This chapter addresses the issue of tablets acceptance for studying. An experiment was carried out to test the effects of specific studying tasks experienced by students with no previous experiences with tablets on the perceived usability and usefulness of tablets. Students had to perform a high-compatible task (i.e. navigation/reading task) and a low-compatible task (i.e. writing task) for tablets. Subjective measures of usability, usefulness and use intention were designed to be more specific to the type of task than the classical measures used in the Technology Acceptance Model approach (Davis, 1989). Participants rated their answers before and after performing the tasks with a tablet. The results showed that the perceived usability and usefulness of tablets increased after the high-compatible task while their decreased with the low-compatible task. The findings stressed the need to consider the real user experience and to use more task-oriented measures to investigate the acceptance of mobile devices for studying.


Proteomics studies have extended the list of identified apolipoproteins and associated proteins present in HDL and its subclasses. These proteins appear to cluster around specific functions related to lipid metabolism, inflammation, the immune system, hormone-binding, hemostasis, and antioxidant properties. Small studies suggest that there are substantial differences between the HDL proteome from cardiovascular disease patients and that from controls. Furthermore, dyslipidemia therapy shifts the HDL proteome from patients toward the profile observed in healthy controls. In addition, the proteome of HDL and LDL from patients with insulin resistance and peripheral atherosclerosis show significant differences with that of matched healthy controls. The proteome of HDL and LDL density subclasses have apolipoproteins and associated proteins profiles that suggest subclass-specific functions. However, proteomics studies of lipoproteins are few and small and should be interpreted with caution. Nonetheless rapid technical progress in proteomic platforms suggest that soon analysis time will be reduced and precise measurement of identified proteins will be possible. This, combined with controlled purification steps of HDL and its subclasses should provide further information about proteins involved in the particles postulated spectrum of functions, including those believed to be atheroprotective.


Foreign language acquisition is notoriously constrained by learners' lack of awareness of the systemic relations that are obtained among stable multiple-unit lexical items. This results in learners' inability to variegate their performance (both written and oral) with idioms that stand in complementary (synonymy) or contrastive (antonymy) distribution to one another. Nor are learners typically able to distinguish between the multiple senses of English idioms. Given these impedimenta, the present research investigates the degree of entrenchment of idiomatic synonymy, antonymy, and polysemy and, on the back of it, sets the agenda for partial revision of the practice of exposing learners to English idioms. Data were collected to investigate the knowledge of idiomatic synonymy, antonymy, and polysemy amongst Russian EFL learners. The results of the ANOVA analysis revealed that the degree of awareness of the major types of idiomatic paradigmatic relations significantly differed between the groups, with learners being more aware of synonymy and polysemy than antonymy. The findings suggest that current EFL materials and dictionaries need to be updated and revisited with a view to exposing foreign learners to an extended network of paradigmatic idiomatic relations.


In the research of fatigue of metals, fatigue properties of ultra low carbon steels are important as a fundamental reference data for structural carbon steels. Thus, fatigue test data for low carbon steel of S10C and pure iron in rotating bending were extracted from the "Database on Fatigue Strength of Metallic Materials" published by JSMS. Applying the JSMS standard (JSMS-SD-6-04) "Standard Evaluation Method of Fatigue Reliability for Metallic Materials –Standard Regression Method of S-N Curve–", S-N curves were analyzed on the basis of the "semi-logarithmic bilinear model with fatigue limit" for the respective series of fatigue data. It was found that S-N property of the individual material was well normalized by tensile strength of σB. Based on this aspect, a number of fatigue data extracted were pooled altogether and P-S-N property was also analyzed by the above standard (JSMS-SD-6-04). Analytical results thus obtained are usefully applied as the fundamental data for the reliability design of the mechanical structures in the various areas.


Continued improvements of transceiver systems-on-a-chip play a key role in the advancement of mobile telecommunication products as well as wireless systems in biomedical and remote sensing applications. This dissertation addresses the problems of escalating CMOS process variability and system complexity that diminish the reliability and testability of integrated systems, especially relating to the analog and mixed-signal blocks. The proposed design techniques and circuit-level attributes are aligned with current built-in testing and self-calibration trends for integrated transceivers. In this work, the main focus is on enhancing the performances of analog and mixed-signal blocks with digitally adjustable elements as well as with automatic analog tuning circuits, which are experimentally applied to conventional blocks in the receiver path in order to demonstrate the concepts.
The use of digitally controllable elements to compensate for variations is exemplified with two circuits. First, a distortion cancellation method for baseband operational transconductance amplifiers is proposed that enables a third-order intermodulation (IM3) improvement of up to 22dB. Fabricated in a 0.13μm CMOS process with 1.2V supply, a transconductance-capacitor lowpass filter with the linearized amplifiers has a measured IM3 below -70dB (with 0.2V peak-to-peak input signal) and 54.5dB dynamic range over its 195MHz bandwidth. The second circuit is a 3-bit two-step quantizer with adjustable reference levels, which was designed and fabricated in 0.18μm CMOS technology as part of a continuous-time ΣΔ analog-to-digital converter system. With 5mV resolution at a 400MHz sampling frequency, the quantizer's static power dissipation is 24mW and its die area is 0.4mm2.
An alternative to electrical power detectors is introduced by outlining a strategy for built-in testing of analog circuits with on-chip temperature sensors. Comparisons of an amplifier's measurement results at 1GHz with the measured DC voltage output of an onchip temperature sensor show that the amplifier's power dissipation can be monitored and its 1-dB compression point can be estimated with less than 1dB error. The sensor has a tunable sensitivity up to 200mV/mW, a power detection range measured up to 16mW, and it occupies a die area of 0.012mm2 in standard 0.18μm CMOS technology.
Finally, an analog calibration technique is discussed to lessen the mismatch between transistors in the differential high-frequency signal path of analog CMOS circuits. The proposed methodology involves auxiliary transistors that sense the existing mismatch as part of a feedback loop for error minimization. It was assessed by performing statistical Monte Carlo simulations of a differential amplifier and a double-balanced mixer designed in CMOS technologies.


The research herein includes methodology for eco-friendly preparation of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using the broad-spectrum antibiotic, Megamox (Mega.). Characterization of SeNPs was done using UV-Visible spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, DLS and TEM imaging. Additionally, the immunomodulatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of both SeNPs and Mega. were checked against different strains of bacteria and fungi. TEM and DLS images showed that SeNPs are polydisperse spheres with mean diameter of 22.4 nm. FTIR analysis indicated that the hydroxyl and nitrogen moieties in Mega. were effective for reduction plus binding manner. According to the results of the nitro blue tetrazolium reduction test, both SeNPs and Mega. presented high intracellular killing activity, which confirmed their immunostimulatory effect. Antioxidant activity of SeNPs and Mega. were 90 and 82 %, respectively. SeNPs presented great activity facing multi-drug resistant bacteria and TB. SeNPs are considered promising cost-effective and eco-friendly anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents that can represent a new potential nano-platform in both medical and infectious diseases control.


Machine learning techniques have recently been applied to the problem of lithographic hotspot detection. It is widely believed that they are capable of identifying hotspot patterns unknown to the trained model. The quality of a machine learning method is conventionally measured by the accuracy rates determined from experiments employing random partitioning of benchmark samples into training and testing sets. In this paper, we demonstrate that these accuracy rates may not reflect the predictive capability of a method. We introduce two metrics - the predictive and memorizing accuracy rates - that quantitatively characterize the method's capability to capture hotspots. We also claim that the number of false alarms per detected hotspot reflects both the method's performance and the difficulty of detecting hotspots in the test set. By adopting the proposed metrics, a designer can conduct a fair comparison between different hotspot detection tools and adopt the one better suited to the verification needs.


In both males and females, estrogen programs and coordinates developmental, physiological, and behavioral responses essential for reproduction. The cyp19 gene encodes P450arom, a heme-binding protein of the enzyme complex responsible for the conversion of C19 androgens into C18 estrogens. This enzyme complex comprising the flavoprotein NADPH-dependent cytochrome P450 reductase and P450 arom. Studies show that aromatase may influence the function and development of Central Nervous System of the mammals, readjust nervous internal secretion, reproduction function and sexual behavior, and participate the readjustment of sexual gland differentiation of non-mammals. Many experiments have proven aromatase can control the sex differentiation and sex transformation of many kinds of fishes. Rice field eel ( Monopterus albus) is a kind of protogynous hermaphrodite. The studies of molecular mechanism of the rice field eel sex determination are not available. This study isolates P450arom gene from ovary of rice field eel. It intends to further study the function of P450arom during sex formation and sex reversal as well as the expression levels of the genes after the application of hormone and aromatase inhibitor in the future, aiming to provide basic materials for artificial sex control of rice field eel. A cDNA encoding P450arom was derived from the rice field eel ovary using RT-PCR and RACE. The cDNA was 1802bp with 49bp 5'UTR,202bp 3 'UTR( excluding poly (A)) and 1551bp ORF, which encodes 517 ami no acids and has a predicted mol wt of 58.2K. Based on mutational analysis and molecular modeling amino acids known to be essential for catalytic functions in the human P450arom(I133,E302,P308,D309,T310,R435,C437) were identical in rice field eel P450arom. Consistent with the glycosylation site described at the N terminus of human aromatase, a consensus N-glycosylation site (N-X-S/T) was identified in the amino terminal region of rice field eel at N29,which is similar to goldfish ovarian P450arom (N30). Further analysis indicated that the rice field eel P450arom has protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent sites at 59,130,385,410, and 503 (S/T-X-R/K). For phylogenetic analysis the deduced amino acid sequence of rice field eel, together with P450arom sequences reported for other vertebrate species, were aligned by ClustalW, version 1.6. The results revealed the rice field eel ovarian P450arom shares 63%-80% sequence identity with ovarian aromatases of other fish species, but only 58%-60% with brain-derived aromatases of other fishes,50%-52% with human being placenta and chicken ovarian aromatases. But the percent of identity/similarity was higher (70%-100% ) in the regions of high homology, including the I-helix, an aromatase-specific conserved region, and the heme-binding region. The aligned sequences were used to construct phylogenetic trees by distance ( Neighbor-Joining algorithm) and maximum parsimony criteria PAUP (Phylogenetic analysis using parsimony, version 4.0). Phylogenetic analysis of the P450arom gene family indicated that P-450 aromatase gene has a single origin. The rice field ovarian P450arom was clustered with medaka ovarian P450arom, and all fish ovarian aromatase were clustered together, and is independent with fish neural P450arom and chicken human P450arom.


Objectives. Xylitol prevents caries by inhibiting the growth and virulence of Streptococcus mutans. However, most reports only examined the presence of specific carbohydrate such as glucose or sucrose. We therefore tested the effect of xylitol on S. mutans in several sugars. Methods. Basal culture medium for S. mutans KCTC3065 was TYE medium containing 0.5% glucose (G-TYE). The strain was cultured in 10 mL basal culture medium adding 0.5% carbohydrates (sucrose, fructose, maltose) with or without 1% xylitol at 37 C under 10% CO2 for 24 h. Cells were collected for analysis growth, acid production, synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides, and gene expression. Results. Xylitol reduced the growth rate of S. mutans in the presence of G-TYE and maltose (p<0.05), as well as the final growth of S. mutans in the presence of G-TYE, sucrose, and maltose (p<0.05). Xylitol inhibited acid production in the presence of G-TYE and maltose (p<0.05), but not in sucrose and fructose (p>0.05). Xylitol reduced the synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides and the expression of gtfB and gtfD in all carbohydrates. Conclusions. Xylitol inhibited growth and acid production of S. mutans in the presence of G-TYE and maltose, and decreased extracellular polysarccharides synthesis in all carbohydrates.


Literature remains an important part of every society because of its didactic and aesthetic functions. From the preliterature era to the present, literature is still as a source with which to appreciate human creativity and burden to look at human experiences and actions, more critically, satirically and sometimes, pleasurably. Literature has the ability to stimulate human consciousness to reality and points to human folies. Through the major forms of literature, writers of all ages have been able to capture the social, political and cultural moods and experiences of their societies.


A sequential explanatory research design was used to examine the effectiveness of �ipped classroom with gami�ed technology and paper-based method in teaching vocabulary to students with different pro�ciency levels. Quantitative data was gathered from a pretest and a posttest, whilst qualitative data was collected through teachers' guided re�ection. Using Academic Word List (300 target words), control groups employed a paper-based, while experimental groups applied gami�ed technology (Quizlet, Kahoot!, Quizizz, Socrative, and Google Form), which lasted 10 weeks. The participants were 144 non-English major students who took a general English course in the 2nd semester of 2023. Quantitative data analysis ran in SPSS 25 using Paired Sample t-Test and One-way ANOVA. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic progression. The results showed that gami�ed technology did not affect students' learning outcomes, while the paper-based method resulted conversely. It revealed that the paper-based method is more effective than gami�ed technology for students in general, with low pro�ciency and high-prociency level. Further, teachers' beliefs admitted distinctive issues that gami�ed technology was more effective for high-prociency learners, whereas paper-based was more effective for low-prociency learners. The difference analysis of quantitative and qualitative data sheds light on discussing threats while implementing gami�ed technology and possible solutions.


Endovasular embolization treats diseased and malfunctioned vasculature through a minimally invasive approach that significantly benefits patients. Advances in engineering and materials science have contributed to novel generations of embolic materials that addresses challenges existed in clinically used agents. In this review, we discuss the clinically available embolic agents, their formulations and applications. Additionally, we examine materials in development for embolization, and emphasize the challenges during the process of transitioning from basic science to translational applications in this field.


We present a method for word spotting using convolutional siamese network. A convolutional siamese network employs two identical convolutional network to rank similarity between two input word images. Once the network is trained, it can then be used to spot not just words with varying writing styles and backgrounds but also to spot out of vocabulary words that are not in the training set. Experiments on the historical Arabic manuscript dataset VML, and on the George Washington dataset shows comparable results with the state of the art.


Abstract The viscously dominated, low-Reynolds-number dynamics of multi-phase, compacting media can lead to nonlinear, dissipationless/dispersive behaviour when viewed appropriately. In these systems, nonlinear self-steepening competes with wave dispersion, giving rise to dispersive shock waves (DSWs). Example systems considered here include magma migration through the mantle as well as the buoyant ascent of a low-density fluid through a viscously deformable conduit. These flows are modelled by a third-order, degenerate, dispersive, nonlinear wave equation for the porosity (magma volume fraction) or cross-sectional area, respectively. Whitham averaging theory for step initial conditions is used to compute analytical, closed-form predictions for the DSW speeds and the leading edge amplitude in terms of the constitutive parameters and initial jump height. Novel physical behaviours are identified including backflow and DSW implosion for initial jumps sufficient to cause gradient catastrophe in the Whitham modulation equations. Theoretical predictions are shown to be in excellent agreement with long-time numerical simulations for the case of small- to moderate-amplitude DSWs. Verifiable criteria identifying the breakdown of this modulation theory in the large jump regime, applicable to a wide class of DSW problems, are presented.


The effect of disorder in the behavior of liquid crystal (LC) is assessed and controlled by dispersing known amounts of silica aerosil in the liquid crystal material. Using deuteron nuclear magnetic resonance, the director configuration and the orientational order was determined for hydrophilic aerosil dispersions in octylcyanobiphenyl. The confined liquid crystal exhibits a well-defined alignment as the silica spheres stabilize the molecular configuration. At low silica densities, a silica network is eventually established, forming a soft gel. When the sample orientation in the magnetic field is changed, a few silica strands links are broken and a fraction of the LC molecules is realigned. The field anneals the random disorder introduced by the aerosil up to a certain density beyond which, in the so-called stiff-gel regime, disordering effects completely dominate. At a fixed temperature in the isotropic phase, there is surface-induced order that is linearly proportional to the silica density.


BACKGROUND
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Outcome Project intended to move residency education toward assessing and documenting resident competence in 6 dimensions of performance important to the practice of medicine. Although the project defined a set of general attributes of a good physician, it did not define the actual activities that a competent physician performs in practice in the given specialty. These descriptions have been called entrustable professional activities (EPAs).

OBJECTIVE
We sought to develop a list of EPAs for ambulatory practice in family medicine to guide curriculum development and resident assessment.

METHODS
We developed an initial list of EPAs over the course of 3 years, and we refined it further by obtaining the opinion of experts using a Delphi Process. The experts participating in this study were recruited from 2 groups of family medicine leaders: organizers and participants in the Preparing the Personal Physician for Practice initiative, and members of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Task Force on Competency Assessment. The experts participated in 2 rounds of anonymous, Internet-based surveys.

RESULTS
A total of 22 experts participated, and 21 experts participated in both rounds of the Delphi Process. The Delphi Process reduced the number of competency areas from 91 to 76 areas, with 3 additional competency areas added in round 1.

CONCLUSIONS
This list of EPAs developed through our Delphi process can be used as a starting point for family medicine residency programs interested in moving toward a competency-based approach to resident education and assessment.


Current influenza vaccines are generally effective against highly similar virus strains by inducing neutralizing antibodies. However, these antibodies fail to neutralize antigenically mismatched (heterologous) strains and therefore provide limited protection against them. Efforts are being made to develop vaccines with cross-protective ability that would protect broadly against heterologous strains, because the mismatch between predicted and epidemic strains cannot always be avoided, resulting in low vaccine efficacy. Here, we show that nonneutralizing IgG2 antibodies induced by an optimal adjuvant play a crucial role in cross-protection against heterologous virus challenge in mice. Furthermore, nonneutralizing polyclonal IgG1 suppressed the cross-protective effects of nonneutralizing polyclonal IgG2 by competitively blocking the binding of IgG2 to its antigen. These data shed new light on the importance of IgG isotypes and the selection of appropriate adjuvants for the development of universal influenza vaccines. Furthermore, our findings are applicable to the rational design of vaccines against other pathogens. ABSTRACT Annual vaccination against influenza viruses is the most reliable and efficient way to prevent and control annual epidemics and protect from severe influenza disease. However, current split influenza vaccines are generally not effective against antigenically mismatched (heterologous) strains. To broaden the protective spectrum of influenza vaccines, adjuvants that can induce cross-reactive antibodies with cross-protection via Fc-mediated effector functions are urgently sought. Although IgG2 antibodies are generally more efficient than IgG1 antibodies in Fc-mediated effector functions, it is not yet clear which IgG isotypes show superior cross-protection against heterologous strains. It also remains unclear whether these IgG isotypes interfere with each other's protective effects. Here, we found that influenza split vaccine adjuvanted with aluminum salts, which predominantly induce cross-reactive IgG1, did not confer cross-protection against heterologous virus challenge in mice. In contrast, split vaccine adjuvanted with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides, which predominantly induce cross-reactive IgG2, showed cross-protection through the interaction of cross-reactive nonneutralizing IgG2 and alveolar macrophages, indicating the importance of cross-reactive nonneutralizing IgG2 for cross-protection. Furthermore, by using serum samples from immunized mice and isolated polyclonal antibodies, we show that vaccine-induced cross-reactive nonneutralizing IgG1 suppress the cross-protective effects of IgG2 by competitively inhibiting the binding of IgG2 to virus. Thus, we demonstrate the new concept that cross-reactive IgG1 may interfere with the potential for cross-protection of influenza vaccine. We propose that adjuvants that selectively induce virus-specific IgG2 in mice, such as CpG oligodeoxynucleotides, are optimal for heterologous protection. IMPORTANCE Current influenza vaccines are generally effective against highly similar virus strains by inducing neutralizing antibodies. However, these antibodies fail to neutralize antigenically mismatched (heterologous) strains and therefore provide limited protection against them. Efforts are being made to develop vaccines with cross-protective ability that would protect broadly against heterologous strains, because the mismatch between predicted and epidemic strains cannot always be avoided, resulting in low vaccine efficacy. Here, we show that nonneutralizing IgG2 antibodies induced by an optimal adjuvant play a crucial role in cross-protection against heterologous virus challenge in mice. Furthermore, nonneutralizing polyclonal IgG1 suppressed the cross-protective effects of nonneutralizing polyclonal IgG2 by competitively blocking the binding of IgG2 to its antigen. These data shed new light on the importance of IgG isotypes and the selection of appropriate adjuvants for the development of universal influenza vaccines. Furthermore, our findings are applicable to the rational design of vaccines against other pathogens.


Introduction Patients with myocardial infarction, stroke and renal disease are at increased risk of future cardiovascular thrombotic events, through increased platelet reactivity, usually due to high shear. Patients affected by these conditions also demonstrate impairment of endogenous thrombolysis. In atrial fibrillation (AF), patients are at increased risk of left atrial thrombus formation, but in a low shear environment. Methods Blood samples were tested from healthy volunteers (n = 82), patients with AF (n = 44), stable coronary artery disease (CAD, n = 31). The patients with AF and CAD were taking aspirin, whereas the healthy volunteers were on no antithrombotic treatment.Thrombotic status was assessed using the near-patient automated Global Thrombosis Test (GTT). This allows assessment of thrombogenicity (platelet reactivity) and endogenous thrombolysis. The GTT measures the time (in seconds) required for thrombus formation (occlusion time, OT) and the time required for spontaneous lysis of that thrombus (lysis time, LT). The test is performed on native blood without external agonists no chemical additives Results In AF patients, median OT was 447s (25th–75th % ile 347–555) and LT was 1472s (1145–2121). In CAD patients OT was 353s (300–441) and LT 1654s (1138–2247) and OT in healthy volunteers was 363s (307–418) with LT of 1052s (896–1256). OT was similar in CAD and healthy volunteers (P = 0.468). In AF patients, OT was prolonged in comparison to normal volunteers (P = 0.004) and CAD patients (P = 0.005). LT was similar in CAD and AF patients (P = 0.598) but prolonged in comparison to healthy volunteers (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Platelet reactivity in healthy volunteers was similar to the profile in CAD patients on aspirin treatment, suggesting that aspirin normalisesthe enhanced platelet reactivity to high sheer in CAD patients. In comparison, patients with AF demonstrate reduced platelet reactivity but markedly impaired endogenous thrombolysis. Thus, AF and CAD patients have differing platelet reactivity, but both demonstrate impairment of endogenous thrombolysis.


A field lysimeter experiment, using a free-draining pumice soil, was carried out to investigate the effect of different soil nitrogen (N) process inhibitors on the fate of 15N-labelled cow urine. The treatments were a urease inhibitor (Agrotain; N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide), 2 nitrification inhibitors (dicyandiamide, DCD; 4-methylpyrazole, 4MP), a combination (DCD+Agrotain), a urine control, and a nil urine. The inhibitors were mixed with cow urine, which was then applied in a single application (equivalent to 775 kg N/ha) to lysimeters in autumn and monitored over the following 196 days. DCD and 4MP similarly reduced nitrate leaching by 59%, from 114 to 47 kg N/ha compared with the urine control. Of the DCD applied, 58% of it (8.7 kg/ha) was recovered in leachate, and represented an N loss of 5.8 kg/ha. The presence of Agrotain reduced ammonia (NH3-N) emissions by 64% (equivalent to 70 kg N/ha) over the short term (first 20 days), but led to large leaching losses of urea-N (25 kg N/ha) over the medium term (76 days). The Agrotain-DCD combination resulted in even larger losses of urea-N (45 kg N/ha). The major N component measured in leachate (below 450 mm) was ammonium-N, which constituted about 60% of the average total N (205 kg N/ha) leached. Ammonium-N leaching was rapid and almost entirely driven by macropore flow processes. Further research is required in deeper soil profiles, and in relation to climatic risk of high early rainfall on fresh urine patches, to determine the importance of macropore processes on N loss under typical on-farm soil conditions.


Jazz Lecture Series presentation by Tim Hagans on February 72, 1990 at 2:00PM at the UNT College of Music. It includes a lecture and performance by Tim Hagans, trumpet, interspersed with questions from the audience.


BACKGROUND
Chloramine T is used in hospitals as a disinfectant and for sterilization of endoscopy instruments.

OBJECTIVES
A case of a nurse suffering from asthma due to Chloramine T is presented in order to focus attention on this occupational disease.

METHODS AND RESULTS
The patient (male, 43 years) had been a nurse since 1993, working in various departments and operating rooms where he was exposed to glutaraldehyde and Chloramine T to disinfect surgical and endoscopy instruments. In 2007 he noticed the beginning of asthmatic reactions after exposure to the disinfectant. Skin tests with common allergens gave positive reactions and a skin test with Chloramine T gave a positive result. An inhalation test with glutaraldehyde gave negative results for both asthma and rhinitis. During the inhalation test with Chloramine T 0.5%, a significant biphasic decrease in FEVI was observed. The score of subjective symptoms for rhinitis was negative,

CONCLUSIONS
The case confirms the current difficulty in diagnosing occupational asthma due to Chloramine T in health care workers, which is due to the frequent presence of late reactions and to exposure to several respiratory allergens and irritants in the workplace. The specific inhalation challenge is thus confirmed as the gold standard for the diagnosis of asthma induced by Chloramine T and in occupational asthma in general. It may very well be that the frequency of occupational asthma due to sensitization to Chloramine T in nurses is underestimated.


In recent years, considerable attention has been directed toward improving aircraft fuel consumption. Studies have shown that the inherent efficiency advantage that turboprop propulsion systems have demonstrated at lower cruise speeds may now be extended to the higher speeds of today's turbofan and turbojet-powered aircraft. To achieve this goal, new propeller designs will require features such as thin, high speed airfoils and aerodynamic sweep, features currently found only in wing designs for high speed aircraft. This is Volume 2 of a 2 volume study to establish structural concepts for such advanced propeller blades, to define their structural properties, to identify any new design, analysis, or fabrication techniques which were required, and to determine the structural tradeoffs involved with several blade shapes selected primarily on the basis of aero/acoustic design considerations. The feasibility of fabricating and testing dynamically scaled models of these blades for aeroelastic testing was also established. The preliminary design of a blade suitable for flight use in a testbed advanced turboprop was conducted and is described.


At present, the micro-Doppler effects of underwater targets is a challenging new research problem. This paper studies the micro-Doppler effect of underwater targets, analyzes the moving characteristics of underwater micro-motion components, establishes echo models of harmonic vibration points and plane and rotating propellers, and reveals the complex modulation laws of the micro-Doppler effect. In addition, since an echo is a multi-component signal superposed by multiple modulated signals, this paper provides a sparse reconstruction method combined with time–frequency distributions and realizes signal separation and time–frequency analysis. A MicroDopplerlet time–frequency atomic dictionary, matching the complex modulated form of echoes, is designed, which effectively realizes the concise representation of echoes and a micro-Doppler effect analysis. Meanwhile, the needed micro-motion parameter information for underwater signal detection and recognition is extracted.


Fibroblasts are the predominant cell type responsible for the synthesis of collagen and other matrix elements in normal and fibrotic lungs. We have previously reported that human lung fibroblasts are heterogeneous in C1q binding and that subpopulations differing in C1q binding can be isolated and subcultured. We have investigated the distribution of receptors for C1q-collagen domain (cC1q-R) and globular domain (gC1q-R) in adult human lung fibroblasts. Fibroblasts were isolated from cultures of adult human lung explants in medium containing fresh- or heated plasma-derived human sera and separated by FACS-cell sorting into populations binding to C1q with high- (HF) and low- (LF) fluorescence. The cC1q-R was obtained from fibroblast membrane preparations by affinity chromatography through an anti-cC1q-R antibody column and its distribution was determined by Western analysis. The presence of gC1q-R was determined by immunoblots using an anti-gC1q-R antibody raised against a synthetic peptide. The results showed that a 54 kD protein crossreacting with anti-cC1q-R antibody was produced by LF cells, but it was barely detectable in HF cultures. Immunostaining with anti-cC1q-R antibody revealed that most of the cells in LF cultures were positive while the HF cells were negative. A 38 kD protein recognized by anti-gC1q-R antibody was produced by lung fibroblasts; however, no differences were detected in its distribution between LF and HF cultures. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of membrane proteins binding to an affinity column of C1q-globular fragment showed that the HF cultures contain a approximately 51 kD protein, which was a minor component in LF membranes. These data show that cC1q-R is expressed predominantly by a population of human lung fibroblasts, while the 38 kD gC1q-R is produced by all cells. Another 51 kD protein appears to be produced by a separate population of fibroblasts which does not express cC1q-R. Our results indicate that two lung fibroblast subtypes may be distinguished based on production of the 54 kD putative cC1q-R and another 51 kD protein which binds to C1q-globular domain.


We have designed and developed a tetraphenylethene (TPE)–anthracene–(aminomethyl)-4-cyanophenylboronic acid ester (AminoMeCNPhenylBPin) structure (RS-1) and a diphenyldibenzofulvene (DPDBF)–anthracene–AminoMeCNPhenylBPin structure (RS-2) possessing PET (photo-induced electron transfer) and AIEE (aggregation-induced emission enhancement) characteristics as PET/AIEE hybrid fluorescence sensors for detection of water in the low and high water content regions in solvents, where the TPE or DPDBF unit is directly attached to the 10-position on the anthracene skeleton. For both RS-1 and RS-2 the enhancement of the fluorescence band at around 430 nm in the low water content region below 1.0 wt% is attributed to the fluorescence emission originating from the anthracene skeleton due to the formation of PET inactive species RS-1(H2O) and RS-2(H2O), respectively, upon addition of water molecules. Furthermore, the appearance of new and broad fluorescence bands at around 450 nm for RS-1 and 530 nm for RS-2 in the high water content region of over 60–70 wt% is attributed to the AIEE characteristics due to the restricted intramolecular rotation (RIR) of the TPE or DPDBF unit associated with aggregate formation (RS-1(H2O)-A and RS-2(H2O)-A). It is worth noting that a big difference in the enhancement of the fluorescence band originating from the anthracene skeleton due to the suppression of the PET characteristics and the appearance of a fluorescence band due to the AIEE characteristics with aggregate formation between RS-1 and RS-2 was observed: for RS-2 the separation of fluorescence peak wavelengths originating from the anthracene skeleton (at ∼430 nm) and due to the RIR of the DPDBF unit with the aggregate formation (at ∼530 nm) is clear, but for RS-1 the separation of fluorescence peak wavelengths is completely indistinct. Consequently, this work indicates that RS-2 having a DPDBF unit on the anthracene skeleton can act as a PET/AIEE hybrid-based dual-fluorescence emission sensor for detection of water in the low and high water content regions in solvents.


AIM
To determine if bacteria associated with persistent apical periodontitis induce species-specific pro-inflammatory cytokine responses in macrophages, and the effects of this species-specific microenvironment on osteogenic differentiation.

METHODOLOGY
Macrophages were exposed to Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mitis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Treponema denticola or Tannerella forsythia, and levels of TNF-α and IL-1β elicited were determined by immunoassay. Following treatment of MG-63 pre-osteoblasts with conditioned media from bacteria-exposed macrophages, osteogenic differentiation and viability of osteoblasts were analyzed by Alizarin Red Staining and MTS assay, respectively. Statistical analysis was carried out by one-way anova with the Tukey post-hoc test. Differences were considered to be significant if P < 0.05.

RESULTS
Macrophages exposed to Gram-positive bacteria did not produce significant amounts of cytokines. F. nucleatum-challenged macrophages produced up to four-fold more TNF-α and IL-1β compared to T. denticola or T. forsythia. Only conditioned media from macrophages treated with Gram-negative bacteria decreased mineralization and viability of osteoblasts.

CONCLUSIONS
Gram-positive bacteria did not impact osteogenic differentiation and appeared innocuous. Gram-negative bacteria, in particular F. nucleatum elicited an enhanced pro-inflammatory response in macrophages, inhibited osteogenic differentiation and reduced cell viability. The findings suggest that the presence of this organism could potentially increase the severity of persistent apical periodontitis.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of the study was to explore the role of GLP-1 receptor activation on the counter-regulation and symptoms of hypoglycemia in subjects who have undergone gastric bypass surgery (GBP).

DESIGN
Experimental hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemic clamp study.

METHODS
12 post-GBP subjects participated in a randomized cross-over study with two hyperinsulinemic, hypoglycemic clamps (glucose nadir 2.7 mmol/l) performed on separate days with concomitant infusions of the GLP-1 analogue exenatide or with saline, respectively. Continuous measurements of metabolites and counter-regulatory hormones as well as assessments of heart rate variability and symptoms of hypoglycemia were performed throughout the clamps.

RESULTS
No effect of GLP-1 receptor activation on counter-regulatory hormones (glucagon, catecholamines cortisol, GH) or glucose infusion rate was seen, but we found indications of a downregulation of the sympathetic relative to the parasympathetic nerve activity, as reflected in heart rate variability. No significant differences in symptom of hypoglycemia were observed.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION
Short term exposure to a GLP-1 receptor agonist does not seem to impact the counter-regulatory hormonal and metabolic responses in post-GBP subjects during hypoglycemic conditions, suggesting that the reduction of postprandial symptoms post-GBP seen with exogenous GLP-1 may be mediated by mechanism not directly involved in counter-regulation.


Need for cost-benefit analysis, productivity and efficiency in education has actually been x-rayed systematically, the various key words were precisely explained for a layman to understand. The social aspect of cost-benefit analysis, measurement of productivity, issues connected with productivity and efficiency, link between productivity and efficiency, low external productivity in the face of high internal efficiency and relationship between external productivity and cost benefit ratio were highlighted. Finally, conclusion and recommendations were made.


This paper carried a brief of overview of data veracity in model profiles of digital news portal. Veracity is a way to find the truthfulness, availability, accountability and authenticity. In this paper, the author will focus on data veracity to define truthfulness in a news article. People who read the news should know the aspects that make the news should be trustful or not. So the author proposes a model for profiling digital news portal particular in data veracity. There are various issues in manipulative writing that unable to determine the truthfulness. These issues will lead to the problem of manipulating from real news portal. Although there were many researchers doing the profiling on the web, most of the researcher focus on profiling social media user. The author wants to highlight that not only user's profile contents but the news contents also is essential to manage the profile. So it is necessary to focus on profiling digital news portal to analyze its truthfulness including the news that they published. Based on the literature review the author found that there is a gap in profiling digital news portal in original manipulative writing from the truth that can give a critical problem in hiding information from original sources. The objective of this paper is to profile digital news portal based on manipulative writing using fuzzy logic.


In current practice, prostate cancer staging alone is not sufficient to adequately assess the patient's prognosis and plan the management strategies. Multiple clinicopathological parameters and risk tools for prostate cancer have been developed over the past decades to better characterize the disease and provide an enhanced assessment of prognosis. Herein, we review novel prognostic biomarkers and their integration into risk assessment models for prostate cancer focusing on their capability to help avoid unnecessary imaging studies, biopsies and diagnosis of low risk prostate cancers, to help in the decision-making process between active surveillance and treatment intervention, and to predict recurrence after radical prostatectomy. There is an imperative need of reliable biomarkers to stratify prostate cancer patients that may benefit from different management approaches. The integration of biomarkers panel with risk assessment models appears to improve prostate cancer diagnosis and management. However, integration of novel genomic biomarkers in future prognostic models requires further validation in their clinical efficacy, standardization, and cost-effectiveness in routine application.


Dr M Helbert and colleagues (January 1990;45:45-8) reported a 6% incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a case series of 207 patients with AIDS and 34 patients with the AIDS related complex. At Central Middlesex Hospital we have been concerned in the care of 12 patients with AIDS, three of whom had M tuberculosis. Two developed tuberculosis a few months before the diagnosis of AIDS; one was an immigrant from sub-Saharan Africa and the other an immigrant from the Indian subcontinent. The third patient, who was white, developed tuberculosis as a late complication of AIDS. Of the remaining nine patients, two were subSaharan African immigrants (one of whom developed an infection with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare), one was West Indian, and the other six were white. Experience in the United States has shown that M tuberculosis in patients with AIDS is much more common in groups which have a higher prevalence of previous tuberculous infection. 2A recent prospective study of intravenous drug misusers provided strong support for the idea that tuberculosis in these patients is a consequence of reactivation of latent tuberculous infection rather than a primary infection.2 We believe that the high prevalence of M tuberculosis in our patients was due to the high proportion of ethnic minorities (42%) in whom there is an increased prevalence of tuberculosis. In England and Wales during 1983 the notification rates of tuberculosis for the Indian subcontinent and West Indian ethnic population were estimated to be 24 times and four times, respectively, that of the white population.3 In sub-Saharan Africa the risk of infection with tuberculosis is also substantially greater than that ofEngland and Wales.4 Dr Herbert and colleagues in their discussion considered only intravenous drug misuse


Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of disease and early death all over the world. Even though cigarette smoking has slowly declined in some countries in the world but many alternatives have gained popularity.
Many people may turn to e-cigarettes as a way to try to stop smoking, and there is evidence that they can be effective for smoking cessation. Even so, E-cigarettes would never be considered the first choice for smoking cessation because of the risks and given the extent of the current outbreak of severe lung disease, e-cigarettes should be avoided at the present time.
The FDA has not approved e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking. Doctors and the FDA recommend evidence-based methods for quitting smoking. If you have used e-cigarettes to stop smoking, do not return to smoking cigarettes instead of using e-cigarettes. Instead, turn to safe ways to deliver nicotine such as nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, and nasal spray. Research works are still limited on the effect of E-smoking on the nutritional health. However, products included in the vape can cause so many nutritional problems which affect the health status in general such as vomiting and diarrhea lead to electrolytes imbalance and dehydration, loss of appetitie and malabsorption of certain minerals such as Ca, Fe and Mg and some vitamins such as Vitamin C and D.


When susceptible cultivars are grown in calcareous soils with high pH, significant yield loss due to iron (Fe) deficiency chlorosis is brought about in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). One of the most efficient ways for solve this problem is improved of Fe-deficiency chlorosis via conventional breeding methods. In the study, genotypes ICC 4851 and ICC 4858, which are resistant to Fe-deficiency chlorosis, were crossed with genotype ICC 6119, which is susceptible to Fe-deficiency chlorosis, and studied genetics of Fe-deficiency chlorosis in F1 and F2 segregating generations. Fe-deficiency chlorosis was governed by a major recessive gene and affected by environment factors like high temperature. A negative selection seems to be an effective approach after segregation in F2 or later generations.


Abstract Radioactive fallout data suggest that the concentration of pollutants in rainfall, while highly variable, might be described on the average by about an inverse half-power dependence on the amount of precipitation. Recent measurements of sulfur concentrations in summer rainfall collected at Argonne National Laboratory tend to support this contention, as do preliminary results derived from operations of the DOE precipitation chemistry network. The concept is extended to develop a bulk removal rate for airborne total sulfur by precipitation for use in regional dispersion modeling.


To determine whether dysautonomia arises from alteration in nerve-growth factor (NGF), we measured serum levels of NGF subunits in normal and dysautonomic subjects using a biologic assay based on neurite outgrowth from chick ganglions, a binding assay based on displacement of radiolabeled betaNGF from rabbit-ganglion microsomes, and radioimmunoassays of chi, gamma and betaNGF subunits via antiserum to mouse NGF polypeptides. A threefold increase (P less than 0.001) in serum antigen levels of the biologically active subunit (betaNGF) was found for dysautonomic as compared with normal subjects. By all other assays, the groups were alike. The marked discrepancy in betaNGF levels between antigenic and functional (biologic and binding) measurements suggests a qualitative abnormaltiy of betaNGF in dysautonomia. Alternatively, elevation of betaNGF antigen can be regarded as secondary to disease. This alternative seems less likely since we must then suppose that the normalcy of functional assays in spurious.


We have studied the role of ADP‐ribosylation of chromosomal proteins in the regulation of myeloid cell maturation using the HL‐60 cell line as a model. Nuclei isolated from this human promyelocytic leukemia cell line contained (ADP‐ribose)n synthetase activity, whereas little or no enzymatic activity was detectable in normal human blood neutrophils. Furthermore, the activity of (ADP‐ribose)n synthetase was decreased in HL‐60 cells when they were induced to mature with retinoic acid (RA). To determine whether reduced (ADP‐ribose)n synthetase activity is simply a result of induced maturation or whether it is a necessary precedent event for the maturation process, we evaluated the effects of nicotinamide (NAm) and its methyl derivative, N′‐methylnicotinamide (N′‐Met‐NAm), agents which decrease ADP‐ribosylation. Treatment of HL‐60 cells with these drugs caused the cells to undergo maturation and to acquire certain of the morphologic, functional, and biochemical characteristics of normal neutrophils. N′‐Met‐NAm was more potent than NAm in inducting maturation; at a concentration of 0.8 mM, it caused greater than 80% of the cells to mature, whereas a tenfold greater concentration of NAm was required to induce a similar degree of maturation. NAm and N′‐Met‐NAm also potentiated the maturation of HL‐60 cells induced by RA. Exposure of cells to noninducing concentrations of these compounds caused a leftward shift in the dose‐response curve for RA; maturation was observed at 10−11 M RA in the presence of either 2 mM NAm or 0.2 mM N′‐Met‐NAm while 10−9 M RA was required to induce maturation in their absence. A leftward shift in the dose response curve for maturation in the presence of low doses of NAm or N′‐Met‐NAm did not occur with another inducer, dimethyl formamide (DMF). Two enzymes, NAD glycohydrolase and tissue transglutaminase, that are abundant in macrophages, were induced by RA but not by NAm. N′‐Met‐NAm decreased by about 75% the amount of endogenous (ADP‐ribose)n in a selected fraction of chromosomal proteins which included histone H1 and the nonhistone high mobility group proteins. The results of this study support the concept that ADP‐ribosylation of chromosomal proteins influences the regulation of human myeloid cell maturation.


The proximal point method (PPM) is a fundamental method in optimization that is often used as a building block for fast optimization algorithms. In this work, building on a recent work by Defazio (2019), we provide a complete understanding of Nesterov's accelerated gradient method (AGM) by establishing quantitative and analytical connections between PPM and AGM. The main observation in this paper is that AGM is in fact equal to a simple approximation of PPM, which results in an elementary derivation of the mysterious updates of AGM as well as its step sizes. This connection also leads to a conceptually simple analysis of AGM based on the standard analysis of PPM. This view naturally extends to the strongly convex case and also motivates other accelerated methods for practically relevant settings.


The nano-sized of La0.7Sr0.3Mn1−xCoxO3 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) (LSMCO) powders were synthesized using a simple sol-gel method. For measuring microwave absorption properties, micro-sized carbonyl iron (CI)/LSMCO composites were prepared with the weight ratio of 75:5. The composite materials in the form of paints were applied on an aluminum substrate with a coating thickness of 0.7, 0.9 and 1.1 mm, respectively. Phase analysis of the products, morphology observation of particles, analysis of the element composition, the magnetic properties of the powders and the electromagnetic (EM) wave parameters were determined using x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), magnetometer (VSM) and vector network analysis (VNA), respectively. According to SEM observations, the average diameter of the La0.7Sr0.3Mn1−xCoxO3(x = 0, 0.6) powders is about 30 and 36 nm, respectively. Room temperature magnetization results show a soft magnetic and ferromagnetic behavior of the CI, LSMCO powder. The CI/La0.7Sr0.3Mn0.4Co0.6O3 composite showed a maximum reflection loss of—9.6 dB at 11.38 GHz with the thickness of 0.9 mm. By increasing the thickness of coating from 0.7 to 1.1 mm, the average absorption properties were increased.


An innovative approach is introduced to form virtual transmitting and receiving radar antenna beams simultaneously by transmitting orthogonal coding waveforms from the antenna elements and digitally processing of their echoes at the receiver. Multiple virtual transmitting-receiving beams can be formed simultaneously by employing an equal number of beamforming filters without increasing transmitting power or antenna gain or resolution loss. The virtually formed antenna beams can provide equivalent antenna gains and spatial resolutions as the conventional phased arrays of the same size. Because the actual antenna radiation pattern can be made almost isotropic, the new system has low probability of intercept (LPI) property. With both transmitting and receiving beams virtually implemented through digital filtering, costly radiation phase shift used in phased arrays is not needed for beam scanning in the proposed system.


Simple Summary The integration of fish in rice fields can influence the diversity and structural composition of soil microbial communities. Therefore, soil microorganisms between rice–fish co-culture (RF) and rice monoculture (MC) were compared. The key findings revealed that Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Planctomycetes were the most dominant taxa across both paddy fields. The most abundant genus in MC belonged to Anaeromyxobacter, whereas that in RF was Bacillus. Nitrogen fixation, aromatic compound degradation, and hydrocarbon degradation were more abundant in RF. Phosphatase, β-glucosidase, cellulase, and urease enzymes were detected in both paddy fields. However, a 2-year conversion from organic rice to rice–fish co-culture may not be long enough to significantly alter alpha diversity indices. Abstract Soil microorganisms play an important role in determining nutrient cycling. The integration of fish into rice fields can influence the diversity and structural composition of soil microbial communities. However, regarding the rice–fish co-culture (RF) farming system in Thailand, the study of the diversity and composition of soil microbes is still limited. Here, we aim to compare the microbial diversity, community composition, and functional structure of the bacterial communities between RF and rice monoculture (MC) farming systems and identify the environmental factors shaping bacterial community composition. Bacterial taxonomy was observed using 16s rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and the functional structures of the bacterial communities were predicted based on their taxonomy and sequences. The results showed that soil organic carbon, total nitrogen (TN), organic matter, available phosphorous, and clay content were significantly higher in RF than in MC. The most dominant taxa across both paddy rice fields belonged to Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Planctomycetes. The taxa Nitrosporae, Rokubacteria, GAL15, and Elusimicrobia were significantly different between both rice fields. At the genus level, Bacillus, Anaeromyxobacter, and HSB OF53-F07 were the predominant genera in both rice fields. The most abundant genus in MC was Anaeromyxobacter, whereas RF belonged to Bacillus. The community composition in MC was positively correlated with magnesium and sand content, while in RF was positively correlated with pH, TN, and clay content. Nitrogen fixation, aromatic compound degradation, and hydrocarbon degradation were more abundant in RF, while cellulolysis, nitrification, ureolysis, and phototrophy functional groups were more abundant in MC. The enzymes involved in paddy soil ecosystems included phosphatase, β-glucosidase, cellulase, and urease. These results provide novel insights into integrated fish in the paddy field as an efficient agricultural development strategy for enhancing soil microorganisms that increase soil fertility.


Purpose: Fuel & Energy Complex (FEC) has a significant share in the economic system and has the most extensive potential for introducing innovations. Authors suggest innovative potential of regional FEC considering the specifics of regional economic development. Design/Methodology/Approach: To evaluate the attainability of economic growth in conjunction with the goals of energy efficiency and energy independence and to make decisions on adjustments in energy policy, the authors propose a three-component integrated index of elasticity of energy efficiency for each typological group of region, including the index of innovative potential of the regional Fuel & Energy Complex, the index of energy supply efficiency of consumers in the region and the sustainability index of the region's energy system. Findings: The survey identified five typological groups of regions reflecting the features of regional FEC development. Considering the significance of factors affecting innovative potential, seven groups of such factors were proposed for formation, and the significance of each factor was determined in accordance with the typological group of the region. Practical implications: Each of the three components of the integrated index makes its specific contribution to the resulting quantitative indicator, the value of which will reflect the degree to which the regional energy policy has reached its target priorities, and to meet the urgent challenges of modern innovative sustainable energy technologies. Originality/Value: Realisation of the innovative potential of regional FEC should be closely linked with indicators of energy efficiency and energy independence in order to ensure the development of regional economies, including the achievement of global climate goals.


A 4-day-old female had an uneventful prenatal course and delivery. Immediate cyanosis improved with oxygen therapy. Cardiomegaly on chest radiograph, right bundle branch block on electrocardiogram, and apparent increased tricuspid valve excursion on echocardiography led to a diagnosis of Ebstein's anomaly. Death occurred unexpectedly. Autopsy demonstrated a rhabdomyoma of the interventricular septum, which had produced obstruction to right ventricular outflow and had interrupted the right bundle branch of the conducting system. It appears that the massive size of the septal tumor led to its misdiagnosis on the echocardiogram.


The carotico-clinoid foramen is the result of ossification either of the carotico-clinoid ligament or of a dural fold extending between the anterior and middle clinoid processes of the sphenoid bone. It is anatomically important due to its relations with the cavernous sinus and its contents, sphenoid sinus and pituitary gland. A case of bilateral foramen caroticoclinoid and interclinoid bar has been reported while teaching the cranial cavity to MBBS students. This carotico-clinoid foramen is seen as a consequence of fusion of anterior and middle clinoid processes. The existence of a bony caroticoclinoid foramen may cause compression, tightening or stretching of the internal carotid artery. Further, removing the anterior clinoid process is an important step in regional surgery. The presence of a bony carotico-clinoid foramen may have high risk. Therefore, detail knowledge of type of ossification between the anterior and middle clinoid processes is necessary to increase the success of regional surgery.


Characteristics of refused materials are prerequisite information required to determine the strategic reclamation of extreme land degradation in post-tin mining areas. The objective of the study was to evaluate mineralogical, chemical, and physical properties and heavy metals of spoil and tailing as the basis for reclamation measures. Seven representative soil profiles were made and sampled to a depth of 130 cm for various soil analyses. Results showed that tin mining has drastically altered the soil texture from sandy clay loam under native conditions to loamy sand and sand under post-tin mining. Mineralogical constituents of refused materials were mainly mineral resistant to chemical weathering, consisting of predominant quartz with small amounts of tourmaline, opaque, zircon and garnet. Total X-ray fluoresce elemental analysis showed extreme high SiO2 content (92-96%) associated mainly with quartz mineral, and extremely low oxides of Ca, Mg, P, K and S (< 0.2% altogether). This suggests all nutrients are severe problems for crops. Type of total heavy metals showed the Cr2O3 was high in sandy tailing (204 - 286 mg kg-1), while the SnO was low (0 -153 mg kg-1) and they were preserved in the structure of host minerals, thereby the health risk is negligible. Based on many serious constraints of soils, the strategic reclamation to recover soil productivity and ecological function was the building up soil organic matter, establishing "pot planting point" technique, complete fertilizer application, and selection of crops with an ability to fix N nutrient from the atmosphere, and adaptive to low soil nutrients.


Abstract- Diversity and multiplexing can relax the throughput limitations caused by the interference and the frequency-selective channel, respectively. An algorithm that uses the throughput as the selection criterion for switching between diversity and multiplexing is thus proposed in this paper. Owing to the throughput-based switching, the proposed algorithm can always get the largest throughput between diversity and multiplexing. In addition, the power control procedures for diversity and multiplexing are also proposed to further enhance the throughput.


As results of researchers' examination of the relationship between perfectionism and procrastination have often been inconsistent, we conducted a meta-analysis of the relationship between procrastination and multidimensional perfectionism. Results indicated that perfectionistic strivings were negatively linked to procrastination, whereas perfectionistic concerns were positively linked to procrastination. Gender, and the measures of perfectionism and procrastination were found to moderate the relationship between procrastination and multidimensional perfectionism. We found that self-efficacy played a mediating role in the relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and procrastination. Our findings fill a gap in the literature and provide confirmatory evidence that the temporal motivational theory can be applied to gain further understanding of the perfectionism–procrastination relationship.


With the aim to get a general understanding of rotational bands in the deformed rare-earth region or in deformed nuclei in general, the observed normal-deformed rotational structures in $^{167}$Lu are interpreted within the unpaired and paired cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky formalisms, CNS and CNSB. Particular attention is devoted to the band crossings. For this nucleus with the Fermi surface high up in the $h_{11/2}$ shell, we conclude that except for the paired AB and BC crossings in configurations with an even and odd number of $i_{13/2}$ neutrons, respectively, the observed band crossings can be understood within the unpaired formalism. Especially, it means that above the AB and BC crossings, the evolution with spin is described as a gradual alignment of the spin vectors of the particles outside closed shells. Consequently, the configurations can be characterized by the number of particles occupying open $j$-shells or groups of $j$-shells. In the present study, we revise the interpretation of some experimental bands and also the nature of the crossings while some previous configuration assignments are confirmed.


This study attempts to make a little contribution to the sustainable development of tourism by examining the residents' perceptions and support on the impact of the development of the Rainbow Village area as a tourist attraction in Semarang. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire. Based on 100 respondents surveyed, the findings show that the majority of respondents were male, aged between 36-45 years, were a native, who were born and lived in Wonosari village for more than 15 years. Overall, respondents viewed tourism positively and would support this development, because they consider the development of rainbow Village to contribute economically as well as socio-culture in Kampung Wonosari Semarang. They were generally in favor of development of rainbow Village that contributes economically and socio-culturally to Wonosari village. They were, however, slightly ambivalent to environmental impacts of tourism. Implications, policy recommendations and limitations of study are presented in the conclusion.
Keywords: perception, support, residents, development, rainbow village


This paper considers a time slotted transmission system over a finite state Markovian channel where in each time slot a transmission mode is dynamically selected from a finite set. There is a switching cost for changing the transmission mode and there is a channel dependent delay cost associated with each transmission mode. We formulate the optimal trade-off between the transmission latency (delay cost) and the mode switching cost as an infinite horizon Markov decision problem (MDP). By exploiting special structures of the formulated MDP and under certain sufficient conditions, we show that optimal transmission mode selection policies are monotone in the state variables. Furthermore, the transmission control exhibits more resistance to change the transmission mode as compared with the case with no switching cost. These monotone (threshold- based) structures allow efficient numerical solutions along with an improved qualitative assessment of optimal transmission control rules.


Von Willebrand factor (VWF), a multimeric protein that has a central role in hemostasis, has been shown to interact with complement components. However results are contrasting and inconclusive.

By studying 20 patients with congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (cTTP) who can not cleave VWF multimers due to genetic ADAMTS13 deficiency, we investigated the mechanism through which VWF modulates complement, and its pathophysiological implications for human diseases.

Using assays of ex-vivo serum-induced C3 and C5b-9 deposits on endothelial cells we documented that in cTTP complement is activated via the alternative pathway on the cell surface. This abnormality was corrected by restoring ADAMTS13 activity in cTTP serum, which prevented VWF multimer accumulation on endothelial cells, or by an anti-VWF antibody. This study documented: 1) ADAMTS13 is able to interact with FB, but how this interaction could modulate complement activation remains still unknown; 2) VWF does not affect regulatory complement activity of FH for inactivation of C3b or dissociation of C3 convertase, in contrast to what reported in literature; 3) VWF interacts with C3b through its A2 domain and initiates a previously unrecognized Calcium-dependent mechanism of alternative pathway activation, with assembly of active C3 and C5 convertases and formation of the terminal complement products, C5a and C5b-9. Finally, this work documented that in condition of ADAMTS13 deficiency, VWF-mediated formation of terminal complement products, particularly C5a, alters the endothelial anti-thrombogenic properties and induces microvascular thrombosis in a perfusion system.

Altogether, the results demonstrated that VWF provides a platform for the activation of the alternative pathway of complement, which profoundly alters the phenotype of microvascular endothelial cells. These findings link hemostasis-thrombosis with the alternative pathway of complement and open new therapeutic perspectives in cTTP and in general in thrombotic and inflammatory disorders associated with endothelium perturbation, VWF release and complement activation.


One line of research issuing directly from the important discovery by Kennaway, Cook, and associates in 1930 (123) that certain pure hydrocarbons are endowed with the specific property of producing cancer in animals has consisted in the exploratory study of a large number of synthetic compounds and the attempt to discover relationships between carcinogenic activity and molecular structure. Behind this work is the idea that the recognition of such relationships may provide significant clues in seeking to discover the manner in which certain hydrocarbons in contact with tissue are able to induce malignant growths. Although the work of synthesizing new compounds proceeds slowly and much additional time is required for completion of the biological tests, a considerable body of at least preliminary information has accumulated in the past eight years as a result of investigations directed specifically toward the goal of correlating structure and activity. In addition, there has been during this period a large amount of biological experimentation motivated by entirely different considerations but nevertheless having a direct bearing on the problem. The development of satisfactory methods of synthesis and purification has made readily available to the biological worker three important carcinogenic hydrocarbons, and in the last few years a great many investigations have been made of the actions of these compounds in different species and tissues. Although most of this work has been done with other objectives in view and without special reference to the determination of relative potencies, the records of the experiments contain a wealth of information on this problem.


We analyze the experience in serologic diagnosis of Lyme's borreliosis. From a total of 551 patients studied from 1987 to 1989, we further evaluate 80 cases with erythema chronicum migrans or a clinical diagnosis of Lyme's disease and positive serological tests. The techniques used were IFI, ELISA1 (Whittaker Bioproducts) and ELISA2 (MarDx Diagnostics). Serological tests results were evaluated in relation to clinical data. Five cases were excluded because of no-specific symptoms. There were 20 false-positive results, mainly due to other infections (HIV infection, tuberculosis, Mediterranean spotted fever and syphilis). Fifty-five patients were considered clinically of having Lyme's disease. IFI test was positive in 81.8% of all the 55 cases, ELISA2 in 58.4% of 53 cases tested and ELISA1 in 23% of 43 cases tested. Correlation between IFI and ELISA2 positive test was seen in 45% of cases. Specificity of all tests was higher than 97%. The study shows that sensitivity for all three techniques used was not optimal, and also there are some differences in their results. However, specificity was adequate.


Embedded systems and networked embedded systems play an increasingly important role in today's society. They are often found in consumer products, e.g., in automotive systems and cellular phones, and are therefore subject to hard economic constraints. The pervasive nature of these systems generates further constraints on physical size and power consumption. These product-level constraints give rise to resource constraints on the implementation platform, for example, limitations on the computing speed, memory size, and communication bandwidth. Due to economic considerations, this is true in spite of the rapid hardware development. In many applications, using a processor with larger capacity than absolutely necessary cannot be justified.


What is the nature of cinema? What is it about what has been called the "actor's nature" that makes such a vital contribution to the art of film? And what opportunities, otherwise discouraged, does the actor's nature offer for filmic expression, for the enrichment of its mise-en-scene?1 In this talk, I will not so much give answers to such questions as suggest ideas and approaches, which are at times speculative and creative and at other times experiential and inter-disciplinary. I will cross-pollinate theories from acting gurus, screenwriting experts, filmmakers, and cinema theorists alike. I will also consider the nature of the actor propelled into the territory of the writer-director through the discoveries of theatre and film. Overall, my project challenges a great deal about divisive academic disciplinarity, instead concentrating on connectivity. To work toward that end, I shall concentrate on two truly gifted actors who have already bridged this gap from interpretive to primary artist, from actor to writer to director. For a principal source, I turn to Russian theatre practitioner, Michael Chekhov (1891–1955); to a lesser extent, I turn for illustration to a man whom Raymond Carney calls the "spiritual father of American independent filmmaking" himself, John Cassavetes (1929–1989) (On Cassavetes 527). Before going much further, allow me to frame a series of questions for our consideration today:


Introduction:
 The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of therapeutic moderate hypothermia (MH, Tcore33-34°C) compared to normothermia (NT, Tcore36.5-37°C) on innate immune responses and functional outcome.

 Methods:
 In a clinical trial of temperature modulation after ICH, we measured daily levels of cytokine/chemokine TNFα, IL1, IL6 (M1 response), IL10 (M2 response), and CCL2 in peripheral blood of enrolled patients from day (D) 1-7. Levels were log-transformed to meet assumptions of normality. We used mixed models to evaluate the effect of temperature on the expression of cytokine levels, the t-test to determine the association between cumulative CCL2 log-levels and functional outcome, and Cox-regression to determine the impact of MH on long-term functional outcome adjusted for ICH score (median>2), and initial Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score (iSOFA, median>3). Poor outcome was defined as mRS=5-6.

 Results:
 10 ICH patients participated in the study (MH=5, NT=5). Median age was 57 years (IQR 22), 55% women, 66% were Black, median GCS was 7 (IQR 4), and median ICH score was 2 (IQR 1). TNFα, IL1, IL6 vs. IL10 log-ratios decreased significantly over time in MH (Fig.1). Mixed models revealed a significant interaction (arm*day) for MH compared to NT for TNFα (β=-0.1, p=.008), IL1 (β=-.01, p=.02), and IL6 (β=-.04, p=.04) (Fig.1). Cumulative CCL2 log-levels at D7 were lower in ICH patients with mRS 0-4 at 6 months as compared to mRS 5-6 (3.7 ± 0.1 Log-pg/mL vs. 4.2 ± 0.1 Log-pg/mL, p=0.02). Adjusting for ICH score (HR 4.0, 95%CI 0.34-97) and iSOFA (HR 8.8, 95%CI 0.9-295), MH was not associated with poor outcome (HR 0.8, 95%CI 0.5-8.9).

 Conclusions:
 This novel data suggest that MH significantly up-regulates the anti-inflammatory M2 response compared to NT after ICH. Higher cumulative log-levels of CCL2 are associated with long-term poor functional outcome. MH was not associated with worst functional outcome.


Studies of the effect of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis inhibition were performed in the isometrically contracting blood-perfused canine gastrocnemius-plantaris muscle group. Muscle blood flow (Q) was controlled with a pump during continuous NO blockade produced with either 1 mM L-argininosuccinic acid (L-ArgSA) or N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) during repetitive tetanic contractions (50-Hz trains, 200-ms duration, 1/s). Pump Q was set to match maximal spontaneous Q (1.3-1.4 ml. min(-1). g(-1)) measured in prior, brief (3-5 min) control contraction trials in each muscle. Active tension and oxygen uptake were 500-600 g/g and 200-230 microl. min(-1). g(-1), respectively, under these conditions. Within 3 min of L-ArgSA infusion, vascular resistance across the muscle (R(v)) increased significantly (from approximately 100 to 300 peripheral resistance units; P < 0.05), whereas R(v) increased to a lesser extent with L-NAME (from approximately 100 to 175 peripheral resistance units; P < 0.05). The increase in R(v) with L-ArgSA was unchanged by simultaneous infusion of 0.5-10 mM L-arginine but was reduced with 1-3 microg/ml sodium nitroprusside (41-54%). The increase in R(v) with L-NAME was reversed with 1 mM of L-arginine. Increased fatigue occurred with infusion of L-ArgSA; active tension and intramuscular pressure decreased by 62 and 66%, whereas passive tension and baseline intramuscular pressure increased by 80 and 30%, respectively. These data indicate a possible role for NO in the control of R(v) and contractility within the canine gastrocnemius-plantaris muscle during repetitive tetanic contractions.


Korean -kkaci is widely recognized as a scalar focus particle, and there have been studies requiring the presence of propositions alternative to the prejacent. By examining diverse cases exhibiting the uses of the particle, this paper argues that the alternative proposition is not a necessary component in the particle's meaning. From an argumentative perspective, this paper claims that the particle is employed to present the prejacent as the strongest argument supporting a conclusion explicit or implicit in the context.


Abstract The synthesis, characterization and formation kinetics of Sn(II) and UO2(VI) complexes of the nitrogen and oxygen donor ligands m-chlorophenylsalicylaldimine (Heps), m-nitrophenylsalicylaldimine (Hmps), m-methoxvphenylsalicylaldimine (Hmps) and m-methyl-phenylsalicylaldimine (Hmsa) are reported. The structures of the free ligands and their Sn(II) and UO2(VI) complexes were determined by NMR, elemental analyses, IR and UV-Vis studies and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Under pseudo-first order conditions, having an excess of the Schiff base present, the kinetics of complex formation of Sn(II) and UO2(VI) with a series of Schiff bases was studied spectrophotometrically using the stopped-flow technique in methanol as solvent. The activation parameters δH# and δS#for the formation reactions of the complexes studied in methanol are almost identical which supports the assumption that the reactions have a common mechanism. The reactions are considered to proceed through an associative mechanism.


Given the newest trends in business and the growing interest towards Internet of Things, it became natural that economic environment switched the paradigm of classical business model. Blockchain technology is a very timely topic of discussion both in academic environment and outside it. This element was proven by authors when analyzing the topic towards the number of publication releases and the search engine queries. Furthermore, the authors shaped the framework of blockchains' development highlighting the main advantages and disadvantages for Industry 4.0.


Adel Iskandar will engage Mohamed Fahmy on a wide range of critical issues including revolution, incarceration, Al-Jazeera, Islamist politics, and press freedoms. The event is on Tuesday, November 29, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at SFU Harbour Centre in room 1900.The event is co-sponsored by SFU's Institute for the Humanities, Global Communication MA Double Degree, School of Communication, Centre for Comparative Study of Muslim Societies and Cultures (CCSMSC), School of International Studies (SIS), and The Media Democracy Project.For more details, please see the pdf poster attached.


This paper discusses the transient voltage stability of a synchronous generator at its bus in a power system with a detailed transient modeling for the generator after being subjected to a three phase fault, and designing a Takagi-Sugeno first order fuzzy logic controller with center of area defuzzification algorithm as a fuzzy logic controller based exciter to stabilize the terminal voltage and to damp its oscillations so as to keep the generator under balanced working conditions. The proposed exciter can be easily modified by changing the steady state field voltage value to be applied to any other synchronous generator. This paper also used the integral of square error as an indicator of the terminal voltage stability and monitored all of the generator variables specially the rotor angle to see whether the generator will maintain synchronism or not after the occurrence of the fault.


Can we observe the emergence of an independent social citizenship, or does (still) the economic logic of EU integration prevail? This article offers a well-founded empirical investigation into this topical issue. It characterizes personal free movement as central to EU citizenship and analyzes the complete jurisdiction of the EU on FoM of social assistance, carving out to what extent social citizenship elements are dissolved from their national basis and redeployed at EU-level. It argues that, in the individual dimension of social citizenship, a simultaneity of partial denationalizing and supranationalizing effects are observable that do not give way to a clear post-national construction of social citizenship and which come at the cost of the collective dimension of social citizenship.


We propose a new technique, Singular Vector Canonical Correlation Analysis (SVCCA), a tool for quickly comparing two representations in a way that is both invariant to affine transform (allowing comparison between different layers and networks) and fast to compute (allowing more comparisons to be calculated than with previous methods). We deploy this tool to measure the intrinsic dimensionality of layers, showing in some cases needless over-parameterization; to probe learning dynamics throughout training, finding that networks converge to final representations from the bottom up; to show where class-specific information in networks is formed; and to suggest new training regimes that simultaneously save computation and overfit less.


The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that metabolic inflexibility is an intrinsic defect. Glucose and lipid oxidation were studied in human myotubes established from healthy lean and obese subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In lean myotubes, glucose oxidation is raised by increasing glucose concentrations (0– 20 mmol/l) and acute insulin stimulation (P, 0.05), whereas it is inhibited by palmitate (PA). PA oxidation is raised by increasing PA concentrations (0–0.6 mmol/l), whereas 1.0 mmol/l PA inhibits its own oxidation (P, 0.05). Furthermore, PA oxidation is increased by acute insulin stimulation (P , 0.05) and inhibited by glucose. Even 0.05 mM PA and 2.5 mM glucose significantly reduce glucose and PA oxidation (P , 0.05), respectively. Glucose and PA oxidation are insulin-sensitive in myotubes established from lean (46% and 17% glucose and PA oxidation, respectively; P , 0.05 vs. basal), obese (31% and 14%; P , 0.05), and T2D (17% and 8%; P , 0.05) subjects. PA supplementation reduces both basal and insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation by 33– 44% (P , 0.05), and myotubes are still insulin-sensitive in all three groups (P , 0.05). Therefore, the metabolic inflexibility described in obese and diabetic patients is not an intrinsic defect; rather, it is based on an extramuscular mechanism (i.e., the inability to vary extracellular fatty acid concentrations during insulin stimulation). Thus, skeletal muscles are metabolic-flexible per se.—Gaster, M. Metabolic flexibility is conserved in diabetic myotubes. J. Lipid Res. 2007. 48: 207–217. Supplementary key words fuel selection & glucose oxidation & insulin resistance & lipid oxidation & metabolic inflexibility & skeletal muscle & type 2 diabetes Metabolic inflexibility describes the inability of diabetic patients to shift between lipid and glucose oxidation during insulin stimulation and from carbohydrate to lipid oxidation during fasting (1, 2). Even though skeletal muscle substrate oxidation has been investigated for many years, the molecular background of metabolic inflexibility remains unclear. Ukropcova et al. (3) evaluated metabolic switching in human myotubes established from young, healthy subjects based on their ability to increase FA oxidation by increasing the FA concentration and the susceptibility of glucose to reduce lipid oxidation, hypothesizing that metabolic switching was an intrinsic property of skeletal muscle. The effect of insulin was not studied. Previous studies of myotubes established from patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) revealed primarily reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, oxidation, and glycogen synthesis, whereas palmitate (PA) exposure impaired insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation and insulinstimulated citrate synthase activity in control myotubes (4–9). The interplay between glucose and FAs on substrate oxidation in skeletal muscle in vivo has been studied for many years. First, the glucose-FA cycle was studied by Randle et al. (10), showing the ability of exogenous FAs to reduce glucose oxidation. Second came the observation that hyperglycemia can reduce FA oxidation in skeletal muscle, designated the reverse Randle cycle (11–13). Both high plasma glucose and/or plasma FFA are seen in obese and T2D subjects; therefore, increased substrate levels may be part of the mechanism responsible for metabolic inflexibility. Thus, metabolic inflexibility could be based on both a primary and an induced mechanism. Our current knowledge of oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle originates mainly from in vivo studies. The oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle is highly influenced by physical activity, aging, hormonal status, and fiber type composition, making it difficult to determine the contribution of genetic or individual environmental factors to the alteration in oxidative metabolism. It is especially difficult to estimate the impact of insulin stimulation on oxidative metabolism in vivo, as insulin stimulation is followed by changes in the level of glucose and FFAs in plasma. Cultured myotubes offer a unique model in which to separate the genetic influence on substrate oxidation from environmental factors and allow study of the interaction of various substrates on their own oxidation (4, 6, 14). The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that metabolic inflexibility is an intrinsic defect in myotubes established from obese and T2D subjects. Glucose and lipid oxidation were studied in human myotubes Manuscript received 20 July 2006 and in revised form 28 September 2006. Published, JLR Papers in Press, October 24, 2006. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M600319-JLR200 Abbreviations: CPT1, carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1; FCS, fetal calf serum; PA, palmitate; PDH, pyruvate dehydrogenase; T2D, type 2 diabetes. To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Copyright D 2007 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. This article is available online at http://www.jlr.org Journal of Lipid Research Volume 48, 2007 207 at P E N N S T A T E U N IV E R S IT Y , on F ebuary 2, 2013 w w w .j.org D ow nladed fom established from healthy lean and obese subjects and patients with T2D under various conditions of glucose, FA, and insulin stimulation.


The social service of Tangerang District is a government institution that caters to the social welfare problem and one of the services that will be discussed is the service of disaster victims in the district of Tangerang that have not been computerised so that the running system is less efficient. The process of service that is still having difficulty due to the collection of disaster victims is still far from the word accurate and to get the service should often visit the office so it takes a lot of wasted time. Since the system is running less efficiently, a Disaster Victim Service Application has been made which is computerized and runs more efficiently. The method used in data collection is observation, interviews, and literature study. In analyzing a system using the PIECES method (Performance), (Information), (Economy), (Control), (Efficiency), (Service) to make it easier to analyze the running system and provide solutions in making application programs and writers in making application design with visual modelling using UML (Unified Modelling Language) to make a diagram, Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) as a programming language, and MySQL as a database to be used in the system. The results of the design discuss how to create a system that runs and the proposed system and the existence of this system can facilitate service employees in receiving accurate reports so as to shorten the time of handling in serving victims affected by disasters.


This paper develops a neural network implementation of a shortest path algorithm using a Hopfield network architecture. The main advantage of this neural network is that the number of neurons in the network grows linearly with the number of links in the graph instead of growing with the square of the number of nodes in the graph, as is the case with existing algorithms. The properties of this neural network are then investigated and its performance is evaluated through an extensive simulation study.<<ETX>>


This study is focused on the evaluation of the Rhodamine B photodegradation using ZnO/carbon xerogel composite as a photocatalyst, in order to enhance the photocatalytic process efficiency under visible light. The proposed synthesis employs tannin as a precursor for the carbon xerogel, which enhances the economic and environmental aspect of the composite. The synthesized materials have the hexagonal structure of the zinc oxide (wurtzite), which is homogeneously distributed on the carbonaceous matrix. The diffuse reflectance test shows that light absorption was significantly enhanced for the composite. The solar light-driven photodegradation results revealed that the synthesized composite achieved virtually complete degradation of the dye present in the solution in less than 3 h, in all concentrations tested. The results of visible light driven photocatalysis showed that the carbonaceous material presents better photoactivity than the pure oxide (70% and 40% degradation of Rhodamine B, respectively), due to the synergistic effect between the carbon xerogel and zinc oxide on the properties of the composite. The photocatalytic mechanism main active species are the photogenerated vacancies and superoxide radicals.


Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr), are a major urban pest species in many countries with Mediterranean and semi-tropical climates. L. humile primarily feeds on honeydew, nectar, and other liquid sweets. Baits consisting of sucrose solutions are highly preferred. Sucrose-based liquid solutions containing imidacloprid exhibited delayed toxicity, were non-repellent, and provided good reductions of ants foraging around structures. Optimal concentrations ranged from 0.0005 to 0.005%, a 100-fold range in effective rate. Boric acid in sucrose water did not exhibit delayed toxicity. Only 0.5% to 1.0% boric acid provided slow toxicity to L. humile, the optimal range being just 2-fold. A commercial bait containing 1.0% boric acid provided statistically significant reductions, but the level of control was unacceptable. Reduced attractiveness and evaporation of water from the baits probably contributed to the reduced performance in the field. A wide range of effective concentrations is therefore desirable under field conditions.


This study used micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to evaluate the fit of the master gutta-percha cone at time of cone fit, gutta-percha volume in the filling material, and the filling material volume in relation to the canal at the apical limit of the working length. Root canals of 20 maxillary central incisors were prepared with rotary instruments and distributed into two groups (n=10). The gutta-percha cone tip was either plasticized (apical thermal impression technique - ATI) or not (conventional technique - CT), and its apical fit was checked. The apical 1 mm of working length was examined with a micro-CT, canals were filled with gutta-percha and sealer, and new micro-CT scans were obtained. In CT, gutta-percha filled 35.83 ± 15.05% of the canal at cone selection and 38.72 ± 11.64% after filling. In ATI, these values were 23.14 ± 7.74% and 26.98 ± 20.40%, respectively. Gutta-percha volume in the filling material, and filling material volume in relation to the canal were, respectively, 61.28 ± 11.64% and 87.76 ± 9.98% for CT, and 73.00 ± 20.41% and 89.96 ± 9.08% for ATI. No significant difference was found between cone selection and after canal filling, for either CT (p=0.593) or ATI (p=0.4975). The techniques did not differ significantly with respect to gutta-percha volume in the filling material (p=0.132) and filling material volume in relation to the canal (p=0.612). An ideal fit of the master gutta-percha cone at working length was not achieved regardless of the cone selection technique, and the material-filled area was similar for both techniques.


Pneumococcal meningitis has a mortality rate of >20% despite antibiotic treatment and 50% of survivors have persistent neurodisability. The disease is associated with the marked infiltration of neutrophils into the brain, and the cytopathic inflammatory responses mediated by these cells results in severe tissue damage. The diminution of neutrophil recruitment, alongside antibiotic treatment, therefore represents a novel therapeutic opportunity. The interaction of perivascular macrophages (PVMs), pericytes and endothelial cells has been described to play an important role in neutrophil recruitment in mouse models of soft tissue infection. The cerebral vasculature has the highest density of pericytes in the body, as well as uniquely located perivascular macrophages. The role of pericytes in the response to cerebral infection has not been described. We hypothesized that cerebral pericytes play a central role in orchestrating the inflammatory response in pyogenic meningitis. I used an in vitro transwell model of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) involving the coculture of primary human brain pericytes (HBVP) and a cerebromicrovascular endothelial cell line (hCMEC/D3), along with conditioned media from human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) to model PVM responses, to investigate the interaction of these cells in orchestrating the inflammatory response at the BBB in response to infection with S. pneumoniae. Neutrophil recruitment was enhanced by the presence of HBVP under all conditions tested, most potently in response to S. pneumoniae-stimulated macrophages. HBVP were shown to be sensitive to signalling by many of the pro-inflammatory mediators secreted by MDMs in response to S. pneumoniae. HBVP secreted a broad repertoire of chemokines in response to these mediators, most potently neutrophil chemokines. These chemokines were shown to be actively transported across the endothelial barrier, most likely by atypical chemokine receptor 1, enabling them to interact with circulating leukocyte populations. I propose a model whereby cerebrovascular tissue resident innate immune cells act as sentinels of neuroinfection, activating the endothelial and pericyte layer of the blood-brain barrier, with the pericytes markedly amplifying neutrophil recruitment to the site of infection via secretion of neutrophil chemokines.


Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem autosomal recessive disorder caused by the mutation of a single gene that encodes for the CF transmembrane regulator protein. Clinically, CF is characterized by chronic pulmonary infection, pancreatic insufficiency, and excessive losses of sweat electrolytes. Along with lung function, nutritional status appears one of the most important prognostic indicators in CF patients. In this study we examined the relationship between nutritional status and pulmonary function in adult CF patients. A group of 39 CF patients (mean age 23.9 +/-3.7 years) was studied. The mean value of body mass index (BMI) was 19.5 +/-2.9kg/m(2) (12.8-24.9kg/m(2)). The patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of malnutrition. Malnutrition was established in 11 patients (28.2%), 5 patients suffered from severe malnutrition. 28 patients (71.8%) had a normal nutritional status, but according to ESPEN guidelines, 9 of those patients were at risk of malnutrition. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference between malnourished and not malnourished patients with respect to FEV(1)% and FVC%. Moreover, the patients with malnutrition were significantly more frequently colonized by P. aeruginosa and fungi and less so by MSSA.


As a part of a set of research studies about the railways transport in Indonesia, we propose this results advancement. Nowadays, the freight railways system in Indonesia suffers a complex and an apparently not easy to solve situation. The freight service is in constant degradation and it lost demand progressively, more the new highways development plans threat to increase the attractively of road transport in detriment of railways. The identifications of the structural problems will let us to propose aimed and precisely solutions to broke the current vicious circle of the freight railways system. Our analysis is supported by questionnaires applied to 93 forwarders/shippers in 186 opinions that usually contract freight transport services on the link. Each forwarder answered the same questions about his/her preferences for rail and for road freight services. We analyzed this data by the Logit model to identify the "factors of service" or variables which influence the decision of forwarders/shippers in the most important way. The results show clearly the relative importance of some railways "factors and service" in function with the others for the same mode, as well as their relative influence for the modal decision compared with the road freight transports. This paper aims to identify the structural problems of the freight railways service of "KERETA API" in the Java Island, especially between the cities of Jakarta and Surabaya which are the most important city in Indonesia. Key words : Indonesia railway development, modal competition, freight transportation, modal choice