepec Formation, Carboniferous of the north of Oaxaca State, southern Mexico, found in peri-reef deposits. Stegacanthia bowsheri and Undaria sp. are members of the families Sentosiidae and Monticuliferidae respectively and were found in strata of the Visean (Middle Mississippian). Martinezchaconia luisae, new genus and species of the Family Linoproductidae, was recollected in Bashkirian-Moscovian (Lower-Middle Pennsylvanian) strata. The respective ages are inferred from the index species of brachiopods associated with the productidines herein described.


In this unprecedented era of the overwhelming volume of medical data, machine learning can be a promising tool that may shed light on an individualized approach and a better understanding of the disease in the field of osteoporosis research, similar to that in other research fields. This review aimed to provide an overview of the latest studies using machine learning to address issues, mainly focusing on osteoporosis and fractures. Machine learning models for diagnosing and classifying osteoporosis and detecting fractures from images have shown promising performance. Fracture risk prediction is another promising field of research, and studies are being conducted using various data sources. However, these approaches may be biased due to the nature of the techniques or the quality of the data. Therefore, more studies based on the proposed guidelines are needed to improve the technical feasibility and generalizability of artificial intelligence algorithms.


While computing speed continues increasing rapidly, data-access technology is lagging behind. Data-access delay, not the processor speed, becomes the leading performance bottleneck of high-end/high-performance computing. Prefetching is an effective solution to masking the gap between computing speed and data-access speed. Existing works of prefetching, however, are very conservative in general, due to the computing power consumption concern of the past. They suffer in effectiveness especially when applications' access pattern changes. In this study, we propose an Algorithm-level Feedback-controlled Adaptive (AFA) data prefetcher to address these issues. The AFA prefetcher is based on the Data-Access History Cache, a hardware structure that is specifically designed for data prefetching. It provides an algorithm-level adaptation and is capable of dynamically adapting to appropriate prefetching algorithms at runtime. We have conducted extensive simulation testing with Simple Scalar simulator to validate the design and to illustrate the performance gain. The simulation results show that AFA prefetcher is effective and achieves considerable IPC (Instructions Per Cycle) improvement in average.


To determine whether pulsatile hypothermic perfusion with University of Wisconsin preservation solution is superior to topical cooling as a method for the preservation of amputated limbs, six pairs of amputated canine limbs were preserved for twelve to fifteen hours. One limb of each pair was subjected to topical cooling and the other, to pulsatile hypothermic perfusion with University of Wisconsin solution. The bioenergetic status of the limbs was monitored by 31phosphorus magnetic-resonance spectroscopy, and histological evaluation was performed to assess ischemic changes in the preserved tissue. The pH and tissue levels of adenosine triphosphate declined three times more slowly in the limbs that were preserved by pulsatile hypothermic perfusion than in the topically cooled limbs. Consistent with these findings, the perfused limbs also had less histological evidence of ischemic injury. The data from this in vitro study show that pulsatile hypothermic perfusion with University of Wisconsin solution, in combination with an optimum degree of topical cooling, is superior to topical cooling alone as a method of preserving the bioenergetic status of amputated limbs.


This paper develops a forecasting model of residential property prices for Hong Kong using an artificial neural network approach. Quarterly time-series data are applied for testing and the empirical results suggest that property price index, lagged one period, rental index, and the number of agreements for sales and purchases of units are the major determinants of the residential property price performance in Hong Kong. The results also suggest that the neural network methodology has the ability to learn, generalize, and converge time series.


The aim of the investigation presented in this thesis was to elucidate the nature of the RNA- dependent RNA polymerase, thought to be associated with Sonchus yellow net virus (SYNV), a rhabdovirus infecting plants. This research was initiated to shed light on the transcription activity in rhabdoviruses with similarities to rabies virus. It has been difficult to detect RNA polymerase activity in rabies virus particles in contrast to VSV with its highly active RNA- dependent RNA polymerase. The proteins of SYNV and their location in the virus particle are discussed in Chapter 2. We detected four major proteins, designated G, N, M1 and M2 in purified preparations of SYNV, which were separated on a 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gel. Minor proteins HMW1, HMW2, X and Y were usually also detected. To understand more about the interactions of SYNV and the host plant cell, it is important to determine which virus proteins are associated with the transcribing ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex, which is infectious. We propose a model for the transcription of SYNV-RNA in which the single-stranded RNA with a negative polarity forms the transcribing RNP complex with HMW1 (RNAdependent RNA polymerase), N, X and M I proteins. The N protein-RNA complex serves as a template for the virus-associated RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The X protein is assumed to be a form of the M1 protein which is phosphorylated to a different degree than M I. The M2 protein which forms a bridge between the G protein in the envelope and the RNP complex, may inhibit transcription. In Chapter 3 we showed, that an enzyme is associated with purified SYNV, which has the ability to catalyze the polymerization of ribonucleoside triphosphates. The RNA polymerase showed low activity after a 60 min incubation of purified SYNV. Prolonged incubation of purified SYNV considerably enhanced SYNV-specifiC [ 3 H]UMP- incorporation. The results obtained by analysis of the protein composition of the reaction mixture during these prolonged incubations shows that the M1 and M2 proteins require modification before transcription could proceed. It is tempting to hypothesize that phosphorylation of one of the SYNV proteins, equivalent in function to the NS protein of VSV is necessary for efficient transcription of SYNV-RNA. In Chapter 3 we showed that the decrease in M1 protein corresponds to an increase in X protein. During chromatography of disrupted viruses on phosphocellulose columns, discussed in Chapter 4, the RNP complex was enriched in X protein when compared with the amount of X protein in purified preparations of SYNV. The lagtime in transcription was considerably reduced after eluting solubilized SYNV from a phosphocellulose column with KCI or K-acetate. The results of an experiment discussed in Chapter 5 has been interpreted as evidence that the X protein is analogous to the NS protein of VSV. The X protein is specifically inhibited by its own IgGs in an ALPA and this inhibition can be eliminated by incubating with anti-N serum which apparently mimicks the action of X by lifting the N protein from the template RNA, thereby activating the RNA polymerase. Kingsford and Emerson (1980) have shown that phosphorylation of the NS protein of VSV is necessary for transcription of VSV-RNA. This phosphorylation takes place in our SYNV system during incubation andactivates a protein. Changes in degree of phosphorylation is reflected in the increasing amounts of XI during the prolonged incubations as shown by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Chapter 3). Van Beek et al . (1985) reported that the M 1 protein and sometimes a protein with a mol. wt. similar to the X protein of SYNV are phosphorylated in cowpea protoplasts infected with SYNV. Our results indicated an inhibitory role of the M2 protein. A regulatory role may be ascribed to the M2 protein, because we have shown in Chapter 3, that M2 protein is degraded to discrete products (M* and M**), concomitant with an increase in transcriptase activity in vitro. In experiments using phosphocellulose column purified RNP complexes the M2 protein of SYNV appeared to be modified to a more antigenic form and no longer inhibited transcription in vitro. Inhibition of transcription by the M protein of VSV has been reported by Carroll and Wagner (1979) and is now widely accepted for VSV. Pal et al. (1985a) recently showed that the exposure of only one epitope on the surface of the M protein of VSV may be important for the inhibition of in vitro transcription of VSV-RNA. In this thesis the importance of the M2 protein of SYNV in regulating transcription in vitro is stressed. The regulatory role of the M protein of VSV in in vivo and in vitro transcription was further investigated by Rosen et al. (1983). The M protein of VSV can be cleaved in vivo and in vitro by a protease to a discrete product (M'). The M' protein could be involved in regulating the transcription of VSV in a positive manner, while the M protein inhibits transcription. Whether the products of M2 had any role in the transcription of SYNV-RNA was not studied. To establish that the HMW1 protein of SYNV is the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase associated with SYNV, an ALPA was used in which transcribing RNP complexes are immobilized on nitrocellulose via an IgG bridge between SDS-denatured, electrophoretically separated SYNV proteins and the RNP complex. The polymerase activity is detected by incubating the nitrocellulose filters in a transcription mixture containing the ribonucleoside triphosphates. The newly synthesized RNA is then precipitated onto the nitrocellulose and visualized by autoradiography. Using this approach we provided evidence that the HMW 1 protein of SYNV exhibits polymerase activity. To prove that the invitro synthesized RNA was specific for SYNV, a direct and an indirect approach was used. Dotblot hybridizations demonstrated that SYNV-RNA was transcribed into complementary RNA. In a coupled in vitro transcription-translation experiment it was shown that the SYNV-associated polymerase was capable of elongating RNA into fulllength mRNAs, which were translated into the major SYNV proteins in a wheat germ cell-free system. It proved difficult to visualize the product RNAs on denaturing gels. Many bands were found (not shown), indicating random initiation or premature termination of the polymerase on the SYNV template. Perrault and McLear (1984) have demonstrated that the VSV RNA polymerase often aborts the transcription of VSV-RNA invitro. It is of interest to note that Thornton et al. (1984) reported that the M protein of VSV can abolish the transcriptionof the leader RNA whereas increasing amounts of fragments with 11 to 14 nucleotides transcribed from the 3' end of the N-mRNA gene are found. This has been explained by a M protein-mediated inhibition at the level of leader RNA synthesis and elongation. One of the major problems in studying plant virus replication is the occurrence of a host- encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in healthy plants which is usually enhanced upon infection of the plant (Dorssers, 1983; Dorssers et al., 1982 and 1983; and Hall et al., 1982). The results obtained with the phosphocellulose-purified RNP particle of SYNV did not indicate the presence of contaminating host polymerases in that fraction, but rather in fractions eluting at lower salt concentrations, which is in agreement with the results obtained by Mouches et al. (1984), who eluted the host RNA polymerase at low salt concentrations, while the turnip yellow mosaic virus-induced RNA polymerase elutes at higher salt concentrations. Furthermore the polymerase of rhabdoviruses requires an N protein-RNA complex as template and it is inconceivable that a host plant RNA-dependent RNA polymerase would also accept this template. We conclude therefore that a host RNA-dependent RNA polymerase did not play a significant role in our investigations concerning the in vitro transcription of SYNV-RNA. In conclusion, we have provided evidence that the HMW1 protein of SYNV in possible combination with the M1 protein, phosphorylated to a different degree, can transcribe protein-RNA complexes in vitro when the inhibitory M2 protein has been modified.


A wavelet variation of the Frequency decomposition multigrid method of Hackbusch is presented. The perfect reconstruction property of the wavelet system enable us to perform the convergence analysis of the frequency decomposition method. Some applications of this method are also presented.


Increased variability in rainfall events and high production input costs are driving agricultural producers to consider subsurface water management in the flat Red River of the North Valley in Eastern North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota, USA. Subsurface tile incorporated with water table control structures was utilized from 2009 to 2011 to investigate the response of hard red spring wheat (HRSW) (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Thell.) for yield, disease, and other agronomic characteristics to soil water management. A factorial arrangement of four cultivars, two seed treatments, and two foliar fungicide treatments in a split-plot design with closed and open tile as whole-plots was used. Mean wheat yields averaged across years were not significantly different with closed or open tile treatments. There existed an optimum management practice where plant useable water was not freely drained and analyzing the data with the optimum water management for each year found the optimum water table managed treatment yielded higher with 3812 kg ha-1 compared with limited water table management with 3679 kg ha-1. In 2011, the cultivars Faller and Howard were taller, and Traverse had lower root disease severity. In 2010 and 2011, Howard and Traverse had more leaf disease with open tile compared with closed tile. Across years, there was no difference in root disease, stand, number of spikes, crop height, or yield response to appli-cation of seed treatments with open or closed tile. In 2010, there was a 3.7% yield advantage with application of seed treatment on open tile. Across years, there was no yield response to application of foliar fungicides; however, wheat yield with foliar fungicide was 5% higher than without application in 2010. Producers should be using water table control and disease management to maximize HRSW yield. Further research should investigate water table management throughout the season based on weather conditions.


Abstract Hybanthus enneaspermus is a rare medicinal plant. We defined a protocol for micropropagation, ex vitro rooting of cloned shoots and their acclimatization. Surface-sterilized nodal segments were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with different concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin (Kin). Medium supplemented with 1.5 mg L−1 BAP was found optimum for shoot induction from the explants and 6.4±0.69 shoots were regenerated from each node with 97% response. Shoots were further proliferated maximally (228±10.3 shoots per culture bottle with 7.5±0.43 cm length) on MS medium augmented with 1.0 mg L−1 each of BAP and Kin within 4–5 weeks. The shoots were rooted in vitro on half strength MS medium containing 2.0 mg L−1 indole-3 butyric acid (IBA). The cloned shoots were pulse-treated with 300 mg L–1 of IBA and cultured on soilrite® in a greenhouse. About 96% of the IBA-pulsed shoots rooted ex vitro in soilrite®, each shoot producing 12.5±0.54 roots with 5.1±0.62 cm length. The ex vitro rooted plantlets showed a better rate of survival (92%) in a field study than in vitro rooted plantlets (86%). A comparative foliar micromorphological study of H. enneaspermus was conducted to understand the micromorphological changes during plant developmental processes from in vitro to in vivo conditions in terms of variations in stomata, vein structures and spacing, and trichomes. This is the first report on ex vitro rooting in H. enneaspermus and the protocol can be exploited for conservation and large-scale propagation of this rare and medicinally important plant.


This entry outlines the development of theoretical chemistry from its origins to the present highlighting important several theories, techniques, and applications to inorganic chemistry. The field has evolved from the series of postulates that provide the framework for quantum mechanics and which culminated in the Schrodinger equation proposed in 1926. Soon thereafter, the application to chemical systems began. Valence Bond Theory (VBT) and Molecular Orbital (MO) Theory were initial techniques for explaining what for chemists was of critical importance, that is, the nature of the chemical bond in molecules. Each approach is still useful today. Molecular Orbital Theory, however, has enjoyed wider applicability owing to being much more easily handled quantitatively. The explosive growth of digital computing capabilities over the last half-century can no doubt be traced in part to the intensive number crunching requirements of this type. The article reviews the early work of VBT and MO theory, and the treatment of H2, homonuclear, and heteronuclear diatomic molecules in some detail. Sections concerning the important application of mathematical group theory conventions and several techniques that use the self-consistent field approach define much of the terminology that is commonly used in the field. An up-to-date list of references and related articles provided interested readers with much more detail on the techniques and applications in this enormous field.

Keywords:

molecular orbital theory;
valence bond theory;
hybridization;
valence-shell electron pair repulsion theory (VSEPR);
Hartree-Fock;
extended Huckel theory;
group theory wavefunction;
self-consistent field


The aim of interconception care is to provide women who have had a prior adverse pregnancy outcome with optimal care in order to reduce risks that may affect the woman׳s health and any future birth she may choose to have. National recommendations call for action, and evidence supports specific clinical interventions. The need for interconception care is documented in national and state survey and surveillance data. Chronic diseases and behavioral risks affect the health of millions of U.S. women of childbearing age. Interconception care demonstration projects have used a "disease management" approach that includes medical care and case management. The increasing use of postpartum visits, as a gateway to interconception interventions, is essential. The Affordable Care Act emphasis on preventive services and expanded health coverage for women offers new opportunities to finance interconception care. Improved and enhanced clinical practices, along with the engagement of women, in interconception care have the potential to improve birth outcomes and reduce disparities.


Automated data-driven decision making systems are increasingly being used to assist, or even replace humans in many settings. These systems function by learning from historical decisions, often taken by humans. In order to maximize the utility of these systems (or, classifiers), their training involves minimizing the errors (or, misclassifications) over the given historical data. However, it is quite possible that the optimally trained classifier makes decisions for people belonging to different social groups with different misclassification rates (e.g., misclassification rates for females are higher than for males), thereby placing these groups at an unfair disadvantage. To account for and avoid such unfairness, in this paper, we introduce a new notion of unfairness, disparate mistreatment, which is defined in terms of misclassification rates. We then propose intuitive measures of disparate mistreatment for decision boundary-based classifiers, which can be easily incorporated into their formulation as convex-concave constraints. Experiments on synthetic as well as real world datasets show that our methodology is effective at avoiding disparate mistreatment, often at a small cost in terms of accuracy.


We present the case of a patient with venous thromboembolic disease and contraindication to anticoagulation, where the incidental finding of a duplication of the inferior vena cava was made. This observation determined the need to implant two embolic protection filters. Although this vascular anomaly is rarely present, it is important to keep this possibility in mind to ensure that proper protection is provided when inferior vena cava filters are implanted.


Two fully integrated low noise amplifiers using gm-boosting technique for ultra-low voltage and ultra-low-power GPS applications are designed and simulated in a standard 0.18μm CMOS technology. By employing the folded cascode and forward body bias technique, the proposed LNAs can operate at reduced supply voltage and power consumption. The proposed LNA delivers a power gain (S21) of 17.6 dB with a noise figure of 3 dB, while consuming only 1.1mW dc power with an ultra low supply voltage of 0.45 V. A gm-boosting technique is used to increase the LNA gain and reduce noise figure at the cost of a little circuit power consumption. For the LNA with a gm-boosting technique, a remarkable gain of 20.8 dB gain is achieved with a dc power of 1.3 mW and noise figure 2.9dB. The supply voltage figure of merit(FOM1) and the tuning-range figure of merit(FOM2) are optimal at 46.22 dB/V and 9.61(v.mw)-1 for gm-boosting technique, respectively.


Keeping stem cells in tip top condition Stem cells are important in the maintenance and growth of tissues. For the health of the organism as a whole, it is important that only healthy stem cells be used. Mohrin et al. elucidated a regulatory branch of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response that is coupled to cellular energy metabolism and proliferation in stem cells (see the Perspective by Ocampo and Belmonte). Mitochondrial protein folding stress triggered a metabolic checkpoint that regulates the cell cycle. Deregulation of this pathway interfered with stem cell quiescence and compromised regenerative function. Science, this issue p. 1374; see also p. 1319 A regulatory branch of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response pathway is coupled to cellular energy metabolism and proliferation. [Also see Perspective by Ocampo and Belmonte] Deterioration of adult stem cells accounts for much of aging-associated compromised tissue maintenance. How stem cells maintain metabolic homeostasis remains elusive. Here, we identified a regulatory branch of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt), which is mediated by the interplay of SIRT7 and NRF1 and is coupled to cellular energy metabolism and proliferation. SIRT7 inactivation caused reduced quiescence, increased mitochondrial protein folding stress (PFSmt), and compromised regenerative capacity of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). SIRT7 expression was reduced in aged HSCs, and SIRT7 up-regulation improved the regenerative capacity of aged HSCs. These findings define the deregulation of a UPRmt-mediated metabolic checkpoint as a reversible contributing factor for HSC aging.


This review examines current knowledge regarding the metabolic responses to trauma and sepsis. The factors which may mediate the responses are discussed and the potential value of pharmacological or nutritional manipulation is reviewed.


A large number of today's technological processes rely on catalytic reactions to synthesize chemical and pharmaceutical compounds, refine fuels or treat exhaust gases. Developing optimized and efficient catalysts is therefore a key faculty for the reduction of primary materials and energy resources as well as for the reduction of harmful emission to the environment. In recent years, intermetallic compounds, characterized by interatomic bonds of partially ionic and covalent character, have emerged as interesting materials class to look for new catalyst to be used in heterogeneous catalysis. The extensive number of possible binary intermetallic compounds, with electronic and structural properties that can strongly differ from their constituting elements, open a vast field to find catalyst optimized in the properties triangle of activity, selectivity and stability.
In our presentation, we will review the recent developments in the field of intermetallic compounds in heterogeneous catalysis and also review the particularities of the surface terminations of these materials, which arise from multiple, inequivalent atomic planes present for a given crystallographic direction and the partially covalent bond character. We will then turn our attention to the PdGa compound, which has been found to combine high selectivity and activity in acetylene semi-hydrogenation [1]. We will discuss the atomic structure of the low Miller index planes of PdGa and present experimental and theoretical results from the adsorption of small molecules (CO, C2H2 and C2H4) on the (111) and (-1-1-1) PdGa surface, which differ significantly in the local structure of the top most Pd atoms and therefore are model surfaces to study active site isolation and ensemble effects on catalyst selectivity [2]. In the last part, we will explore the possibilities of chiral selective adsorption on these surfaces made possible by the intrinsic chiral nature of the P213 space group PdGa belongs to [3].

[1] M. Armbruster, M. Kovnir, M. Behrens, D. Teschner, Y Grin, and R. Schlogl, JACS 132, 14745 (2010)
[2] J. Prinz, C. A. Pignedoli, Q. S. Stockl, M. Armbruster, H. Brune, O. Groning, R. Widmer, D. Passerone
JACS 136, 11792 (2014).
[3] J. Prinz, O. Groning, H. Brune, and R. Widmer, Angew.Chem. 127,3974 (2015)


Sphingomyelin-based liposomes were prepared and applied to the stratum corneum side or basal layer side of a three-dimensional (3D) cultured human skin model, and the increase in the type II ceramide (ceramide II) content of the cultured skin model was evaluated. The sphingomyelin-based liposomes were prepared by a high-pressure emulsification method, and the obtained liposomes were characterized; the particle diameter and zeta potential of the liposomes were 155.3 nm and −11.4 mV, respectively. Their spherical shape and lamella structure were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The sphingomyelin-based liposomes or saline were applied to the cultured skin model, and ceramide II was extracted from the skin model. The extracted ceramide II was separated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography and quantified by a densitometer. The amount of ceramide II in the cultured skin model was significantly increased by the application of the sphingomyelin-based liposomes, compared with the nonapplication group. Thus, sphingomyelin-based liposomes are useful for enriching the ceramide level in 3D cultured skin models.


Much has been written about lymphocytes, but relatively little is known about them. The same applies to a greater extent to mast cells. This monograph is an attempt to gather between the covers of a small book what has been written about these cells. The authors are well qualified for the task. They have been contributing to the subject individually and jointly for many years. The lymphocytes, plasma cells, mast cells, and certain other cells (eosinophils, neutrophils, monocytes, and glia cells) supply nutritive materials and regulate protein metabolism. The feeding function of these cells, the trephocytes, is the subject of the book. The general principles are presented in the introduction. The second chapter deals with lymphocytes and plasma cells. The mast cell is discussed in the next five chapters; the specific topics are structure, staining methods, distribution, histamine, capillary permeability, heparin, and hyaluronic acid. The following chapters pertain to the


Liquid biopsy is a non-invasive tool to examine the genetic profile of tumors by identification of mutated circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), which is often analyzed by next generation sequencing (NGS) or droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay. We first examined the ctDNA mutation in pre-operative plasma samples obtained from 154 colorectal cancer (CRC) and 46 gastric cancer (GC) patients, using the NGS-based panel assay. The overall detection rate of mutated ctDNA was 72.0% (144 of 200 patients), and the panel-based screening identified 207 and 47 mutations from CRC and GC patients, respectively. The ddPCR analysis was then performed on post-operative samples of 77 patients, and detection of mutated ctDNA was earlier than imaging-based diagnosis in all of 6 patients who showed the tumor recurrences after surgery. Our data also revealed that patients with positive post-operation ctDNA level showed significant shorter recurrence-free survival compared to the patients with negative ctDNA level (HR 14.9; 95% CI, 0.7–313.5; p < 0.0001). These findings suggested that screening of mutated ctDNA by liquid biopsy aids in identifying the patients at high risk of post-operative recurrence, and serial screening of ctDNA would allow to monitor the response after treatment and/or early detection of tumor recurrence.


Summary form only given. Reliable Automatic Incident Detection (AID) Systems are elements in integrated urban and inter-urban traffic control management. A new approach using image processing especially oriented to AID was developed in the frame of the CEC DRIVE Programme. The AID system is based on the analysis of video images from closed circuit television (CCT) cameras situated in strategic sites along side the road, carried out in processing units (LSM) which produce meaningful real time spatial referenced data. These data are further processed at central level by the central process system (CPS) to produce their spatial and temporal tracking, to detect and follow up incidents and congestions throughout the road network. Implementation of both, LSM and CPS was accomplished by evaluating the whole system at many different operational conditions. The set up and first results of the field trial currently on progress in Spain, within the project ARTIS (Advanced RTI in Spain) are discussed.


Recent research on timing verification of digital interface circuits has implicitly assumed that the delays of different signal transitions in the circuit are independent of one another. However timing diagrams in data sheets clearly specify correlation information. If timing correlation is ignored the results of verification can be overly pessimistic. In this paper we propose a probabilistic timed Petri net capable of representing timing correlation. For the subclass of periodic nets with AND and OR causality we develop a procedure that not only accurately checks if each one of the given timing constraints is satisfied but if the check fails also determines the probability that a particular timing constraint would be violated.


The development of an intelligent graphical user interface has been considered as one of the intermediate objectives for the provision of an environment to assist a team of cooperating designers during the design of chemical plants. Within the design environment, a knowledge representation has been proposed to maintain and use a history of the design process. It consists of five types of closely interrelated objects: projects, metaschema, schema, units, and items of equipment. The interface was designed to make those types of objects and their relations easily accessible for examination and manipulation. It is composed of three subsystems: the Top Window that acts as a system manager; the Scheme Hierarchy that displays the structure of the design history; and the Flowsheet Tool that provides a graphical representation of alternative designs. Objects shown by the interface are active in the sense that they are associated to a set of behaviours as responses to mouse events (e.g. moving, displaying a menu, generating a browsing window). The interface is fully integrated with the underlying knowledge representation system, and allows flexible navigation through the various parts of the design structure. It was implemented using the object-oriented paradigm, and its open architecture eases the access and integration to other applications. >


It is well known that packet loss is an indication of network congestion. Thus, numerous applications including adaptive control in VoIP detects packet loss and responds to reduce the congestion. However, detecting packet loss provides very limited information about the state of the network. In this paper, we attempt to use observations of the delay and loss correlation to characterize congestive packet loss. Specifically, we propose a scheme called limited-bottleneck aware control that attempts to distinguish between packet loss due to a limited bandwidth bottleneck and packet loss that is more random-like due to a high level of statistical multiplexing. Such a distinction would allow the adaptive control to be more intelligent to respond to congestive packet loss in order to optimize the performance.


In September 2002, chronic wasting disease (CWD), a prion disorder of captive and wild cervids, was diagnosed in a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from a captive farm in Wisconsin. The facility was subsequently quarantined, and in January 2006 the remaining 76 deer were depopulated. Sixty animals (79%) were found to be positive by immunohistochemical staining for the abnormal prion protein (PrPCWD)in at least one tissue; the prevalence of positive staining was high even in young deer. Although none of the deer displayed clinical signs suggestive of CWD at depopulation, 49 deer had considerable accumulation of the abnormal prion in the medulla at the level of the obex. Extraneural accumulation of the abnormal protein was observed in 59 deer, with accumulation in the retropharyngeal lymph node in 58of 59 (98%), in the tonsil in 56 of 59 (95%), and in the rectal mucosal lymphoid tissue in 48 of 58 (83%). The retina was positive in 4 deer, all with marked accumulation of prion in the obex. One deer was considered positive for PrPCWD in the brain but not in the extraneural tissue, a novel observation in white-tailed deer. The infection rate in captive deer was 20-fold higher than in wild deer. Although weakly related to infection rates in extraneural tissues, prion genotype was strongly linked to progression of prion accumulation in the obex. Antemortem testing by biopsy of rectoanal mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (or other peripheral lymphoid tissue) may be a useful adjunct to tonsil biopsy for surveillance in captive herds at risk for CWD infection.


A new cryptographic scheme proposed for securing color image based on visual cryptography scheme. A color image to be protected and a binary image used as key to encrypt and decrypt are taken as input. A secret color image which needs to be communicated is decomposed into three monochromatic images based on YCbCr color space. Then these monochromatic images are converted into binary image, and finally the obtained binary images are encrypted using binary key image, called as share-1 to obtain binary cipher images. To encrypt Exclusive OR operation is done between binary key image and three half-tones of secret color image separately. These binary images are combined to obtain share-2. In decryption the shares are decrypted, then the recovered binary images are inverse half-toned and combined to get secret color image. This scheme is more efficient for communicating natural images across diffident channel.


Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a wireless network technology used for transmitting data over short distances. BLE maintains a data transmission range comparable to the regular Bluetooth transmission, but consumes less energy and cost. iBeacon technology refers to BLE mobile devices, which allow mobile applications to receive signals from iBeacons in both indoor and outdoor environments. It is commonly used nowadays for positioning, location services, navigation and marketing, for the sustainable development of smart cities. The applications, however, can be further enhanced for use in many disciplines, such as education, health sector, and exhibitions for disseminating information. This study performed a set of robustness and performance tests on BLE-based iBeacons in the teaching and learning environments to evaluate the performance of iBeacon signals for positioning. During robustness testing, positioning accuracy, signal availability and stability were assessed under different environmental conditions, and the findings suggested pedestrian traffic blocking the line of sight between iBeacon and receiver, causing the most signal attenuations and variation in RSSI. In performance testing, a series of tests was conducted to evaluate the deployment of the iBeacons for positioning; leading to recommendations of iBeacon deployment location, density, transmission interval, fingerprint space interval and collection time in physical learning spaces for sustainable eLearning environments.


In general, there are two methods of costing described as 'top down[4]' and 'bottom-up[5]' method, each having its advantages and disadvantages that are outside the context of this article. In order to improve comparison of costing data from different Intensive Care Units (ICU) in United Kingdom (UK), a working group identiÞ ed six 'cost blocks' i.e. costs of staff, clinical support services, consumables, estates, non-clinical support services and capital equipment.[6] Subsequently it was adapted for the development of IPOC (The International Programme for resource use in Critical care).[7] The three UK cost blocks i.e. staff; support services and consumables were used along with an additional block for major capital equipment. The addition of a major capital equipment block was to allow understanding of the differences in resource use between countries. The costs were converted to international dollars, using the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) exchange rates developed by the World Health Organization. This allowed, for the Þ rst time, the comparison of ICU costs from one country to another using a common reference point. The cost of critical care is widely recognized as being both expensive and increasing.[1] It remains a challenge to accurately assess the cost of intensive care due to lack of standardized methodology. There is also considerable heterogeneity between countries and even within the country in allocation of resources and distribution of critical care services[2] and cost of personnel and price of drugs. The indivisibility and intangibility of several health care outcomes is also a concern, particularly while evaluating cost effectiveness. More importantly, when it comes to health care needs, the emotions and ethics of the society is often compelling and most are willing to accept the cost even in situations where effectiveness is not clearly established. The objective of this article is to review these issues and develop a framework through which cost of Intensive care in India can be analyzed.


Twitter is a platform where people can coalesce
around a common interest, signaled by a hashtag, and
form a community of practice. As with all online
initiatives, questions remain about what motivates
people to follow and contribute to communities, and
why they participate in varying degrees. This paper
explores social motivations for participation in the
Twitter-based community of practice, #hcsmca
(Healthcare Social Media Canada), formed in 2010 to
discuss issues in healthcare within a Canadian context.
Analysis of 24 semi-structured interviews identified
three important social motivations: tapping into a
social network of people with a common interest,
developing personal and professional relationships,
and the community ethos. Portraits of participation
based on three facets of participation, length of time as
a community member, depth of engagement in the
community, and frequency of participation, were
developed to describe community members'
motivations at varying levels of participation.


We derive in this paper the dynamic impedance matrices associated with some paraxial boundary conditions for wave motions in unbounded homogenous elastic media and use them to establish the existence of directions of propagation of waves for which the boundaries supply rather than dissipate energy. Also, we explore the existence of solutions of exponential growth and discuss conditions under which they can arise. These considerations may be used to provide a physical interpretation to the paraxial boundaries and to understand possible sources of instability that can develop in time-domain implementations of these schemes with finite differences.


We present a way to deal with dispersion-dominated "shock-type" transition in the absence of completely integrable structure for the systems that one may characterize as strictly hyperbolic regularized by a small amount of dispersion. The analysis is performed by assuming that, the dispersive shock transition between two different constant states can be modelled by an expansion fan solution of the associated modulation (Whitham) system for the short-wavelength nonlinear oscillations in the transition region (the so-called Gurevich – Pitaevskii problem). We consider as single-wave so bi-directional systems. The main mathematical assumption is that of hyperbolicity of the Whitham system for the solutions of our interest. By using general properties of the Whitham averaging for a certain class of nonlinear dispersive systems and specific features of the Cauchy data prescription on characteristics we derive a set of transition conditions for the dispersive shock, actually by-passing full integration of the modulation equations. Along with model KdV and mKdV examples, we consider a non-integrable system describing fully nonlinear ion-acoustic waves in collisionless plasma. In all cases our transition conditions are in complete agreement with previous analytical and numerical results. Modern theory of dispersive shocks is based on the analysis of the Whitham averaged equations describing modulations of nonlinear short-wavelength oscillations in the transition region between two smooth regimes. If the wave dynamics is governed by one of the completely integrable equations, exact solutions in terms of the Riemann invariants are also available for the corresponding Whitham system providing full asymptotic description of such a transition. For nonintegrable systems describing many physically important cases of nonlinear dispersive wave propagation such modulation solutions are not readily (if at all) available. In this paper we show that, by using some general properties of the Whitham equations connected with their "averaged" origin one is able to obtain a set of transition conditions representing the "dispersive" analog of the


Macromolecular structure determination by electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) is limited by the alignment of noisy images of individual particles. Because smaller particles have weaker signals, alignment errors impose size limitations on its applicability. Here, we explore how image alignment is improved by the application of deep-learning to exploit prior knowledge about biological macromolecular structures that would otherwise be difficult to express mathematically. We train a denoising convolutional neural network on pairs of half-set reconstructions from the electron microscopy data bank (EMDB) and use this denoiser as an alternative to a commonly used smoothness prior. We demonstrate that this approach, which we call Blush regularisation, yields better reconstructions than existing algorithms, in particular for data with low signal-to-noise ratios. The reconstruction of a protein-nucleic acid complex with a molecular weight of 40 kDa, which was previously intractable, illustrates that regularisation through denoising will expand the applicability of cryo-EM structure determination for a wide range of biological macromolecules.


A simple, precise and rapid RP-HPLC method was developed for the determination of racecadotril in a pharmaceutical formulation using gemfibrozil as internal standard. Ratio of the peak area of analyte to internal standard was used for quantification. The chromatographic separation was carried out by using a Reverse Phase C18 column (BDS-Hypersil). The mobile phase consisting of a mixture of 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 3.5) and acetonitrile in the ratio of (40:60) with detection at 230 nm at a flow rate of 1 ml/min was employed. The method was statistically validated for linearity, accuracy and precision. The elution time was 6.9 min for racecadotril and 9.8 min for gemfibrozil. The simplicity and accuracy of the proposed method ensures its use in routine quality control analysis of pharmaceutical formulations.


In this paper we describe how the art of weaving can be applied to fiber optics in order to produce precisely controlled reproducible image guides and image dissectors. As examples of the types of device for which woven fiber optics are applicable, we describe a 3:1 interleaver for use with a cathode-ray tube to produce color images, and a high speed alpha numeric output device. The techniques of weaving fiber optics are discussed in sufficient detail in order to allow for further work. Although, in principle, one might be able to weave glass optical fibers, all the work described here made use of plastic optical fibers 0.25 mm in diameter.


Anticancer chemotherapy with cisplatin (CDD) as the main drug (combined with adriamycin (ADM) and cyclophosphamide (CPM), PAC therapy) was performed on patients with ovarian cancer. Urinastatin (US) was concurrently administered to assess its effectiveness in preventing CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity. Twenty-two patients with gynecological malignant tumor were treated with PAC therapy, and of these, twelve concurrently received US. The ten who did not receive US served as the control. As a rule, one course of PAC therapy consisted of 50mg/m2 CDDP, 50mg/m2 ADM and 500mg/m2 CPM. Before the administration of CDDP, US 100,000 units was administered by I.V. drip infusion and after the administration, US 400,000 units was again administered by I.V. drip infusion at a speed of 100,000 to 200,000 units/hour. A total of approximately 3,500ml of fluids was administered I.V.. Each course of PAC therapy took 7 to 14 hours to complete. The control group underwent PAC therapy in a regimen not including US. As indexes of nephrotoxicity, serum levels of BUN, creatinine (Cr), and creatinine clearance (Ccr), and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP), and arylamidase (AA) activity in the urine was determined before treatment and at days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 21 after the initiation of PAC therapy. Changes in serum BUN, Cr, and Ccr levels after CDDP administration in the group with and the group without concurrent US were similar. Urinary gamma-GTP, AA, and NAG activity remained unchanged after CDDP administration in the group with concurrent US. In contrast, in the group without US, this urinary enzyme activity was transiently increased after CDDP administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


A new approach is proposed for an electromagnetic field geometrisation. We show that interacting Maxwell and Dirac fields can be considered as a single connected space-time 4-manifold. The Dirac spinors appear wihtin such approach as basic fanctions for the manifold fundamental group representation and electric and magnertic fields appear as components of a curvature tensor of the manifold covering space.


Is the Charlottenthal fan (marginal zone of the Pomeranian phase, NE Germany) an end moraine? The maximum ice-sheet extent of a glaciation or glacial phase is in most cases indicated by the position of end moraines. In some cases, however, the maximum extent of the ice sheet is indicated by a fan which represents the transitional zone between the end moraine and the proximal outwash plain (sandur). Such a fan from the Pomeranian phase near Charlottenthal in NE Germany has been investigated for its lithofacies, and the depositional mechanisms of the two sedimentary environments (end moraine and outwash plain) are reconstructed. The Charlottenthal profle is not characteristic in a sedimentological sense of a typical marginal end moraine or a sandur. The deposits represent subaerial debris flows, sheet floods and channelized currents, which are typically processes for transitional fan. Gravel samples from the till complex show typical Weichselian till compositions. These till compositions indicate a general transport direction from North to South, which is consistent with the known movement of the ice sheet during the Pomeranian phase of the Weichselian.


Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) has been used in folk medicine and as a treatment for diseases and cancer. The objective of this study was to enhance the acetic acid production and the antioxidant activities (AOA) of Roselle vinegar using mixed culture fermentation. The Roselle wine was produced in a batch reactor. The kinetic parameters obtained for wine fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae were: maximum ethanol production = 63.47 g.L-1, ethanol production rate = 2.25 g.L-1. hr-1, product (ethanol) yield coefficient = 0.45 and cell mass yield coefficient = 1.53. Using a mixed culture of Acetobacter aceti and Acetobacter cervisiae, the wine vinegar process optimization ranges for initial concentrations of ethanol and acetic acid as independent variables were 63.47 and 69.21 g.L-1, respectively. Roselle was processed into juice fermentation and vinegars. The total phenolics, total anthocyanins, and antiradical activity (1-1 diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical-scavenging (DPPH) method) were determined. Acetification increased the total anthocyanin content, total polyphenols and antioxidant activities. Correlations indicated that anthocyanins made greater significant contributions than did phenolics to the antioxidant activities of the products. The antiradical activity of wine from Roselle juice was high with an effective concentration which inhibited the DPPH activity by 50% (EC50) of 14.95 mg.L-1. The antioxidant activity of the vinegar product was high with an EC50 of 0.72 mg.L-1. The results indicated that fermentation is a better method for obtaining higher antioxidant activity of Roselle products. Furthermore, acetification significantly increased the anthocyanins and antioxidant activities.


The transverse motion of a saw-wire affects the cutting surface geometry in wire-saw slicing. To evaluate the magnitude of the wire transverse motion under no-slurry and no-workpiece conditions, which should be minimized before starting the slicing process, a high accuracy, noncontact device has been developed. The measuring head of the device is composed of a laser diode module and a dual-element photodiode between which a saw-wire is placed for measurement. This paper elucidates the appropriate positional configurations of the photosensitive surface of the dual-element photodiode and the laser beam focal point with respect to the 160 μm diameter wire in the laser beam direction. Furthermore, a measurement experiment is carried out on a wire-saw machine under no-slurry and no-workpiece conditions. The paper reports and discusses the critical issues, such as measurement sensitivity, linearity, and accuracy.


Abstract Four new species of Desmopachria Babington are described from Bolivia: D. amyae Miller, new species, D. challeti Miller, new species, D. signatoides Miller, new species, and D. volatidisca Miller, new species. The female genitalia of members of the genus are described and illustrated in detail for the first time. A discussion of the taxonomy and characters historically used for the classification of subgenera and species groups is presented. It is concluded that recognition of subgenera in the genus, despite the large size of the group and existence of good characters for grouping some species, is not desirable since some groups are weakly supported by character evidence and/or are probably paraphyletic. Use of all previous subgenus names is rejected. The species are organized into informal groups, most of which correspond with historically used subgenera. Several species are left ungrouped.


We studied whether a single-step dietary viscosity assay could be used to evaluate the efficacy of an enzyme when added to a poultry diet. The results demonstrated a linear relationship between the log of the dietary viscosity change in vitro, as determined with the new assay and the log of the enzyme activity (xylanase) added to a rye-based diet. The sensitivity of the dietary viscosity assay was high, as little as 0.19 U of xylanase per gram of diet could be detected. In addition, there was a high correlation (r > or = 0.97; P < 0.005) between chick performance and the log of the amount of enzyme added to the diet or the log of its viscosity change in rye-based diets that contained different amounts of xylanase, as determined by the in vitro dietary viscosity assay. Further, the dose response data from the dietary viscosity assay, when incorporated into a log-linear model that we developed, was able to distinguish between the efficacy of two enzymes with regards to their ability to hydrolyze the viscosity factor in rye grain. Therefore, it was possible to accurately evaluate the efficacy of enzyme preparations in a rye diet and to predict chick performance using the new assay in conjunction with a model equation.


: Modernism as a trend in architecture is rarely associated with the colonial policy of the European powers. Nevertheless it was one of the tools of the "Western" expansion in Africa, simultaneously a constructive and a destructive force. It was a reflection of the changes in the modern world and at the same time it led to an unavoidable break with the local identity and tradition. "The Year of Africa" (1960), when as many as 17 states proclaimed independence, paradoxically did not bring any radical changes in architectonic solutions. Public facilities were still constructed according to "Western" modernist convention. Political dependence of the new countries on their respective "mother states" has been to a significant degree reduced and some-times even broken. At the same time their relations on the level of architecture have remained almost unchanged, thereby pushing the "periphery" to the role of a "province". Critical analysis of the effects of colonialism merges post-colonialism with neo-colonialism, understood as control exercised by the metropolis over the decolonised peripheries.


Milk (Similac), sucrose (12% wt/vol), or water were delivered to crying normal newborns once per minute for 5 minutes, in a volume of 0.1 mL/delivery. Milk and sucrose markedly reduced infant crying, and this calm persisted during the 3 minutes after substance delivery. Infants who received water were only marginally quieted, and this calm did not persist. Despite quieting agitated infants, milk did not cause them to bring their hands to their mouths during the period of milk treatment, whereas infants who received sucrose did bring their hands to their mouths. These data demonstrate that milk effectively quiets human newborns, that its quieting effects endure, and that the mechanisms that quiet and that underlie hand-in-mouth engagement are separable and independent.


TM/Landsat 5 images from four different dates have been converted to surface Bidirectional Reflectance Factors (BRF surface) through two alternatives. The first one has included the 6S atmospheric correction code and the second one has been based on the radiometric normalization of the TM/Landsat 5 images. Radiometric data from a pasture during the Landsat 5 flight over the study area (one specific date) were compared to the BRF surface determined from the two conversion alternatives. Results have indicated that the spectral characterizations of different targets, independent from the conversion alternative, would be consistent, mainly for targets no so dark as water, for instance. The spectral characterization carried out by BRF surface values calculated by the 6S code presented higher consistency. The statistical comparison between the BRF surface from the field and those determined by the two alternatives has indicated higher similarity between BRF surface from the pasture and those originated from the 6S code application.


The main purpose of this paper is to develop a method for sequential gas and electricity networks expansion planning problem. A leader-follower approach performs the expansion planning of the joint gas and electricity networks. Electric system operator under adequacy incentive decides about investment in capacity addition to the generation and transmission levels while considers the limitations on fuel consumption. On the other hand gas operator decides about investment in gas pipelines expansions considering the demanded gas by the electricity network. In this planning model for a joint gas-electricity network, supply and demand are matched together while adequacy of fuel for gas consuming units is also guaranteed. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method Khorasan province of Iran is considered as a case study which has a high penetration level of gas-fired power plants (GFPP). Results are compared with the integrated gas-electricity networks expansion planning method.


A major challenge to the structural dynamicist is to validate mathematical models of large space structures which cannot be ground tested because of its size and/or flexibility. The paper presents a Multiple Boundary Condition Test (MBCT) approach which allows a systematic validation of the mathematical model by performing a number of ground tests on a large structure with variable boundary conditions. A numerical simulation is presented which illustrates the validity of the MBCT including some of the potential limitations.


Fever, skin rash, headache, and thrombocytopenia are considered hallmarks of dengue infection. However, these symptoms are frequently observed in infectious and non‐infectious complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients and oncohematological patients. Thus, laboratory confirmation of dengue is relevant for prompt intervention and proper management of dengue in endemic and non‐endemic regions. Because no prospective study of dengue has been conducted in these populations, the actual morbidity and mortality of dengue is unknown. In the present series, we describe five cases of dengue in patients living in endemic areas, emphasizing the prolonged course of the disease and the occurrence of prolonged viremia.


Objectives: To review and compare current Health Technology Assessment (HTA) activities for medical devices (MDs) across European HTA institutions. Methods: A comprehensive approach was adopted to identify institutions involved in HTA in European countries. We systematically searched institutional Web sites and other online sources by using a structured tool to extract information on the role and link to decision making, structure, scope, process, methodological approach, and available HTA reports for each included institution. Results: Information was obtained from eighty-four institutions, forty-seven of which were analyzed. Fifty-four methodological documents from twenty-three agencies in eighteen countries were identified. Only five agencies had separate documents for the assessment of MDs. A few agencies made separate provisions for the assessment of MDs in their general methods. The amount of publicly available HTA reports on MDs varied by device category and agency remit. Conclusions: Despite growing consensus on their importance and international initiatives, such as the EUnetHTA Core Model®, specific tools for the assessment of MDs are rarely developed and implemented at the national level. Separate additional signposts incorporated in existing general methods guides may be sufficient for the evaluation of MDs.


The aim of this study was to locate SSTR5 polymorphisms and evaluate their association with growth traits in Hulun Buir sheep. The study followed up 884 Hulun Buir sheep from birth to 16 months of age, which were born in the same pasture and the same year, and a consistent grazing management strategy was maintained. The birth weight (BRW) was recorded at birth, and body weight (BW), body height (BH), body length (BL), chest circumference (ChC), chest depth (ChD), chest width (ChW), hip width (HW), and cannon circumference (CaC) were measured at 4 and 9 months of age. BW, BH, BL, ChD, HW, and CaC were also recorded at 16 months of age. Based on the growth traits, 233 sheep were selected as experimental animals. Sanger sequencing was performed, and seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. Association analyses of the SNPs and the growth traits were then conducted. Seven SNPs of the SSTR5 exhibited moderate polymorphism (0.25<PIC<0.5) and were consistent with the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. SNP7 (T989C, rs601836309) caused a change in amino acid sequences, while others did not cause any change. The genotypes of SNP1 (C186T, s400914340) were significantly associated with BW, ChW, and ChC at 4 months of age and with HW at 9 months of age (p<0.05). These genotypes also showed extremely significant association with CaC at 4 months of age (p<0.01). The genotypes of SNP7 exhibited a significant association with ChW and CaC at 4 and 9 months of age, respectively. Moreover, the genotypes of SNP3 (T384C, rs413380618)) and SNP4 (T537C, rs605867745) were significantly associated with CaC at 9 months of age (p<0.05). Linkage disequilibrium was observed among the seven SNPs with five haplotypes. However, these haplotypes were not associated with growth traits at different ages. In conclusion, SNP1, SNP3, SNP4, and SNP7 may serve as molecular markers for the growth traits of Hulun Buir sheep.


Dielectric coatings have been in use for a very long time, yet today they represent a steadily growing world-wide industry. A wide range of materials, and applications from the near ultraviolet into the infrared are in use, or under development. This paper is a brief survey, including references to the literature, and a discussion of materials diagnostics. Discussed is the microstructure, optical constants and their relationship as determined especially by optical measurements. This paper emphasizes the materials science aspects rather than applications.


The late teens is an important transitional period as adolescents move into new social worlds which support or challenge their smoking. This paper draws on research with 99 Scottish 16- to 19-year olds which explored their understanding of their smoking and attitudes towards quitting and cessation support. The study involved qualitative interviews mostly with friendship pairs. Interviewees also completed a brief smoking questionnaire. Most regarded themselves as smokers but few thought they were addicted. Many were interested in quitting but this was not a priority. Perceived barriers to quitting related primarily to habitual and social aspects of dependence including friends' smoking, the smoking culture at work or college, stress and boredom. Few were interested in nicotine replacement therapy or cessation services, which they felt belonged to the world of older addicted smokers. The most effective quitting strategy was thought to be will-power. Traditional cessation services are therefore in their current form unlikely to appeal to older adolescents. Services aimed at this age group need to be grounded in their understandings of smoking and the social factors which support smoking. Young smokers should also be helped to understand how support may increase quitting success and how encourage quitting before smoking becomes entrenched in their daily routines.


Alcohol may be involved in 40–50% of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). In Finland, the cutting of alcohol taxes by one third in 2004 resulted in a marked increase in per capita alcohol consumption. We investigated the consequences of increased alcohol consumption on the incidence of moderate‐to‐severe traumatic brain injury among a defined population.


We report the synthesis and polymerization of a novel thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-diketopyrrolopyrrole-based monomer. Copolymerization with thiophene afforded a polymer with a maximum hole mobility of 1.95 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), which is the highest mobility from a polymer-based OFET reported to date. Bulk-heterojunction solar cells comprising this polymer and PC(71)BM gave a power conversion efficiency of 5.4%.

https://dipot.ulb.ac.be/dspace/bitstream/2013/93463/1/89. J  Am  Chem  Soc  2011 133 3272-3275.pdf


There is strong epidemiological association between HIV infection and syphilis. Both
disease are predominantly sexually transmitted and syphilis patients are at increased risk for
HIV infection.
In HIV infected persons, it has been reported that syphilis shows atypical clinical and
serological courses, unreliable response to therapy and premature development of
neurosyphilis.
Its is well documented that prevalence of STD favours transmission of HIV in the
community and control of STD has brought down the transmission of HIV to 42% according to
Mwanza study1.
This study is designed to compare the epidemiological, clinical presentation, serological
variation of syphilis and other associated STDs in presence of HIV infection and in HIV
negative patients in our setting.
AIMS OF THE STUDY :
1. To study Age and Sex distribution in HIV positive patients.
2. To study Risk factors involved in transmission of syphilis in HIV positives.
3. To study the clinical presentation of syphilis in HIV individuals
4. To assess VDRL titre in HIV (+) and HIV (-) syphilitic patients
5. To study other STD's occuring along with syphilis in HIV positive and Negatives.
CONCLUSION
This study of male and female syphilitics attending STD clinic clearly points to certain
changes in the era of HIV / AIDs. In both study groups, males are commonly affected and 90%
of males and females belongs to sexually active age group (15 - 40 years). 40% of both HIV
(+) and (-) hailed from rural areas indicating infection increasing in rural population also. 70%
of males and 90% of females in both study group are married. But in HIV (+) females, high %
are either widowed (22%) or seperated from husband (17%). 70% of females denies H/o sexual
act indicating they acquire infection from their partners. Common mode of sexual act in both
study group was heterosexual (70%). HIV / AIDs still has high incidence in high risk groups
like Truck drivers (36.5%) mason (18%), Hotel Servant (14%) and other lower socio economic
groups. So HIV control programme has to focus more on these people since they had the
potentiality to spread the infection into General population. Factors like promiscuity (both
PMC and EMC) 50%. Past H/o Genital ulcer disease (45%) in males and non usage of
condoms are important factors responsible for acquisition of syphilis and HIV.
Commonly associated STDs are vulvovaginal - candidiasis (22%), Bacterial vaginosis
(16.5%), Herpes genitalis (11%) in HIV (+) females compared to Trichomonisis (25%) in HIV
(-) females. Similarly in HIV (+) males, Genital wart (18%), Herpes Genitalis (13.5%) are the
common associated STD's.
Non venereal conditions like oral candidiasis (18%) Dermatophytosis (12.5%), Scabies
(5%), oral hairy leukoplakia (5%) and many constitutional symptoms like fever, weight loss,
cough, diarrhoea are commonly associated with HIV infection.
In this study Early syphilis was more prevalent in HIV (-) persons (82.5%) than HIV (+)
(72.5%). But Late latent syphilis seems to be common in HIV (+) 25% than HIV (-) 12.5%.
Some unusual and atypical courses of syphilis were observed in HIV positive patients. One
patient (2.5%) with neurosyphilis in HIV negative group has been reported.
High non treponemal (VDRL) titres were seen among HIV positive than among HIV
negative syphilitics. This was particularly evident in patients with early syphilis. Delayed
serological response to standard therapy for syphilis were also observed in HIV positive
persons.
Though penicillin is an useful drug even in the presence of HIV infection delayed
healing of lesions occurs in some. Hence, treatment efficacy should be monitored carefully and
regular follow up to rule out neurosyphilis.


We proposed an integrated framework based on population genetics, ecological modeling and machine learning techniques for screening genomes for signatures of local adaptation. We implemented fast algorithms using a hierarchical Bayesian mixed model based on a variant of principal component analysis in which residual population structure is introduced via unobserved factors. These algorithms can detect correlations between environmental and genetic variation at the same time as they infer the background levels of population structure. A description of the method is available in our paper:


The technique of fluorescent two-dimensional (2D) difference gel electrophoresis for differential protein expression analysis has been evaluated using a model breast cancer cell system of ErbB-2 overexpression. Labeling of paired cell lysate samples with N-hydroxy succinimidyl ester-derivatives of fluorescent Cy3 and Cy5 dyes for separation on the same 2D gel enabled quantitative, sensitive, and reproducible differential expression analysis of the cell lines. SyproRuby staining was shown to be a highly sensitive and 2D difference gel electrophoresis-compatible method for post-electrophoretic visualization of proteins, which could then be picked and identified by matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization mass spectroscopy. Indeed, from these experiments, we have identified multiple proteins that are likely to be involved in ErbB-2-mediated transformation. A triple dye labeling methodology was used to identify proteins differentially expressed in the cell system over a time course of growth factor stimulation. A Cy2-labeled pool of samples was used as a standard with all Cy3- and Cy5-labeled sample pairs to facilitate cross-gel quantitative analysis. DeCyder (Amersham Biosciences, Inc.) software was used to distinguish clear statistical differences in protein expression over time and between the cell lines.


This study examined the effects of Korean celebrity advertising models on the advertising effectiveness for Chinese brands by comparing apparel products with electronic products. In addition, this study explored the effects of gender and monthly expenses on the evaluation of Korean celebrity advertising models. This study targeted 388 Chinese university students in China. The results show that Korean advertising models consist of five attributes (familiarity, visibility, credibility, similarity, and attractiveness) and that advertising effectiveness consists of three factors (attitude toward the advertisement, attitude toward the brand, and purchase intention). The impact of these five advertising model attributes on advertising effectiveness differ for apparel and electronic products. The results also indicate gender and expense differences in the evaluation of Korean celebrity models. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of the results along with potential limitations and future research directions.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the outcome of toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in eyes with previous laser in situ keratomileusis/photorefractive keratectomy (LASIK/PRK).

SETTING
Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.

DESIGN
Retrospective case series.

METHODS
Consecutive cases that had previous myopic or hyperopic LASIK/PRK and had undergone cataract surgery with toric IOL implantation were retrospectively reviewed. Included were eyes that had (1) preoperative ocular biometry measurements with the Lenstar, (2) no intraoperative or postoperative complications, and (3) available postoperative manifest refraction at ≥3 weeks with corrected distance visual acuity of 20/30 or better. Vector analysis was used to assess the preoperative corneal and postoperative refractive astigmatism.

RESULTS
In 56 eyes with previous myopic LASIK/PRK and 19 eyes with previous hyperopic LASIK/PRK, respectively, the mean magnitudes of corneal astigmatism were 1.34 ± 0.62 diopters (D) and 1.66 ± 0.80 D, 5% and 0% of eyes had anterior corneal astigmatism ≤0.50 D, and the centroid values were 0.31 D at 19 degrees ± 1.45 D and 0.74 D at 92 degrees ± 1.72 D preoperatively. Postoperatively, the mean magnitudes of refractive astigmatism were 0.36 ± 0.31 D and 0.34 ± 0.34 D, 80% and 84% of eyes had refractive astigmatism of ≤0.50 D, and the centroid values were 0.12 D at 152 degrees ± 0.46 D and 0.05 D at 172 degrees ± 0.48 D (all P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS
Toric IOLs were effective to correct preexisting corneal astigmatism in eyes with previous excimer laser corneal refractive surgery.


4755 Capecitabine (N4-pentyloxycarbonyl-5'-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine, Xeloda®) and 2-ME2 (2-Methoxyestradiol, Panzem®) are being evaluated for the treatment of many cancers. Capecitabine is a new fluolopyrimidine carvamate, which is converted to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) selectively in tumors through the intermediate metabolite and shows potent antitumor effects on a variety of malignant tumors such as breast and colon cancers. The drug is currently under intensive clinical investigation. 2-ME2 is an endogenous estradiol metabolite that disrupts microtuble function, suppresses murine tumors, and inhibits angiogenesis. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether the combination of Capecitabine and 2-ME2 is effective in the treatment of human colon cancer and whether this combination enhances the effect of ionizing radiation. The study was performed using a human colon cancer cell line, DLD-1. The cells were implanted into the leg of nude mice to generate tumor xenografts. When tumor volume reached 80-100 mm3, the mice were divided into 8 treatment groups: vehicle control treated, treated with a single dose of 5 Gy local tumor irradiation, 100 mg/kg Capecitabine or 50 mg/kg 2-ME2 orally once daily for 21 consecutive days, and combination treatments: Capcitabine and radiation, 2-ME2 and radiation, Capcitabine and 2-ME2 or Capcitabine, 2-ME2 and radiation . When radiation treatment- was combined, administration of Capecitabine and/or 2-ME2 began 1 hour before tumor irradiation. Tumor growth was measured every 2 to 3 days, and the effects of the treatments were expressed by tumor growth delay. The results showed that the combined treatment with Capecitabine and 2-ME2 plus tumor irradiation 5Gy was highly effective in delaying tumor growth compared to the drug only, or drug plus irradiation. Thus, the combined Capecitabine, 2-ME2 plus radiation treatment showed activity on the DLD-1 colon cancer xenografts. Current experiments explore cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between Capecitabine, 2-ME2 and radiation.


Background: Intestinal defined as obstruction in forward propulsion of the contents as obstruction in the intestine either due to mechanical or neurological cause. Aim of the present study was to know the various causes of intestinal obstruction and also to analyse the symptomatology of intestinal obstruction. Subjects and Methods: The present study was under taken with the aim to evaluate the various causes and the mode of presentation. A total of 60 cases of the intestinal obstruction attending Department of Surgery, tertiary care institute of Gujarat for the period of two years were included in the study. All the patients were assessed clinically in details after admission. All the pathological and biochemical investigations were carried out in all the patients. Results: The mean age was found to be 43 years. The intestinal obstruction was found to be more common in male as compared to female. More number of cases was of small bowl obstruction as compared to large bowel obstruction. Majority of the patients had the symptoms of tenderness. It was found in 93% of the cases. Next was the pain present in the abdomen found in 83%, followed by vomiting present in 80% of the cases. Conclusion: The incidence of intestinal obstruction is more common in males compared to females. Patients with a clinical picture of obstruction of the bowel demand vigorous correction of fluid and electrolyte, which can be severe, and life threatening. Intestinal obstruction is more common in the age group of 30-60 years. Large bowel obstruction is more common in patients above 40 years than in younger group. Intestinal obstruction was also found more common in young children.


To test sensitivity and specificity, one requires a dataset that includes positives and negatives. I do not view "minor interactions" as a complete set of negatives, because a complete set of negatives should include a statistically valid number of randomly chosen drug sets without interactions. Minor interactions do not meet my criteria for "negatives" because, to me, a minor interaction is still an interaction that may sometimes be clinically significant. A true negative should meet the test of "never clinically significant". Some reported minor interactions would meet that test and some would not. I believe sensitivity and specificity data should be reported for both major and minor interaction alerts. I also believe there should be some alignment of definitions between "drug interaction" research and "adverse drug event" research. Bates and colleagues talked about "adverse drug events" and "preventable adverse drug events" in 1995. Of most clinical interest are the preventable adverse drug events, which could be minimised by the use of appropriate decision support. Certainly, there is a need for independent assessment of the quality of electronic prescribing decision support systems. A robust assessment methodology is required to permit potential government regulation of such resources, which are of national and community importance.


Supercapacitors will serve as essential components of distributed energy storage networks and structural power devices in many emerging technologies. Current supercapacitors are engineered, however, using 'sandwich' architecture that undermines their physical integrity under stress and at high temperatures due to delamination. It also limits the successful integration of charge storage and load-bearing functions needed to increase the net stored charge. Bridging the requirement of high mechanical and thermal integrity of supercapacitors as structural energy storage elements is still challenging. Addressing these long-standing problems, we demonstrate here a process of developing structural monolithic supercapacitors (MSCs) where all the components are interdigitated by strong nanofibers synthesized from polyaramid fiber (Kevlar® 49). The monolithic design is realized using a one-step stratified assembly of graphene-polyaramid nanofiber (PANF) and boron nitride-PANF nanocomposites acting as electrodes and separator, respectively. MSCs demonstrate an optimum combination of mechanical flexibility and robustness, distributing the stress at interfaces and preventing delamination. Also, combination of thermal stability with fast heat dissipation enables the MSCs to operate at high temperature (~100 °C). Hence, we envisage that MSCs could open prospects for their utilization as structural energy and power system.


Cow's milk allergy (CMA) and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) may manifest with similar symptoms in infants making the diagnosis challenging. While immediate reaction to cow's milk protein indicate CMA, regurgitation, vomiting, crying, fussiness, poor appetite, sleep disturbances have been reported in both CMA and GERD and in other conditions such as functional gastrointestinal disorders, eosinophilic esophagitis, anatomic abnormalities, metabolic and neurological diseases. Gastrointestinal manifestations of CMA are often non-IgE mediated and clinical response to cow's milk free diet is not a proof of immune system involvement. Neither for non-IgE CMA nor for GERD there is a specific symptom or diagnostic test. Oral food challenge, esophageal pH impedance and endoscopy are recommended investigations for a correct clinical classification but they are not always feasible in all infants. As a consequence of the diagnostic difficulty, both over- and under- diagnosis of CMA or GERD may occur. Quite frequently acid inhibitors are empirically started. The aim of this review is to critically update the current knowledge of both conditions during infancy. A practical stepwise approach is proposed to help health care providers to manage infants presenting with persistent regurgitation, vomiting, crying or distress and to solve the clinical dilemma between GERD or CMA.


A single cohort time delay differential equation model of Lepeophtheirus salmonis population dynamics was developed. The model was parameterised using data from tank infection trials, which followed a single experimental cohort of post-settlement lice through all the developmental stages. This simple mathematical model successfully predicted the timing and numbers of parasites present on the host. However, the death rates of parasitic louse stages within the tank trials were found to be highly variable despite the simplified conditions prevailing within such a system. Embryonic development, free-living nauplius stages and infection parameters were added to this model to allow the complete parasite life-cycle to be described. In addition simulations were carried out to determine the effect upon short-term salmon louse population dynamics of employing a notional chemotherapeutant having an arbitrary instantaneous efficacy of 80%. These results were used to determine the optimal timing of treatment relative to initial lice counts. This was found to be different for male and female lice stages, reflecting their respective developmental rates.


The detection and analysis of visual field defects allows the practitioner to examine some functions of the central nervous system at the bedside. Cerebrovascular accidents and temporal lobe tumours can be diagnosed easily, as can pituitary lesions.


This invaluable resource demystifies the complex, rapidly changing, and sometimes confusing world of digital print technologies. It describes the major digital printing processes used by photographers and artists over the past forty years, explaining and illustrating materials and their deterioration, methods of identification, and options for acquiring and preserving digital prints. A removable chart provides a ready reference for identifying specific materials. Anyone involved in identifying and preserving digital prints--from conservators, curators, archivists, and registrars to photographers, artists, and printing studios--will welcome this comprehensive, one-of-a-kind volume.


Introduction: "Essential Medicines List," was released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and contains medications including some antibiotics that are considered the most effective and secure ways to fulfil the best patient management. Despite the establishment of standard metrics by the WHO to govern pharmaceutical utilization, irrational prescription is common, particularly in developing countries.
Objective: To assess the antibiotics prescribing patterns at the Outpatient Department of Sirimawo Bandaranayake Specialized Children Hospital in Sri Lanka using WHO prescribing indicators.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 375 pediatric patients' prescription notes aged 1 to 14 years using a data extraction sheet from prescription notes and prescription registration books. The extraction details included the generic name of the drug, number of drugs recommended, presence of antibiotics and mode of administration.
Results: The majority of the encounters (52.8%, n=198) included male pediatric patients. The average number of medications administered per encounter was 3, with 6 medications being the highest. In the outpatient department, 46.9% (n=176) of the encounters contained antibiotics while none of the prescriptions contained injectable medications. The majority of the prescriptions (53.6%, n=201) contained drugs that were not from the essential medicines list while 50.1% (n=188) contained medications prescribed using the trade name.
Conclusion: In conclusion, polypharmacy, and antibiotics which were not from the essential medicines list were prominent among the prescription sheets issued to pediatric patients.


Jalabi is an extant historical phenomenon with strong socio-religious impacts in Yorubaland, south-western part of Nigeria. It is among the preparatory Dawah strategies devised by the Yoruba Ulama following the general mainstream Africa to condition the minds of the indigenous people for the acceptance of Islam. This strategy is reflected in certain socio-religious services rendered to the clients, which include, but not limited to, spiritual consultation and healing, such as petitionary Dua (prayer), divination through sand-cutting, rosary selection, charm-making, and an act of officiating at various religious functions. In view of its historicity, the framework of this research paper revolves around three stages identified to have been aligned with the evolution of Jalabi, viz. Dawah, which marked its initial stage, livelihood into which it had evolved over the course of time, and which, in turn, had predisposed it to the third stage, namely syncretism. Triangulation method will be adopted for qualitative data collection, such as interviews, personal observation, and classified manuscript collections, and will be interpretively and critically analyzed to enhance the veracity of the research findings. The orality of the Yoruba culture has greatly influenced the researcher's decision to seek data beyond the written words in order to give this long-standing phenomenon its due of study and to help understand the many dimensions it has assumed over time, as well as its both positive and adverse effects on the socio-religious live of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.


An isoluminant chromatic display is a color display in which the component colors have been so carefully equated in luminance that they stimulate only color-sensitive perceptual mechanisms and not luminance-sensitive mechanisms. The nature of the mechanism by which isoluminant chromatic motion is perceived is an important issue because color and motion processing historically have been associated with different neural pathways. Here we show that isoluminant chromatic motion (i) fails a pedestal test, (ii) has a temporal tuning function that declines to half-amplitude at 3-6 Hz, and (iii) is perceived equally well when the entire motion sequence is presented monocularly (entire motion sequence to one eye) versus interocularly (the frames of motion sequence alternate between eyes so that neither eye individually could perceive motion). These three characteristics indicate that chromatic motion is detected by the third-order motion system. Based on this theory, it was possible to take a moving isoluminant red-green grating and, by simply increasing the chromatic contrast of the green component, to generate the full gamut of motion percepts, from compelling smooth motion to motion standstill. The perception of motion standstill when the third-order mechanism is nullified indicates that there is no other motion computation available for purely chromatic motion. It follows that isoluminant chromatic motion is not computed by specialized chromatic motion mechanisms within a color pathway but by the third-order motion system at a brain level where binocular inputs of form, color, depth, and texture are simultaneously available and where selective attention can exert a major influence.


Adolescence is an expected time of turbulence, with most showing mood shifts. Key dilemmas for parents include whether any "depression" is "normal" or of concern, how to raise the possibility of any depressive disorder with their adolescent and, if assistance is required, how to access appropriate assessment. Dilemmas for professionals include judging whether they have the relevant expertise for assessing and managing, how to structure a diagnostic interview, how to "relate" to the adolescent, and awareness of diagnostic and management nuances, especially prescription of psychotropic medications.

While there have been several previous monographs and papers on this topic (e.g., 1-3), as well as meta-analytic reviews of treatment options (e.g., 4), this paper overviews our personal clinical approaches.


Author(s): Martinez, Ronald Alexander | Advisor(s): Cochran, Susan D | Abstract: In the summer of 2011, thousands of people unified and organized to create what is now known as the Occupy movement. To highlight the reckless financial practices that helped create a global economic crisis and a recession that has adversely affected the majority of Americans the movement's first protest took place on Wall Street in New York. Soon after, in cities across the country, people took to city halls and public spaces to join in the protest against economic and social inequalities. The social unrest displayed was an attempt by these protesters to influence government to the changing order of society. This study focuses on a smaller but vociferous and fervent branch of the Occupy movement, Occupy Oakland. The City of Oakland has drawn a substantial amount of attention because of the decisions of its Mayor on how to cope with the protesters and the strength used by law enforcement to clear the encampments. Data were collected using a survey instrument designed to capture people who identify with the Occupy Oakland movement. I aim to convey information about the people involved in the movement by analyzing descriptive statistics under the scope of social movement theories. Moreover, through logistic regression I explore whether ethnicity, employment, gender, education or party affiliation are key indicators for the alignment with the general ideology of this movement, which is to fight for greater social justice and economic equality.


This study was aimed at investigating the therapeutic effect of marein on db/db mice and its mechanism of action intervening in diabetic retinopathy. For in vivo experiment: 10 healthy db/m mice were used as the control group. Forty healthy db/db mice were randomly divided into the model, positive, ranibizumab and marein groups. There were 10 mice in each group. All mice were adaptively fed for one week. They were given the appropriate drugs by gavage. Tissue material was taken after 12 weeks. Haematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining was used to detect the pathological changes of retinal tissue. Cell apoptosis was analysed by TUNEL staining. The expression of retinal proteins was detected by tissue immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical staining. The mRNA level of VEGF was detected by RT-qPCR. In the in vitro experiments, cell viability was detected by CCK-8 reagent. The expression of related proteins was detected by western blot. We found that marein can effectively reduce triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and blood glucose concentration (BGC) in db/db mice (P < 0.05). The results showed that marein could effectively alleviate diabetic retinopathy, such as oedema, cell body shrinkage, abnormal nuclear morphology, etc., and ultimately enhance retinal function. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that after a period of intervention, marein regulates diabetic retinopathy by inhibiting the protein expressions of VEGF, PI3K, fibrin (FN) and spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), and upregulating the level of E-cadherin, an epithelial marker. Molecular docking results showed that marein could integrate with VEGFA, PI3K and SYK, and the resulting conjugate was more potent than the positive drug metformin. Among the above factors, the combination effect of SYK and marein was the most ideal. To conclude marein can improve glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice after a treatment period, so it has positive significance for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Marein can act on SYK, VEGF and PI3K/AKT factors and change the expression of fibrosis and inflammatory factors in tissues by affecting their pathways. It can integrate with these and many other proteins, and the formed conjugates have a better therapeutic effect.


Mindfulness refers to a stance of nonjudgmental awareness of present-moment experiences. A growing body of research suggests that mindfulness may increase cognitive resources, thereby buffering stress. However, existing models have not achieved a consensus on how mindfulness should be operationalized. As the sound measurement of mindfulness is the foundation needed before substantial hypotheses can be supported, we propose a novel way of gauging the psychometric quality of a mindfulness measurement instrument (the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory; FMI). Specifically, we employed 10 predictive algorithms to scrutinize the measurement quality of the FMI. Our criterion of measurement quality was the degree to which an algorithm separated mindfulness practitioner from nonpractitioners in a sample of N = 276. A high predictive accuracy of class membership can be taken as an indicator of the psychometric quality of the instrument. In sum, two findings are of interest. First, over and above some items of the FMI were able to reliably predict class membership. However, some items appeared to be uninformative. Second, from an applied methodological point of view, it appears that machine learning algorithms can outperform traditional predictive methods such as logistic regression. This finding may generalize to other branches of research.


We present a method for the determination of the average depth of the activity of Cs-137 in soil, exploiting the information contained in the low-energy part of an in-situ spectrum. The predictive power of the method is evaluated by comparing the results with laboratory measurements of the activity profile and it is shown that the proposed approach yields results of comparable quality in a much shorter measurement time. The method relies on the analysis of the entire spectrum of in-situ gamma-rays from a single spectrum, including the broad peak of scattered photons at the energy between 20 and 80 keV. It is based on a simple notion that the deeper the source is buried beneath the surface, the more numerous the photons scattered in the soil, compared to the corresponding peak of gamma-rays of the original energy. Monte Carlo calculations are necessary for this approach and were based on the GEANT system developed at CERN, Geneva.


In this communication we analyze a patch fed by a coplanar waveguide cut on the ground plane and centered with respect to the non-resonant length of the patch. The absence of the radiating even mode of the coplanar waveguide in such a symmetric structure allows to design an antenna without back-radiation effects. The analysis is made using the mixed potential integral equation (MPIE) formulation of the method of moments.