[1] Yearlong data from a single ADCP above the northern extension of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are used to investigate vertical internal wave propagation in the open ocean (395–1025 m). Whilst 80% of incoherent semidiurnal tidal (D2) phase propagates downward, 90% of near-inertial (f) phase propagates upward. Most upward propagating f-phase is found at sub-f frequencies σmin(N = f) ≈ 0.74f < σ ≤ 0.99f, N the buoyancy frequency and σmin the lower bound of the inertio-gravity (IG) wave band following the 'non-traditional approach', which includes the horizontal component of the Earth's rotation in momentum equations. The upper bound of mostly downward propagating D2-phase coincides with the upper IG-bound σmax(N = f) ≈ 1.35f. The limited band [σmin, σmax] demonstrates that f and D2 contain special internal waves concerning vertical propagation. It is suggested that this is partially attributable to small-scale step layering in N, with N = f separating 'trapping' from 'classic propagating' wave regimes, rendering the mean large-scale N ≈ 18f less important.


Background The Tanzanian national guideline for pediatric HIV disclosure recommends beginning disclosure as early as age 4–6 years; full disclosure is recommended at the age of 8–10 years. Despite clear procedures, the disclosure rate in Tanzania remains relatively low. This study assessed the factors associated with HIV status disclosure to orphans and vulnerable children living with HIV (OVCLHIV). Methods Data for this analysis come from the USAID-funded Kizazi Kipya program in Tanzania that provides health and social services to OVC and caregivers of HIV-affected households. Data were collected between January 2018 and March 2019. Disclosure status was self-reported by caregivers of children aged 8 years or above. Beneficiary characteristics were included as independent variables. Generalized estimating equations took into account the clustering effect of the study design. Results Of the 10673 OVCLHIV, most were females (52.43%), and 80.67% were enrolled in school. More than half (54.89%) were from households in rural areas. Caregivers were mostly females (70.66%), three quarters were between 31 and 60 years old and had a complete primary education (67.15%), and 57.75% were HIV-infected. Most of the OVCLHIV (87.31%) had a disclosed HIV status. Greater OVCLHIV age (p < 0.001), school enrollment (OR = 1.22; 95% CI 1.06, 1.41), urban location of household (OR = 1.64; 95% CI 1.44, 1.86), caregivers' higher education level (p < 0.001), and caregiver HIV-positive status (OR = 1.25; 95% CI 1.09, 1.43) were positively associated with disclosure status. OVCLHIV of female caregivers were 27% less likely to have been disclosed than those of male caregivers. Conclusion The disclosure rate among OVCLHIV in this study was high. Disclosure of HIV status is crucial and beneficial for OVCLHIV continuum of care. Caregivers should be supported for the disclosure process through community-based programs and involvement of health volunteers. Policymakers should take into consideration the characteristics of children, their caregivers, and location of households in making disclosure guidelines as adaptable as possible.


We all wonder what happened that marked the era of the coming of Christ, what unusual phenomenon urged the Magi and drew their route west bound. Was it all fiction, concocted by the Apostles to bestow sanctity to the birth of Jesus, or was it in fact a celestial event, a rare planetary occurrence that led the Magi on their journey, as described in the Gospels.


Objective To investigate the effects of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) A-2518G genetic polymorphism and its serum levels on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Chinese Han population of Sunan region. Methods The A-2518G polymorphism of MCP-1 gene was genotyped in 338 patients with AMI and 192 control subjects by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing; Serum concentration of MCP-1 was randomly measured in 94 patients with AMI and 73 control subjects by enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay. Results Significant difference was found neither in genotype distribution nor in allele frequencies of MCP-1 gene A-2518G between AMI and controls (GG:31.36%, AG:52.66%, AA:15.98% in AMI; GG:34.37%, AG:53.65%, AA:11.98% in controls (P = 0.428), the G allele prevalence was 0.5769 in AMI group and 0.6120 in control subjects (P = 0.270). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that MCP-1 gene –2518G allele was not associated with increased risk of AMI [χ2 = 0.408; P = 0.523; OR: 0.800 (0.404–1.585) ]. The serum level (M/IQR) of MCP-1 was significantly higher in AMI group (186.24/285.15) pg/ml than that in controls (100.71/134.02) pg/ml (P = 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis further revealed that the serum levels of MCP-1 was associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking and male, but not with MCP-1 gene –2518G allele in AMI group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed an elevated serum level of MCP-1 was not associated with increased risk of AMI [χ2 = 2.665; P = 0.103; OR:2.782 (0.814–9.505) ]. Conclusions Neither the MCP-1 gene A-2518G polymorphism nor its serum levels was associated with increased risk of AMI, and the MCP-1 gene A-2518G polymorphism does not yet effect its serum levels in Chinese Han population of Sunan region.


Heterologous expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) provided evidence that the major cystic fibrosis (CF) mutation ΔF508 leads to defective protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum, which prevents its processing and targeting to the cell surface. In this study, we investigated endogenous CFTR expression in skin biopsies and respiratory and intestinal tissue specimens from ΔF508 homozygous and non-CF patients, using immunohistochemical and immunoblot analyses with a panel of CFTR antibodies. CFTR expression was detected at the luminal surface of reabsorptive sweat ducts and airway submucosal glands, at the apex of ciliated cells in pseudostratified respiratory epithelia and of isolated cells of the villi of duodenum and jejunum, and within intracellular compartments of intestinal goblet cells. In ΔF508 homozygous patients, expression of the mutant protein proved to be tissue specific. Whereas ΔF508 CFTR was undetectable in sweat glands, the expression in the respiratory and intestinal tracts could not be distinguished from the wild-type by signal intensity or localization. The tissue-specific variation of ΔF508 CFTR expression from null to apparently normal amounts indicates that ΔF508 CFTR maturation can be modulated and suggests that determinants other than CFTR mislocalization should play a role in ΔF508 CF respiratory and intestinal disease.


Methods: We performed a clinical audit of 132 inpatients to evaluate the benefit of several multimodal interventions implemented to improve ACP at Concord Hospital, a 750-bed tertiary hospital located in Sydney, Australia. These interventions included both educational initiatives and systems-based improvements. This has occurred in the context of increased community awareness of advanced care planning.


The anatomical states of the oral cavity and pharynx during mouth breathing in children with adenoid hypertrophy and in adults confirmed the speculation that mouth breathing is disadvantageous compared with nose breathing. In addition, comparison of the anatomical state between wakefulness and sleep in normal adults showed slight depression of the tongue root and slight narrowing of the oropharynx and hypopharynx during sleep. Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing occurs due to a variety of factors, such as paranasal sinus disease, tonsil and adenoid hypertrophy, hypertrophy and morphological abnormalities of the soft palate and palatine uvula, low-set soft palate, micrognathia, macroglossia, obesity and tongue root depression. Narrowing or obstruction of the middle pharynx and hypopharynx is more marked in patients with obstructive sleep-disordered breathing than in normal people and is especially marked during sleep. Therefore, morphological (i.e. anatomical) changes during mouth breathing may provide useful information for evaluating the pathology of snoring and sleep apnea.


We prove some common fixed point theorems for set and single valued mappings without assuming continuity and compatibility. We show that completeness of the whole space is not necessary for existence of common fixed point. To prove the theorems we use a new noncompatible condition that is weak commutativity of type (KB). We also prove a fixed point theorem for sequence of set valued mappings.


Abstract Neidhart type suspension units composed of metal-elastomer torsion springs can be a good alternative to steel helical springs in applications such as vibration absorbers or vehicle suspension systems. Assembling this type of spring requires initial preload of the elastomeric working elements, which determines their operating properties. The results of experimental tests and numerical simulations concerning the preload of elastomeric working elements in Neidhart type suspension units are presented in the paper. The performed research made it possible to propose a new calculation model for determining the preload force value acting on the elastomeric cylindrical elements applied in this type of suspension unit. The results obtained using the proposed model exhibit good convergence with FEM simulation results within the range of the tested geometrical and material properties.


Among our patients treated with very high doses of PUVA (more than 1,500 J/cm2) for recalcitrant disseminated psoriasis, three developed squamous-cell carcinoma of the genitalia. The tumors were located on the scrotum in all patients; one of them displayed three times running a carcinoma of the dorsal aspect of the penis. All these genital tumors arose more than 2 years after PUVA cessation, in patients with previous arsenic and tar treatment.


This is a thrilling face-to-face encounter with the intimate lives, elaborate displays and extraordinary behaviour of animals in the wild. Internationally renowned zoologist and TV presenter, Charlotte Uhlenbroek, brings the animal kingdom to vivid life in the "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Animal Life". Illustrated with astonishing wildlife photography and action sequences, every aspect of animal life and behaviour is explored and explained - from courtship rituals and birth to hunting and death. Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates - thousands of all kinds are featured as well as explanations on how the animal kingdom is organised and how animals' bodies function. Plus, critical conservation issues are also explored. From the fleeting life of a mayfly to the ten-year courtship of the manakin, the "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Animal Life" lays bare the animal kingdom in all its awe-inspiring glory and detail.


This study examines support department cost allocations in the Healthcare Industry. The topic is of current interest to both accountants and to healthcare administrators because of recent innovations in the design of management accounting systems. Using a survey of Georgian healthcare firms, the results indicate that sophisticated support cost methods are used less than may be expected given the complexity of the healthcare firms' operations. This result is documented despite the historical presence of support cost allocations through such industry practice as Medicare cost reports. Respondents indicate that the employment of cost allocation methods is determined internally by the financial management.


Abstract Transcending traditional national borders, the Internet is an evolving technology that has opened up many new international market opportunities. However, ambiguity remains, with limited research and understanding of how the Internet influences the firm's internationalisation-process components. As a consequence, there has been a call for further investigation of the phenomenon. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate the Internet's impact on internationalisation-process components, specifically, information availability, information usage, and interactive communication, with international market growth. Analysis was undertaken using structural equation modelling. Findings highlight the positive mediating impact of the Internet on information availability and usage, with the international market growth of the firm.


Vertebral counts of Greenland halibut collected from West Greenland in 1995 were compared to samples from the same areas for the period 1987-1989. The 1995 samples, obtained in Davis Strait, Baffin Bay, and two North-west Greenland fjords, showed no significant differences in mean vertebral numbers. Previous studies in 1987-1989, however, showed significant differences in mean vertebral counts between some of the same areas. Inter-annual variation in vertebral numbers is therefore suggested to be greater than the variation between sample areas. Despite the protracted egg and larval stage of Greenland halibut, the currents along the West Coast of Greenland are unlikely to transport juveniles in any significant amount from the Davis Strait spawning grounds to the North-west Greenland fjords. The origin of the northernmost populations therefore remains unknown. As single cohorts in the material seem to affect the total average counts per area significantly it is suggested that a change in the distribution of Greenland halibut might have occurred during the period studied. The results also emphasize the importance of relying on data based on more than one year and question the suitability of vertebral counts in stock delineation studies of Greenland halibut.


Based on the findings of in-depth interviews with Vietnamese tertiary (higher education) students studying in Australia, this article explores how international students construct their identities drawing on their social networks. It provides insights into how international students encounter and traverse cultural differences to define new perspectives of identity that would enable them to perform specific roles and enhance their heritage identity. This article invites international education providers to embrace cultural diversity by recognizing social and cultural influences as determining factors in students' learning and being, and to effect curriculum and pedagogy that allow opportunities for international students to develop self-knowledge, openness and citizenship.


The gas-phase continuous hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) over 1 mol% Au/TiO2 and Au/Al2O3 was compared for the first time. Both catalysts exhibit 100% selectivity in terms of -NO2 group reduction, resulting in the sole formation of p-chloroaniline (p-CAN). Au/TiO2 exhibited a narrower particle size (1-10 nm) distribution than Au/Al2O3 (1-20 nm) and a smaller surface-area-weighted mean Au size (6 nm versus 9 nm). Au/TiO2 delivered a higher specific hydrogenation rate (by a factor of up to four), a response that is discussed in terms of Au particle size and a possible contribution of the support to p-CNB activation. A CNB isomer reactivity sequence was established, that is, o> p> m, which is attributed to resonance stabilisation effects. The results presented establish a basis for the development of a sustainable alternative route for the production of haloamines.


Magnetic measurements using a Faraday susceptibility balance and a Mossbauer spectrometer have been performed on a number of density-separated coal fractions. These seem to be the first magnetic measurements on UK coals to be specifically concerned with the mineral matter. It is shown that the mineral matter has a magnetic susceptibility of at least 20*10-8 kg-1 originating from high-spin ferrous ions and an, as yet, unidentified ferromagnetic compound.


Highly accurate wireless motion capture system using LC resonant magnetic marker has been developed. The marker consists of soft magnetic core with wound coil and a chip capacitor without battery or electric wires, driven wirelessly by the action of electromagnetic induction. The system realized the position accuracy is less than 1 mm within the space of 150 mm from the pickup coil array. Compared with dc magnetic system, the proposed system is applicable for precision motion-capturing under optically isolated space without magnetic shielding because the system is not influenced very much by the earth field noise.


Present state of research situation-oriented databases (SODB) is discussed. SODB as model-driven data-processing application is considered. Using the embedded finite-state dynamic model for the specification of data processing according to the current situation is discussed. Hierarchical situational model (HSM), used as a meta-model for the dynamic modeling of specific applications, is considered. HSM elements intended for document processing based on the concept of Data Processing Objects are discussed.


[1] Relativistic electron fluxes observed in geosynchronous orbit by GOES-8 in 1997 to 2000 were considered as a complex function of geomagnetic indices PC, Kp, and Dst, as well as parameters of the magnetosphere size, subsolar Rs, and terminator Rf magnetopause distances. A geosynchronous relativistic electron enhancement (GREE) is determined as daily maximal electron flux exceeding the upper root mean square deviation (RMSD) threshold of about 1500 (cm2s sr)−1. Comparison analysis of the GREE dynamics and geomagnetic conditions on the rising phase of current solar cycle revealed suppression of the relativistic electron enhancements by substantially increased strong geomagnetic activity in the solar maximum. Statistical consideration of a relationship between the GREEs and the geomagnetic parameters showed that the most important parameters controlling the geosynchronous relativistic electron enhancements were 4-day averaged Kp index, PC index, and magnetopause termination distance Rf, delayed on 3 and 14 hours, respectively. Relatively high averaging time for Kp was explained by the cumulative effect of substorm energy release in a gradual mechanism accelerating the relativistic electrons in the magnetosphere. Very short time delay for PC index was interpreted as intensification of a fast acceleration mechanism producing the GREEs during severe geomagnetic storms. Substantial increase of the PC index (PC > 5) was found to be a sufficient condition for GREE occurrence. The fast response of the geosynchronous relativistic electron fluxes on the magnetosphere compression was explained by drift losses of the energetic electrons at the magnetopause, which approaches the Earth during geomagnetic storms.


Fluorescent analogues (DB1 and TA1) of the secondary metabolites didemnin B (DB) and tamandarin A (TA) were synthesized to investigate the potential chemical defense mechanisms of tunicates in the family Didemnidae. These compounds were found to alter predator-prey relations. Five species of freshwater fish and one marine fish, the damselfish Amphiprion ocellaris, were acclimated to a diet of mosquito larvae. Fish showed an immediate, negative reaction to mosquito larvae treated with >/=5 ng of DB1 or TA1, with consumption of larvae resulting in regurgitation. Both freshwater and marine fish learned to avoid tainted prey by associating species of larvae with "distaste". Distaste for a given organism also arose when depsipeptides DB1 or TA1 were transferred to the fish from the surrounding medium. Fluorescence microscopy in fish indicated that a similar processing and localization followed ingestion and absorption of DB1 or TA1. Fluorescent labeling of DB or TA provided an ideal tool to conduct short-term studies of predator-prey relationships between fish and marine invertebrate larvae.


The characterization of nanoparticles and the correlation of physical properties such as size and shape to their (electro)chemical properties is an emerging field, which may facilitate future optimization and tuning of devices involving nanoparticles. This requires the investigation of individual particles rather than obtaining averaged information on large ensembles. Here, we present atomic force - scanning electrochemical microscopy (AFM-SECM) measurements of soft conductive PDMS substrates modified with gold nanostars (i.e., multibranched Au nanoparticles) in peak force tapping mode, which next to the electrochemical characterization provides information on the adhesion, deformation properties, and Young's modulus of the sample. AFM-SECM probes with integrated nanodisc electrodes (radii < 50 nm) have been used for these measurements. Most studies attempting to map individual nanoparticles have to date been performed at spherical nanoparticles, rather than highly active asymmetric gold nanoparticles. Consequently, this study discusses challenges during the nanocharacterization of individual anisotropic gold nanostars.


Our objective was to determine metabolic syndrome (MS) prevalence in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to investigate the conditions that contribute to its development. 116 patients with SLE classified according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria, and 115 controls were enrolled. MS was defined by the joint interim statement of the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association; World Heart Federation; International Atherosclerosis Society; and International Association for the Study of Obesity (IDF/NHLBI/AHA/WHF/IAS/IASO). SLE features and treatment of SLE were assessed. Fasting insulin and cortisol levels of 30 newly diagnosed, untreated patients and 33 age and sex-matched controls were detected. MS prevalence was 34.2% in patients with SLE and 14.8% in controls (p = 0.002). Lupus patients with MS had less frequency of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) intake (16.0% vs 45.8%; p = 0.012). Untreated patients with SLE had higher levels of fasting insulin (10.92 ± 13.53 vs 5.48 ± 5.43 uU/mL, p < 0.001) and plasma cortisol at 16:00 (257.22 ± 177.98 vs 139.84 ± 63.46 nmol/L, p = 0.001), but lower plasma cortisol at 08:00 (195.51 ± 149.84 vs 278.95 ± 136.27 nmol/L, p = 0.024). Comparisons regarding steroid therapy, levels of insulin and cortisol were not statistically significant between patients with MS and without MS. The Chinese patients with SLE presented a higher MS prevalence and fasting insulin than controls. MS was not associated with the steroid therapy and plasma cortisol. HCQ use proved to be protective against MS. The circadian rhythm of cortisol may differ in patients with SLE.


This paper is devoted to the source research analysis of the collection works and letters of a famous Dagestani Sheikh Muhammad al-Yaragi, which are written in Arabic and known as 'Al-Athar'. Despite a keen interest in the personality of the sheikh, practically nothing was known about the content of this book, the only one extant from his written heritage. Meanwhile, the research of these collected works allows us to provide unique insight into the views and beliefs of this famous sheikh. In this regard, the authors examined in detail the structure of 'Al-Athar', having determined the genre variety of the manuscript materials included in it. The collection consists of two qasids, texts of several duas and instructions, a biography of the sheikh written by his son, as well as his extensive correspondence with various Dagestani theologians and communities. The collection ends with a small work in poetic form by Jamaluddin al-Gazigumuki, in which he quotes his silsila, i. e. a consistent chain of succession of the sheikhs of the Naqshbandi tariqa. The materials under research provide interesting information about the political and spiritual life of Dagestan society in the first half of the 19th century. At the same time, they provide an insight into the resumption of the interrupted Sufi tradition in the region.


In Roadshow Films v iiNet, the High Court unanimously held that iiNet was not liable for copyright infringements committed by its subscribers by means of the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file-sharing system. While the two judgments delivered by the High Court have clarified the extent to which ISPs may be liable for end-user infringements, they have created considerable legal uncertainty about authorisation liability, which is the main Australian doctrine under which a person may be found liable for the infringing conduct of another person. This article explains and analyses the two judgments delivered by the High Court in iiNet, focussing on the implications of the decision for ISPs, and for authorisation liability more generally.


ABSTRACT In The Birthright Lottery, I explored how birthright access to citizenship operates as a distributor (or denier) of opportunity on a global scale. Today, 97 percent of the global population gains access to citizenship solely by virtue of where or to whom they are born. This article shifts the gaze from the automatic transmission of citizenship (which I call the initial allocation), to deciphering the code, or underlying logic, that governs the secondary allocation: the process of naturalization. Counter to predictions of waning sovereignty, tremendous investment is placed on regulating mobility, migration, and access to membership. I identify three core sorting mechanisms that produce overt and covert inequalities in the acquisition of citizenship, which I call the trinity of the territorial, the cultural, and the economic. These intersecting yet analytically distinct dimensions allow governments to develop sophisticated ways to 'filter' admission of different populations, placing a heavy burden on those seeking it. The discussion lays bare the mistaken assumption that we live in a world wherein mobility is purely chosen and easily available—irrespective of race, gender, class, power, and legal regulation. It further suggests ways of reinvigorating the political imagination for rewriting the rules governing access to membership.


The consumer makes an agreement with the provider through negotiation for accessing cloud storage. The negotiation is the way of communication to prepare an agreement for accessing the cloud storage. The service level agreement is negotiated between client and a provider for executing the job on high performance computing resources. The performance of the negotiation method extremely depends on amount of resources selected for the negotiation and process of the negotiation. This paper achieves the followings: a) Performing a negotiation on task scheduling as per the price and time slot of a service and b) Tradeoff between the price, time slot utilities and the task. In this work, The provider concurrently perform a multiple proposal to make individual time , price slot and task negotiation for each consumer that generate the same aggregate utility, differing only in terms of individual price, time slot and task.


A simple truth too often ignored in political philosophy is that a good result depends upon a sound beginning. It makes a considerable difference—perhaps all the difference—whether one approaches political behavior from the position that it can be understood in its own terms, or whether one assumes that it can only be understood as the result of determining events and opinions outside itself. Thurow's analysis of Lincoln is based on the assumptions, once widely held but now seldom adhered to, that (1) a statesman's political opinions and convictions may be known to himself, and (2) may be known to others through public speeches and writings. The elucidation of Lincoln's understanding of the founding principles of this nation, and the relation that his own thought and action bear to them is the subject of this book. Thurow proceeds by means of a close textual analysis of Lincoln's Temperance and Lyceum speeches, followed by the Gettysburg and Second Inaugural Addresses. His interpretations, especially of the former, are heavily indebted to Harry V. Haffa's Crisis of the House Divided (Doubleday, 1959). For some time now it has been a disputed point whether Lincoln's repeated appeal to the Founders is to be understood as indicating his complete acceptance of their principles or whether, in appealing to those principles, he did not transform as well as invigorate them. In precise and forceful prose Thurow argues that Lincoln did indeed find fault with the Founders. The political and moral crisis that eventuated in the Civil War has its roots in the inadequacies of the Declaration of Independence. The American Revolution required for its success a rejection of traditional allegiances that culminated in a love of experimentation and novelty. Only such an openness to the unknown could have turned rebellion into revolution. During the Founding period these passions were naturally directed toward establishing the new republic. But revolutionary passions are ill suited to the preservation, as distinguished from the establishment, of republicanism. The Declaration cannot offer a countervailing force to these passions, Thurow argues, because it is based on a self-evident truth, and truth is notoriously weak when confronted with passion and interest. "Passions can only be controlled by counter passions, not by a mere statement of the truth" (p. 107). Lincoln's moral and geometrical solution was to convert the truth of the Declaration into a proposition to be demonstrated. Henceforth, "the principle becomes the end or goal towards which the country must work, rather than the beginning from which all other political principles are derived" (p. 76). Thus is created a new passion for human equality or justice, accomplished by "uniting Christianity to the work of the Fathers" (p. 36). The injustice of inequality is now to be understood as a transgression of God's law, to be rectified only by a recommitment to the principle of human equality. Without denying the force of this argument, one may ask whether Thurow has not gone too far. Is it altogether accurate to say that "although our fathers brought forth a new nation, they turned a child loose whose final form is not determined by them" (p. 80)? Examining the Declaration afresh, would we not find it to be a bit less Lockean than is implied by this statement? Or, to put it another way, could it not be said that the originating principles of this nation contain far more of Lincoln's position than is admitted by Thurow's thesis? And then one must always bear in mind the changing political requirements of statecraft. It may well be that what sound principle required in the period preceding the Civil War differed markedly from what sound principle—the same sound principle—required in 1776. However this may be, Thurow has written a tightly argued and thought-provoking book. It should be welcomed by anyone interested in Lincoln or the Founding.


In acute leukemia, recurrent chromosomal translocations which result in the fusion of two genes are frequent. Some of these markers have a well established prognostic and therapeutic impact and are routinely screened at diagnosis by cytogenetics and RT-PCR. Yet, due to the limitations of these methods, only a few among the dozens of known rearrangements are systematically tested. Many abnormalities which could provide important clinical information thus remain ignored, mainly due to the impossibility of performing a cost effective multi-targeted screening. To overcome this obstacle, we have developed a simple and parsimonious assay which allows a reliable detection of dozens of fusion genes in only a few hours. Our assay was designed to screen simultaneously more than 50 translocations involving 70 genes, recurrent in acute myeloid (AML), acute lymphoid (ALL) and chronic myeloid (CML) leukemia. cDNA samples obtained from leukemic cells are first incubated with a mix of oligonucleotides probes which are complementary to the ends of the exons, at the abnormal junctions on the fusion mRNAs (Figure). For most genes, different probes were designed to detect different transcripts resulting from alternative genomic breakpoints (for example on exons 1, 13, 14 and 19 for BCR, and on exons 2 and 3 for ABL). The mix we created thus regroups more than 150 probes and targets more than 400 different fusion transcripts. All left probes have a common tail (T1) at their 59 ends, all right probes a common tail (T2) at their 39 ends. Additional probes were also included to detect the most frequent mutations of NPM1 (A, B, D). If one translocation is present in the sample, two probes hybridize side to side on the fusion cDNA. A DNA ligase is next used to create a covalent link between these probes, allowing their amplification by PCR with the T1 and T2 primers. If a PCR product is amplified, the two partners are identified by sequencing analysis. To test this method, we applied it to a retrospective series of 430 patients, (252 AML and 178 childhood ALL). In B-ALL (147 cases), all 33 ETV6-RUNX1, 6 BCR-ABL and 5 TCF3-PBX1 as well as 6 MLL rearrangements (3 AF4; 1 ENL, 1 AF9 and 1 AFF4) identified at diagnosis by conventional methods were detected, as well as 5 previously unnoticed P2RY8-CRLF2 junctions. We only failed to detect one MLL-AF4 fusion detected by cytogenetics but not by RT-PCR, probably due to the poor quality of the RNA. Further analysis of 10 MLL-AF4 positive adult ALL patients allowed the correct identification of this fusion in all cases. In T-ALL (31 cases), we detected 6 known (4 SIL-TAL, 2 CALM-AF10) and 5 previously undetected fusions (2 NUP214-ABL, 1 MLL-ENL, 1 ETV6-ABL, and a new PLZF-ABL junction). In AML, we detected 86 fusions: 23 PML-RARA, 2 PLZF-RARA, 18 CBFB-MYH11, 12 RUNX1-RUNX1T1, 4 NUP98-NSD1, 2 BCR-ABL, 1 DEK-NUP214, 1 CALM-AF10, 1 MOZ-CBP, 22 MLL rearrangements (13 PTD, 3 AF9, 2 AF6, 1 AF10, 1 ENL, 1 AF1Q and 1 MAPRE) and 44 NPM1 mutations. Two PML-RARA cases, one with a BCR2 breakpoint (not included in our design), one weakly positive by RT-PCR but negative by cytogenetics, two t(11;17) validated by FISH but negative by RT-PCR, and one NPM1J mutation (not included in our assay) were not detected. Importantly, 20 translocations in this series, including 14 MLL fusions and a cytogenetically cryptic t(8;21) had not been identified at diagnosis. Furthermore, all these new abnormalities (in AML and ALL) could be confirmed by conventional RT-PCR and sequencing analysis, demonstrating the specificity of the method. In the whole cohort of 430 patients, the three methods thus detected 157 fusions. 85 (54.1%) and 112 (71.3%) had been detected at diagnosis by cytogenetics and RT-PCR respectively, and 152 (96.8%) by our assay. Two were revealed only by cytogenetics, one only by RT-PCR and 30 only by our method. In conclusion, we have developed a simple multiplexed assay which can reveal a very large number of recurrent gene fusions in leukemia. Its short turn-around time (we repeatedly tested up to 40 patients in parallel and the results can be obtained in less than one day) and low cost (only one PCR module, one pyrosequencer and basic molecular biology reagents are needed) make it particularly suitable for a daily practice. Its capacity to detect many abnormalities which are almost never tested in daily practice could provide many important diagnosis and prognosis information, and enable the stratification of patients in prospective clinical trials. Disclosures Ruminy:Centre Henri Becquerel: Patents & Royalties. Marchand:Centre Henri Becquerel: Patents & Royalties.


Zymosan- or thioglycollate-induced experimental peritoneal inflammation in mice may serve as a convenient model for investigations of involvement of opioid peptides derived from exudatory leukocytes in the inflammatory processes. During peritonitis, the influx of neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages correlated with a sequential appearance of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta and TNFalpha). After both kinds of stimulation, the expression of PENK mRNA was much higher in exudatory peritoneal leukocytes than its basal level in steady state.


An integral approach which can simultaneously model turbulent flow and transport at the sediment–water interface has been recently developed and validated for homogeneous sediment which was achieved by comparing numerical results to flume experiments on flow and transport over a rippled streambed and through the sediment for neutral, gaining, and losing conditions. In the present study, we validated the approach for heterogeneous conditions by comparing numerical simulations of flow and transport in heterogeneous sediment to analytical solutions as well as flume experiments on flow and transport through rippled streambed consisting of heterogeneous sediment. For this complex setup, simulation and experimental results agree well showing that flow and tracer transport prefer paths through areas with bigger grain diameters and higher porosities. The effect of flow redirections under losing and gaining conditions on hyporheic flow and residence times is discussed.


PURPOSE
We studied preoperative variables in a contemporary series of men who underwent nonnerve sparing radical prostatectomy in an effort to establish criteria that would predict side specific extraprostatic extension (EPE) of cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We reviewed the records of 430 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer with no prior therapy between 1996 and 1998, and for whom we had at least sextant biopsy information. We evaluated biopsy data (Gleason score, maximum length of cancer in positive cores, percent of cancer per involved core, proportion of positive biopsy cores, tumor location and number of positive biopsy cores) and correlated these findings with EPE at the neurovascular bundle and posterior lateral (NVB/PL) region.

RESULTS
We found that a higher number of positive cores, a higher biopsy Gleason score on a side, a positive core at the basal region, 50% or greater tumor in the core or a maximum tumor length of 7 mm or greater increased the likelihood that EPE was present at the NVB/PL region on the corresponding side of the prostate. On multivariate analysis maximum tumor length 7 mm or greater and positive basal core location were the strongest independent predictors of EPE at the NVB/PL region on a given side (p <0.0001 and 0.002, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Excluding any patient with 1 positive biopsy core with a maximum tumor length of 7 mm or greater plus a positive basal core of any tumor length and grade can decrease the risk of EPE at the NVB/PL region to approximately 10%.


The hERG (human ether-à-go-go-related gene) potassium channel has been extensively studied by both academia and industry because of its relation to inherited or drug-induced long QT syndrome (LQTS). Unpredicted hERG and drug interaction affecting channel activity is of main concern for drug discovery. Although there are several methods to test hERG and drug interaction, it is still necessary to develop some efficient and economic ways to probe hERG and drug interactions. To contribute this aim, we have developed a biomimetic lipid membrane platform into which the hERG channel can be folded. Expression and integration of the hERG channel was achieved using a cell-free (CF) expression system. The folding of hERG in the biomimetic membrane system was investigated using Surface Plasmon Enhanced Fluorescence Spectroscopy (SPFS) and Imaging Surface Plasmon Resonance (iSPR). In addition, the hERG channel folded into our biomimetic membrane platform was used for probing the channel and drug interactions through fluorescence polarization (FP) assay. Our results suggest that the biomimetic system employed is capable of detecting the interaction between hERG and different channel blockers at varied concentrations. We believe that our current approach could be applied to other membrane proteins for drug screening or other protein-related interactions.


When The Boys in the Band premiered in 1968, Off-Broadway it was the first time that gay people had the chance to be depicted explicitly as a community, without any straight-pleasing filter on stage in the US. This play is indeed to be regarded as a watershed in gay culture, anticipating the 1969 Stonewall riots and representing a sort of double consciousness embodied by the gay people, which are interiorly divided between their identity and culture and their belonging to a nation (the American one) that despises them. The gay people tend, thus, to see themselves through straight eyes and measure their behavior through the hegemonic values. In Mark Crowley's play Alan, a straight pulled-together white man with an "auffully good family" plays the part of an uninvited onlooker at an all-gay birthday party. The encounter between Alan and the other members of the group triggers a sequence of reactions and counter-reactions that I intend to explore as a metaphor of the shrill collision between the gay community and the state. In truth, I read the very presence of Alan as a projection of the normative power of the state onto gay people's life. Even though he finds himself to be the 'sexual minority', in fact, he does not renounce to exercise his socially granted hegemony on those whom he perceives as repulsing. He meticulously selects the men to bond with, who happen to be most adherent to an alleged heteronormativity - masculine, professional and married, taking for granted the heterosexuality of those he interacts with. When Alan decides to talk with Hank, a straight-acting Math teacher wearing a wedding band, he not only embodies the misconceptions based on the stereotypes that mirror the majoritarian perception of gayness, as a compendium of indecency, extravagance and de-masculinization, but he also delineates a hierarchy of respectability, excluding definite behaviors and aesthetics. The party resembles an unveiled Panopticon where the subaltern can detect the origin of the normative gaze. Although this visible set-up may suggest a subversion of power dynamics, in which Alan gets recognized and subdued by the environment, he manages to reproduce his power. As a consequence of his presence, the participants of the party start self-regulating their behaviors. They stop dancing, they mutually censor themselves by limiting each other's effeminate acting or they avoid to clarify their sexual orientation. The living room becomes a hostile place and the characters recede into the closet, where the gay men feel vulnerable and insecure, and their friendly bonds are turned into reciprocal tension and competition. Considering Michael's house as a shelter, and the intrusion of Alan as the extension of a norm created and endorsed by the state, I aim at analyzing the relation between the gay community and the state through a critical lens which I borrow from Michel Foucault's 'panopticism' and biopolitical theory. I read the home as a heterotopia, a space that at the same time "represents, challenges, and overturns" reality, becoming a tool of contestation of an inhabited space.


A simple technique to reshape the response of tapped delay line photonic microwave filters is demonstrated. The technique is based on the generation and control of a set of optical carriers by means of four-wave mixing. Experimental results show reconfiguration from 2 to 5 taps with uniform and apodized amplitude distributions.


[reaction: see text] 1,2-Cyclic sulfamidates undergo regiospecific nucleophilic displacement with either methyl thioglycolate or alpha-amino esters, followed by lactamization (thermal, base-mediated, or cyanide-catalyzed), to give thiomorpholin-3-ones and piperazin-2-ones.


The remarkable properties of graphene have inspired great research interest in two-dimensional layered materials (2DLMs) with novel electronic and optical attributes. As a class of graphene-like 2DLMs, ultrathin group IIIA metal chalcogenides (GIIIAMCs, metal = In, Ga; chalcogen = S, Se, Te) have shown great potential in electronics and optoelectronics. In this review, we first introduce the crystal structures and their unique advantages in specific potential applications. Then, we summarize the progress in the fabrication of GIIIAMCs in the framework of top-down and bottom-up methods. Next, their recent achievements regarding enhanced field-effect transistor and photodetector applications are discussed in detail. In addition, the construction strategies of hybrid GIIIAMCs heterostructures and their applications in electronics and optoelectronics are presented. Finally, this review is concluded with some perspectives and an outlook for continued research.


Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL

Background: The active metabolite of vitamin D, 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol), inhibits the growth of several types of human cancer cells in vitro, but its therapeutic use is limited because it causes hypercalcemia. Among its analogs, 19-nor-1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 (paricalcitol) induces fewer calcemic effects and exhibits an activity that is equipotential to that of calcitriol in several in vivo and in vitro systems. We investigated the antitumor activity and mechanism of action of paricalcitol in gastric cancer cells.

Methods: We examined the effects of paricalcitol on cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and inflammation/immunity in the human gastric cancer cell lines AGS, SNU719, and MKN45.

Results: In vitro treatment with paricalcitol was associated with the following: (1) a dose-dependent increase in vitamin D receptor (VDR) protein expression; (2) inhibited gastric cell growth and induced apoptosis in AGS, SNU719, and MKN45 cell lines; (3) increased expression of p21 and p27 and decreased expression of CDK2; (4) increased expression of the caspase-3 cleaved protein and decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bax proteins; (5) promotion of early and late apoptosis; and (6) decreased expression of STAT-3, JAK2, COX2, and NF-κB.

Conclusion: The low-calcemic vitamin D analog, paricalcitol, exhibits anticancer activity against gastric cancer cells, and its mechanism of action may be mediated through the VDR. Paricalcitol is a promising agent for the prevention and treatment of gastric cancer.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3051. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3051


In this letter, the strong symmetry and its inverse are first given, and then six sets of symmetry of the variable coefficient modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation are obtained, finally the variable coefficient mKdV hierarchy is discussed.


We consider positioning in the scenario where only two reliable range estimates, and few less reliable power observations are available. Such situations are difficult to handle with numerical maximum likelihood methods which require a very accurate initialization to avoid being stuck into local maxima. We propose to first estimate the support region of the two peaks of the likelihood function using a set membership method, and then decide between the two regions using a rule based on the less reliable observations. Monte Carlo simulations show that the performance of the proposed method in terms of outlier rate and root mean squared error approaches that of maximum likelihood when only few additional power observations are available.


Butenolides are a class of lactones with a four carbon heterocyclic ring structure. They are sometimes considered as oxidized derivatives of furan. The simplest butenolide is 2-furanone, which is a common component of larger natural products and is sometimes referred to as simply "butenolide". A common biochemically important butenolide is ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The butenolide and their analogues represent a wide range of the natural compounds of medical and biological importance. In the last decades, a great number of compounds of various structures, in general from Alkylidene butenolide were isolated and showed biological activities.In this work we have studied the reactivity of some alkylidene butenolide and carried out their antibacterial activity.


This study is the first investigation of the dust collection by a spacecraft orbiting a cometary nucleus, which is based on a physically consistent ab–initio model of the dust distribution in the vicinity of an aspherical comet nucleus. The homogeneous bean-shaped nucleus of Crifo & Rodionov (1997a) is used, with updated parameter values adapted to comet 46P/Wirtanen, target of the Rosetta mission, but the conclusions of the study have a general significance. The near–nucleus dust distribution is computed from the dusty gasdynamic model of the above reference, except that a power–law size distribution with differential exponentα = −3.5 is used here. The more distant distribution is computed from a Keplerian fountain model. Dust flux and fluences are evaluated for surfaces with various orientations, taking or not into account flux collimation, so that both the signal from dust analysers and the spacecraft contamination can be assessed. The results are compared to previous evaluations based either on the unphysical, spherically symmetric coma assumption, or on the highly asymmetric "effective nucleus dust source" derived from the Giotto Halley flyby in–situ dust measurements by Fulle et al. (1995), scaled appropriately to the present problem. The main results are the following: (1) The results based on the spherical assumption can at best be used for a global (benchmark) test of the correctness of a more realistic models, but otherwise do not represent the fluxes or fluences undergone by any spacecraft surface during any realistic sequence of spacecraft orbits; (2) there is a strong difference between the results from the present model, and those based on Fulle et al. (1995), due in part to the fact that the present dust source is less anisotropic that the "effective" source derived there; the two evaluations thus provide for the first time an estimate of the prediction uncertainties associated with the absence of a precise knowledge of the nucleus shape; (3) other differences between the present and previous results are due to the non–radiality of the near–nucleus motion, and to the total absence of a biunivocal mass–terminal velocity relation in the present model; (4) the "reflected" component of grains returned towards the nucleus by radiation pressure appears particularly sensitive to the dust ejection model, and is therefore a potentially important quantity to measure, to constrain such models; (5) the strongest dust irraSend offprint requests to: M. Fulle diation is generally obtained for orbits located in the dawn–dusk meridian; (6) proper allowance for the non–radial near–nucleus dust motion is extremely critical to the strategy of dust fluence reduction on critical spacecraft systems.


A number of serious non thermal biological effects, ranging from changes in cellular function like proliferation rate changes or gene expression changes to cell death induction, decrease in the rate of melatonin production and changes in electroencephalogram patterns in humans, population declinations of birds and insects, and small but statistically significant increases of certain types of cancer, are attributed in our days to the radiations emitted by mobile telephony antennas of both handsets and base stations. This chapter reviews briefly the most important experimental, clinical and statistical findings and presents more extensively a series of experiments, concerning cell death induction on a model biological system. Mobile telephony radiation is found to decrease significantly and non thermally insect reproduction by up to 60%, after a few minutes daily exposure for only few days. Both sexes were found to be affected. The effect is due to DNA fragmentation in the gonads caused by both types of digital mobile telephony radiation used in Europe, GSM 900MHz, (Global System for Mobile telecommunications), and DCS 1800MHz, (Digital Cellular System). GSM was found to be even more bioactive than DCS, due to its higher intensity under equal conditions. The decrease in reproductive capacity seems to be non-linearly depended on radiation intensity, exhibiting a peak for intensities higher than 200 μW/cm and an intensity "window" around 10μW/cm were it becomes maximum. In terms of the distance from a mobile phone antenna, the intensity of this "window"corresponds under usual conditions to a distance of 20-30 cm. The importance of different parameters of the radiation like intensity, carrier frequency and pulse repetition frequency, in relation to the recorded effects are discussed. Finally, this chapter describes a plausible biophysical and biochemical mechanism which can explain the recorded effects of mobile telephony radiations on living organisms.


Introduction Ferroptosis, a crucial type of programmed cell death, is directly linked to various cardiac disorders. However, the contribution of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) to Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) has not been completely understood. Purpose The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the FRGs and TTS. Methods TTS rat models were established by isoprenaline injection. Heart tissues were subsequently harvested for total RNA extraction and library construction. Transcriptome data wereobtained transcriptome data for TTS and FRGs from our laboratory, and sources such as the Ferroptosis Database (FerrDb) and the Gene Expression Omnibus Database (GEO). 57 differentially expressed FRGs (DE-FRGs) were discovered. The LASSO and SVM-RFE algorithms were employed to identify Enpp2, Pla2g6, Etv4, and Il1b as marker genes, and logistic regression was applied to construct a diagnostic model. The important genes were validated by real time PCR and the external dataset. Finally, the extent of immune infiltration was explored. Results Among the 57 genes, there were 36 up-regulated and 21 down-regulated genes that exhibited distinct expression patterns in the TTS and healthy control samples. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated that the enriched pathways were primarily associated with pathways of neurodegeneration-multiple disease, while Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that these genes were primarily linked to cellular response to external stimuli, outer membrane functions, and ubiquitin protein ligase binding. After the identification of four marker genes as potentially effective biomarkers for TTS diagnosis, subsequent logistic regression modeling revealed a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) with an AUC of 1.0. The examination of immune cell infiltration showed significantly higher prevalence of activated CD4+ T cells, mast cells, etc., in TTS. Conclusion Our findings support the theoretical importance of ferroptosis in TTS, highlighting Enpp2, Pla2g6, Etv4, and Il1b as potential diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers for TTS.


Abstract Various types of micro-vortex generators (μVGs) are investigated for control of a supersonic turbulent boundary layer subject to an oblique shock impingement, which causes flow separation. The micro-vortex generators are embedded in the boundary layer to avoid excessive wave drag while still creating strong streamwise vortices to energise the boundary layer. Several different types of µVGs were considered including micro-ramps and micro-vanes. These were investigated computationally in a supersonic boundary layer at Mach 3 using monotone integrated large eddy simulations (MILES). The results showed that vortices generated from μVGs can partially eliminate shock induced flow separation and can continue to entrain high momentum flux for boundary-layer recovery downstream. The micro-ramps resulted in thinner downstream displacement thickness in comparison to the micro-vanes. However, the strength of the streamwise vorticity for the micro-ramps decayed faster due to dissipation especially after the shock interaction. In addition, the close spanwise distance between each vortex for the ramp geometry causes the vortex cores to move upwards from the wall due to induced upwash effects. Micro-vanes, on the other hand, yielded an increased spanwise spacing of the streamwise vortices at the point of formation. This resulted in streamwise vortices staying closer to the floor with less circulation decay, and the reduction in overall flow separation is attributed to these effects. Two hybrid concepts, named 'thick-vane' and 'split-ramp', were also studied where the former is a vane with side supports and the latter has a uniform spacing along the centreline of the baseline ramp. These geometries behaved similar to the micro-vanes in terms of the streamwise vorticity and the ability to reduce flow separation, but are more physically robust than the thin vanes.


The 2-1 and 5-4 transitions of SiO have been observed toward the Sgr B2 region, including the Principal Cloud(the GMC containing Sgr B2(M)) and its surroundings. The morphology and velocity structure of the SiO emission show a close resemblance with the HNCO Ring feature, identified by Minh & Irvine(2006), of about 10 pc in diameter, which may be expanding and colliding with the Principal Cloud. Three SiO clumps have been found around the Ring, with total column densities at the peak positions of these clumps. The fractional SiO abundance relative to has been estimated to be , which is about two orders of magnitude larger than the quiet dense cloud values. Our SiO observational result supports the existence of an expanding ring, which may be triggering active star formations in the Principal Cloud.


A 19-year-old man complaining of right upper abdominal pain underwent surgery for the removal of a testicular tumor in October 1997. He was given a diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma and was in clinical stage II B. The patient went into completed remission with VABCOP-M combination chemotherapy, but relapsed with involvement of the central nervous system (CNS). He was treated with ICE, then CHASE together with total cranial irradiation and simultaneous intrathecal MTX and cytosine arabinoside through Ommaya reservoir until a second remission was achieved. Afterward, the patient was given high-dose chemotherapy and total body irradiation followed by an autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (auto-PBSCT), and maintained complete remission. Though the prognosis for Burkitt's lymphoma with CNS involvement is considered to be poor, high-dose chemotherapy with PBSCT was a successful treatment for relapsed Burkitt's lymphoma in our patient.


Currently, symbiotic rhizobia (sl., rhizobium) refer to the soil bacteria in α‐ and β‐Proteobacteria that can induce root and/or stem nodules on some legumes and a few of nonlegumes. In the nodules, rhizobia convert the inert dinitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3) and supply them as nitrogen nutrient to the host plant. In general, this symbiotic association presents specificity between rhizobial and leguminous species, and most of the rhizobia use lipochitooligosaccharides, so called Nod factor (NF), for cooperating with their host plant to initiate the formation of nodule primordium and to inhibit the plant immunity. Besides NF, effectors secreted by type III secretion system (T3SS), exopolysaccharides and many microbe‐associated molecular patterns in the rhizobia also play important roles in nodulation and immunity response between rhizobia and legumes. However, the promiscuous hosts like Glycine max and Sophora flavescens can nodulate with various rhizobial species harbouring diverse symbiosis genes in different soils, meaning that the nodulation specificity/efficiency might be mainly determined by the host plants and regulated by the soil conditions in a certain cases. Based on previous studies on rhizobial application, we propose a '1+n−N' model to promote the function of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in agricultural practice, where '1' refers to appreciate rhizobium; '+n' means the addition of multiple trace elements and PGPR bacteria; and '−N' implies the reduction of chemical nitrogen fertilizer. Finally, open questions in the SNF field are raised to future think deeply and researches.


Concentrations of somatotropic hormone (STH) in the blood were determined in 71 patients with varying degrees of chronic circulatory insufficiency and the dystrophic syndrome and in 12 healthy individuals. The degree of dystrophic changes in the body was evaluated by figures of the dry body weight. In 36 patients with severe circulatory insufficiency albumin metabolism was also studied. The results showed that the basal level of STH of the blood rises when chronic circulatory insufficiency supervenes and develops. No relationship between the degree of STH rise in the blood and dystrophic changes in body was found. A reverse correlation between the STH content in the blood and the size of the dry body weight in patients with enhanced breakdown of albumen suggests that in cardiac insufficiency STH plays a role in the adaptation of metabolism to the dystrophic process in the body, perhaps by stimulating the metabolism of fats.


Thiong'o's groundbreaking book Decolonising the Mind: the Politics of Language in African Literature is one of the most discussed and critically acclaimed postcolonial works. The book has four essays; "The Quest for Relevance" is the last essay which discusses the importance of prioritizing African literature in the academia. According to Thiong'o, the only way African students can benefit from studying literature is by prioritizing the study of their own literature in their own language. In fact, Thiong'o has taken his view to such an extreme that he has declared this book to be his "farewell to English" as a means of any of his writings (1). In contrast, Chinua Achebe embraced English as a medium of his writings which not only made him famous, but also earned him a permanent place in the pantheon of the greatest postcolonial authors and scholars. Like Thiong'o, Achebe was also a strong proponent of promoting African literature and African experience; but unlike Thiong'o, he did not shun the use of English. This paper examines Achebe in light of Thiong'o's essay "The Quest for Relevance" and explores Achebe's success as an author in Things Fall Apart.


This study evaluates the role of spokespersons and message control in complex organizations facing ambiguous crises. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) response to the anthrax crisis in 2001 is offered as a case study. A textual analysis of CDC telebriefings and corresponding print media coverage of the anthrax crisis reveals the use of multiple spokespersons and poor message control resulted in a seemingly fragmented CDC message and apparent loss of CDC credibility. The study concludes that limiting the number of spokespersons and appropriate use of strategic ambiguity may afford organizations an opportunity to make sense of the situation, avoid confusing and contradictory messages and protect organizational credibility. Recommendations include (1) limiting the number of spokespersons, which allows for greater message control while reducing contradictory and inconsistent messages, (2) maintaining an organizational willingness to revise publicly stated positions as more a...


We propose a new multicast routing and scheduling algorithm called multipurpose multicast routing and scheduling algorithm (MMRS). The routing policy load balances amongst various possible routes between the source and the destinations, basing its decisions on the message queue lengths at the source node. The scheduling amongst various sessions sharing links is devised such that the flow of a session depends on the congestion of the next hop links. MMRS is throughput optimal and computationally simple. It can be implemented in a distributed, asynchronous manner. It has several parameters which can be suitably modified to control the end to end delay, packet loss in a topology specific manner. These parameters can be adjusted to offer limited priorities to some desired sessions. MMRS is expected to play a significant role in end to end congestion control in the multicast scenario.


Mandarin Chinese geng is often translated as "even more" in the literature. Previous studies mainly concentrate on cases where geng combines with a gradable predicate, under which circumstance geng has been long observed to trigger an evaluative inference that both the comparison standard and the comparison target are above the norm on the scale associated with the gradable predicate. To account for this observation, geng has been variously argued to be a degree intensifier, a modifier for gradable adjectives that carries a presupposed comparison, or a comparative morpheme with an evaluative presupposition. These accounts all assume, covertly or overtly, the presence of a gradable predicate for geng to combine with in the syntax. Liu (2010) notes that geng, puzzlingly, can also combine with nongradable predicates, which poses a challenge to all such accounts. We pick up this puzzle and make two follow-up observations that (a) geng operates on a context-dependent scale when combining with predicates that are non-gradable and non-scalar and (b) geng, in such cases, is norm-sensitive in that it requires both its hosting proposition and the contextually salient, preceding proposition to indicate a degree above the norm on that relevant scale. To account for all the observations, we adopt Liu's (2010) suggestion that geng has a comparative component and a presupposed evaluative component as its semantics, but more than that, we suggest that geng is uniformly a coercive and thus super flexible comparative marker that forcibly establishes an ordering relation between compared items. To meet its drive of imposing the ordering relation, geng manipulates different elements in its semantic core but is subject to an economy-driven semantic principle, so no over-generation occurs. This study contributes to our understanding of Mandarin comparatives and has some comparatives-related implications regarding e.g. degree abstraction in general. This working paper is available in University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics: https://repository.upenn.edu/pwpl/vol29/iss1/7 Gèng: A Coercive Comparative Marker in Mandarin Chinese


The Type I error rates and powers of three recent tests for analyzing nonorthogonal factorial designs under departures from the assumptions of homogeneity and normality were evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation. Specifically, this work compared the performance of the modified Brown-Forsythe procedure, the generalization of Box's method proposed by Brunner, Dette, and Munk, and the mixed-model procedure adjusted by the Kenward-Roger solution available in the SAS statistical package. With regard to robustness, the three approaches adequately controlled Type I error when the data were generated from symmetric distributions; however, this study's results indicate that, when the data were extracted from asymmetric distributions, the modified Brown-Forsythe approach controlled the Type I error slightly better than the other procedures. With regard to sensitivity, the higher power rates were obtained when the analyses were done with the MIXED procedure of the SAS program. Furthermore, results also identified that, when the data were generated from symmetric distributions, little power was sacrificed by using the generalization of Box's method in place of the modified Brown-Forsythe procedure.


Amgen Inc. and Immunex Corporation entered into a consent decree with the FTC on September 3, 2002 in order to proceed with the merger of the two pharmaceutical giants. To obtain clearance from…


In this article the authors discuss issues faced by early career researchers, including the dichotomy, which many research textbooks and journal articles create and perpetuate between qualitative and quantitative research methodology despite considerable literature to support the use of mixed methods. The authors review current research literature and discuss some of the language, which can prove confusing to the early career researcher and problematic for post-graduate supervisors and teachers of research. The authors argue that discussions of research methods in research texts and university courses should include mixed methods and should address the perceived dichotomy between qualitative and quantitative research methodology


Loneliness has always been associated and reported as a risk factor of malnutrition in the elderly. People over 80 who live alone have deserved this study to detect their situation and potential for action to improve their quality of life. Objectives: To determinate the nutritional status of people over 80 living alone in the area of "La Laguna", Cadiz. Material and method: In PIAMLA`80 program analyse those parameters and their possible correlations in a group of 342 elderly living alone over 80 years old. Different parameters were measured: Integral Geriatric Evaluation, Barthel, Lawton-Brody, Lobo, Gijon, specific analytical blood chemistry and MNA. Results: In a population of 984 people, were selected 342 initially, but finally the group decreases to 247 people. The mean Barthel was 80.42 points, 5.76 Lawton and Gijon from 11.3 Lobo 26.48. The MNA for the whole population was 24.25/30 detecting only a risk age group in women of 85-95. Correlation between nutrition and the biochemical test values showed positive for haemoglobin (0.19), total protein (0.26), Fe (0.32) and albumin (0.46). Conclusions: In our research we have not detected malnutrition in any age group or gender. The use of nutrition test MNA and its MINI version must be generalized as an accurate, clear, quick and easy tool to use.


Friedrich Meinecke's Die Idee der Staatsrason (1924) is generally seen as the study in which he replaced his monistic-idealistic philosophy of history ‐ as articulated in Weltburgertum und Nationalstaat ‐ by a dualistic worldview. In this article I will argue against this view. I will do so on the basis of a brief analysis of Meinecke's Staatsrason -study. I will show that Meinecke succeeded in combining his monism and his dualism within a so-called (harmonious) 'panentheistic' philosophy. Next, when discussing Meinecke's position in the crisis of historicism, critics generally refer to Meinecke's Die Entstehung des Historismus (1936) or his essays from around the 1920s, but refer rarely to Die Idee der Staatsrason . Yet it is precisely this study ‐ dealing with the theory and practice of statesmanship ‐ that gives us a good grasp of Meinecke's reponse to the crisis of historicism, since it is in the state where idea and reality collide most brutally. Questions of ethical relativism, of the relationship between power and ethics, and of that between politics and history are nowhere more pressing than in the practice of statesmanship. It will become clear that, according to Meinecke, the statesman's (or the historian's) conscience moves him to a sphere of panentheistic harmony enabling him (and the historian) to overcome the aporias of historicism.


One of the primary objectives of universities is the search for truth, advancement and refinement of knowledge by conducting both basic and applied research. Currently, research has been considered as one of the key tasks of institutions of higher learning not only as a matter of formality but for teaching effectively. Research should keep abreast with teaching and should help to raise the quality of teaching. Thus, research has been recognized as twin broad functions of higher education. Strengthening research and analytic capacity in higher education is an essential requirement for the improvement of development. Policies and practices, and the decisions taken regarding them, must be informed by the results of systematic, well-conceived research. Considerable progress has been so far achieved by the Addis Ababa University in this regard. However, much more needs to be done because of factors that are affecting the research environment. The challenges which tend to make conducting research in the Addis Ababa University difficult are factors within and outside the university. These can be a function of the material, human and financial organization of the University as well as the level of research culture among persons who are supposed to carry out and utilize research. The contribution of researches undertaken by the university is also hindered by its limited applicability to societal needs. Thus, attention must be paid to (a) improving the funding of both basic and applied research, (b) furthering work on advanced technologies of critical social and economic need of the country, (c) improving the preparation of researchers, (d) setting up adequate structures for the coordination, dissemination and publication of research results, (e) working to make research activities an integral part of university's public service functions, and (f) reducing duplication through inter-institutional cooperation involving both researchers and facilities.


Abstract 841

Introduction: Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) restores the oxygen carrying capacity of blood after hemorrhagic shock (HS). During extended storage, RBCs undergo functional changes, altering their physiological properties. Recent studies have suggested that transfusion of RBCs stored for prolonged periods of time is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in severely hemorrhaged patients.

Our group has reported a model for autologous transfusion of stored RBCs in lambs and observed that transfusion of RBCs stored for 40 days transiently increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) in healthy lambs. We hypothesized that HS would sensitize lambs to the adverse effects of stored RBC transfusion, inducing severe pulmonary vasoconstriction, inflammation, and platelet activation. We further hypothesized that inhalation of 80 ppm nitric oxide (NO) during and after transfusion of stored RBCs would prevent pulmonary vasoconstriction and reduce pulmonary inflammation and platelet activation.

Methods: We studied 3 to 4 month old Polypay lambs weighing 31±1 kg (all data mean±SEM). A tracheostomy and carotid and pulmonary artery catheters were placed under brief isoflurane anesthesia. Lambs were subjected to class 4 HS by withdrawing 50% of their blood volume. Mean arterial pressure was maintained at 50 mmHg for 2 h. Animals were then resuscitated over 1 h with 600 ml packed RBCs (hematocrit 55–60%) and an equal volume of lactated Ringer's solution. One group of lambs (n=6) was resuscitated with the RBCs withdrawn to induce HS (fresh red blood cells, FRBCs). A second group of lambs (n=6) received autologous, leukoreduced RBCs stored in AS-1 additive solution for 39±2 days (stored red blood cells, SRBCs). An additional group of lambs receiving SRBCs (n=5) inhaled 80 ppm NO during and for 21 h after transfusion. Hemodynamic parameters were measured continuously for 24 h.

Plasma hemoglobin concentrations were determined before and after transfusion using spectral deconvolution. Myeloperoxidase enzyme activity was measured in lung tissue samples harvested 21 h after the end of transfusion.

Platelets were isolated from blood withdrawn before induction and immediately after resuscitation of HS. Platelet activation was assessed by measuring the number of P-selectin (CD62P)-expressing platelets with flow cytometry, both in naive platelets and in platelets stimulated with increasing concentrations of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ex vivo.

Results: At the end of transfusion, PVR (253±43 vs. 104±5 dyn·s·cm−5, p=0.01) and mean PAP (24±4 vs. 14±2 mmHg, p<0.001) were higher in lambs transfused with SRBCs than in those transfused with FRBCs. Concurrent inhalation of NO completely prevented the increase of PVR (102±10 dyn·s·cm−5) and PAP (13±1 mmHg) induced by transfusing SRBCs. PAP correlated with peak plasma hemoglobin concentrations (R2=0.61, p=0.003). Two of the 6 lambs transfused with SRBCs developed severe systemic hypoxemia and pulmonary edema, whereas none of the lambs resuscitated with FRBCs or SRBCs during concurrent inhalation of NO developed hypoxemia or symptoms of respiratory compromise.

Pulmonary myeloperoxidase enzyme activity of lambs transfused with SRBCs (11±2 U/g) was higher than that of lambs resuscitated with FRBCs (4±1 U/g, p=0.007), but was not elevated when animals breathed NO (8±1 U/g, p=0.09).

There was no difference in the percentage of CD62P-expressing platelets after resuscitation of HS with either FRBCs or SRBCs (1.4±0.3 vs. 1.7±0.3 %, p=0.25). However, when stimulated with increasing concentrations of ADP, more platelets from lambs transfused with SRBCs expressed CD62P than those from lambs transfused with FRBCs. This increase in CD62P-expressing platelets after transfusion of SRBCs was attenuated by breathing NO.

Conclusions: Hemorrhagic shock sensitizes lambs to the transfusion of stored autologous RBCs. Resuscitation of 6 lambs with severe HS by transfusion of SRBCs caused marked pulmonary vasoconstriction and inflammation, as well as severe hypoxemia and pulmonary edema in 2 lambs. Inhalation of NO completely prevented pulmonary vasoconstriction and attenuated pulmonary inflammation and respiratory failure. Platelet activation was not altered by transfusion of SRBCs, but ADP more readily activated these platelets. Therefore, patients with HS might benefit from breathing NO when resuscitated with SRBCs.

Disclosures: Bloch: Massachusetts General Hopsital: Research Funding. Zapol: Massachusetts General Hopsital: Dr. Zapol receives royalties from patents on inhaled nitric oxide licensed by MGH to Linde (Munich, Germany) and Ikaria (Clinton, NJ)., Dr. Zapol receives royalties from patents on inhaled nitric oxide licensed by MGH to Linde (Munich, Germany) and Ikaria (Clinton, NJ). Patents & Royalties.


The stability of the binding of radioactive metabolites from the carcinogen N -hydroxy- N -2-fluorenylacetamide to macromolecular elements in rat liver was studied after a single dose of compound and after 2 and 10 weeks of dietary intake of the labeled carcinogen. After a single dose the label of carcinogen bound to DNA decreased in two discrete steps. After the initial peak at 24 hours, the bound label decreased with a half-life of 10 hours, then declined with a half-life of about 33 hours between the 4th and 12th day by when virtually all the label was lost. In cytoplasmic fractions the label decreased to zero in 24 days. The persistence of label introduced into DNA with tritiated thymidine was found to be relatively uniform between Day 6 and Day 72 after a single dose.

The initial peak value of carcinogen bound to DNA, the microsomal fraction, and the soluble fraction, was higher after continuous intake of 2 weeks than after 10 weeks. On the DNA the maximum binding corresponded to about 11,000 nucleotide units for 1 molecule of carcinogen. The rate of decrease was similar for the 2-week and the 10-week groups for the first few days after cessation of labeled carcinogen intake. Subsequently the decline of bound activity was slower in the 10-week group than in the 2-week group. With this type of carcinogen, measurement of the interaction between agent and cellular elements performed after feeding of the compound for a time period eventuating in cancer is more relevant to an understanding of the process than is the measurement performed after single dosing.


The gas source rock kitchen of oil cracking type is a kind of special gas source rock kitchen derived from high-quality hydrocarbon source rocks. The oils generated from source rocks mainly have three modes of occurrence: disperse liquid hydrocarbon inside source rocks, disperse liquid hydrocarbon outside source rocks and concentrated liquid hydrocarbon outside source rocks. The quantities and proportions of the three modes of occurrence of hydrocarbon are controlled by various factors, including internal and external ones. As to the oil expulsion efficiency, the organic carbon contents in mudstone, limestone and oil shale are 0.67%, 0.62% and 10.6% respectively and their maximum oil expulsion efficiencies are 45%, 55% and 80% respectively. The kinetic experiments of cracked gas in different media indicate that the activation energy of methane changes according to the medium conditions. Carbonate rocks have the greatest influence on oil cracking and can significantly reduce the activation energy of cracked gas and the temperatures of oil cracking. Mudstone takes the second place and sandstone has the smallest influence. The corresponding Ro values of main gas-generating periods in different media are as follows: 1.5%-3.8% for pure crude oil, 1.2%-3.2% for disperse oil in carbonate rocks, 1.3%-3.4% for disperse oil in mudstone and 1.4%-3.6% for disperse oil in sandstone. The gas source rock kitchen of oil cracking type is an intermediate and what are visible are the primary gas source kitchen and gas accumulation formed by it. However, the modes of occurrence, distribution scope and amount and resources of gas generated for the gas source rock kitchen of oil cracking type can be only determined and proved through forward and backward inference. Take the Middle-Lower Cambrian in the Tarim basin as an example of forward inference, the original oil-generating quantity is 2 232.24×108 t and the residual oil quantity and oil cracked gas quantity are 806.21×108 t and 106.95×1012 m3 respectively. Take the cracked gas in dolomites of the Feixianguan Formation in the northeastern Sichuan basin as an example of backward inference, the area of the delineated paleo-oil accumulation is approximately 735 km2, the quantity of crude oil is 45×108t, and the quantity and resources of oil cracked gas are 2.72×1012 m3 and 1.36×1012 m3 respectively.


We agree likely effective than state in the Discussion, compari-sons between placebo-controlled clinical trials have The abstract gave results for the protocol comparison of drug classes, ie, COMTI, vs MAOBI, but our Conclusions section stated explicitly that entacapone was the only COMTI used, "…the use of either dopamine agonists or [MAOBIs] as initial adjuvant therapy appeared to be preferable to entacapone, which was the only COMT inhibitor assessed." 1 We chose not to include off-time as an outcome because it would have added complexity to this long-term stream-linedtrial,adverselyaffectingrecruitmentandcosts.Weagree thatpatient-reportedoutcomesareimportantandnecessary. We chose to use the 39-item Parkinson's Disease Question-naire as the primary outcome precisely because it captured thepatient'sexperienceoftheadverseeffectsoftreatmentas well as its effect on disease symptoms.


As a key component of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) Project, the Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) accumulates and accelerates the proton beam from 80MeV to 1.6GeV for extracting and striking the target with a repetition rate of 25Hz. A high level application programming framework code called XAL, based on Java Language with a well-performance online model, initially developed at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), has been installed as a part of control system via connection to EPICS for CSNS. Much of the applications have been initially established such as Tune Scan, Tune Monitor, Orbit Response Matrix Measurement, RCS Orbit Display, and Beta Function Measurement for preparing CSNS/RCS commissioning are showed in this paper.


A set of four, coupled, first-order differential equations describing the normal modes of a cylindrically symmetric, cold fluid, unneutralized, relativistic electron beam of arbitrary radial profile is derived. Effects of beam rotation and equilibrium fields are treated exactly. The differential equations are found to have singular points for a radially inhomogeneous beam wherever the eigenfrequency equals the cyclotron or Doppler resonance frequencies. The resulting branch cuts in the dispersion function give rise to secularly decaying contributions to the initial value problem. The rate of decay and the character of the eigenmode near the singularity are determined from the solution of the corresponding indicial equation. Discrete eigenmodes also exist and are obtained by numerical solution of the differential equations and boundary conditions. For realistic solid-beam equilibria, only one slow cyclotron-mode exists for any given pair of axial and azimuthal wavenumbers, and that mode is localized at the beam edge. Under identical conditions several slow space-charge modes exist and are not so distorted. However, even at the space-charge limit, the phase velocity of long-wavelength slow space-charge waves does not decrease to zero. These results are relevant to the Autoresonant and Converging Guide collective ion acceleration proposals.


In this paper,an innovative 3D motion parameters estimation method from stereo image sequences based on infrared(IR) reflective markers is presented.It was assumed that two high speed CCD cameras had been calibrated previously.The method consists of the following steps:1) the coordinate of several markers and depth map for each stereo pair was determined from the sequences of stereo images by relations of markers' coordinate the correspondence between markers was established,2) the 3D motion parameters of the target was computed based upon the matched markers' coordinate,and 3) translated 3D motion parameters estimation into the problem of least square according to the movement model of the object to be measured.Without using line,curve or corner correspondence,this method can calculate the depth of these markers feature easily and quickly in contrast to traditional approaches.The two CCD cameras work on 200 f/s,and each processing cost time is about 3 ms.It was found that,by using several markers and a large number of stereo images,this method can improve the computational speed,robustness and numerical accuracy of the motion parameters in comparison with traditional methods.The virtual simulation experiment was conducted using synthesized stereo image sequences based on 6-DOF motion platform and the experimental results proved the validity of our approach and showed that the translation and rotation precision is up to 0.1 mm and 0.1°.


In the title compound, C17H16O4, the dihedral angle between the mean planes of the hydroxyphenyl and dimethoxyphenyl rings is 5.9 (6)°. The mean plane of the prop-2-en-1-one group makes dihedral angles of 3.6 (0) and 2.6 (7)° with the hydroxyphenyl and dimethoxyphenyl rings, respectively. An intramolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond occurs. The crystal packing is stabilized by weak intermolecular C—H⋯O contacts and π–π stacking interactions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.6571 (8) Å].


Rapid divergence and speciation can occur between populations with or without ecological differences under selection for success in intraspecific social competition-competition in which an individual must win in contests or comparisons with conspecific rivals in order to gain access to some resource, including (under sexual selection) mates. Sexual selection theory is extended to encompass social competition for resources other than mates. Characters used in social competition can undergo particularly rapid and divergent evolution owing to (1) their great importance in determining access to critical resources, (2) the absence of a limit to change (except by selection in other contexts), (3) the generation-to-generation relentlessness of selection on these traits. (4) the potential for mutually accelerating evolution of preference and attractiveness in contests involving "choice," and (5) the very large number of factors that can initiate trends, including mutation and drift leading to use of different physiological or behavioral characteristics as signals, the role of novelty per se in the evolution of combat and display, ecological or habitat differences influencing the form of combat and of signals, and (in species capable of learning) imitation of idiosyncratic characteristics of successful individuals. Many species-specific signals heretofore attributed to selection for species recognition ("isolating mechanisms") are probably instead products of social selection. This may help explain the rarity of reproductive character displacement and other phenomena predicted by the species recognition hypothesis. Examples from a wide variety of organisms illustrate patterns predicted by social selection theory, including (1) exaggeration and rapid divergence of traits (e.g., weapons, pheromones, plumage, flowers, and song) used in social competition, (2) a correlation between type of social system (intensity of social selection) and distinctiveness and exaggeration of social traits, (3) sexually monomorphic extreme development of socially selected traits when both sexes compete socially, (4) occurrence of distinctive signals in allopatric populations lacking sympatric congeners, and (5) more rapid divergence (less phylogenetic conservatism) of socially competitive compared to non-competitive signals. Rapid divergence under social selection may accelerate speciation due to effects on pre-mating interactions, as well as on critical social determinants of survival and reproductive success which would put hybrids at a disadvantage. Maintenance of parapatric boundaries (extensive contact with little or no geographic overlap) between socially selected species may sometimes be due to competitive exclusion in sympatry between populations whose primary divergence has been social rather than ecological. Patterns of variation in socially selected characters demonstrate the wisdom of Darwin's distinction between natural and sexual selection, and the applicability of sexual selection theory to social competition in general.


Background. Neutrophilic tubulitis accompanied by intratubular neutrophil clusters in the renal allograft is a surrogate marker for urinary tract infection (UTI). Overlapping histologic findings can occur in antibody-mediated rejection, which is characterized by peritubular capillary (PTC) deposition of C4d. This study evaluated the incidence of UTI in biopsies with concurrent neutrophilic tubulitis and PTC C4d staining. Methods. Thirty-three allograft biopsies from 27 patients selected for the presence of simultaneous C4d staining and neutrophilic tubulitis were correlated with urine culture (U/C) results. Results. U/C obtained on the same day as the biopsy confirmed UTI in 13 of 33 (39%) biopsies. Among 20 patients with negative U/C; prior culture results within 10 days of the biopsy were available for nine patients, and 5 of 9 (55%) were positive. Thus, UTI was confirmed in 18 of 33 (54%) biopsies. Biopsy interpretation and clinical management was confounded by changes of concurrent acute cellular rejection and antibody-mediated rejection confirmed by demonstration of donor-specific antibodies. Combined therapy with antibiotics and antirejection medications (ART) was administered to 12 of 18 (67%) patients. Conclusions. Neutrophilic tubulitis accompanied by neutrophil clusters in the tubular lumen is a useful marker of UTI, even in the presence of PTC C4d deposition. Therapeutic response to antibiotics is limited by co-existent T-cell or antibody-mediated rejection and underlying chronic allograft nephropathy.


The penaeid genus Trachysalambria Burkenroad, 1934a is revised with the aid of sequence data on the 12S and 16S rRNA genes. The species generally reported as "T. longipes" in recent literature was found to be not the true T. longipes (Paul'son, 1875) but a new species, herein named T. dentata sp. nov. To fix the identity of T. longipes, a neotype is selected and this action effectively synonymizes T. villaluzi (Muthu & Motoh, 1979) with T. longipes. Moreover, T. fulva (Dall, 1957) is synonymized with T. malaiana (Balss, 1933) while T. starobogatovi (Ivanov & Hassan, 1976) is confirmed to be a valid species. Two more new species are discovered, with T. parvispina sp. nov., widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, and T. crosnieri sp. nov., restricted to Australia. Altogether 12 species are recognized in Trachyalambria. The other valid species in this genus are T. curvirostris (Stimpson, 1860), T. aspera (Alcock, 1905), T. palaestinensis (Steinitz, 1932), T. brevisuturae (Burkenroad, 1934a), T. albicoma (Haysahi & Toriyama, 1980), and T. nansei Sakaji & Hayashi, 2003. Most characters previously used for separating the species of this genus are rather variable and their distinguishing characters are redefined.


BACKGROUND
Paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis (PDC) is characterized by attacks of involuntary movements that occur spontaneously while at rest and following caffeine or alcohol consumption. Previously, we and others identified a locus for autosomal dominant PDC on chromosome 2q33-2q35.

OBJECTIVE
To identify the PDC gene.

DESIGN
Analysis of PDC positional candidate genes by exon sequencing and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

SETTING
Outpatient clinical and molecular genetic laboratory at a university hospital. Patients Affected (n = 12) and unaffected (n = 26) subjects from 2 unrelated families with PDC and 105 unrelated control subjects.

RESULTS
We identified missense mutations in the myofibrillogenesis regulator gene (MR-1) in affected subjects in 2 unrelated PDC kindreds. These mutations were absent in control subjects and caused substitutions of valine for alanine at amino acid positions 7 and 9. The substitutions disturb interspecies conserved residues and are predicted to alter the MR-1 gene's amino-terminal alpha helix. The MR-1 exon containing these mutations (exon 1) was expressed only in the brain, a finding that explains the brain-specific symptoms of subjects with these mutations.

CONCLUSIONS
Although MR-1 gene function is unknown, the precedence of ion channel disturbance in other episodic neurologic disorders suggests that the pathophysiologic features of PDC also involve abnormal ion localization. The discovery that MR-1 mutations underlie PDC provides opportunities to explore this condition's pathophysiologic characteristics and may provide insight into the causes of other paroxysmal neurologic disorders as well as the neurophysiologic mechanisms of alcohol and caffeine, which frequently precipitate PDC attacks.


This is the first research done in Puerto Rico presenting a basic socio-demographic profile of a sample of Puerto Rican centenary elderly that also includes psychological characteristics. The sample consist of eleven subjects, divided in five women and six men (mean age sample = 102.4 years) evaluated with a battery of psychological instrument that include the Symptom Checklist 90-R (SCL-90-R); the Beck Depressive Inventory (BDI-II); the Beck Suicide Scale (BSS); the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS); the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Folstein Mini-Mental. Main findings demonstrate that, with the exception of anxiety and hopelessness symptomatology, this particular sample is with a good psychological health. It is recommended to continue this type of research with a bigger sample and include other psychological and psychiatric screening instruments.


Since 2009, insecurity in the North-East of Nigeria has led to the loss of over 20,000 lives and the displacement of over two million people. Throughout the region livelihoods have been disrupted, and homes, public buildings and infrastructure destroyed. In a part of Nigeria where 80 percent of people rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, much has been lost. People have been forced from their land and livestock has been killed. In many areas, land mines and other remnants of war bring challenges for safe and voluntary return. While Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States bore the brunt of the direct impacts of the conflict, the three neighboring states of Gombe, Taraba and Bauchi have taken in scores of people who have been displaced, taxing their communities, economic resource, social services and infrastructure. Schools have been damaged, health clinics destroyed and many people have been left vulnerable by this crisis. The Government of Nigeria has made great strides in retaking and stabilizing large portions of the North-East, but the work to restore the lives of those affected is just beginning. This assessment, led by the Government of Nigeria and supported by local, national and international partners, has helped quantify the physical, social and economic impacts of the crisis in the North-East, and will inform the process of stabilization, peace building and recovery in the region. The RPBA is a necessary tool that will help us gather the resources and develop the capacities to address these challenges. The results will help reduce suffering in affected communities, restore a sense of normalcy and regain the trust of people in the region.