DONADIO, J.L.S. Influence of differents genotypes on the pattern of selenoprotein expression in response to supplementation with Brazil nuts. São Paulo, 2016. PhD Thesis – Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo. The micronutrient selenium is essential to human physiology. As the amino acid selenocysteine, it is inserted into selenoproteins with a wide range of functions including antioxidant capacity, thyroid hormone metabolism, improvement of immune system, brain function, fertility and reproduction. Low selenium status has been associated with increased risk for chronic diseases, such as cancer, type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In this context, several studies have been conducted in order to investigate if selenium supplementation could reduce the risk of such diseases. However, genetic variations may interfere in the response of individuals to a dietary intervention and must be considered as a important source of inter-individual variation. Therefore, this study was conducted was conducted to investigate the influence of genetic variations in selenoproteins genes on the response to an intervention with Brazil nuts, the richest source of selenium known in nature. The study included 130 healthy volunteers with both genders, aged 20 to 60 years old selected in University of São Paulo. They received nuts for 8 weeks, eating one nut a day, and did a washout period for more 8 weeks. All volunteers had a blood sampling collection every 4 weeks during 4 months, in a total of 5. The following analysis were done: anthropometric measurements, lipid profile, plasma malondialdehyde, plasma and erythrocyte Se, selenoprotein P, plasma and erythrocyte GPx activity, gene expression of GPX1, SEPP1, SELS and SEP15. The volunteers were also genotyped for SNPs rs1050450, rs3811699, rs1800699, rs713041, rs3877899, rs7579, rs34713741 and rs5845. Each unit of Brazil nut provided an average of 300 g of selenium. All 130 volunteers completed the protocol. The concentrations of total cholesterol and glucose decreased after 8 weeks of supplementation. Moreover, HDL concentrations were higher for carriers of the variant T allele for GPX4_rs713041. The frequencies of the variant genotypes were 5,4% for rs1050450, rs3811699 e rs1088668, 10% for rs3877899, 19,2% for rs713041 e rs7579, 11,5% for rs5845 and 8,5% for rs34713741. The levels of the five biomarkers increased significantly after supplementation. In addition, erythrocyte GPx activity was influenced by rs1050450, rs713041 and rs5845; erythrocyte selenium was influenced by rs5845 and plasma selenium by rs3877899. Gene expression of GPX1, SEPP1 and SEP15 were higher after supplementation. The SNP rs1050450 influenced GPX1 mRNA expression and rs7579 influenced SEPP1 mRNA expression. Therefore, it can be concluded that the supplementation with one of Brazil nut for 8 weeks was efficient to reduce total cholesterol and glucose levels and to increase the concentrations of the main biomarkers of selenium status in healthy adults. Furthermore, our results suggest that GPX4_rs713041 might interfere on HDL concentrations and GPx1 activity, GPX1_rs1050450 might interfere on GPx1 activity, SEP15_rs5845 might interfere on GPx1 activity and erythrocyte selenium and SEPP1_3877899 might interfere on plasma Se levels. Therefore, the effect of genetic variations should be considered in future nutritional interventions evaluating the response to Brazil nut supplementation.


PURPOSE
In recent years, deep-learning-based image processing has emerged as a valuable tool for medical imaging owing to its high performance. However, the quality of deep-learning-based methods heavily relies on the amount of training data; the high cost of acquiring a large dataset is a limitation to their utilization in medical fields. Herein, based on deep learning, we developed a computed tomography (CT) modality conversion method requiring only a few unsupervised images.

METHODS
The proposed method is based on CycleGAN with several extensions tailored for CT images, which aims at preserving the structure in the processed images and reducing the amount of training data. This method was applied to realize the conversion of megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) to kilovoltage computed tomography (kVCT) images. Training was conducted using several datasets acquired from patients with head and neck cancer. The size of the datasets ranged from 16 slices (two patients) to 2745 slices (137 patients) for MVCT and 2824 slices (98 patients) for kVCT.

RESULTS
The required size of the training data was found to be as small as a few hundred slices. By statistical and visual evaluations, the quality improvement and structure preservation of the MVCT images converted by the proposed model were investigated. As a clinical benefit, it was observed by medical doctors that the converted images enhanced the precision of contouring.

CONCLUSIONS
We developed an MVCT to kVCT conversion model based on deep learning, which can be trained using only a few hundred unpaired images. The stability of the model against changes in data size was demonstrated. This study promotes the reliable use of deep learning in clinical medicine by partially answering commonly asked questions, such as "Is our data sufficient?" and "How much data should we acquire?" This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


OBJECTIVES
On April 3 and 7, 2000, four cases of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 infection were diagnosed in France in Raj pilgrims and their close relatives. Two cases were fatal. Due to the rarity of this strain in France, a strain belonging to a clonal complex implicated in several epidemics in Europe and North America, and it high mortality observed, The French General Direction of Heal issued recommendations on April 8th for rifampicin chemotherapy for all pilgrims and relatives living in their home. The national disease watch (Institut de Veille Sanitaire, InVS) conducted an investigation to describe the epidemic and follow the diffusion of the strain in the population and assess the impact of preventive measures taken as well as need for other specific measures.

METHODS
A case was considered to be confirmed when the strain isolated from usually sterile media after March 22 was found to be identical to the epidemic strain (W135, 2a: P1-2.5--clonal complex ET37). A case was considered probable when a pilgrim or in a person in contact with a pilgrim had clinical meningitis (purulent cerebrospinal fluid or purpura fulminans) or when the identified strain was in the W135 serogroup but could not be further identified. A standardized questionnaire developed in collaboration with the European countries concerned by the epidemic was filled out.

RESULTS
By November 20, 2000, 25 confirmed and 2 probable cases were identified; 85% of the cases occurred during the first 7 weeks of the epidemic. Mortality was 18%. Patients aged over 50 years accounted for 66% of the cases (6/9) occurring before April 9, 2000 and 17% of the cases (3/18) observed after this data. Four patients had single-joint arthritis. No cluster cases could be identified. Four cases occurred among 19,100 pilgrims (attack rate 21/100,000), 9 among persons living with pilgrims, 7 among subjects in direct contact with pilgrims but not living with them, and 7 among persons who had no identifiable contact with pilgrims. These last 7 cases occurred after the 3rd week of the epidemic. No cases occurred among persons who had taken rifampicin chemoprophylaxis. Eighteen cases occurred after diffusion of the prophylaxis recommendations including 5 in a population directly concerned by the recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that the epidemic strain is not different from other strains in terms of virulence and transmissibility. Eight months after the Raj, the number of cases related to the epidemic remained limited in France. The characteristics of the most recent cases do however suggest an epidemic clone persists in the general population. The Direction of Health recommends vaccination using the quadrivalent A,C,W135,Y vaccine for the 2001 Raj.


Spectrum access protocols permit secondary users to utilize frequency bands when the bands are not in use by the primary owners. To determine if a frequency band is in use, spectrum sensing techniques (e.g., energy detection, feature detection) are employed by the secondary radios. Such techniques require that the secondary radios cease transmitting in the band during spectrum sensing periods. We propose a technique whereby cognitive radios that are secondary users of a frequency band can monitor the band for the emergence of primary signals while communicating. This enhancement permits more efficient use of spectrum by the secondary network, which results in increased channel utilization.


We found the time-dependent induction of the systemic hypotensive response to des-Arg9-bradykinin and the contractile response of ileum of rats to des-Arg9-bradykinin. Both induced responses to des-Arg9-bradykinin were inhibited by treatment with a B1 receptor competitive antagonist, while the responses to bradykinin was constant throughout the experiment and was not influenced by the B1 antagonist, suggesting that these responses occur via a B1 receptor. The potencies of des-Arg9-bradykinin in these responses were comparable to those of bradykinin at a molar base. The other characteristics of this phenomenon is that several hours were required to the induction of these responses. In a case of hypotensive response, intravenous LPS pretreatment was necessary, but not for the induction of contraction in ileum preparation. Treatment with actinomycin D or cycloheximide throughout the experiment suppressed the induction of the contractile response to des-Arg9-bradykinin. The expression of B1 receptor gene was also confirmed by a RT-PCR method. Therefore, we concluded that these responses to des-Arg9-bradykinin occurred via a B1 receptor, which could be newly generated time-dependently.


This paper presents a knee rehabilitation device to reproduce four exercises generally used in the rehabilitation therapies. The device consists of a mechanical structure based on a 2 DOF parallel mechanism, a controller with PIC-SERVO motion control boards, and a GUI that commands the device to reproduce the rehabilitation exercises. The position kinematic analysis of the mechanism is developed as well as its dimensioning synthesis to cover various leg sizes. This work proposes a technological alternative with significant advantages that responds to the global need for improving physical knee rehabilitation process. A prototype was manufactured and its mobility was validated using a mannequin.


The relationship between work satisfaction and the leadership style of managers: A case study from the banking sector
The aim of this research was to investigate the way in which the dominant leadership style of training managers influences the work satisfaction of training consultants who provide adult education within a specific bank group in South Africa. This context is the training department of a specific banking group where one of the authors of this article worked and where a lack of work satisfaction has been identified as a real concern. For this purpose specific leadership styles (namely the democratic, autocratic and laissez-faire-leadership styles) and work satisfaction components (namely support, relationships and empowerment) were identified and a closed-ended questionnaire designed accordingly. Information requested in the questionnaire included the biographical details of respondents, their managers' perceived leadership styles and the respondents' sense of work satisfaction.
The questionnaire was e-mailed to 137 training consultants in the training division of the bank and a response rate of 66.42% was reported. Respondents who took part in the study are mainly experienced white females who fall in the 31-40 and 41-50 years age groups. The data was analysed by means of quantitative statistical techniques to establish the statistical significance of the effect of dominant leadership style on experience of work satisfaction.
Exploratory analysis shows that the majority of respondents identified the democratic leadership style as their manager's dominant style followed by the autocratic leadership style. The laissez-faire leadersip style was seldom recorded and some managers did not exhibit a dominant leadership style. Findings furthermore indicated that respondents expressed a level of uncertainty with management support in the work place. The same applied to relationships that managers build in the work place and with the empowerment that takes place in their work environment. Analysis of variance results of how these components of job satisfaction, namely support, interpersonal relationships and empowerment are affected by the dominant leadership style of managers and by the biographical attributes of participants, indicate that the democratic leadership style resulted in higher perceptions of work satisfaction with regard to the support provided, relationships built and employee empowerment compared to other leadership styles. In addition to the positive effect of the democratic leadership style, age also influenced perceptions of experienced support.
Die doel van die studie was om vas te stel op watter wyse die dominante leierskapstyl van opleidingsbestuurders die werksbevrediging van opleidingskonsultante wat volwasseneonderwys binne 'n bepaalde bankgroep in Suid-Afrika verskaf, beinvloed. Bepaalde leierskapstyle (naamlik die demokratiese, outokratiese en laissez-faire-leierskapstyle) en werksbevredigingskomponente (naamlik ondersteuning, verhoudings en bemagtiging) is vir die doel geidentifiseer.
'n Vraelys is ontwerp wat as kwantitatiewe navorsingsinstrument gedien het om inligting aangaande die biografiese besonderhede van respondente, hul bestuurder se leierskapstyl en respondente se persepsies van hul eie werksbevrediging in te samel. Een-en-negentig uit 137 respondente aan wie 'n e-pos gestuur is, het die vraelys voltooi. Die responskoers was dus 66.42%.
Uit die analise van variansieresultate het dit geblyk dat leierskapstyl wel respondente se persepsie van al die gekose werksbevredigingskomponente statisties beduidend beinvloed. In die geval van die belewing van ondersteuning is ouderdom verder ook as bydraende faktor tot werksbevrediging geidentifiseer.


We obtain retarded Green's functions for massless scalar fields in the background of near-extreme, near-horizon rotating charged black holes of five-dimensional minimal gauged supergravity. The radial part of the (separable) massless Klein-Gordon equation in such general black hole backgrounds is Heun's equation, due to the singularity structure associated with the three black hole horizons. On the other hand, we find the scaling limit for the near-extreme, near-horizon background where the radial equation reduces to a Hypergeometric equation whose $SL(2,{\bf R})^2$ symmetry signifies the underlying two-dimensional conformal invariance, with the two sectors governed by the respective Frolov-Thorne temperatures.


A non-invasive multitechnical geophysical survey, using magnetic cartography, seismic and electrical resistivity tomographies, was carried out at the Malga archaeological park of Carthage in Tunisia. The goals were to understand the geological stratigraphy of the subsurface and to locate buried archaeological relics at the high-potential archaeological area of El Malga site. A potential linear magnetic anomaly was observed at the eastern-north side of the prospected area and which can be related to ruins probably made of sandy bricks like those of the Carthage-Zaghouan Aqueduct. Numerous bipolar magnetic anomalies are also characterized suggesting the presence of magnetized bodies in the subsurface. Seismic tomography profiles crossing magnetic anomalies show four main stratigraphic layers which are from the top to the bottom; the weathered zone with the lowest seismic velocity, a more compacted layer which deposited above the layers with the higher seismic velocity. The enhancement of the velocity can be related to enrichment with limestone or the impact of the phreatic table water. A depth of about 1 m was defined for potential archaeological features with strong electrical resistivity contrasts.


Federated learning is a distributed form of machine learning where both the training data and model training are decentralized. In this paper, we use federated learning in a commercial, global-scale setting to train, evaluate and deploy a model to improve virtual keyboard search suggestion quality without direct access to the underlying user data. We describe our observations in federated training, compare metrics to live deployments, and present resulting quality increases. In whole, we demonstrate how federated learning can be applied endto-end to both improve user experiences and enhance user privacy.


Previously, we showed that unlike HSV-1, the presence of the gD glycoprotein in virus producer cells but not gB potently restricted HIV-1 particle infectivity. To better understand the relationship between cell surface expression, virus incorporation, and restriction of HIV-1, we analyzed a series of deletion mutants and chimeric proteins in which domains of gD and gB were swapped. ABSTRACT Previously, we showed that the presence of the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) gD glycoprotein but not gB potently restricted HIV-1 particle infectivity. This restriction was characterized by incorporation of HSV-1 gD and the exclusion of HIV-1 gp120/gp41 from budding virus particles. To determine the structural domains involved in gD restriction of HIV-1, a series of deletion mutants and chimeric proteins involving combinations between gD and the nonrestrictive gB were generated. Our results show that deletion of the cytoplasmic tail domain (CTD) of gD or replacement of the transmembrane domain (TMD) with the TMD from gB slightly reduced restriction activity. However, replacement of the gD CTD with that of gB resulted in lower cell surface expression, significantly less incorporation into HIV-1 particles, and inefficient restriction of the release of infectious HIV-1. Analysis of gB/gD chimeric proteins revealed that removal of the gB CTD or replacement with gD CTD resulted in enhanced surface expression and an increase in restriction activity. Finally, we show that expression of gD without other HSV-1 proteins resulted in gD fractionation into detergent-resistant membranes (DRM) and that gD colocalized with the raft marker GM1, which may partially explain its incorporation into budding virus particles. Taken together, our results suggest that expression of gD at the cell surface is likely a major factor, but other intrinsic properties are also involved in the gD-mediated restriction of HIV-1 particle infectivity. IMPORTANCE Previously, we showed that the presence of the gD glycoprotein in virus producer cells but not gB potently restricted HIV-1 particle infectivity. To better understand the relationship between cell surface expression, virus incorporation, and restriction of HIV-1, we analyzed a series of deletion mutants and chimeric proteins in which domains of gD and gB were swapped. Our results indicate that (i) gD/gB chimeras having the cytoplasmic domain (CTD) of gB significantly reduced cell surface expression, release from cells, incorporation into virus, and reduced HIV-1 restriction, (ii) removal of the gB CTD or replacement with the gD CTD resulted in better surface expression, incorporation into HIV-1, and enhanced restriction, and (iii) the transmembrane domain of gB can influence transport and ultimately effect incorporation of gB into HIV-1. Overall, these data support a role for gD surface expression as crucial to restriction of infectious HIV-1 release.


The problem of secure adaptive-event-triggered filter design with input constraint and hybrid cyber attack is investigated in this article. First, a new model of hybrid cyber attack, which considers a deception attack, a replay attack, and a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, is established for filter design. Second, an adaptive event-triggered scheme is applied to the filter design to save the limited communication resource. In addition, a novel adaptive-event-triggered filtering error model is established with the consideration of hybrid cyber attack and input constraint. Moreover, based on the Lyapunov stability theory and linear matrix inequality technique, sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee the augmented system stability, and the parameters of the designed filter are presented with explicit forms. Finally, the proposed method is validated by simulation examples.


OBJECTIVE
Endometriosis is a menstrual disorder that affects one in ten women. Diagnosis often takes several years due to low awareness and menstrual stigma. In this study, we employed a social norm approach (SNA) to investigate the effects of an educational leaflet on endometriosis knowledge, menstrual stigma, and acceptance of paid menstrual leave among women and men.

METHODS
The 3 × 2 online experiment tested the influence of either descriptive norm messages or both descriptive and injunctive norm messages (compared to a control group, factor 1) in an educational leaflet by taking the role of addressee's sex into account (quasi-experimental factor 2). The study included 796 German participants aged 16-35.

RESULTS
Men exhibited significantly poorer knowledge, stronger menstrual stigma, and weaker policy acceptance compared to women. No significant main effect of the social norm messages on menstrual stigma was found. In contrast, the combined norm messages seem to be beneficial when addressing policy acceptance. Moreover, compared to the control group, the intervention material indirectly influenced stigma and policy acceptance through increased knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS
Providing information about social norms appears to be an effective strategy for educating not only women but especially men about menstrual disorders like endometriosis.


Food fraud is an age long challenge motivated by economic reasons. It is defined as the intentional substitution, addition, tampering and misrepresentation of food, food ingredients or food packaging for economic gain . Research has shown that food fraud costs at least $65 billion globally . Food experts tagged 2018 as the year of food fraud and fraud prevention strategies due to the shocking amounts and forms witnessed. Some of these included fake cherries, counterfeit honey, fake (plastic) rice, counterfeit wine, fake fish, etc. To combat counterfeiting, various certification programmes have been launched. However, counterfeit labelling which is the act of claiming certifications which have not been obtained by food producers on product packaging have ensued and become popular in developing countries. This new challenge has increased the need for a food safety verification system that enables prospective consumers to verify the authenticity of food products as quickly and as convenient as possible. In 2008, blockchain technology made its public debut and in just over a decade, it has shown potential for usefulness in every sector, including agriculture. It gained public trust and wide acceptance because they are distributed, utilizes cryptography, is open and has timestamps on every data recorded. Due to the combination of these features, it is considered unique and the most secure data framework for big data. Given the features of the blockchain system listed above, it is considered a more effective tool for food authenticity verification. The combination of serialization and blockchain will certainly proffer a fast and effective solution to counterfeit labelling issues in the global food industry, but this is also dependent on its level of adoption. A review of literature and industry articles revealed that a lot of attempts are being made in the use of blockchain for value chain traceability, farmer positioning, logistics, entering new markets and transaction costs. Most of these tools are utilized by most actors in the value chain but the consumer. Very little has been done in creating consumer centered verification tools using blockchain and this is a huge gap. This poster presentation intends to highlight the features and possible ways blockchain can equip consumers in developing countries with tools to verify the safety of food reliably and timely.


ABSTRACT
School-based immunizations are fear-inducing events for many students and contribute to vaccine hesitancy. We developed an immunization delivery framework called the CARD (Comfort Ask Relax Distract) system that incorporates evidence-based interventions to improve the experience (eg, reduce fear, pain, dizziness). We evaluated CARD in grades 6 and 9 students in Calgary, Canada. In this pragmatic, hybrid, effectiveness-implementation, cluster trial, we randomized 8 Community Health Centres providing regional immunization services to CARD or control (usual care). In the CARD group, public health staff educated students about CARD and planned processes to reduce fear cues and support student coping choices during immunization. Students self-reported fear, pain, and dizziness during immunization using a 0-10 numerical rating scale; staff recorded procedure details, including vaccines administered, fainting episodes, and coping strategies used. Staff participated in focus groups afterward. Altogether, 8839 children from 105 schools in the 2019 to 2020 school calendar year were included. Fear was lower for CARD (mean = 3.6 [SD = 3.1] vs control 4.1 [3.2]; mean difference = -0.5; 95% confidence interval = -0.74 to -0.21; P < 0.001). Effectiveness persisted after stratification by student gender (male and female) and grade level (grade 6 and grade 9). Other symptoms did not differ. Compared with control, CARD students used peers, privacy, muscle tension, and topical anesthetics more; verbal distraction, deep breathing, and adult support were used less frequently (P < 0.05, all analyses). Immunization rate did not differ. Staff reported positive to neutral attitudes about CARD. In summary, this pragmatic trial demonstrated that CARD improved the immunization experiences of students at school.


The optimal therapy for lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis (LIP) in HIV infected adults is currently unknown. We describe an HIV patient with LIP who improved with protease inhibitor based highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) without concurrent corticosteroids.

A 52 year old heterosexual African-American man, diagnosed with HIV infection 3 years before presentation, was hospitalised for an evaluation of an abnormal chest radiograph obtained during medical screening. His CD4+ lymphocyte count was 198 cells ×106/l, and plasma HIV-1 RNA level >290 000 copies/ml. He denied all symptoms, including cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, fever, and weight loss.

On admission, vital signs included temperature 37.1°C, respiratory rate 16 breaths/minute, and room air oxygen saturation 94%. Complete physical examination was unremarkable, including pulmonary examination. Laboratory data included white blood cell count 5800 ×106/l. Room air arterial blood gas: pH, 7.42; pCO2, 38 mm Hg; pO2, 70 mm Hg; A-a gradient 33 mm Hg. Chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan revealed diffuse micronodules and right lower lobe consolidation, without pleural effusions or intrathoracic lymphadenopathy (fig 1A). Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) revealed …


A system whose energy is not conserved is called nonconservative. To investigate if there exists a conserved quantity that has the same dimension as energy and is positively definite, the author analyzed the bending vibration of an axially moving beam with geometric nonlinearity. Based on the governing equation, the energy was proven to be not conserved in the case where the beam has two simply supported or fixed ends. A definitely positive quantity with the energy dimension was defined. The quantity was verified to remain a constant during the motion. The investigation indicates that an energy-like conserved quantity may exist in a nonlinear nonconservative continuous system.


The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Asian countries have been increasing rapidly over the last few decades. This study was aimed to reveal gut metagenomic characteristics and identify a robust fecal microbial marker in Korean patients with IBD through a large-scale comparative study.

 Gut metagenomic study using 640 fecal samples collected from patients with 523 IBD (223 Crohn's disease [CD], 300 ulcerative colitis [UC]) and 117 healthy controls was conducted by 16S rRNA sequencing. Unsupervised cluster analysis based on the predicted functional genes was conducted. Microbiome Multivariable Association with Linear Models was used to determine relationship between metagenomic data and clinical metadata after adjusting for multiple covariates.

 Patients with IBD, particularly CD, had a significantly lower alpha diversity than the controls (p <0.05). An increase in stool consistency was positively associated with community diversity in controls and UC (p = 5.3e-11, Kruskal-Wallis test), but not in patients with CD. Differential abundance analysis revealed an expansion of the phylum Proteobacteria and its constituent taxa in CD, and Ruminococcaceae and Bacteroidaceae families in UC, LDA score [log10] >2.0, p <0.05. Patients with CD had a strong association with Escherichia-Shigella in their fecal microbiome compared to the controls in a multivariable model (FDR <0.01). Microbial functional prediction revealed the strong upregulation of bacterial invasion of epithelial cells and Shigellosis pathways in CD (FDR <0.01, absolute coefficient >2.0). Strong enhancement of the siderophores biosynthesis pathways, the aerobactin and enterobactin biosynthesis pathways (FDR <0.01, absolute coefficient of 2.947 and 1.971, respectively), with abundant contribution from the genus Escherichia-Shigella, is in line with the results obtained from taxonomic profiles. Clustering analysis identified two distinct function-based clusters showing a contrast in the diseae behavior of IBD. Cluster II enriched in patients with stricturing/penetrating Crohn's and extensive UC displayed a significant increase of the genus Escherichia-Shigella (Fig. 1a) and a simultaneous depletion of the genus Faecalibacterium (Fig. 1b), all FDR <10-50.

 The present study adds to the growing evidence that the pathogenesis of CD is underpinned by the genus Escherichia-Shigella. Escherichia-Shigella may be a universal pathobiont in IBD, irrespective of ethnic and life-style backgrounds. Abundance shifting of Escherichia-Shigella and Faecalibacterium in fecal microbiomes is strongly linked with advanced behavior of IBD, which will have significant implications for future research on the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.


The relationship between the operating parameters of batch fruit spirits column stills with reflux and the congener (trace compounds that provide flavors and aromas) concentrations in resulting fruit spirits has not been widely studied. Congener concentrations were determined in three different collection fractions, or "cuts," during batch distillation. Acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate were found in higher concentrations in the head cut, first overhead fraction, of the distillation and have lower boiling points relative to ethanol. 1-Propanol and isoamyl alcohol (isopentanol) were present in higher concentrations in the tail cut, third or final fraction, of the distillation and have boiling points that are higher than ethanol. Methanol has a unique concentration profile as it has higher concentrations in both the head and tail cuts, but a lower concentration in the heart cut, the middle fraction which is the desired product of the distillation. Methanol was of particular interest because the distillate must adhere to governmental regulations that limit its concentration in the product. Operating-condition parameters that were studied include the number of trays used in the distillation as well as the use of a "catalytic converter," a high surface, copper-packing material thought to catalyze formation of cyanide-containing compounds allowing them to be separated from the distillate. The effect of the number of trays used in a distillation on the concentration of ethanol and the congeners, methanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, 1-propanol and isoamyl alcohol in the final distilled spirits product is presented. An additional result of acetaldehyde production at the copper surface of the catalytic converter was also discovered in the analysis of the data.


A method for isotachophoretic determination of sweeteners of different character in candies and chewing gums was developed. A capillary of 0.8 mm ID and 90 mm effective length made of fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer is filled with an electrolyte system consisting of 10 mM HCl + 14 mM Tris, pH 7.7 (leading electrolyte) and 5 mM L-histidine + 5 mM Tris, pH 8.3 (terminating electrolyte). The analysis is performed at a driving current of 200 microA and for detection current is decreased to 100 microA. Boric acid is added to the aqueous sample solution to form borate complexes with substances of polyhydroxyl nature and make them migrate isotachophoretically. Using conductivity detection, the calibration curves in the tested concentration range up to 2.5 mM were linear for all components of interest: acesulfame K, saccharine, aspartame, cyclamate, sorbitol, mannitol, lactitol, and xylitol. The concentration detection limits ranged between 0.024 and 0.081 mM. Good precision of the ITP method is evidenced by favorable RSD values ranging from 0.8 to 2.8% obtained at the analyte concentration of 1.0 mM (n = 6). The analysis time was about 20 min. Simplicity, accuracy, and low cost of analyses make ITP an alternative procedure to methods used so far for the determination of ionizable sweeteners.


Extensive literature links interparental relationship quality, particularly coparent conflict, with child behavior problems. Evidence suggests associations between and among interparental discord related to child-rearing disagreements, parenting difficulties, maternal depressive symptoms and child functioning. Experts assert that children function best when their biological parents have a stable marital relationship, and that interparental conflict can jeopardize the stability of the marriage, potential for marriage and the continuation of father involvement However, the preponderance of such research has investigated White, middle-class married or divorced families. Little is known about interparental relationship quality, family moderating factors and behavior problems of young children in African American, low-income, single- mother-headed families. Exploration of this problem is important because early childhood behavioral problems can persist and can contribute to children's academic underachievement and societal maladjustment. Grounded in the ecological and risk and resilience theoretical perspectives, this quantitative, cross-sectional survey design study investigated associations among interparental relations, maternal depressive symptoms, maternal parenting, and pre-school child behavior problems in African American, low-income, single-mother-headed families. With the cooperation of the Allegheny County Assistance Office, a randomly selected group of 100 mothers and their 3- or 4-year old children, participated in this study. This study used the Time 1 data from an NIMH-funded longitudinal study with Dr. Aurora Jackson as principal investigator. Hierarchical regression analyses were used. Contrary to research with White families, greater mother-reported interparental relationship problems were not associated with more child behavior problems. As hypothesized, fewer maternal depressive symptoms and more optimal maternal parenting were associated with fewer child behavior problems. Controlling for frequency of father contact did not affect relationships in the model. A post hoc finding showed that greater father contact was associated with fewer internalizing behavior problems. Neither fewer maternal depressive symptoms nor more optimal maternal parenting buffered the association between poor interparental relations and child behavior problems. These findings suggest further investigation particularly considering the extensive financial investments and programs funded by the African American Healthy Marriage Initiative. These programs intend to encourage marriage and strengthen poor families, yet have scant research about Black nonmarital, coparent relationships from which to inform these efforts.


Dermatology Nursing Essentials: A Core Curriculum (2nd edition) was written to provde the reader with core knowledge about the specialty of dermatology nursing. Key points from the text are highlighted to test and review your dermatology nursing knowledge. These quick hits of information are no substitute for the indepth analysis provided in the Core Curriculum, but are designed to wet your appetite for the comprehensive content that the Core delivers. References for the information presented here can be found in the Core Curriculum. To order your personal copy of the Core, visit DNA's Web site at www.dnanurse.org or call (800) 454-4DNA.


Kwoka's new analysis — which builds on his previous, widely cited and discussed analyses — begins by framing the different view of competition and antitrust that has recently burst upon the scene. A considerable number of economists, policymakers, and others have come to argue that antitrust policy has in fact become too permissive, in particular allowing mergers and other practices that have resulted in significant increases in concentration and considerable harm to consumers. Not all observers are convinced, of course, and the evidence continues to be debated. But the totality of evidence makes a persuasive case that concentration in the economy has risen, that competitive forces have been blunted, and that policy failures have contributed significantly to those problems.

Kwoka's analysis begins where that discussion leaves off. It sets out a comprehensive program of policy reforms necessary to remedy past weaknesses and failures and to restore the vitality of antitrust in protecting competition in the economy. While there have already been various specific reforms proposed and discussed in conferences, white papers, and even some legislation, the reform program proposed in Kwoka's paper is different in three respects.

First, rather than advancing one or two reform proposals, it is a fully comprehensive program. It consists of a number of specific substantive reforms as well as some procedural reforms — a total of ten specific measures. Second, while each reform has merit, the package is an integral whole rather than a menu of alternatives among which to choose. The problems of current merger control policy are numerous, so that the necessary reforms are equally numerous and should be viewed as an integral whole. Finally, the package of proposals is rooted in economic theory and empirical evidence. The proposals are not simply interesting or seemingly sensible ideas. Rather, they follow from modern economic understanding of market competition, and certainly past experience, all of which are fully documented in support of the proposals.

The common thread that runs through the proposals is that, over time, merger control policy and practice have moved away from the central mission of preserving competition in all the meanings of that term, and instead narrowly focused on certain types of mergers, certain types of adverse outcomes, and certain resolutions of competitive problems. This has resulted in tolerance of a large number of mergers that have proven to be anticompetitive, with adverse effects on consumers and businesses alike. This paper presents specific proposals, grounded in the evidence, necessary to restore merger control.


Abstract Purpose: We investigated the effect of incorporation of a nuclear localization signal (NLS) into a conjugate comprising the DNA binding ligand para-iodoHoechst (PIH) and octreotate on its DNA binding and affinity to the somatostatin receptor (SSTR). Confirmation of these properties would support development of similar conjugates labelled with Auger emitters for their potential in Auger endoradiotherapy. Materials and methods: We synthesized conjugates of PIH and octreotate (PO) or PIH and NLS (PN) and a conjugate comprising PIH, NLS and octreotate (PNO). DNA-binding characteristics of PIH and conjugates were assessed using synthetic DNA oligonucleotides employing spectrophotometric titration of ligand solutions with DNA. We used membranes from the type 2 SSTR (SSTR2) overexpressing human non-small cell lung cancer cell line A427-7 to investigate the binding affinity of PNO. Results: We demonstrated PN and PNO retain specific high affinity DNA-binding properties observed for PIH, and acquire an additional non-specific binding capacity. No DNA binding was observed for PO. PNO retains its binding affinity for SSTR. Conclusions: The DNA-binding properties of PNO and its affinity for SSTR suggests that it could potentially be used for tumour-specific delivery of PIH labelled with an Auger emitter in SSTR expressing tumours.


Many subjects nowadays present with end-stage renal failure and its attendant cardiovascular complications without known prior renal damage. In this report we review the evidence available to strongly suggest that the present practice of secondary prevention in those with known prior renal disease should be extended to primary prevention for those subjects in the general population who are at risk for progressive renal failure, but who had never suffered from a primary renal disease. We show that such subjects can be detected by screening for albuminuria. Elevated urinary albumin loss is an indicator not only of poor renal, but also of poor cardiovascular prognosis. In addition to diabetic subjects who are at risk for albuminuria, we also show that hypertensive, obese, and smoking subjects are more susceptible. We suggest that therapies that have been shown to lower albumin excretion, such as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, and statins be started early in such patients to prevent them from developing clinical renal disease and its attendant cardiovascular complications.


We propose a new method to search for hypothetical scalar particles that have feeble interactions with standard-model particles. In the presence of massive bodies, these interactions produce a nonzero Yukawa-type scalar-field magnitude. Using radio-frequency spectroscopy data of atomic dysprosium, as well as atomic clock spectroscopy data, we constrain the Yukawa-type interactions of a scalar field with the photon, electron, and nucleons for a range of scalar-particle masses corresponding to length scales >10  cm. In the limit as the scalar-particle mass m_{ϕ}→0, our derived limits on the Yukawa-type interaction parameters are Λ_{γ}≳8×10^{19}  GeV, Λ_{e}≳1.3×10^{19}  GeV, and Λ_{N}≳6×10^{20}  GeV. Our measurements also constrain combinations of interaction parameters, which cannot otherwise be probed with traditional anomalous-force measurements. We suggest further measurements to improve on the current level of sensitivity.


Rock mass contains various discontinuities, such as faults, joints, and bedding planes. Among them, a joint is one of the most frequently encountered discontinuities in rock engineering applications. Generally, a joint exerts great influence on the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of rock mass, since it acts as a weak plane and as a fluid path in the rock mass. Therefore, an accurate understanding on joint characteristics is important in many projects. In-situ tests on joints are sometimes consumptive in terms of time and expenses so that the features are investigated by laboratory tests, providing fundamental properties for rock mass analyses. Although the behavior of a joint is affected by both mechanical and geometric conditions, the latter are often limited, since quantitative control on the conditions is quite complicated. In this study, artificial rock joints with various geometric conditions, i.e., joint roughness, were prepared in a quantitative manner and the hydromechanical characteristics were investigated by several laboratory experiments. Based on the results, a prediction model for hydraulic aperture was proposed in the form of ( e h / e m ) 3 = exp ( − 0.0462 c ) × ( 0.8864 ) J R C , which was a function of the mechanical aperture, joint roughness, and contact area. Relatively good agreement between the experimental results and predicted value indicated that the model is capable of estimating the hydraulic aperture properly.


Improving existing homes has long been a challenge, not only because of the variety of technical issues, but also because of the unique characteristics of each home and the need to convince homeowners one at a time to make needed improvements. Technologies exist to make those improvements. However, they are usually delivered in a piecemeal by individual trades, with rebates and incentives attached to single measures. Not only does this miss tremendous opportunities, it may actually create new problems as system interactions are ignored Home Performance Contracting has emerged as a significant market opportunity to use building-science based approaches to improve existing homes. This approach greatly reduces energy use in existing homes, often by 50% or more of total energy use. It taps into a variety of market drivers, including comfort, durability, health and safety, along with energy efficiency. Homeowners are responding well to solutions to these solutions, and are spending considerable amounts to improve their homes. This panel will discuss why and how the home performance contracting approach works, emphasizing program design considerations and results from programs with up to 5 years experience. The results reported in this paper's case studies provide evidence of growing momentum in home performance contracting, achieving continuing growth and success in long-term energy savings.


Paweł Smoleński adds an important voice to the critical discussion about Polish history. In his books such as Pochówek dla rezuna, Syrop z piołunu. Wygnani w akcji "Wisła" and Krzyżyk niespodziany. Czas Goralenvolk (written together with Bartłomiej Kuraś) the author reveals the dark side of incidents that occurred during the Second World War and soon after. With full consciousness of the stereotypes and tradition fixed in the Polish memory, shows his relation to the history of na-tion from, on the one hand, and excavates from it the essence that may and should lead to a better understanding of the present time, on the other. Using the biography of ordinary people, Smoleński, showing the full value of private, colloquial, sometimes internally discrepant voices, reconstructs the process of passing into silence, political control of reminiscences and historical falsehood. His books are stories written to warn.
First of all, it is very good literature with a universal message. Smoleński shows in a very in-teresting way the "human measure of history," helplessness of ordinary people in the face of politics and formal institutions, the easiness of controlling the reaction of masses and power of the language of propaganda. His books open the way for a better review of difficult past times but also, what is more important, help to better understand the present.


One of the global problems is environmental pollution by different biowaste. To solve the problem, biowaste must be recycled. Waste-free technology is also a way of saving exhaustible raw materials. Research on electrochemical energy sources is currently the most dynamically developing area of off-grid energy. Electrochemical capacitors can operate for a long time without changing performance, they have smaller dimensions, high mechanical strength, and a wide operating temperature range. These properties are effective energy-saving devices. Therefore, supercapacitors are widely used in various industries. This review discussed the methods of obtaining and the characteristics of biowaste-derived activated carbon and carbon–manganese oxide (AC-MnO2)-based supercapacitor electrodes.


The economic development of the European Union in the last few years was the main subject for debating inside European forum. Different positions and conclusions were the results of the analyses-still a major conclusion is the fact that the newcomers in the space of European Union (Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, etc.) are at the same time resource developers and consumers. The natural resources of these economies should be easily integrated in the European circuit market, but at the same time, the difference between fund management, programming, governmental control and evaluation at the level of the Union, aside national economy circuit, draw attention about possible risk/danger for a extended period of the time. This article debates about the complex process for the Poland food sector integration in the EU structure.


The intelligence of an interactive system is exhibited through the evolution of its intelligent behaviors, namely, its effectiveness in performing tasks and its adaptiveness to both variations of task conditions and different users. Having a good user modeling component in any intelligent interactive system becomes crucial to the performance of that system. We have developed a computational approach to building intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) in conjunction with our framework for ITS [1]. This computational approach employs two exploratory AI techniques — a hybrid knowledge representation model as an implementation mechanism of ITS and a rough set [2] approximation approach to user modeling. In this article, we focus on discussing the rough set approach to user modeling of the system in detail.


Fission yeast Rec12 (Spo11 homolog) initiates meiotic recombination by forming developmentally programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). DSB distributions influence patterns of heredity and genome evolution, but the basis of the highly nonrandom choice of Rec12 cleavage sites is poorly understood, largely because available maps are of relatively low resolution and sensitivity. Here, we determined DSBs genome-wide at near-nucleotide resolution by sequencing the oligonucleotides attached to Rec12 following DNA cleavage. The single oligonucleotide size class allowed us to deeply sample all break events. We find strong evidence across the genome for differential DSB repair accounting for crossover invariance (constant cM/kb in spite of DSB hotspots). Surprisingly, about half of all crossovers occur in regions where DSBs occur at low frequency and are widely dispersed in location from cell to cell. These previously undetected, low-level DSBs thus play an outsized and crucial role in meiosis. We further find that the influence of underlying nucleotide sequence and chromosomal architecture differs in multiple ways from that in budding yeast. DSBs are not strongly restricted to nucleosome-depleted regions, as they are in budding yeast, but are nevertheless spatially influenced by chromatin structure. Our analyses demonstrate that evolutionarily fluid factors contribute to crossover initiation and regulation.


'History exists not to be correctly recognised, but to deliver raw material for scientific and artistic work from which we might gather what we need.'1IntroductionThe reflection on history constitutes one of the central issues in the theoretical work of Josef Frank (1885-1967), one of the most influential figures of Viennese architecture in the interwar period. 'Dissenting voice' in the German discussion on architecture between the end of the 1920s and his emigration in 1935, Frank belonged however to the core institutions of modernism.2 Founding member of the CIAM, leading figure of the Austrian Werkbund, Frank proposed an alternative vision of modernity based on a profound reflection on classical tradition.Frank's engagement with history starts with his education at the Technische Hochschule in Carl Konig's milieu and the writing of his doctoral dissertation on Leon Battista Alberti in 1910 - not included in any of the following of Alberti's bibliographies.3In Frank's theoretical work, a paradigmatic case study for the use of historiographical categories in the discussion of modernity is Architektur als Symbol. Elemente deutschen neuen Bauens (1931). Reviewed as 'less than systematic'4 by contemporaries, as 'unpleasant'5 and 'acid'6 by interpreters, Architektur als Symbol provides one of the most complex analyses of modern architecture ever written. To argue his position, Frank devotes approximately two thirds of the book-length essay7 - an uninterrupted discourse on modernity artificially organised into chapters - to a re-writing of architectural and cultural history. Frank's narration strongly and explicitly moulds the entire historical course in order to assign modern architecture a determined place in it and to argue his critique of Neues Bauen. My contribution focuses essentially on one aspect of Frank's historiographical construction: the opposition of classical tradition and gothic sketched at this point, which proves itself determining for his critique of German functionalism and for the foundation of modern architecture in the context of Frank's entire theoretical production.The first and most salient aspect in Frank's approach to history is a declared operational use of it, an attitude that is rather common in the theoretical works of architectural modernity.8 In a more circumscribed Viennese context, precedents are also to be found in the closest milieu around Frank. It is in the written work of Oskar Strnad and Oskar Wlach - in particular in the doctoral thesis defended by Oskar Wlach in 1906 about polychrome cladding of Florentine proto-Renaissance - that historical knowledge emerges as an instrument to intervene in contemporary discourse.9 In his 'flowing and clear writing, carried by intelligence and artistic sensitivity',10 Wlach uses principles that he derives from his analysis of Florentine medieval and renaissance incrustation to deliver a sharp critique of the work of the influential Baurath Otto Wagner.11 Frank's position is however decidedly more radical in the entanglement of history and present situation and has probably no parallel in contemporary contributions. 'We no longer want to take the view of the historian who can recognize what is good and bad or what is authentic and what is fraudulent, who understands and forgive all. It is no longer enough [if] we want to give expression to our clear will.'12It is probably this engagement that leads to an extraordinary superposition of historical past and present. 'Our time is all of history, as it is known to us. This notion alone can be the basis of modern architecture.'13 Moreover, it is historical knowledge - and not scientific, as commonly assumed in the theory of modern movement - that constitutes the distinctive core of modernity. Throughout the entire essay, historical discourse is not separable from comments on the contemporary situation. Continuous temporal shifts are a distinctive mark in the writing. …


Agricultural production is the main consumer of water. Future population growth, income growth, and dietary shifts are expected to increase demand for water. The paper presents a brief review of the water footprint of crop production and the sustainability of the blue water footprint. The estimated global consumptive (green plus blue) water footprint ranges from 5938 to 8508 km3/year. The water footprint is projected to increase by as much as 22% due to climate change and land use change by 2090. Approximately 57% of the global blue water footprint is shown to violate the environmental flow requirements. This calls for action to improve the sustainability of water and protect ecosystems that depend on it. Some of the measures include increasing water productivity, setting benchmarks, setting caps on the water footprint per river basin, shifting the diets to food items with low water requirements, and reducing food waste.


This paper discusses the processing, modelling and macrostructure management of centrifugally cast particle reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs). Centrifugal casting is a widely applied method for production of graded MMCs. A three-dimensional comprehensive mathematical model coupling particle movement and thermal conduction in the casting/mould system is developed. A formula for pressure in liquid metal during the centrifuge process is derived. The influence of Coriolis force on particle movement is discussed in detail.


A heuristic improvement of the truncated window dynamic programming has been studied for the unit commitment application. The proposed method employs a variable window size according to load demand increments, and corresponding experimental results indicate a substantial saving in the computation time without sacrificing the quality of the solution. An iterative process for the number of strategies saved in every stage is incorporated to fine tune the optimal solution. >


Hirsutism is defined as the presence of terminal hair with male pattern distribution in women. While in the general population, hirsutism affects around 4–11% of women, it is the main manifestation of hyperandrogenism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with a prevalence estimated at 65–75%. Hirsutism in PCOS is associated with both androgen excess and individual response of the pilosebaceous unit to androgens. The modified Ferriman–Gallwey (mFG) scoring system has been widely used in clinical practice to visually score excessive terminal hair, thus standardizing hirsutism evaluation and facilitating data comparison. Although a universal mFG score cutoff would be useful for comparisons, ethnic variations, as well as skin type and other factors, should be considered when evaluating hirsutism in distinct populations. In turn, androgen levels, measured by conventional techniques, have been shown to correlate poorly with the severity of hirsutism. Indeed, while most women with PCOS and hirsutism also have higher than reference values for serum androgen levels, some of them may not present with biochemical hyperandrogenism, representing a challenge to the diagnosis of PCOS. In this article, we critically review this not uncommon condition in women with PCOS presenting with hirsutism but normal androgen levels.


Antibodies to purified, size-fractionated secreted proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sera from patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and active tuberculosis (HIV/TB patients), and in stored sera obtained from the same patients prior to clinical manifestation of TB, were evaluated by ELISA, and the repertoire of antigens recognized was analyzed by immunoblotting. Compared with non-HIV/TB patients, HIV/TB patients had lower levels of anti-mycobacterial antibodies, and these were directed toward a restricted set of antigens. Antibodies to an 88-kDa secreted antigen were present in the sera of 74% of HIV/TB patients during the years (1.5-6) prior to manifestation of active, clinical tuberculosis, although only 66% were positive by the time tuberculosis was diagnosed. The presence of antibodies to the 88-kDa antigen can serve as a surrogate marker for identifying HIV-infected persons with active, subclinical disease who are at a high risk of developing clinical tuberculosis.


SUMMARY With controlled seismic sources and specifically designed receiver arrays, we image a subvertical boundary between two lithological blocks at the Arava Fault (AF) in the Middle East. The AF is the main strike-slip fault of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the segment between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. Our imaging (migration) method is based on array beamforming and coherence analysis of P to P scattered seismic phases. We use a 1-D background velocity model and the direct P arrival as a reference phase. Careful resolution testing is necessary, because the target volume is irregularly sampled by rays. A spread function describing energy dispersion at localized point scatterers and synthetic calculations for large planar structures provides estimates of the resolution of the images. We resolve a 7 km long steeply dipping reflector offset roughly 1 km from the surface trace of the AF. The reflector can be imaged from about 1 km down to 4 km depth. Previous and ongoing studies in this region have shown a strong contrast across the fault: low seismic velocities and electrical resistivities to the west and high velocities and resistivities to the east of it. We therefore suggest that the imaged reflector marks the contrast between young sedimentary fill in the west and Precambrian rocks in the east. If correct, the boundary between the two blocks is offset about 1 km east of the current surface trace of the AF.


Epidermal clonogenic cell survival and colony formation following irradiation were investigated and related to radiosensitivity. A rapid in vivo/in vitro assay was developed for the quantification of colonies arising from surviving clonogenic cells in pig epidermis after irradiation. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labelled cells in full thickness epidermal sheets were visualized using standard immunohistochemistry. In unirradiated skin, approximately 900 BrdU-positive cells mm(-2) were counted. In a time sequence experiment, BrdU-positive cell numbers increased from an average of 900 cells mm(-2) to approximately 1400 cells mm(-2) after BrdU-labelling for 2-24 h. In irradiated skin, colonies containing >/=16 BrdU-positive cells were seen for the first time at days 14/15 after irradiation. The number of these colonies per cm(2) as a function of skin surface dose yielded a cell survival curve with a D(0)-value (+/-SE) of 3.9+/-0.6 Gy. This relatively high D(0)-value is possibly due to a rapid fall off in depth dose distribution for the iridium-192 source and consequently a substantial contribution of hair follicular epithelium to colony formation. At 14/15 days after irradiation, the ED(50) level of 33.6 Gy for the in vivo response of moist desquamation corresponded with 2.7 colonies cm(-2). Surprisingly, the number of colonies increased with time after irradiation with an estimated doubling time of approximately 4 days, while the D(0)-value remained virtually unchanged. This increase in colony numbers could be due to migration of clonogenic cells, to the recruitment of dormant clonogenic cell survivors by elevated levels of cytokines, or to both. Although frequent biopsying caused increased cytokine levels, which had a systemic effect on unirradiated skin, it had no influence on colony formation in irradiated skin. Smaller colonies, containing 4-8 cells or 9-15 cells, were abundant, particularly after higher doses, which resulted in higher D(0)-values. The majority of these small colonies were abortive and did not progress to larger colonies. There was no statistical evidence for significant variations in the interanimal responses.


Learning analytics techniques to capture learners' real-time responses can be computationally intensive for mobile devices. Yet with the diversity of many online educational videos such as the Ted Talks, YouTube or other open educational resources, the mobile learning platform intrinsically presents an opportunity for learners and instructors to analyze the pace and quality of learning. In a previous work, the PErsonalized Teaching And Learning (PETAL) platform was developed to monitor the learner's progress in viewing educational videos through a carefully designed facial analytics technique to detect learners' attention levels and their proximity to the screen of the mobile device. The PETAL application will alert a learner if (s)he is not paying attention while viewing an educational video. In this work, we propose to further improve the original PETAL by using online and interactive quizzes to more precisely evaluate the learner's level of understanding while viewing the educational videos. The interactive quizzes can be flexibly added by an instructor by modifying a simple configuration file. When a learner gives an incorrect answer to a particular quiz question, (s)he will be requested to revise a specific section of the concerned video. All the data about the learner's progress is uploaded and stored securely on a password-protected cloud platform to guarantee data privacy for future analyzes. There were some initial and positive students' feedback collected from an empirical evaluation of the enhanced PETAL system. Clearly, the enhanced PETAL platform provides many promising directions for future extensions.


Our purpose in writing this article is two-fold. First , we will provide a brief description of the incorporation process in Romania, the evolution thereof, and the policies that support the process. This description will also include a brief comparison of Delaware law and practice. We have selected Delaware since, among other (perceived) benefi ts offered to investors, the Delaware spirit refl ects the liberal corporate policies that many observers believe attract entrepreneurs to that state. On one hand, the process of establishing a business entity has been wiped clean of formalism, thereby accelerating the procedure to the point that incorporation can generally be realized in less than one day. On the other hand, the corporate governance legal framework (both statutory and case law) allows investors to shape their business activity in almost any manner they desire. Second , it offers a set of recommendations for further improving shareholders' "freedom of contract"—the institution that opposes traditional continental doctrines justifying state interventionism in economic ventures.


This paper considers the continuous linearization method of the fourth order for solving the convex programming problem Euclidean space. The sufficient conditions for convergence are established.


Spin-orbit coupling plays a pivotal role in condensed matter physics. For instance, spin-orbit interactions affect the magnetization and transport dynamics in solids, while spins and momenta are locked in topological matter. Alternatively, spin-orbit entanglement may play an important role in exotic phenomena, like quantum spin liquids in 4d and 5d systems. An interesting question is how electronic states mixed by spin orbit coupling interact with electromagnetic fields, which may hold potential to tune their properties and reveal interesting physics. Motivated by our recent discovery of large gyrotropic signals in some Jahn-Teller manganites, here we explore the interaction of light with spin-mixed t 2 g − e g states in a d 4 transition metal. We show that spin-orbit mixing enables electronic transitions that are sensitive to circularly polarized light, giving rise to a gyrotropic response that increases with spin-orbit coupling. Interestingly, photoexcited transitions that involve spin reversal are behind such gyrotropic resonances. Additionally, we find that the interaction with the electromagnetic field depends strongly on the relative orientation of the propagation of light with respect to Jahn-Teller distortions and spin quantization. We suggest that such interactions offer the opportunity to use electromagnetic waves at optical wavelengths to entangle orbital and spin degrees of freedom. Our approach, which includes a group-theoretical treatment of spin-orbit coupling, has wide applicability and provides a versatile tool to explore the interaction of electromagnetic fields with electronic states in transition metals with arbitrary spin-orbit coupling strength and point-group symmetries.


Isolated canine stomachs were perfused for 6 h with fluorocarbon emulsion suspended in a simulated physiological solution of electrolytes with glucose added. Gastric mucosa and extramucosal tissues of perfused stomachs were sampled for biochemical analysis of high energy phosphates, glucose and electrolytes. Comparable samples were also taken from normal canine stomachs, dissected under similar surgical conditions as the stomachs used for perfusion. Gastric tissue ATP, ADP and AMP were reduced but CP was increased in the tissues perfused with fluorocarbon as compared with controls. Gastric tissue water content and sodium were increased but potassium was reduced in a stomach so perfused. The biochemical tests performed were considered as viability tests of organs preserved-perfused in fluorocarbon prior to possible transplantation. Significance of the changes observed is discussed in the light of the current knowledge on energy metabolism.


ABSTRACT This work presents an indoor/outdoor classification system which uses light measurements coupled with machine learning algorithms to predict whether the sensing system is indoors or outdoors. The system measures ultraviolet light, color temperature, luminosity, and red, green, blue, and clear components of light at one-minute intervals using an Arduino-based measurement system. Three machine learning algorithms – support vector machine, artificial neural network, and bagged tree – were trained and tested using experimentally collected sensor data from multiple locations, dates, and times. A comparison of these classifiers revealed superior classification performance of the bagged tree classifier (>99%) compared to the other two algorithms. Each of the presented classifiers offered high estimation performance (>96.9%) in all the considered cases with cross-validation. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using light measurements alone to predict indoor or outdoor condition, which has practical applications in psychology research.


This work introduces the one-class slab SVM (OCSSVM), a one-class classifier that aims at improving the performance of the one-class SVM. The proposed strategy reduces the false positive rate and increases the accuracy of detecting instances from novel classes. To this end, it uses two parallel hyperplanes to learn the normal region of the decision scores of the target class. OCSSVM extends one-class SVM since it can scale and learn non-linear decision functions via kernel methods. The experiments on two publicly available datasets show that OCSSVM can consistently outperform the one-class SVM and perform comparable to or better than other state-of-the-art one-class classifiers.


Localised states in poly-p-phenylene sulphide (PPS) with an organic acceptor tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) were studied by the analysis of thermally stimulated currents (TSC). It is shown that shallow localised states with energy depths between 0.12 and 0.45 eV are introduced by doping with TCNE. The shallow localised states effectively capture charge carriers at low temperatures (-170-0 degrees C), while they act as effective hopping centres above room temperature.


Using data from a survey of 1,099 families who have a child with Fragile X syndrome, we examined adaptation across 7 dimensions of family life: parenting knowledge, social support, social life, financial impact, well-being, quality of life, and overall impact. Results illustrate that although families report a high quality of life, they struggle with areas such as social support, social life, and parenting knowledge. Path analysis revealed that child and family factors play a role in adaptation, but family resources and social supports moderated their effect on quality of life, well-being, and overall impact. The interrelationship among multiple aspects of family life should be examined to improve family resiliency.


The interannual variations and the prediction of the leading two empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes of the spring (April-May; AM) precipitation over southeast China for the period from 1951 to 2014 are examined using both observational data and the output from six atmosphere-ocean coupled climate models. A positive phase of the leading EOF mode of the spring precipitation over China (EOF1-prec) features enhanced rainfall in southern China. The ENSO-related tropical Pacific SST anomalies in the previous season can serve as a precursor for EOF1-prec. The second EOF mode of spring precipitation (EOF2-prec) over China is characterized by a dipole structure with one pole near the Yangtze River and another one with opposite sign over the Pearl River Delta. An equivalent barotropic Rossby wave train pattern associated with EOF2-prec can be observed, originating from the Ural Mountains across the Eurasian continent reaching the Japan Sea, causing anomalous moisture convergence over the Yangtze River alongside divergence conditions in southern China. A North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) dipole in the preceding March can contribute to the wave train-like pattern. An empirical model, constructed based on the observational analysis, can significantly improve the seasonal forecast skill of spring precipitation over China, especially over the Yangtze River area.


We tested the hypothesis that African Americans would show greater anxiety than their European American counterparts when entering laboratory research settings. We examined subjective and physiological anxiety measures obtained both inside and outside the research laboratory from 126 African Americans and 147 European Americans in three separate studies. Consistent with our hypotheses, African Americans reported experiencing significantly more baseline anxiety and showed greater baseline physiological arousal consistent with anxiety than European Americans. These differences were evident when controlling for anxiety observed outside of the research setting as well as baseline differences in overall emotional experience. Our findings highlight the need to consider laboratory-induced anxiety as a potential confound in studies involving African Americans. This may be especially important in race comparison studies in which undetected baseline anxiety could alter the interpretation of subsequent race comparisons.


Received: February 01, 2021 Accepted: March 19, 2021 Volume: 3 Issue: 3 DOI: 10.32996/jweep.2021.3.3.3 In learning a language, vocabulary forms the cornerstone of the whole process since vocabulary influences speaking, reading, and writing ability. This study involved the observation of CFL learners who are students in Nanjing-China. It aimed to critically assess the perceived challenges of CFL learners across various universities in Nanjing learning Chinese vocabularies, their adopted strategies and motivation in learning Chinese vocabularies and explore ways to improve CFL learner's proficiency. The study used a survey questionnaire to collect the data from 120 male and female Bachelor, Master and PhD students with different ages of 20 to 43 who are enrolled in 20 universities in Nanjing China. Based on certain Descriptive analysis and calculations, the findings of the study indicate that the participants indeed experience difficulties in learning Chinese vocabularies. Moreover, the results also revealed the participants' already laydown initiatives and strategies that are mostly influenced by their motivation to learn Chinese vocabularies. In addition, the researcher investigated the motivational levels of respondents towards learning Chinese vocabularies and how their source of motivation influences their adopted strategies. The findings showed that CFL learners are extrinsically motivated than intrinsically. The study recommends that teachers and educational authorities in China and for that matter Nanjing, should create more favorable conditions to boost the motivation level of foreign students to adopt and use appropriate strategies in learning Chinese vocabularies and consequently become proficient in Chinese language as a whole. The study ends in several recommendations to Chinese teachers and educational authorities as well as to foreign Chinese language learners with regard to the pedagogy of Chinese vocabularies. KEYWORDS


Characterization of chemical vapor cleaned, Mg-doped, p-type GaN(0001) surfaces and Pd contacts sequentially deposited on these surfaces has been conducted using x-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopies and low-energy electron diffraction. The band bending and the electron affinity at the cleaned p-GaN surface were 1.4±0.1 eV and 3.1±0.1 eV, respectively. A previously unidentified band of surface states was observed at ∼1.0 eV below the Fermi level on this surface. The Pd grew epitaxially on the cleaned surface in a layer-by-layer mode and formed an abrupt, unreacted metal–semiconductor interface. The induced Fermi level movement with Pd deposition has been attributed to a complex interaction between extrinsic and intrinsic surface states as well as metal induced gap states. The final Schottky barrier height at the Pd/p-GaN interface was 1.3±0.1 eV; the interface dipole contribution was 0.4±0.1 eV.


[1] The net influx of water into the deep mantle by plate tectonics has been poorly constrained because it is difficult to quantify how efficiently subducting slabs are devolatilized on a global scale. The significance of deep water cycle in the Earth history is similarly ambiguous because it depends critically on when plate tectonics started and how it evolved through time. Here I show that, using the new scaling of plate-tectonic convection based on fully dynamic calculations, the thermal evolution of Earth consistent with geochemical, petrological, and geological data requires continuous mantle hydration since the early Earth, with the net water influx of ∼2–3 × 1014 g yr−1. A drier mantle in the Hadean and Archean is suggested to help the initiation of plate tectonics by reducing the viscosity contrast between lithosphere and asthenosphere. As an increase in the vigor of plate tectonics with time would encourage global marine inundation, the slow intake of surface water by the convecting mantle is essential to maintain the continental freeboard.


Although a great deal of work in the past decades has shown cultural variations in self-knowledge among adults, not until recently have researchers started to examine developmental processes and mechanisms that give rise to the variations. I discuss our research on the development of two kinds of self-knowledge: autobiographical memory and self-concept. Our findings indicate that children develop culture-specific self-knowledge early in life; the two kinds of self-knowledge reinforce each other at both individual and cultural levels; and early narrative practices constitute an important resource from which children draw cultural views about the self to incorporate into their self-understanding and remembering.


Background:Nasal septum perforations from surgical submucous resection, septoplasty, blunt trauma, and substance abuse may cause epistaxis, nasal obstruction, discharge, crusting, dryness, pain, and whistling. While small symptomatic perforations are closed with local mucosal flaps, options for closure of large symptomatic perforations are limited. A local pedicled flap, the facial artery musculomucosal (FAMM) flap was studied in patients with large symptomatic nasal septal defects. Methods:Patients included in the study had (1) a nasal septal defect measuring at least 20 mm in greatest dimension; and (2) related symptoms of nasal crusting, discharge, dryness, obstruction, epistaxis, pain, or whistling. Six patients (3 males; 3 females) met these criteria and received FAMM flap repair. Outcomes were assessed based on comparison of preoperative versus last follow-up (range, 10–30 months; mean 17 months) assessment of perforation size and symptomatology. Overall discomfort was rated at each time point on a 1–10 scale. Results:Age at time of operation ranged from 21 to 44 years, with a mean of 34 years of age. Causes of septal perforation included blunt trauma (50%), cocaine abuse (33%), and submucous resection (17%). Preoperatively, maximal recorded dimensions of septal perforations ranged from 3.1 to 4.0 cm with a mean of 3.5 ± 0.4 cm. Symptoms included pain (83%), dryness (67%), crusting (50%), discharge (33%), epistaxis (33%), and obstruction (33%). Three or more symptoms were experienced by 5 patients (83%). Overall discomfort ranged from 6–10, with a mean of 8.4. Postoperatively at last follow-up, all 6 patients (100%) achieved closure of their septal defect (P < 0.001). Overall discomfort score was zero for all 6 patients (100%) (P < 0.0001). Complete symptomatic resolution was also noted among all 6 patients (100%) (P < 0.01). Conclusions:In summary, the advantages of the FAMM flap closure technique were (1) no visible external scar, with minimal donor site morbidity; (2) successful closure of large septal defects (>2 cm) with vascularized tissue in a single stage; and (3) resolution of patient symptomatology.


The flow of packages and documents in collective groups, called splits, of an express package carrier consists of picking up the packages by a courier at customers' locations and bringing them to a station for sorting. Next the splits are transported, either in bulk or containerized conveyances, to a major regional sorting facility called the ramp. In this work we focus on the afternoon and evening operations concerned with stations and the ramp. We deal with the sorting decisions at the stations and the ramp, as well as the transportation decisions among these locations. We model these processes by means of a dynamic program where time periods represent time slices in the afternoon and evening. The resulting myopic problem is a linear mixed-integer program. The overall model is solved by approximate dynamic programming where the value function is approximated by a linear function. Further strategies are developed to speed up the algorithm and decrease the time needed to find feasible solutions. The methodology is tested on several instances from an international express package carrier. Our solutions are substantially better than the current best practice.


Wireless sensor networks are an important research area that has attracted a lot of attention in the past few years. Most of this attention, however, has focused on wireless sensor network collect scalar data such as temperature and vibration. Scalar data is insufficient for many applications such as video surveillance and traffic monitoring. Whereas, camera sensors collect video data, which are rich in information and offer tremendous potential when used in wireless sensor networks. Video sensor networks continue to gain increase interest due to their ability to collect video information for a wide range of applications in recent years. However, knowledge about these types of networks is mostly related to visual algorithms, leaving the issues such as the coverage of video sensor network and the transmission of video data aside. In this paper, we first highlight the issues and opportunities of video sensor network. And then we discuss key research issue on video sensor network, specifically camera coverage problem, network architecture, and low-power video data processing and communication. Finally, we identify enabling approaches in this area.


Intrahepatic portosystemic shunts are infrequent in children. We report 3 cases of neonates who presented with jaundice during the first month of life. Color Doppler sonography in the first 2 cases showed direct communication between the right portal and hepatic veins. Both infants were asymptomatic, and the shunts disappeared spontaneously. The third case involved several shunts and an aberrant medial portal vein. This patient developed heart failure and died after surgery. Color Doppler sonography was useful in the diagnosis and follow‐up of the shunts in all 3 cases. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 28:42–46, 2000.


Undercover work is like a drama with three main actors: informant, suspect, and undercover agent. The second edition of Undercover, by Carmine Motto and Dale June, in a street smart and refreshingly candid manner, focuses close attention on the respective roles of these main characters in the undercover theater. Drawing on their prolific, professional experiences in undercover work, and law enforcement generally, and extensively using actual case examples, the co-authors strip away the husk and unabashedly and palpably reveal the kernel of a sordid world of counterfeiters, forgers, underworld figures, and assorted types of hoodlums involved in some criminal way with contraband.


[Abstract Theodore of Mopsuestia's baptismal homilies 1-3 and Narsai of Nisibis' liturgical homilies 21 and 22 are valuable sources concerning the Syrian baptismal liturgy. It is commonly held that Narsai's rite is heavily influenced by Theodore's. Some scholars even go that far to picture Narsai as Theodore's copycat. Such a view would have profound consequences for our perception of continuity and discontinuity within the Eastern baptismal tradition. However, the present comparative study of an often neglected pre-baptismal part of the rite both Narsai and Theodore describe as a "Lawsuit" or "Judgment" (dinā) reveals significant differences between both liturgies that make an exclusive dependance improbable. These differences must be taken into account if we want to get a clear picture of the relationship of both rites with each other and the larger Syrian tradition., Abstract Theodore of Mopsuestia's baptismal homilies 1-3 and Narsai of Nisibis' liturgical homilies 21 and 22 are valuable sources concerning the Syrian baptismal liturgy. It is commonly held that Narsai's rite is heavily influenced by Theodore's. Some scholars even go that far to picture Narsai as Theodore's copycat. Such a view would have profound consequences for our perception of continuity and discontinuity within the Eastern baptismal tradition. However, the present comparative study of an often neglected pre-baptismal part of the rite both Narsai and Theodore describe as a "Lawsuit" or "Judgment" (dinā) reveals significant differences between both liturgies that make an exclusive dependance improbable. These differences must be taken into account if we want to get a clear picture of the relationship of both rites with each other and the larger Syrian tradition.]


Tomorrow is picture day, which means Billy has to get a haircut. His initial dread turns to excitement when he realizes he could get his hair styled into pink spikes like his cartoon hero Supermonkey, but, alas, conspiracy between barber and mother results in a boring normal haircut. Fortunately, as he's leaving the barber, he notices that the complimentary lollipops have an intriguing effect, and on picture day he manages to liven up the images by getting his whole class to suck on purloined pops—which gives their teeth glowing color as they smile for the photographer. The story, reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes mayhem, unfolds in comic-strip panels that effectively juggle their multitude of elements and palette of high-voltage colors with strategic design. Billy's a bit high-voltage himself, running his mouth and his imagination constantly (he blithely updates inanimate objects on his plans) in a way that young readers will recognize; his adventurous take on reality fits the comic-strip medium perfectly, joining with the straightforward physical comedy of his exploits to add energy to what could otherwise be a simple account of an ordinary school event. Share it anytime, but it'll be particularly well received on picture day—just wait until after chances of sabotage have passed. DS


To investigate the effect of acid and alkali stress on ginsenoside content of Panax ginseng, adventitious roots culture in bioreactors were incubated for 30 d and pH value was adjusted. Ginsenoside content increased by reducing or raising the pH in culture medium, the muxium ginsenoside content was determined on the 5th days after acid treatment and on the 7th days after alkali treatment. The result of histochemical localization of ginsenoside revealed that the red color from light to dark were found in the adventitious root tissue, and ginsenoside mainly located in the pericycle cells where appeared the dark red color.


The 2012 Congress of the Society for Melanoma Research was attended by researchers with widespread expertise in basic, translational, and clinical research. Exciting research has led to the discovery of therapies to target mutations found in melanoma; however, it is clear that much still needs to be learned about how to use these therapies and the role of the microenvironment in therapy resistance and melanoma progression. This summary highlights recent discoveries in genetics and epigenetics, biology, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies for melanoma discussed at this year's meeting.


Financial management is meant to counter man's greed, selfishness and aggressiveness in the process of using scarce resources and rational approach in resource mobilization. Furthermore, all major deliberations depend on financial equation (cook, 1979). Primary school education in Kenya is becoming increasingly affordable, though the standards and performance have continued to deteriorate due to mismanagement of funds. The government of Kenya in 2003 introduced FPE and thus increasing enrollment and causing strain on the available resources in schools. In Emuhaya district of Vihiga county, the situation is even worse to an extent that the public doubt the preparedness of the head teachers and the SMCs in management of funds. Many of them have fallen victims of mismanagement associated with misappropriation or intentional embezzlement hence the need to conduct this study. The purpose of this study was to establish determinants of management of funds in public primary schools in Emuhaya district, Vihiga county. The objectives of the study were: to examine how procurement procedures determines management of funds, to assess how auditing determines management of funds, to establish how financial book keeping determines management of funds and assess how the SMCs determines management of funds in public primary schools in Emuhaya District Vihiga County. It was assumed that the study was to be significant to the policy makers in establish relevant policies. It was also hoped that the study was to contribute to the body of knowledge. The study was delimited to Emuhaya district, Vihiga county. It had a theoretical and conceptual framework and a summary of the literature review. The researcher used descriptive survey design which helped him collect quantitative data for analyzing using descriptive statistics technique. The researcher targeted 95 public head teachers, chairpersons and treasures of the 95 public primary schools, a DQASO and one auditor. Simple random sampling was used to sample 31 schools then purposely sampled 31 head teachers and 31 treasures/chairpersons of the 31 schools, the DQASO and the auditor. The data was collected using questionnaires and interview guides. The data was then analyzed and presented by use of descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages and tables. The data was then discussed. Singleton noted that the most commonly method used for reporting descriptive survey research is by developing frequency distributions, calculating percentages and tabulating them accordingly. The study revealed that all SMC members had form four education. Most schools which involved SMCs in formulating budgets had minimal debts, auditing was mostly done ones a year by external auditors. The schools where the SMCs met frequently had their projects completed on time. The study recommended financial training is organized for the school managers, schools should carry out appraisal every term and give allowances to SMC members and head teachers. Head teachers should work closely with the SMC and follow school budgets.


Cyberbullying amongst adolescents is a rapidly growing and alarming global phenomenon that can significantly harm their well-being. Studying cyberbullying in East Asia is especially important, where peer pressure based on collectivistic ideals and rigid cultural scripts for social interactions remain strong. Furthermore, the countries represented in this review are amongst the top globally for internet usage, suggesting that adolescents in East Asia are likely to be excessive users of social media communication and be more exposed to various forms of cyberbullying. This systematic review summarizes findings from peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on cyberbullying amongst adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 in East Asian countries (N = 21). SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO databases were searched for relevant work published between 2008 and 2020. Search strategies involved using keywords related to cyberbullying, adolescents, East Asia, and the name of each country represented in the region (China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan). Key factors associated with cyberbullying specific to adolescents in this region are identified and discussed in this review, such as gender socialization patterns and literacy with digital media communication, emphasis on academic achievement and school factors, urban-rural digital divide, relationship with parents and teachers, and collectivistic values. The present review highlights the need to pay further attention to the sociocultural context in future cyberbullying research and calls for more context-specific cyberbullying prevention programs and awareness initiatives.


The resonance two-photon interaction of the broadband squeezed field (without coherent displacement) with the dipole-forbidden two-level atoms via nonresonant virtual levels is investigated. It is demonstrated that the broadband squeezed field excites coherently the system of radiators (atoms, molecules) that have dipole-forbidden transitions. The two-photon Rabi frequency, in this case, is amplified due to the large number of couples of correlated modes of the broadband squeezed field involved. It should be mentioned that this coherent excitation is not specific for optical allowed dipole transitions. In the high-field limit, the quantum statistics of the photon pairs generated in the process of resonance fluorescence is analysed. As the fluorescence spectrum consists of three bands of the correlated photon pairs we analysed the second-order fluctuations in the central and sideband peaks of the triplet. It is shown that the amplitude-squared squeezing that is presented in the sidebands arises from the interaction of the spontaneously radiated photon pairs with the vacuum of the electromagnetic field.


Pitch and timbre are terms frequently used in studies on sound perception. Despite the existence of formal definitions, these terms are often used ambiguously in the literature. This paper is intended as a review of the ANSI definitions and their shortcomings, of modern ways to define the concepts operationally, and of the various dependencies of pitch and timbre on physical attributes of sound. Finally, their independent functioning in speech, their mutually dependent functioning in music, and their mediating role in object recognition will be discussed.


Wireless MESH networks are a new networking paradigm that allow to extend the coverage of traditional wireless access networks with multi-hop connections through fixed wireless mesh routers. Wireless MESH networks partially replace wired backbone networks, and it is reasonable to carefully plan radio resource assignment in order to provide quality guarantees to traffic flows. Differently from ad hoc networks, energy consumption is usually not a problem with wireless MESH routers, routes are quite stable and bandwidth requirements of traffic flows can be considered almost constants. In this paper we study the scheduling optimization problem in wireless MESH networks assuming a time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme, a dynamic power control able to vary emitted power slot-by-slot, and a rate adaptation mechanism that sets transmission rates according to the signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR). Traffic quality requirements are expressed in terms of minimum bandwidth and modelled with constraints defining the number of information units (packets) that must be transmitted on each link per frame. We propose an alternative problem formulation where decision variables represent compatible sets of links active in the same slot. Approaches to solve both lower and upper bound for the problem are proposed: since compatible set variables are exponentially many, we use column generation to compute a lower bound for the problem. Heuristic approaches to compute feasible integer solutions are proposed and tested


In a series of 161 consecutive breast cancer operations, intradermal injection of Patent Blue was used to localize the sentinel node (SN). The surgical localization rate was 60%. Including the blue lymph nodes found by the pathologist, localization rate was 70%. After the first 103 operations, the surgical procedure was changed, resulting in a localization rate of 83%. Ten surgeons participated, but only one had previous experience with SN dissection. The others experienced a steep learning curve. Metastasis was found in 42 of 97 SNs (43%). In 15 cases (36%) metastasis was recognized only after step-sectioning and immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin. In one case a benign epithelial inclusion was found. The sentinel node was false negative in 9.1% of cases. The consensus from the literature is that the best results are achieved using a combination of dye and isotopic techniques.