The site-specific relaxation-time parametrization of relative sea level histories, for sites that were ice covered at the last glacial maximum, is herein applied in the context of formal inversions of the highest quality fraction of such data in order to infer the depth dependence of mantle viscosity. These data are jointly inverted together with additional relevant information that includes the relaxation spectrum for Fennoscandian rebound, originally derived by McConnell and two data derived from observed anomalies in the Earth's present rotational state. The latter include both the so-called `nontidal' component of the observed axial acceleration of rotation and the ongoing motion of the north pole of rotation relative to the surface geography at a rate near per million years that is directed southwards along the west meridian of longitude. The formal inversion of the totality of these data is based upon the Bayesian methodology of Tarantola and Valette, Jackson and Matsu'ura, and Backus. Both the preparation of the data that is required for the formal analysis and the derivation of the Fréchet kernels for the individual data types are discussed in some detail. The results obtained in these analyses, preliminary versions of which were recently described in abbreviated form elsewhere, appear to be rather significant. The variation of mantle viscosity with depth deduced from the glacial isostatic adjustment data is found to agree, within a constant scale factor and then rather precisely, with a model previously inferred on the basis of nonhydrostatic geoid anomalies related to the mantle convection process. Since the latter data are insensitive to a constant rescaling, this implies that the rheology of the bulk mantle may exhibit no significant transient behaviour and thus may well be Newtonian.


s 14th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine s77 nizations (the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), etc.). During the given period, medical assistance was given to > 150,000 patients, including 38,000 children. More than 1,300 patients with active TB were detected, and were given in-patient treatment, and >3,500 contact persons received pharmacotherapy. In-patient assistance was provided to > 18,000 patients in the field hospitals, >4,000 people in the hospitals situated near the boundaries of the Republic, and >700 people received highly technological types of assistance outside the Republic. More than 15,000 children were vaccinated. Outbreaks of infectious diseases and group diseases among the temporarily displaced persons from the Chechen Republic were not observed during that period. A proposed system for providing medical assistance to the temporarily displaced populations in Northern Caucasus showed high efficiency and may be recommended for use in other countries in analogous situations.


The dynamic behavior of a reinforced concrete beam was studied theoretically and experimentally. A relationship between the resonance frequency of the beam and the applied bending moment was established. A frequency criterion corresponding to the crack control criterion in the ACI Building Code was developed. It was found that resonance frequencies and damping will change rapidly when cracks are initialized and growing. The resonance frequency shift could be as large as 20 to 25% of the original value, and the decay rate could change by a factor of 4. The applied bending moment not only determines the number and the size of cracks but also determines the crack opening or closing condition that affects both resonance frequency and damping. To accurately estimate the frequency and damping of a cracked-reinforced concrete beam, empirical formulas are proposed based on a small number of experiments. The technique has promise for global nondestructive evaluation of reinforced concrete structures such as highway bridges.


Spicules were recently found to exist as two different types when a new class of so-called type II spicules was discovered at the solar limb with the Solar Optical Telescope on board the Hinode spacecraft. These type II spicules have been linked with on-disk observations of rapid blueshifted excursions (RBEs) in the Hα and Ca ii 8542 lines. Here we analyze observations optimized for the detection of RBEs in both Hα and Ca ii 8542 lines simultaneously at a high temporal cadence taken with the Crisp Imaging Spectropolarimeter at the Swedish Solar Telescope on La Palma. In this study, we used a high-quality time sequence for RBEs at different blueshifts and employed an automated detection routine to detect a large number of RBEs in order to expand on the statistics of RBEs. We find that the number of detected RBEs is strongly dependent on the associated Doppler velocity of the images on which the search is performed. Automatic detection of RBEs at lower velocities increases the estimated number of RBEs to the same order of magnitude expected from limb spicules. This shows that RBEs and type II spicules are indeed exponents of the same phenomenon. Furthermore, we provide solid evidence that Ca ii 8542 RBEs are connected to Hα RBEs and are located closer to the network regions with the Hα RBEs being a continuation of the Ca ii 8542 RBEs. Our results show that RBEs have an average lifetime of 83.9 s when observed in both spectral lines and that the Doppler velocities of RBEs range from 10 to 25 km s−1 in Ca ii 8542 and 30 to 50 km s−1 in Hα. In addition, we automatically determine the transverse motion of a much larger sample of RBEs than previous studies, and find that, just like type II spicules, RBEs undergo significant transverse motions of the order of 5–10 km s−1. Finally, we find that the intergranular jets discovered at Big Bear Solar Observatory are a subset of RBEs.


The nondestructive inspection of a high temperature structure is required in order to guarantee its safety. However, there are no useful sensors for high temperature structures. Some of them cannot work at temperatures over 50°C. Another concern is that they are too expensive to use. A sensing system, which can transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave that travels a long distance using a long waveguide, has been studied. We confirmed that the optimal guided ultrasonic wave could travel more than 10 m using an electromagnetic transducer (EMAT) with a thin Ni-sheet surrounded on the surface of the bar and a 2-mm diameter bar as the waveguide. However, we had the difficult problem of receiving the reflected ultrasonic wave from the inside of a test specimen. We tried to improve the trial inspection system using an acoustic horn. An experiment in which the temperature of the test block was heated to about 500°C has now been completed. Finally, the condition of the bend in the waveguide to pass without reflection was confirmed.


Bias, language: the systematic error introduced when the search of potential studies to be included in a meta-analysis is focused, in general, in one language (mainly English). Given that studies published in English are more widely read, it is possible that significant results of studies carried out in non-English countries are more published in English journals than in journals written in other languages.1

Bias, search: it is related to the language bias. It is the systematic error introduced when the search of studies is centred in just one database (for example, Medline). Journals written in English are overrepresented in Medline; furthermore, the journals from the country (and from neighbouring countries or either countries of similar language or culture) where the database is done are also represented in excess. It is recommended to consult more than one database (for example, Medline and Embase), supplemented by a hand search of the references of each publication collected.

Bias, publication: bias produced when the published studies do not represent adequately all the studies carried out on a specific topic. Many facts can origin this bias, although the best known is the trend to publish statistically significant (p < 0.05) or clinically relevant (high magnitude albeit non-significant) results. Other variables influencing publication bias are sample size (more in small studies), type of design (less in well conducted randomised controlled trials), funding, conflict of interest, prejudice against an observed association (for example, cocaine consumption and non-adverse effect on fetus), sponsorship.2 3

Cochrane Collaboration: an international organisation, named after Archibald Cochrane, which aims to help people make well informed decisions about healthcare by preparing, disseminating, and continuously updating systematic reviews of controlled clinical trials on the effects of healthcare interventions. These reviews are edited in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, available on CD-ROM.4 …


This paper provides Monte Carlo results for the performance of the method of moments (MM), maximum likelihood (ML) and ordinary least squares (OLS) estimators of the credit loss distribution implied by the Merton (1974) and Vasicek (1987, 2002) framework when the common or idiosyncratic asset-return factor is non-Gaussian and, thus, the true credit loss distribution deviates from the theoretical one. We find that OLS and ML outperform MM in small samples when the true data-generating process comprises a non-Gaussian common factor. This result intensifies as the sample size increases and holds in all cases. We also find that all three estimators present a large bias and variance when the true data-generating process comprises a non-Gaussian idiosyncratic factor. This last result holds independently of the sample size, across different asset correlation levels, and it intensifies for positive shape parameter values.


The issue of polygamy is a hot issue that to be debated continuesly. One side polygamy is claimed as exploitation and hegemony of male to female. On the other hand, polygamy is seen have normative reference and it considered as one of the solutions to solve the problems of in infidelity and prostitution. The Indonesian government has been reform the rules of polygamy. In KHI, although it adheres to the principle of monogamy, but the government is still open opportunity for polygamy. However, this rule of KHI is critized bythe dayah scholars of North Aceh. The overview of Ulama dayah is that polygamy rules made by the government out of the Shari'a corridors. Also that issueto be politicied and adopt the rules of the west to complicate polygamy practise and legalized prostitution. Therefor, this study aim to examine and analyze the rules of KHI regarding polygamy from sharia aspect, social, cultural, welfare and others. Also, analyze and critize the views and thoughts of dayah scholar about the rules of polygamy in KHI.


Chromatin structure is central for the regulation of gene expression, but its genome-wide organization is only beginning to be understood. Here, we examine the connection between patterns of nucleosome occupancy and the capacity to modulate gene expression upon changing conditions, i.e., transcriptional plasticity. By analyzing genome-wide data of nucleosome positioning in yeast, we find that the presence of nucleosomes close to the transcription start site is associated with high transcriptional plasticity, while nucleosomes at more distant upstream positions are negatively correlated with transcriptional plasticity. Based on this, we identify two typical promoter structures associated with low or high plasticity, respectively. The first class is characterized by a relatively large nucleosome-free region close to the start site coupled with well-positioned nucleosomes further upstream, whereas the second class displays a more evenly distributed and dynamic nucleosome positioning, with high occupancy close to the start site. The two classes are further distinguished by multiple promoter features, including histone turnover, binding site locations, H2A.Z occupancy, expression noise, and expression diversity. Analysis of nucleosome positioning in human promoters reproduces the main observations. Our results suggest two distinct strategies for gene regulation by chromatin, which are selectively employed by different genes.


The Asia-Pacific region shows potential for growth in the spa market, particularly in Thailand. However, the contrast between the growing day spa industry and the industry's lack of knowledge about day spa users highlights the importance of understanding spa-goers' preferences and considerations with regard to spa selection. Studies of consumers' decision making regarding spa choice commonly cite product quality, therapist quality, ambience quality and price as important determinants. This study used a choice experiment to examine consumers' decisions about day spas via a simulation in which trade-offs were inevitable. The findings suggested that therapist quality was the most dominant attribute in determining spagoers' choices, followed by product quality, ambience quality, and price. Good therapist and treatment quality led respondents to select spas, whereas poor therapist and treatment quality led them to reject spas. Good ambience quality did not significantly affect spa choice; however, poor ambience quality led to spa rejection. The findings of this study are discussed together with implication for spa managers. The results of this study have important implications for the spa industry in terms of understanding the key drivers of choice among spa customers.


Vehicular social networking is an emerging application of the promising Internet of Vehicles (IoV) which aims to achieve the seamless integration of vehicular networks and social networks. However, the unique characteristics of vehicular networks such as high mobility and frequent communication interruptions make content delivery to end-users under strict delay constrains an extremely challenging task. In this paper, we propose a social-aware vehicular edge computing architecture that solves the content delivery problem by using some of the vehicles in the network as edge servers that can store and stream popular content to close-by end-users. The proposed architecture includes three components. First, we propose a social-aware graph pruning search algorithm that computes and assigns the vehicles to the shortest path with the most relevant vehicular content providers. Secondly, we use a traffic-aware content recommendation scheme to recommend relevant content according to their social context. This scheme uses graph embeddings in which the vehicles are represented by a set of low-dimension vectors (vehicle2vec) to store information about previously consumed content. Finally, we propose a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) method to optimize the content provider vehicles distribution across the network. The results obtained from a realistic traffic simulation show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed system when compared to the state-of-the-art baselines.


We utilize a unique database from a large legal services provider to examine how service quality responds to the firm's available capacity and workload, and to the nature of the firm-client relationship. We develop empirical measures of both the (internal) level of resources available to the firm at different points in time, and of the (external) value creation for customers. Our results indicate that a service provider can use quality adjustment as a substitute for price adjustment in order to tackle demand fluctuations in the presence of capacity constraints, and to foster long-term relationships with customers. Specifically, we show that service quality increases with the amount of the firm's available resources, decreases with the firm's workload, and increases with the number of previous successful interactions with the client. By documenting these relationships, we wish to shed light on the limitations of current estimates of consumer surplus in service industries, as well as on potential inefficiencies in such industries.


Measurement of interfacial electronic spectra is a powerful tool for characterizing the properties of ions in physical, biological, environmental, and industrial systems. Here, we describe measurement of the complete charge-transfer-to-solvent (CTTS) spectrum of thiocyanate at the air/water interface using our recently developed femtosecond broadband deep ultraviolet electronic sum frequency generation technique. We find that the lower energy CTTS band characterized in bulk thiocyanate spectra is not observed in the | χ(2)|2-power spectrum of the air/water interface, likely reflecting the different solvation environments, altering of the charge distribution of the ion, and possible ion-ion effects, and that sodium and potassium salts yield identical spectra. Additional experiments and comparison with theoretical calculations are necessary to extract the interesting chemical details responsible for these salient spectral differences.


The different levels of patriotism demonstration are discussed in the article. The attempt to define military-patriotic training essence and peculiarities of cadets in modern conditions are made, the training component structure is suggested.


Calcium has been demonstrated to have a fundamental role in cell-cell recognition mediating the carbohydrate- carbohydrate and the protein-carbohydrate interactions. A self assembled multifunctional microfluidic array has been used to exploit the interactions between breast tumor cells and an engineered surface. Engineering concerns the topology of the surface, since microbeads have been used to increase the micro roughness of the surface, the biochemistry, since the mi- crobeads are conjugated by carbohydrates before being integrated inside the microfluidic chamber. Microfluidic environ- ment permits to control parameters such as the shear force and the velocity and mimicking the microenvironment sur- rounding the cells. To this end it is extremely important to investigate the role of calcium in cell carbohydrate interactions in a microfluidic environment. Investigation has been performed varying the calcium concentration of cell media and the fluidic condition. Breast tumor cells have been used. Static and dynamic experiments have been performed. Static experiments have shown that differences in the cell adhesion behavior are only detectable when dealing with calcium free buffer, whilst the results of adhesion in correspondence of different carbohydrates have been lost when dealing with calcium enriched media. Adhesion of glucose is independent on the composi- tion of the buffer. At 3000 μl sec -1 60 and 80% of adherent cells have been counted in according to the free and enriched calcium media. The trend of the results from the dynamic experiments is not affected by the presence of calcium, and three different conditions can be identified. In particular, between 10 and 15 μl min -1 they adhere and start roll on the substrate at high flow rate. We assume that during the first seconds calcium is not able to drive the interaction between carbohydrates and cells and hydrodynamic phenomena, the balance between shear force and velocity, play the most important role.


The research field of the philosophy of higher education is young, having emerged within the last half-century. However, at this stage four strands, or pillars, of thought may be detected in the core literature, around which the discussions and theorizing efforts cluster. The four pillars are (a) knowledge, (b) truth, (c) critical thinking, and (d) culture. The first pillar, "knowledge," is concerned with the meaning of academic knowledge as forming a link between the knower and the surrounding world, thus not separating but connecting them. Under the second pillar, "truth," are inquiries into the epistemic obligations and possibilities to seek and tell the truth universities and academics have in a "post-truth" world. The third pillar, "critical thinking," addresses the matter as to what understandings of being critical are appropriate to higher education, not least against a background of heightening state interventions and self-interest on the part of students, especially in marketized systems of higher education. The fourth pillar, that of "culture," is interested in the possibility and ability for academics and universities to intersect and contribute to public debates, events, and initiatives on mediating and solving conflicts between value and belief systems in culturally complex societies. When seen together, the four pillars of the research field constitute the philosophy of higher education resting on four foundational strands of an epistemic, communal, ethical, and cultural heritage and future.


abstract Beginning with a discussion of debates about virginity testing ceremonies and then briefly reflecting on discourses about teen pregnancy, this article considers how, why, and to what consequence, the figure of the 'girl-as-virgin' circulating in contemporary South African mediascapes is mobilised as a resource in the production of the post-apartheid nation state. This analysis refers to, but moves in another direction, recent debates about revivified virginity testing practices. I propose that reducing the discussion about virginity testing to a contestation between two apparently incommensurate 'positions' ('culture versus rights') misses an important point. I suggest that setting up the debate in this way does not take into account how the state's response to the contestations around virginity testing, through the introduction of the Children's Act, and its emphasis on 'abstinence', forms part of what Ayse Parla (2001) calls the "politics of (post)modernity and its novel models of subjection, s...


It is often assumed that children lack the developed capacity to understand complicated political issues (for example, Arendt, 1959; Pearce, 2011; and Warmington, 2012a, 2012b). This assumption is contested through a review of the literature examining adult conceptions the child, and children's rights to political participation, citizenship, and direct representation (Steffler, 2009; Wall & Dar, 2011; Wyness, Harrison, & Buchanan, 2004). A variety of historical and contemporary examples of children engaging in social justice campaigns and movements are provided (Elshtain, 1996; Milstein, 2010; Smith, 2012; Traubman, 2005; Bergmar, 2010). A potential means for supporting children in social justice engagement is explored through social justice education (Dover, 2009; Kelly & Brooks, 2009).


When competing for scarce resources, groups can behave aggressively toward one another. Realistic conflict theory suggests that intergroup hostility internally ties groups together, thus improving intragroup functioning. In contrast, conflict spillover theory suggests that aggressive behaviors between groups can permeate to the intragroup level and thus worsen intragroup functioning. We reconcile these two opposite perspectives by introducing the relative group size as a moderator that determines when and how targeted verbal aggression from one group harms or improves intragroup functioning in the targeted group. We tested our hypotheses using a sample of in-situ observations of transcribed plenary discussions in the German national parliament and compared intergroup targeted verbal aggression by distinguishing targeted verbal aggression from two social groups (i.e., a new populist smaller party vs. a larger group of veteran parliament members). We measured targeted verbal aggression as a form of hostile intergroup behavior from each social group using computerized text analyses. We analyzed intragroup functioning using a measure of verbal mimicry. Our results show support for our hypotheses. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for the verbal aggression and intergroup relations literature.


Fast transient analysis of a passive fault current limiter (FCL) using permanent magnets can be done by direct numerical solution of a single non-linear differential equation. The non-linear B-H excursion that is caused by hysteresis is incorporated in the computation using a transient hysteresis model. Rational fractions are used to represent the parent hysteresis loop curves. Since the method uses preconstructed expressions as applicable to FCL schemes only, computation time required is less.


Electrical contacts consists of parts where the surfaces are in contact and where the actual physical contact occur just in a few contact asperity points scattered over the whole apparent contact area. Through these contact spots between the mating bodies the mechanical load and the electric current is transmitted. Often a soft coating is used to enlarge the real contact area. Modeling the mechanical stress on the contacting material includes nonlinear effects of the electric conduction and heat generation as well as the actual mechanical contact of the asperities. A finite element model has been used to study the multiphysics of thermo electromechanical phenomena when two surface asperities are in contact. A three dimensional model describing the asperity size, distribution, normal and shear loads and material property. With geometry of hexagonal shape and symmetrical boundary conditions a larger contact surface of similar roughness can be described.


The size of the human population is relevant to the development of a sustainable world, yet the forces setting growth or declines in the human population are poorly understood. Generally, population growth rates depend on whether new individuals compete for the same energy (leading to Malthusian or density-dependent growth) or help to generate new energy (leading to exponential and super-exponential growth). It has been hypothesized that exponential and super-exponential growth in humans has resulted from carrying capacity, which is in part determined by energy availability, keeping pace with or exceeding the rate of population growth. We evaluated the relationship between energy use and population size for countries with long records of both and the world as a whole to assess whether energy yields are consistent with the idea of an increasing carrying capacity. We find that on average energy use has indeed kept pace with population size over long time periods. We also show, however, that the energy-population scaling exponent plummets during, and its temporal variability increases preceding, periods of social, political, technological, and environmental change. We suggest that efforts to increase the reliability of future energy yields may be essential for stabilizing both population growth and the global socio-economic system.


Voice dysfunction is the most common complication of thyroid surgery. The use of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is to protect the recurrent laryngeal nerves, the damage of which causes voice dysfunction. The aim of the study was to evaluate voice quality in patients who underwent complete thyroidectomy operated on with the application of IONM as well as a group of patients operated on with only macroscopic nerve visualization. In the analysis, clinical voice assessment was performed with particular focus on voice efficiency using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), Vocal Tract Discomfort (VTD) and GRBAS scale. The study group consisted of 205 patients operated on with IONM. The control group consisted of 162 patients subjected to surgery only with macroscopic visualization of recurrent laryngeal nerves, without IONM. During the follow-up period from 2 to 10 years after surgery, checkups were performed. Each patient who came for a checkup was subjected to perceptual voice evaluation with the use of the GRBAS scale, indirect laryngoscopy procedure and voice selfevaluation with two questionnaires (VHI and VTD). The frequency of vocal fold palsy did not differ significantly statistically in the study group and the control group. Both in the study group and in the control group, patients with vocal fold paralysis had statistically significantly higher results in the VHI and VTD questionnaires as well as in the GRBAS study. Patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve injury show significant differences in the scope of voice handicap, both in the voice quality assessment with the use of the GRBAS scale, and self-evaluation questionnaires: VHI and VTD. All voice disorders evaluated with self-assessment are medium voice disability.


Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) control is an essential part of every photovoltaic (PV) system, in order to overcome any change in ambient environmental conditions and ensure operation at maximum power.. Recently, micro-inverters have gained a lot of attention due to their ability to track the true MPP for each individual PV module, which is considered a powerful solution to overcome the partial shading and power mismatch problems which exist in series-connected panels. Although the LLC resonant converter has high efficiency and high boosting ability, traditional MPPT techniques based on Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) do not work well with it. In this paper, a fixed frequency predictive MPPT technique is presented for the LLC resonant converter to be used as the first-stage in a PV micro-inverter. Using predictive control enhances the tracking efficiency and reduces the steady state oscillation. Operation with fixed switching frequency for the LLC resonant converter improves the total harmonic distortion profile of the system and ease the selection of circuit magnetic component. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MPPT technique, the system is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink platform. Furthermore, a 150 W hardware prototype is developed and tested. Both simulation and experimental results are consistent and validate the proper operation of the developed system.


In the tide called Cloud Computing, people move their applications previously running on on-premise servers to the Cloud. However, this migration is not a comfortable trip. Compatibility is a critical issue of the new environment. It is reasonable for the enterprises to decide to move certain portions of their IT infrastructure to the Cloud. And database is one important piece that may be migrated. In this article, a database model backed by cloud data-store which can be consumed by on-premise application is introduced. This works addresses several issues to provide the on-premise applications access to data-store in the cloud while guarantees efficiency and compatibility.


The V1b vasopressin receptor (V1bR) is a receptor for a neurohypophysial hormone [arginine8] vasopressin (AVP). V1bR is a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) belonging to the Family A GPCR superfamily. The structures of seven α-helical transmembrane domains of this family members can be predicted based on the crystal structure of bovine rhodopsin (bRho) and human β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) obtained by X-ray crystallography. This study aimed to identify amino acid residues which participate in ligand binding of the V1bR by site-directed mutagenesis with the aid of molecular models of vasopressin receptors based on the crystal structure of bRho.

The V1bR is a potential drug target in treating stress-related conditions such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders. Since it is the latest subtype identified among the mammalian neurohypophysial hormone receptors, it remains as the least studied subtype. A closely related subtype V1a receptor (V1aR) has been studied in far more detail for its potential of being a drug target in treating cardiac conditions and epilepsy. Hence, effective means of studying the V1bR can be accomplished by exploring the information already available on the V1aR and thereby defining the differences and similarities existing between the two. Detailed subtype comparisons are also fundamental for designing subtype selective drugs for effective therapy with fewer side-effects. This project was designed also to elucidate amino acid residues which determine selectivity of ligands for the V1bR over the V1aR.


OBJECTIVE
To assesment the effect of risk factors at gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS
We collected 427 pregnant women who had done 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) between September 1(st), 2012 and April 19(th), 2013 in Peking University First Hospital, including 74 pregnant women diagnosed as GDM (GDM group) and 353 pregnant women undiagnosed (non-GDM group). Then we conducted a multiple logistic regression to analyze the clinical datas collected from two groups, which included age, pre-pregnancy body weight and body mass index (BMI), body weight during 11-12 weeks pregnancy, body weight during 23-24 weeks pregnancy; and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglyceride (TG) , total cholesterol (TCH) , high density lipoprotein (HDL) , low density lipoprotein (LDL), fasting insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) during early pregnancy; and family history of diabetes mellitus.

RESULTS
(1) There were significant difference in age, pre-pregnancy BMI, and FPG, TG, FINS, HOMA-IR during early pregnancy, and family history of diabetes mellitus between two groups (P < 0.05). (2) The risk factors of GDM that have statistical significance included FPG during early pregnancy (OR:4.03, 95%CI:1.62-10.02), family history of diabetes mellitus (OR:3.15, 95%CI:1.66-5.99), TG during early pregnancy (OR:2.13, 95%CI:1.17-3.87),BMI before pregnancy (OR:1.36, 95%CI:1.08-1.70), age ≥ 35 years (OR:1.15, 95%CI:1.05-1.26), early pregnancy weight gain (OR:1.20, 95%CI:1.06-1.35), mid pregnancy weight gain (OR:1.28, 95%CI:1.12-1.47), FINS during early pregnancy (OR:1.09, 95%CI:1.01-1.17).

CONCLUSIONS
FPG, TG and FINS during early pregnancy, BMI before pregnancy, early and mid pregnancy weight gain, family history of diabetes mellitus and age ≥ 35 years are the indepadent risk factors for GDM. We should pay more attention to FPG and TG during early pregnancy, and put weight management into practise since early pregnancy and try to control pregnancy weight gain within reasonable limits.


The authors reviewed the charts of 36 patients discharged from a VA medical center with a diagnosis of essential tremor over a 10-year period for evidence of alcohol dependency or abuse and for family history of alcoholism and other psychiatric disorders. A sex- and age-matched sample of patients admitted during the same period for herniorrhaphy was used as a control group. Patients with essential tremor had a significantly higher frequency of alcohol dependence and abuse than control subjects and also had a much higher rate of positive first-degree family history of alcoholism. The authors suggest that essential tremor is an important cause of secondary alcoholism.


The aim of the research was to determine the phytochemical and parameters of argan oil and almonds. We are interested in following the formation of volatile compounds in argan oil and also the determination of antioxidants; the purpose was mainly to identify and quantify the antioxidants to meet this objective, two samples of argan oil from the almonds of Tindouf taxa and Mostaganem taxa. The results show that the argan rich in phenolic compounds deserve to be exploited as much as nutritional and pharmaceutical supplements because of their antioxidant properties, which can surely contribute to the safeguarding of the argan tree.


Various endo- and exopeptidase activities were examined in an extract of the bark of Robinia pseudoacacia L. The crude extract hydrolysed azocasein, gelatin and benzyloxycarbonyl-Phe-Ala (Z-Phe-Ala) at acidic pH and leucine p-nitroanilide (LPA), alanine p-nitroanilide (APA) and N-benzoyl-arginine ρ-nitroanilide (BAPA) at neutral to weakly alkaline pH. The extract also hydrolysed lectin, which is one of the predominant bark proteins, to smaller polypeptides at acidic pH. The proteolytic activities against azocasein and Z-Phe-Ala remained at relatively high levels during the season when the amount of lectin in the bark decreased rapidly.


Polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) were determined in air around a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and two landfill sites using sorbent-impregnated polyurethane foam (SIP) disk passive air samplers in summer 2009. The samples were analyzed for five PFC classes (i.e., fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), perfluorooctane sulfonamides (FOSAs), sulfonamidoethanols (FOSEs), perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs), and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs)) to investigate their concentration in air, composition and emissions to the atmosphere. ∑PFC concentrations in air were 3-15 times higher within the WWTP (2280-24 040 pg/m(3)) and 5-30 times higher at the landfill sites (2780-26 430 pg/m(3)) compared to the reference sites (597-1600 pg/m3). Variations in the PFC pattern were observed between the WWTP and landfill sites and even within the WWTP site. For example, FTOHs were the predominant PFC class in air for all WWTP and landfill sites, with 6:2 FTOH as the dominant compound at the WWTP (895-12 290 pg/m(3)) and 8:2 FTOH dominating at the landfill sites (1290-17 380 pg/m(3)). Furthermore, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) was dominant within the WWTP (43-171 pg/m(3)), followed by perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) (55-116 pg/m(3)), while PFBA was dominant at the landfill sites (101-102 pg/m(3)). It is also noteworthy that the PFCA concentrations decreased with increasing chain length and that the emissions for the even chain length PFCAs outweighed emissions for the odd chain length compounds. Furthermore, highly elevated PFC concentrations were found near the aeration tanks compared to the other tanks (i.e., primary and secondary clarifier) and likely associated with increased volatilization during aeration that may be further enhanced through aqueous aerosol-mediated transport. ∑PFC yearly emissions estimated using a simplified dispersion model were 2560 g/year for the WWTP, 99 g/year for landfill site 1, and 1000 g/year for landfill site 2. These results highlight the important role of WWTPs and landfills as emission sources of PFCs to the atmosphere.


In man, nutritional deficiencies of the various fractions of the B complex except thiamine are usually multiple; one or two symptoms are frequently present long before a fully developed disease syndrome makes its appearance. Examples of this limited effect are seen in cheilosis, greasy desquamation of the nasolabial folds, vascularization of the cornea which occurs in ariboflavinosis,1stomatitis, gastritis, dermatitis, diarrhea and constipation which often occur singly in niacin deficiency2and the nonpellagrous dermatoses such as those reported by Gross.3 In the experimental animal, changes involving the various tissues may be produced at will by withholding one or more of the various fractions of the B complex. These changes may be produced in the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system, the hemopoietic system and the skin. There are only two fractions of the B complex, niacin and riboflavin, which are known to affect cutaneous


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common cause of fever in children. Despite the increasing numbers of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing organisms in the community, the empirical therapy of choice is still third-generation cephalosporins. This study was performed to investigate whether inappropriate empirical therapy (IAT) of community-onset UTI results in adverse clinical outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively studied a cohort of pediatric patients with first-episode community-onset UTI caused by Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus spp. at Ramathibodi Hospital from 2011 to 2017. The patients were classified into IAT and appropriate empirical therapy (AT) groups. Medical records were reviewed to assess clinical outcomes. Results: One hundred fifty-one eligible patients were enrolled in this study. The most common causative organism was E. coli (88.8% and 96.2% in the AT and IAT groups, respectively). Among the causative organisms, 19.8% were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing organisms. There was no significant difference in clinical failure, microbiologic failure, relapse or time to defervescence between the 2 groups. No patients in either group developed sepsis after receiving empirical therapy. However, the length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the IAT than AT group [4.00 (4.50–6.00) vs. 7.00 (5.00–11.25) days, respectively; P = 0.000]. Conclusions: No significant difference in treatment outcomes was found between pediatric patients receiving AT and IAT for the treatment of UTI. In the era of increasing antimicrobial resistance, third-generation cephalosporins may still be a good choice as an empirical antimicrobial for children diagnosed with community-onset UTI.


SUMMARY A technique of myoplastic below-knee amputation using a long posterior skin-flap is described. Preliminary results of this operation are reported, and it is suggested that the technique may allow a below-knee amputation where other methods would fail. DESPITE the use of vascular surgery


Integrin-induced cytoskeletal reorganizations are initiated by Cdc42 and Rac1 but little is known about mechanisms by which integrins activate these Rho GTPases. 14-3-3 proteins are adaptors implicated in binding and regulating the function and subcellular location of numerous signaling molecules. In platelets, the 14-3-3 zeta isoform interacts with the glycoprotein (GP) Ibalpha subunit of the adhesion receptor GP Ib-IX. In this study, we show that integrin-induced activation of Cdc42, activation of Rac, cytoskeletal reorganizations, and cell spreading were inhibited in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing full-length GP Ibalpha compared with GP Ibalpha lacking the 14-3-3 zeta binding site. Activation of Rho GTPases and cytoskeletal reorganizations were restored by expression of 14-3-3 zeta. Spreading in cells expressing truncated GP Ibalpha was inhibited by co-expressing a chimeric receptor containing interleukin 2 receptor alpha and GP Ibalpha cytoplasmic domain. These results identify a previously unrecognized function of 14-3-3 zeta, that of mediating integrin-induced signaling. They show that 14-3-3 zeta mediates Cdc42 and Rac activation. They also reveal a novel function of platelet GP Ib-IX, that of regulating integrin-induced cytoskeletal reorganizations by sequestering 14-3-3 zeta. Signaling across integrins initiates changes in cell behavior such as spreading, migration, differentiation, apoptosis, or cell division. Thus, introduction of the 14-3-3 zeta binding domain of GP Ibalpha into target cells might provide a method for regulating integrin-induced pathways in a variety of pathological conditions.


Design techniques for radiation hardening of integrated circuits in commercial CMOS technologies are presented. Circuits designed with the proposed approaches are more tolerant to both total dose and to single event effects. The main drawback of the techniques for radiation hardening by design is the increase of silicon area, compared with a conventional design.


DiGIR1 is a group I-like cleavage ribozyme found as a structural domain within a nuclear twin-ribozyme group I intron. DiGIR1 catalyzes cleavage by branching at an Internal Processing Site (IPS) leading to formation of a lariat cap at the 5'-end of the 3'-cleavage product. The 3'-cleavage product is subsequently processed into an mRNA encoding a homing endonuclease. By analysis of combinations of 5'- and 3'-deletions, we identify a hairpin in the 5'-UTR of the mRNA (HEG P1) that is formed by conformational switching following cleavage. The formation of HEG P1 inhibits the reversal of the branching reaction, thus giving it directionality. Furthermore, the release of the mRNA is a consequence of branching rather than hydrolytic cleavage. A model is put forward that explains the release of the I-DirI mRNA with a lariat cap and a structured 5'-UTR as a direct consequence of the DiGIR1 branching reaction. The role of HEG P1 in GIR1 branching is reminiscent of that of hairpin P-1 in splicing of the Tetrahymena rRNA group I intron and illustrates a general principle in RNA-directed RNA processing.


The transfection of human NTera2/D1 teratocarcinoma-derived cell line (or NT2 cells) represents a promising strategy for the delivery of exogenous proteins or biological agents into the central nervous system (CNS). The development of suitable nonviral vectors with high transfection efficiencies requires a profound knowledge of the whole transfection process. In this work, we elaborated and characterized in terms of size and zeta potential three different nonviral vectors: lipoplexes (144 nm; -29.13 mV), nioplexes (142.5 nm; +35.4 mV), and polyplexes (294.8 nm; +15.1 mV). We compared the transfection efficiency, cellular uptake, and intracellular trafficking of the three vectors in NT2 cell line. Lipoplexes exhibited the highest percentages of EGFP positive cells. The values obtained with polyplexes were lower compared to lipoplexes but higher than the percentages obtained with nioplexes. Cellular uptake results had a clear correlation with respect to the corresponding transfection efficiencies. Regarding the endocytosis mechanism, lipoplexes enter in the cell, mainly, via clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) while polyplexes via caveolae-mediated endocytosis (CvME). Nioplexes were discarded for this experiment due to their low cellular uptake. By simulating an artificial endosome, we demonstrated that the vectors were able to release the DNA cargo once inside the late endosome. The data collected from this assay showed that at 6 h the genetic material carried by polyplexes was still located in the late endosome, while DNA carried by lipoplexes was already in the nucleus. This result indicates a faster intracellular traffic of the lipid-based vectors. Overall, our work gives new insights into the transfection process of NT2 cells by different nonviral vectors as a first step in the development of ex vivo gene therapy platform.


Based on samples of 217 of the best applications to the Ford Foundation-Kennedy School of Government innovation awards and 33 of the best applications to the Institute of Public Administration of Canada's management innovation award, both between 1990 and 1994, this article discusses the nature of public management innovation in the United States and Canada. Some of the issues examined are (1) the characteristics of public sector innovations, (2) where in the organization innovations originate, (3) whether innovations come about as a result of planning or groping, (4) the obstacles to change innovators faced and how they overcame them, (5) the results achieved by these innovations, and (6) whether these innovations were replicated. It is found that, despite the difference between congressional and parliamentary government and the different problems being addressed, the patterns of innovation are similar in the two countries. © 2000 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.


In this study we present evidence that gammadelta T cells are present in the normal mouse central nervous system (CNS). Compared with matching spleen gammadelta T cells, CNS gammadelta T cells expressed only the CD45RBlow phenotype, suggesting that CNS gammadelta T cells belong to the memory cell population. Approximately 20% expressed exclusively the CD8alphabeta heterodimer, consistent with a thymic origin. Gammadelta T cells in both spleen and CNS expressed higher levels of the IL-2rbeta (CD122), as well as Fas and FasL, than alphabeta T cells, suggesting that these cells function as immunoregulatory T cells. RT-PCR analysis showed almost exclusive use of Vdelta6 in the CNS whereas more Vdelta genes were expressed in the spleen. Sequencing of Vdelta6 RT-PCR products demonstrated a polyclonal population of T cells in the spleen but a more clonal population within the CNS. The predominant CNS sequence was found in all animals studied and was also detected in the spleen. From these data we conclude that a selective component of circulating gammadelta T cells traffics through the CNS. Thus, all major populations of lymphocytes can be detected in the normal CNS and as such may play specific roles in the immunological surveillance of that organ.


This short paper deals with the transition performance improvement of a sensor fault-tolerant controller devoted to automotive applications. Indeed, improvements are brought over a previously developed technique that exhibit abrupt changes in the torque if a sensor fault is detected and after a transition from a control technique to another one [1]. The Fault-Tolerant Control (FTC) system firstly concerns the sliding mode control technique since better performances are obtained with an encoder to get the speed information. In the event of unavailability of the speed sensor, a sensorless fuzzy control technique is applied. In the proposed active fault-tolerant control approach a short and a smooth transition are achieved from the encoder-based control technique to the sensorless one using an appropriate fuzzy logic decision approach.


A protein is a nano-machine whose molecular structure was selected by evolution to perform specific biological functions. Neutron spectroscopy is uniquely suited to provide experimental data on atomic motions in a protein under the influence of forces that maintain its stable and active molecular structure. Experiments are reviewed relating such a dynamics to soluble protein folding and stability in different environments, and to the activity of bacteriorhodopsin, a membrane protein nano-machine with light-driven proton pump activity.


This full-colour activity book and CD-ROM package has been designed for children aged four and over. Onscreen activities include a cyberpet to design and play with, a movie-maker to create simple animations, and themed treasure hunts to create. Key Features include free clip art and clip sounds and print-and-play activities which include finger puppets, dressing up, mobiles and party kids, and links to suitable Internet sites.


A large body of literature reports the higher prevalence of epilepsy in subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to the general population. Similarly, several studies report an increased rate of Subclinical Electroencephalographic Abnormalities (SEAs) in seizure-free patients with ASD rather than healthy controls, although with varying percentages. SEAs include both several epileptiform discharges and different non-epileptiform electroencephalographic abnormalities. They are more frequently associated with lower intellectual functioning, more serious dysfunctional behaviors, and they are often sign of severer forms of autism. However, SEAs clinical implications remain controversial, and they could represent an epiphenomenon of the neurochemical alterations of autism etiology. This paper provides an overview of the major research findings with two main purposes: to better delineate the state-of-the-art about EEG abnormalities in ASD and to find evidence for or against appropriateness of SEAs pharmacological treatment in ASD.


The global financial shock had symmetrical effects across the Eurozone: the cross-border financial flows decreased in 2008, and the investors ˑrераtriаted the funds towards home markets and re-evaluated the level of their international exposure. In the banking area, large mergers and aquisitions took place before the crisis and large banking group were created. This concentration process in the banking sector continued in the crisis context, because the banks performance dropped signifiantly. The Romanian banking system was less affected by the crisis, since it was not exposed to toxic assets, as well as due to the prudential and administrative measures adopted by the National Bank of Romania. Still, for Romania, but also for the entire Europe, the danger didn't dissapeared. The Greek situation and the Ukrainian conflict represent a challenge for the achieved stability in the European area.


PURPOSE
To document the expression of mRNA for transthyretin (TTR) and retinol binding protein (RBP) in native and cultured Rhesus monkey retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE); to compare mRNA transcripts for these two proteins expressed in RPE with those found in whole monkey liver and brain; to demonstrate the secretion of TTR by RPE during short-term maintenance in a protein-free, defined medium, as a manifestation of the differentiated state of these cells in vitro.

METHODS
Total RNA was isolated from cultured RPE in first passage, after incubation for eight days in defined, protein-free medium. Conditioned medium was collected for western analysis at this time. Total RNA was also extracted from RPE/choroid freshly dissected from monkey eyes. Using cDNA probes for human TTR and RBP, northern analysis was performed on the total RNA from fresh and cultured RPE samples, together with poly(A+) mRNA purified from monkey liver and brain.

RESULTS
Conditioned medium from RPE yielded TTR protein of the expected monomer subunit molecular size. The TTR secreted de novo from the cultured cells was detectable in the absence of biosynthetic labeling. With the exception of some extremely low abundance transcripts expressed in cultured RPE, all samples contained a single 900 bp transcript for TTR. Based on relative amounts of actual message, RPE ranks higher than liver in abundance of TTR mRNA. In contrast, both native monkey RPE and cultured RPE cells expressed comparatively low levels of mRNA for RBP. All samples displayed a single RBP mRNA transcript at 1100 bp.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that TTR is a significant gene product of the RPE, and may be considered as a marker for a differentiated phenotype for these cells in culture. There is increased recognition of various forms of ocular pathology associated with mutations or other malfunctions involving TTR and RBP, warranting a greater understanding of mechanisms of transcriptional and translational control for these two proteins.


Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have become promising accommodation for enzyme immobilization in recent years. However, the microporous nature of MOFs affects the accessibility of large molecules, resulting in a significant decline in biocatalysis efficiency. Herein, a novel strategy is reported to construct macroporous MOFs by metal competitive coordination and oxidation with induced defect structure using a transition metal (Fe2+) as a functional site. The feasibility of in situ encapsulating β-glucosidase (β-G) within the developed macroporous MOFs endows an enzyme complex (β-G@MOF-Fe) with remarkably enhanced synergistic catalysis ability. The 24 h hydrolysis rate of β-G@MOF-Fe (with respect to cellobiose) is as high as approximately 99.8%, almost 32.2 times that of free β-G (3.1%). Especially, the macromolecular cellulose conversion rate of β-G@MOF-Fe reached 90% at 64 h, while that of β-G@MOFs (most micropores) was only 50%. This improvement resulting from the expansion of pores (significantly increased at 50-100 nm) can provide enough space for the hosted biomacromolecules and accelerate the diffusion rate of reactants. Furthermore, unexpectedly, the constructed β-G@MOF-Fe showed a superior heat resistance of up to 120 °C, attributing to the new strong coordination bond (Fe2+-N) formation through the metal competitive coordination. Therefore, this study offers new insights to solve the problem of the high-temperature macromolecular substrate encountered in the actual reaction.


Division of focal plane (DoFP) polarization sensors can perform linear polarimetric imaging in one shot. However, since they use several neighboring pixels to estimate the polarization state, fast spatial variations of the scene may lead to estimation errors. We investigate the influence of the spatial variations of the three polarimetric parameters of interest (intensity, degree of linear polarization, and angle of polarization) on these errors. Using theoretical derivations and imaging experiments, we demonstrate that the spatial variations of intensity are the main source of estimation errors, much more than variations in the polarization state. Building on this analysis, we show that compensating the intensity variations within a superpixel is sufficient to reach the estimation performance of state-of-the-art demosaicing methods.


Amaranth was an important ancient grain and has current nutritional potential, being high in protein, fiber, lysine, magnesium, calcium, and squalene. Limited, inconsistent evidence demonstrates amaranth grain or oil can lower cholesterol in animal models. In the present study, hamsters received hypercholesterolemic diets consisting of a control, 10 or 20% Amaranthus cruentus grain, or 2.5 or 5% crude amaranth oil for four weeks. Amaranth oil (5%) decreased total and non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by 15 and 22%, respectively, compared to control. Amaranth grain (20%; providing 1.4% amaranth oil) lowered non-HDL cholesterol and raised HDL cholesterol. Amaranth grain and oil decreased very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol by 21-50%; and increased fecal excretion of particular neutral sterols and the bile acid ursodeoxycholate. Amaranth oil (5%) additionally increased the cholesterol synthesis rate, possibly due to compensatory mechanisms; and decreased hepatic cholesterol ester, indicating reduced cholesterol ester availability for VLDL secretion and consistency with reduced VLDL cholesterol. Amaranth thus affected absorption of cholesterol and bile acids, cholesterol lipoprotein distribution, hepatic cholesterol content, and cholesterol biosynthesis. Amaranth grain and oil did not affect these pathways identically.


To aim at improving the aerodynamic performance of hypersonic air-breathers, a family of novel waverider-based configurations, which integrate two dorsal mounted engines, is proposed. The key feature of this type of configurations is that the lower surface of the vehicle could fully preserve the characteristics of waveriders, thus it is conducive to enhancing the lift-to-drag ratio effectively. Basic waveriders of configurations are obtained by using a method that generating waverider as two parts, which are defined by the leading edge and the trailing edge respectively. The forebody of the vehicle is designed by rotating and assembling two waverider-based-surfaces, which are the front part of basic waveriders. A group of conceptual configurations with different aspect ratio is presented. Computational Fluid Dynamics is employed to evaluate the aerodynamic performance. The results demonstrate that the maximum lift-to-drag ratio of configurations is greater than 5 in viscous condition; meanwhile, the forebody could produce a good quality flowfield for the propulsion system.


The offshore eastern flank of Malay Basin is considered a challenging phenomenon for petroleum exploration in the synrift plays. The large amount of quality data from Petronas provides an opportunity to reduce the uncertainty in geological risks to exploration success in these deep plays. The application of basin modeling technique such as PetroMod in petroleum exploration giving us the ability to illustrate petroleum generation history of potential source rocks in our study area. The 1-D basin modeling was carried out on 12 calibration wells in the eastern flank of Malay Basin with an objective to investigate the presence of mature source rock and hydrocarbon charging in the study area. The red-dotted box in Figure 1 shows the location of the study area where the structural setting is severely affected by the tectonic evolution of the basin. Temperature data for calibration of present-day temperatures in the wells were obtained from the log header and the data were generally of good quality. Those data were corrected using published methods, and results were generally consistent and reasonable. Most of the wells drilled in this block have penetrated the K and L groups and a few wells have penetrated the basement. Models were constructed within the PetroMod software program in the stan¬dard ways. The stratigraphy within each well was constructed as burial history by using the top formation depth and age. The deposition of all the stratigraphy in this area is based on the Regional Malay Basin Stratigraphic Chart (Figure 2). Two source rocks were considered in this study: the Group L-Shale deposited during synrift episodes are widely interpreted as offshore lacustrine and the Group I that was deposited in the fluvial-deltaic environments (Madon et al., 1999). Hydrocarbon generation in Group L-Shale source rocks was modeled using Pepper and Corvi (1995) _TI(C), which should be appropriate for these source rocks. The Group L-Shale source rock was generated at 12.5Ma and significant oil generation was initiated at around 10.5Ma. The expulsion of large amounts of oil began at about the same time of the oil generation. This has allowed the oil to be trapped in the entire formation group (Epic Study, 1994).


The Individual in International Law — Human Rights and Freedoms — European Convention for Protection of — European Commission of Human Rights — Individual Applications — No prima facie Violation of Convention — Right to Respect for Private and Family Life (Article 8) — Principle of Non-Discrimination on Ground of Sex (Article 14) — Homosexuality.


We report on the generation of photocurrent in the visible and ultraviolet range from planar devices built from the Ge nanocrystals grown on a heavy n-doped Si(001) substrate covered with 5 nm thick thermally grown SiO2. These Ge nanostructures/SiO2/n(+)-Si devices are shown to generate photocurrent with an Incident-Photon-to-electron Conversion Efficiency (IPCE) spectral range depending on the Ge nanocrystals size. The increase of the IPCE value of our devices in the 350-600 nm range correlates well with the absorbance of Ge.


In the harbor construction work, caisson is made by slip-form method and curing temperature of caisson concrete need heating in the low-temperature. To get the setting time and compression strength of slip-form method applied caisson at various curing temperature. The curing temperature is divided to the temperature of slip-form and the temperature of second curing curtain. In consideration of setting time, compression strength of concrete and form-removal time, the best temperature is at 6 hours slip-form curing time.


Oil is one of the main inputs for many sectors like transportation, manufacturing, electricity generation and others. Oil is also very important for the economic growth of Nepal. This paper examines the short and long-run causality between oil consumption and Gross Domestic Product for Nepal using annual data covering the period of 1975-2009. Granger causality test is employed to analyse the relationship between economic growth and oil consumption variables with same order of integration (I (1)). In this study is found that there exists bi-directional Granger causality between oil consumption and economic growth in the short and long run. Key words : Oilconsumption; Economic Growth; Causality; Co-integration Economic Journal of Development Issues Vol. 11 & 12 No. 1-2 (2010) Combined Issue Page: 135-143 Uploaded date : 10 April, 2012


The aim of this paper is to analyze the theoretical methodological construction of reality explanations of international management phenomena in organizations. It departs from the assumption that classical theories of international management of organizations have evolve in parallel form to the prevalent scientific paradigms in that epoch. It is demonstrated in this paper that the theoretical methodological developments have fluctuated in a pendulum continuum from positivist epistemological conceptions of science in one extreme, going through the functionalism, structuralism, institutionalism, neoinstitutionalism, social constructivism and critical interpretative to achieve el opposite extreme with the qualitative and ethnographic research approaches.


Experimental results are presented on an innovative SMT (surface mount technology) aramid-paper/epoxy matrix structure. An investigation of the interlayer adhesion of this composite to copper foils shows that a moderate adhesion force has been kept through the heat aging process without cupric oxide treatment on the foils. Hole piercing by a one-shot punching method and the implementation of printed polymer resistors with improved performance are demonstrated.<<ETX>>


Diagnosis of prostate needle biopsies can be challenging, particularly when the atypical areas of interest are very small. The utility of immunostains for high-molecular-weight cytokeratin (34&bgr;E12) to highlight prostatic basal cells in these cases is well established, and recent reports also document the utility of immunostains for p63 (a marker that stains the nuclei of prostate basal cells) for this purpose. Several investigators have demonstrated that immunostaining for P504S, a cytoplasmic protein that is overexpressed in a high percentage of prostate cancers and in many cases of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), can also be of use in the diagnosis of prostate biopsies. Because of the cytoplasmic localization of P504S and nuclear localization of p63, the authors hypothesized that a cocktail of these two antibodies might allow simultaneous demonstration of P504S and p63 using a single immunostain. In this report the authors describe the successful use of a cocktail of p63/P504S for immunohistochemical staining of prostate tissue. Two different staining approaches were investigated, with essentially identical results. This cocktail localizes P504S in the cytoplasm of prostate carcinoma cells and high-grade PIN and demonstrates the nuclei of prostatic basal cells, providing information on both the status of P504S and the presence or absence of basal cells with a single immunostain. This cocktail can be of great utility in the examination of diagnostically challenging prostate specimens.


Zeynep Celik Alexander Kinaesthetic Knowing: Aesthetics, Epistemology, Modern Design Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017, 336 pp., 10 color and 99 b/w illus. $55 (cloth), ISBN 9790226485201

How do we know what we learn in an architecture or design school? How does visual or other instruction engaging the bodily senses inform the teaching of design as a creative yet iterative, pattern-making process? And what are the epistemological mechanisms that have historically supported such pedagogical practices converting bodily movements, tactile sensations, color tones, and sound signals into painted images, concrete artifacts, and built spaces?

In Kinaesthetic Knowing , Zeynep Celik Alexander examines the methodical construction of such knowledge by describing the codification of psychological intuitions into a pedagogical system that has perpetuated itself in design schools over several generations. For decades now, modern architecture has been criticized for its orthogonal logic, disembodied rationality, and overconfidence regarding the power of the mind. Celik Alexander counterargues that twentieth-century art and architectural historians, practicing designers, and visual arts pedagogues drew from the anti-intellectual aesthetics of bodily movement, psychological impulse, and feeling to produce new experiential subjects who drew, built, and shaped artifacts with a presumably natural propensity unmediated by critical reason. She compellingly demonstrates how such an ostensibly unfettered form of creativity was harnessed into didactic regimens, rules, and principles solidified by modern design institutions in early twentieth-century Germany, including the Bauhaus and its epigones in the United States and other parts of the globe. Traversing aesthetics, epistemology, and design education, Kinaesthetic Knowing expands the notion of Gestaltung from the formation of modern artifacts to the shaping of human subjects and the restructuring of areas of knowledge, including scientific and design techniques and their interrelated histories.

One of the book's many feats is that it makes the history of psychological aesthetics relevant again for the study of architectural history. Celik Alexander describes not simply an "aesthetics from below"—that is, an aesthetic system informed by the physiological capacities of subjects and material …


Resistance to brown planthopper (BPH),Nilaparvata lugens Stl, in 3328 newly developed rice varieties (lines) bred by National rice breeding program (NRBP) and Zhejiang provincial rice breeding program (ZRBP) was evaluated using the Seedling Bulk Screening Test from 1986 to 2000. Results indicated that the rate of resistant rice varieties in tested varieties from NRBP was 17.25% during 7th Five year Plan, and the rate ranked from 11% to 13% was recorded in 8th and 9th Five year Plan. In the rice varieties from ZRBP, the rate of resistant variety in evaluated varieties were 11.54% and 18.96% in 7th and 8th Five year Plan, respectively. The lowest rate, 5.51% was found in 9th Five year Plan. There was significant difference in the rate of resistant variety between rice varieties from NRBP and ZRBP in 9th Five year Plan. The fluctuation of rate of resistant variety in different Five year Plans was analyzed and the effective methods for breeding resistant rice varieties to BPH were discussed also.


The discussions of the Bullionist Controversy were closely related to the effects of inconvertibility on prices and exchange rates. However, during their discussions, economists had a need to address other important questions such as the convenience of free banking. In this paper, we will study the perspective of the different schools involved in the debate on this issue: we will show that their positions were wholly coherent with their underlying assumptions on the nature of monetary assets. The economists who viewed gold and banknotes as perfect substitutes, such as the radical bullionists, tended to favor a ban on free banking. On the contrary, the economists who viewed banknotes and gold as imperfect substitutes, such as the moderate bullionists and antibullionists, were inclined to favor free banking.


Phosphine-catalyzed [4 + 2] annulation and vinylogous Michael addition reactions between 1,4-dien-3-ones and 1,1-dicyanoalkenes are presented. Under the catalysis of PBu(3) (20 mol %), 1,4-dien-3-ones like styryl ketones with 2-aryl 1,1-dicyanoalkenes as doubly activated alkenes readily undergo a formal [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction, affording polysubstituted cyclohexanones in satisfactory yield and good diastereoselectivity; with the doubly activated alkenes bearing an acidic methyl or methylene at the 2-position, a vinylogous Michael addition of 1,4-dien-3-ones occurs under the same reaction conditions, giving a non-cyclized multifunctional adduct in good yield. These two phosphine-catalyzed transformations represent atom economical carbon-carbon bond forming reactions capable of rapid construction of molecular complexity. Based on experimental results, formation of the products has been mechanistically rationalized, and a phosphonium activation is proposed.


Abstract One of the authors of the winning project of the International Competition: "Redevelopment area in downtown Santiago de Chile" - UIA 1972, the architect Emilio T. Sessa, tries to make an account of his experience that is both informative, from the time and the memory of the event, and reflective, given the many events ranging from its origin to the sudden interruption and projections.


Abstract In this study, the complete mitogenome sequence of hornlip mullet Plicomugil labiosus (Teleostei: Mugilidae) has been sequenced by next-generation sequencing method. The assembled mitogenome, consisting of 16,829 bp, had the typical vertebrate mitochondrial gene arrangement, including 13 protein coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs genes and a non-coding control region of D-loop. D-loop contains 1057 bp length is located between tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe. The overall base composition of P. labiosus is 28.0% for A, 29.3% for C, 15.5% for G and 27.2% for T. The complete mitogenome may provide essential and important DNA molecular data for further population, phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis for Mugilidae.


Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), also referred to as the brittle bone disease is a rare congenital ailment characterised by bones that are very brittle and hence, prone to fractures. Such afflicted persons are often found left with little or no support from the Conventional system or the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system to pursue their education. Therefore, most of them remain deprived of School Education or Higher Education. Such learners have very specific learning needs and therefore, it calls for appropriate technological interventions under the ODL system to overcome the challenges faced by them due to their debilitating physical conditions. Quality research work in the field of innovative pedagogical technologies for such special learners in ODL system is either absent or at a very nascent stage. This study is a novel effort in this direction to address the glaring gap in the existing practices with respect to providing appropriate technology based solutions to address the learning needs of the special OI learners through the ODL system. An empirical study was conducted among twenty special learners, suffering from this ailment to identify the most appropriate components for development of a suitable technology driven Learning Management System (LMS) to effectively cater to their learning needs. Structured questionnaire was developed to elicit responses from this sample. Relevant information collected with respect to the specific requirements of such special learners, gave valuable inputs and insights to develop an LMS to cater to the techno-pedagogical needs of the OI learners.


Motivation B-cell epitopes (BCEs) play a pivotal role in the development of peptide vaccines, immunodiagnostic reagents, and antibody production, and thus generally in infectious disease prevention and diagnosis. Experimental methods used to determine BCEs are costly and time-consuming. It thus becomes essential to develop computational methods for the rapid identification of BCEs. Though several computational methods have been developed for this task, cross-testing of classifiers trained and tested on different datasets revealed their limitations, with accuracies of 51 to 53%. Results We describe a new method called EpitopeVec, which utilizes residue properties, modified antigenicity scales, and a Protvec representation of peptides for linear BCE prediction with machine learning techniques. Evaluating on several large and small data sets, as well as cross-testing demonstrated an improvement of the state-of-the-art performances in terms of accuracy and AUC. Predictive performance depended on the type of antigen (viral, bacterial, eukaryote, etc.). In view of that, we also trained our method on a large viral dataset to create a linear viral BCE predictor. Availablity The software is available at https://github.com/hzi-bifo/epitope-prediction under the GPL3.0 license. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


: The poly(A+)/poly(A-)mRNA ratio and the half-life time of poly(A+)mRNA for mRNA metabolism in the liver and brain of rat in the course of ontogensis, late embryogenesis, postnatal development and upon ageing were determined. It was shown that in the course of ontogenesis both the ratio of poly(A+)/poly(A-)mRNA of free and membrane-bound polyribosomes and the half-life time of poly(A+)mRNA determined from the degradation kinetics in the presence of actinomycin D are changed. A possible role of poly(A) sequences in the regulation of mRNA life-time is discussed.


Background: Obesity has a growing global epidemic with several risk factors including lifestyle habits, physical activity, and prolonged screen time. This study aimed to compare the dietary habits and self-reported health behaviors in a nationally representative sample of Iranian children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional nationwide study was conducted in the framework of the fourth survey of a national school-based surveillance program, entitled Childhood and Adolescence Surveillance and Prevention of Adult Non‑communicable disease (CASPIAN-IV) Study. Participants were 14,880 students aged 6-18 years from 30 provinces in Iran. The World Health Organization- Global Student Health Survey questionnaire was utilized to assess their relationship with peers, body image, dietary, life-style and smoking habits, physical activity, and violence behaviors. Apart from the questionnaire, additional information on dietary habits was obtained as well. The Chi-square test and the student t-test were used to compare the groups. Results: Boys had higher proportions of obesity (P<0.05). The prevalence of overweight and obesity decreased with age. Intake of refined bread (NS), non-hydrogenated oils (P<0.001), and low fat dairies (P<0.05) predominated in all three BMI categories. Meal skipping was less prevalent compared to planned meals, but there was an increasing trend according to BMI. All three BMI categories, were watching TV more than 2 hours per day (P<0.05). Depression and fighting were more prevalent in overweight and obese individuals, respectively. Conclusion: Unhealthy food intake and dietary habits were prevalent in all BMI categories, while poor health related behaviors were more seen in children with higher weight.


Palliative care is an alternate therapeutic approach that involves specialised medical care of a patient diagnosed with serious life threatening illness like heart failure (HF). The prime aim of the palliative care is to provide patient with relief from the symptoms, pain, physical stress, and mental stress of the diagnosed disease. The palliative care helps in improving the quality of life for both the patient and the family. Advanced HF is a disease process that carries a high burden of symptoms, suffering, and death. Palliative care can complement traditional care to improve symptom amelioration, patient-caregiver communication, emotional support, and medical decision making. The present review summarized all the available on alternative palliative approaches provided to heart patient by a team of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals.


Abstract : There appears to be a consensus among U.S. Chinawatchers that Beijing is engaged in a determined effort to modernize the People s Liberation Army (PLA) to fight and win limited wars under high-tech conditions. Most U.S. assessments of the PLA accept the view that China s official defense budget greatly under-represents actual military expenditures by a factor of two to three. These estimates are only informed guesses, and it is nearly impossible to determine how Chinese military expenditures are directly affecting various aspects of PLA modernization. There is general agreement that the PLA has been engaged since the early 1990s in a concerted effort to replace and upgrade its military hardware, including the increased acquisition of foreign weapons systems, primarily from Russia. China is devoting increasing attention to the acquisition of weapons for asymmetric warfare. There are still major differences of opinion when it comes to interpreting the significance of China s force modernization efforts. Some analysts argue that the PLA is still at least two decades behind the United States in terms of defense capabilities and technology. Others, however, view China s recent military acquisitions and current research and development (R&D) efforts as marking a definite improvement of its warfighting capabilities. U.S. assessments of Chinese military modernization also tend to differ with regard to China s ability to develop or obtain advanced technologies and to effectively incorporate these in next-generation weapons systems and military equipment. The U.S. debate over China s military modernization efforts and its implications for U.S. security remains far from settled. There is still little concern that the PRC will soon constitute a global military challenge or a direct threat to the U.S. homeland.


Purpose: Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among adolescent and young adult (AYA) females worldwide, but epidemiological patterns unique to this group are often obscured when results are combined with older patients. This study investigates breast cancer incidence and survival among AYA females, including differences by broad stage at diagnosis. Methods: A retrospective, population-based cohort study was conducted using de-identified data for females in Queensland, Australia, aged 15-39 diagnosed with a first primary breast cancer between 1997 and 2014 with follow-up to December 31, 2016. Incidence rate trends were examined with Joinpoint analysis. Cause-specific survival was calculated for key characteristics, and 5-year adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated from a multivariable flexible parametric model. Results: The study cohort comprised 2337 patients, of whom two-thirds (n = 1565, 67%) were diagnosed with advanced disease (tumor diameter >20 mm, lymph node involvement or presence of distant metastases at diagnosis). Incidence rates of localized tumors decreased by 1.9% per year (95% confidence interval [CI] -3.5% to -0.4%) over the study period, whereas the trend for advanced breast cancers remained stable. Five-year cause-specific survival increased from 85% to 92% for 2011-2014 compared to 1997-2001 (adjusted HR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.29-0.65). Patients who were Indigenous from disadvantaged areas or diagnosed with advanced stage experienced significantly worse survival. Conclusion: The high proportion of younger females diagnosed with advanced breast cancer should be the focus of future campaigns to improve awareness and earlier detection. While survival has increased over time, further work is required to ensure that this progress is experienced equitably by all patients.


A laser processing technology has been developed that dramatically reduces, or virtually eliminates, laser-induced performance shift of a device during functional trimming. While functional laser trimming of monolithic integrated circuits and thick-film hybrid circuits has been used for over 20 years to improve yields and device performance, photoelectric response in the silicon itself to the conventional wavelengths created long delays in processing and even circuit latch-up. The answer to these problems turned out to be an alternative laser wavelength which is absorbed well by both thin-film and thick-film resistor materials but is "invisible" to silicon-based structures. This paper describes the results obtained by using the 1.3-/spl mu/m wavelength of a diode-pumped Nd:YLF laser for trimming deposited, thin-film-on-silicon integrated circuits and the 1.3-/spl mu/m wavelength of Nd:YAG laser for screen-printed, thick-film hybrid circuits. The trimming, or "tuning" of thin-film-on-silicon circuits with a low-power version of the alternative wavelength has permitted both the shrinking of resistor geometries and the expansion of the types of circuits that can be functionally tuned. Secondly, the advent of higher laser power output of the same wavelength has eliminated the photoelectric response problems associated with functionally laser trimming hybrid and multichip module circuits that incorporate silicon devices in their construction. Results are given from actual production devices.


The vulnerability of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum to the impact of the category 5 hurricane "Dean" was assessed at a back-reef area of Mahahual (Southern Mexican Caribbean). Seventy days after Dean, there was a high mean Diadema population density of 12.6 ± 4.3 (SD; from here forward) ind m–2 , with a large mean individual test diameter of 59.2 ±9.8 mm. This population was comparable to a previous report for the same area, just before the landfall of Dean on 21 August 2007. Immigration of adults from deeper fore-reef sites after Dean across the reef-crest was unlikely, considering the homing behavior displayed by tagged urchins. The degree of physical alteration of the habitat indicated that Diadema may survive higher hurricane-generated disturbances than those reported in previous works. These results have strong implications on the conservation of the Mexican Caribbean coral reefs since the Diadema populations surveyed have a high grazing activity and are persistent against hurricanes impact.


IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common cause of primary renal diseases worldwide, and the early secreted antigenic target of 6 (ESAT-6) which was secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) may be involved in the development and progression of IgAN. This study aimed to investigate the role of ESAT-6 for early diagnosis of IgAN caused by MTB infection. From 2011 to 2014, 21 patients with renal tuberculosis (RTB), 25 with IgAN, and 46 with IgAN infected with MTB (IgAN/MTB) were enrolled. Serum levels of antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen 85A (Ag85A) were measured by ELISA. Urine culture and phage amplified biologically assay were performed to detect MTB. HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes in kidney tissues. Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect the expression of ESAT-6. Immunofluorescence staining was conducted to detect IgA1. Positive rates of serum anti-Ag85A antibody and urine culture for MTB were higher in the RTB and IgAN/MTB groups than those in the IgAN group. The positive rates of plaques were also higher in RTB and IgAN/MTB groups than the positive rate in the IgAN group. By contrast, the positive rate of ESAT-6 was lower in the IgAN group than that in the RTB group or the IgAN/MTB group, whereas the expression levels of IgA1 were higher in the IgAN and IgAN/MTB groups, compared with the RTB group. Our findings suggest that ESAT-6 and IgA1 may be helpful for early diagnosis of IgAN caused by MTB infection.


Fix a nonsingular algebraic variety Y over an algebraically closed field (of arbitrary characteristic). An arrangement of subvarieties S is a finite collection of nonsingular subvarieties such that all nonempty scheme-theoretic intersections of subvarieties in S are again in S, or equivalently, such that any two subvarieties intersect cleanly and the intersection is either empty or a subvariety in this collection (see Definition 2.1). Let S be an arrangement of subvarieties of Y . A subset G ⊆ S is called a building set of S if ∀S ∈ S \ G, the minimal elements in {G ∈ G : G ⊇ S} intersect transversally and the intersection is S. A set of subvarieties G is called a building set if all the possible intersections of subvarieties in G form an arrangement S (called the induced arrangement of G) and G is a building set of S (see Definition 2.2). For any building set G, the wonderful compactification of G is defined as follows.


Bayesian Networks are today used in various fields and domains due to their inherent ability to deal with uncertainty. Learning Bayesian Networks, however is an NP-Hard task [7]. The super exponential growth of the number of possible networks given the number of factors in the studied problem domain has meant that more often, approximate and heuristic rather than exact methods are used. In this paper, a novel genetic algorithm approach for reducing the complexity of Bayesian network structure discovery is presented. We propose a method that uses chain structures as a model for Bayesian networks that can be constructed from given node orderings. The chain model is used to evolve a small number of orderings which are then injected into a greedy search phase which searches for an optimal structure. We present a series of experiments that show a significant reduction can be made in computational cost although with some penalty in success rate.


BACKGROUND
A meta-analysis was performed to examine the clinical efficacy of drugs in the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).

METHODS
combinations of terms of "acute myeloid leukemia", "fludara", "cytarabine", "cladribine", "aclacinomycin", "granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)", and "hyaluronic acid" were searched in Chinese databases. "acute myelogenous leukemia", "fludara", "cytarabine", "cladribine", "aclacinomycin", "granulocyte colony-stimulating factor", and "hyaluronic acid" were searched in English databases. Review Manager 5.3 was employed for the meta-analysis.

RESULTS
Ultimately, 12 articles were included. Most of the articles had a low-risk bias, and were of medium or high quality. The complete remission rates were tested for heterogeneity [chi-square test (Chi2) =4.10, degrees of freedom (df)=10, I2=0%; P=0.94]. The fixed effect model analysis showed that the difference between experimental participants and controls was considerable [Z=13.15, odds ratio (OR) =12.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): (8.77, 18.76); P<0.01]. The overall effective rates were tested for heterogeneity (Chi2=1.58, df=7, I2=0%; P=0.98), and difference between experimental participants and controls was considerable [Z=10.70, OR =1.32, 95% CI: (7.32,17.89); P<0.01]. The overall adverse reaction rates were tested for heterogeneity (Chi2=0.42, df=5, I2=0%; P=0.99), and the difference between experimental participants and controls was considerable [Z=5.00, OR =0.38, 95% CI: (0.26, 0.55); P<0.01]. The circles of some studies in the funnel diagrams were symmetrical with the midline, the accuracy of included trials was high, the publications were not biased, and the final conclusions were reliable.

CONCLUSIONS
This meta-analysis showed that drug treatments of AML can improve complete remission and total effective rates and reduce adverse reaction rates, and thus are worthy of clinical promotion.


Nodal, a member of the TGF‐β superfamily, is an embryonic morphogen that is upregulated in different types of tumors. Nodal increases the tumorigenesis by inducing angiogenesis and promoting metastasis. Importantly, Nodal inhibition suppresses the growth and invasion of tumor. Since tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) are the major infiltrating leukocytes in most cancers, we investigated whether Nodal is involved in the differentiation of TAMs. Our results revealed that Nodal inhibition in tumor microenvironment upregulated the production of IL‐12 in macrophages and reversed TAMs to classically activated macrophage phenotype. In contrast, treatment with recombinant Nodal (rNodal) decreased the expression of IL‐12 in murine macrophages. Furthermore, rNodal promoted macrophage polarization to an alternatively activated macrophage‐like/TAM phenotype and modulated its function. These results suggest that Nodal may play an important role in macrophage polarization and downregulation of IL‐12. The rescued antitumor function of TAMs via the inhibition of Nodal expression could be a new therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.


Although the existence of an environmental dividend to green taxes is beyond dispute, the same is not true for the efficiency or double dividend. Given the wide spread excess fertilizer use by farmers in Egypt with serious repercussions for water pollution and contamination of agriculture goods, using a static CGE model, this research attempts at assessing the magnitude of the double dividend from the imposition of a tax on fertilizer use. The paper further assesses whether there is a triple dividend affect from improved market access to agricultural goods following the reduction in fertilizer use.


Abstract In this paper, we present a battery of empirical findings on the relationship between cultural context and theory of mind that show great variance in the onset and character of mindreading in different cultures; discuss problems that those findings cause for the largely-nativistic outlook on mindreading dominating in the literature; and point to an alternative framework that appears to better accommodate the evident cross-cultural variance in mindreading. We first outline the theoretical frameworks that dominate in mindreading research, then present the relevant empirical findings, and finally we come back to the theoretical approaches in a discussion of their explanatory potential in the face of the data presented. The theoretical frameworks discussed are the two-systems approach; performance-based approach also known as modularity-nativist approach; and the social-communicative theory also known as the systems, relational-systems, dynamic systems and developmental systems theory. The former two, which both fall within the wider modular-computational paradigm, run into a challenge with the cross-cultural data presented, and the latter - the systemic framework - seems to offer an explanatorily potent alternative. The empirical data cited in this paper comes from research on cross-cultural differences in folk psychology and theory-of-mind development; the influence of parenting practices on the development of theory of mind; the development and character of theory of mind in deaf populations; and neuroimaging research of cultural differences in mindreading.


Tumor-associated microglia generally promote tumor invasion, adopting an immunosuppressive phenotype that is distinct from their pro-inflammatory functions. Based on bioinformatic mining of novel sentinel genes encoding biologically active peptides, we have recently identified Ecrg4, as a novel secreted pro-inflammatory mediator of macrophage activation. While downregulation of Ecrg4 expression occurs in various tumor cells, in this study, we demonstrate that the biological activity of Ecrg4 in cancer functions through a paracrine mechanism, where tumor cell-exposed Ecrg4 acts upon tumor-associated microglia. In orthotopic glioma models, tumor cells expressing Ecrg4 induce proliferation and morphological changes in tumor-associated microglia. These Ecrg4-mediated effects on microglia correlate with a reduction in tumor burden and prolonged survival. Together, these results identify Ecrg4 as a novel mediator of glioma progression functioning through a paracrine mechanism that regulates the inflammatory state of tumor-associated microglia/macrophages.

Citation Format: Jisook Lee, Xitong Dang, Alexandra Borboa, Raul Coimbra, Andrew Baird, Brian Eliceiri. Ecrg4 downregulation in glioma enables transformed cells to escape immunosurveillance by tumor-associated macrophages/microglia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Invasion and Metastasis; Jan 20-23, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A19.


The consumer purchase decisions of Nissan Setiabudi Semarang Dealers to Nissan type Livina cars higher when compared to other types of Nissan cars, which can be seen from the car sales data of Nissan Setiabudi Semarang Dealers. Purchase decisions are influenced by several factors, including brand image, product quality, and price. The purpose of this research was to see the influence of brand image, product quality, and price on the purchase decision of Nissan type Livina cars at Nissan Setiabudi Semarang Dealers. The methods of collecting data were questionnaire, interview, and literature view. The data analysis used was multiple linier regression analysis. The number of samples in the research were 98 consumers. The results shows that the brand image partially had no significant effect on purchase decisions, while product quality and price had significant increase on purchase decisions. Then simultaneously the variables were brand image, product quality, and price had significant effect on purchase decisions. Based on results of multiple linier regression analysis, the equation Y =  1,199 + 0,105X1 + 0,547X2 + 0,222X3. Purchase decisions were explained by the variables of brand image, product quality, and price by 73,7%, while the remaining 26,3% was explained by other variables not examined in this research.


Inferring user search goals for a query can be very useful in improving search engine relevance and user experience. Although the research on analyzing user goals or intents for text search has received much attention, little has been proposed for image search. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to infer user search goals in image search by mining search engine query logs with semi-supervised spectral clustering. We combine the visual information of the clicked images with user click information by using graph-based models and then cluster the images with spectral clustering to capture user image-search goals. Experimental results based on a popular commercial search engine demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


The Nilufer Stream draining the industrial city of Bursa is the most polluted with generally high enrichment fac- tors (EF>7) for Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni and Cr close to Bursa. In this stream these metals mainly occur in the non-residual fractions indicating anthropogenic origin. The highest con- centrations of these elements close to Bursa and their gradual downstream dilution supports inputs from anthro- pogenic sources. The Simav stream draining the Balikesir and Susurluk areas is significantly locally enriched only in Pb (EF>6). This metal occurs mainly in the residual and the Fe-Mn oxyhdroxide phases. The site where the oxyhdrox- ide bound Pb is dominant is located close to Balikesir City, indicating anthropogenic inputs. The residual Pb phases in these sediments are related to natural inputs, such as the Pb-Zn mineralized zones. The Gonen and Biga streams draining into the Erdek Bay are in general characterized by high contents of Cr with EF values up to 76. The Gonen stream is also relatively enriched in Pb. Cr in the sediments occur mostly in the organic and Fe-Mn oxyhdroxide phases indicating anthropogenic sources, whereas Pb occurs mainly in the residual phase. Metals in the drainage sediments at stations located close to the Sea of Marmara (SOM) are enriched in Zn, Cr and Pb in the Kocasu River (comprising the Nilufer and Simav streams); Cr and Pb in the Gonen stream and Cr in the Biga Stream. These results suggest the main source of high Zn, Cr and Pb observed in the southern SOM surface sediments are the riverine inputs.