In this letter, to model surface plasmon polaritons, trapezoidal recursive convolution-locally 1-D finite-difference time-domain (TRC-LOD-FDTD) equations at metal-dielectric interface are derived using the Drude model. The integral form of Maxwell's curl equation for magnetic field is applied on Yee's lattice to establish boundary conditions. Then, the TRC technique is used for the analysis of the Drude model. The advantages of our presented method include removing the restriction of the field's confinement to the interface and simple calculation of the TRC-LOD-FDTD equations at the metal-dielectric interface.


Adversarial trials are structured on the assumption that the most reliable evidence comes through the in-person cross examination of witnesses. However, for many older adults, aging introduces physical and cognitive changes that can interfere with the ability to meet this basic requirement. This paper considers whether the legal and procedural rules that have been developed to ensure that only the most reliable evidence is used as the basis of fact finding in a trial may disproportionately be excluding evidence from seniors. To explore this tension, I identify four physical and cognitive issues that increase in prevalence with old age that can interfere with a witness's ability to testify in person. I then review the promise and limitations of the current rules of evidence and procedure in meeting the potential challenges experienced by older witnesses.  While current laws of evidence and procedure contain tools that can accommodate individuals who experience limitations, a case law review suggests that they are seldom used to facilitate the participation of older adults in trials. With the proportion of people aged over 65 expected to double in the next 20 years, it is critical for future research to explore this gap.


The anharmonic lattice dynamics of oxide and halide perovskites play a crucial role in their mechanical and optical properties. Raman spectroscopy is one of the key methods used to study these structural dynamics. However, despite decades of research, existing interpretations cannot explain the temperature dependence of the observed Raman spectra. We demonstrate the non-monotonic evolution with temperature of the scattering intensity and present a model for 2 nd -order Raman scattering that accounts for this unique trend. By invoking a low-frequency anharmonic feature, we are able to reproduce the Raman spectral line-shapes and integrated intensity temperature dependence. Numerical simulations support our interpretation of this low-frequency mode as a transition between two minima of a double-well potential surface. The model can be applied to other dynamically disordered crystal phases, providing a better understanding of the structural dynamics, leading to favorable electronic, optical, and mechanical properties in functional materials.


Abstract In the United States, Ixodes scapularis Say has been implicated as the vector of at least three human pathogens. Tick induced modulation of host immunity is increasingly recognized as an important factor in successful transmission or establishment of tick-borne pathogens. This study was conducted to determine the effects of repeated infestations with pathogen-free I. scapularis nymphs on in vitro proliferative responses of splenic lymphocytes from C3H/HeN mice. Lymphocytes from repeatedly infested and uninfested mice were exposed to concanavalin A (Con A), Escherichia coli Castellini & Chalmers lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or I. scapularis salivary gland soluble proteins (SGSP), to determine if lymphocyte responses differed between tick-exposed and nonexposed mice. Female C3H/HeN mice were infested one to four times with pathogen-free I. scapularis nymphs, with a 14-d tick-free period between each exposure. After each infestation, tick biology parameters were measured and lymphocyte proliferative responses assessed. Acquired resistance to I. scapularis was not evident in mice subjected to tick feeding. Significant differences in the responses of lymphocytes exposed to I. scapularis SGSP were observed between infested and noninfested mice. In contrast, few differences between infested and noninfested mice were evident for lymphocytes exposed to Con A or LPS. Our results suggest that repeated exposure to I. scapularis nymphs does not affect Con A or LPS-induced proliferation of splenic lymphocytes, but significantly effects lymphocyte responses to tick salivary gland antigens.


Unlike "mainframe healthcare," personal wellness technologies can scale with the needs of an aging population. They can also drive a demanding specification for the requirements of ubiquitous, proactive computing in everyday life. Ultimately, aging-in-place research supports a broader vision of "personal wellness systems" that provide highly individualized support for home based healthcare to all age groups.


Abstract In this paper, I formulate and explain a number of universal generalizations about the formation of causative verbs (overtly marked verbs with causal meaning) and anticausative verbs (overtly marked verbs with noncausal meaning). Given the "spontaneity scale" of basic verb meanings (transitive > unergative > automatic unaccusative > costly unaccusative > agentful), we can say that verb pairs with a noncausal verb higher on the scale tend to be causative pairs, and verb pairs with a noncausal verb lower on the scale tend to be anticausative pairs. I propose that these generalizations can be subsumed under form-frequency correspondence: That transitive base verbs tend to form causatives (often analytic causatives) is because they rarely occur in causal contexts, and the fact that unaccusative verbs tend to be coded as anticausatives is because they frequently occur in causal contexts, and special marking is required for the rarer and less expected situation.


Typhoid fever is an acute infectious disease caused by Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), which is still extremely common in endemic low- and middle-income countries of Asia and Africa. Industrialised countries may also be affected by typhoid fever outbreaks due to booming international tourism, and natural disasters. Given S. Typhi progressive resistance to antibiotics, high epidemiological burden, and lack of adequate sanitation and hygiene in a number of regions, the introduction of new treatment protocols and the improvement of preventive vaccination are critical tasks in global healthcare. The aim of the study was to highlight the main historical aspects of the typhoid vaccine development, to summarise data on the licensed vaccines and promising approaches to the development of new typhoid vaccines. The paper describes the current epidemiological situation of typhoid fever globally and in the Russian Federation. It dwells upon the global experience in typhoid vaccine development from the production of an inactivated vaccine to the development of conjugated vaccines. The paper summarises data on Russian and foreign-made typhoid fever vaccines currently available in the global pharmaceutical market. It outlines the main trends in the development of vaccines against the disease caused by S. Typhi. The paper demonstrates the need for improving the efficacy of existing vaccines and development of new typhoid combination vaccines.


The paper considers one of the promising ways to influence the heat transfer in the cooling system of a cylinder-piston group, which is to improve physical properties of coolants. It has been stated that the development of nanotechnology has recently made it possible to significantly increase the thermal conductivity coefficient of base coolant - an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol due to its modification by high-conductive solid multigraphene nanoparticles. The resulting stable two-phase suspensions based on the base coolant and particles of the solid phase are called nanofluids. To evaluate the increase in heat transfer at the "wall-coolant" boundary and the decrease of temperature of this wall when applying nanofluid in the engine cooling system as compared to the base fluid, an experimental setup was developed for simulating the flow of coolant in the annular channel of the cooling cavity of the cylinder liner and the conditions determining the heat transfer in its cooling cavity. As a result of conducting a series of experiments under similar test conditions, a significant increase in the heat transfer coefficient was found at the boundary of the "liner wall-liquid" due to the use of nanofluids with highly heat-conducting multigraphene nanoparticles compared to the base fluid. This led to a decrease in the temperature of the cylinder liner. Reducing the temperature of the heat-loaded engine parts allows to increase the reliability of the promising and forced diesel engines, to increase the degree of boosting at the average effective pressure while maintaining the permissible temperature level of the parts of the cylinder-piston group. Intensification of heat transfer at the "wall-liquid" interface contributes to an increase in the thermal efficiency of various heat exchangers as part of an internal combustion engine associated with the main circuit of the cooling system.


A Pd on porous glass catalyst system was used in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of terpenoid substrates with dihydrogen at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. A multitude of substances were hydrogenated selectively with yields of 90-100 %. In all experiments, only C--C, C--N, and N--N double bonds were hydrogenated. Studies revealed that carbonyl and aromatic double bonds are inert towards catalytic reduction with dihydrogen under the conditions employed. In some cases, hydrogenation was accompanied by isomerization, so that treatment of beta-pinene, for example, afforded isomeric alpha-pinene, which was subsequently hydrogenated to pinane.


Generating renewable energy on Mars is technologically challenging. Firstly, because, compared to Earth, key energy resources such as solar and wind are weak as a result of very low atmospheric pressure and low solar irradiation. Secondly, because of the harsh environmental conditions, the required high degree of automation, and the exceptional effort and cost involved in transporting material to the planet. Like on Earth, it is crucial to combine complementary resources for an effective renewable energy solution. In this work, we present the results of a design synthesis exercise, a 10 kW microgrid solution, based on a pumping kite power system and photovoltaic solar modules to power the construction and subsequent use of a Mars habitat. To buffer unavoidable energy fluctuations and balance seasonal and diurnal resource variations, the two energy systems are combined with a compressed gas storage system and lithium-sulphur batteries. The airborne wind energy solution was selected because of its low weight-to-wing-surface-area ratio, compact packing volume, and high capacity factor which enables it to endure strong dust storms in an airborne parking mode. The surface area of the membrane wing is 50 m2 and the mass of the entire system, including the kite control unit and ground station, is 290 kg. The performance of the microgrid was assessed by computational simulation using available resource data for a chosen deployment location on Mars. The projected costs of the system are €8.95 million, excluding transportation to Mars.


We conducted a cross-sectional study
between February 1st, 2012 and September 30, 2012 at Bobo-Dioulasso University
Teaching hospital. The target population was all patients seen at the
emergency services for acute urinary retention. Among the 155 patients
admitted for urological emergencies, 104 (67.1%) had acute urinary retention.
The average age of patients was 65 years, ranging from 23 to 89 years and the
majority was more than 60 years old (77.8%) and lived in rural areas (64.4%).
Prostate tumor pathology and urethral stricture were the most frequent
diagnosis, and the renal function was impaired in 33.7% of cases.
Urethrovesical drainage, cystocatheterism, and suprapubic cystostomy were the
treatment approach in 56.0%, 28.0% and 15.2% of the cases. Acute urinary
retention is the most common urological emergency and many complications are
associated with urethrovesical sounding. These complications should therefore
be prevented by improving acute urinary care.


Purpose: To describe tachyphylaxis to intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 59 consecutive patients treated with IVB at the National Eye Institute over a 14-month period and identified cases demonstrating loss of treatment efficacy as revealed by spectral domain optical coherence tomography. We defined tachyphylaxis as a loss of therapeutic response to IVB 28 ± 7 days after administration in an eye that had previously demonstrated a therapeutic response in the same time interval. Results: Five patients (six eyes) were identified as developing tachyphylaxis after repeated treatment with IVB. High-dose IVB (2.50 mg) did not restore therapeutic response in these patients. Bilateral tachyphylaxis to IVB was seen after an episode of unilateral postinjection anterior uveitis. After the first treatment of IVB, the median time taken to develop tachyphylaxis was 100 weeks (range: 31–128 weeks), and the median number of IVB treatments to the development of tachyphylaxis was 8 treatments (range: 5–10 treatments). Conclusion: Tachyphylaxis can occur after long-term intravitreal use of bevacizumab in patients with AMD. The precise mechanism of tachyphylaxis is unclear, but both local and/or systemic factors may be involved.


This paper presents a controller for an active filter to compensate reactive power and current harmonic distortion in a single phase system, i.e., to guarantee a power factor close to unity. The proposed controller considers the negative effects caused by the interaction between load and line impedances, which may lead to instabilities when the controller is enabled. The idea behind the solution consists in the introduction of a lead compensator which replaces the conventional proportional term. The lead compensator has an associated gain that is adjusted by an adaptation law which searches for the best gain to maintain the stability. This modification improves the stability conditions when the load and source impedances are considerable. In particular, the scheme provides a solution in a critical scenario, when the load is composed by a capacitor connected in parallel to a distorted current source. Special attention is given to the current control loop because the instability problems arise precisely in this loop. Numerical results are provided to illustrate the benefits of the proposed solution.


AM CVn systems are a rare (about a dozen previously known) class of cataclysmic variables, arguably encompassing the shortest orbital periods (down to about 10 minutes) of any known binaries. Both binary components are thought to be degenerate (or partially so), likely with mass transfer from a helium-rich donor onto a white dwarf, driven by gravitational radiation. Although rare, AM CVn systems are of high interest as possible Type Ia supernova progenitors and because they are predicted to be common sources of gravity waves in upcoming experiments such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. We have identified four new AM CVn candidates from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectral database. All four show hallmark spectroscopic characteristics of the AM CVn class: each is devoid of hydrogen features and instead shows a spectrum dominated by helium. All four show double-peaked emission, indicative of helium-dominated accretion disks. Limited time series CCD photometric follow-up data have been obtained for three of the new candidates from the Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5 m telescope; most notably, a 28.3 minute binary period with sharp, deep eclipses is discovered in one case, SDSS J0926+3624. This is the first confirmed eclipsing AM CVn, and our data allow initial estimates of binary parameters for this ultracompact system. The four new SDSS objects also provide a substantial expansion of the current critically small sample of AM CVn systems.


Unexpected trends of diametral strain range response have been recorded for annealed bainitic Cr-Mo-V-pressure vessel steel at room temperature and moderate strain amplitudes. Stress and diametral strain response were also recorded for three harder heat treatment variants, but they behaved as expected. The alloy is strengthened by a carbide dispersion and a dislocation network, both of variable density. The unexpected diametral strain response is suggested to be associated with yet unknown macroscopic effects of particular observed microscopic mechanisms of slip. These mechanisms of slip can be analyzed with a model for dispersion strengthening which expresses the connection between nominal dislocation activity and the plastic and elastic components of elongation. The necessity for a differentiation between effective obstacles to slip consisting of stable carbides or cyclically unstable dislocation networks is arrived at. Observation of slip mechanisms by scanning electron microscopy is presented.


Abstract Four different normalisation techniques were applied for the corrections of fluorescence data generated by a cDNA microarray experiment. Correction for inaccurate signals and possible bias induced by fluorescence intensity, background intensity and dye effect were used in different combinations. Results of the present study highlight a pronounced role for the normalisation techniques in the absolute number of genes different expressed and a low concordance between different methods. Moreover, a significant effect of the dependent variable used, mean or median fluorescence intensity, was observed.


We have carried out a 200 level close-coupling calculation for C-like Fe using the R-matrix method in conjunction with the intermediate coupling frame transformation method. We have generated effective collision strengths over T = 8 × 10 4 –8 × 10 7 K for all 19 900 inelastic transitions, which is an order of magnitude larger than has been generated hitherto. We provide illustrative comparisons with the results of previous workers, where possible, and find a broad accord. The consistent and comprehensive set of data that we have generated (energy levels, radiative rates and effective collision strengths) is necessary for the collisional–radiative modelling of metallic impurities that will arise in the next generation of magnetic fusion reactors as well as being of relevance to studies utilizing observations from the high-resolution x-ray satellites Chandra and XMM–Newton.


The article describes possible anticonvulsant therapy methodologies for children with respect to medication available for emergency medical care teams and used according to current clinical guidelines.


This paper presents a useful procedure of solving nonlinear integer programming problems. It finds, first, a pseudo-solution to the problem, as if the variables were continuous. Then it uses direct search in the neighbourhood of the pseudo-solution to find the optimum. The effectiveness of the method is shown with a 15-variable problem, which requires about 1 day's FORTRAN programming effort and 8 seconds of computer time for its solution on an IBM 370/165 digital computer.


We show that recent innovations in deep reinforcement learning can effectively color very large graphs -- a well-known NP-hard problem with clear commercial applications. Because the Monte Carlo Tree Search with Upper Confidence Bound algorithm used in AlphaGoZero can improve the performance of a given heuristic, our approach allows deep neural networks trained using high performance computing (HPC) technologies to transform computation into improved heuristics with zero prior knowledge. Key to our approach is the introduction of a novel deep neural network architecture (FastColorNet) that has access to the full graph context and requires $O(V)$ time and space to color a graph with $V$ vertices, which enables scaling to very large graphs that arise in real applications like parallel computing, compilers, numerical solvers, and design automation, among others. As a result, we are able to learn new state of the art heuristics for graph coloring.


In this work we present a multi-armed bandit framework for online expert selection in Markov decision processes and demonstrate its use in high-dimensional settings. Our method takes a set of candidate expert policies and switches between them to rapidly identify the best performing expert using a variant of the classical upper confidence bound algorithm, thus ensuring low regret in the overall performance of the system. This is useful in applications where several expert policies may be available, and one needs to be selected at run-time for the underlying environment.


The following paper concentrates on the detention of minors, especially what concerns the international legal provisions regarding pre-trial detention. It is very important to ensure that no one should be deprived of his liberty in an arbitrary fashion, this also refers to children as well. Deprivation of liberty may take numerous other forms besides arrest of conviction, these forms differ in degree or intensity, and this is why courts and domestic authorities have to have a clear view to be able to undertake an autonomous assessment of the situation. While detention occurs in various circumstance, I would like to focus on children in contact with the criminal justice system. Article 5 para. 1 (d) provides that "No one shall be deprived of his liberty save the following cases and in accordance with a procedure prescribed by law: (d) the detention of a minor by lawful order for the purpose of educational supervision or his lawful detention for the purpose of bringing him before the competent legal authority." This notion of a minor encompasses persons under the age of 18 in the light of European Standards and Resolutions of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (Commission decision of 14 December 1979). This law text excerpt is not only a provision which permits the detention of a minor, but also contains a specific, but not exhaustive, example of circumstances in which minors might be detained, namely for the purpose of their educational supervision or bringing them before a competent legal authority. In this present paper I would also like to include a case presentation: Nart v. Turkey, where the ECHR found a violation of Article 5.


AI-generated content has attracted lots of attention recently, but photo-realistic video synthesis is still challenging. Although many attempts using GANs and autoregressive models have been made in this area, the visual quality and length of generated videos are far from satisfactory. Diffusion models have shown remarkable results recently but require significant computational resources. To address this, we introduce lightweight video diffusion models by leveraging a low-dimensional 3D latent space, significantly outperforming previous pixel-space video diffusion models under a limited computational budget. In addition, we propose hierarchical diffusion in the latent space such that longer videos with more than one thousand frames can be produced. To further overcome the performance degradation issue for long video generation, we propose conditional latent perturbation and unconditional guidance that effectively mitigate the accumulated errors during the extension of video length. Extensive experiments on small domain datasets of different categories suggest that our framework generates more realistic and longer videos than previous strong baselines. We additionally provide an extension to large-scale text-to-video generation to demonstrate the superiority of our work. Our code and models will be made publicly available.


Analysed and summarized the dynamics and chemical factors in the co (coagulation)-flocculation process. A completely new definition for co-flocculation was given.If a colloid particle didn't contact with drug to emerge (physical) chemical effect, the possibility for the colloid particle to coagulate (flocculate) was rather small, only at the flocculation stage; it may be caught by net or settled by differential sedimentation. Base on several assumed important premises, the several steps and physical model of co-flocculation process were given, and the mixing, coagulation and flocculation were proposed according to their essentiality.


To solve the problem that the existing thyristor valves may not meet the requirements of the UHV TCSC, a new TCSC is proposed in this paper. The novel TCSC consists of a capacitor and two parallel branches of thyristor controlled reactor (TCR). Obviously, the current over the whole controlled branch is shared by two parallel TCR branches. In the paper, the steady-state mathematical model is derived, and the control strategy is also discussed. The results of the digital simulation verify that the new TCSC model can satisfy the engineering application.


Fifty-two Targhee twin-bearing ewes were used in a factorial arrangement of treatments to investigate the role of supplemental vitamin E (vit E); 0 (NE) vs 400 IU of vit E x ewe x (-1)d(-1) (E) and parainfluenza type 3 (PI3) vaccination; none (NP) vs PI3 vaccination (P) in immune function. Parainfluenza type 3 vaccination was used to evoke an immune response. Ewes receiving PI3 were vaccinated at 49 and 21 d before the expected lambing date. Ewes receiving vit E were orally dosed daily, 32 to 0 d before lambing. Blood was collected from ewes at the time of the initial PI3 vaccination and 4 h postpartum. Blood was collected from lambs (n = 104) at 3 d postpartum. Ewe and lamb sera were analyzed for anti-PI3 antibody titers, immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers, and vit E concentrations. Colostrum was collected 4 h postpartum and analyzed for IgG. The model for ewe and lamb analysis included the main effects of vit E and PI3, sex (lambs model only), and their interactions. No interactions were detected (P > 0.20) for any ewe or lamb variables. Serum anti-PI3 titers were greater (P < 0.01) in P ewes and their lambs than NP ewes and their lambs. Serum vit E concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) in E ewes and their lambs than NE ewes and their lambs. Colostral IgG titers and serum anti-PI3 titers did not differ (P > 0.20) between E and NE ewes. Serum IgG titers in E ewes and their lambs did not differ (P > 0.15) from IgG titers in NE ewes and their lambs. Lamb anti-PI3 titers did not differ (P = 0.76) between lambs reared by E and NE ewes. These results indicate that, although supplemental vit E to the ewe increased lamb serum vit E concentration, it had no effect on measures used in this study to assess humoral immunity in the ewe or passive immunity to the lamb.


In order to develop and validate methods for the preimplantation diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), we have established and evaluated PCR assays for the analysis of four loci within the DMD gene and for two Y chromosome sequences in single cells. A model system using buccal cells picked from mouthwash samples has been used for an extensive evaluation of the sensitivity and specificity of the assays, and each assay has been tested in samples containing single cells, two cells, and three cells per tube. The four DMD and two Y assays have been combined in duplex and triplex reactions to enable simultaneous diagnosis of DMD and of fetal sex. One of the DMD markers is a highly polymorphic simple tandem repeat locus which produces a basic DNA profile, and provides a control for contamination by foreign DNA. Amplification of DMD or Y sequences was observed in 78 to 92% of single male cells, rising to 96% and 97% in tubes containing two or three male cells respectively. Coamplification of both a DMD and a Y sequence together occurred with a mean success of 74% in single male cells, increasing to 93% with two, and 95% with three cells per tube. With appropriate precautions, we believe that it is now possible to proceed to clinical application of these procedures.


Since 2009, the Korean government began to invest heavily in the field of digital contents based on Korean cultural heritage like Korean dramas, films, animation, and virtual reality application. The investment was caused by Korean Wave, which is the surge of popularity of South Korean culture around the world since the 21st century [1], also called Hallyu in Korean. However the Korean historical dramas and films have misarranged the components of Korean traditional houses and ornaments chronologically and spatially. The typical problem is coming from the lack of reference to who builds the sets. The one of the solutions is Korean Space Creator that has real time renderer to show the created space instantly and the database of traditional Korean house components, then it is easy for digital contents producers to use. At present the application has the specific regional materials of Chosun Dynasty (1392-1910) in database; it will extend to more region and dynasties.


Since women are twice as likely as men to experience depression, and depression mainly occurs during their reproductive years, high rates of depression during pregnancy and postpartum are expected.1 Epidemiological data suggest that the prevalence of major depression in pregnant women is in the range of 3–5%, and the combined prevalence of major and minor depression can reach 8–11%.2 ,3 Postpartum depression, which indicates a major depressive episode that occurs within the first 4 weeks after delivery or, using broader clinical criteria, within the first year after childbirth, may affect up to 13% of women.4 ,5

As a consequence, a relevant and growing number of women are exposed to antidepressants (ADs) during pregnancy, after delivery and over the following months. On average, 1–8% of women receive AD medication during pregnancy, with higher prevalence of use during the first trimester.1 In the USA, a recent study showed that prenatal visits associated with AD prescriptions had increased from 0.7% (2002–2006) to 2.1% (2007–2010).6 In Denmark, a 16-fold increase in exposure rates between 1997 and 2010 was observed, from a rate of 0.2% in 1997 to 3.2% in 2010.7 After delivery and during the first year after childbirth the prevalence of AD prescriptions may steadily increase, as recently suggested by a Danish population-based prevalence study.8

The combination of depression and AD use during pregnancy and postpartum has been associated with harmful consequences in terms of neonatal and child development outcomes.

An increased risk of physical and emotional/behavioural problems has consistently been observed in the offspring of mothers suffering from depression in the perinatal period.9 ,10 Probably, complex interactions between several pathways may explain this phenomenon, including biological mechanisms (eg, fetal exposure to maternal stress hormones), behavioural and emotional features (eg, poorer prenatal care …


BACKGROUND
Malnutrition and HIV infection in children interact adversely and may have a combined effect on clinical outcomes, including response to antiretroviral treatment (ART). Evidence of the role of malnutrition at the point of registration at HIV clinics is limited. This study sought to determine the role of nutritional status and other clinical factors on loss to follow-up (LTFU) among children at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Pediatric HIV clinic in Kumasi, Ghana.

STUDY DESIGN
A total of 324 HIV-positive children aged 1.5 to 10 years old who were registered at the clinic from January 1, 2007 to June 30, 2011 were included in this retrospective study. Weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) was used to classify nutritional status. Characteristics of children who were LTFU and those who remained in care were compared using bivariate analysis and logistic regression.

RESULTS
At registration, 116 (35.8%) children were severely underweight (WAZ < -3) and 72 (22.2%) were underweight (WAZ < -2). A total of 163 (50.3%) children were LTFU during the course of one year. Malnourished children compared to normal weight children (WAZ > -2) were more likely to be LTFU (P = 0.003). Initiation of antiretroviral therapy was associated with a lower risk of LTFU. In the multivariate analysis, hospital admission (OR 4.38; 95% CI 2.30, 8.34) and initiation of ART (OR 0.33; CI 0.19, 0.56) were independently associated with LTFU.

CONCLUSION
Malnutrition was common among Ghanaian HIV-infected children and appeared to be associated with a higher risk of hospitalization and LTFU. Irrespective of nutritional status, the initiation of ART was associated with better retention in care.


ABSTRACT One-decade-long observations of post-cut-off channel development and oxbow lake formation are presented to offer insight into the morphological response of the Morava River to neck cut-off. The main objectives were: calculation of the amount of sediment released to the channel by collapse of the meander neck; comparison of floodplain erosion and deposition rates before and after cut-off; and description of the rate and pattern of oxbow lake sedimentation. The amount of sediment released due to cut-off (~35 000 m3) equalled 2–5 years of sediment input by lateral erosion averaged for the past six decades. Bank erosion rates substantially exceeded long-term averages (0.63–6.21 m year−1, post cut-off). Despite a low entrance angle, alluvial plugs in a newly formed oxbow lake were established within a few months. Between 2006 and 2016, sedimentation of the alluvial plugs proceeded at an average rate of 0.55 m year−1, reflecting the time since cut-off and the frequency of overbank flows.


Acoustic streaming in liquids generated by a plane transducer has so far been studied mostly under the assumptions that the wave field is plane and the streaming is caused by the absorption of acoustic energy alone. This understanding has been adopted into a method of measuring absorption coefficients of ultrasound in liquids by observing the velocity of streaming (Piercy and Lamb (1954), Hall and Lamb (1959)). In a study by Watmough (1990) the diffraction pattern from a transducer was found to have a great influence on the acoustic streaming induced in distilled water. The importance of the wave diffraction in relation to the method proposed by Piercy and Lamb is discussed.


Introduction: The couple's marital satisfaction declines during pregnancy (Belesky, Lang & Rovine, 1985; Parke, 1996), which is closely related to the number of children. It represents an important factor in the prenatal attachment of each parent to the fetus (White, Wilson, Ellander, Persson & 1999). Method: The aims of this study are to compare the marital satisfaction and maternal/paternal prenatal attachment during pregnancy according to the number of children. The sample included 407 women and their partners / husbands. The subjects were asked to answer a socio-demographic questionnaire, the MPAAS (Condon, 1993; adaptation by Camarneiro & Justo, 2010) and the EASAVIC (Narciso & Ribeiro, 2009). A descriptive and correlational cross-sectional study was conducted with application of both univariate and multivariate analyzes, controlling for age and education. Results: Marital satisfaction is significantly higher in both men and women who do not have children. Maternal attachment to the fetus, both total and in the dimensions, and the quality of the paternal attachment are not influenced by the number of children. The total paternal prenatal attachment and the intensity of paternal preoccupation are significantly higher in men who do not have children. Discussion/Conclusion: The marital satisfaction of both men and women is higher during the first pregnancy. Maternal prenatal attachment (both total and in the dimensions) is not influenced by parity. In first-time fathers, the total prenatal attachment to the fetus and the intensity of preoccupation is higher. However, the quality of attachment is not affected by the number of children.


Abstract As the market for Islamically permissible (halal) products expands, so do critical discourses on the production and consumption of halal in Europe. In France, one of Europe's largest and fast growing halal markets, while some fear a halal takeover of the French foodscape, others question the authenticity of the products stamped with halal signs. This paper writes against both discourses by exploring the meaning halal takes beyond the sign. It examines how halal attains its meaning as a product of a complex relationship of trust. In describing this relationship, it draws on accounts provided by members of the Turkish community in Strasbourg, France and examines the decision-making process through which Muslim Turks navigate the European foodscape and access halal products. Rather than being driven by alarmist calls, the paper urges to revisit and learn from the ways Muslims negotiate halal in a field long shaped by uncertainty and doubt.


Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is the second most common type of malignancy in Southern China. Metastatic sites are usually multifocal and involve the bones, lungs and distant lymph nodes. To date, there have been no studies with regard to nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis to the mammary gland. In the current study, the case of a 56-year-old female with nasal obstruction, epitaxis and a bilateral neck mass is presented. Following a series of examinations, the patient was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (cT3N3M0). Subsequently, the patient received radical radiation therapy. After three months, a mass was identified in the left breast, together with enlargement of multiple lymph nodes in the left axilla. The patient underwent a mastectomy and pathological examination revealed that the breast mass and axillary lymph node tissues were derived from the nasopharynx. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a nasopharyngeal carcinoma that metastasized to the mammary gland.


A model for U5 snRNP function The current model for the function of the U5 small The role played by U5 snRNA in the spliceosome is nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) in the gradually becoming clearer with a convergence of genetic spliceosome proposes that U5 carries binding sites for and biochemical data from several systems. Phylogenetic the 5 and 3 exons, allowing the spliceosome to 'tether' comparisons (Frank et al., 1994) have revealed that U5 the 5 exon intermediate produced by the first catalytic snRNA carries an invariant sequence of nine nucleotides step and align it with the 3 exon for the second step. displayed in an 11 nucleotide loop. Biochemical and Functional analysis of U5 snRNA in cis-spliceosomes has provided support for this model, and data from genetic data from mammalian and yeast systems have nematode and trypanosome splicing systems suggest been incorporated into a model for U5 snRNP function that U5 or a U5-like snRNA performs a similar role in which the U5 loop interacts with exon sequences at the in trans-splicing. 5 and 3 splice sites (Newman and Norman, 1992; Wyatt et al., 1992; Cortes et al., 1993; Sontheimer and Steitz, 1993; Newman et al., 1995). The data show that contacts between U5 and the 5 exon are established in the preIntroduction mRNA and persist through both catalytic steps. The U5 loop can thereby anchor or 'tether' the 5 exon splicing Introns are removed from nuclear mRNA precursors intermediate produced by the first transesterification, and via a two-step transesterification pathway in complex then assist in the alignment of 5 and 3 exons for ribonucleoprotein particles called spliceosomes. In the the second catalytic step (Newman and Norman, 1992; first step the 2 -hydroxyl of an adenosine near the 3 end Sontheimer and Steitz, 1993; Figure 1). of the intron attacks the 5 splice site, producing the 5 exon and lariat intron–3 exon intermediates. In the second In this view the U5 loop sequence would be the step the 3 -hydroxyl of the 5 exon intermediate attacks spliceosomal counterpart of the exon-binding loop of the 3 splice site to give the spliced mRNA and lariat subdomain ID3 in Group II autocatalytic introns. These intron products of splicing. The spliceosomal small nuclear catalytic RNAs resemble nuclear pre-mRNA introns in ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs) are major structural terms of reaction pathway—both systems produce similar and functional components of the splicing machinery. The lariat intermediates and products—and stereochemical small nuclear RNA components (U1, U2, U4, U5 and U6 specificity (reviewed in Michel and Ferat, 1995; Pyle, snRNAs) of the snRNPs play diverse roles in intron 1996). However, in the autocatalytic system, exon–ID3 recognition and splice site definition and may be intimately loop interactions involve base-pairing of complementary involved in spliceosomal catalysis (reviewed in Moore sequences, whereas the U5 exon-binding loop must be et al., 1993; Madhani and Guthrie, 1994; Nilsen, 1994; endowed with affinity for all exons, regardless of sequence. Ares and Weiser, 1995; Krämer, 1995). The presence in the U5 snRNA loop of four contiguous Only three of the five spliceosomal snRNAs—U2, U5 uridine residues, known to be promiscuous base-pairing and U6—are thought to contribute functionally during the partners, may facilitate its exon-tethering functions. two transesterification reactions of splicing. Base-pairing Whilst the evidence for interactions between U5 snRNP between phylogenetically conserved motifs in U2 and U6 and exon sequences at 5 and 3 splice sites is compelling, snRNAs is proposed to form a discontinuous U2–U6 helix the model outlined above leaves numerous questions about at the core of the catalytically active spliceosome (Madhani U5 function unanswered. How is U5 accurately positioned and Guthrie, 1992; Sun and Manley, 1995; Field and to interact with exon sequences at 5 splice sites in the Friesen, 1996). Adjacent sequences in U2 and U6 snRNAs absence of reliable exon sequence conservation? Given contact the intron branchpoint sequence and the 5 splice that the U5 snRNA terminal loop makes contact with the site respectively, and this network provides a structural 5 exon before the first catalytic step, does the loop basis for the attack of the branchpoint adenosine residue sequence itself play a crucial role in catalysis of 5 splice at the 5 splice site in the first catalytic step. Functional site cleavage? What factors and interactions are necessary analysis has shown that mutations at several of the to orient U5 and its tethered exon sequences precisely nucleotides in the proposed U2–U6 helix block the first with respect to putative catalytic sequences in the U2–U6 or second catalytic step of splicing, suggesting that these 'core' of the active spliceosome? What roles do the protein residues of U2 and U6 snRNAs could play central roles in the catalysis of both transesterification reactions (for components of U5 snRNP play in these activities?


Nowadays the use of vigorous plastic deformation methods for obtaining solid nanostructural metals and alloys withs ultra fine grain structure in the submicro crystal range has become one of the most urgent trends of modern science of materials.These ultra fine grain materials with the new properties are looked upon as promising structural and functional materials of the next generation of metals and alloys. The materials deformed by traditional methods have reduced plasticity, though plasticity itself is on of the functional properties necessary for development of structural materials. This is the reason of vigorous plastic deformation which allow to make ultra fine grain structures and, as a result, to obtain new phusical and mechanical properties of materials. One of such plastic metal working methods realizing vigorous shift deformation in the whole body of the deformed billet is the joint 'rolling-extrusion' process using the equichanneled step die. Simulation of the joint 'rolling-extrusion' process using the equichanneled step die for extrusion with the aim of determining optimal technological and geometrical parameters of this defomation process is described in this work. At present simulation of various deformation processes in plastic metal working is very important and this is promoted by several factors. First of all, simulation makes possible for a researcher to look "inside" the process, assess developing stresses and deformations, to forecast the emergence of defects. Secondly, it allows to find optimal parameters of the tool and billet for the best running of the process. And thirdly, modern program simulation complexes give a lot of possibilities for work at times limited only by a user's imagination. They allow to simulate practically any process omitting expensive experiments. For instance, when making dies for some moulding operations it is possible to simulate this die and modifying various geometrical and technological parameters to match their values proceeding from optimal filling of the die cavity. This method of making new parts is now widely used in automotive, aircraft, machine – building and even defence industries. Thus simulation of various deformation processes in plastic metal working is a vital problem. Simulation of the "rolling – extrusion" process in the equichanneled step die which is a very promising practice of deforming billets allowing to obtain subultrafine grain structure metal is considered in this work. The results of theoretical investigations of this process are given in [1 – 3] works, and they show that in order to carry out this process it is necessary to overcome the die resistance forces. This can be made by increasing the force arising in the site of the origin for deformation during rolling, and their values, in its turn, can be changed by modifying such data as the radius of rolls and absolute reduction during rolling. When simulation, however, it is also necessary to take into account the influence of various technological factors such as the billet temperature which in its turn affects actual deformation resistance, friction coefficient in the smooth rolls and the die, and some other geometrical factors such as the channel extent in the die.


Numerical results for carrier and radiation confinement in a Distributed Feedback (DFB) Multiple Quantum Well Laser (MQW) are presented. The energy eigenvalues for electrons and holes are calculated by solving the one dimensional time-independent Schrodinger equation and the TE confined modes are found by exploring the analogy between particle and electromagnetic wave equations. The optical gain is obtained for different injection levels by using the Fermi golden rule. Regarding the longitudinal aspects, the threshold gain is obtained as a function of the detuning by using the coupled wave theory which takes into account the parameters defining the corrugation and the cavity terminations. >


22 Feathers act as vibrotactile sensors that can detect mechanical stimuli during avian flight and tactile navigation, suggesting that they may also function to detect signals during social 24 displays. We explored this novel sensory modality using the crest plumage of Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus). We first determined whether the airborne stimuli generated by peafowl 26 courtship and social displays couple efficiently via resonance to the vibrational response of feather crests from the heads of peafowl. Peafowl crests were found to have fundamental 28 resonant modes with frequencies that could be driven near-optimally by the shaking frequencies used by peafowl performing train vibrating displays. Crests also were driven to vibrate near 30 resonance when audio recordings of sounds generated by these displays were played back in the acoustic near-field, where such displays are experienced in vivo. When peacock wing-shaking 32 courtship behaviour was simulated in the laboratory, the resulting directional airflow excited measurable vibrations of crest feathers. These results suggest that peafowl crests have properties 34 that make them suitable mechanosensors for airborne stimuli generated during social displays. Such stimuli could complement acoustic perception, thereby enhancing detection and 36 interpretation of social displays. Diverse feather crests are found in many bird species that perform similar displays, suggesting that this proposed sensory modality may be widespread, and 38 possibly derived from flow sensing in other contexts. We suggest behavioral studies to further explore these ideas and their functional implications. 40


The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, commonly known as Obamacare has had a large effect on healthcare delivery to millions of Americans.1–3 There are many elements of the ACA that could impact NeuroInterventionalists. One prominent example is the formation of independent boards with the power to unilaterally modify physician payment structures and use comparative effectiveness research to change medicine and healthcare delivery.4 5

Additionally, the ACA established a formal framework for considering the transition from 'volume to value-based' healthcare through the creation of the Innovation Center.6 Among the seven broad approaches for achieving this migration, two methodologies were of particular relevance to NeuroInterventionalists; the Bundled Payment for Care Improvement Initiative and Accountable Care Organizations, with both approaches remaining active elements into the present day.7–11 Prior to passage of the ACA, the problem of Americans lacking adequate health insurance coverage (absent or insufficient) grew worse each year. In 2010, 55.3% of Americans were covered by employer-based insurance.12 The elderly and poor, as well as some additional vulnerable groups, were already covered by Medicare and Medicaid (14.5% and 15.9% 13 of the population respectively).13 Additional programs, such as the Veterans Health Administration, provided coverage to a small proportion of the population. Shockingly, by 2010, almost 50 million Americans had no form of medical insurance. The drafters of the ACA legislation considered expanding coverage to be mission-critical. Ultimately, they decided on two main strategies to achieve that goal.

The first strategy was Medicaid expansion. By increasing the number of patients eligible to receive Medicaid, many more people would obtain insurance coverage. To enable this expansion, the ACA loosened the criteria required for becoming a Medicaid beneficiary and millions of additional patients signed up for the program. Nonetheless, a large cohort of patients remained uninsured …


Researchers develop the conception of intellectual security by relating the introductory understanding of cyberterrorism, the difference between cyberterror attacks, and activities supporting. This study uses an inductive approach to formulate a general framework. The data collection technique used is a secondary data that is obtained through literature review from libraries and internet. The result of this study attempts to clarify the distinction between cyberterror attacks and support by examining them in terms of the generalities of confidentiality, integrity, and vacuity. A breach of confidentiality occurs if an unauthorized stoner earnings access to information. A breach of confidentiality is an act of cyberterror support. There are three introductory generalities of intellectual security; As the moderation of human understanding of religious and political issues, understanding deviation and human civilizations; As the harmony between the state and society to save individuals and groups from doctrinal or intellectual that may be the cause of deviations in behavior and thoughts from the right path; As safety of human thought from deviation which leads to maintaining public order. Our study differs from former exploration by offering the conception of intellectual security to fight cyberterrorism. Researchers believe that this conception can be developed further through subsequent study.


Partner-switching plays an important role in the evolution of symbiosis, enabling local adaptation and recovery from the breakdown of symbiosis. Because of intergenomic epistasis, partner-switched symbioses may possess novel combinations of phenotypes but may also exhibit low fitness due to their lack of recent coevolutionary history. Here, we examine the structure and mechanisms of intergenomic epistasis in the Paramecium-Chlorella symbiosis and test if compensatory evolution can rescue initially low fitness partner-switched symbioses. Using partner-switch experiments coupled with metabolomics we show evidence for intergenomic epistasis wherein low fitness arose from mismatched photoprotection traits and the resulting light stress experienced by non-native symbionts when in high light environments. Experimental evolution under high light conditions revealed that an initially low fitness partner-switched non-native host-symbiont pairing rapidly adapted, gaining fitness equivalent to the native host symbiont pairing in less than 50 host generations. Compensatory evolution took two alternative routes: Either, hosts evolved higher symbiont loads to mitigate for their new algal symbiont's poor performance, or the algal symbionts themselves evolved higher investment in photosynthesis and photoprotective traits to better mitigate light stress. These findings suggest that partner-switching combined with rapid compensatory evolution will enable the recovery and local adaptation of symbioses in response to changing environments. Significance statement Symbiosis enables the formation of new organisms through the merger of once independent species. Through symbiosis, species can acquire new functions, driving evolutionary innovation and underpinning important ecosystem processes. Symbioses that breakdown due to changing environmental conditions can reform by acquiring new symbionts in a process called partner-switching but may exhibit low fitness due to their lack of coadaptation. Using a microbial symbiosis between the single-celled eukaryote Paramecium and the green alga Chlorella we show that low fitness in partner-switched host-symbiont pairings arises from mismatched photoprotection traits. However, such low fitness partner-switched pairings can be rapidly rescued by adaptive evolution, regaining high fitness in less than 50 host generations. Partner-switching coupled with rapid compensatory evolution can enable symbioses to recover from breakdown.


Klebsiella pneumoniae, ubiquitously found in a variety of environmental sources, is an important pathogen in burn wounds and nosocomial infections. Burn wounds have been commonly treated with silver compounds, which are also used in a multitude of (non)medical products. As the latter increased silver discharge into different environments, we evaluated and compared silver resistance in K. pneumoniae isolates collected from patients hospitalized at the Charles‐Nicolle hospital (Tunis, Tunisia) with isolates collected from different metal polluted waters in the north and south of Tunisia. All K. pneumoniae isolates harboured blaTEM‐1 and blaSHV‐1. In addition, all clinical isolates showed a multidrug phenotype and harboured the blaCTX‐M‐15, blaOXA‐1 and blaNDM‐1. Furthermore, all isolates showed resistance to silver nitrate. The silver resistance determinant, screened via the silE gene, was located for all isolates on a large plasmid with a size similar to pMG101. This study showed cross‐resistance between silver and beta‐lactams in clinical as well as environmental K. pneumoniae isolates from Tunisia and showed for the first time that NDM‐1‐producing K. pneumoniae developed resistance to silver.


Since the discovery of turbo codes in the 1990s, much of the work concerning graphical models for codes has focused on constructing models in order to define a new code. This work focuses on the theoretical foundations of the inverse problem to code construction -extracting a graphical model for a given (fixed) code. Specifically, limits on the space of graphical models for a given code are examined. A number of results concerning these limits (e.g., the cut-set bound, the square-root bound) are first reviewed. Following this review, recent results concerning these limits are presented. It is first shown that the Tanner graphs of many classical block codes necessarily contain many short cycles. It is then shown that cycle-free binary graphical models do not support good codes thus generalizing Trachtenberg's work concerning the existence of cycle-free Tanner graphs. Finally, and most significantly, the tree-inducing cut-set bound (TI-CSB) is derived and discussed. The TI-CSB provides a characterization of the tradeoff between complexity and density in the family of graphical models for a given code. For example, the TI-CSB can be used to show that an r th-root complexity reduction (with respect to the least-complex cycle-free model) requires the introduction of at least r(r - 1)/2 cycles thus generalizing the square-root bound to graphical models with arbitrary cyclic topologies.


In this article, a process for reducing the electromagnetic vibration and noise by changing the shape of the stator is presented. Although the fundamental wave of the air gap magnetic flux density contributes to the average torque of the motor, other spatial harmonics which were except the fundamental wave of that cause vibration and enfeeble the output of the motor. Therefore, it is important to reduce the spatial harmonics for performance of the motor. Through the proposed process, it is possible to obtain an objective function to reduce the specific harmonics by assigning weights to each spatial harmonic. The reduction in the fundamental wave is minimized and it is possible to reduce the spatial harmonics that have an adverse impact on vibration. After the process, a model can be found that maintains the electromagnetic performance as much as possible while optimally reducing the vibration. To verify the process, the electromagnetic vibrations by a radial force of the proposed and conventional models were compared, and it was confirmed that the electromagnetic vibration of the proposed model was reduced. The validity of the analysis was proved through finite-element analysis.


Objective To determine the acute hemodynamic effects of the nonessential amino acid, glycine, and its precursor, L-serine, in normotensive and hypertensive rats. Methods Changes in mean arterial pressure and heart rate evoked by comparable intravenously administered doses (0.3–3.0 mmol/kg) of L-serine, D-serine and glycine were examined in anaesthetized normotensive 14-week-old male Sprague–Dawley, Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats, spontaneously hypertensive rats and WKY rats subjected to chronic nitric oxide synthase inhibition by treatment with NG nitro L-arginine methyl ester (0.7 mg/ml in drinking water for 5 days). Results L-Serine evoked a greater maximal fall in mean arterial pressure [L-serine vs. D-serine in Sprague–Dawley rats, mean ± standard error of the mean values (mmHg): 30 ± 3 vs. 20 ± 5, P < 0.05; in control WKY rats: 46 ± 3 vs. 30 ± 4, P < 0.05; in NG nitro L-arginine methyl ester-treated WKY rats: 93 ± 6 vs. 41 ± 5, P < 0.01; in spontaneously hypertensive rats: 81 ± 7 vs. 39 ± 5 P < 0.01]. The effects of L-serine were significantly reduced in rats pretreated with a combination of apamin and charybdotoxin, inhibitors of the small conductance and intermediate conductance calcium-activated potassium (KCa) channels. Glycine elicited a dose-dependent fall in mean arterial pressure in normotensive WKY rats (25 ± 4; P < 0.01) and evoked pressor responses in both spontaneously hypertensive rats (29 ± 3; P < 0.01) and NG nitro L-arginine methyl ester-pretreated hypertensive WKY (39 ± 5; P < 0.01) rats. Both the depressor and pressor responses to glycine were abolished by pretreatment with the N-methyl D-aspartate receptor antagonist, MK-801. Conclusion The profound stereo-selective antihypertensive effect of L-serine is neither mediated nor mimicked by glycine. It does not require N-methyl D-aspartate receptor activation by glycine but likely involves activation of endothelial KCa channels. L-Serine is a potential antihypertensive agent.


Background: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) reactivation in the airways is a common finding among patients admitted to the intensive care unit and has been more recently been reported in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Evidence suggests that HSV-1 reactivation in critically ill patients may be associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates. However, there is conflicting data about whether treatment with acyclovir impacts outcomes.

Objectives: The primary aim of this study is to assess whether acyclovir improves survival in critically ill COVID-19 patients with concomitant HSV-1 reactivation. Additionally, we explore the effect of acyclovir on cardiorespiratory instability, biochemical markers of inflammation and renal function. Incidence, potential risk factors and outcomes of HSV-1 reactivation in COVID-19 ICU patients are studied last.

Methods: A retrospective single-center cohort study set in a Belgian tertiary-care university hospital. All COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU between March 1st, 2020, and April 15th, 2021, and were tested for HSV-1 using real-time PCR in airway samples were included for analysis. The administration of acyclovir for patients with HSV-1 reactivation was not randomized. Mortality and various markers of morbidity (cardiorespiratory instability, biochemical markers of inflammation, and renal function) were compared between patients that had received acyclovir and those that had not. Secondary outcome measures were respiratory and inflammatory markers of disease severity.

Results: 34.7% (42/121) of patients had HSV-1 reactivation, of which 67% (28/42) received acyclovir. ICU mortality was 36% (n = 10) in the acyclovir group versus 0% in the untreated group. Multivariate analysis resulted in OR 3.82 (95% CI 1.37 – 10.68) for ICU mortality in the treated group. Patients treated with acyclovir had a longer length of stay (41.8 vs. 26.8 days, p = .018), longer duration of invasive mechanical ventilation (33.4 vs. 21.8 days, p = .050), and lower PaO2/FiO2 ratio (59.9 vs. 73.4 mmHg, p = .008).

Conclusions: The role of acyclovir in patients with HSV-1 reactivation in the ICU remains controversial. According to this study, respiratory HSV-1 reactivation for this specific patient group might be better left untreated. Treatment selection bias, however, could not be fully excluded.


The current study is aimed at investigating the impact of the morning TV shows on the perspective of domestic females. Researcher has used a survey method in order to gather data from the population of the study and questionnaire was used to gather data from the sample of the study. The findings revealed that these shows have impact on the lives of domestic women and mental prosperity. It is said by the audience that these shows have ruined the way of life and made individuals more complex than ever. In the past, the substance of the discussion by morning show was vastly improved and their motivation was to teach individuals with the aim to advance our own particular society but the scenario change after 2006. All the public and private TV channels in Pakistan are broadcasting morning shows, in competition which got high number of ratings in the beginning. Singing, dancing, promoting vulgar fashion, showing fake incidents are now common. Even the discussion with the invited guest is nothing but senseless chats which are impeccable. Keywords: Television, Morning Shows, Women, Family Issues, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.


This paper explores the degree to which subjective assessments of the acoustical properties of a real space can be reproduced by assessments that are based on computational auralization. Toward this end, three spaces with different functional and acoustical characteristics were selected. These spaces were evaluated by a group of test participants. A second group of test participants evaluated highquality auralizations of the spaces. The results of the two groups were compared to empirically determine if auralizations can reliably represent real spaces for acoustical quality evaluation purposes.


Radiologic imaging is getting used more commonly in the evaluation of acute abdomen in our daily practice. Ultrasonography and computed tomography are worthwhile when clinical presentation is not concordant with appendicites. In this study, we aimed to present a rare case of caecal polyp causing acute appendicitis.
36-years-old male patient presented with right lower quadrant pain and nausea. On physical examination, rebound tenderness was obtained but there was no muscular rigidity. All blood tests including biochemistry and hemogram were within normal limits. Ultrasonography showed an enlarged, non-compressible appendix with 2-cm diameter and caecal edema. When a CT was performed to exclude a probable appendix tumor, a-25 mm diameter mass was obtained at posterior wall of caecum. As colonoscopy was applied, 2x3cm of sessile polyp located at caecum encircling appendical orifis was observed. Diagnostc biopsy was performed without polypectomy, due to its wide base. Histopathological diagnosis resulted adenomatous polyp with no malignancy. Appendectomy + partial caecal resection involving the polyp was performed. Histopathology confirmed the preoperative diagnosis ''mucinous neoplasm with tumor free margin''. Patient was discharged on postoperative fourth day without any complication
Radiological imaging methods are beneficial for evaluating and confirming the diagnosis of acute abdomen. Negative laparatomies or second-step surgeries may be decreased by advanced radiological imaging, especially when there is discordance between clinical and laboratory findings.


Abstract. In the early phases of a geomagnetic storm, the low and mid-latitude ionosphere are greatly perturbed. Large SAPS electric fields map earthward from the perturbed ring current overlapping and eroding the outer plasmasphere and mid-latitude ionosphere, drawing out extended plumes of storm enhanced density (SED). We use combined satellite and ground-based observations to investigate the degree of magnetic conjugacy associated with specific features of the stormtime ionospheric perturbation. We find that many ionospheric disturbance features exhibit degrees of magnetic conjugacy and simultaneity which implicate the workings of electric fields. TEC enhancements on inner-magnetospheric field lines at the base of the SED plumes exhibit localized and longitude-dependent features which are not strictly magnetic conjugate. The SED plumes streaming away from these source regions closely follow magnetic conjugate paths. SED plumes can be used as a tracer of the location and strength of disturbance electric fields. The SED streams of cold plasma from lower latitudes enter the polar caps near noon, forming conjugate tongues of ionization over the polar regions. SED plumes exhibit close magnetic conjugacy, confirming that SED is a convection electric field dominated effect. Several conclusions are reached: 1) The SED plume occurs in magnetically-conjugate regions in both hemispheres. 2) The position of the sharp poleward edge of the SED plume is closely conjugate. 3) The SAPS electric field is observed in magnetically conjugate regions (SAPS channel). 4) The strong TEC enhancement at the base of the SED plume in the north American sector is more extensive than in its magnetic conjugate region. 5) The entry of the SED plume into the polar cap near noon, forming the polar tongue of ionization (TOI), is seen in both hemispheres in magnetically-conjugate regions.


Objective The Valsalva maneuver is the most sensitive provocative maneuver for patent foramen ovale detection. However, nearly half of patients are unable to perform the Valsalva maneuver well. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of action of calf muscle pump tensing (TENSE) as a novel patent foramen ovale (PFO) provocative maneuver and to evaluate the diagnostic value for PFO and the effect on right-to-left shunt volume compared with the Valsalva maneuver. Methods This study prospectively investigated 171 patients who were highly suspected to have PFO clinically. Five patients with atrial septal defects newly diagnosed on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) were excluded. 166 patients were injected with agitated saline under three provocative maneuvers: Valsalva maneuver, TENSE, and Valsalva + TENSE combined maneuver. The patients were divided into the effective Valsalva group (n = 93) and ineffective Valsalva group (n = 73) according to whether they could perform an effective Valsalva maneuver. TENSE consisted of the straightening of both lower limbs, and when the right atrium was filled with microbubbles, the patient performed instantaneous ankle dorsiflexion movements while maintaining dorsiflexion for 3–5 s. Results Overall, the PFO detection rate of the Valsalva + TENSE combined maneuver (78 [50.1%]) was significantly higher than that of the Valsalva maneuver (51 [30.7%]) and TENSE maneuver (57 [34.3%]) (P < 0.001). In the patients who were able to perform an effective Valsalva maneuver, the PFO detection rate by TENSE was not significantly different from that by the Valsalva maneuver (Valsalva 37/93 [39.8%] vs. TENSE 31/93 [33.3%], P > 0.05), while for the patients who performed an ineffective Valsalva maneuver, the PFO detection rate by the TENSE maneuver was higher than that by the Valsalva maneuver (TENSE 26/73 [35.6%] vs. Valsalva14/73[19.2%], P = 0.017). Conclusion TENSE is a simple and effective provocative maneuver in the diagnosis of PFO using TEE and can assist the Valsalva maneuver. For patients who cannot perform an effective Valsalva maneuver, TENSE can be an alternative to the Valsalva maneuver to some extent.


Information and schedules for workshops offered through Library Services. These workshops are offered on-campus, online, and simulcast. Student completing a specific series of workshops can receive specific digital badges or a Certificate of Achievement


Stance-independent nonnaturalist moral realism is subject to two related epistemological objections. First, there is the metaethical descendant of the Benacerraf problem. Second, there are evolutionary debunking arguments. Standard attempts to solve these epistemological problems have not appealed to any particular moral epistemology. The focus on these epistemologically neutral responses leaves many interesting theoretical stones unturned. Exploring the ability of particular theories in moral epistemology to handle these difficult epistemological objections can help illuminate strengths or weaknesses within these theories themselves, as well as opening up potentially unexplored avenues for responding to deeply entrenched concerns about our epistemic access to the moral properties. In this paper, I assess the prospects of an empiricist and perceptualist model of moral knowledge for responding to epistemological arguments against non-skeptical moral realism. I argue that such a view has powerful responses to these objections that are not open to other moral epistemologists. The upshot is that if some version of the view is correct, then the realist has less to fear from Benacerraf and evolutionary debunking–style epistemological objections. Insofar as one is already a committed realist, then, this provides some indirect support for moral perceptualism.


Virtual and augmented reality technologies have seen significant growth in the past few years. A key component of such systems is the ability to track the pose of head mounted displays and controllers in 3D space. We tackle the problem of efficient 6-DoF tracking of a handheld controller from egocentric camera perspectives. We collected the HMD Controller dataset which consist of over 540,000 stereo image pairs labelled with the full 6-DoF pose of the handheld controller. Our proposed SSD-AF-Stereo3D model achieves a mean average error of 33.5 millimeters in 3D keypoint prediction and is used in conjunction with an IMU sensor on the controller to enable 6-DoF tracking. We also present results on approaches for model based full 6-DoF tracking. All our models operate under the strict constraints of real time mobile CPU inference.


The practice of scenting retail environments to increase sales has become common but do pleasant scents actually affect consumer behavior? Nonwords in English were rated as possible brand names during the learning phase of a recognition memory experiment. The test phase was a speeded old-new task. Exposure to a complex, pleasant scent during the test phase facilitated accuracy compared to non-exposure.


The term "economy" comes from Greek word "oikonomia" consisting of "oikos" which means household and "nomos" which means regulation. The word "oikonomia" can be defined as the applicable regulation to fulfill the needs in a household. Islamic economics aims to build the economic independence of society collectively, meanwhile conventional economics is still individualistic. In the amidst of globalization, the efforts of sharia economist in covering coventional economic flow are already good enough. System that is already ingrained in society cannot easily be changed. The good strategic plan is required in instilling Islamic economic system in the middle of society. Thomas Kuhn says: "every system has paradigm and the core of Islamic economic paradigm is definitely from Qur'an and Sunnah".


Today we are witnessing an increasing popularity of the online used product market. While customer behavior has been studied extensively, that for the used product market is still not well explored. Attracting potential customers in the initial stage of unknown online stores in the used product market is critical and also a practical issue to the retailers. Based on the literature on the role of trust in the electronic market, we develop hypotheses regarding the meditating effect of two different types of initial trust (i.e., toward store and toward product) between the customers and their intention to purchase. An experimental study is designed and tested with 163 college students by developing a forged online retailer selling used notebook computers. Our result shows that two different types of trust exist in the online used product market. The results also show that the initial trusts mediate the relationship between the customers and their willingness to buy used goods from the unknown retailer.


Various lines of defense against infection are present in all living creatures. The balance between symbiosis and parasitism is determined by the mechanisms through which the host resists infection and by the extent of injury induced by the parasite: both factors contribute to disease. Lines of host defense can be arbitrarily divided into three components: 1) barrier functions of skin and mucous membranes and their innate physical and secretory antimicrobial components; 2) elements of host defense that do not necessarily require prior exposure to an infectious agent or immunologic memory (mast cells, granulocytes, macrophages, NK cells, gamma/delta T cells); and 3) immune responses directed against specific epitopes on the infectious agent induced by prior exposure and immunologic memory (alpha/beta T cells, B cells). Analysis of such host defense mechanisms repeatedly documents tremendous redundancy and overlap between these lines of defense. Further, there is open communication, so that a change at any one level ripples throughout the system. Acquired nonspecific resistance to infection is an example of such a ripple. Host response to one infection alerts the immune system, so that the general level of resistance to other infectious agents is increased. This response is initiated by an immune response (third line of defense) but effected by nonspecific elements (second line of defense). The survival value of such responses is obvious. There are numerous examples in both mouse and man of the operation of these systems in response to infection. Further, the menus of antimicrobial components available to both mouse and man for resistance to infection are very similar, but not identical. Indeed, it is said that the genetic basis for differences between mice and man revolve around a difference of less than 10% in DNA sequences. But there are differences! Mouse macrophages produce IFN-beta in response to infection, human cells produce IFN-alpha. Mouse macrophages effect antimicrobial activity principally through induction of NO synthase and the generation of toxic nitrogen oxides. This pathway has yet to be described with human macrophages. In both man and mouse, F. tularensis is an obligate intracellular parasite of macrophages that requires an essential component provided by the cell for its replication. That mouse and man are not so different is well illustrated by the effector mechanisms induced by IFN-gamma for antimicrobial activity against F. tularensis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


The entangled orbital angular momentum (OAM) three photons propagating in Kolmogorov weak turbulence are investigated. Here, the single phase screen model is used to study the entanglement evolution of OAM photons. The results indicate that the entangled OAM three-qubit state with higher OAM modes will be more robust against turbulence. Furthermore, it is found that the entangled OAM three-qubit state has a higher overall transmission for small OAM values.


We present a case of massive generalised necrotic lymphadenopathy due to tuberculosis (TB) without any solid organ involvement. An immunocompetent man in his early 30s presented 1 year ago with weight loss, cough and a solitary cervical node. Contrast-enhanced CT scan thorax showed massive enlargement of almost all groups of mediastinal nodes with large areas of necrosis. Ultrasound examination revealed multiple necrotic abdominal nodes. Core biopsy of the supraclavicular node confirmed TB by histopathology and molecular testing. His Mantoux test was negative suggesting tuberculin anergy. Biopsy of deep nodes was avoided. He responded well to standard antitubercular treatment in weight-corrected doses along with systemic steroids which were prescribed to prevent further breakdown/rupture of nodes. After the extended TB treatment for 12 months, he is asymptomatic and has gained weight, with complete resolution of cervical node and near complete resolution of all deep nodes.


In reality, the so called 'law of one price' does not always hold, especially since the consumers' search for information bears positive costs. This is more than often also due to the models assumption of fully informed consumers.

The present paper deeply investigates the topic of positive information costs, imperfect information and the influence on market institution, which is also at the heart of nowadays' information economics.


Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified from genome-wide association study (GWAS) have been found to be associated with breast cancer risk. We hypothesized that candidate genes and genes derived from GWAS involving in the Estrone/Estradiol (E2)/Tamoxifen biosynthesis may influence the adjuvant hormonal therapy effect and the survival. In this study, we sought to investigate whether these SNPs are associated with prognosis of hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer patients, especially in HER2-negative patients. Patients and methods: We selected breast cancer susceptibility SNPs identified by GWAS, SNPs in tamoxifen metabolizing related genes, and SNPs in estrogen receptor genes and estrogen metabolism genes, and genotyped for variations of above genes, including ALDH3A1 , CYP2C19 , COMT , CYP19 , MAP3K1 , FGFR2 , TNRC9 , HCN1 , ERCC4 , CYP3A5 , UGT1A1 , ER , ABCG2 , CYP2B6 , CYP2D6 , 5p12 in 171 hormone receptor-positive, and Her2-negative early breast cancer patients (127 with negative lymph node [LN], and 44 with 1–3 positive LN). All patients received adjuvant hormonal therapy. The associations were examined between SNPs and distance disease-free survival (DDFS), and overall survival (OS) by using the log-rank test and Cox9s proportional hazard model. Furthermore, we combined clinicopathologic features and SNPs into the risk score analysis to further validate above identified genetic markers. Results: We found that SNPs of CYP2B6 (rs3211371), FGFR2 (rs2981582), and MAP3K1 (rs889312) were significantly associated with DDFS and OS. Furthermore, in lymph node-negative patients, CYP2B6 (rs3211371), FGFR2 (rs2981582), MAP3K1 (rs889312) and 5p12 (rs10941679 and rs4415084) were significantly associated with DDFS and OS, while CYP3A5 (rs776746) was significantly associated with OS but not DDFS. We further assessed the associations of disease prognosis with the number of high-risk genotypes in CYP3A5 , FGFR2 , and MAP3K1 , and showed significant dose-response relationships between the number of high-risk alleles at these 3 loci and DDFS ( P = 0.005 for trend) and OS ( P = 0.0008 for trend). When combining the clinicopathologic features and SNPs into the risk score analysis, patients were divided into 3 subgroups (subgroup 1, risk score 1.708, n=43 [LN-positive, n=11]). We found that around 20 % of subgroup 3 patients had early development of distant metastases (DM) in the upfront 3 years (the trend of DM appeared to persist at least 10 years), and subgroup 2 patients had higher risk of DM after 5 years, whereas subgroup 1 patients had no development of DM even after 12 years. Conclusion: Our results indicate that in addition to drug metabolic genes, genes related to cell proliferation, anti-apoptosis, and signaling transduction, for example, CYP3A5 , CYP2B6 , FGFR2 , and MAP3K1 genes were associated with DDFS and OS in HR-positive/Her2-negative breast cancer patients. These findings provide additional insight that the genetic variants, or host factors, may affect the prognosis of breast cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-06-02.


Objective—Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation is an important component of atherosclerosis, restenosis after angioplasty and stent placement, and vein graft failure. Outside-in signaling from the cadherin:β-catenin complex can increase transcription of the cell–cycle gene cyclin D1; however, its role in VSMC proliferation has only recently been considered. Methods and Results—We examined the involvement of R-cadherin and β-catenin in VSMC proliferation in balloon-injured carotid arteries in vivo and aortic rings in vitro. The number of medial VSMCs positive for R-cadherin was significantly reduced by 32%±5%, 52%±10%, and 23%±2% at 0.25, 24, and 48 hours after injury in vivo, respectively. These changes in cadherin expression coincided with the detection of nuclear β-catenin and elevated cyclin D1 expression. Furthermore, loss of R-cadherin expression was associated with medial VSMC proliferation. Inhibition of classical cadherin function with a HAV peptide and R-cadherin neutralizing antibodies significantly increased proliferation by 4.3±1.0-fold and 4.1±0.98-fold, and increased the number of cells with β-catenin in the nucleus and expressing cyclin D1 in aortic rings. Conclusions—These results suggest that R-cadherin expression and β-catenin signaling may be associated with increased cyclin D1 expression and VSMC proliferation and may therefore play an important role in vascular disease.


Few measurements of H2SO4 vapor pressure have been made for sulfuric acid in the temperature and concentration ranges of atmospheric interest because of the very low pressures involved (below 10−4 Pa, or 10−6 torr); no such measurements appear to have been made for sulfuric acid solutions neutralized with ammonia. This work presents measurements of H2SO4 vapor pressure for aqueous sulfuric acid solutions between 55 and 77 wt% H2SO4 (corresponding to about 5–25% relative humidity), ammonium sulfate solids at low humidities, and partially neutralized sulfate solutions with [NH4+]: [SO4=] ratios between 0.13 and 1.0. The vapor pressure data collected over sulfuric acid solutions generally agree with the predictions of Ayers, et al. [1980], although positive deviation was observed for the more dilute solutions. The good agreement between this measurement and previous efforts by absolute techniques suggests that the evaporative coefficient for the H2SO4-H2O system is near unity. H2SO4 vapor pressures over solid ammonium sulfate were measured between 27°C and 60°C; the data were fitted to In p = A/T + B, with A = −5928 and B = −3.77. The H2SO4 vapor pressures of mixed H2SO4-H2O-(NH4)2SO4 solutions dropped significantly as the [NH4+]:[SO4=] ratio exceeded 0.5. The results suggest that ammonia could very effectively stabilize molecular clusters of sulfuric acid and water in the atmosphere against evaporation, leading to rates of new particle formation higher than those predicted by binary H2SO4-H2O theory.


Network connectivity is becoming an important factor for many transportation problems, yet in general we do not have available to us sufficiently detailed maps of expected connectivity that might guide our decision making. Here we detail an approach to creating such maps. Connectivity contour maps are introduced, and the relationship between signal strength and throughput discussed. This work may contribute toward more widespread efforts to create such maps, and the presence of such maps may in turn have implications for emergency response, transportation planning, policy, and individual decision making.


Alison Norman, Mental Illness in Old Age: Meeting the Challenge, Centre for Policy on Ageing, London, 1982. viii+135 pp. £5.75. This short monograph is the first in a 'Policy Studies in Ageing' series to be published by the Centre for Policy on Ageing and it is most appropriately concerned with mental illness amongst older people. It is now clearly established that people in later life are particularly vulnerable to brain damage and consequent behavioural and sometimes personality changes. As more people survive into old age this has become an increasingly important issue for health and social service workers, and mental illness amongst the elderly now represents one of the most significant problems for social policy. After a brief description of the nature of mental illness in later life, and the consequent needs of sufferers and their supporters. Alison Norman devotes the majority of the book to policy and practice issues which arise in relation to various professional groups and the settings in which they practice. There is a clear and thorough review of usual practice as well as a summary of some innovative and forward-looking schemes. The majority of the discussion is about aspects of professional practise and although the author clearly recognizes the needs of caring families there is relatively little discussion of the role of the family in the long-term policy context. As Alison Norman recognizes, families need help and support at an early stage: 'it is not "the scream of anguish" but the first whimper of distress which we need to hear' (p. 16). The book gives a useful review of existing innovations in care and concludes with a recognition of one of the most important aspects of the current policy debate: that, however useful small scale innovations prove to be, without a strategy to develop and implement comprehensive planning at local, regional and national level such developments will remain piecemeal and inadequate to meet the growing needs.


In this paper, an effort is made to better understand the scour caused by submerged square jets in a cohesionless sand bed. The variables of interest are the densimetric Froude number, the tailwater depth and sediment grain size. Experiments were carried out at three different values of densimetric Froude number, a range of tailwater conditions varying from low to very high submergence, and two different sand bed grain sizes. Velocity measurements were conducted using a laser Doppler anemometer. At a given densimetric Froude number, progressing from the start of the test towards asymptotic conditions, the geometric parameters used to describe scour are found to be sensitive to tailwater conditions and the ratio of the nozzle size-to-grain size. The present results indicate that the effect of nozzle size-to-grain size ratio can be important and needs to be incorporated in the interpretation of scour. The effect is reduced as asymptotic conditions are reached. At a given tailwater depth, the scour geometry tended to increase with increasing densimetric Froude number and the effect was prominent at all tailwater depths. Turbulent bursts have been noted to have an important role in the scour process, and are more distinguishable with the finer bed material. At low values of the relative tailwater depth, the flow and the corresponding scour pattern tends to be nonsymmetrical. Moreover, at low values of tailwater depth and higher densimetric Froude number, the scour pattern is quite different from the other test conditions. Empirical equations describing the scour geometry are proposed for the asymptotic state. These relations are found to be valid for a wide range of test conditions.


We use an estimated monetary business cycle model with search and matching frictions in the labor market and nominal price and wage rigidities to study four countries (the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, and Germany) during the financial crisis and the Great Recession. We estimate the model over the period prior to the financial crisis and use the model to interpret movements in GDP, unemployment, vacancies, and wages in the period from 2007 until 2011. We show that contractionary financial factors and reduced efficiency in labor market matching were largely responsible for the experience in the U.S. Financial factors were also important in the U.K., but less so in Sweden and Germany. Reduced matching efficiency was considerably less important in the U.K. and Sweden than in the U.S., but matching efficiency improved in Germany, helping to keep unemployment low. A counterfactual experiment suggests that unemployment in Germany would have been substantially higher if the German labor market had been more similar to that in the U.S.


of types of neuronal trauma (neurite tnnsection, osmotic injury, excess heat) GABA, both synaptically released and exogenously applied, depolarized neurons and increased their intncellular Ca+, with fourfold increases in intncellular Caz+ in some neurons. These changes were observed in more than half of the severely injured neurons, for as long as I week following trauma. A depolarized CIreversal potential, which results in outward rather than inward movement of CI-, may underlie this reversed action of GABA. The authors suggest that, following trauma, GABA-mediated increases in intracellular Ca2+ may modulate gene expression or increase neuronal damage. GABA appears to have more complex action than previously thought.


Sir, We would like to comment on the paper by Delsol et al. with respect to the rather misleading conclusions which in our opinion cannot be supported by the data as presented. There are a number of inconsistencies within the paper; however, we would like to draw attention to the lack of detail regarding statistical analysis of the presented data. In paragraph two of the results it is stated that, "Treated pigs inoculated with cyclohexane-resistant S. Typhimurium DT104 (group 2) and treated pigs inoculated with gyrA mutant S. Typhimurium DT104 (group 3) consistently shed higher numbers of Salmonella than the treated pigs from their respective control groups (P < 0.01 for both)". This would certainly not be true for the gyrA mutant S. Typhimurium DT104 (group 3). For more than half the experimental period, Figure 1 shows that at some time after day 14 and likely before day 21, the treated animals were shedding fewer Salmonella than the untreated animals. The point was also made that for group 2, the Salmonella counts were 100-fold higher in treated than untreated pigs for 2 weeks post-treatment. This does not appear to be the case at day 14, although in the absence of tabulated data it is difficult to be sure. Furthermore, the statistical analysis does not address whether there are any statistical differences in counts of treated and untreated animals in both groups 2 and 3 at 35 days. This is highly relevant to the conclusions that are made by the authors, "In conclusion, our study has provided direct evidence that enrofloxacin-treated pigs could be entering abattoirs with higher numbers of quinoloneresistant zoonotic bacteria than untreated pigs, increasing the risk of these entering the food chain." This conclusion cannot be supported by the data, as at the end of the study period the level of colonization in the treated pigs and the controls did not appear to differ. Additionally, the authors have failed to relate the experimental conditions to current understanding of development of the gastrointestinal flora in the pig and to commercial practice within the pig industry. The experiment was completed at approximately 13 weeks, whereas under commercial conditions, pigs are slaughtered at 5.5–6 months of age, i.e. at 23–25 weeks of age, which is 10–12 weeks later than the age at which the experimental trial was finished. It is therefore erroneous and highly misleading to state that this trial gives direct evidence that enrofloxacin-treated pigs could be entering abattoirs with higher numbers of quinoloneresistant bacteria compared with untreated pigs thereby increasing the risk of quinolone-resistant zoonotic bacteria entering the food chain. The authors make no reference to the fact that the trial was performed in young weaner pigs, at an age at which the intestinal flora is still very immature. Indeed, Belœil et al. make the point that there is little information about the age of contamination by ubiquitous Salmonella serotypes of growing pigs in subclinically infected herds and that longitudinal studies following the bacteriological and serological status of pigs should be carried out to determine the typical age of contamination. This is crucial because it is well accepted that the gastrointestinal flora of the young animal changes over time. Smith & Crabb showed this as far back as 1961, and more recently Katouli et al., using techniques that measured the metabolic potential of the faecal flora of pigs, showed a continuously changing flora as animals aged, although in this study analysis did not continue for more than 3 months. Understanding the development of the gastrointestinal flora and associated immunological changes in growing pigs is fundamental to making conclusions which extrapolate from a limited study such as that of Delsol et al. to implications for public health. In a detailed longitudinal study to describe the serological response to Salmonella enterica in growing pigs, Belœil et al. showed that seroconversion occurred during the last third of the fattening phase, from 140 days to slaughter age whilst in contrast shedding was reported during the first half of the fattening period suggesting Salmonella shedding precedes seroconversion. We make these points to illustrate the complexity of the situation and to ask that the authors re-consider their data in the overall context of an understanding of gastrointestinal development and of practices within the pig industry. This is especially important when making comments concerning public health.


Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are inherently sensitive to temperature, axial strain, and pressure, which can be easily measured by a shift of the Bragg wavelength in their reflected/transmitted power spectrum. FBG sensors acquire many more additional sensing modalities and applications when the polarization of the interrogating light is controlled. For the polarization to have an effect, the cylindrical symmetry of the fiber must be broken, either by the structure of the fiber itself, by that of the FBG, or by the perturbation to be measured. Polarization control allows for sensing parameters that are spatially oriented, such as lateral force, bending or twist, and also for measurements of the properties of anisotropic media. Most importantly, polarization control enables high quality all-fiber surface plasmon resonance (SPR) FBG sensors and localized SPR-assisted sensing. This tutorial will cover the theory of polarized measurements in fiber gratings, their experimental implementation, and review a selection of the most important applications.


Inhibitors of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) represent one of the novel pharmaceutical approaches for treating hypertension, vascular inflammation, pain and other cardiovascular related diseases. Most of the potent sEH inhibitors reported in literature often suffer from poor solubility and bioavailability. Toward improving pharmacokinetic profile beside favorable potency, two series of 4-benzamidobenzoic acid hydrazide derivatives with hydrazide group as a novel secondary pharmacophore against sEH enzyme were developed. The designed compounds were synthesized in acceptable yield and their in vitro assay was determined. Most of the synthesized compounds have appropriate physical properties and exhibited considerable in-vitro sEH inhibitory activity in comparison with 12-(3-Adamantan-1-yl-ureido)- dodecanoicacid (AUDA), a potent urea-based sEH inhibitor. 4-(2-(4-(4-chlorobenzamido) benzoyl)hydrazinyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid 6c was found to be the most potent inhibitor with inhibitory activity of 72% targeting sEH enzyme.


various reasons such as a small numbers of animal fat resources and high saturated fatty acids content in animal fats. Therefore, different modification processes have been used to alter the physicochemical properties of vegetable oils, which lack functionality and oxidative stability in their native form. Hydrogenation process is a common way to produce plastic fats with different functionality in order to formulate different bakery fats, spreads and margarines. Unfortunately, formation of trans fatty acids (TFAs), which have several negative impacts on human health, is the consequence of this process. Therefore, international and national organizations have established legislations and policies to reduce or preferably eliminate TFAs from hydrogenated vegetable oils. The objective of this study is firstly to review international and national legislations as well as the current status of TFAs in food products in Iran and worldwide, to discuss the gaps. Secondly, the strategies to address these gaps will be proposed. Through this article we will show that despite great efforts having been made in Iran, there is still room to make the documented policies and their conformities with each other to minimize the amount of TFAs in food products much more efficient.