s 14th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine s69 portions of the sidewalks. Therefore, pedestrians walk on the road instead. Because of the recent growth in the numbers of vehicles, road traffic has increased. The people are less aware of the road safety issues and often violate the Motor Vehicle Act while driving on the road or walking on the sidewalk. The Indian Railway is the second largest railway in the world, and is the highest employment generating industry in the world. Several railway safety measures are violated by the passengers, staff, and others regularly. The level crossings in one area contribute the highest number of railway accidents. In addition, fire safety measures sometimes are ignored. The infrastructure facilities and the repair and maintenance of existing infrastructures are lacking. Air crashes are a serious concern in India and requires urgent attention from the authorities. Capsizing boats are another problem, which must be studied. Conclusion: There is a need for the development of a comprehensive action plan to combat the road, rail, and air crashes. People worldwide must take this problem seriously and take appropriate action.


A recursion relationship for the modified Bessel function is used to develop recursive formulas for functions which are expressed as a Neumann series expansion. The method is applied to devise an algorithm for calculating the generalized Q function. Comparisons with some alternative schemes are discussed and an error analysis is presented.


Cortisol and cortisone glucosiduronic acids were synthesised in a 14C-labelled from and utilised in a double-isotope derivative procedure for the analysis of cortisol glucosiduronate (FG) and cortisone glucosiduronate (EG) in human urine. Normal adults were found to excrete between 16 and 100 mug/24 h of FG (n = 14) and between 55 and 120 mug/24 h of EG (n = 15). Elevated values were observed in subjects with Cushing's syndrome and following ACTH stimulation. Abnormal excretion was noted in one patient with hepatic cirrhosis and in one case of cholestatic jaundice. The ratio FG/EG was markedly increased after ACTH stimulation and, in the normal group, was positively correlated to a highly significant degree (P less than 0.001) with FG excretion. These two observations suggest that EG excretion is less sensitive than FG excretion to variations in cortisol production.


erbB-2 protein is believed to be a cell membrane receptor for the recently identified ligand gp30. When overexpressed, erbB-2 is an indicator of poor prognosis in adenocarcinomas of breast, stomach, lung, and endometrium. Even more important, clinical data suggest that erbB-2 overexpression may be an indicator of poor response to at least some commonly used adjuvant regimens. However, there is preliminary evidence that these tumors might respond as well to doxorubicin regimen as do erbB-2 negative tumors, at least in gastric cancer. The efficacy of doxorubicin-containing regimen in the treatment of tumors with erbB-2 overexpression needs to be explored further by retrospective analysis of finished clinical trials. Combination of chemotherapeutics with reagents that block erbB-2 signal transduction pathway may be another effective approach.


In wireless networking, an Opportunistic Bundle Release Mechanism (OBRM) is a data bundle forwarding mechanism characterized by its ability to operate over Intermittently Connected Networks (ICNs) where end-to-end paths are not continuously available. Known for their intrinsic connectivity intermittence, vehicular networks constitute an ideal recreation ground for OBRMs. This letter, proposes the Optimal Vehicle Selection OBRM (OVS-OBRM) with the objective of minimizing the average bundle delivery delay.


Poster G13 Gravity data in the Canning Basin exhibit a northeast-trending linear feature that offsets a gravity ridge in the vicinity of the Jurgurra–Mowla Terraces with a displacement of about 30 km. The sharp displacement is aligned with similar disruptions on the Lennard Shelf to the northeast and Broome Platform to the southwest. The northeast part of the lineament also shows an anomalous offset on aeromagnetic images. However, the lineament does not correspond to fault displacement within the sedimentary succession of the Canning Basin based on seismic profiles. The geophysical responses to the linear feature vary in different areas, possibly caused by the different thickness of overlying sedimentary rocks across the basin. The lineament is interpreted as a left-lateral strike-slip fault that pre-dates the Canning Basin to account for the lack of seismic responses in the sedimentary section. This northeast-trending fault lies in the basement and might have originated during one of the younger Proterozoic to earliest Paleozoic orogenies pre-dating the Canning Basin. The northeast-oriented fault in the basement was orthogonal to the strike of the basin, thus was less likely to have significant impact on the basin deposition compared to the northwest-oriented faults, such as the Pinnacle and Fenton Fault system. However, these perpendicular features probably created a deeply seated crustal weakness near the intersection where the cluster of lamproite pipes of the Ellendale field intruded during the Miocene. To access the poster click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here


Since Lean Construction has been introduced in 1992, much research is in progress to popularize lean concepts and principles. Most research focuses on developing lean concepts and tools and strengthening the limited domain of instrumental rationality and technical efficiency. However, the basic concepts of human resource management seem to be ignored by those who advocate lean production. Thus, the lean construction research related to human resource management must be once considered for popularization and activation of lean construction at the beginning stage in the domestic construction industry. Because human resources have a major influence on lean implementation and its success, especially at the beginning stage of lean construction. This paper considers the human resource requirements for the implementation of lean construction in the USA construction industry. The results from the study will provide the foundations to adapt lean construction into the domestic construction industry. Consequently, the study found that lean construction could improve the capability of human resource and human motivation if effectively implemented in the construction sites. Since lean construction emphasizes and focuses on improvement of relationships among project participants, constant application to human resource management is crucial for successful lean implementation.


This research develops a theoretical framework on the implications of the organizational characteristics on the knowledge management (KM). The organizational characteristics are handled in this work as constructs, as they are complex concepts. This paper is based on a theoretical research, considering original and classic articles on KM. From a broad theoretical-conceptual research, the paper presents as a result five organizational constructs that support the KM process: human resources, team work, organizational culture, organizational structure and development and absorption of knowledge. The article presents the implications of these constructs in relation to the four phases of the KM process (acquisition, storage, distribution and use of knowledge).


Abstract Background: Pro-gastrin releasing peptide (ProGRP) concentrations in blood play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The automated quantitative ARCHITECT® ProGRP assay was developed to aid in the differential diagnosis and in the management of SCLC. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the analytical performance of this chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay at multiple sites. Methods: ARCHITECT ProGRP measures ProGRP using a two-step sandwich using monoclonal anti-ProGRP antibodies coated on paramagnetic microparticles and labeled with acridinium. Analytical performance of the assay was evaluated at four sites: Abbott Japan, Denka Seiken, the Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Munich. Results: Total precision (%CV) for nine analyte concentrations was between 2.2 and 5.7. The analytical sensitivity of the assay was between 0.20 pg/mL and 0.88 pg/mL. The functional sensitivity at 20% CV was between 0.66 pg/mL and 1.73 pg/mL. The assay was linear up to 50,000 pg/mL using a 1:10 autodilution protocol. The calibration curve was stable for 30 days. Comparison with the Fujirebio microtiter plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EIA) ProGRP assay gave a slope of 0.93 and a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.99. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that the ARCHITECT ProGRP assay has excellent sensitivity, precision, and correlation to a reference method. This assay provides a convenient automated method for ProGRP measurement in serum and plasma in hospitals and clinical laboratories. Clin Chem Lab Med 2009;47:1557–63.


This paper reports a microfluidic-based tele medicine system for the determination of insulin, an important indicator for clinical diagnosis of diabetes. The telemedicine system conveys the ass ay res ults digitally to es tablis hed healthcare facilities, where trained medical professionals can directly assist the detection process and provide diagnosis through the Internet. The integrated polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic system consis ts of one pneumatic micropump and one micromixer on a single chip for insulin detection. The detection protocol is based on magnetic microbeads based double-antibody sandwich chemiluminescent immunoassay. The peak value of the luminous intensity is proportional to the insulin concentration of the testing sample. The sensitivity curves of the microfluidic system have been quantified, and the insulin detection limit is determined to be about 10-11 M. The combination of PDMS microfluidic devices and a communication strategy offers new opportunities for diabetes care and screening, especially in rural areas, and the proposed system can be an extremely useful Point-of-Care diagnostic tool with off-site expert assistance.


Coral reef aorta is described as rock-hard calcifications usually localized in the visceral part of the aorta. Rare cases of acquired coarctation of the descending aorta due to coral reefs have been mentioned in the literature. A more uncommon entity is the coral reef of the aortic arch. We are presenting a rare case of a 55-year old woman referred to our vascular department for bilateral lower limb claudication associated with resistant hypertension and anisotension. A thoracoabdominal computed tomography scan was subsequently performed and showed a preocclusive calcified lesion located at the termination of the aortic arch, involving the ostia of the left subclavian artery. An open surgical approach was decided upon and an aortic endarterectomy by transversal aortotomy was successfully performed. Although uncommon, acquired coarctation should be considered in all hypertensive patients presenting with bilateral lower limb claudication and blood pressure differences between the upper and lower extremities.


The duration of periods to heading has been compared in lines which carry various Ppd genes from different institutions. Test for allelism has been conducted between these lines. Ppd-B1a gene is allelic to Ppd3 gene of near isogenic line Mironovskaya 808 (the set of SGI). In the set of SGI lines Ppd1 gene is allelic to Ppd-A1a. These two genes are non-allelic to the known Ppd-D1a gene.


Abstract This study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of a single mediastinal drainage tube in the thoracic and abdominal cavity after minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE). This study was undertaken to determine if the procedure could be included in a fast-track surgery program for resectable esophageal carcinoma (EC). From June 17 to November 30, 2015, clinical data for 78 eligible patients who had undergone a fast-track surgery program and MIE were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty-eight patients had a chest tube and mediastinal drainage tube. Thirty-four patients had only a mediastinal drainage tube through the intercostal space. The remaining 30 patients had a single mediastinal drainage tube in the thoracic and abdominal cavity through the abdominal wall. The complication rates and pain scores for each of the groups were compared. The statistical calculations were performed using SPSS 17.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). The quantitative data among the groups were compared using 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The Chi-square, Mann–Whitney U and Fisher exact tests were used for qualitative data analysis. There were no significant differences in the anastomotic leak rates, postoperative days and total complication rates (P = .861). The lowest visual analog scale (VAS) scores of the drainage tubes were observed in the group with a single mediastinal drain through the abdominal wall (P <.001). The results of this study suggested that a single mediastinal drainage tube in the thoracic and abdominal cavity after MIE may be safe and efficient. This clinical practice is a part of our fast-track surgery program.


ABSTRACT The concept of belonging captures both the overwhelming place-belongingness experienced by many young people living in bounded communities such as refugee communities, as well as the ways belonging is mediated through structural embeddedness and everyday interactions. While the majority of scholarship on belonging emphasise the positive, inclusive aspects of belonging, and generally see belonging as something to be achieved, this article offers a more nuanced understanding of how modes of belonging can act as both a hindrance and a protective mechanism in young people's lives. A qualitative case study of a group of young Somali refugees living in Australia has been chosen to illustrate this dynamic. This article firstly discusses refugee young people's access to and transitions between contexts and communities that enhance their belonging and broaden their opportunities to participate. Secondly, the article shows how efforts to belong to youth communities can, in fact, entrench other kinds of marginalisation. The article seeks to further develop the concept of belonging, as it proved vital in understanding the ways marginalisation shape and influence young people's participatory practices and choices.


A system of atoms connected by harmonic springs to their nearest neighbors on a lattice is coupled to Ising spins that are in contact with a thermal bath and evolve under Glauber dynamics. Assuming a nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic interaction between spins, we calculate analytically the equilibrium state. On a one-dimensional lattice, the system exhibits first and second order phase transitions. The order parameters are the total magnetization and the number of spin pairs in an antiferromagnetic configuration. On a hexagonal two dimensional lattice, spins interact with their nearest-neighbors and next-nearest-neighbors. Together with the coupling to atoms, these interactions produce a complex behavior that is displayed on a phase diagram. There are: ordered phases associated to ripples with atomic wavelength and antiferromagnetic order, ordered phases associated to ripples with nanometer wavelengths and ferromagnetic order including phases presenting overall buckling of the lattice, disordered glassy phases, and other phases presenting stripes formed by different domains. These static phases are discussed in relation to existing experiments and results for other models found in the literature.


This article uses the case studies of Australia and Malaysia to examine how diverse states in the Asia-Pacific region approach asylum seekers in practice and in discourse. Using a social constructionist approach to identity, the article highlights how governments in each country have grappled with "irregular" migration and the challenges it poses for national identity through processes of "othering" and "exclusion." This comparison shows that the process of excluding asylum seekers on the basis of identity is not a Western phenomenon, but one extending to countries across the region. It is maintained that state discourses around asylum seekers within the two countries are framed in similar arguments centred around the concepts of "irregular" mobility, "national" identity, and "exclusive" citizenship. More specifically, it is demonstrated that both the Malaysian and Australian governments have projected asylum seekers in the public realm primarily as "illegal" through their undocumented mobility, and within this discourse as "threats" to national identity and security and therefore "unworthy" of citizenship privileges through resettlement or local integration. It is argued that each government has used trajectories specific to their own nation-building process to make their arguments more relevant and appealing to their constituents. A key premise of this article holds that an understanding of the rationale underpinning each government's asylum approach will contribute to establishing more open and constructive regional dialogue around the asylum issue.


Some commercial Cu (In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) modules show large changes in current‐voltage parameters with light soaking. While such changes are not necessarily indicative of a performance problem, the associated uncertainty may be disadvantageous in a highly competitive market. Thus, it is beneficial to understand the origin of large metastabilities in order to define what processing changes might diminish metastability without impacting other desirable aspects of high‐performance devices. This study attempts to reproduce large metastabilities like those in some commercial products both through absorber and buffer processing variations in small devices. While variations of both types were found to affect metastability, only buffer variations could reproduce large metastability in high‐efficiency devices. Device modeling confirms that buffer effects alone are sufficient to explain the large metastability seen in these devices.


According to the international view, the aim of the internal audit is "to enhance and protect the organizational value by providing assurance, advice and advanced knowledge through objective principles based on risk". This article presents aspects regarding the internal audit of an entity, its underlying principles, the differences between the internal audit, the financial audit and the internal control, the role of the internal audit in corporate governance, the most important types of internal audit engagements and their components, as well as the main stages of an internal audit engagement.


The addition of protease to broiler diets may complement the action of endogenous enzymes and improve protein digestibility. Here, the authors evaluated the effect of adding protease to broiler diets that contained animal-based meal on bird performance, digestibility, and biometry of digestive tract organs. Four treatments, which contained animal- or plant-based meals with or without supplementary protease were compared, namely basal vegetable feed (BVF), BVF + protease (BFP), basal vegetable feed + animal by-product meal (BFA), and BFA + protease. In the first experiment, 320 one-day-old Cobb 500® chicks were allocated to eight replicates with 10 birds per replicate. The experimental period was seven days, and nutrient metabolizability was evaluated. In the second experiment, 720 one-day-old Cobb 500® chicks were assigned to treatments in a similar manner, with six replicates and 30 birds per replicate, but the experimental period was 42 days. Significant differences (P <0.05) were observed between treatments for nutrient digestibility, weight gain, feed consumption, average final weight, food conversion, viability, and biometry of the pancreas. Treatments with animal-based meals had the highest digestibility. Birds fed these meals grew faster in the pre-starter phase and consumed less feed between 1 and 21 days. However, between 1 and 42 days old, broilers fed plant-based diets had better feed conversion, and the group that did not receive protease supplementation had a better liveability rate.Keywords: additive, exogenous enzyme, nutrition, organ biometry, poultry


Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is the sixth most common cancer in women and a leading cause of death from gynecologic diseases. Poor prognosis in OvCa is due to late diagnosis and acquired resistance to conventional therapy. A significant setback for OvCa treatment is the lack of reliable biomarkers and the lack of effective targeted therapies. Our aim is to discover novel therapeutic opportunities with approved and emerging drugs for OvCa and then translate actionable drug efficacies and combinations as personalized therapy suggestions for the clinic. We have previously pioneered drug sensitivity and resistance testing (DSRT) of patient cells from leukemias for personalized medicine and for drug repositioning (Pemovska et al., Cancer Discovery, 2013; Pemovska et al. Nature, in press, 2014). Here, we tested primary cell cultures from the ascites fluid of relapsed chemorefractory OvCa patient samples using the DSRT platform for 305 drugs, consisting of both emerging and established cancer drugs. All drugs were tested in 5 concentrations to achieve a dose-response over a 10,000-fold concentration range. Both viability and cell toxicity assays were applied and results compared to a variety of normal cells and a database of >700 previously DSRT-tested cancer samples and cell lines of various types, including 30 OvCa cell lines. Genomic and transcriptomic profiling by next-gen sequencing was carried out in parallel. Most samples represent high-grade serous OvCa. Results from 5 primary ascites cultures tested so far showed a distinct drug sensitivity profile as compared to the 30 OvCa cell lines. The results on patient cells led to the discovery of previously unanticipated therapeutic possibilities. For example, in a 51-year old chemorefractory serous OvCa patient, genomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed a fusion gene of NRG-1, a target that was recently reported to involve the NRG1/ERBB3 activation loop in OvCa (Sheng et al. Cancer Cell, 2010). We found high expression of ERBB2 and ERBB3 by RNA seq and phospho-ERBB3, phospho-ERBB2 and phospho-EGFR by immunohistochemistry. In agreement with the molecular mechanism, DSRT analysis identified significant sensitivity of patient tumor cells to EGFR inhibitors, such as erlotinib and afatinib. Furthermore, drug combination testing identified highest combinatorial potential of dasatinib with erlotinib and afatinib in both viability and cell killing assays. In conclusion, DSRT testing together with genomic and transcriptomic profiling can identify and mechanistically validate tumor driver signals and pinpoint clinically actionable inhibitors and their combinations. Thus, this type of systems medicine profiling can significantly expand the power of current exclusively genomics-oriented personalized medicine approaches and help in drug repositioning to new indications. Citation Format: Astrid Murumagi, Akira Hirasawa, Mariliina Arjama, Katja Valimaki, Bhagwan Yadav, Jing Tang, Agnieszka Szwajda, Laura Turunen, John Patrick Mpindi, Teijo Pellinen, Krister Wennerberg, Ralf Butzow, Tero Aittokallio, Olli Kallioniemi. Novel therapeutic possibilities for chemorefractory ovarian cancer patients identified by functional ex vivo drug sensitivity testing of primary cells from ascites. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3746. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3746


The utility of indwelling double-J ureteral stents during extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) of renal calculi is ill defined. We evaluated 179 patients treated with SWL for small (< 20 mm in diameter) solitary renal calculi with (N = 27) or without (N = 152) indwelling ureteral stents. There was no significant difference in the stone-free rates at 1 month (both 52%) and 3 months (61% nonstented group v 67% stented group; P = 0.45) or in the retreatment rates (13.3% nonstented group v 14.8% stented group; P = 0.60). The incidence and severity of pain/renal colic were similar for the two treatment groups. There was minimal morbidity associated with SWL in either group. Placement of double-J stents for the purpose of improving stone-free rates, alleviating pain, or preventing ureteral obstruction in conjunction with SWL of solitary renal calculi < 20 mm in diameter is unnecessary.


This research examines the dissolution of political party by Constitutional Court, that becomes its authorities based on Article 24C UUDNRI 1945, from human right perspective. Indonesia as the state that implemented law of state of law acknowledge human rights as stated in the Constitution. Neverttheless, freedom of association as one of the principle of human rights as regulated in the Constitution, which used as the base of formation of a political party, can be ruled out and has limited implementation in which norms conflict arises. Limitation of freedom association is reflected in the sanction imposed by the Constitutional Court regarding dissolution of political party. The dissolution of political party by the Constitutional Court refers to certain regulation as Act No. 39 of 1999 that regulating Human Rights, Act No. 24 of 2003 that regulating The Constitutional Court, Act No. 2 of 2008 regulating Political Party, and The Constitutional Court Regulation governing the dissolution of a political party procedures by the Constutional Court. This research is a normative legal research that investigates the dissolution of a political party by the Constitutional Court that contrasts with formation of a political party as a representation of freedom of association, one of the human rights principle, without assessment on implementations or practices regarding those norms. According to descriptive analysis based on legal material regarding this issue, the limitation of freedom to associate can be performed based on Article 4 ICCPR 1966 because it can be considered as a right that its  fulfillment can be limited by law. The dissolution of a political party by the Constitutional  Court is not considered as violation of freedom to associate since the sanction only be imposed to violation of regulations by political parties. The purpose of limitation is only to protect the integrity of Republic of Indonesia and the discipline of the community, nation, and state members. Key words : Authority of Constitusional Court, Political Parties, Freedom of Association, Human Rights


Purpose

The substantial growth in literature on knowledge-intensive business services (KIBSs) has thrown light on their contributions to innovation and innovation systems. This paper is the first of a set that examines major debates and conclusions to have emerged from this growing body of evidence.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a review essay, which also presents relevant statistics. It addresses definitional issues and controversies, and sets out basic trends and characteristics of the KIBS industries. The focus is mainly on KIBS firms, though the production of similar services in other types of organisation is also considered.

Findings

Many of the conclusions of an earlier (2005) review in this journal remain valid, though difficulties in capturing these activities in official statistics mean that there are many issues that demand closer inspection. Understanding the role and future prospects of KIBS will also require looking beyond the literature that focuses just on KIBS industries.

Research limitations/implications

This study involves literature review and statistical analysis. Future work would benefit from involvement of practitioners and users of KIBS.

Practical implications

More explicit consideration of KIBS in statistical frameworks is still required, and novel approaches to data conceptualisation and production should be explored.

Originality/value

The growing literature on KIBS, and its implications for understanding the roles and future development of the firms and their relationships to innovation systems, requires systematic analysis. Available statistics have been brought together, and this paper also reflects critically on the trajectories of research on these topics.


This paper presents and evaluates an enterprise methodology for migrating and changing a firm's content to the Internet. A change management approach complements the implementation methodology. Over 90 percent of enterprises have undertaken major changes affecting half of the overall organization over the past two years. Two major factors include accelerating supply chain integration with customer-centric processes and implementing second generation e-business restructuring (J. Mahoney, 2001). Another factor influencing substantial organizational change is corporations moving content to the Internet. Web enabled systems provide a competitive advantage for attracting, selling to, and servicing clients globally and across industries (C. Wilder and M. McGee, 2000; Roundtable, 2001). Through 2004, 85 percent of mid to large firms and 70 percent of small to midsize businesses will experience at least one major organizational change. Three crossindustry case studies of global firms offer organizational lessons to improve Internet content change implementation.


Temporal clustering of extreme precipitation events on subseasonal time scales is a type of compound event, which can cause large precipitation accumulations and lead to floods. We present a novel count-based procedure to identify subseasonal clustering of extreme precipitation events. Furthermore, we introduce two metrics to characterise the frequency of subseasonal clustering episodes and their relevance for large precipitation accumulations. The advantage of this approach is that it does not require the investigated variable (here precipitation) to satisfy any specific statistical properties. Applying this methodology to the ERA5 reanalysis data set, we identify regions where subseasonal clustering of annual high precipitation percentiles occurs frequently and contributes substantially to large precipitation accumulations. Those regions are the east and northeast of the Asian continent (north of Yellow Sea, in the Chinese provinces of Hebei, Jilin and Liaoning; North and South Korea; Siberia and east of Mongolia), central Canada and south of California, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, and the north of Argentina and south of Bolivia. Our method is robust with respect to the parameters used to define the extreme events (the percentile threshold and the run length) and the length of the subseasonal time window (here 2 – 4 weeks). The procedure could also be used to identify temporal clustering of other variables (e.g. heat waves) and can be applied on different time scales (e.g. for drought years). For a complementary study on the subseasonal clustering of European extreme precipitation events and its relationship to large-scale atmospheric drivers, please refer to Barton et al.


Summary Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate Tc-99mtetrofosmin whole-body imaging in the detection of metastases in patients with malignant melanoma. Methods: In 30 patients with suspected melanoma metastases we performed whole body imaging. After administration of about 600 MBq Tc-99m-tetrofosmin dynamic images up to 10 min were performed in 7 patients (1 image per 10 sec) to evaluate the optimal tracer uptake in the metastases. In all patients whole-body images were performed 5-10 min p. i. using an acquisition time of 5 min per image. The final diagnosis was confirmed by surgical histology in 30 lesions, by computertomogaphy and clinical course in the remaining lesions. Results: Out of 64 melanoma metastases 49 were detected using Tc-99m-tetrofosmin scintigraphy (49 rp., 15 fn.). The overall sensitivity for the detection of malignant lesions was 77%. Referring only to the lymph node metastases, the sensitivity was 87% (26 rp.; 4 fn.). The maximal tracer uptake was reached 1 min after injection, with a slow decrease in the following 10 minutes. The size of the lesions ranged between 0.5 and 7.0 cm and the T/B ratios between 1.3 and 3.0 (mean 1.88). Conclusions: Tc-99m-tetrofosmin whole body imaging is a simple and side-effectless method for the detection of melanoma metastases especially of lymph node metastases. The results are comparable to Tc-99m-sestamibi and TI-201 scintigraphy.


This paper examines how the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) displays notices of correction and retraction, and how their status is reflected across various venues. With a corpus of 1083 editorial notices, we first show that even on the JACS website, the original source, there are mistakes and inaccuracies. Additionally, our study demonstrates some improvements in certain contexts in comparison to earlier studies, as well as significant variations between platforms (bibliographic databases and open access archives). But it also reveals that the same types of issues still remain, including the lack of accurate information close to the updated publications, and the lack of a two-way link between notices and original publications. This preliminary research seeks to provide an overview of what constitutes the scientific record and what it means to correct it, in order to avoid the spread of unsubstantiated claims by ill-informed readers.


To reconstruct the palaeoproductivity evolution history of the centre of the western Pacific warm pool (WPWP) over the last 250 ka, multi‐proxies were analysed in sediment core WP7 recovered from the Ontong–Java Plateau. Palaeoproductivity evolution at the centre of the WPWP during the last 250 ka is closely related to glacial–interglacial cycles and the insolation controlled by precession. The glacial higher primary productivity relative to the interglacial conditions could have resulted from both thermocline shoaling associated with persistent El Niňo‐like conditions and the increased influx of dust resulting from intensified winter monsoon together with important changes in the thermocline. The minimum primary productivity values during the last three terminations could be resulted from deglacial thermocline deepening and intensified stratification associated with persistent La Niña‐like conditions, and the concurrent Neogloboquadrina dutertrei δ13C minimum events probably reflect the chemical signatures of Subantarctic Mode Water and Antarctic Intermediate Water. In addition, primary productivity values are also controlled by the thermocline variations resulting from El Niño/La Niña‐Southern Oscillation processes responding to precession forcing, and lead the δ18O by about 4 ka. The 33.1 ka, 19 ka and "half‐precession" periods are prominent in the palaeoproductivity records. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Acoustic scattering from a submerged cylindrical shell is experimentally investigated from the viewpoint of energy flow. Acoustic and structural intensities, which respectively indicate acoustic and vibrational energy flows, are obtained by processing data from near-field acoustical holography. Both acoustic and structural intensities of the scattering wave are treated by using a radiation propagator. An incident wave propagator is also introduced to measure both acoustic and structural intensities of the incident wave from an external source. The interrelationship between structural and acoustic energy flows of the present scattering problem is examined by comparing experimental and simulated results.


An unresolved question is?Do strategic repurchase programs create long-run firm value? An objective of this paper is to analyze the long-run growth in value of companies that strategically repurchase shares vis-a-vis those that do not pursue a share buyback strategy. Prior studies have not focused on the linkage between share repurchases and the growth in firm value. The analysis focuses on the hypothesis that the growth in the value of firms initiating repurchase strategies is greater than the growth in the value of the matched companies. The results show that in the short-run companies that pursue a strategy of repurchasing shares have a higher growth rate than compnies not exercising a buyback strategy. However, the results are not statistically significant. The study indicates that in the long-run firms create more value with a strategy of not repurchasing its shares. Additionally, it was discovered that small and mid-size non-repurchasing companies outperform firms employing a share buyback strategy. Regression analysis was used to test the relationship between growth in firm value and the performance of the free cash flow components of the two types of firms in the sample. The results show that investment by non-repurchasing companies in net working capital and capital projects were instrumental in their outperforming companies using a repurchase strategy. In conclusion, the findings do not support the theory that share repurchase programs are related to management signaling an increase in a firm?s long-run performance in the market. Nor does the study show that a strategy to repurchase shares signals that shares are undervalued.


Campbell, J. N. (American Meat Institute Foundation, Chicago, Ill.), James B. Evans Jerome J. Perry, and C. F. Niven, Jr. An extracellular material elaborated by Micrococcus sodonensis. J. Bacteriol. 82:828–837. 1961.—When actively growing in a yeast extract-tryptone broth, Micrococcus sodonensis produced rather large quantities of an extracellular material. On a dry weight basis, this material consisted of approximately 80% deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), 6% ribonucleic acid, 13% protein, and a small quantity of a cell pigment which contained an associated iron porphyrinlike compound. The extracellular material was not produced in other complex or synthetic media. Removal of cells from the appropriate growth medium and suspension in distilled water resulted in the prevention of formation of the material if it had not already begun, or its immediate cessation in those cells which had been actively producing the material. Cells producing the extracellular material exhibited an increasingly higher concentration of intracellular DNA as incubation proceeded, whereas cells growing under conditions not supporting such production showed a decline in intracellular DNA as the culture aged. A similar increase of intracellular DNA, but not release of extracellular material, could be effected by addition of yeast extract or high levels of purine compounds to a medium which did not support the production of extracellular material. The base composition and ratios of both extracellular and intracellular DNA produced under all conditions tested were compared and found to be similar or identical, and to correspond to the classical Watson-Crick structure for DNA.


Aim: The effects of adding a microbiological inoculant on the physicochemical and microbiological properties during the fermentation process of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and on the sensory characteristics of the fufu produced using a local Bambili cassava variety were examined.
Study Design: Completely Randomized Design was applied for this study.
Place and Duration of Study: Study was carried out at the Food Technology and Post-Harvest Programme Laboratory (FTPHL) of the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) Bambui, North West Region of Cameroon, between January and April 2020.
Methodology: Cassava was soaked in water and three treatments: 0%, 1% and 4% Light Matrix Organics (LMO) added to the water. The fixed submerged fermentation was used. Water samples were randomly collected daily and analysed for pH, temperature, Titratable Acidity (TA) and microbial counts. The experiment was carried out in triplicates, varying temperature each time (35oC in trial 1, 32oC in trial 2 and 21oC in trial 3). Sensory evaluation was carried out on the fufu produced.
Results: Temperature, pH, TA and microbial counts followed the same trend in all 3 treatments. TA increased from 0.01-0.15%, while pH decreased from 6.9-4.85. Temperature increased then dropped at the end of the experiment. Total bacterial counts increased from log10 (3.49) to log10 (6.9) CFUml-1. Yeasts and moulds increased from log10 (7.15) CFUml-1 and then dropped to log10 (5.48) CFUml-1 at the end of the experiment. Coliforms decreased from log10 (4.66) CFUml-1 to log10 (3.30) CFUml-1. The above parameters did not vary significantly (p<0.05) within treatments. Also, soaking temperature affected the duration of fermentation, hence the finished product. The natural fermentation process was preferred for colour, taste and flavour while the 1% LMO sample was preferred for texture.
Conclusion: Under good hygienic conditions; water fufu produced by natural fermentation will be of good quality for consumption.


We study the compensation and productivity of more than 2,000 Methodist ministers in a 43-year panel data set. The church appears to use pay-for-performance incentives for its clergy, as their compensation follows a sharing rule by which pastors receive approximately 3% of the incremental revenue from membership increases. Ministers receive the strongest rewards for attracting new parishioners who switch from other congregations within their denomination. Monetary incentives are weaker in settings where ministers have less control over their measured performance.


Abstract Cancer antigen 15–3 (CA 15–3), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) were measured in 679 sera of breast cancer patients and in 94 sera of women without breast cancer. The tumour markers were determined using immunoluminometric assays (ILMA). The assays are characterised by an inter-assay-imprecision and intra-assay-imprecision <4 %. The breast cancer patients were staged according to the TNM classification stage 0–IV (by UICC) in patient groups with a compatible prognosis. Median and range of each stage were investigated. The cut-off values (95th and 97.5th percentile of control group) of CA 15–3, CEA and TPA were determined; specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive value (PV) and efficiency were investigated for these cut-off's and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated. The differences between control group and stage 0–3 were shown as non-significant for CA 15–3 and CEA but significant for TPA. Significant differences were found in stage 4 for all three tumour markers. The three tumour markers did not have differences in specificity, positive and negative PV and efficiency. TPA and CA 15–3 demonstrated comparable results in sensitivity and ROC curve analyses. These results were better than those from CEA.


We consider an initial-boundary value problem for the $n$-dimensional wave equation with the variable sound speed, $n\geq 1$. We construct three-level implicit in time compact in space (three-point in each space direction) 4th order finite-difference schemes on the uniform rectangular meshes including their one-parameter (for $n=2$) and three-parameter (for $n=3$) families. They are closely connected to some methods and schemes constructed recently by several authors. In a unified manner, we prove the conditional stability of schemes in the strong and weak energy norms together with the 4th order error estimate under natural conditions on the time step. We also give an example of extending a compact scheme for non-uniform in space and time rectangular meshes. We suggest simple effective iterative methods based on FFT to implement the schemes whose convergence rate, under the stability condition, is fast and independent on both the meshes and variable sound speed. A new effective initial guess to start iterations is given too. We also present promising results of numerical experiments.


Sorafenib is the standard treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, fibrolamellar HCC was not included in sorafenib trials. The case is a 26‐year‐old man with fibrolamellar HCC, who had a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) while being treated with sorafenib. This illustrates a probable relationship between use of sorafenib and CVA in low cardiovascular risk patients.


The risk of contamination of tissue culture cells with transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) agents as a result of the use of animal products as medium components has been considered to be low, in part, because only a few brain-derived cell lines have been reported to be susceptible to TSE infection. In the present study, we demonstrate that the common laboratory fibroblast cell lines NIH/3T3 and L929, which express low levels of cellular mouse prion protein, are susceptible to infection with mouse-adapted scrapie. Our results show that the susceptibility of a cell line to TSE infection cannot be predicted on the basis of its tissue origin or its level of expression of the cellular prion protein, and they suggest that any cell line expressing normal host prion protein could have the potential to support propagation of TSE agents. Thus, testing of cells for TSE susceptibility might be necessary for all cell lines that are routinely used in vaccine production and in other medical applications.


Rachel and Kirsty are thrilled to be spending the week at Golden Palace - where real kings and queens once lived! Whilst they are settling in, Polly the Party Fun Fairy appears - the girls have been invited to a magical Fairyland ball to meet the seven nieces of King Oberon and Queen Titania - the Princess Fairies! But when Kirsty and Rachel arrive in Fairyland things soon go wrong, Jack Frost and his wicked goblins steal the princesses' tiaras! The tiaras contain special fairy magic that look after happy times and fun things in both the human and fairy worlds. The tiaras are hidden around the Golden Palace, and Kirsty and Rachel must return them to their fairy owners. In this third book in the series the girls must help Anya find her magical tiara so animals everywhere will be happy!


Scutellonema bradys (Steiner & LeHew) Andrassy is the most important yam nematode in the State of Bahia, Brazil, being responsible for the decay of yam tubers, known as dry rot disease. Nematode-trapping fungi are potential biocontrol agents against plant parasitic nematodes. The in vitro predatory ability of Arthrobotrys musiformis Drechsler and Monacrosporium thaumasium Drechsler on S. bradys was evaluated. The fungi were grown in PDA medium, than transferred to the center of Petri dishes with 2% agar plus water. After 14 days of the fungal cultures incubation, 150 nematodes were added to the dishes. For a period of 5 days, at 24-hour intervals, the number of captured nematodes was counted. Both fungi formed trapping structures of single ring and three-dimensional adhesive network types, 24 hours after the addition of the nematodes to the fungal cultures. The percentage of nematodes captured by each fungus increased linearly with time, reaching 94.6% and 97.3% of captured nematodes by A. musiformis and M. thaumasium, respectively, at the fifth day of evaluation. Both fungi presented good predatory ability upon S. bradys. This is the first report of nematophagous fungi capturing S. bradys. Further studies should evaluate the potential of these fungi as biocontrol agents of S. bradys in yam plantations.


ABSTRACT: This paper presents an evaluation study of the feasibility of harvesting energy from rolling tire deformation and using it to supply a tire monitoring device installed within the tire cavity. The developed technique is simulated by using a flexible piezoelectric fiber composite transducer (PFC) adhered onto the tire inner liner acting as the energy harvesting element for tire monitoring systems. The PFC element generates electric charge when strain is applied to it. Tire cyclic deformation, particularly at the contact patch surface due to rolling conditions, can be exploited to harvest energy. Finite element simulations, using Abaqus package, were employed to estimate the available strain energy within the tire structure in order to select the optimum location for the PFC element. Experimental tests were carried out by using an evaluation kit for the energy harvesting element installed within the tire cavity to examine the PFC performance under controlled speed and loading conditions.


This article discusses the behavioural and institutional mechanisms that guide the matchmaking process of arranged marriages 1 amongst Muslim migrants in Germany and clarifies how this practice may influence ethnic homogamy. The focus is on general characteristics of arranged marriages rather than differences between diverse ethnic groups. The methodology is qualitative due to the sensitive and complex topic and the current state of research. Typically, the whole family is deeply involved in the process of arrangement, which consists of three stages (pre-engagement, engagement, marriage). Thereby, the extension of parental scope of action by means of institutionalized admission procedures turns out to be vitally important. In consideration of the fact that mate selection takes place at the pre-engagement stage, it is the most crucial. Furthermore, differences to other partner-choosing processes are at their most distinct at this point, being responsible for the identification and labelling of this model as an arranged marriage. Selection criteria are mainly determined by the reputation of the marriage candidate and her ⁄ his family along with cultural features (such as belonging to a particular religious group, ethnicity or nationality). In our study, preferences for a cultural homogenous match were the most dominant ones. This inclination may cause the tendency towards transnational marriages when there are no suitable marriage candidates to be found in Germany.


Multi-view crowd counting has been previously proposed to utilize multi-cameras to extend the field-of-view of a single camera, capturing more people in the scene, and improve counting performance for occluded people or those in low resolution. However, the current multi-view paradigm trains and tests on the same single scene and camera-views, which limits its practical application. In this paper, we propose a cross-view cross-scene (CVCS) multi-view crowd counting paradigm, where the training and testing occur on different scenes with arbitrary camera layouts. To dynamically handle the challenge of optimal view fusion under scene and camera layout change and non-correspondence noise due to camera calibration errors or erroneous features, we propose a CVCS model that attentively selects and fuses multiple views together using camera layout geometry, and a noise view regularization method to train the model to handle non-correspondence errors. We also generate a large synthetic multi-camera crowd counting dataset with a large number of scenes and camera views to capture many possible variations, which avoids the difficulty of collecting and annotating such a large real dataset. We then test our trained CVCS model on real multi-view counting datasets, by using unsupervised domain transfer. The proposed CVCS model trained on synthetic data outperforms the same model trained only on real data, and achieves promising performance compared to fully supervised methods that train and test on the same single scene.


Object search is an integral part of daily life, and in the quest for competent mobile manipulation robots it is an unavoidable problem. Previous approaches focus on cases where objects are in unknown rooms but lying out in the open, which transforms object search into active visual search. However, in real life, objects may be in the back of cupboards occluded by other objects, instead of conveniently on a table by themselves. Extending search to occluded objects requires a more precise model and tighter integration with manipulation. We present a novel generative model for representing container contents by using object co-occurrence information and spatial constraints. Given a target object, a planner uses the model to guide an agent to explore containers where the target is likely, potentially needing to move occluding objects to enable further perception. We demonstrate the model on simulated domains and a detailed simulation involving a PR2 robot.


Developing countries were hit hard by the financial and economic crisis, although the impact was somewhat delayed. Every country had different challenges to master. The closer the developing countries are interconnected with the world economy, the crasser the effects. And the incipient recovery that is becoming noticeable is, for the time being, restricted to only a few countries and regions.The crisis was transmitted primarily by trade and financial flows forcing millions back into poverty. Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals is seriously jeopardised in many countries. Many developing countries did not and do not have the resources to stimulate the economy and protect their socially disadvantaged populations to the same extent as the industrialised countries. However, many countries have made considerable efforts to mitigate the effects. Developing countries have also increased their cooperation with one another and are urgently demanding a greater voice in global economic affairs.The industrialised countries are for the most part more concerned with their own problems. Their readiness to provide more extensive aid is limited. They are under pressure from the international institutions to relax their previous dominance in favour of the increasingly strong emerging countries. A shift in power and influence that was already noticeable before the financial crisis is deepening.


This study aimed to investigate the effects of different sensory-evaluated food textures on masticatory movements, and to identify meaningful factors that correspond to different food textures. Masticatory movements of three healthy subjects were evaluated with a jaw movement tracking device using five different test foods: almond, hard and light rice crackers, apple, and chewing gum. The movements of the incisor point, working and non-working condyle and the entire mandible at the occlusal phase in the horizontal plane were analyzed. For harder foods, the incisor entered the intercuspal position from a rear and lateral, the working condyle showed anterior and noticeable medial movements as the entire mandible translated posteriorly and medially. For soft foods, the incisor movements were nearly coincidental with the lateral border movements, and the mandible rotated towards the inner side near the working condyle. Although the overall paths of the mandibular movements are individually different, it appeared that jaw movement at the final closure is particular to the food texture. From the standpoint of mandibular movements, it is suggested that masticatory movements during the occlusal phase in the horizontal plane is useful for revealing the relationship between mandibular movements and food textures that were evaluated with onomatopoetic words.


Osteopontin affects several steps of the metastatic cascade. Despite direct correlation with metastasis in experimental systems and in patient studies, the extracellular and intracellular basis for these observations remains unsolved. In this study, the authors used human melanoma and sarcoma cell lines to evaluate the effects of soluble osteopontin on metastasis.


It is paradoxical that zinc-precipitated gamma globulin administered in small doses apparently could protect the recipient against epidemic hepatitis while the same material may produce serum hepatitis. Cold-ethanolfractionated gamma globulin does not produce serum hepatitis but protects almost all exposed susceptible persons against the more severe symptoms of epidemic hepatitis. The most likely explanation is that in the carrier state hepatitis viruses of more than one antigenic strain are present in the blood stream and that the recipient of the carrier's blood can be protected by gamma globulin in accordance with how closely the transfused virus strain is antigenically related to the strain or strains responsible for epidemic hepatitis. The so-called passive-active immunization afforded by gamma globulin in epidemic hepatitis seems promising, and a method of testing it in closed institutions is proposed.


Introduction. Metastatic head and neck carcinoma from an unknown primary tumor is defined as a metastatic disease in the neck's lymph nodes without evidence of a primary tumor after appropriate investigation. Multiple national guidelines recommend that essential steps in diagnostic protocols involve a detailed clinical exam with radiological imaging, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of the cervical tumor, panendoscopy with palatine and lingual tonsillectomy, immunohistochemical staining, and human papillomavirus (HPV) detection. Treatment of head and neck carcinomas of unknown primary (CUPs) origin involves surgery (neck dissection) with radiotherapy, while some authors recommend chemo-radiotherapy in cases of the advanced regional disease. Case report. A 44-year old male was referred to the tertiary medical center because of a large ulcero-infiltrative cervical mass on the right side. Examination of the head and neck and flexible nasopharyngolaryngeal endoscopy was conducted, followed by computed tomography (CT) of the head, neck, and thorax with intravenous contrast. The primary localization of the tumor was not confirmed by these diagnostic methods. Open biopsy of the neck mass confirmed histopathology diagnosis of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. Results of panendoscopy with biopsies and bilateral tonsillectomy were negative for malignancy. Treatment included extended radical neck dissection with reconstruction and postoperative ipsilateral radiotherapy. Five years after the first surgery, the patient presented with an extensive pharyngolaryngeal tumor. Biopsy with histopathology examination confirmed the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion. A structured step-by-step diagnostic approach in identifying the primary site of the metastatic head and neck carcinoma is mandatory. Substantial advances in diagnostics and operative techniques have increased the likelihood of primary tumor identification, as well as detection of regional and systemic spread of the disease. Purpose of adherence to guidelines results in higher overall-survival and longer regional disease-free survival in these patients.


An effective hybrid boundary-element method (BEM) and wavelet-transform method (WTM) is proposed to analyze electromagnetic scattering from three-dimensional (3-D) open-ended cavities with arbitrary shapes. This hybrid technique formulates the original cavity problems by a magnetic field integral equation. The BEM is employed to establish the mapping between the original complex integral surface and the unit square. The WTM is used to reduce the density of the moment matrix. Since a surface integral equation has to be solved, the WTM requires a two-dimensional (2-D) wavelet basis to implement the numerical computation. The previous fast iterative algorithm for 2-D wavelets has been extended for efficiently constructing various 2-D wavelet basis functions by a tensorial product from two one-dimensional (1-D) regular multiresolution analyses. Unlike the conventional method of moments, the proposed hybrid technique can always obtain sparse moment matrix equations, which can be efficiently solved by sparse solvers. As the level scales for numerical discretization of cavities increase, larger compression rates can be obtained, which makes it possible for the hybrid BEM/WTM technique to efficiently solve scattering from large open-ended cavities with complex terminations. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the merits of the proposed method.


Abstract Injection of CO2 into the subsurface is of interest for CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). There are, however, major unresolved questions around the multiphase flow physics and reactive processes that will take place after CO2 is injected, particularly in carbonate rock reservoirs. For example, the wetting properties of CO2-brine-rock systems will impact the efficiency of EOR operations and CO2 storage but reported contact angles range widely from strongly water-wet to intermediate wet. Similar uncertainties exist for properties including the relative permeability and the impact of chemical reaction on flow. In this presentation we present initial results from laboratory studies investigating the physics of multiphase flow and reactive transport for CO2-brine systems. We use traditional and novel core flooding techniques and x-ray imaging to resolve uncertainties around the CO2-brine contact angle, relative permeability, residual trapping, and feedbacks between chemical reaction and flow in carbonate rocks.


Background and Aims: Naturally occuring hepatitis B virus (HBV) with surface mutations in a variety of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who have received no vaccine or HBIG bearing substitutions in surface protein, have been reported. Current knowledge concerning the prevalence of these naturally occurring surface antigen mutations among Iranian carriers is limited. Materials and Methods: In a retrospective cross-sectional study, 119 HBV inactive chronic carriers were enrolled. The surface gene was amplified, sequenced and subsequently aligned using international and national sequence database. Results: All strains belonged to genotype D, subgenotype D1 and subtype ayw2. In 74 (62.18%) of patients, 146 (68.8%) out of 212 amino acid mutations occurred in different immune epitopes within surface protein, of which 28 (19.17%) in B cell, 37 (25.34%) in T helper and 81 (55.47%) inside CTL epitopes. 13 (8.9%) and 15 (10.27%) of amino acid substitutions occurred outside and within the "a" determinant in Major Hydrophilic Region (MHR). While 11 (9.24%) and 77 (64.7%) patients who harbored amino acid mutations, were HBeAg and anti-HBe positive, respectively (p=0.004). 9 and 63 amino acid mutations occurred in different HBsAg epitopes in HBeAg and anti-HBe positive patients, respectively (P=0.04). Conclusion: HBV mutants within the immune epitopes of surface Ag seem to be extremely common among chronic carriers from Tehran, especially those who are anti-HBe positive, indicating that after HBeAg seroconversion, due to the selection pressure of Ag e antibody, the occurrence of mutation is an inevitable effect of the evolutionary process.


For many problems in the field of tracking or even the wider area of filtering the a posteriori description of the uncertainty can oftentimes not be described by a simple Gaussian density function. In such situations the characterization of the uncertainty by a mean and a covariance does not capture the true extent of the uncertainty at hand. For example, when the posterior is multi-modal with well separated narrow modes. Such descriptions naturally occur in applications like target tracking with terrain constraints or tracking of closely spaced multiple objects, where one cannot keep track of the objects identities. In such situations a co-variance measure as a description of the uncertainty is not appropriate anymore. In this paper we look at the use of entropy as an uncertainty description. We show how to calculate the entropy based on a running particle filter. We will verify the particle based approximation of the entropy numerically. We we also discuss theoretical convergence properties and provide some motivating examples.


We present two cases of inguinoscrotal hernia that contains stomach, both associated with a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; one of them is shown with a intermittent gastric obstruction syndrome, the other being a radiological finding in a patient with dispeptic symptoms. The first one died of a respiratory infection, before operation, and the second refused operation because of his scarce symptomatology. A review of the literature shows 60 cases reported including our cases.


This paper enhances earlier work on random selection and forwarding, which is a probabilistic forwarding protocol for wireless relay networks. We have extended the system model to account for more realistic scenarios and we have applied the framework to the conventional first-in first-out forwarding technique, which we use as a reference for comparison. Most importantly, we have analyzed the asymptotic behavior of the packet erasure probability and we have derived expressions which shed more light on the interplay between the various network parameters and their impact on the packet erasure probability.


To study mechanical properties of the knee ligaments, tension tests at various speeds were performed on the knee of a dog with only the collateral ligament. The results showed that the tensile force was greater in high speed than in low speed test. The difference may be caused in a viscous property of the ligament. The mechanical properties of ligaments can therefore be treated as those of viscoelastic materials and expressed by a modified Voigt model consisting of a non-linear spring element and a dash pot component. Observations regarding the ultrastructure of human knee ligaments using an electron scanning microscope revealed wavy bundles of collagen fiber connected with coarse fibers like network running in parallel with the long axis as the main structure. The above structure and properties were considered to be the decisive factors in the mechanical actions of the knee ligament.


To isolate a more native, platelet-interactive macromolecule (class II antigen) of Streptococcus sanguis, cultured protoplasts were used as a source. Protoplasts were optimally prepared from fresh washed cells by digestion with 80 U of mutanolysin per ml for 75 min at 37 degrees C while osmotically stabilized in 26% (wt/vol) raffinose. Osmotically stabilized forms were surrounded by a 9-nm bilaminar membrane, as shown by transmission electron microscopy. Protoplasts were cultured in chemically defined synthetic medium and osmotically stabilized by ammonium chloride. Spent culture media were harvested daily for 7 days. Each day, soluble proteins were isolated from media, preincubated with platelet-rich plasma, and tested for inhibition of platelet aggregation induced by S. sanguis cells. Products released from S. sanguis protoplasts and reactive with an anti-class II antigen immunoaffinity matrix were able to inhibit S. sanguis-induced platelet aggregation. As resolved by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, anti-class II-reactive protoplast products included silver-stained bands of 67, 79, 115, 216, and 248 kDa. The 115-kDa protein fraction was isolated by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. This form of the class II antigen contained N-formylmethionine at its amino terminus. Rhamnose constituted 18.2% of the total residual dry weight and nearly half of its carbohydrate content. Diester phosphorus constituted 1% of this fraction. After trypsinization of the protoplast products from either preparation, a 65-kDa protein fragment was recovered. This protoplast protein fragment and the S. sanguis cell-derived 65-kDa class II antigen, previously implicated in the induction of platelet aggregation, were shown to be functionally and immunologically identical.


Obturator hernias are quite rare in the world of hernias, and one that contains an acutely inflamed appendix becomes a very rare case indeed. An obturator hernia containing the appendix has been reported only 5 times in the surgical literature. Three of those cases were in elderly women with delayed presentations and were fatal. The most recent case was in a young woman with prompt laparoscopic appendectomy and no complications. We present a case in a 25-year-old man presenting with acute appendicitis and found to be incarcerated within the obturator canal during laparoscopy. The patient was treated with a 4-day course of postoperative antibiotics and a surgical drain that was later removed who had a full recovery. We conclude that the appropriate workup includes CT imaging and treatment with laparoscopic surgery for removal of the appendix.


Abstract Sperm–oocyte binding initiates an outside-in signaling event in the mouse oocyte that triggers recruitment and activation of the cytosolic protein kinase PTK2B in the cortex underlying the bound sperm. While not involved in gamete fusion, PTK2B activity promotes actin remodeling events important during sperm incorporation. However, the mechanism by which sperm–oocyte binding activates PTK2B is unknown, and the present study examined the possibility that sperm interaction with specific oocyte surface proteins plays an important role in PTK2B activation. Imaging studies revealed that as IZUMO1R and CD9 became concentrated at the sperm binding site, activated (phosphorylated) PTK2B accumulated in the cortex underlying the sperm head and in microvilli partially encircling the sperm head. In order to determine whether IZUMO1R and/or CD9 played a significant role in PTK2B recruitment and activation at the sperm binding site, the ability of oocytes null for Izumo1r or Cd9, to initiate an increase in PTK2B content and activation was tested. The results revealed that IZUMO1R played a minor role in PTK2B activation and had no effect on actin remodeling; however, CD9 played a very significant role in PTK2B activation and subsequent actin remodeling at the sperm binding site. These findings suggest the possibility that interaction of sperm surface proteins with CD9 or CD9-associated oocyte proteins triggers PTK2B activation at the sperm binding site. Summary sentence Sperm binding triggers PTK2B activation in the oocyte through a CD9-dependent mechanism.


Bonded ceramics and especially porcelain veneers have long been regarded as a less invasive method of fixed prosthodontic treatment. The guidelines for tooth preparation associated with traditional full crowns are long established; unfortunately, there are no such preparation guidelines regarding bonded ceramics, and a number of different approaches have been described in the literature. It may seem that deviating from a full-crown preparation will automatically lead to a more minimally invasive treatment. However, when scrutinizing the photographs and procedures described in the literature, significant tooth reduction can often be seen even if the stated goals were to remove as little tooth substance as possible and confine the preparation to enamel. Thus, this paper discusses minimally invasive approaches to tooth preparation when using bonded ceramic restorations.


Most tropical and subtropical fruits are susceptible to chilling injury, mainly manifested as pitting, surface or internal browning, failure to ripening, development of a woolly or leathery texture, and decay. The development of these chilling injury symptoms negatively affects fruit quality and thus shortens storage life. Chilling injury of fruits can be alleviated by physical techniques such as low temperature conditioning, heat treatment, controlled or modified atmosphere storage, waxing, and UV-C irradiation, by chemical treatments with methyl jasmonate (MeJA), methyl salicylate (MeSA), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), nitric oxide, oxalic acid, or other natural compounds and genetic engineering. Treatment with MeJA enhances antioxidant activity, increases endogenous GABA and proline content and maintains a higher degree of unsaturation of membrane lipid in loquat fruit. GABA treatment enhances the accumulation of endogenous GABA and proline, induces higher antioxidant activity, and maintains higher adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and energy charge in peaches. The combination of heat with MeJA or MeSA treatment has a synergistic effect on alleviating chilling injury and inducing higher antioxidant activity in peach fruit. For loquat, avocado, pineapple, and persimmon fruits whose chilling injury is enhanced by increased ethylene production, 1-MCP can be used to reduce its development. Low temperature conditioning activates the expression of membrane lipid modification enzymes such as fatty acid desaturase (FAD) and lipid transfer protein (LTP), whereas heat treatment induces the expression of various stress-related genes, including heat shock proteins (HSPs), dehydrin and universal stress protein (USP), increases antioxidant activity and maintains membrane stability in citrus fruits. Genetic engineering has the potential to enhance chilling tolerance by generation of genetically-modified fruits with overexpressed genes that encode HSPs and antioxidant enzymes.


Moving a wheelchair is a task which requires both the physical and mental engagement of either an assistant pushing it, or the rider controlling it. Pushing it can be physically demanding and limits the number of wheelchairs that can be moved, to one. Our research introduces a technology that may enable a wheelchair to independently follow the rider or assistant. This will allow the rider to disengage from the task of moving the wheelchair, and allow for more riders to be assisted by an assistant at one time. We have developed a Socially Interactive, Gesture-Aware, Human-Following, Transport system (SIGHT) in order to provide more freedom of action to assistants who are providing the same level of service to riders with less effort. Indeed, SIGHT allows for a human to interact with the wheelchair on a more social level. By using gestures, such as waving, the assistant and wheelchair can communicate.


This article analyzes the changes that have occured in a major company of the clothing field in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and its relations concerning the chores, control and qualification of female labour. Most female workers of this company hold a low schooling level, a low salary and their chores are organised in a task-based pattern. However, since microeletronic technology and new forms of labour management have been applied in this company, new opportunities for training and professional reintegration have arisen in strategic production sectors for some women.


This study numerically intends to evaluate the effects of arc-shaped fins on the melting capability of a triplex-tube confinement system filled with phase-change materials (PCMs). In contrast to situations with no fins, where PCM exhibits relatively poor heat response, in this study, the thermal performance is modified using novel arc-shaped fins with various circular angles and orientations compared with traditional rectangular fins. Several inline and staggered layouts are also assessed to maximize the fin's efficacy. The effect of the nearby natural convection is further investigated by adding a fin to the bottom of the heat-storage domain. Additionally, the Reynolds number and temperature of the heat-transfer fluid (HTF) are evaluated. The outcomes showed that the arc-shaped fins could greatly enhance the PCMs' melting rate and the associated heat-storage properties. The melting rate is 17% and 93.1% greater for the case fitted with an inline distribution of the fins with a circular angle of 90° and an upward direction, respectively, than the cases with uniform rectangular fins and no fins, which corresponded to the shorter melting time of 14.5% and 50.4%. For the case with arc-shaped fins with a 90° circular angle, the melting rate increases by 9% using a staggered distribution. Compared to the staggered fin distribution, adding an extra fin to the bottom of the domain indicates adverse effects. The charging time reduces by 5.8% and 9.2% when the Reynolds number (Re) rises from 500 to 1000 and 1500, respectively, while the heat-storage rate increases by 6.3% and 10.3%. When the fluid inlet temperature is 55°C or 50°C, compared with 45°C, the overall charging time increases by 98% and 47%, respectively.


The ability to cool and manipulate levitated nano-particles in vacuum is a promising new tool for exploring macroscopic quantum mechanics\cite{WanPRL2016,Scala2013,Zhang2013}, precision measurements of forces, \cite{GambhirPRA2016} and non-equilibrium thermodynamics \cite{GieselerNatNano2014,MillenNat2014}. The extreme isolation afforded by optical levitation offers a low noise, undamped environment that has to date been used to measure zeptonewton forces \cite{GambhirPRA2016}, radiation pressure shot noise,\cite{Jain2016} and to demonstrate the cooling of the centre-of-mass motion \cite{LiNatPhys2011,Gieseler2012}. Ground state cooling, and the creation and measurement of macroscopic quantum superpositions, are now within reach, but control of both the center-of-mass and internal temperature is required. While cooling the centre-of-mass motion to microKelvin temperatures has now been achieved, the internal temperature has remained at or well above room temperature. Here we demonstrate refrigeration of levitated Yb$^{3+}$:YLF from room temperature to 130 K using anti-Stokes fluorescence cooling, while simultaneously using the optical trapping field to align the crystal to maximise cooling.


Equilibrium beach profiles have been investigated in the laboratory for two beach materials, 0.22 mm marine sand and 1.55 mm crushed coal. Analysis of the results confirms that the dimensionless fall velocity H0/Tw is an important parameter influencing both surf zone hydraulics and the form of the resulting equilibrium profile. Beach permeability also significantly influences the hydraulics within the beach face and it has been found that both H0/Tw and the parameter wf/w, the ratio of the fluidising velocity to the fall velocity, influence the form of the equilibrium profiles of permeable beaches.


We propose an ant colony optimization based self-organizing QoS framework, referred to as AntQoS. AntQoS introduces a new concept named QoS colony which is a virtual sub colony to heuristically search a sub-optimal path for given QoS requirements in real-time. Compared with previous QoS frameworks, AntQoS provides two promising capabilities using QoS colonies: 1) self-organizing network QoS (not pre-defined class-based QoS), which autonomously reconfigures itself by promptly adapting to the changing network status, and 2) self-organizing controls, which autonomously resolve network congestion and resist network failures. Simulation results show that AntQoS guarantees diverse QoS requirements of emerging services while increasing network throughput.


Encystation in Phytophthora parasitica can be divided into 3 stages. In the first, the zoospores line their peripheries with flattened vesicles and fibrillar vacuoles in preparation for encystation. In the second stage, as the zoospores round up and shed their flagella, an initial wall is produced which takes the form of the mature cyst wall in thickness, but not in density. The participation of the flattened vesicles and fibrillar vacuoles in the formation of this initial wall is suggested by the disappearance of these organelles concomitant with wall formation. The third stage involves the maturation of the cyst wall and occurs only after dictyosomes produce vesicles which move to the cyst periphery and fuse to the plasmalemma. Germ tubes are formed in direct and indirect germination and involve the evagination of the plasmalemma and cyst wall proximal to an accumulation of dictyosome-derived vesicles. These vesicles remain at the germ-tube tip as it extends. In indirect germination the germ tube stops after having attained an average length of 6 µm and the vesicles appear to fuse at the hyphal apex, thus forming a cap. Lomasomes do not appear to be cell organelles with a specific function such as well synthesis, but rather seem to represent aggregations of excess membranous material that have formed as a result of the discharge of vesicles at the cell periphery during wall formation. When dictyosome vesicles are inhibited from forming and moving toward the cell periphery, lomasomes are not formed.


ABSTRACT. Peixoto T.C., Silva D.N., Araujo B.R., de Farias S.S., Pinto M.P.R., Requiao L.G.T., Muramoto C. & Madureira K.M. [Mandibular chondroblastic osteosarcoma in a bovine - Case report.] Osteossarcoma condroblastico mandibular em um bovino - Relato de caso. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinaria 38(Supl.1):60-64, 2016. Departamento de Anatomia, Patoloiga e Cli- nicas Veterinarias, Escola de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, Salvador, BA 40170- 110, Brasil. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com The objective of this work is to describe the clinical pathological and radiological aspects of mandibular chondroblastic osteosarcoma in a five year old bull. During the autopsy, there was a lush neoplastic proliferation affecting the left mandibular branch measuring 24 x 19.5 x 13 cm, multilobular aspect, that invaded the oral cavity, showed irregular surface with many exophytic nodules of difference sizes. When cut, the tumor had compact surface, whitish aspect, bone consistency and central necrosis. Microscopically, there were atypical proliferation of mesenchymal cells, marked pleomorphism and high mitotic index in large areas of bone matrix and chondroid. The diagnosis was based on clinical, pathological radiographic findings and confirmed by histopathological examination. This is the first report of primary mandibular chondroblastic osteosarcoma in bovine.


Purpose of review The majority of adults in many developed countries are overweight or obese. The obesity epidemic is also affecting children worldwide. Obesity increases the risk of several diseases leading to life-threatening complications. Weight regulation depends on food intake (energy intake) and energy expenditure. The purpose of this review is to provide updated information on the neuroendocrine regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis. Recent findings New knowledge about the role of the prefrontal cortex in the regulation of food intake has emerged. The pathways responsible for energy homeostasis are now increasingly being understood, and as a consequence, an increasing number of pharmacologic agents targeting these pathways are being actively developed. Emphasis on the concept of long-term (as opposed to short-term) homeostasis has guided the search for therapeutic molecules or combination of molecules that would inhibit food intake constantly and thus lead to maintained weight loss. Summary Complex and intricate neuroendocrine pathways control food intake and energy homeostasis. The increasing understanding of the different components orchestrating the regulation of food intake provides new and exciting targets for much needed pharmacotherapy for obesity.


On hearing the word "management," many Americans think instinctively of the leadership of private firms. But the federal government is the largest managerial enterprise in the country, and the President is the nation's chief executive. The process by which the President is selected therefore, reflects a managerial decision of the highest importance. At the center of Presidential selection is the Electoral College. The College is a controversial body whose operating rules have drawn criticism for nearly two centuries. A state's delegate strength in the College is equal to the number of people it elects to Congress; because coach state elects two Senators regardless of its size, its less populated states have more delegates pcr capita than do the others. Critics have holed that the ratio of delegates Io residents varies sharply from state Iii state. Even greater criticism is directed at the "winner take all" custom, under which the candidate who nets a plurality of a state's popular votes gets all its electoral votes. (1) Arthur Schlesinger has noted that voters whose candidate loses their state are not only deified representation in the Electoral College, but are effectively treated as having voted for the candidate they opposed (Schlesinger; 1988). Researchers have argued that the "all or nothing" rule mixes inordinate leverage to swing voters in large states (Blair, 1979; Sterling, 1978; Longley and Dana, 1984), and that, in addition, it depresses voter turnout by enhancing the perception that an individual vote cannot affect the election outcome (Cebula and Murphy, 1980). Probably the most controversial aspect of the College's modus Vivendi is that the loser in the national popular vote can nonetheless win the Presidency. President Andrew Jackson warned in 1829 that "a President elected by a minority cannot enjoy the confidence necessary to the successful discharge of his duties." Uneasiness about this possibility has led to frequent proposals that the College be abolished and the President elected by national popular vote. (2) There have also been several less sweeping proposals that would preserve the Electoral College but change it substantially. One approach, somewhat akin to the British system, would have one Elector from each congressional district cast his vote for the candidate who carried the district (see Weinhagen, 1981). Another would retain the existing Electoral arrangements (including state-by-state winner-take-all) but add a new pool of "national bonus" delegates all committed to the winner of the national popular vote (Schlesinger, 1988). Of course, the Electoral College has its defenders. Some believe that the College strengthens the two-party system because its rules leave most minor parties bereft of a single delegate (Weinhagen, 1981). And, to many observers, a massive collision between the Electoral College and the popular will is more an academic fantasy than a serious threat. They note that, over a period of two centuries, only twice has the loser in the popular tally prevailed in the College, and even in those cases, the person chosen as President got 49% of the popular vote. This last circumstance probably explains how the College has survived all the efforts to reform it. But for a reason highlighted by the Challenger disaster, such an historical defense of the Electoral College may rest on a fallacious argument. Alter the Challenger exploded, it emerged that several previous space shuttles had returned with their O-rings damaged; the very fact that these shuttles landed sadly, however, had been constructed as evidence that O-ring problem posed little danger. Analogously, the benign historical outcomes in the Electoral College to date may have been accompanied by cogent warnings of a potential disaster ahead. Until we have carefully searched for such warnings, we have no right to assume that they do not exist. This paper explores both theoretically and empirically the extent to which Electoral College outcomes can deviate from democratic norms. …


Many organizations have undergone substantial change over recent years and the importance of organizational culture to organizational analysis and change management has been increasingly recognized. However, the implementation of change is a complex process that is not always successful due to a variety of reasons. Failure in most change processes can be traced back to poor communications and underestimation of the amount of retraining required. The main aim of this research is to identify the key steps that could improve the management of change. Literature relating to organizational culture, the need for change, types of change and resistance to change was used to develop a theoretical basis for the research. Organizational change management case studies and exploratory interviews were used to document experiences of organizational change and develop a strategic framework for change management. Validation was through acceptance and adoption of the developed process within a construction‐based organization. The research has demonstrated how well‐planned change helps to ensure that change is successfully implemented. Critical to successful change is not only the development of more efficient and effective processes but alignment of organizational culture to support these new processes.


Solution techniques are studied for the problem of finding a priori paths that are shortest to ensure a specified probability of on-time arrival in a stochastic network. A new discretization scheme called α-discrete is proposed. The scheme is well suited to large-scale applications because it does not depend on problem-specific parameters. A procedure for evaluating convolution integrals based on the new scheme is given, and its complexity is analyzed. Other implementation strategies also are discussed to improve the computational performance of the exact yet nondeterministic polynomial label-correcting algorithm. These include an approximate method based on extreme dominance and two cycle-avoidance strategies. Comprehensive numerical experiments are conducted to test the effects of the proposed implementation strategies using different networks and different distribution types.


Despite their stunning performance, developing deep learning models from scratch is a formidable task. Therefore, it popularizes Machine-Learning-as-a-Service (MLaaS), where general users can access the trained models of MLaaS providers via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) on a pay-per-query basis. Unfortunately, the success of MLaaS is under threat from model extraction attacks, where attackers intend to extract a local model of equivalent functionality to the target MLaaS model. However, existing studies on model extraction of text analytics APIs frequently assume adversaries have strong knowledge about the victim model, like its architecture and parameters, which hardly holds in practice. Besides, since the attacker's and the victim's training data can be considerably discrepant, it is non-trivial to perform efficient model extraction. In this paper, to advance the understanding of such attacks, we propose a framework, PEEP, for practical and efficient model extraction of sentiment analysis APIs with only query access. Specifically, PEEP features a learning-based scheme, which employs out-of-domain public corpora and a novel query strategy to construct proxy training data for model extraction. Besides, PEEP introduces a greedy search algorithm to settle an appropriate architecture for the extracted model. We conducted extensive experiments with two victim models across three datasets and two real-life commercial sentiment analysis APIs. Experimental results corroborate that PEEP can consistently outperform the state-of-the-art baselines in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.


A label-free single-molecule detection platform based on biofunctionalized organic transistors has been recently proposed. In contrast to state-of-art approaches based on nano-transducers, the aforementioned single-molecule transistor (SiMoT) sensing technology is based on millimeter-sized transistors where the gate is bio-functionalized with about a trillion of antibodies. In this work we provide a detailed investigation of SiMoT biosensors by studying and quantifying the device parameters affected by the biorecognition event. The study combines both measurements and theoretical analyses, showing that a single protein detection taking place at nanometer scale affects a millimeter scale area of the biofunctionalized gate electrode. The dimension of the bioprobe domains affected by the binding is calculated as a function of the nominal protein concentration in the analyte solution. These results provide important insight into the SiMoT biosensor technology, which can guide the development of multi-modal SiMoT detection and integrated SiMoT biosensors arrays.


The strengthening mathematics and science education in-service education and training (SMASE INSET) in primary school has been initiated to improve pedagogical methods used by teachers teaching mathematics and science in public schools. It also addresses issues of attitude towards both teachers and pupils both teachers and pupils, how the content can be delivered within speculated time as well as use of resources mobilization and management. The proposed study was to establish the perceptions of teachers in the implementation of SMASE INSET in public primary schools; because good performance in our primary schools depends on teachers using guiding principles of SMASE INSET. Their perception has shed light so as to improve the implementation of SMASE. The Activity Student Experiment Improvisation (ASEI-PDSI) paradigm of the trends in the teaching and learning science and mathematics and according to the finding of several, need surveys. The study employed survey research design and use the questionnaire and interview schedule as the key data collected tools. The population of the study comprises of al the 41 public primary school teachers and head teachers of those schools in Kirinyaga West district. From the population, the researcher randomly sampled seventeen schools to participate in the study. All the science and mathematics teachers participating in the SMASE INSET participate in the study. The researcher also interview the trainers. Data from the teachers was collected using a questionnaire while that of the trainers was collected via an interview. Data collected from the field was coded and entered to the computer for analysis using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS). Descriptive and analytical statistics was used to analyze the data obtained. The results of the data analysis was presented in frequency tables, histograms, percentages. Quantitative statistics was used to describe and summarize the data.


more frequently implicated (unpublished, PHLS Commun Dis Rep). The isolation rate of GBSfrom both rectal and perianal swabs is much higher than from faeces.3 It may be that carriage is mainly limited to the perianal skin, which could contaminate rectal swabs, ' or alternatively, the rectum and anal canal may also be colonised.3 If the latter is true, it is surprising that faeces are not more often contaminated. In either case, it is impossible to be certain that GBS are gut commensals without examining stool specimens collected in such a way as to avoid contamination-for example, by sigmoidoscopy. Further studies are required. CJ NOBLE Maidstone Public Health Laboratory, Preston Hall Hospital, Maidstone, Kent ME20 7NH


The phloem transports photosynthetic assimilates and signalling molecules. It mainly consists of sieve elements (SEs), which act as "highways" for transport, and companion cells (CCs), which serve as "gates" to load/unload cargos. Though SEs and CCs function together, it remains unknown what determines the ratio of SE/CC in the phloem. In this study, we develop a novel culture system for CC differentiation named VISUAL-CC, which reconstitutes the SE-CC complex formation. Comparative expression analysis in VISUAL-CC reveals that SE and CC differentiation tends to show negative correlation, while total phloem differentiation is unchanged. This varying SE/CC ratio is largely dependent on GSK3 kinase activity. Indeed, gsk3 hextuple mutants possess much more SEs and less CCs in planta. Conversely, gsk3 gain-of-function mutants induced by phloem-specific promoter partially increased the CC ratio. Taken together, GSK3 activity appears to function as a cell fate switch in the phloem, thereby balancing the SE/CC ratio.


Abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) is a rare type of endometriosis. Its pathophysiological pathways are still unknown. It generally occurs after surgical, mainly gynecological or obstetrical, interventions. The incidence of AWE after a caesarean section is around 0.03 to 0.04%. The symptoms are various, but the classical triad includes the presence of a mass, generally painful, associated with a cyclic variation of the symptomatology. The recommended treatment currently remains complete surgical resection of the mass. This article describes three cases of AWE. Each patient had a caesarean section. Their symptoms, however, occurred after various lengths of time and in different circumstances. We will more specifically discuss AWE secondary to cesarean sections, the diagnostic tools, treatment and prevention strategies.


The pre-ejection period (PEP) has been described as a potential parameter for monitoring cardiac preload in deeply sedated mechanically ventilated patients. Other authors have recently suggested that PEP is not sensitive to the changes in intravascular volume status in mechanically ventilated pigs which underwent acute hemorrhage. The present comment is an analysis of this recent animal investigation.


Abstract This article addresses an understudied question in the comparative political economy of migration. How have trade unions shaped the attitudes of their members toward immigration? Unions are at the core of left-wing politics in most European countries, and support for immigration is usually a left-wing position. However, many of the core constituents of unions are those whose interests are most likely to be adversely affected by an increase in the supply of labour. The article shows that the pattern of European trade union leaders becoming supportive of open immigration policies has solidified over the past decade. It then provides evidence that this rhetoric has shaped the attitudes of union members and that the effect has become stronger over time. Finally, it shows that the effect is robust to the exclusion of countries where self-selection into unions on the basis of ideology is likely to be strongest.


In particular, information weapons and social media weapons have become a weighty and decisive factor in warfare. Moreover, military conflict models increasingly use information as a weapon in virtual space. The article aims to analyze the peculiarities of the use of information weapons in interstate struggle on the example of empirical assessment of the use of disinformation methods against Ukraine in 2021-2022. Methodology. The study used the methods of cases and content analysis of reports and analytical bulletins of the Centre for Counteracting Disinformation of Ukraine to assess the use of information weapons, in particular the spread of disinformation in the information space of Ukraine. The reports and analytical bulletins from December 3, 2021, to February 21, 2022, were used for content analysis. Results. The main types of misinformation that are spread in the Ukrainian information space are: 1) misleading a particular person or group of people (even an entire nation); 2) manipulation, and 3) creation of the desired public opinion.

We determined the main characteristics of fake news (unknown source, manipulative headline, emotional coloring, lack of reference to the head, value judgments). Based on the analysis, trends in the dissemination of false, manipulative information are identified.